Incubation Period

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

The top floor of the Enclave was quiet. The attendance had grown, much like it did during the wet season. He couldn't feel the Initiates below him as they trained and practiced and grew. He had to keep an eye on his condition. Fyston had declared that his condition was stable, but he also needed to reflect on what occurred upon the planet. He acted rashly and placed himself in unnecessary danger. He'd learned much about toxins he hadn't known before. This time was more of a punishment, a time-out for the Elder of this Enclave. Veertu wasn't to interrupt him outside of emergency situations. These situations were't pre-determined so the Tarasin Jedi had to determine what an 'emergency' was.

It felt good to be back on Cularin. He needed to think before he acted, for Right Action, even coupled with Right Intention, did not necessarily indicate Right Mindfulness. He needed to protect others while not placing himself under unnecessary harm. He, as a single being within the Force, could help far more sentients if he was alive than if he was dead. Yes, one should attempt to save every life possible and no one life was any greater than another, but one of such ability through the Force can help more than that single being. True, his presence can live on, but how could this help save more people.

Or couldn't it? That one person could do a deed in his honor while his past apprentices already hold values and skills he instilled in them. He'd live on forever, much like how Master Skywalker lived on through each of them. The very first Je'daii lived within them, if one could have such an expansive mind. But wasn't this a selfish thought? But what is selfish about wishing to help all those you possibly can? If the Intention isn't for recognition but, rather, morality in general, the decision to stay alive rather than a civilian could be rationalize then, yes? Sebastian is more capable than a civilian is able to for the galaxy if only because Sebastian travels. He couldn't help but believe that keeping himself alive for a single civilian to be moral.

--
At the entrance of the Enclave stood Jedi Knight Veertu, a Tarasin of limited talent and, thus skill, but with a great heart and an effective mouth with which to communicate. "Welcome to the Cularin Enclave," she welcomed the obvious Jedi approaching the structure hidden within the forested mountains of the planet. "I am Jedi Knight Yuusuva Veertu." Her Basic had grown much clearer since the Jedi had arrived. "The Elder of the Enclave, Sebastian Solborne, is currently not available to welcome you himself. Please, come inside and tell me of your journey here."

She was form but was genuinely curious. She hadn't left the planet much and never cared to but enjoyed the stories of aliens, nonetheless. The massive entrance without a door led into the Healing Halls. Bookshelves lined the walls to the high ceilings all around the room. Records and datapads were among these, but the Tarasin had made it their duty to translate most of the works into their native language. With the lack of human attendance, Sebastian kept most of the original copies within his Chambers but only because of the lack of space. The far left portion of the tree-made-Enclave was a dining area where discussion was being had. Others sat silently on the right side of the 'halls' which was more of a large room than anything else.

Yusuuva took the Jedi to the Mess area and started to prepare them plates. There were foreign meets and odd vegetation that filled the plates. The Knight didn't bother ask what she like for chances were this woman hadn't experienced the palate of the Tarasin. "Please," Yuusuva started and motioned toward and empty round table which seemed to grow from the wooden floor. She also wished to start the one-sided conversation between the females. One could smell the life exuding from the Tree. It wasn't the Force, it was something more intimate. Most of the furniture grew from the floor or the ceilings, if one looked closely enough. Such was the way of the native Tarasin. There was a rural beauty to it all.

 

[Amilthi]

Amilthi had landed her small ship on a clearing not far from the enclave. It had turned out that asking Fyston for flight lessons had been a very good idea. This was the first time she had flown anywhere alone, and she had enjoyed the independence that the ability to do so awarded her. It would have been very awkward to ask anyone to pilot for her, especially as her purpose in coming here was slightly private. Being alone in the wide open space between the stars and in the immeasurable vastness of hyperspace, detached from everyone and everything, thrown back onto herself completely, had been an interesting experience, and one that she had rather liked.

