Day-Tripping in the Rim (Pre-DotR Character Testing)

[Elijah Brockway]

When Cecil stopped and introduced himself, Sihkar was given to realize he hadn't yet introduced himself. He waited while Raz spoke to the group, and nodded along with his fellow Knight. "Indeed, the way you act today will reflect on your fellows here at the temple, and keeping up a proper appearance is a wise thing to do. We wouldn't want to give anybody the wrong idea of how we are, would we?" He chuckled for a moment, thinking about how abrasive his Master was with the general populace. Sihkar at least tried to be a little nicer.

"Also, for those of you who are wondering, my name is Sihkar Tarei. Jedi Knight, freighter pilot, and bad mechanic, all at your service."

 

[Oreus]

Kwanli bowed his head to the others as the commotion started to die down. By this point he was immune to most shenanigans from learners. A few introductions were given and the Wookiee returned in kind.

"I am Kwanli, a Knight tasked with assisting today," he roared in what might be considered a quieter tone.

Someone would likely translate for him again if needed. He looked to the Knight who had addressed him directly. In truth he was unsure how many more were coming. It seemed like a good group had gathered and there was a good population of knights to assist

"This is likely everyone," he answered, motioning to the crowd as a few stragglers joined in. "We may leave now."

He pointed to the shuttle as he spoke to indicate his meaning better. He was certain by this point everyone was here or close enough to follow them to the shuttle. No use wasting time.

 

[Aurius]

Cecil acknowledged wookie a request and began strolling towards the shuttle, his mind wandering to the thought of what he might see in the village. He changed his pose slightly. He was now on his way to represent the Jedi in a formal setting, and his attitude must reflect it as so.

 

[StormWolf]

Sleep had come begrudgingly to Rhonan and had been unwilling to stay for long. The young Cathar had been somewhere between non-lucid consciousness and shallow sleep when Master Kwanli's rolling roar tore through the relative silence of Lothal. Rhonan's eyes snapped open and he sat up sharply, fingers hooked and claws out. Sharp pain crawled down Rhonan's back along his scarred hide, bringing a tight wince out of the youth. He paused a moment, still as a statue until the throbbing in his back waned to a manageable level. Every morning for the past several years - ever since he'd been dragged out of the squalor of slavery - it was the same phantom pains.

Swinging his legs out of bed with a grunt, the Padawan went about his morning ritual, albeit quickly. He didn't want to miss the outing with the Knights. Rhonan would leap at any chance he could to be out under the open sky and sprawling grasslands of Lothal. The flaxen tall grass faintly struck the chords of memory, but nothing that truly resonating - like the memory of a dream. Tearing through his narrow closet for something fresh to wear, Rhonan was dismayed to find no pressed tunics or slacks. Muttering a low curse under his breath, the Cathar stepped into his clothes from the day prior, now wrinkled from resting in a heap on the floor all night. Storming from his room at a lengthy stride, Rhonan fiddled with his tunic and obi, trying to at least look the part of a proper apprentice.

Upon exiting the Temple's main hall, Rhonan saw the Knights and some of his peers making their way towards the transport for the day's outing,

"Aw, come on..." Rhonan breathed with a growl, picking up his pace to a casual jog in order to catch up to the others and bring up the rear. Falling in line behind the rest of the Padawans, Rhonan took the free moment to tie his mane back into its usual ponytail, then continue to fiddle with the hems of his tunic.

 

[Sreeya]

Everything happened almost instantly, from the random padawan showing up to throw water balloons everywhere to the Wookiee leading them away. Kiya looked at Biri, silently glad that she wasn't the clumsiest one in the group. She looked up to Kwanli, smiling broadly as she realized they were all going to go somewhere. She began to follow the others.

"I wonder where we're going."

She fell into step beside Biriyani, eyeing him curiously.

"Hey, I'm Kiya. Have you built a saber yet?"

Everyone else appeared to be much more experienced and she felt almost like a child amidst them.

 

[Lucy Lou]

Laelynn pulled the gloves up her hands, making sure they were on tightly. Wearing gloves had become more of a habit at this point then the necessity it used to be when she was a young girl. She'd learned control over her force powers as an Initiate and those teachings had helped her to gain control over the psychometric abilities. Abilities that she'd been born with, a Kiffar's birth right. She'd spent the morning in her meditation. She was still never fond of the ritual, so she tended to get it done with in the morning. Standing from her kneeling position, she rolled up her mediation mat and leaned it against the wall, checking to make sure her clothing was neat and in place, before heading out the door.

