Ask Practical Application

[The Storyteller]

Jedi Knight Terek Ordeen clasped his hands behind his back while watching the churning vortex of hyperspace rushing past. He focused on the upcoming mission. Once again he was tasked with fostering the next generation. No matter how many times he did this, he never truly felt prepared. The constant shadow of imposter syndrome always lingering over his shoulder.

Terek took a breath.

“Jedi Ordeen?” asked a voice behind him. Terek turned, flashing the newcomer an easy smile, and responding with, “Correct.”

The comm’s officer snapped out a nervous salute, Ordeen chuckled, “At ease, soldier, I’m not worth that kinda respect.”

“O-of course, sir!” she responded, then apologized for calling him sir, he waved her on, which only seemed to compound her anxiety. “We’ll be arriving at our destination within the hour.”

Ordeen nodded his thanks, she snapped out another needless salute and he gave her a little two fingered salute in return as he turned from the churning miasma outside the transparisteel view port and pulled out his com.

“Alright kiddos, time to get the ball rolling, meet me on the comms deck. It’s time to go over the plan.”

Each of the padawan he’d been assigned to watch over would receive the message. It would only be a matter of time before each of the padawan were forced to put their training to the test. He took another breath asking the force for guidance as he strode into the room.

@LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire @Zay

 

[Zessel]

Zessel’s head was turned to the window, where the white and blue hues of the hyperspace were visible. His eyes were vacant, his mind was completely focused on other things and not in what was in front of him. If it wasn’t for the constantly nervous shaking of his leg, the other would think that the Padawan had slept.

He was impatient to arrive at their destination, with it being his first proper mission. This was also going to be the first time that he worked with so many other Padawans. At least he knew some of them, so this wasn’t going to be filled with a strange silence. Even so, he had baked some white chocolate confetti cookies. It would be enough for starting a conversation with the others once they weren't busy.

Only a madman would refuse cookies.

The Padawan blinked when the hyperspace disappeared, being replaced by the endless void of space. The light of the stars were the silent witnesses of the arrival of the ship. Zessel’s leg shook faster, the anticipation giving him crazy. It reminded that he would need to take his medicine, or his anxiety would go to the stratosphere.

When Knight Ordeen called them, Zessel was the first to jump from his seat and rush to the briefing room. Once inside, he found the older Jedi waiting for them. He stopped, bowing in respect and waited for the others to arrive.

@Zay @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

In the main hold lounge of the ship Shaw was seated on a halfmoon couch, feet kicked up on a holochess set. An old recorded game played out before him, holographic aliens moving around his feet from one side of the board to the other. He must have accidentally kicked it on when he'd slid his shoes up there, and he had just never bothered to turn it off. It was a way to pass the time. Watching one game after another, absentmindedly playing with the friendship bracelet around his wrist. Sometimes dozing off or scrolling his dataphone instead.

So far it had been a really uneventful trip. He knew there were other padawans on board, but he had yet to speak to any of them. He wasn't sure what kind of training mission they were on. Speaking of training—Shaw really hadn't received any yet. He couldn't imagine he'd be a real asset to the team, whatever they were doing. Just the way his parents wanted it.

A voice over the ship's intercoms broke the silence and Shaw's thoughts. It was a welcome distraction. He sat up and flipped the holochess board off. He got lost a couple times, but he eventually found his way to the comms deck. One of the other padawans was already there. White hair. Pale skin. And a container in hand. Hopefully with something delicious inside.

"Shili, right?" Shaw broke the silence, trying to place where he had seen the other padawan before. He was pretty sure it was Shili. He peered at the container. "What's in the box? It free game?" @Zay @LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift

 

[Roanoke]

Ensconced on a quiet corner, Roanoke sits cross-legged on the floor, brows furrowed and a look of concentration on his face. Held in his large, steady hands are a pair of crochet hooks, and on his lap lay a ball of grey yarn and a half-made beanie hat. He's recently picked up crocheting to pass the time in between lessons, and the new hobby lets him keep his head low amongst the other Jedi learners. The ex-Sith doesn't bother hiding this hobby, not even once becoming embarrassed when told that he's doing something rather girly for a guy as big as him.

He's too focused on his knitting that as soon as he receives the message from Knight Ordeen, the former acolyte simply stuffs the ball of yarn in his jacket's pocket while he continues on with the beanie hat. The soft click of the crochet hooks punctuate his footsteps as he approaches the comms deck, mumbling "excuse me" and "sorry" whenever he accidentally bumps into one crew then the next.

