[JEDI] Old boots on old soil.

[SophiaM]

The small ship dropped out of hyperspace above the planet of Tython. The planet grew large in the viewport of the cockpit where the old man sat and stared for a moment. It has been too long. He thought to himself as he plotted a decent course and clicked the seat harness over his grey armoured robes. The ship blasted through the atmosphere and once re-entry was achieved the old man switched off the auto pilot and took the controls. He made minor course alterations as he flew past mountains and forests as he made his way to the Jedi Temple. As the Temple came into view he fired the thrusters and lowered the landing gear. Setting the ship down gently on one of the landing pads he unclipped the harness and gathered his travel pack. He grasped his lightsaber at his belt just to reassure himself that it was indeed still there, this one more precious to him than any others he had owned. There was a gust of wind as the landing ramp lowered and the air lock door opened. It had been several months since he had last tasted fresh air and he took a deep breath. After a moment he walked down the ramp, his pace slow and purposeful, he was in no rush, he'd been away for almost twenty years after all. He looked up at the Temple and sighed. It certainly had been too long.

 

[Teynara]

It couldn't be said that Tython had many bad days, at far as the weather went - okay, there was always the odd storm, charged with Force energy in ways that only a couple of planets in the entire Galaxy could match, but for the most part, the weather was smooth, serene, as calm in it's own way as the Jedi Temple which stood upon the surface of it. Today wasn't one of those days, though, and the rain had descended from the skies in a fairly steady stream, forcing most of the Jedi indoors. Well, everyone except those who were unlucky enough to have good reason to be outside.

It was just her luck that Teynara had been chosen to spend the week on guard duty within the Temple. It wasn't really a necessary duty - there was nobody else on the planet to bother the members of the Order that studied and trained here, but it was a ceremonial duty, same as the door duty Padawans who stood guard at the thresholds of the Temple, to challenge anyone who might enter without permission. The idea was that the formal duties would teach the students to take responsibility for others, as well as also teach them security procedure and provide a sense of routine. So she hadn't exactly had cause to object when her name came up, even though she was quite certain if something did happen, she'd have a better chance of fighting her way out of a carbonite cell than she would of being any use against an intruder.

Her commlink had signalled a newly arriving ship, and procedure said they had to check those out, regardless of who was aboard. Never know who might be smuggling themselves to Tython, and it's not as if the number of people who even know about this planet are particularly large, so... Last thing the Order wanted was anyone who didn't need to know finding out about their sanctuary world. Tython was protected, the last fall-back of the Order if things went really badly for them in the rest of the Galaxy. So, here, security was tighter than in any other Jedi facility anywhere. Ever.

She hurried to the landing bays outside with a fairly clipped pace, her boots moving quickly underneath her long skirts. The second she stepped outside the Temple gates, she started finding herself assailed by both wind and water in good measure, and she thanked the Force she'd had the foresight to wear a tunic with a hood for once, and she hurriedly pulled the hood up over her long blonde hair. Last thing I need is to look like a drowned felinx while running the rounds, she thought.

Her footsteps came to a halt as she noticed a ship having set down nearby, and the boarding ramp having descended, admitting a man of fairly decent height and posture coming down and heading towards the Temple. He was dressed in the fairly non-descript manner of all Jedi, and from what she could tell, at the very least he was in his middle years, judging by the beard and the touches of grey here and there in his hair. Which means he definitely outranks me, unless he's the oldest Padawan in the history of the known Universe, she thought with a smile.

"Excuse me, Master!", she said, raising her voice ever so slightly as to be heard, her lilting tones obvious with every syllable uttered, "Sorry to bother you, but I have to get you to, uh, sign yourself in. Security procedures, you see," she noted apologetically. She really hated this part, but Jedi were all about duty, and if she didn't do hers, she was gonna hear about it later...