Ahead of her a few Jedi and Padawans were just finished with their morning spars by the looks of things and were heading off toward a waiting shuttle. She followed behind at a leisurely pace, not far behind the others when a pair of thumping footsteps came up from behind her. Glancing to the side she noticed a Cathar Padawan, one she was familiar with. A Clan mate of hers from the their time as Initiates.

"Morning Rhonan." She said flashing him a smile as she watched him fiddle with the hems of his clothing making sure things were neat and orderly. "I'm surprised I didn't see you sparing with the others." As she fell in beside him toward the back.

 

[Aurius]

Cecil had reached the edge of the landing platform, merely feet from the shuttle, when he turned back to see where everyone else was located. To his surprise, he was with the group of Knights, while the padawans where further behind him. They're group seemed to have grown in size since their walk to the shuttle began, which amused Cecil. He saw the Cathar that ran up and joined the group, along with another female apprentice, when a realization struck him. He was one of the oldest of his peers, being in his late 20s. With that thought came another: Was he even ALLOWED to be in a group of Knights so far from his peers?

He casually stepped to the side, allowing the group of Knights to pass him and catching up to the front of the Padawans, hearing a small question concerning a Lightsaber. He smiled, adjusting his pace to match theirs. It was nice, being part of a family again.

 

[StormWolf]

The Cathar's large hands had been busy trying to smooth out the wrinkles in his tunic when a familiar, silvery voice fluttered to his ears, setting them to twitch. Turning to the source of the voice, it was exactly who Rhonan thought it would be. Lealynn had been the closest thing he had to a friend during his Initiate days, helping him through the worst parts of his recovery. A modest smile flickered on Rhonan's dark lips, trying to look calm while he desperately tried to find something else for his hands to do. He settled for hooking his thumbs on his plain belt.

"Morning, Laelynn," Rhonan said somewhat tightly, his mouth seeming to have a hard time around the first word at first. Hearing what she said, his smile broadened slightly, his left hand mindlessly tapping the cold metal of his training saber. It was a plain thing with little decoration or flourish. "Eh, it was either more sparring with the same students or take a chance to see more of the world," Rhonan said, craning his neck to gaze up at the vibrant sky above.

"Master will have me beating friends with fist and stun-saber aplenty. Might as well take this opportunity while I can, yes?" Rhonan flicked his opalescent eyes to his Kiffar friend, managing a smirk with some teeth.

 

[Oreus]

It was a fairly large crowd this time around. Kwanli was happy to see they would be a strong presence today, and also worried about their being too much chaos to control. The Jedi had an image to maintain and it was important the people didn't see one of them being foolish. Enough Knights had come along that it might make the Wookiee's job easier, or perhaps more difficult. At times it seemed the younger Knights were no different than the eager young padawans. Kwanli wondered sometimes if he was getting old and grumpy like he had judged when it happened to his own elders.

You are not old yet, you have another century of youth ahead of you.

The voice of his old Master rang in his head, unexpectedly. It was a line he had been told whenever he asked his friend to be more careful. Of course, this was over a hundred years ago and the context was all wrong for the situation at hand. Yet somehow it reminded Kwanli that he was not yet an elderly creature. He still had much to offer. Another century of duty was not a stretch if he stayed healthy and wasn't killed by something unnatural. For the last few years, decades maybe, he had been closing himself off to others and his growth had mostly stagnated in all senses of the word. He trained to maintain, he studied to stay up to date, but he never got ahead of where he was before. Something had to change or he would be the same forever. Perhaps it was time to seek a full time Padawan and start taking off-world missions again. Then again, he had his fair share of that. It was only fair that he let the younger generations take a swing at adventure. That's why he was here.

"There is plenty of room in the shuttle for everyone, please board calmly," he bellowed so all could hear, including those approaching a bit slower.

With a wave of his hand, the shuttle opened in front of Kwanli and extended its boarding ramp. A parlor-trick he and the pilot droid had worked out to impress the younglings. Sometimes they were impressed, sometimes he could feel their eyes roll. Once everyone was on board they would take a quick five minute flight to the closest city. Today there was an open air market and a fair so it would be quite populated. Another sign that this could either be a great experience or a terrible experience. The Wookiee braced himself for either case as he boarded the Shuttle and stood at the top of the ramp to greet those who boarded.

