Ask Takodana Preserved Ruins

[Shaw Amaris]

Takodana. Day by day the Jedi Order's homeworld grew more familiar to Shaw. Its temple hallways and courtyards had started to become more recognizable, and he didn't find himself late to class anymore, wandering the halls totally lost. At least he wasn't late as often. The planet and its lakeside temple were so unlike the ecumenopolis he had grown up on. Just being around so much grass and and so many trees was a new experience. It was something he was still adjusting to, just like being in the order in the first place, but he kinda liked it. It was beautiful here.

Today he would get to experience that nature to the fullest. He and another padawan were to travel to the preserved ruins, a day's trek away. Some kind of field trip or something. Shaw wasn't sure why they in particular had been given this assignment or what was so special about these preserved ruins, but he knew he had heard some of the padawans mention it before. He thought he remembered one of their instructors mentioning it in history class one day too buuuut he couldn't really remember the details. They were all a bit hazy in his mind.

It didn't really matter he supposed. Today he would see it for himself. Shaw stood outside in one of the temple courtyards waiting for the other padawan to arrive. A backpack was slung over one shoulder with all the essentials he had been instructed to pack. They were supposed to find the ruins without any electronic help. Just maps and compasses and the like. Old school. @Interdictor

 

[Myla Lessi]

Myla really had no idea where she was or where she was going. In the brief time she had spent on the Jedi homeworld, she had learned one very important fact: This was not Coruscant. Her internal compass was way off, everything had a different layout, and she had been late to her first three classes. Although, honestly, the teachers hadn't been very surprised, which made her think it happened often. Even better, none of them had made her tell anyone where she came from or why she had a Clone Wars-era starbomber in her possession. So many things were different. Although, she supposed that was to be expected with over a century of time. For this assignment, she had been given a satchel of maps and navigation equipment, which she wore over her shoulders. She rounded a corner and spotted a boy matching the description of the person she was supposed to meet. Praying she was on time, the Mirialan speed-walked over to him. "Hello, ah...Shaw? Is that your name?" she fiddled with her hands nervously, running her fingers over the diamond tattoos on the back of her hand. She couldn't wait for them to find the ruins so she could meditate over her life. She certainly had no shortage of things to meditate on.
@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw had been looking around trying to spot a little bird he knew named Arcturus when someone spoke up behind him. He spun around to see a Mirialan girl standing there with a satchel slung over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm Shaw!" he replied, eager to get started and work some energy off by hiking. "What's your name?" No one had told him. Or maybe they had and he didn't remember. Anything was possible and there was no harm in asking. They would want to be on a first name basis if they were to spend the whole day together!

Looked like she had brought all of the navigational equipment with her judging by the old maps he saw sticking out of the top of the satchel she carried. He had gathered the supplies they would need. Food, water canteens, sleeping bags, etc. The majority of it stuff they shouldn't need because it was a day hike, but they had been instructed to bring everything needed in case of an emergency. Hopefully he hadn't forgotten anything.

Once introductions were over, Shaw would step toward the trail that led away from the courtyard. "Ready to get going?" He was! @Interdictor

 

[Myla Lessi]

Myla breathed a sigh of relief. At least she had found the right person. "Myla. My name's Myla." When he started towards the path and asked if she was ready, she nodded and followed him. Remembering a meditation exercise she had worked on back in the old Jedi Temple, she pulled out her small notebook and pencil, rubbing the leather cover wistfully with her hand before opening it and closing her eyes. She had done this a lot during her lifetime as a calming exercise. While practicing, she had run into more than one Temple Guard or Jedi (or wall, for that matter), but eventually, she had gotten it to where she could mostly avoid hitting anything. Mostly. She reached out to the Force, letting it guide both her and her pencil. Tree on the left-small correction. bush straight ahead-gentle swerve. Shaw, about six inches ahead. She opened her eyes just in time to avoid running into Shaw. Whoops. "Sorry," she mumbled.
(OOC: If Shaw has been spying on her notebook or something, she sketched an AT-TE standing in the woods. The woods they are in, specifically.)
@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Good to meet ya, Myla."

It was a beautiful day as the two padawans set out for the preserved ruins. There was a gentle breeze that wound its way through the trees, rustling their branches and tugging at the teenager's clothing. Just enough to keep them from working up a sweat while the sun was still rising. Afternoon might tell a different story. Good thing Shaw was always covered with his Hatchet body spray!

Both of them walked in silence for a while, enjoying the peace and quiet that surrounded him. Not long ago it would have made Shaw a little unsettled. Coruscant had never been quiet. There was always noise. Always activity. Always a buzzing. The city itself seemed to hum. Takodana couldn't be any more different. Who was he kidding? He supposed it still kinda unsettled him, but he was getting used to it.

