[OPEN] Arrival

[Ando Huntre]

((OOC: Please move to the Coruscant Tenple when posts are allowed there. Thank you!))

Ando had rode all of the way to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. It was the only place he had left to go. No, He wanted to go. The Jedi were the only ones who could help him now *he had no family anymore *He had finally arrived after countless hours. It was the next day. He arrived by a speeder bike he had taken from Rosahn. He wouldn't be needing it now anyway.

The temple was amazing to Ando. He had seen it before a few times when he was little, but it has changed from what he saw in his memory. It looked a bit more... new. He figured he had better move on. He hopped of the bike, had Iom follow him, and began walking to the temple. He reached the steps and walked up along them. "Hello?" he shouted.

 

[Teynara]

Walking back to the calmer confines of the Jedi Temple had seemed a good idea to Teynara, at the time - an opportunity to stretch her legs, maybe give her time to collect her thoughts and simply enjoy the endless sunlight of day-time Coruscant (even though she knew it wasn't true sunshine in every respect, since it was diverted by orbital mirrors). Still, it seemed busier on the streets than she remembered. This planet really is nothing like Tython, she reflected. It wasn't entirely without pleasant aspects, but even so, it still felt a little...busy for her tastes.

Her little shopping trip hadn't exactly left her unnoticed either - it didn't help that she'd dressed in her usual robes, in retrospect, but it couldn't be helped. Tunic with tabards, ankle-length skirt, a belt and obi bringing it all together, and good knee-length boots to top it all off...suppose I ought to have realised that I make a fairly overt Jedi. The blonde smiled faintly at the thought - it had been a considerable surprise to the shopkeeper she had talked with to have a Jedi dropping by. Apparently we don't get out much.

Luckily she hadn't purchased much - a print painting to brighten up her quarters, which were frankly looking a little too drab, in keeping with typical Jedi austerity, and then a few Emori Leather-bound notebooks. And they were ridiculously hard to find, she noted, but the Padawan had always preferred the feel of a pen and real paper when taking notes. There's something relaxing about the feel of pressing ink against paper and seeing it leave a crisp mark there. It's more...human than something typed onto a datapad.

Slowly ascending the long walk of stairs leading into the Jedi Temple, taking them one at a time, she appeared entirely engrossed in her own thoughts, but truth be told, she was just keeping her head down and attempting once again to practice her sensory abilities. "Jedi navigate as much with the Force as with their normal five senses", one of her instructors had told her. So far that was proving difficulty, so she took as much opportunity to practise as she could. Which was fine, until a loud shout broke her from her ostensible reverie, causing her to look up, her pale-blue eyes narrowing.

"Is it common practice to simply shout at the intended recipient of your message where you come from?", she demanded in a calm but nonetheless slightly stern voice as she addressed the young man who had called his greeting up the stairs and into the Temple foyer. "Usually it helps if someone is close to you and knows you're talking to them. That way they can respond," she added with a faintly-amused smile, her tone just ever so slightly sarcastic.

 

[Ando Huntre]

Startled by the new person, Ando about jumped backwards. He did, however, have a slight jump in place from the shock. He looked at the woman as it he were studying her. He noted her features for the future. His eyes scanned her up and down. She had robes similar to a Jedi. He swallowed hard and began to speak. "Um... He... Hello there. Are you a.. a Jedi?"

 

[Teynara]

The blonde didn't respond to his abrupt question for a moment, noting with her eyes the way that his scanned her, as if stripping her down in layers to leave her naked and exposed. Probably just trying to work out who would address him thusly, but I still don't have to like it... In truth, she was past the point where she'd get overly offended by someone being so brazen in examining her, but even so, she had to make note of the behaviour. And he's oddly on edge for someone approaching a Jedi Temple, too.

His hesitant speech pattern had been noted, too. He's nervous, so perhaps he's scared of something? It might just have been worry about giving the wrong impression, or perhaps he wasn't used to being confronted on the street by a stranger. Or maybe he's just uncomfortable with the opposite sex. That was always possible, too. Not that it'll elicit any sympathy from me, given how he was just checking me out, she thought icily.

"Good guess," she said with a slight touch of her earlier sarcasm returning. "That or I'm a model for a new range of low-budget homespun clothing. On my day off," she added, a faintly-amused smile now curling her lips. She placed her few bags of shopping gently onto the ground, then placed her hands on her slender hips, tilting her head slightly and pursing her lips in a contemplative expression. "And what brings you to the Jedi Temple? Sightseeing, are you?"

 

[Ando Huntre]

Ando hesitated for a moment. "It's complicated. I am here to join." Iom, an R3 unit, let out an affirming series of beeps. "I wished to.. umm.. join the Jedi."