Roanoke belatedly realizes that he has already reached the deck when he hears a familiar voice. Lifting his gaze from his knitting, the ex-Sith smiles when he sees Shaw talking to a white-haired Padawan. Pocketing the beanie hat and the crochet hooks, he approaches the pair with a shy but friendly wave after giving the Knight a respectful nod.

"Hey, Shaw," he greets the Padawan he's familiar with, before turning to look at the white-haired kid. "H-Hello. I'm... I-I'm Roanoke." His gaze then falls upon the box the other Padawan carries. Roanoke sniffs, then his eyes practically brightens at the scent of something undoubtedly sweet, and he asks, "A-Are there cookies in there?"

@Zay @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi

 

[Caul]

Sweat slid down Caul’s neck and up his face as he balanced in place. His breath was controlled and his eyes were pinched shut in concentration. He’d found himself a relatively secluded spot on the transport ship to get after his training, as the knight who was leading this little adventure had encouraged. Carefully, he began lifting his right hand from the ground. His left arm immediately started shaking, he grunted with the effort, his feet above him teetered and he managed a high-pitched yelp before crashing to the ground.

Caul stared at the ceiling panting. He was nowhere near where he needed to be. He took a deep breath and then got up. He brushed off his clothing and clipped his training saber to his hip. That was when he heard the call. A tinge of excitement wrestled with his anxiety as once again he was going to be stepping into the breech. He’d decided to conscript some basic armor, he was tired of running around dangerous situations without a single scrap of protection, and he decided now was the time to slip into it.

The Padawan wore a blastvest over his tunic with a pair of pauldrons covering his shoulders, his pants were bloused into his knee high boots. He looked like the result of a mercenary and a Jedi being smashed together, but with the new application of the Jedi Crusaders, he couldn’t help but feel like the look was more applicable than the basic robes the Jedi provided.

Caul was the last to enter the room. He spotted Zessel’s shock of white hair and naturally gravitated to who he knew, which seemed to be something he and the other’s had in common. He had to bite back a smile when he realized Zessel had brought cookies, of course he had. Caul made his way to the others, “I hope you brought enough for everyone,” he teased the white haired Padawan.

Then to the other two he bobbed his head in greeting, “Hey, I’m Caul.”

@LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire

 

[The Storyteller]

Terek watched as the group finally gathered. If he were being honest it took everything in him not to call out, “Padawan’s Assemble!” When they’d arrived, but to his credit he’d somehow managed to remain professional. He gave the guys a few minutes to trade salutations. It was important to build up a friendship as quickly as possible on a mission. After all, the guys around you would be the ones you trusted to have your back.

Once their introductions wrapped up Terek cleared his throat, “Padawans, join me.”

He gestured toward the holoterminal beside him. Once they’d gathered he’d turn it on. The flickering iridescent image sprang to life as it’s clarity stabilized. Before them sat a planet. Upon first glance it was just as ordinary as any other backwater planet. It didn’t glitter like Coruscant, well, like Coruscant used to. The planet was covered in land and water, from the image it would be obvious the planet was temperate. Covered in a mixture of vast ocean, dense jungle, and patch of storm that seemed to cover a singular location without moving.

“This is Ellora, it’s a planet powerful in the force and one that we believe is connected to the origins of our Order,” Ordeen let the information stew a moment, “Our task is simple on the surface, touch base with the locals, we’re looking for a Chieftain named Motep. There’s been some concerning reports off the coast of massive oceanic creatures called Maru washing up dead with no discernible wounds, As I’m sure you four can put together, we’ve been called in to check it out.”

He was sure the kiddos would have questions, so he took a moment to let them air their grievances before continuing.

“Each of you should have received a data pack on the planet and it’s culture,” from the expressions and immediate aversion of eyes, Terek could guess some of them hadn’t looked over the information. He chuckled to himself. Some things never change.

“If you have any questions, now is the time to ask. Once we’re in the field I expect you to be ready to go.”

@LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire @Zay [/size]

 

[Zessel]

Soon the other Padawans started to arrive. The first was Shaw Amaris, the same boy that had thrown all the cookies at a monster during that failed Life Day party. “Yes.” the half-Arkanian said for both his questions, an eyebrow twitching slightly with the frustration of what had happened when the other boy had approached what he had baked in the last time.

He opened the container, revealing the cookies. However, his left arm remained tight around it. Zessel would share them with Shaw, but he didn’t trust the other Padawan. He could still try to throw them at someone.

Another Padawan appeared, this time someone that the half-Arkanian didn't recognize. The Padawan smiled at the newcomer. “Hi! I’m Zessel!” his grip on the container weakening, while he moved it toward Roanoke, allowing him to see the cookies sprinkled with confetti. “I baked them! You can pick as many as you want.”