 

[SophiaM]

As he left the protection of the ship and entered the curtain of water that was raining down upon the Temple he drew upon the Force and created a slight barrier around him to protect against the rain. True he was wearing a robe and could have put the hood up to protect himself but he liked to use these little exercises in Control to keep himself on his toes. To the young woman that called after him it would appear as though the rain was indeed bouncing off him but upon a closer inspection she would see that he was not getting wet. He walked towards the young woman who was making her best attempts to stay dry and failing only slightly; He made a mental note about the fact that a Jedi of her age had not been taught such a simple Control exercise. Stopping a short distance ahead of her he bowed slightly and smiled. Greetings. I am Master Peacecraft. I must admit, it has been some time since I last visited. Please lead on. While he introduced himself he took a closer look at the girl, easy on the eyes, long blonde hair tucked under her hood, though she appeared to be missing a Padawan braid, he assumed that if this was indeed her rank she may have another way of displaying it other than a braid.

 

[Teynara]

Approaching the other Jedi more closely, it took Teynara a moment to notice that he was actually dry as a bone. And just how did he manage that?, she had to wonder, even though the answer was fairly obvious, and she noted it shortly thereafter anyway: the Force. But that was one thing. It looked like it was probably another telekinetic skill, if she was any judge, but she had to admit, it was a pretty impressive adaptation of a skill that nearly all Jedi were taught and able to practice. I'd never have thought to use it to keep my hair dry, though, she thought with a faint chuckle of amusement.

She'd also found a similar touch of amusement at the name of the Jedi now having recently arrived. Seems like an unfortunate one to be stuck with, given his choice of occupation, she thought inwardly. Luckily it couldn't be said that Jedi were likely to have ever been bullied at school, since a fairly large majority were trained from childhood (and she couldn't imagine that sort of behaviour being tolerated at the Temple), but if it did, this one would definitely have been the victim of a little derisive humour. Still, not a bad name for a Jedi to carry, I suppose.

Seeing his bow, the blonde Padawan came to a stop in a rustle of skirts and offered a slightly hurried but nonetheless polite bow. She wasn't overly anxious to remain out here in the rain too much longer - she had no particular desire to have to change her clothes again. Okay, we do have our own internal laundry services, but I'd need to pick another co-ordinating outfit. And that would just be a nuisance. "I'm Padawan Teynara Jeralyr, Master," she added to the bow, by way of introduction. "It's nice to meet you."

"If you'll follow me, Master, we can go somewhere nice and warm," the blonde noted, since the Temple was all internally temperature-controlled, and considerably drier than it was outside. We should just be glad we didn't stir up a Force Storm on a day like this, she thought with a touch of relief. Her first encounter with one hadn't been pleasant. She hadn't gotten a wink of sleep that night, as she recalled.

They walked through the double doors that separated the Temple from the landing bays, and she felt comfortable enough to push her hood away from her head and brush out her long blonde hair to rest against the back of her robes. She'd stopped tying it up after being told it looked better long anyway, and she had to occasionally fall prey to feminine vanity. That done, she reached over to a nearby wall and picked a large datapad off a stand, switching it on by pressing a couple of dials, then presented it screen-first to the Master.

"If you could just press your hand on this and say your name outloud for me, Master, it'll sign you in and cross-check your name again Temple records," she said amiably, expecting that he probably knew the procedure better than she did. Still, had to do these things properly. "Sorry to be such a bother, but it's protocol and all".

 

[Wit]

As Teynara began the various procedures a new arrival had to go through upon arriving on Tython, a third figure had silently followed them in from the landing bay. Luthair came to a stop near the two Jedi and looked at the scarred face of the older Jedi for a second before speaking. Dressed in a starfighter jumpsuit, he did not look much like a Jedi Master, but this was how he dressed when working on his ship. Besides, appearances didn't count for much in a place such as Tython, after all the Force was a far more reliable sense than sight.

