Changing Directions (ASK)

[Master Maverick]

The dim glow of a small lamp was the only light in this particular corner of the Library. Practically as soon as he had arrived to the Sage Halls he had found the Library and quickly became familiar with it. The enormous space was daunting at first, but Akacen was not one to be turned away by something so irrational. For sleepless days he read numerous titles on various things that, though were connected, to someone looking over his shoulder at the moment, seemed like random books that had no relation to one another. When reading one subject, he would find something, sometimes something small and almost unimportant, or some major subject that was not explained satisfactorily to him in one, he would find another and learn what he wanted to until it happened again, or he went back to the original item.

Time had no meaning for him while in this mood. A librarian who had stumbled upon him earlier in the week had been keeping an eye on him and brought him food and drink regularly. Every time he thanked her every time, some guilt in his voice, and ate absentmindedly. He didn't feel hungry, but knew he should eat.

For a moment, he explored the possibilities of what he could be. There were too many peculiarities about him for him to be truely be human. Regularly he didn't sleep, and when he did, it was not long and he wouldn't feel tired after. He didn't eat much or often and aged physically, he felt, a bit slowly than the other boys he had grown up with. Though he was taller than many of them, he had not... matured like the others. This didn't bother him in the slightest however. He was far smarter and wiser than practically any his age. Well, at least that's what he felt at times. He was almost upset that he didn't possess any extraordinary physical abilities or prowess. However, he decided it was far better to be smarter and out-wit enemies than simply over-power them.

While engrossed in these thoughts, he decided to take a quick break. He looked at a nearby clock; it was close to mid-night. He felt as though something important was going to happen soon. He thought for a few seconds and finally remembered a note he had been given with one of his meals. He had been assigned a Master!

He had almost forgotten about his application for a Master. He had practically given up on being assigned one any time soon after his days spent on The Will.

See? And this is why I'm a pessimist! He reminded himself. In the morning he would meet with his Master and begin training. Akacen knew nothing of him other than his name; Makara. He found it unusual that he had only a singular name. he didn't concern himself with that though. Far more unusual things could be found just walking outside of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, he knew.

He needed to clean himself up and be presentable to his Master. He had not bathed in since 2 days ago. Not that he smelled in any way repugnant, in fact he still smelled as though he had just bathed, he just felt dirty. He also should clean his clothes. They hadn't been cleaned since his last few days Aboard The Will.

He fumbled through a few of the datapads and books scattered about the large table to take back to his room. He left the rest to be taken care of by the librarians. Well, it IS their job... He explained himself, trying to not feel guilty about leaving such a mess. It didn't work.

Quickly and with a bit of grace he made his way back to the living quarters. Unlike many of the others he had encountered, he was in his quarters somewhat often. He liked to keep to himself that way. Though there was an expanse of forest outside where he could easily separate himself from anyone, which he did enough of the time, he wanted to also practice meditating, along with other such activities, with the distractions of the other Jedi in the Halls.

He was improving his skills, if not only centering himself.

He found a change of clothes, a simple dark green linen shirt that fell loosely upon his shoulders and landed upon his mid thigh and common woolen pants with mid-calf leather boots. He wanted to clean his robes and wear them to his first meeting. However, he debated with himself in his head, as he often did. Is that too formal? Will he think I'm stuck up and up-tight... even though I kind of am anyway so I guess it doesn't matter. But, he is my Master and I should respect him... and I mean I like wearing them anyway. But this is much more practical... and a bit more comfortable. Whatever, if they're ready and I feel like changing again then I'll change... if not, oh well. He "spoke" quickly while getting his other clothes ready that needed to be washed.

After putting them in the machine, he looked at the clock. It was now 2 hours after mid-night. He went to the mirror and looked at himself in the mirror. For any normal human, he would have huge prominent bags under his eyes after not sleeping for days, but none were there. Another curiosity. He disregarded it and cleaned his teeth. He decided to lay in bed, if not to sleep then just to rest for a while until his clothes were finished.

When they are, he decided not to change again. He was lazy like that sometimes. He went over to the mirror and sink and freshened up, splashing water on his face and wetting his hair so he could form it like he wanted to, not that is ended up being much different than before.

He retrieved his pack from the foot of his bed. He pack his datapad, along with some extra clothing and some of the archive datapads he had brought back with him. He wanted to be prepared for anything.