Cularin had looked marvellous from space, green like a shining emerald, only partly wrapped in a tender veil of clouds. Now that she stood on its soil, she could feel that this place was very much alive. It was only a few minutes that she had to walk between the trees to reach the entrance of the enclave, and already had a myriad of alien sounds reached her ear from the forest, accompanied by an aroma, fruity and earthy, she had never smelled. But there was more to it. Planets had a certain feeling to them, an atmosphere in the most abstract sense, some more intense, others less. Just like Tython, this was one where it was almost tangible, similar, too, but subtly different in a way she had no words to characterize. It was curious, and she wondered if this kind of perception was idiosyncratic to her, or a result of her Force sensitivity, or perhaps a commonplace thing.

She spotted the doorway of the enclave, guarded by one of the native Tarasin. She had, of course, read up a little on the history of the planet and the species before coming here. It was quite remarkable that they had managed to live out the past centuries so secluded and, furthermore, without much contact with the Jedi. This enclave was a very interesting idea, and she was curious to see the people whose work this was. While this place had little significance for the events in the galaxy at large at the moment, it had a potential to change the fate of a whole planet. That was a lot compared with much of what other Jedi spent their lives at. She would have liked to know what they thought about it, why they had done it, and what kind of people they were in general.

The young woman stepped up to the entrance and was greeted pleasantly by the Jedi who was standing there. It took a second for her brain to accomodate the alien accent that she had never before heard and reconstruct the message. "Ah, sorry..." she said with a slightly embarrassed smile once she had recognized what the other had said. "Thank you. My name is Amilthi Camlenn. I'm honored to be welcome in this place." The Padawan bowed a little to the foreign Jedi. It was strange that a Knight would be guarding the entrance, but then for all she knew the man or woman - Amilthi couldn't tell them apart in Tarasin - had just come outside to receive her.

She followed the Jedi's lead, looking around all the while to take in impressions of the building. It was nothing compared to the huge temples of the Order she was accustomed to, and it lacked the majesty conveyed by those; but it had a special atmosphere of its own, it was more homelike, it seemed to be the dwelling of a community more than an organization. Its architecture was organic, obviously plant-inspired, with few angular shapes. Amilthi returned the curious glances of some of its occupants with a friendly smile.

Amilthi was intrigued by the strange food. She had only caught a whiff of its unfamiliar smell and was very much looking forward to the experience of tasting it. "Thank you, that's very kind", she said as Yusuuva handed her the filled plate. The funny thing was that it would probably taste completely differently to her than to the Tarasin. There was no reason why they should have taste receptors similar enough to hers that they would make the same comparisons, even if they might require roughly similar nutrients. But it was probably very edible for humans, unless Master Solborne was a true ascetic.

"Well, since you asked about my journey...", she began once they were seated. "It wasn't intrinsically remarkable, but it was my first time completely alone in space, so it was a pretty special experience for me. And it doesn't look like first-time experiences are going to stop every moment", she added with a smile. Then she paused for a moment, searching for the right way to continue in a way that would include her vis-à-vis, to give her or him the chance to relate something about her- or himself - Amithi noticed that, even though she didn't know the gender of the reptilian being, she did not think of it as it -, or not. "Have you ever had the chance to look at the stars in such quiet?"

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

Though the Enclave above the butte looked like a single tree, the structure was made of hundreds of conifers bred for easy manipulation. With Tuwan's intervention, the structure grew quickly, within a year. Long slits allowed light to be cast upon the dark bark of the walls and floors. The curls and arcs of the wood allowed the Force to flow in a similar, comforting fashion, as if they were already Force-sensitive. The bark of the floor wouldn't hurt the bare feet of the native Tarasin, but t'would the skin of a fragile human. Yuusuva was very much at home in this part of the structure. She wasn't akin to sleeping in the lower quarters and would often lurk around the surface rather than sleep. She'd learned a thing or two about Force Body from Sebastian, even if it wasn't a direct lesson. Like any other structure the Tarasin made, this Enclave was built with care, patience, and understanding of the earth on which they lived.