He had been working on his ship when he had seen the other craft land, the single human stepping out of the craft not warranting much of his attention, concentrating as he was on finishing his repairs. Imagine his surprise when he had noticed who the man stepping out from the vessel actually was. At first he had not been sure it was the same man, after all it had been years since he had last heard of him, decades since he had actually seen him, but he had a good memory for faces and besides, the Force was giving him all the confirmation he needed.

So he had followed the duo into the temple and his suspicions had been confirmed when the Jedi had introduced himself. It was actually him.

Wiping his hands on a rag hanging on his belt, he stepped forward and smiled at the older man. "Master Peacecraft, it really is you. I don't know if you remember me, but you used to know my father, Master Rees al'Thor, I am his son Luthair. We met once when I was just a padawan, though it must have been was over twenty years ago. It is a pleasure to see you again sir."

 

[SophiaM]

Tegarian smiled again and placed his hand upon the datapad. After a moment the pad beeped with confirmation of his identity along with a readout of his comings and goings showing that he had been away from the Temple for almost twenty years. As he did this he looked at the man who had approached. He did seem slightly familiar and as he thought back he could see; You resemble your Father greatly Luthair. It is good to see a familiar face after so long a time. How fairs Master Secura? He asked, hoping to hear of another of his old friends. He asked as he guided the young woman down the hall with his arm out-stretched behind her to show that he wished her to remain with them as they made their way to the Council Chambers.

 

[Wit]

Luthair was silent as he began walking with Master Peacecraft and Teynara towards the council chambers, the sudden mention of his old Master bringing him up short. It was not the pain of her death, he had long since made his peace with her passing, it was just that after all this time, and all that had been going on in the Galaxy, this was the first time he was hearing anyone mention his old Master in a very long time. "I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Master Secura is no more. She passed away almost thirteen years ago." He fell silent for a moment, letting the older man come to terms with the news, after all they had been friends. "She spoke very highly of you, I know she would have been glad to see here once more."

 

[Teynara]

Walking alongside the other two in silence, Teynara couldn't help but wonder what undertones were at play here in the conversation between them, or why exactly she was walking with them to a destination she was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to go anywhere near, if memory served. These two clearly knew each other, which was really all the identification she needed with regards to the new arrival - anyone who checked out fine with Master Luthair was certainly not going to be a security risk, which was just as well, since Teynara was letting him into the Temple anyway.

She was a little shocked to realise that the new Master hadn't been here on Tython in, well, almost as long as Teynara herself had been alive. That made him a very old member of the Order, but apparently one who hadn't exactly been on speaking terms with the rest of the Jedi, unless something else was going on here. Sure, Jedi had to no doubt go on extended assignments some of the time, but twenty years seemed like it was pushing it just a little. But there's probably a more complex explanation in there somewhere, no doubt filled with deeper emotions, old arguments or a difference of opinion that led to a departure. It was all very intriguing, she had to admit.

So far, she hadn't said a word since asking Master Peacecraft to place his hand on the datapad - it hadn't felt right for her to say anything in the presence of two highly-ranked Jedi, particularly given their comparative places in the Order's hierarchy. As a Padawan, speak when spoken to, she thought with a wryly-amused smile. Okay, I'm not so good at that, but now isn't the time to speak when old friends are catching up. You learn more by listening, anyway.

And there was another thing, another question arising that she knew she would never ask. Who was this Master Secura? And how is it she dies without Master Peacecraft knowing, if her name is the first one that crosses his lips when coming here?, she thought silently. Something said there was a history there, perhaps a friendship broken that he sought to renew, though that would now prove impossible? Perhaps this Master Secura had been his former teacher? Or a Padawan training at the same time as he? There were endless possibilities, she knew, but still, there was some import to that being his first question since his arrival.

It was all very, very intriguing.