While he offered the cookies for the two Padawans, Zessel still left a distance between them. One that respected what he considered the limits of his personal space. He didn’t know the other two, thus he would not feel comfortable if his boundaries were trespassed.

The last to arrive was a familiar face. “Hey, Caul!” the half-Arkanian smile grew, finally someone that he knew that wasn’t a destroyer of masterpieces. “There is enough for everyone!” he offered the cookies to the other boy, but stopped when the Knight Ordeen called their attention.

His explanation of the situation didn’t seem to be difficult, thus he had no questions. The fact that it was going to be a type of investigation had Zessel even more excited for it.

@Zay @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Dope!" Shaw grinned from ear to ear, plucking one of the cookies from the container Zessel held. Bro had a death grip on that thing! The teenager licked a few of the loose sprinkles off the top before taking a big bite and chewing. Just as good as those cookies back on Shili. Possibly even better. "Mmmm. Delectable!" Not a word that had been in his vocabulary long. He couldn't remember where he had picked it up.

Roanoke received a half smile, Shaw's mouth full from stuffing the rest of the cookie into his mouth, and a fist bump to make up for the nonverbal greeting. The last padawan to join them was Caul. Shaw had swallowed by then and gave the padawan a little wave. "Shaw."

Introductions over with, it was time to get down to business. A data pack? Shaw looked at the others. He thought back to the last few hours. Holochess. Mindless scrolling. A little napping here and there. Definitely no studying. Hopefully that wouldn't come back to bite him. A chieftain. Mysterious, unexplained deaths. This didn't sound anything like his last training mission, digging through the jungle dirt in search of mushrooms. Although that one had taken some pretty wild, unexpected turns. Who knew what surprises waited him this time?

Shaw cleared his throat. "You said this planet is powerful in the force. Uhh what does that mean exactly?" He'd never heard of a planet possessing the force. @Zay @LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift

 

[Roanoke]

Roanoke smiles brightly at the confirmation, his left hand instinctively reaching out to grab a cookie and lifting his left to reciprocate Shaw's fist bump with surprising eagerness. With a twinkle in his eye the ex-Sith happily takes a big bite off of the baked treat, humming in delight at the sweetness that greets his taste buds. For something loaded with a generous helping of white chocolate and confetti, the cookie isn't quite cloying! He finishes the first cookie before politely reaching for the second.

"You baked these? They're good!" he praises Zessel (if he did bake them), sincerity coloring his words. "They're not too overly sweet, and from the looks alone, I can say the cookies are baked to perfection– ah, t-thank you! And, um, it's n-nice to meet ya, Zessel."

Roanoke is still in the process of courteously stuffing his mouth with the second cookie he took from Zessel when the fourth Padawan who introduces himself as Caul approaches the huddle. The former acolyte wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and nods back politely. "Hey, Caul. Roanoke," he simply introduces himself, unsure on how to approach the other teen. His ruminations are cut short when the Knight begins to speak again, and Roanoke's attention swiftly gravitates to the oldest Jedi in the group.

This is the first time he's heard of the planet, let alone go there. Of course he's got zero clue that Ellora's connected with Jedi origins. He doesn't even know what a Maru is, but there's one thing Roanoke knows: When massive, oceanic creatures are washed up on shore, dead, serious stuff must be happening. Especially if there was no discernible cause of death. Roanoke's train of thought is derailed when Ordeen indirectly asks the group if they have seen the contents of the data pack they received prior to this briefing. Predictably, the mohawked teen's face flushes red with embarrassment at having caught unawares. Yes, of course he received the data pack. Yes, he did try to read up on everything there is to know about Ellora... except for the fact that Roanoke had been too caught up with knitting and forgot.

"I-I'm sorry, sir!" he squeaks out, the sound so out of place in someone with such a big body. At least he has the courage to be honest and own up to his mistake.

Still stewing in his embarrassment and perceived failure in compliance, Roanoke's gaze flickers over to Shaw when the latter asks his question. He wants to be helpful and reply, but he holds himself back and leaves it to the Knight to explain. As for the ex-Sith having a question...

The sight of Caul all 'armored up' gives Roanoke an idea. He looks back at Ordeen and politely raises one hand at chest level before asking, "What kinds of weapons are we allowed to carry?"

Not that he's looking for a fight, really. He just needs be prepared if things go south, and he is more reassured with a weapon (or weapons) held in his hands so he can defend himself and the other Padawans if needed.

@Zay @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi

 

[The Storyteller]

Terek couldn’t help but smile as the team got to know each other. There was more than a little magic in the enthusiasm of youth. It was infectious and he found himself wanting to clown around more than he wanted to be the boss… but that was the burden of leadership… aw, who was he kidding he wanted a cookie.