On his way from his living quarters, he stopped for a quick bite. It was nothing special; a couple of energy bars and a bottle of water. It was less than an hour before dawn at this point and he wanted to make one more stop before meeting his Master. He went to the library and found the librarian who had given him food and drink while he was in there. He thanked her graciously and humbly before leaving. He was told in the note to meet his master outside the main entrance and made his way straight there.

It was not difficult to find, and soon he could see it. There were a number of figures standing around the entrance at the moment, so he wouldn't be able to know which one was his Master. He also wasn't one to just randomly ask them who they were.

He hoped his master would know his face, if not expected it. I mean, isn't that his job? He reassured himself. He was still nervous, but he decided it was more excitement than anything else.

However, that did not stop his hands from shaking, if only slightly.

Akacen Mothturus would soon become an apprentice.

 

[Samara]

Makara wasn't one to stand out in the crowd. He was one of the Jedis who preferred casual or practical clothes over the trademark robes of the Old Jedi Order. That particular day he was wearing a black shirt with a decoration in dark purple, the same color that pigmented his eyes, a dim oxide open jacket on the top of it, black pants with dark shades of gray in it and brown boots tied even up his ankles, the right one presenting a small amulet hanging from a small chain, also wrapped in the strings.

His skin was gray, his hair black and wild, and on the top of his head he had two bony-like horns in appareance pointing upwards. Contrasting against his darker skin color, his face was painted white in patterns, except for the eyes and the mouth, which made him look as if he was always smiling. It wasn't hard to think of other species who did similar things with their looks.

He advanced across the students and masters, passing besides them and walked towards Akacen until he was standing at two meters from him. His eyes gazed the padawan briefly before speaking in a calmed, soothing tone- Akacen, right? -he knew who he was, his looks, and his story, but it was a matter of courtesy. The only thing that could point towards Makara being a Jedi Knight, besides an eerie feeling, was the lightsaber hanging from the right part of his hip.

 

[Master Maverick]

Walking down the hallway, noticed a figure walking his way. He was a little bit taller than himself. He caught sight of his horns and a pang of guilt ran through him when he felt ever more nervous. He was not racist in any way, however, he was a bit awkward around non-humans because of lack of contact for so many years. Even though he had lived on Coruscant all his life, he was a sheltered child when he lived with his parents and rarely left the Temple when accepted into the order. Nor did he interact with many people.

He was excited to get to meet him, as he enjoyed meeting new people who were different, but didn't want to be awkward. He tried not to dwell on the thoughts because he knew that those thoughts would make him feel and be awkward.

"Yes, Master Makara." he replied in greeting, bowing lower than he normally would have. Even though he was quite respectful and humble, he wanted to ensure that there was no question of it.

He wasn't sure if Makara was a Master or not, but he said it, again, out of respect. It didn't matter to Akacen whether or not he was, because he was just grateful that someone would teach him the ways of the Jedi.

He was relieved that he had chosen not to wear his robes. Though he was independent enough and didn't like conforming or conformists, he still was happy that he wouldn't feel out of place wearing his robes.

When making eye contact with Makara, he was interested in his features. They were so different from himself and he had to control questions from blurting out that would more than likely be personal and a bit forward. Not to mention showing his naivete and ignorance of the galaxy and all those who lived in it.

Akacen just waited for his Master to direct them to their first task of the day.

 

[Samara]

Makara nodded with a smile, and his look shifted slowly to his sides, with the tad of interest one normally shows when searching for something.- There is someone else who will be joining us today, and in the days to come -informed Akacen as his eyes navigated the crowd of people, padawans and masters without much haste in his expression yet.

 

[Xyrael]

Saia was having trouble suppressing her nerves at the prospect of being accepting for padawan training. She'd been an initiate for a while, and though she did not undervalue her training, she felt that she could excel. Still, she was nervous to meet her new Master.

She knew that being nervous, especially at a place as crowded with unfamiliar people as the entrance to the Temple, would not help her. She had only arrived a few days ago aboard a transport from Coruscant, where she spent most of her time in recent years - so most of the faces were still new to her. She closed her eyes and tried to focus, as her former tutors had taught her. She practiced releasing her stress and strove for clarity, opening her eyes and peering at the people for answers. She saw several masters and their potentates, her eyes looking upon each. They played across whatever features they could find, until they caught a pair that felt 'right' to her. She decided to trust her gut and go with it.

Her soft footfalls would have gone unnoticed in a normal setting, but here, among Jedi whose every sense was attuned, she was loud and noisy. One of the two figures that she approached turned to her, strange teeth and horns turning about to startle her. She instantly smiled away the unease, smiling as she recognized the face from information she had picked up from the Archives.