 

[SophiaM]

Tegarian lowered his head for a moment at hearing of the death of Master Secura. Such a shame. Although I did not know her well, I afforded her every respect. It is a great loss for the Order. As they passed a corridor to the left, he stopped for a moment and looked down it. If he remembered correctly his private room lay in that direction. Please, allow me to serve you both a drink in my room. He looked at Teynara, a slight shine in his eye. And you may both take the opportunity to dry off. He said with a smile and headed down the corridor to his room.

 

[Wit]

Luthair nodded in acceptance, a slight smile appearing on his face. "Lead the way." He could sense the questions that were bubbling inside Teynara's mind, she could be quite curious at times. He was sure that given the opportunity she would begin sprouting a series of questions as soon as they were within Master Peacecraft's chambers. He only hoped that after all these years someone had remembered to keep them clean, he wasn't really eager to step into a dust covered room with his clothes and body still wet from the rain.

 

[Teynara]

In truth, Teynara hadn't even thought about the fact that she was close to soaked through until Master Peacecraft had thought to remind her of it. I must be getting more distractable as my training progresses, ironically, she thought, glancing down ruefully as her wet clothing. Luckily the Temple itself was always fairly warm and dry, so even though she was no doubt dripping on half the Temple's carpets as they made their way to the Master's quarters, she knew it wouldn't take long before her clothing was least vaguely presentable once more. Provided it hasn't wrinkled thanks to the wet weather. Luckily she wouldn't be the only Jedi in the Temple in such a predicament today.

She continued following along in silence, reflecting on what more had been said between the two of them. Apparently my guess about there being something about Master Peacecraft and this Master Secura was wrong, she noted inwardly. It sounded like they had been two colleagues that had just crossed paths from time-to-time and now no longer could. Which suggests that the relationship was strong between Master Secura and Master al'Thor, she reflected. The different bonds between Jedi around here could probably get quite confusing...

One question did immediately spring to mind: how does he have a room if he hasn't been here for twenty years? That part didn't exactly seem right - would the Order allow a set of perfectly good quarters to remain vacated for such a long period of time, regardless of who had occupied them before? Okay, it wasn't as if the Jedi were running low on space or anything, but even so, the quarters of a Jedi Master were usually fairly nice, from what she understood, so surely those would be at a premium? Don't think I'm ever going to understand how this place works, even if I spend the next twenty years trying to, she thought with an inner sigh.

"If you've been away for so long, Master," she said in a calm, relaxed voice that didn't betray any hint of the thoughts that had been rolling around in her head since the Master had arrived, "Where have you been all this time? Twenty years seems a long time to be away from the Order. If you don't mind my asking, that is," she added carefully, her pale-blue eyes suddenly downcast as she realised that she might have overstepped a little.

 

[SophiaM]

As they approached the door to his rooms Tegarian paused for a moment. I have been surveying the outer rim and collecting data. Although my work is a long and arduous task it is one that must be performed. And one that is more dangerous than you could ever know. He though to himself. Once they had reached his rooms, he stopped and placed a hand on the door. He closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated, those sensitive enough would feel his manipulation of a mechanism within; a mechanism that only he knew the configuration of and which was sealed within the door itself with no external manual way of unlocking it. Many of his fellow Masters had baulked at the idea that such a lock was needed, until they saw the contents of his rooms.

After a few moments Tegarian lowered his hand and the door slid open with a woosh. The air smelled fresh and as they stepped inside a green protocol droid with white markings greeted them. Welcome home Master Peacecraft. It has been nineteen years, three months, four days, six hours and eighteen minutes since you left. I do hope your journey was a safe one and they you found what you were looking for. Would you like me to bring refreshments for your guests? Tegarian smiled as he placed his pack on the floor and removed his robe which he handed to the droid. Thank you C5, and I must say you have kept this place spotless for me, well done. As the C5 left to bring the drinks Tegarian turned to face his guests. You'll find towels and clean robes in to room down the hall to the left, please take your time, I am in no rush.