The glances from the fellow students were merely of curiosity. They still weren't used to the presence of humans, other than Sebastian at this point. She crudely entered the structure, keeping her own signature within the Force much like Sebastian did. They excused their Elder's behavior for reasons regarding rank, but this girl held no such air of authority. Discussions would continue on the manner in which one should hold themselves in a place of the Force such as this. Did it show greater control to keep one's own aura or was it merely stubbornness? Was it skillful to adapt so entirely to one's environment or was it a fragility in their own presence? Of course their own culture would influence their beliefs, but since the Order quickly fell into their laps, their minds had widened, however slowly.

Yuusuva would be the only one to understand Amilthi more wholly. They were still very segregated from the Order as a whole, in this Enclave and on this planet. Suspicion wasn't beyond the Tarasin and Knight Veertu would hiss and click more aggressively at some of the younger Initiates who ogled at the visitor. It was, more or less, playful in a way, but they knew to keep their manners about them even if Amilthi didn't understand their culture and would be quickly cast out of their own Irstats on the grounds of rude behavior. But here, there was a level of respect for all, regardless of rank. It was difficult to inforce at times due to the forgetfulness of the particular. Yuusuva quickly finished her meal since she had eaten a few hours earlier and felt it proper to eat with the guest rather than watch.

The girl used words she hadn't heard often and didn't understand immediately. The rest of what she said filled in these gaps of understanding well enough, however. She didn't completely understand the question and answered it how she assumed Amilthi meant at first. "Every night I watch the stars travel across the sky." She paused a moment to consider the alternative meaning of the question. "As for travel, I've never cared for it and am glad I've only done so a few times to and from Cularin. I enjoy my time here. I don't care much for travel." Her s's were airy and she clicked a few times, more akin to her own language than that of basic. She had to tone down her dialect as well as her accent for someone so obviously new to the planet. "Let me show you down the Enclave," she interrupted the conversation and rose.

The first level down was a large empty chamber. A few lizards practiced with vibroblades or their hand-to-hand techniques while others attempted simple forms of levitation. The next was a dorm area with bunks filling the otherwise naked level. The only private sections were bathing sections and toilets. The next was another Meditation Chamber followed by Student Dorms and two more sets after that, number four of each in total. Each level was decorated differently yet similarly because of the native culture. The true height, or depth, of the environmental phenomenon would become evident when they reached the hangar which filled the bottom of the butte. It held only two shuttles as well as the most advanced technology within the structure itself, which wasn't as advanced as the most basic elements on a planet such as Coruscant. It was here that one would become one with nature, even moreso than Tython. It wasn't nearly as grand as any Temple, but this was not the purpose of the Enclave.

Within the depths of the butte, any sense of 'life' could only be felt by the roots of the trees above which, surprisingly, stretched this deep, or far. Yuusuva rambled shortly on the history of the Enclave which, regardless of its aged look, was relatively youthful. She was there for its construction, after all. She pointed out what she helped with and also pointed out the areas Sebastian helped create, which was several layers of the internal rooms, including the large hangar. She even elaborated a story when he fended off a Dua-wurm. The stench of its death warded off any further attacks well enough, however. The population of the entire Enclave wasn't higher than 100 at the current time so further ogling and awkward queries lessened to nothing. It was clear, however, that Yuusuva cared little to be far away from the vegetation she was so akin to. They didn't stay in the hangar very long and ascended back up the few hundred feet of butte until they made it back to the Healing Halls.

It was clear that Yuusuva, as well as many of the Initiates, didn't hold much of a presence within the Force but, rather, drew in the Force. Because of this, Amilthi could be easily Sensed from far away while they were, more less, naturally hidden if they so chose. Sebastian's presence was nearly suffocating when he'd show himself. They'd even take from him what they could but usually just embrace it instead. The visions and heat which came from him was hard to handle for the lizards. Since he'd been away from a time, the Tarasin had to re-learn how to endure his presence. It wasn't entirely difficult, just something that had to be tried for. Many of them would change colors to a more red or orange color around him. Around Amilthi, however, they could remain a dark green. She wasn't as 'potent,' which was no kind of insult. Still, her own energies matched with theirs well enough.

