Ask Ossus Echoes of the Past

[Larana Basai]

Jedi Temple Ruins - Ossus​

Ossus was one of her favorite destinations for self-reflection and meditation. The temple ruins, now reclaimed by nature, were awe-inspiring, despite the heaviness that could be felt within them; echoes of the past, left by the Jedi who had come before her. Sections of the once prominent stone walls had crumbled into non-existence, while others still peeked out from behind the thick foliage that clung to them. An abundance of moss and vines lay over the long untrodden floor, their only purpose now to soak up the seasons rain. It was a beauty that only the forests of Ossus knew how to paint and, even as a Padawan, still learning to connect to the Living Force that surrounded her, Larana could almost feel each individual who had visited, their whispers carried on the breeze that moved through the trees overhead, and in the stream that moved steady in the distance.

She sat with her back to one of the pillars, hands in her lap and eyes closed, counting each breath as she took them, attempting to lose herself in the force; to draw upon the energies that still lingered in the now buried ruins. However, it was difficult to hold her focus, even here, as any sort of distant noise quickly drew her attention away from the ruins and deeper into the forests. There was so much about Ossus that was unfamiliar to her, but as much as her heart ached to explore them, it was important that she remain still.

Master Ris had sent her here in the hope that she would be able to focus on meditation, to learn to speak with the force in the way that her peers did. It had never been easy, but if she couldn’t master enough patience now to learn, then she’d never amount to anything as a Jedi Knight.

Huffing in frustration, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes to try again. In counting her breath, she focused on the sound of the wind as it passed through the leaves overhead, speaking in a way that only nature knew how. It reminded her of her home on Andara and her adventures alone in the woods near her home. It even smelled the same, but just as it had happened so many times before, just as she was feeling herself slip into a state of calm, something else drew her attention.

 

[Alexander Quinn]

Alexander had spent his time at many different research sites, but now was his time to do his own research, make his own discoveries. When he had come across an old text referring to the old Jedi Temple on Ossus, he had to follow up on it. He had been told the Jedi were still around, though most didn't trust them. He was sure the temple was abandoned, though it didn't make the journey any less dangerous. Ruins were often terribly dangerous to navigate, especially alone and there was of course the danger of local predators.

"We are not lost!" Alex argued with the small remote droid as it buzzed another round of protest at him. "It should be just up ahead." he said, partially to reassure himself. The text he had found at said there had once been a Jedi Temple here at some point. Alex cut through another thick patch of vines before swatting a bug off of his face.

He pushed aside the curtain of vines to reveal the ruins beyond. He stood with his mouth open in awe for a handful of seconds before a grin slowly grew on his face. "See H-1, I told you we weren't lost. Start scanning the area, let me know if you find anything. I am going to start checking this building." he said as he pointed towards a small building with mostly intact walls the outside of the ruins.

He walked up the old stone structure, placing a hand on the cold, weather-worn stone as he admired it. Next, he pulled out a book and started writing notes down as he studied some glyphs carved into the wall.

 

[Larana Basai]

It started out distant, the unmistakable sound of sticks snapping beneath the weight of heavy footsteps, and then began to move closer, cutting a path through the heavy foliage that hung from the trees surrounding the abandoned temple ruins. She could hear each heavy curtain of vines as they fell and a faint voice echoed off the stone pillars around her. It seemed that more than one individual was approaching, but she couldn’t quite make out what either of them had said. It was hard to imagine why anyone might wander this far out into the wild of Ossus, if not to seek out this particular location. It also seemed to have been well picked over, so it didn’t make sense that anyone would come out this far to scavenge for artifacts. It wasn’t her master, as this presence felt entirely unfamiliar. So, who was it then?

Larana felt her heart thundering in her chest, but she couldn’t run. Instead, she moved quietly to her feet and sought cover behind the deteriorating stone walls. It felt as though her best option was to remain out of sight until the unknown visitors either made themselves known or decided to leave. It was safer to avoid confrontation, given that she was alone and still not entirely confident in defending herself outside of a controlled training environment.

Only after taking a deep breath to calm the painful pit in her stomach, did she manage to find the courage to peek out from behind the wall that protected her. In the distance she could see a dark-haired male, examining the carvings in the stone. He looked to be alone, but she had not mistaken hearing him speaking to another individual. Unless, of course, he was out of his mind mad and speaking to himself, a thought that unsettled her even more.

He moved closer to her position along the wall and she slid around a corner to remain out of view, careful to tread lightly so that he wouldn’t hear her. This carried on for several moments, continuously shifting her position so that he wouldn’t know she was there, but ungraceful as she was, it didn’t all work out in her favor. Shifting behind another pillar, she stumbled over a small remote droid, sitting low to the ground as it scanned the area, and fell to the ground, knocking over a pile of crushed stone.

It twilled loudly, turning to scan her as she tried to scramble to her feet, rocks shifting beneath her. Larana huffed once in frustration, blowing a strand of long blonde hair from her face and dusting the dirt from her robes. “Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.” She grumbled under her breath, brushing her hand against the hilt of her lightsaber to ensure it was there in case the need to use it arose.

 

[Alexander Quinn]

The small droid whirred in the background as it ran through its programmed lists of scans. It didn't have to make all that noise while it ran them, but for some reason it always did. Alex had long mastered the ability to tune the thing out and was lost in his own work. He traced a hand over writing on the wall, coming to a rune he wasn't familiar with. Excited, he took out a piece of paper and started taking an etching.

The was a commotion behind him as the droid came into the path of the Jedi's sneaking. As both tumbled, a part of the wall near him crumbled spilling the droid out on the ground before it spun angrily.

As the Jedi stood, Alex took several steps backward as he fumbled for his blaster. Managing to keep his feet beneath him he pointed the blaster at the woman he was brushing herself off, an annoyed expression on her face. "Who are you?" he finally managed, blaster still pointed at her.

 

[Larana Basai]

It was going to take her weeks to recover from the embarrassment that came with tripping over a droid. She could feel her cheeks grow redder, turning around the face the dark-haired male who now held his blaster pointed towards her. Fortunately, she had never been shot with one, but it seemed now that her luck might turn. He seemed nervous, which never really was a good sign, and so Larana did her best not to startle him.

Keeping a distance between them, she stepped out from behind the crumbling wall, hands at her sides so that he could see she was unarmed. However, she made a mental note of where her lightsaber was clipped to her belt and wondered quietly to herself how quickly she’d be able to reach it in case he did decide to shoot her. The thought made her heart race and her stomach turn.

“It wasn’t my intention to startle you.” Her eyes focused on the barrel of his blaster, body tensed as she prepared to dodge the blast. “I’m Larana. I was only meditating when you showed up. I was afraid you might be someone dangerous.” She took a deep breath, trying to refrain from showing him she was even the slightest bit frightened. “Are you?”