A Lesson Learned

[Fyston]

Xenefious could hear the hum of the Hyperdrive engines and could feel the vibrations of the ship under him. His eyes closed, he could not see the lights flashing around him, each an indicator of a system's status. Through the Force, however, he could feel the energy being used around him and he could, in his mind's eye, see exactly where each wire led through the walls. The Initiate had to stop himself, as he had dozens of times on the journey, from stopping his meditation and tinkering with the ship's systems to optimize output.

Instead, he redoubled his efforts and focused on his breathing instead, allowing himself to further delve into the Force. It was, by no means, the most he could do, though the Initiate was still wary of using the Force due to the vivid vision that he had seen only a short while before. In addition, one could not work through years of shielding oneself in such a short time. Despite these limitations, Xenefious was determined to try his hardest in an effort to prove himself to his new Master and to prove to himself that he was not the sum of his actions.

He knew very little about this mission, simply that it was to Ryloth, a planet where Xene had never before been. Judging by the time they had spent traveling and the speed of the vessel, they had to be nearing the planet. Just as Xene pushed the thought from his mind, he felt the slight shudder as the ship dropped out of Hyperspace.

The Initiate then stood, taking care to stretch each limb carefully before gathering his gear and journeying towards the bridge, where he figured his Master would be waiting for him. The young Jedi was nervous and anxious to prove himself, though he hoped he was not overly nervous or anxious as he walked onto the bridge.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Valen Pelora]

General Valen Pelora lightly gripped the yoke of the Puddle Jumper. The yacht slid through hyperspace as stars streamed by. He didn’t need to pilot the ship. The autopilot handled the heavy lifting in hyperspace. He kept his hands on the controls out of habit and comfort. He missed sitting in the cockpit, strapped into thepilot’s seat. He missed the freedom of traveling the Outer Rim. These brief moments away lifted the weight of the galaxy from his shoulders. He was a Jedi again. Nothing more and nothing less. He breathed deeply of the Force, the Lightside pouring through him. He felt at peace for the first time in a very long time. He was ready to show Xen the ways of the Force. Valen had used Ryloth as training ground before.

The war had hit the Twi’lek homeworld exceptionally hard. There was pain, suffering, and poverty all across the surface. He had used the emotional pain of the Twi’lek people to teach Sigal empathy. Xen didn’t have the same issues. He knew the young Jedi could feel the emotions but he wanted to fix what he felt. Valen needed to show Xen the galaxy could be messy, imperfect, and unpredictable. He needed to show the boy that not everything had a perfect solution. He had just the way to do it, with the help from some old friends. He heard soft footsteps and felt the ball of anxiety that was Xen. He didn’t turn from his seat as the young Jedi entered.

“We are nearly there.” As he spoke the Puddle Jumper zipped from hyperspace. The split sides of Ryloth sprung into view. One side bathed in eternal sunlight, the other in the deepest night. He steered towards the darkened side of the planet.

“Are you excited?” Xen felt like a tightly coiled ball in the Force.

@Fyston

 

[Fyston]

Having not travelled beyond Bandomeer, Tython, and a select few Jedi worlds, Xene couldn't help but be lost in the wonder that was Ryloth. His mind couldn't get over the fact that one side was destined to be facing the sun at all times and the second was to be forever bathed in darkness. To be held in such an orbit for all of eternity, with only a sliver of the planet's surface to use for the population's needs, caused Xene to mentally list all of the issues that could be associated with such an issue. As he compiled this list, however, he strove to think of ways these hardships would have impacted the people of Ryloth in an attempt to think outside of his normal point of view.

As he was thinking, he realized that his Master had spoken to him. He wasn't sure exactly what was said, though he believed that it involved whether or not Xene was ready. "I-I, err, I'm as-as r-r-ready as I'll, uhh, e-ever b-be." Xene wasn't lying, though he also wished he had more time to prepare, had more time to requisition resources, and had more time to plan. Xene and spontaneity were hardly used in the same sentence, though that could also be because Xene had been on few missions since the incident on Bandomeer and had been on none since the death of his former Master.

When he realized that the ship was headed towards the nocturnal side of the planet, the Jedi couldn't help but wonder how long he would be able to effectively see through the Force. He hadn't ever tried to use the Force to see for long periods of time and, if this was a difficult test, was unsure how well he could multitask. In the hopes that he would get a hint, he sat down in the cockpit and glanced over at his Master, searching his face and using the Force to probe outwards, attempting to sense the general state of mind of General Pelora. As he probed, he also spoke to his Master, still hoping to glean any information he could so that he could make some form of plan. "What will we be doing once we get planetside, Master?"

The Initiate, focused on the task at hand, had not realized that the butterflies that called his stomach home had settled down enough for him to speak. He had a task to complete and, while he had yet to learn what it was, the Jedi was focused. When he had a task to complete, the Initiate felt at home, as if he were back on Bandomeer and fixing machines for a living. While still a Jedi, it was obvious that Xene was still a child at heart as he moved to the edge of his seat, keeping himself ever-ready to run to the exit and explore the planet once they landed.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Valen Pelora]

Valen eased the Puddle Jumper towards Ryloth’ssurface. The yacht moved easily through the atmosphere and towards the one of the larger landing ports. Much like the sun baked side, the nocturnal half of Ryloth was built underground. This protected the Twi’leks from the harsh cold nights and brutal desert winds. He could feel Xen reaching out in the Force, probing from some inkling of why they were here. He knew the young Jedi was anxious. That anxiety poured into the Force. He smiled slightly. His mental walls were high, Xen would find it no easy task to examine the mind of the Jedi General. He turned to his pupil as the boy sat in the co-pilots seat.

“You will not find my secrets so easily unlocked.” He let out a small chuckle. It was a habit many young Jedi developed, reaching out in the Force to search anothers intent. The people of the galaxy and other inexperienced Jedi were easy prey. Those more familiar with the Force were not so easy to read. The yacht glided closer to the surface. He waited to answer Xen’s question. The com in the cockpit crackled to life.

“Call sign Puddle Jumper, please identified yourself.”

Valen pushed com button on the yoke. “We read you. We are expected by Minister Var’el.” The com was dead for second before coming back to life.

“Confirmed. Please proceed to landing pad 4.” He piloted the ship and deftly landed the Puddle Jumper. He unclipped his harness before turning to Xen. “Ryloth has been hit hard by the war. It is often forgotten because there is little strategic value of the planet. I used to come here often when I was younger to help ease some of that suffering. I haven’t been able to come back in far too long, this was the perfect excuse.” He stood and walked to back of the ship, the landing ramp already lowered. He motioned for Xen to follow. It was time they got to work.
@Fyston