 

[Teynara]

That about figures. In truth, Teynara couldn't be overly critical of that desire, given that it had once been her own. And I was lucky to be able to realise mine. It did make her wonder just how many times a week the Order had people turning up on the doorstep of one of it's Temples or Enclaves, asking to be inducted into the ranks. Tens, definitely. Hundreds? Possibly. After all, it was every little child's dream to be able to wield a lightsaber and stand alongside those great and legendary heroes of the Jedi Order. If only they understood what would be asked of them...

She narrowed her eyes for a moment, simply staring at the young man with those pale-blue eyes of hers, contemplating the appropriate move. Should just take my commlink, request the presence of the nearest available Master, and let them deal with it. Yet, for some reason, she found herself not moving to do that. And why wouldn't I? It is the sensible thing to do. And if Teynara was anything at all, sensible was certainly it.

A moment of thought answered her own question: she was curious in spite of herself. The others all had their reasons for joining up: Tey still wasn't sure what Amilthi's reasons were, but Gnost had joined to advance his knowledge of the Force after being part of the Baran Do, and many of the others had similar stories to her own: fascinated by the Order from childhood, and wanting to do their part to keep the peace and ensure things stayed that way. So what's his story? And why is it complicated? Though the droid certainly suggests there's a story here.

"Why complicated?", she asked bluntly, her tone softening slightly from the earlier sharper inflections, but still a little beyond her customary calm. "You realise we got a lot of people seeking to do just that, on a fairly regular basis? What makes you think you can make the cut?", she asked. "Tell me your story. I'd like to know."

 

[Ando Huntre]

"Well, seeing that you are a Jedi... I suppose I could tell you." He swallowed and began. "It started with a drug dealer named Rosahn... No, it didn't just start... It ended with him as well, last night. He had killed my parents weeks ago. It seems so soon though. I fought his gang and him. I killed him." He placed his hand and felt the newly formed scar. "I won. This is the only place left for me now." His hand moved back down to his side as he awaited her response.

 

[Teynara]

Complicated indeed, Teynara thought with a slight touch of dismay penetrating her usual amenable state of mind. This is a person fresh from an act of revenge, no doubt soon to feel the exhaustion of knowing you got what you wanted and it did nothing to soothe your mind. Her sympathies went out to the young man, but she also recognised that dangers in expressing that. If he's allowed to think what he has done is justifiable, whether in defense or for the purposes of retribution, it would take a lot of work to bring him back from the brink.

Lowering her hands to her side initially, she then folded them in front of her in a gesture that was both contemplative and patient. My thinking pose, as Mom called it, she thought with a faint inward smile. Though I used to use it when I was in trouble, too, so maybe this is a bit of both. She dropped her gaze for a moment, staring at the smooth duracrete that made up the steps to the Temple, unconsciously biting her lower lip as she thought through the situation. I knew I should have called for a Master to come and deal with this one.

"You...have to understand the nature of the commitment to the Jedi Order before you take another step," she said slowly, each word carefully enunciated and almost detached, as if she was absently lecturing a room. "We have to dedicate ourselves fully to a way of life that is unlike anything else you might experience. It infers a lot of responsibility, and it's not an easy life." She sighed softly, her voice dropping more to a whisper now. "We haven't the luxury of revenge or angry feelings," the blonde said, in a barely audible tone.

Teynara knew that she couldn't put herself in the shoes of the young man standing in front of her - her family were alive and well on Lianna, and she couldn't imagine them coming to the sort of harm that this man's family had experienced. And how would I feel if they did? No, even then, she knew she wouldn't act in anger - the Jedi were persistent in teaching the dangers of anger and acting on emotion without forethought. And I'm too long among them even now to think of it. No, she couldn't walk in this one's shoes at all. Absolving him isn't in my power, either. But maybe I can see to it that he sees those who have that.

"I'm sorry for your loss, truly, but you must understand that what you've said may create barriers for your entry into the Order, if you're suitable," Teynara said with a tinge of regret in her tone. She didn't like to give bad news, but she knew it was better to be straight up. "Jedi don't condone killing unless it's absolutely necessary, and sometimes not even then," she added softly. "I can't judge you, though, but you don't have to justify yourself to me, either", she offered with a faint smile.

"I'm Teynara, by the way," she remarked, offering him a short perfunctory bow in formal greeting, as Jedi were supposed to do. "I think you'd best at least come inside and see for yourself what the Order is, before you make a decision as to what you'd like to do next. If you're still resolute, I'll do what I can for you. I promise nothing, though."

 

[Ando Huntre]

"It.. It was necessary. They would have killed me if I wouldn't have them. They were only mercs and a drug dealer. That aside... I am Ando... Ando Huntre." He copied her bow back to her. "It was my fault I am alone now. This is the only place I canto now though. I must be force sensitive, I must be. I want this. And thank you for hearing me out, Miss Teynara. I think I will head inside." Ando turned and headed up the stairs. "I hope they can help me," he said in a whisper.