“You better not be putting those away before I get one!” Terek called out as Zessel started to put them away.

Once they were settled and his little spiel about the mission was over, he moved on to answering their questions. The biggest of the four, Roanoke, outed themselves for not reading the provided material and Ordeen couldn’t help but laugh, “Sounds like you better get one of your new friends to fill you in on the finer details, I’d start with the Saurian.”

The next to speak up was Shaw, and fun enough, the guy had a solid question to ask. Terek called a chair over with the wave of his hand, flipped it around, and took a seat like the galaxy’s coolest coach. Like if he had a hat on, that would be when he turned it around.

“To be honest, there’s no trick to what I’m saying. It means exactly that, Ellora is a planet rich in the power of the force. Honestly, this is a little easier to comprehend once we’re there, mind if we put a pin in that until we’re there?”

Terek chuckled at the big guy asking what weapons they were allowed to bring, “Gear that’s appropriate for a little bit of everything would be nice. I don’t put my nose up at blasters, if you’re good with one bring it, just be responsible. The Elloran people aren’t as technologically advanced as the core, so do me a solid and keep anything that’s not a lightsaber hidden, and do your best to use said equipment discreetly.”

With everyone’s question’s seemingly covered Terek stood, “Alright, you guys have about an hour to make your final prep for the mission. Oh, there’s a good chance we're gonna be taking a boat trip so grab a rebreather if you don’t already have one.”

Unless someone stopped him directly, Terek would make his exit. He still needed a little time to prep as well. If he were being totally honest, he’d only skimmed the planet profile himself…


@LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire @Zay

 

[Caul]

Caul greeted the other two padawan quickly before Ordeen called the meeting into session. He just managed to snag a cookie before Terek asked for one. It wasn’t often a Jedi Knight on this kind of mission was… nice? If he were being honest, Caul wasn’t sure whether or not he should be concerned. This was a mission wasn’t it? The way Terek was acting you’d think they were just on some field… Then it clicked. This was just a research mission…

The Padawan’s shoulders sagged a little when the realization hit… that was until Terek mentioned the big ocean apex predator deaths. That was super weird. Caul had spent a couple hours familiarizing himself with the information. He wasn’t an expert, but his eyes widened when the knight mentioned the Saurian.

He didn’t have any questions, but was glad when Shaw asked Ordeen to elaborate. Caul felt his eyebrow incline as Terek took a seat. It gave off a distinct, “Hey there, fellow kids,” vibe that was hard to look past. He’d never really considered a planet’s force attunement before. It was a wild concept to contemplate. It made him wonder if he should think of planets more like living beings than places to go. The thought made his head hurt, so he decided to let that one go, it felt like the kind of thought thread that could drive you crazy given too much attention.

Once everyone was content and the Knight made his exit, Caul looked over to Roanoke and said, “Yo, if you wanna run over the info we can do that once you’re set to go,” he then looked at the other two, “Obviously, you guys can join. Seems like we might actually be doing something on this mission, meet up in the lounge in fifteen?”

Regardless, once everyone had made up their mind, Caul would head to his bunk, gather his gear then head to the lounge until the final descent.

@LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire

 

[Zessel]

”Thanks, I guess.” Zessel said, while staring at Shaw with confused eyes. He wasn’t familiar with the meaning of detectable, but it didn't sound like an offense. This is the second time that a Jedi used strange words when talking to him. The half-Arkanian wondered if he should start to read dictionaries, so he could also use an elaborate vocabulary.

Roanoke comment made Zessel blush, his pale face becoming red and warm. He was starting to get used to people saying that his baked dishes were good, but this was the first time that someone said that they were perfect. “T-thanks! I love baking, so it's really nice that people like it.” he smiled at the other Padawan, fighting the strange and sudden urge of looking away from the boy. “It's nice to meet you, too.”

Suddenly, Knight Terek approached them and asked for cookies. Zessel happily gave them some. He made them for everyone, not only for the other Padawans. Although he felt that the older Jedi seemed to be a bit excited about the cookies, like a teenager. It was strange to see a grown man acting this way.

After questions were asked and orders given, Terek left the Padawans alone to prepare before going to the planet. The half-Arkanian decided to go with Caul and Roanoke to study the planet, not being much familiar with Ellora. “Yes, I'll pick my things and meet you there.” he said, before leaving to do exactly that. Some time later, Zessel would return, carrying his backpack with what he would need. The container with cookies would stay in the ship.

No distractions.