 

[Rae Anne Jarrus]

Rae had been oddly having a really good dream. She honestly didn't care when she first woke up, until it was a split second to realize she was on the edge of the bed and with a twist, she grabbed her covers, which were no help as she landed on the floor with a clunk. She got up, rubbing her head as she turned and looked at her bed, growling at it. "Third time in a row." She muttered as she got up pulling on her leather jacket and tall boots. As she walked to her bathroom, she looked in the mirror with widened eyes at the mess her long dark hair was in. She grabbed her brush, smoothing the mess out and lace braided across the back of her head, finishing it into a bun, leaving her Jedi braid out.

She lived on a stolen transport ship that she stole from the Empire and modified to be able to live in it. Just when she walked out to the kitchen, she sensed something interesting in the force, but couldn't make out what a voice said. It was definitely a voice though. Rae sensed it was comforting and she guessed it was one of the Jedi from the nearby Temple. So she grabbed a Meiloorun, sinking her teeth into it as she grabbed her sabers, clipping them to her belt and then her blasters, putting them in her holsters. Putting her teeth the rest of the way through the fruit, she took a bite as juice and sweetness filled her mouth. The meilooruns were tough to find as they had to be shipped from another system to Lothal. And they were much more expensive than usual. She finished off the fruit and ran to the Temple as fast as she could. As she arrived, she noticed she was a little bit late, so she hung out in the back watching what was happening.

She had at least been in time to find that they were all heading on a shuttle somewhere. She would watch as the other Padawans would file onto the shuttle and follow in after them calmly.

 

[Lucy Lou]

Her blue eyes met his, the green tattoos under her eyes bring out the green within her own iris, as she chuckled lightly. "That is true. How many more opportunities will we get to take in the culture, people, and environments of Lothal." Lael was always one to take interest in a planet and it's own particularities.

The conversation was interrupted for a moment when the Jedi Knight ahead of them waved his hand and the ramp to the shuttle extended for all to enter. Climbing up the ramp after the rest, she slid into an empty seat, patting the one next to her while looking at her friend. "Just no beating me when it comes down to it." She with another laugh. Laelynn was no where as skilled or ferocious when it came to saber dueling like Rhonan, though if she played it defensively she could hold her own well enough. Provided that he didn't pull what he did with the Initiate Trials, otherwise she had little chance at defeating her friend. Though, she tilted her head as she thought about it, it would be a learning experience for sure.

Looking around the shuttle, she glanced over the other Padawans and Jedi as they settled into seats for their short trip. There was a wide variety of people there. Her sharp eyes took in each person in silent, curious contemplation. Trying to read people, to gauge who they are and understand what made them tick had always been something that had driven Lael. People had always interested her. Their cultures, their actions, their thoughts. What really made people tick and here was an opportunity to do just that.

 

[Aurius]

Cecil sat calmly in a less-than-comfortable seat near the middle of the ship, listening to the strides of people boarding, the bustling of movement of everyone coming aboard and taking their seats. The ship was very nearing full, with only a few seat empty behind him. The Padawans around him looked at each other, some with familiar glances and others with wide eyed wonder at the newcomers like himself. He had, after all, just arrived at the temple a few days ago. The shuttle's ramp began to retract and prepare for a swift liftoff, prompting him to fasten his safety straps.

 

[Rae Anne Jarrus]

Rae was pretty much second to last to board and she took the seat behind Cecil, next to the window. She didn't really know anyone here, due to the fact that no one ever really bothered to talk to her. So she sat alone, staring out the window at Lothal. She had pretty much grown up here her entire life and had never really left the surface. She noticed that some of the Padawans were wide eyed and excited. Rae was excited, she just didn't show it. As Rae turned her head, a black strand of hair from her long bangs fell into her face. She tucked it back into place, using the force to help keep it there.

More and more Padawans filed in and Rae watched them all as they came in.

 

[Aurius]

Cecil turned in his seat, observing his peers with interest as he adjusted his white robes. They always seemed to rinkle up when he sat down, something that annoyed him to no end. He regarded the padawans around him.