But she began to turn a dark red from the green she had currently portrayed to their visitor. Her head twitched, but not out of discomfort. "Ah, Elder Solborne," she greeted with a deep bow she would likely give to her Grand Mother. "This is Amilthi Camlenn," she introduced their visitor but struggled with pronouncing her name. "I have taken her through the Enclave."

"Thank you, Yuusuva," he bowed slightly to the Knight. "Welcome, Padawan Camlenn," he greeted, though hadn't been told her rank within the Order explicitly. It was clear, however, that she was a Padawan, if only because of her composure and behavior and air. Sebastian isn't known for his intuition, but he isn't known for being completely oblivious. "What brings you here?" he asked simply to begin conversation but also to learn more about the woman who found her way to this secluded hide-away.

 

[Amilthi]

Amilthi wondered what to think of the fact that here was a knight who had only rarely left his or her home planet. If they were all like this here that would explain why there had been so little contact with the Jedi Order at large. Maybe they were trying to remain unnoticed by the galaxy as a whole. However, Amilthi reminded herself, there was nothing to guarantee that that was even true. Maybe others were quite fond of travel; she shouldn't generalize from one example, no matter how much her brain insisted that it fit the pattern. On the other hand, the fact that it was this individual who was talking her might mean that she was even one of the more open ones.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted as she put the first piece of food in her mouth. It was a piece of plant in some kind of sauce, and while the sauce had a pleasant, mildly sour taste, her perception of it vanished completely when she bit on the plant, which was exceedingly bitter. Amilthi screwed up her face, quickly swallowed it without chewing it properly, and then chuckled. "I suppose it tastes quite differently to your kind", she remarked with a smirk. She investigated her plate to see if this plant was also a constituent of what else was on it, but fortunately, this wasn't the case.

Apart from this incident, she found the meal unusual, but not unpleasant. Its tastes were generally a mixture of nutty, sour, and slightly bitter. Something she would have to get used to if she were to eat it every day, but which was a welcome change from more familiar cuisine.

Amilthi marvelled at the structure as she was led through the enclave. She wondered if its inhabitants felt pride about it. Those who had participated in its creation certainly could. It was much larger than it would have looked from the outside, since most of it turned out the be underground. The architecture was alien, entirely unlike either the classical interior of the Tython temple, or the more modern, but still restrained architecture of the one on Coruscant; it was much more alive and colorful. But it was not so foreign that Amilthi would have been unable to appreciate its beauty. The noticed that Yuusuva seemed to be uncomfortable in the deeper, and less organic areas and was eager to leave the hangar. She wondered if this was a personal quirk or a property of the species. She also wondered, with some skepticism, if the Tarasin had any intention of getting rid of it. According to Amilthi's tentative conception of what a Jedi should be, it was quite a hindrance. If Yuusuva didn't think so, she wondered what place he or she saw for him- or herself. But then this was precisely one of the questions that had brought her here.

Observing the way the people of the enclave eyed her, the young woman wondered if she was doing anything wrong. She didn't know what that could be, and considered asking Yuusuva. Maybe the Tarasin had just been too polite or too shy to tell her? She didn't manage to decide whether or not to bring up the topic before she was led to the Healing Halls and distracted by the Tarasin's color change. She had read that they could do that, but she didn't know what it meant and had so far only seen green ones. She somehow got a feeling that it wouldn't be appreciated if she just asked, though.

"Master Solborne." Amilthi bowed to the knight as she was introduced to him. She had expected to see anything except a man whose appearance made it obvious to anyone that he had been through a lot of regular physical exercise. At least he didn't also look ten years younger than she would have expected. Amilthi was first surprised and then amused. She wondered what he thought about her visit; she somehow got the impression that he wasn't quite sure about what to think of it himself. It didn't seem to be the kind of thing he had expected or planned for. At least that was the picture that Amilthi formed at the outset, ready to be revised if she turned out to be mistaken.

"Curiosity", she answered with a smile to his question. "Setting up an enclave like this is not a small thing, and it strikes me as a pretty exciting idea. It wanted to know what it's like; and what kind of people would do this." That perhaps sounded naive, but Amilthi didn't think of it that way; and it was the truth.