 

[Wit]

Luthair felt Tegarian reach out through the Force, realizing that he was using telekinesis to deactivate a locking mechanism of some kind. He began wondering what exactly would the man have in his rooms that it would require such a mechanism to keep it hidden. After all Jedi weren't really ones for keeping possessions, particularly not Masters, so whatever there was inside must be important.

As the door opened, Luthair was a little surprised to see the green protocol droid waiting to greet them. The chamber was indeed spotless, the droid had been doing its job perfectly for the past nineteen years, three months and four days, if he remembered correctly. The mechanic within Luthair immediately began wondering what kind of condition the droid must be in after such a long time locked in this room, was there possibly some provision within that allowed the droid to keep itself maintained for such a long time?

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Tegarian speaking and realized once more that he was indeed dripping water onto the clean floor and with a quick thanks headed off to dry himself. He was back within minutes, having pulled on a clean robe over his jumpsuit.

"Forgive me for prying, but that is a rather rigorous means of locking ones room, specially in a Jedi Temple. Do you do this in every place you stay or just here?"

 

[Teynara]

Looking at Master al'Thor with a slightly puzzled expression, Teynara had to wonder what he was talking about. Didn't seem like the door took much to unlock to me, she noted. He just stopped at the door for a moment and then it opened. Some sort of sensor detecting who's at the door and then opening if they're on the approved list. She'd seen plenty of doors like that in the past, a fairly basic level of security, and probably one of the few appropriate for a Jedi Temple. We're not strictly-speaking supposed to lock our doors anyway. That would show distrust of our fellow Jedi.

She'd been more than a little amused by the protocol droid, covered in an unusual choice of green and white livery, not an aesthetic choice she might have made, but then the droid probably didn't have a choice in the matter anyway, and might not have wanted one if it did. Do droids have a sense of vanity? Probably not, she reflected, shrugging slightly. Still, it had apparently been living inside for all this time, and the room looked completely spotless. But if it's been twenty years since it last had a memory wipe, it's bound to be more than a little eccentric, she thought with a smile.

Heading down the hallway indicated, she'd picked up a towel from a small pile of very neatly folded ones, all white, she noticed, and dried off her face, neck, hands and every other visible body part, which wasn't much to speak of, but she didn't imagine that a male Jedi would have any spare clothes suitable to a woman who also happened to be smaller than he was, so she just used the towel to brush off as much of the excess water as she could from her clothing before putting the towel into the cleaning unit embedded into the wall and returning to where the other two could be found.

"Thank you for that, Master," she said as she walked into the main room, inclining her head slightly in appreciation. "I've always enjoyed rain, but I can't confess to being hugely fond of catching colds, so I'm grateful for your hospitality," the blonde added, slightly formally. In truth, she was at a bit of a loss what to do or say around two Jedi Masters. When she'd arrived, they had been more figures of legend, and she'd have considered herself doing well to simply speak a couple of words without tripping over herself, but as she'd gotten used to them, they had become merely worthy of reverence. Not such a jump, but at least we can talk now, she mused.

"What drew you to the Outer Rim, if you don't mind my asking?", she queried. She knew that the Order sometimes employed Knights and Masters to oversee the Jedi Exploration Corps, and perhaps it was this that had drawn him so far away from the Order, and for so long. Still, twenty years seems a little excessive as an assignment, particularly for a short-lived Human. "You must have seen some truly fascinating things in your time, Master," she asserted, smiling softly.

 

[SophiaM]

The very nature of my work for the Council requires such security, and it is also this work that had me away from the Order for such an extended period of time. He hefted his backpack over his shoulder and walked over to a door on the other side of the room and pressed the pad to open it, as the door slid open it revealed a workshop like area that included a droid charging and repair station. Further into this room was another door with warning symbols in aurek-besh and many other languages all around the edge of it. He activated a security pad which scanned his palm and DNA and then entered a JedCred that was tied around his neck into a slot. Eventually, with the hiss of a hermetical seal breaking, the door opened and lights inside the next room blinked into life. There were shelves and rows of artefacts, all placed inside cases, and those too big for a case were behind plexi-glass. Tegarian motioned for them to follow him in. It is my mission to secure artefacts for the Order and examine them before they are displayed in the Archives, or taken by the Council and stored for safety. Many of the artefacts I find in my journeys bring the taint of the Dark Side with them, and it is this that I am tasked with protecting.