"I suppose now is a good time to start conversation, while we are on our way"

 

[Rae Anne Jarrus]

Rae turned as she saw out of the corner of her eye that Cecil turned. Her light blue eyes looked at him and she had a shy smile on her face. She nodded when he supposed that it was a good time to start a conversation.

"Yeah, I guess so." She responded kindly.

 

[Wit]

Moving towards the shuttle like all the other padawans, Biri smiled in greeting as Kiya fell in step besides him. He didn't know any of the other Jedi gathered there, his sister had been more or less his only acquaintance on the planet till a couple of days ago when she had been whisked away on some diplomatic mission with her new Master. So getting know someone else, and the fact that someone still wanted to talk to him after the balloon fiasco was a relief to him.

"Oh ya," he replied as they stepped into the shuttle and settled into their seats. Pulling out the old lightsaber that he had claimed as his own, he handed it over to Kiya. "It's a little banged up, used to be my father's. Need to fix it up." Grinning widely, he leaned in before continuing in a conspiratorial whisper, "It doesn't really work though, hasn't for years. But people don't pick on me that much if they see a lightsaber hanging from my waist, little do they know it's nothing more than a glorified club at this point."

"How about you?" he continued more loudly, "built your saber?"

 

[Aurius]

Cecil turned to the bright eyed girl that responded to him. He fought the natural instinct to bow, seeing as he was strapped to a seat in a now moving vessel. Instead, he simply nodded curteously.

"I am Cecil, of the House... Cecil Espaa. And you are?"

Cecil mentally scoffed at himself. His personal annoyance at his attitude grew. How did he expect to find friendship when he spoke like a protocol droid.

 

[Vayate Merrick]

Following the other Knights, Raz boarded the shuttle and sat near the front, hoping to have a good vantage point over the Padawans, like a good chaperon. Once he found a suitable seat, he fell into it gracefully, holding his pike in front of himself vertically, twirling it in place with his hands.

The Padawan girl who had talked to him earlier asked about Lightsabers, which peaked Raz's interest, Choosing to showcase something to the Padawans, Raz spoke up, "When you all make your own saber, remember originality and modification is what makes it a part of you. Putting yourself into your blade, not just the construction practices, is what truly makes it yours. Like mine for instance, it is two blades, both working as one.", with that he popped off the top six inches of his pike, revealing it as a hidden shoto, turning it on and off revealing its yellow blade. He then passed it to Rhonan, to pass it around to the other Padwan when he was done looking at. Raz made sure to activate the pike as well, showcasing its hidden emitter.

Once all of the Jedi had boarded, he spoke up, a question upon his mind, that he had been dying to ask.

"So, what do you all feel is the duty of a Jedi? Your personal definition of what it means to be a Jedi if you will, and I don't particularly want straight cut answers either. This topic is too deep for that sort of response anyway."

He was very stern with his voice, his facial expression deadpan and having a faint undertone of conviction behind it. This might be a tough question for Padawans, even Knights, but it is necessary. Everyone has ideals, motives, dreams, goals, and hopes. The quickest way to understanding a person, is understanding how they view them self.

 

[Aurius]

Cecil temporarily shifted his attention from the girl he spoke to, changing his position as to look at Raz directly. His face changed, from his normal somber visage to a more charismatic energy, but his face was filled with unspoken pain.

"I have seen what the Sith can do firsthand. And, although lancing lightning from fingertips doesn't stop blaster bolts..."

He thumbed his Lightsaber before continuing his answer, remembering how he retrieved it.

"I have seen their power. And I have seen their penchant for chaos. To me, the ability to fight this menace.... To bring peace and stand up to those who cannot do so themselves.... That is the meaning of being a Jedi. To defend the weak, to uphold virtue, freedom, and justice on a Galactic scale, and to maintain it in the face of all odds. To discover ourselves, our inner strengths, learn the secrets of the force and the Galaxy around us. To be a Jedi is all of these things."

 

[Aurius]

The ship lifted off of the ground at a steady pace, and began zipping towards the Village with the Jedi onboard, discussing the philosophies of the Jedi Order, when suddenly, the ship shifted left violently. Alarms blared as it began careening towards the surface. The pilot couldn't maintain control...

THUD

The ship hit the ground hard. Miles from the Temple, but yet miles from the Village, the Jedi where trapped.