@Zay @throwitintothefire @Graveyard Shift

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Fine by Shaw. Stick a pin in it was often how he lived his life. While a few of the others went to the lounge to study about the planet, Shaw headed to the armory to dig around and see what kind of cool weapons he could find. He was fresh meat in the order and didn't have any weapons training so far. Just some hand to hand stuff. He didn't have a lightsaber yet. Not even a training lightsaber. So he wasn't about to miss out on an opportunity at weapons given freely by the Jedi Knight in charge. Sweet! He liked this Knight Terek already.

Whatever time they had left before landing, Shaw would spend digging around in the armory in search of weapons. Unfortunately he didn't come across anything really cool like a blaster or a training lightsaber or anything like that. All the good stuff had probably already gotten taken.

But he did find some weapons that could come in handy, stuff that most people would consider primitive these days but that he was pretty pumped to use. An old walking cane that looked like it could give you a serious headache if whacked over the head with it and an old fashioned bow with exactly three arrows. That just meant he'd have to make every hit count, baby!

Shaw attached the weapons to his back with an old and tattered bandolier he found and then joined the others at the entry ramp of the ship. "Hey, look. I'm Gandalf!" he showed the others excitedly, pulling the staff off his back and slamming it on the dursasteel floor in front of him. "YOUUU. SHALL NOT. PAAASSSSS!" @Zay @LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift

7/20 weapon quality

 

[Roanoke]

Roanoke expects a tongue lashing, or maybe even a solid slap across the face for being negligent in his studies. None came, and he has to mentally remind himself that this is a Jedi Knight speaking to them, not a Sith Champion. Nonetheless, the ex-acolyte lets out a visible sigh of relief when the only chastising he gets is a simple reminder to ask the other Padawans for info, and it's delivered with a laugh, of all things. He offers Ordeen a shy two-fingered salute in acquiescence, before listening to the rest of the explanation.

When Caul makes his offer after the Knight dismissed them for the time being, Roanoke is quick to offer the Padawan a diffident smile. "Sure, thanks. Meet you there in fifteen," he tells Caul gratefully, then he's off towards the quarters he set his pack in. As instructed by Ordeen, Roanoke makes sure to keep his WESTAR-35 concealed. Instead of the standard holster, he picked up the suspender one, keeping the weapon close but also concealed inside his bulky jacket. He also grabs his hunting knife and places it on the other holster. Bringing his rifle is a big no, so he leaves it in favor of scrounging up any other available weapons in the armory.

Much like Shaw, Roanoke doesn't find anything else of much use. Still, he manages to grab a helmet—head injuries suck—as well as a blast vest. With a sigh, the ex-Sith redoes the tedious task of shedding his jacket and the suspender holster so he can put the blast vest on, and then putting the first two back on again... except with both the blast vest and his bulky jacket on, he looks quite funny. Bigger, bulkier, in an awkward sort of way. The mohawked teen huffs, checks the time, and realizes that he doesn't have much time to look for a replacement jacket so he heads off towards the lounge as he is.

He meets Caul and the others in the lounge, and Roanoke makes sure to absorb as much info as he can while Caul runs over the lore. He asked questions, Caul delivered, and the back and forth went for a bit until Roanoke was satisfied with the information he gathered.

The mohawked teen looks up from where he is standing by the entry ramp when Shaw makes his appearance. The other teen then begins to show off the staff he's acquired, and Roanoke's face lights up at the mention of a familiar fictional character.

"Bro, did you just say Gandalf?!" he pipes up excitedly, grinning widely when Shaw drops one of the wizard's hardest lines in the history of high fantasy. Roanoke, for his part, jumps in front of Shaw and dramatically imitates the antagonistic fiery demon falling to its doom, complete with sound effects, in all his teenager geekiness.

"I would've whipped your ankle and dragged you off to your doom, but I don't have a whip," Roanoke then jokes after rising back to his feet and admiring the wizard's staff his friend wields, momentarily forgetting the mission they're about to take.

@Zay @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi

 

[Caul]

“...and that’s about all there is to know about Ellora,” he finished. He’d been talking for a solid fifteen minutes straight. It had been a lot, and it was probably more than any one person could possibly take in at one time, but that wasn’t really his problem. Ellora was a relatively peaceful planet, but that didn’t mean it was perfectly safe. There were plenty of apex predators on the planet and even an entire race of force sensitive beings. He had a feeling there would be plenty of danger… he just hoped his peers were prepared.

Caul’s leather boots crunched into fertile soil. The ramp to the ship was a few meters behind him, but he only had eyes for the bright blue sky. He took a deep breath. He could feel the power of the force. Ordeen wasn’t kidding, the Force was incredibly powerful here. His whole body felt super charged, so when Shaw jumped up and bellowed like Gandolf… it scared the crap out of him.