"Makara?" she asked, sure it was her future Master but unwilling to commit to her idea. "My name is Saia, I don't mean to intrude..." she looked to the other Jedi. He was taller and heavier than her, but then again so were most of the people around her. Judging by his age, she guessed that he, too, would be trained by Makara. She smiled at them both, eager to make new friends.

 

[Samara]

The Jedi nodded gently towards Saia and gave her a warm smile, widened by the time he was done speaking- Yes I am -he said- I was looking for you, I'm glad you found us, I was starting to think you might of stayed asleep -added jokingly in a light tone before turning towards Akacen as well- Saia, this is Akacen, Akacen... -finished with a smirk in silence, not to repeat the obvious as he made a rather funny gesture towards each of them, imitating some kind of old etiquette that didn't seem to fit his style at all.

Often, he felt that all his upbeat personality served to everyone but him, whom he could not cheer even with the brightest of smiles. Yet, it was a worthy exchange, one that would prevent him of being selfish even to the point of worthless sacrifice in his dedication towards others. Quill's death had done nothing but inflame that way of thinking, with his life rigging the balance towards guilt and the need of enough good deeds to feel that he had paid for his former padawan's mistakes, and in turn, to forgive himself for what he still thought was his own fault.

 

[Master Maverick]

Reaching his hand out to the diminutive girl, he went to shake her hand. He was kind of not happy about being trained alongside someone else. However, he got over this relatively quickly and became excited to have someone to not only test himself against and measure himself to, but work with and, perhaps, bond with in a way only Jedi can. He had yet to have a real friend, and while his Master would be one in a way, it would be nice to have a "friend" friend.

"Hello Saia, it's a pleasure." He said, surprisingly devoid of awkwardness. While she was no doubt an attractive girl, Akacen felt nothing of note about it. She was just another Jedi to work with, another padawan to learn with, and another person to become friends with.

 

[Xyrael]

Saia smiled at Akacen, taking his hand and shaking it for a brief moment. He seemed to be peculiar, but the Jedi Order was filled with peculiar people. She liked it, though the thought of whether or not she, too, was peculiar had not crossed her mind. She smiled, dropping her hands back underneath her robes, which appeared to be significantly cleaner than her counterpart and Master. She bit the inside of her lip and hoped that the other two would not be offended by her eagerness to impress.

She turned her eyes to the Jedi Knight and politely dipped her head for a moment before raising an eyebrow slightly, "What's in store for us, Master?"

 

[HunterOrdo]

Quill had died only days before and Master Makara already was taking two more padawans.. Why? Traven had never been close to Quill, in fact the first mission they went on with Master Makara was the only time he had ever spoke to him, but his death was still not an easy burden to bear. He had been so helpless to save him, he swore to himself on that frozen hellish planet that he would never let that happen again to anyone.

Still to replace Quill so fast.. Did Master Makara not care? Or is this some sort of attempt at atonement? Traven didnt know what it was, but in his thought he had fallen back from Master Makara. The Sage Halls werent too confusing, so Traven was reasonably sure of where Master Makara would be.

He took his time in walking as he never really liked meeting new people, always the nervous and anxious, while those traits had lessened because of the last mission, they still held a firm grip on the young padawan. He gently toyed with his padawan ponytail as he continued his walk.

He finally spotted Master Makara speaking with two Jedi, one a girl, another a boy. Arriving at his Masters side, Traven bowed slightly to the other two Jedi Padawans. "I am Traven Oli. Your fellow padawan under Master Makara. Sorry I am late." He finished and lifted his head from the bow to take a closer look at his new fellow padawans.

 

[Xyrael]

Saia thought for a moment that she had glimpsed a touch of apprehension and disapproval upon the new padawan's face as he arrived. She bowed her head in response, but raised an eyebrow at him. She could tell there was some history behind the relationship between Traven and Makara, but she remembered her lesson well. Always be mindful of the present, do not dwell on the past.

"My name is Saia," she chimed, her icy blue eyes peering at him from behind her black hair. She brushed the hair back with her hand and smiled at him, curious to meet more people. Master Makara would definitely be a busy Jedi today.

 

[Master Maverick]

When a third padawan came into the mix, Akacen had to concentrate to not make an insulting face. However, he couldn't help the slight raise of his left eyebrow. 3 padawans at one time? This would certainly be an interesting day, not to mention apprenticeship. It was just a curiosity to him that Makara would take on 3 padawans at the same time.