 

[Teynara]

Kill or be killed. Hmm... That part certainly fit with Jedi ideology - that notion of violence being a last resort, yet used only when one's own survival or that of another was at stake. Perhaps he might be suitable after all...interesting that he thinks himself as a Force Sensitive, without hesitance. That part she found intriguing - for that matter, how did he know about Force Sensitivity in the first place? Still, willpower alone wasn't enough to confer that gift, so for his sake, she hoped he was right.

Still, the circumstances of his arrival would need to be given more careful consideration, she was sure. A person paranoid of an attack could easily initiate one of their own and yet call it self-defense, she thought. So it could all very well be a coping mechanism: justifying his actions to himself to prevent the reality sinking in. In truth, Teynara had always been a little amused at that failing of sentient psyche: people always claimed that the actions they had made had been 'unlike them' or had been so entirely out of character that it was practically done by another. Just our way of running from ourselves and the fact that we can all do things we wished ourselves incapable of.

The blonde dipped down slightly to pick up her shopping bags, then followed Ando up the stairs and into the cooler shade of the Temple itself, striding through the entrance with barely a backwards glance. Of course she was used to the place by now - it wasn't the same as the Temple at Tython (which she much preferred), but it was a Jedi Temple nonetheless. Surprisingly large, carefully sculpted, a masterpiece of craftsmanship detailing both elegance and austerity. Perfect for large numbers of Jedi to live and work in.

"Have you considered what you might do if you don't prove to be suitable?", she asked Ando in her usual soft tones, not wishing to be harsh, but obviously having to consider the realities. We're nothing if not pragmatists, she thought. "What alternatives are available to you, should things not go the way you want them to?"

 

[Ando Huntre]

"I... No. I said this is the only place left. The only place to go. I came here because of it. A nice sculpture, by the way. I would have read a bit on the Jedi before coming here, but I doubt there was time. I... I just hope they accept me. I don't know what will happen."

 

[Teynara]

That's worrying, she thought to herself. Commiting oneself to the Jedi Order should be a choice made because it is the right thing for a person, not simply because it is the only road left to you. We can't be your last choice, you know. And part of her worried that this one would be left carrying a considerable amount of emotional baggage. As flippant as people often are about death, the act of taking a life must leave scars. To lose the lives of your loved ones and then to take those of others shortly thereafter...that's not something that can be shrugged off.

Part of Teynara couldn't imagine that this one would make it into the Order. He's too conflicted, too full of issues and problems that might interfere with the regular order of his training. Certainly he'd require some serious help if he was indeed accepted. Like as not, he'll need a Master and a few months of quality psychotherapy. Still, she'd not known the Order to turn away someone who so desperately wanted to join their ranks. Provided he meets the criteria for initiation, naturally.

"For now, don't hope anything," the blonde woman said softly, her voice not unkind by any stretch of the imagination. "Neither of us has the power to change what has happened in the past, and your future is ultimately not for you to decide, once you place that decision in someone else's hands." She wasn't trying to upset him, but Ando had to understand the realities involved. And you ought to get used to the Jedi Council deciding where you go and what you do when you get there, she thought with a ghost of a smile on her lips. "Come, let me show you around."

They started, naturally, within the main entrance hall of the Temple. The Order had several droids available for visitors to direct their queries, as well as several Padawans standing at the entrance, serving duty as gatekeepers, which gave them a sense of responsibility and also taught them to use all the gifts at their disposal to screen new arrivals, whether visitor or potential student. Also have to learn to stand still for ridiculously long periods of time, Teynara thought, amused by the notion. From the entrance, she directed their steps along a long open corridor, one which connected the entrance to the different wings of the Temple: the Training Chambers, classrooms, living quarters, medical bay, Archives, Council Chambers...

"This is where much of the day-to-day work of the Jedi Order is conducted," she observed as they entered the inner areas of the ground floor. Here there were small offices, forensic laboratories, meditation rooms and, of course, the entrance to the Great Archives. All the things a Jedi would need in order to research, follow-through on an investigation or take time to contemplate their next move. "Although much of what we do happens off-world, all Jedi eventually return home to await their next assignment, debrief from the previous one and share ideas and training with everyone else." She smiled with a sincere sense of pride. "Down here, you really can start to feel like a cog in a much larger machine".

 

[Ando Huntre]

Ando thought about her words along the tour. He though about how she seemed to doubt him. He also watched the amazing scenery as they went through the temple. He was ready. He knew he wanted to do this, bu he wanted his parents' thoughts of why they wanted him here.
He looked at the vast knowledge of the Jedi Order, the Archives. He could tell from the sight. It was an interesting room to him. He turned back to Teynara when she began to speak again. Missions and training for life it sounded like. He didn't care.
"Cogs and machinery? It is interesting you compare the workings to one large machine. Are you a mechanic? On another note, I would like to know where to go. I am ready and have decided."