Luckily, Roanoke had a quip to toss back Shaw’s way. Over his embarrassment Caul laughed along with the others. It was weird being back with a group of guys around his age… The last time he’d had any real friends was back in his crèche on Yavin… He pushed the memories away. There was nothing to gain by lingering on painful thoughts.

“Hello my friends!” came a sing-song voice in broken basic. Caul turned and spotted a four armed primate wearing flowing silken robes and sporting white tufts of fur. He recognized the being as a native immediately. Instinctively, he looked back to the ship for Terek. He’d be the one to do the talking, right?

To the padawan’s dismay, his little hissy fit had put him right in the Elloran’s trajectory and try as he might there was no escape.

The Elloran bowed reverently, then rose, a wide grin stretched across his face. “I am Dalsim, I will be your guide, of that you can be sure!” said the Elloran enthusiastically, he reached out and grabbed one of Caul’s hands in two of his, and began to shake it in greeting.

“It is a wonderful honor to be meeting you. Yes it is. I am highly blessed, yes I am, and through me so to, are you!” said Dalsim before bursting into raucous laughter. Caul was pretty sure the guy was crazy, but the Force was fickle that way.

“Now–” Dalsim began, “If you will kindly, follow me good sir, I, the one blessed by the heavens, shall lead you to my village, are you prepared?”

This was all happening so fast, Caul could feel his anxiety spiking, slowly he turned around raising his hand as if in class and said, “I need an adult?!”

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Roanoke jumping right into character as the Balrog of Moria was the best part of the trip so far, and it left Shaw grinning like a little kid waving his stick around and making a whooshing sound with his mouth as he and the Balrog battled. Some things never changed. Not even when you grew up. "Dude you know I'd just come back next movie leveled up!"

Next thing they knew the shuttle had landed and the entry lamp was lowering. Sunlight poured in and the padawans stepped out, feet connecting with the earth of Ellora for the first time. Shaw took a deep breath, allowing the fresh air to fill his lungs and awaken his senses. After a lifetime on Coruscant every new planet was an adventure all on its own. He was so busy taking in all of the new scenery—foggy mountains reaching toward the storm filled sky overhead and oceans in the distance that he almost missed their welcoming party.

Almost but not really. How could you possibly not notice Dalsim?? He was a four armed primate in long and flowing robes. Donkey Kong with a lot more class and a higher pitched voice than you ever would have imagined. "Caul's sweating bullets," he whispered to Zessel and Roanoke, leaning in toward the other two with a big grin on his face. Not that he blamed him. Shaw was just happy that Dalsim had grabbed ahold of Caul instead of him.

Still laughing, Dalsim led them away from the landing pad and down an aging stone pathway. Unchecked weeds sprouted up between the stones, and the rocks were cracked from age and wear and tear. Tall grass grew on each side of the pathway. Ellora was wild and overgrown and beautiful, the dark clouds circling overhead a reminder that the world was not as safe as the beautiful scenery would suggest.

The group came to a stop at the edge of a cliff overlooking a sleepy little seaside village tucked along the coast. "My village!" Dalsim presented, waving one of his four hands towards the buildings below. Shaw squinted. Looked like Dalsim wasn't the only member of the welcoming committee waiting for them! @Zay @LouJoVi @Roanoke

 

[Zessel]

Zessel had arrived at the ramp when he saw Shaw playing off with a staff. He frowned, wondered what terrible deed the Destroyer of Cookies was going to do now. The half-Arkanian immediately felt relieved that he had left the container in the ship, at least the cookies would remain safe.

When he heard Shaw and Roanoke quoting Gandalf and mimicking the Balrog, Zessel completely forgot about the destruction of the Life day cookies and laughed with the references that the two Padawans were playing with, himself had seen these holomovies some time ago. The holobooks were too complex for his hyperactive mind to process yet, perhaps in some years in the future.

While they played, Zessel grabbed his backpack and searched in its pockets for something. “Got it!” he muttered, pulling from inside a deck of cards. The fact was that the white-haired boy was a bit obsessed with that card game called Magimania, which characters were based in fantasy elements. Any credit that he got his hands into and wasn’t necessary to be used into more important things went immediately to buy new booster packs.

And the occasional thematic deck, when he saves enough money.

He removed two specific cards and waved them at Roanoke and Shaw, trying to attract their attention. “They used that scene in these cards.” in one of the cards was the illustration of a wizard wearing gray robes with a staff on a bridge and in the other was a giant fire demon in a cave. They were obvious references to these two iconic characters.

When Dalsim arrived, Zessel tucked the cards back in the safety of his backpack. He was happy for not being the one doing the greeting, not envying Caul even a little bit for having this ‘honor’. He giggled with Shaw’s comment, before noticing that the Padawans were the only ones there. It seems that even Ordeen preferred to stay away from it, because he had remained alone in the ship

With the cookies.