"So have you been out to the preserved ruins before?" he asked Myla. It would make finding it a lot easier if she had. There was no answer. When a few awkward seconds had passed, Shaw turned around to see if Myla was just ignoring him or something had jumped out of the woods and snatched her. Both prospects were scary in their own right.

Oh. She was looking at something, a small leather bound notebook in her hands. Probably hadn't heard him. He stopped to see what had caught her attention. "What is it? A map or something?" He peered over at it. The pages were full of sketches! So she was an artist. That was neat. "What's that?" he asked, pointing at the sketch she was currently working on. @Interdictor

 

[Myla Lessi]

Myla jumped, surprised when Shaw spoke. "Oh, um..." She looked down at her drawing. The walker stood defiantly among the trees, gun leveled at some unseen foe. "An AT-TE." She frowned, remembering all of the AT-TEs she had seen, most of them in combat. "I just let the Force guide my drawing since it helps keep me calm. I guess today it's in a Clone Wars mood." Internally, though, she wondered. The Force had a purpose. Everything it did had a purpose. So why in heaven's name did it decide on a walker, part of Myla's past she would rather forget and never mention again? The Mirialan sighed, closing the notebook.
@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you," Shaw apologized when he saw her jump. He looked over the Mirialan's shoulder and studied the rough sketch. "That's pretty good! You must practice a lot." He fell back into step, following the well worn dirt path and ducking under low hanging branches whenever necessary.

When they had fallen back into a comfortable pace, Shaw repeated his earlier question. "So have you visited the preserved ruins before?" The farther they walked the less worn the path became, and Shaw's Jedi issued boots got tangled up in several briar patches and thorns. It was a good thing he wasn't wearing his tennis shoes. All the thorns definitely would have ruined his laces!

The pair of padawans came to a stop when the path forked into two different directions. "Which way do we go?" he asked Myla. She had the compass and the maps after all! @Interdictor

 

[Myla Lessi]

Myla nodded to Shaw's compliment, glad he didn't ask her any more questions. She followed behind Shaw as they walked, observing the trees all around them. A bird sung happily in a tree, and a rodent of some sort scampered through the underbrush. When Shaw asked if she had been to the ruins, she shook her head. "No, actually. I'm new here." Soon, they arrived at the intersection and she dug into her bag. "Mhm…Looks like we go…left." She put the map and compass back, then followed Shaw down the path. "Lovely day," she said after a while. "So much calmer than I'm used to."
@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Really?" Shaw perked up when Myla mentioned that she was new. He looked back over his shoulder and grinned at her. Most of the other padawans he had met had been with the Jedi for some time. Definitely a whole longer than he had, and it showed. He was one of the most inexperienced padawans in the order. It was nice to find something in common with Myla.

"I'm new around here too. Only been with the order a few months," he added, turning back to face the trail and almost bumping into a sapling. He had to learn to pay better attention to his surroundings out in the wild. You'd think he would've learned his lesson about that back on that jungle planet with Lil Nash. "You like it?" Being in the Jedi Order.

At the Mirialin's direction the padwans took the left trail. It would begin a slow and gradual ascent up the side of a mountain, its dirt path growing narrower and rockier the farther they walked. It wasn't long until they were climbing over fallen logs and pushing through overgrown brambles. "We still going the right way?" he asked Myla, running his wrist over his forehead. It might have been a lovely day but he was beginning to work up a sweat. @Interdictor

 

[Myla Lessi]

When Shaw commented about her being new, she nodded. "Well, I guess I'm not new to being a Jedi. Just new to this place," she responded motioning in the direction of the temple. "I've been on city planets and desert planets and muddy planets…and somehow, I always get lost so easily here." The two walked quietly for a bit before Shaw asked if she liked the Order. "I do," she said quietly. "The Jedi Order is my life. It's all I've ever known, since I was a youngling. My Master is…was an amazing man." The Mirialan was silent for a long moment, watching the trees thin out as they began to ascend. When Shaw finally asked if they were going the right direction, she frowned. "I-I thought so," she said, wiping her brow. By the Force, she was trained for this! "Maybe you should navigate," she offered, reaching towards the satchel as if to give it to him.
@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Oh. Just new to this place. Shaw shrugged. Still, it was something in common. Shaw was new to Takodana too. He was still getting used to all of the trees. All of the grass beneath his feet. All of the clean air. That first time he had stepped onto Endor had been crazy overwhelming. A little bit scary even. Entirely foreign. That was the first time he had ever really seen trees. Not just one tree here or two trees there in a wayside park that looked totally out of place crammed between skyscrapers. But real trees. That grew and flourished just because that was what they were meant to do. Because nature had taken its course rather than the parks service pulling up once a week to water them.