 

[Teynara]

That question provoked a gentle laugh, not one that would come across as mocking or in any way designed to shame the young man who had asked it, but rather one of simple mirth, gone as quickly as it had arrived. Do I look like a mechanic?, Teynara asked herself inwardly, glancing down at the clothes she had chosen for the day. Tunic, skirt, belt, boots. Nope, not the garb of someone working with heavy machinery. The thought of it simply provoked a wry smile across her features.

"I'm no mechanic, no, absolutely not", she responded with an emphatic note in her voice, putting a stop to any such speculation along those lines. "I'm a Jedi Padawan, same as you will be if the Order were to accept you and place you under the tutelege of a Master," she continued, matter-of-factly. "And though we can all choose how we wish to practice, and what we wish to focus on, my education and current training certainly don't lend themselves to that sort of work." Only employ me as a mechanic if you want your ship making toast and your toaster flying around the room.

The blonde woman chuckled again, shaking her head in amusement, her hair fluttering around her at the movement. Knew I should have tied that up. Teynara smoothed out her hair so it rested comfortably behind her once more, then looked more closely at her companion. And he was staring at the Archives when he said that, she realised. Is it information he is interested in? Or is he merely curious to see whether we have as much knowledge stored away as the Order is reputed to? She wasn't sure, but there was only one way to find out.

She turned her steps to the large double doors that separated the Archives from the corridor they were standing in, the massive metallic doors opening on their approach, sliding open smoothly and almost soundlessly, which was a surprise, given their size. I suppose if they made a really loud noise, we'd replace them with something quiet, she thought. No point trying to keep the Archives quiet if you're going to cause a racket merely by entering the room.

Ahead of them was a sight that even Teynara had difficulty getting used to. The Archives were a massive multi-storey room filled wall-to-wall with large shelves wrapped in blue-white lights, all coming from the datapads and datatapes that were stacked and plugged into a huge data storage and retrieval system that was among the most efficient in the Galaxy. A simple search query can access information from hundreds of thousands of records within a matter of seconds. Arrayed in the centre of the room, running parallel with each of the shelves was a set of computer consoles designed to access all of that data. And many of them occupied, as you'd expect.

Offering a respectful bow to two of the Temple's Archivists, Jedi that dressed themselves in the grey-patterned Ansata robes that announced their responsibilities to all, she walked further into the room, emerging from between several shelves to reach the central strip where many of the data terminals were located. She stopped and turned to Ando with a faint smile, gesturing with one slender hand to encompass the rest of the room.

"I trust this is to your liking, then?"

 

[Ando Huntre]

"Um, I suppose. It is breathtaking though." He was beginning to get irritated, his question unanswered. He would still be troubled like many people, but he beloved to be ready. "Where do I go?"

 

[Teynara]

Ah, the impatient type, Teynara noted with a ghost of a smile. That won't last long, I hope. She glanced over at Ando once more, her pale blue eyes noting the slight furrow of irritation at his brow, the firmness of his lips set now into a line rather than a calm smile, and that simple...sense that he wasn't supposed to be here. No, you'd much rather be somewhere else, wouldn't you?, she wondered. Really, this ought to be one of the tests they gave to every prospective student: put them in the company of another student and see how long it took before they started getting mad.

Still, she didn't particularly want the young man's head to implode - it was very possible he had some of the talent required, and he was certainly eager to prove himself, and though there were days she found that sort of behaviour to be rather tiresome, just for today, she found it a little more endearing, so she was going to forgive him this time. It was a little amusing to her, though: surrounded by all the combined knowledge of the Jedi Order, all this one wanted to do was go somewhere else and get the process started. Go figure.

"First things first, you'll need to be checked out by the Circle of Healers," Teynara remarked softly, her tone a little more business-like than before. "They tend to run bloodtests and a quick full-body analysis to make sure you're fit and healthy and therefore able to proceed to other tests." Most of those she'd found rather fascinating to watch: most people hated hospitals as a rule, but the Jedi Medical Bay sure didn't feel like a normal hospital. It was too peaceful. "It's a chore, but I'm sure you'll sail through that just fine. After that, normally you get sent to have an interview or four with a handful of Jedi Knights. And their favourite question has just one syllable: why?".

 

[Ando Huntre]

It sounded like a long and boring process. "Oh great, more waiting. Alright. I'll head there now then. Teynara, was it? Thank you for your help. I will be on my way now. I hope we meet again in the future." Ando Huntre walked off to do what was necessary to join.