That weasel.

At Dalsim’s village, an army of Ellorans were waiting for them. All of them seemed to be excited to greet them. Zessel silently stepped behind Shaw and Roanoke, hoping to make them a barrier for the eager locals. If they came in a rush, they would without any doubt crush the short half-Arkanian.

@Zay @throwitintothefire @Graveyard Shift

 

[Caul]

”Dalsim, it’s a pleasure to put a face to a name!” called out Terek Ordeen as he sauntered down the ramp of their transport. Cual frowned, was he wiping cookie crumbs off his mouth? The Elloran’s face lit up even brighter than before, which was saying something, because if it got any brighter it might actually explode. The two “Adults” greeted one another and Dalsim began to lead them toward their destination, his home, the hidden village of Hōseki. Caul was just glad the attention was off him.

The way there wasn’t particularly treacherous, but it was arduous. The “path” if one could call it that, was tight, and at first it was craggy with stunted hearty weeds marking the path, but as they followed it the flora of the planet seemed to press in on all sides. The whole time Dalsim went about pointing out this tree or that, explaining small details none of them could possibly comprehend in the amount of time they had before the chatter box was off to the next thing. Honestly, it was really overwhelming.

“OW LITTLE SHIT!” squawked a voice from Caul’s left. He flinched, head whipping around to stare directly into the creepy eye of a funky looking pelican. “D-did you just talk?”

The bird’s head cocked to the side with what the Padawan considered to be the appropriate amount of confusion. Caul shook his head, he had to have been hearing things… Dalsim was yapping so much he was imagining the birds talking… He turned starting to trot off when he heard his voice, “D-did you just talk?”

Caul froze. He turned around. The bird looked at him. He looked at the bird, his eyes narrowing. Suddenly the bird squawked, “OW LITTLE SHIT!” then flew away. Caul stood there, mouth open, eyes blinking. He looked over his shoulder, just able to make out Roanke’s outline up ahead. Caul thanked the force the guy was big and jogged off to tell the other’s what the hell he’d just seen.

“Guys there was a talking— whoa…”

By the time he made it to the group, they were standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the village below. It was breathtaking. The architecture was a harmonious blend of complex buildings that mirrored the area's natural landscape. It was as if the structures were birthed from the planet the same way the trees and mountains were.

“This my two handed friends, is my home, Hōseki!”

Caul stood in the main square of the village. Arranged in a semi-circle were a group of about thirty or forty warrior Ellorans. At their apex sat a regal looking Elloran wearing a thin crown across his brow and a set of ornate looking vambraces on each arm. Even sitting it was apparent this particular being was larger than the rest.

“Great Chieftain, I have completed my task, as I assured you I would, and have brought to you the Jedi!” announced Dalsim, to the Jedi he said, “Dear Jedi, I present the magnanimous, the Illustrious, the positive—” The Pontificating Primate was cut off by a show of barred teeth from the Elloran at the center.

“Enough of your words Dalsim,” the crowd around snickered, “I am Motep. Chieftain of this village. Protector of it’s peace, and empowerer of it’s people,” Motep rose from his ornate seat and strode down the steps directly to Ordeen. Caul watched Ordeen’s expression and aside from a slight elevation of his left eyebrow he didn’t seem intimidated in the least. Which was the exact opposite of how Caul currently felt.

“I asked the Jedi for warriors, not students,” said The Elloran Chief, two arms crossed over his chest and the other two landed on his hips.

Ordeen smiled, “Warriors you have received,” he replied gesturing toward the Padawan behind him.

Motep frowned, one of his hands coming up to scratch his chin as he considered the Knight’s words. The Chieften turned to the gathered crowd and bellowed, “THEN WE FEAST!”

The gathered crowd when apeshit, pun intended, with cries of celebration. In almost the same breath of his proclamation Motep stepped forward and whispered something into Ordeen’s ear. The Knight’s practiced facade slipped for a fraction of a second. He nodded to Motep then turned to the Padawan.

“It seems the chief and I need to have a little chat. You guys explore the village,” he lifted a stern finger at each of them, “Do not do ANYTHING to get us in trouble, we may be on thinner ice than I’d hoped.”

Before any of them could ask any question’s Terek turned away and was flanked by two warriors as he followed the Chief into the temple.

@throwitintothefire @LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Five credits his name's King Louie," Shaw whispred to Caul after he had caught up with the rest of the group. "You know, like—"

Motep.