"Easy to get lost out here," Shaw responded, knocking on the trunk of a particularly large oak. He didn't know it was an oak. He just knew that it was a really, really big tree. It looked like a good climbing tree. He looked over at Myla and then down at the maps she was reaching for. "Nah. You keep 'em." He put up a hand and chuckled. "Trust me. You do not want me navigating." Not with old maps. Not out here in the wilderness. If they were trying to make their way through some urban sprawl it would be different. He gestured to the tree. "I'll climb up top real quick. See if I can catch a glimpse of the ruins."

Was that the real reason he was going to climb the tree? Not really. Sure, it was a contributing factor but really he just wanted to climb it just for the sake of climbing it. He'd only done in one other time, back on that jungle world when he thought he heard a monster coming. It had turned out to be Lil Nash. He slid the backpack onto the ground and started climbing. It was a lot easier than the last time now that he wasn't terrified of getting eaten and he had done it once before. He found that he was actually pretty good at it, quickly pulling himself from one branch to the other until he had reached the top.

The teenager looked all around, soaking up the wind that brushed against his skin and the scenery. He didn't see any signs of the ruins, but it was beautiful. Nothing but trees for as far as the eye could see. Even the temple was out of view now. "You gotta come up here!" he called down to Myla. The view was incredible. @Interdictor

climbing skills 12/20

 

[Myla Lessi]

Myla smiled a little when Shaw told her to keep the map. "Alright, if you're sure," she said. When the teen clambered up the tree, she merely stood at the base of it, looking up at him through the branches. "See anything?" The Miralan squinted up at him, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun wth her hand. The boy's offer drifted down to her, and she blanched a little. "I-I'd rather not…I'm not the best tree climber." Really, though, she hadn't ever climbed a tree. And it didn't look that appealing.
@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"You sure?" Shaw called back down to the other padawan. "There's a great view up here!" But he wouldn't press it, and after Shaw had had his fill of the scenery he dropped back down to rejoin Myla. He slung the backpack over his shoulder again and found his way back to what remained of the overgrown pathway. This time he would let the Mirialan take the lead. That way she could direct them from the front rather than the back. Made more sense that way.

They hadn't walked long before he would suggest, "Maybe we could stop for lunch when we find a good spot. I'm starting to get hungry." That didn't mean much though. Shaw was a teenage boy. He was pretty much always hungry. He ran a hand over his forehead, wiping away some of the sweat he had worked up climbing that tree.

"You mentioned your master earlier," he started, remembering Myla's tone. "He not around anymore?" Shaw realized that it might have been a sensitive topic, so he wouldn't push it if she didn't want to talk about it. He was just curious. The whole master apprentice relationship was kind of intriguing. He didn't have a master, and he didn't know if he would ever get one. @Interdictor

 

[Myla Lessi]

Once Shaw had climbed down, Myla followed him up the trail for a bit when the boy asked if they should stop for lunch. "Sure, let's just find a better spot," Myla replied. She watched the clouds drift lazily through the pure blue sky. In fact, she was so focused that she missed Shaw's question at first. "What? Oh…his name was Kadan. He was a Mirialan, like me. A great master. He was killed in action. I'd rather not talk about it." Fortunately, she spotted a small clearing up ahead that would work for a small lunch break. "Hey, there's a good spot to eat," she said, eager to change the subject.
@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Killed in action. Was that common Shaw wondered? How many other padawans had lost their masters on the battlefield? You saw it a lot on the holonews. Reports about Jedi and Sith falling in battle. Of whole planets falling to one side or the other. That made it seem so large scale. So impersonal. But then you met people like Myla, people that had lost their master. Lost someone near and dear to them, it made it more personal.

He wondered if she had actually seen her master perish, but he definitely wasn't going to ask that. That was way too personal. He would keep any other questions that remained to himself and wonder. Wonder if he might ever lose someone close to him. He had begun to make friends in the order. Not just buddies to hang out with until his parents gave the word for him to leave but real friends. People he really liked a lot. People that challenged him and made him want to be a better person. That made him want to be a better Jedi, believe it or not.