He caught some kind of look in this padawan's face, Traven Oli, towards Makara. Akacen didn't really know what it was, but knew something had happened sometime, someplace. However, he didn't know any of these people, even by looking at them. This was the first time he had ever seen these people.

Akacen was a bit more reserved with another male in the group. Akacen seemed to have an easier time with females than males. He didn't quite know why, but they were just more enjoyable to be around. He had more in common with them he guessed. Also, he had unenjoyable experiences with other boys. They, in general, were more competitive and just more abrasive to Akacen. At least, to himself, in his view.

He could feel many emotions emanating from the boy. He couldn't even try to figure out what they were, but it was practically obvious. He was a bit reserved at the moment,
Akacen felt. Hopefully Taven wouldn't be like so many of the others he had met.

"Hi. Akacen... Mothturus." He said in a more flat tone than when he met his Master or Saia while bowing his head slightly. Immediately he felt guilt at treating him differently just because he happened to be a boy. He tried not to dwell on the thoughts and turned to Makara to see what would be their first lesson.

Or if any more were going to join.

 

[Samara]

Makara's sight widened once Traven came near- Ah, there you are, I was wondering where were you -his tone was soft as always, so normally relaxed that often some people would take offense in that, or become frustrated by it- Traven, this is Saia, and this is Akacen, the padawans who will be joining us from this day on -it was merely a formality since the human knew already. Afterwards he made a gest towards outside the temple, and prepared himself to dodge the Jedis in between- Come -he said to all of them, but directed towards his new apprentices in the last part of his sentence- This temple will always be your home, but during your time under my guidance we will be moving from one place to another as the situation requires so, hereby our ship, the stardust melody, will be as your second home for the days to come.

Makara walked through the small bottleneck of people and sorrounded the temple without haste, advancing towards the landing pads. Many ships were stationed, waiting patiently for their owners to come back, but only one was his concern. Makara walked until he reached a particular one painted with a dark golden color, not too big, and not too small either. Five people could fit in there without feeling claustrophobic or having no place to walk around the ship if their legs went numb. The ramp below lowered as he approached the space vehicle, showing a dim gray interior with lines in black. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but to Makara it was comfortable enough- Is any of you interested in ships? -asked casually as he stood at the lower end of the black, metallic ramp. Of course, they were not going anywhere just yet, that would be too rushed.

At the contrary of Traven or Akacen, Makara felt that three was a perfect number, but he wouldn't deny them the wish to remain a padawan until someone else desired to take them as their apprentices if that was their desire. It allowed other points of view, a better sense of companionship, Makara wouldn't be there forever as their master, but once he was done with their training, the ties between them would be much stronger than any bound between regular Jedis. Friendship was a much treasured feeling, and it was a pity not enough people realised that sooner.

The interior of the ship was of a soothing atmosphere, just as the Jedi piloting it. It wasn't new or shiny, but everything had been handled with care. The marks and scars upon walls and edges of several sidewalks and curbs, most notably in frequently used parts of the ship, but not exclusively, had a weak, particular force signature. A resonance for all of those who were able to feel such things. Like a distant, comfortable whisper, or the soft note of an unknown instrument. There was something mesmerizing about it. It played a part in that soothing atmosphere, happily generally, but almost nostalgic to Makara sometimes.

Rather than just pieces of metal and mechanical parts put together, it looked like the living part of a story, brought to life by its inhabitants, soon to be joined Saia and Akacen.

 

[Xyrael]

Saia took in the words of her new Master, despite her eyes being lost to look upon the extravagance of the Cinnagar skyline. It looked nearly the equal of Coruscant, three moons seen in the sky at once like pearls in a blue-green sea. Speeders marched along their paths like ants to food, and Saia wondered what it was like to fly, not even realizing that Makara had brought them to his own ship.

She frowned, displeased with herself for drifting in thought. She entered the ship, it was an interested, bird head shaped design with a comfortable aura. Something about the ship seemed to soothe her. She left the thought be, hearing Makara's question, and decided she better answer to seem attentive instead of lost in her thoughts. "Yes," she dropped her frown and wrinkled her nose, "though I've never flown one before, and I'd rather not crash."

In truth, she'd always been in awe when she saw warships through the viewport of transports as she hithered and thithered between planets. The rows of guns and functional design endeared her to them, yet she doubted she would ever command one. She really didn't see a reason why she would.