 

[Wit]

Luthair followed Tegarian across the room and waited as he opened the door before which they now stood. As they walked into this second room, Luthair's eyes were drawn to another door at the other end of this room, this one with warning symbols in a number of languages that he understood and symbols in many more languages which he assumed must convey similar messages.

He was not particularly surprised when Tegarian led them to that very door and after bypassing a series of security check opened the door to reveal what he could only describe a vault, a vault full of artifacts the like of which would have collectors drooling in greed. Stepping in he slowly walked along a row of shelves, examining each item as he moved from one to the next. From the Force he felt what the older Jedi Master said was indeed true, for the taint of the Dark Side was present in the room, a little subdued because of the nature of the Force in the Temple, but definitely permeating through at least this room.

He understood then the importance of the task the Jedi was performing, just how much damage such artifacts if the wrong people were exposed to them, how easily a younglings could be corrupted by any one of the more sinister artifacts here.

"This is beyond anything I was expecting, these artifacts, the risks you take to study them. All these artifacts sitting here for all this time, and I can't help but wonder how many more you must have found while you were away."

 

[Teynara]

The more she saw of the Master's quarters, the more Teynara found herself being surprised by them. These certainly aren't the austere rooms that the rest of us are assigned, she found herself thinking, marvelling at the simple fact that this place really was it's own self-contained little world. Workshop, living space, bedroom, refresher, and now this hidden vault. It was quite remarkable.

She shivered as she stepped into the vault-like room, her pale blue eyes darting around to glimpse at the artifacts resting behind the transparisteel barriers, protected by them but not truly able to conceal the sense she gained of them. Some of them felt just like any other object would, lifeless, carrying little sense in the Force, but there were others. It was those that sent a shiver down her spine, foreboding in a way she knew she couldn't quite put her finger on.

It was odd, truth be told. Most of the artifacts gathered were beautiful in their own way, clearly made with loving craftsmanship, detailed in the little ways, the small patterns or intricate touches made on each, all suggestive of time and care having been put into their creation. At the same time, though, it wasn't wholly clear what their purpose was, or why such care would be put into making them when they had little apparent function. And, beautiful as they seemed, even that felt hollow. There's something wrong with these, she thought, a frown creasing her usually calm expression.

He did say that he was tasked with safeguarding Dark Side artifacts, though, she mused, guessing perhaps that these were objects that were, for the most part, somehow touched and imprinted by those energies that many Jedi claimed were of the 'Dark Side'. She didn't really believe the Force could be separated into such a duality as some in the Order claimed, but there was no doubting that there was something odd about many of the artifacts in here. Something just wrong about them. It wasn't a feeling which gave her any sense of peace.

She glanced momentarily at Master al'Thor, thinking about his words. More of these? It doesn't bear thinking about!, she thought, suddenly recoiling from the very idea. Just being in the same room with them felt wrong, as though everything had been drained of life and cheerfulness, and just left with an empty, hollow sensation. It was almost overwhelming in some respects, and she had to fight the temptation to simply turn and flee from the room.

"If you can do this for a living, you must be quite the art critic," she said with a shakey chuckle, glancing around the room and just trying to find some sense of normality. I'm just standing in someone's presentation room, viewing objects in their collection, she thought. It's all completely normal and nothing to worry about. It sure didn't feel like that, but she was hoping she might convince herself of it all the same. "I can't imagine how long it must have taken to collect all of these," she added, taking a deep breath as soon as her words had ceased to come forth. Nor do I get why you'd want to spend all that time, she thought.