"Yeah," Shaw replied, looking around. They found themselves in a little clearing, with just enough of a break in the trees to be able to look out and see for a few miles. It was a nice spot. Cozy with a nice view. The perfect place to stop for lunch. The padawan sat down on the ground and began digging through the backpack he had brought. "Chicken?" he offered Myla. He had snatched them some cold chicken from the mess hall. Dinner wouldn't be so fresh. Probably just jerky and packaged food. Then he grinned and pulled out a couple cans. "Snatched us some fizzyglug too!" @Interdictor

 

[Myla Lessi]

When Shaw sat down, Myla sat down next to him, crossing her legs and feeling the grass in her fingers. When he offered her chicken, she accepted it happily. "Something fresh. Thank the Force. I don't think I'll ever get the taste of combat rations out of my mouth, but this will definitely help," the Mirialan said with a small grin, taking a bite of the chicken and savoring the taste. She flopped down in the grass, resting her head on her hands and watching a few clouds drift slowly across the blue sky. The sun glared down on her, but it wasn't humid, so the heat actually felt quite nice. Suddenly, Shaw made a comment about fizzlygug, and she looked over at him in confusion. "Fizzly what?"
@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"So you seen a lot of combat?" Shaw couldn't help but ask between bites of cold chicken. The comment about combat rations made him think she had. Maybe she had even been on the front lines before. That was a crazy thought. To think that someone around his own age could be out on the frontlines fighting in wars. He thought of his buddy Mactote, who had fought on the frontlines of Ithor. Who had swayed the battle by his own hand and defended the planet when the chips were down. Who had killed a Sith. Had Myla done something similar he wondered?

It felt like a lazy Saturday afternoon. Good food. Good company. Beautiful weather. What more could you ask for? The reality that they were on an assignment they needed to finish was kinda at the back of their minds for the moment. At least until the chicken and soda was gone.

"Bruh." Shaw looked over at Myla, eyebrow raised. "Are you for real? You've never had fizzyglug?" He popped open a can and handed it to her. He didn't think there was a teenager alive that hadn't had fizzyglug. Apparently he was wrong. "Girl are you in for a treat. My little sister adores it. Says it tickles her nose. They've got all sorts of flavors." Boy he sure did miss his little sister. Hopefully he would get to see his family again soon. In the meantime he watched Myla to see what she thought of the bubbly soda. @Interdictor

 

[Myla Lessi]

"Yeah...probably too much," Myla replied quietly. Shaw seemed to be thinking for a moment, and then he questioned the fact she had never had fizzlygug. "Nope. Never had time, I guess," she said, sitting up and taking the can from him. She took a sip and was about to ask what kind of person wanted a drink to tickle their nose when she tasted it. It felt amazing. Water couldn't compare as far as flavor. "Wow," she said with a cough, examining the can, "That is a lot to take in." The drink seemed to dance as it went down her throat, and she gave a sigh. "Actually, though, it's not bad." The Mirialan set down the can and looked over at Shaw. "I have never in my life had something that ridiculously...flavorful."
@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw could tell the moment Myla tipped the soda can back and the bubbly flavor hit her taste buds that she was a fan. Her face said it all. He grinned over at her. "See? What I tell ya?" He took a long swig from his own can and then laid back against the nearest tree trunk, watching the birds flying above the canopy of trees further down the mountainside as he continued to gnaw on a cold chicken thigh.

There was a comfortable silence after that. Only the rustle of the leaves and the trill of an occasional bird until Shaw refocused his gaze on Myla again. They would need to hit the trail again soon. "Your tattoos," he said, gesturing toward the diamond tattoos across her face. "I really like the design. Do they mean anything?" He really hadn't met a lot of Mirialan before. At least he had never really gotten to know any, and he had always been curious about any cultural or societal significance behind the markings. @Interdictor

 

[Myla Lessi]

Myla lay back down, cloak blowing slightly in the breeze. These moments of silence and peace in nature were treasured moments to her, mainly because they had been such a rarity during the war. A stray leaf drifted past her, and the Mirialan's eyes traced its path down to the ground. However, her relaxation was suddenly and unexpectedly interrupted by Shaw's question. She sat up slowly, feeling along the line of tattoos on her face. "Thank you," she said, blushing a little at the compliment, "And yes. Each one represents a personal achievement. Master Kadan did them for me." Her finger stopped on the single tattoo that sat on the center of her nose. "This is my first one. I got it when I became a Padawan. This next one is for making my lightsaber," her hand drifted along her tattoos, stopping as she described how she had gotten each one. "First battle, first droid destroyed, first healing…" she drifted off wistfully, hand faltering. She missed those days. The days when her Master was by her side whenever she needed him, when he was alive. When she wasn't hundreds of blasted years in the future. Myla stood, stretching quickly and using the Force to replace her leftover food into their respective containers, which she in turn deposited in the backpack with a flick of her hand. Such simple things had become almost an instinct at this point with all her experience.
@throwitintothefire