 

[Master Maverick]

Makara’s voice had a tantalizing ring to it. He couldn’t quite figure out what it was though…

Walking through the temple entrance heading outside towards the docking bays, Akacen kept to Makara’s far right, a touch farther away from the others comparatively. He feigned observing his surroundings while lagging behind, rather than blatantly showing that he preferred to keep his distance from his new acquaintances. It’s not that he didn’t like them, but it was more out of habit to be a bit standoffish at first.

Silently he followed his Master towards the landing bays, the same ones he had just arrived on a few weeks prior. They were normally relatively busy, and today was no exception. They passed a few before reaching Stardust Gleaming. It was nothing fancy, but it would do it’s job well. Akacen knew little to nothing about ships. He never had the urge to learn to fly. He had no real reason to prior to this point in his life. However, he started to get excited at the thought of effectively being part of the crew of a ship.

The ship seemed to have a presence of its own, a life of its own. It was consistent, soothing and calming. Though it was a slight feeling on the edge of his perception, it was pretty obvious that the Jedi who had ridden on the ship left their marks long after leaving. He wanted to sit and meditate right then and there to find out more about it. Perhaps, well more like "more-than-likely", he would find some things out about his Master’s past. He was nosy like that.

The interior of the ship was nothing special. The dim glow seemed to wash out the colors, though there wasn't much color regardless. It was worn from much use, though everything looked nice and presentable enough.

“I’ve never really thought about them much, but I’d like to learn how to run one.” He replied a bit absentmindedly after Saia. He never had to actually work a ship, but wanted to try and be as much help as he could.

 

[Samara]

After a short exchange of words with Traven, he nodded and left, leaving Saia and Akacen alone with Makara. The Jedi then smiled towards Akacen, before looking towards Saia as well- Well, this is your chance if you're up to it, this ship is an hybrid between a starfighter and a freighter, hopefully we won't have to fire against anything, but knowledge and practice its not frowned upon, one never knows when will the knowledge come in handy -he started to walk the ship, finally leaning towards the ramp's side railings, who worked as banisters for those who already had a foot on the ship and were walking the stairs- Not always will the four of us go together. Sometimes I will have to go alone, sometimes, it'll be your turn to go alone, or together without me. Or perhaps, a training session with another master in his area of expertise, for that purpose, whoever is left with the ship should be able to handle it.

Makara gave a small pause, sharing a silence with his students as they examined the ship dwelling in their own thoughts. Introspection was a good characteristic, and also a very useful one.- I have a mission tonight, not far away from here -said casually- I had planned to come back for you tomorrow, in order for you to have everything ready, but if you are antsy to start and see new places, I can take you with me in a few hours -he rised his eyebrows a small bit as he observed the padawan's reaction.

 

[Xyrael]

Saia bit her lip as she thought about flying the starship by herself. She wasn't sure it was such a good idea, she would hate to be the one to crash the ship. She smiled at Makara, ignoring that concern for her next. "I would love to go on a mission!" she said excitedly, masking her worry that she was not prepared yet for a fight; hoping that any mission Makara would take them on would be a peaceful adventure to a world she hadn't visited yet.

 

[Master Maverick]

As Traven left, Akacen followed him out with his eyes, not moving his head to give away his curiousity. He kept his face expressionless, or at least he tried.

When Makara mentioned that they wouldn't always be together, it struck him as odd. However with the new development in the galaxy, it was likely that missions would no doubt break them apart from time to time. The thought of him being alone in a place he'd never been with the task of looking after a ship that he had no idea how to pilot yet practically petrified him. So obviously he would have to learn. He hoped he would learn everything he needed to quickly.

When he mentioned a mission, the knot in his stomach that had formed when Makara had mentioned splitting up only got tighter. This is what he had been looking forward to for as long as he could remember. However, now that it was upon him, he didn't know if he'd be up for it.

I've learned how to take care of myself by now. He thought, trying to calm his racing thoughts of every bad thing that could happen.

After a second or 2, he realized his irrational fear and closed his eyes for a full second to calm his mind. They hadn't even been told of the mission yet and he was already thinking of the outcome. The probability that Makara would take 2 padawans on their first mission to something exceedingly dangerous.

"I'm ready whenever you are." He replied. He would leave nothing behind other than the books from the library in his room. He had all of his possessions with him anyway. With his reply, he made eye contact with Makara for the first time since entering the ship.

 

[Samara]

Very well then -he said with a slight nod- You will have four clicks to prepare yourself -he took out a small device from his pocket in order to check the current time- after the four clicks have passed, meet me again here and we'll be ready to go -after all, he still had some things he needed to get done before leaving the temple. He putted the device back where it belonged to, and prepared to accompany the padawans outside of the ship.

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