Wordlessly Shaw slid some credits out of his pocket and into the waiting hand of the other padawan. Three credits to be exact. Counting them he cringed. "Uhhh I owe ya two." Shaw had never met a real life emperor, primate or otherwise. This was kind of a big deal now that he thought about it, coming face to face with an emperor of an entire world and being introduced as a warrior, which was a generous description when it came to Shaw.

Motep seemed to think so too, eyeing the padawans with a distinctly critical gaze. He was all kinds of salty, going for the ultimate supreme double combo—hands on the hips and arms crossed. Shaw had been on the receiving end of those poses plenty of times with his mum but never both at the same time. There wasn't enough time to get scared or intimidated by the gravity of the situation before Motep and Knight Ordeen withdrew from the group to discuss... something. Matters. Topics. Words. The reason they were here.

The three padawans were left to their own devices, and the one word in that entire conversation that had really struck a chord with Shaw was FEAST. "You guys hungry?" he asked the other padawans. After that he hoped to head down to the beach. He had never been this close to the ocean before, and the thought was exciting. @Zay @LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift

 

[Roanoke]

It feels so surreal being on a mission with fellow teenagers who share the same interests as him. Roanoke's smile is bright, his laughter hearty, as he listens to Shaw's quip and he hears the sound of Zessel and Caul's mirth. When Zessel shows his card game, Roanoke's eyes widen with recognition. Magimania? He recognizes the game, but he does not know the mechanics and the gameplay. At least not yet. He looks with awe at the card the other Padawan presents, and earnestly he requests sincerely, "Teach me how to play when this mission's over, please!"

The arrival of the one-Elloran welcoming committee, Roanoke tries his best not to chuckle as he and the other bore witness to Caul being subjected to an enthusiastic four-armed handshake. At least Roanoke manages not to make a quip at Caul's exclamation of needing an adult. Like, where's Ordeen anyway? Watching them from the ship be vigorously greeted by the natives? Maybe he wants to see how they would fare among the locals? But didn't some mandate say that Padawans are supposed to be escorted with Knights or something?

Proceeding to the path ahead, the teenagers and one Knight (Roanoke's eyes narrow slightly when he spots Ordeen wiping something that suspiciously look like cookie crumbs from his mouth) are met with more Ellorans, all of which are looking rather excited at the sight of the foreigners. The former acolyte notices Zessel's slight movement from behind, and while he doesn't understand why the half-Arkanian chose to hide he subtly shields the younger Padawan anyway. Maybe he's wary of the Ellorans. Roanoke doesn't blame him. The mohawked teen is contemplating whether to match Dalsim's energy or just let Caul and Shaw—Caul, Shaw, coleslaw? Wait, where did that thought come from? Is Roanoke hungry?—take the lead. He is then distracted by the sound from where Caul is.

"Hm? What's up, Caul—" Roanoke is about to ask, but then he sees the other Padawan falling back, staring up at some weird-looking pelican as it flies away. As Caul catches up, talking about some talking bird, Roanoke once again peers up at the sky where the pelican has disappeared off to. "A talking what...?"

Then, Caul's soft exclamation draws Roanoke's attention to the village below. He shares the other Padawan's amazement, wide eyes taking in the sights before them. The village isn't like anything he's ever seen before, but then again there's like a million, or billion, of planets out there, each with their own natural and sentient-made wonders. He feels like he'll never stop being surprised with places like this.

Dalsim eagerly presents his village, and then presented the Jedi to what appears to be the village leader. Roanoke is about to offer a polite and respectful nod, but then the chieftain's voice and the crowd's snickers give him pause. His gaze scan the other Ellorans, taking note of their build and their seemingly warrior-esque statutes. The mohawked teen almost choked on his spit when Ordeen presents the Padawans behind him as warriors, not students.

Say what now?

He tries not to look spooked, he really does. At least, in his panicked state, Roanoke looks more like he's ready to throw down than shoot the Knight a flummoxed What is happening? And when Motep bellows to the gathered crowd about feasting...

For one wild moment, Roanoke thought that they were going to get eaten.

He nods at Ordeen's words, fighting the urge to salute and yell, Sir, yes sir! when the older Jedi wags a stern finger at each of the Padawans. The thought of getting eaten all but flees Roanoke at Shaw's question, and the mohawked teen is quick to ask one of the Ellorans, "What happens if we do not eat?"

The questioned Elloran simply guffaws, then the laughter vanishes as soon as it came—yet the amused twinkle in their eyes remain—and he hisses ominously, "More for us, then!"

Roanoke gives the joking Elloran an impassive gaze, glances at Shaw when he asks if they're hungry, then looks at Caul and Zessel. The mohawked teen picks up what seems to be skewered, grilled fish and answers Shaw's question before taking a bite of the food, "Yeah, starvin'. I hope this is fish."

@Zay @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi