Ask [Zeltros] Theatre of Zenobia

[Jaesa Valerin]

The Theatre of Zenobia was a famous stage on Zeltros, known for its tragedies and comedies alike. They would show a locally-beloved, annual play called the Danse des fleurs, to which thousands flock to watch every year. Unfortunately, the lead actress Drya Zune, had disappeared from her chambers without warning and without reason. One of the stage managers had history with the Jedi, and because of it, decided to come to them asking for help. Jaesa had answered his call for help. She, along with the Padawan Zayn Talis, had arrived on Zeltros the night before and were now on their way to meet with the stage manager and scope out the situation.

"You know, I've actually never been to Zeltros," the Dathomirian commented idly as the two made their way down the street and towards the massive theatre up ahead. She'd been to all sorts of places in the galaxy, but she'd never had a reason to come here until now. The planet was known for all sorts of things not commonly associated with Jedi, like parties that weren't potlucks and the sort of indulgences that were discouraged back home on Yavin IV. "It's unfortunate that they only show the parties on the holonet. The cities are actually quite nice."

They were strikingly colorful, though just as (not) clean as every other bustling city she'd ever been to. This one, in particular, was covered in a rainbow of hues, from streaming banners to flashing signs to neon lights. Her golden eyes traveled across each side of the street and lingered on each sign as they passed. After a particularly saucy pinup for a logo caught her attention though, her gaze snapped back to the road in front of them.

"If everything goes well, maybe we'll get the chance to stick around and see the play. The uh-" The Jedi Master paused, unable to recall the name of the play.

tag: @Altaris

 

[Zayn Talis]

Zayn was actually feeling pretty psyched to visit Zeltros. The Corellian teen had heard all sorts of stories about the planet over the course of his life, having a reputation as a hotspot for wild parties and all sorts of other indulgences that caused the Padawan’s mind to wander. It was a place he had every intention of visiting further.

The only thing that somewhat deflated this current visit was the fact that it was strictly for Jedi business.

Some actress had gone missing, and Zayn had been sent - along with Jedi Knight Valerin - to investigate. The Corellian Padawan still hadn’t quite gotten a gauge of the woman yet - still attempting to determine if the Dathomirian was one of the more ‘traditional’ and prudish Jedi types. Only time would tell, he supposed.

The Padawan had come to the planet dressed in official Jedi regalia - garbed in a standard-issue tunic and matching Jedi robes pulled over the top. The hilt of his gold-bladed lightsaber hung at the Zayn’s hip, swaying ever-so-slightly as he walked. “Yeah, me neither.” He said back to the Dathomirian, though it was clear that his eyes really weren’t on the woman at all. “Hey, what’s wrong with the parties?” He said back towards the woman, a grin on his lips.

The Corellian’s gaze was drawn out towards the brilliant cityscape all around him - the vibrant colors and relatively pristine streets a stark contrast to the comparatively dirty alleyways and districts of Corellia where he was raised. At one point or another, Zayn’s hazel eyes found their way towards a particularly alluring pinup for a clothing store, lingering for far longer than necessary. His gaze remained fixed as he walked ahead, and it was quite literally by sheer dumb luck that he eventually looked back ahead and narrowly avoided walking right into a metal street-light pole.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. The.. Uh..” He blinked a few times, snapping his fingers as if the word would come to him by doing so. “The flower dance!” He finally exclaimed. Or at least, that was the rough translation of it from what Zayn understood.

@lizziie

 

[Jaesa Valerin]

"The flower dance?" Right! That was the Basic name of the play. "Good memory," she chuckled, making fun of herself for forgetting what she considered a pretty simple name. "Anyway, as I was saying, if things go well maybe I can find us an excuse to stay and watch the play." The Dathomirian was under the impression that Zeltron theatre was known for its drama and color. It sounded fun, and she was sure the Order wouldn't mind if she came up with a good enough excuse. "PR? Volunteer work?" She'd figure something out.

"We're still about..." Jaesa trailed off as she double-checked their location on the GPS. "...we're still about a ten-minute walk away." That wasn't too bad at all. Maybe they could've saved a few minutes and hailed a taxi, but it would be good to get a lay of the land. Who knows where their investigations would take them?

"Who's this kid's master again? Dolmar?" "You are training under Master Dolmar, correct?" Might as well make a bit of small talk and try to get along if she and the kid were going to be working together for a few days. Jaesa laughed a bit before she continued. "He's a bit strict, no?" Of course, she wouldn't lie and say she couldn't be either, but then again, she'd never taken on an apprentice she would need to be strict with. Maybe one day, but the Zabraki woman wasn't confident in her ability to teach yet.

"I suppose you're lucky to have a master though." She'd never been afforded one of her own. Perhaps if she had been, she wouldn't have struggled for so long with her night terrors. If she'd been given a master, maybe she might've started off on the right foot when it came to combat.

"So!" Jaesa clapped her hands together, indicating a change of topic. "If this all goes well, and we get the chance to stay for the play, what's one thing you'd like to see in the city?"

tag: @Altaris

 

[Zayn Talis]

“Famous last words,”

Zayn added when Jaesa mentioned the mission going well, his lips tugging a bit wider as he glanced over towards the Dathomirian Knight. Despite his joking, Zayn didn’t actually expect anything out of the ordinary during this expedition to Zeltros. The Corellian had been to the scene of multiple murders and kidnappings while studying with Master Dolmari, and - aside from a very memorable encounter with a half-Firrerreo - the Padawan couldn’t help but find most of them to be incredibly tedious.

The Corellian Padawan gave a simple thumbs up when Jaesa indicated that they were still ten-minutes-or-so out, realizing that they didn’t really have to haul ass to get where they were going. After a few moments of additional walking, Zayn lifted up his commlink and idly began scrolling through the HoloNet and some social media apps as they walked.

His attention was only drawn back to Jaesa when the Dathomirian spoke again, mentioning his Master. The Padawan gave a nod of his head in confirmation, eyes widening a bit when the woman mentioned the Miralukan Knight being strict as hell. So apparently the reputation got around. “A bit?” He said almost with a scoff, a wide grin working its way onto his face. “Yeah, I would say.” Zayn shook his head a bit. The Miralukan was a fantastic teacher, but Force if he wasn’t a traditionalist and a stickler for the rules. Even still, the Corellian couldn’t help but hang on the last thing she mentioned - about him being lucky about having a Master.

Despite his Master’s strict and traditionalist approach, Zayn couldn’t deny that there was a bond there - one that had been forced after years of training and learning together. Everything that Zayn had learned as a Padawan, he owed to Master Dolmari. Even if he would never admit it aloud, there was no small part of the Corellian that looked to the Miralukan as a secondary father figure.

“Yeah, I guess I am.” He said after a long moment, shaking hit head a bit to brush past the topic. Instead, he listened when Jaesa asked her follow-up question about Zeltros. “Anywhere? Shit..” He pondered for a long moment, running his hands through his hair as the thought. “I hear there is this killer nightclub in the South district! Live music and everything.” He grinned at the Dathomirian. Somehow, he doubted he would get some disapproving glare for his answer. “How ‘bout you?”

@lizziie

 

[Jaesa Valerin]

"Live music?" Nightclubs were far from her scene, but she could get behind the idea if the music wasn't pre-recorded.

As for herself, she probably should've come up with an answer before she asked him for his. "I can get behind live music too," she began as her yellow eyes wandered around. They landed on an advertisement for a tattoo artist and continued to linger there for a few moments. "Tattoos?"

The Dathomirians had a tradition of tattooing themselves after they reached a certain point. When she was a Knight, Jaesa used to paint on markings similar to the ones her people usually had in some sort of attempt to "fit in" with a people that weren't really hers. She'd long stopped doing that, but the desire to get tattooed was now running rampant in her thoughts.

"...or maybe I'll see if that tattoo artist has any openings." She nodded her head towards the display, then look over at her biceps, flexing them slightly as she did. "I think I could pull off some ink." Grinning, she would look at Zayn, who sported many tattoos of his own. "You think so?"

-----​

Since the walk was ten and some minutes, they had a bit to chat before they got to the theatre. It was massive and it was grand. The architecture of Zeltros was generally modern, but the theatre managed to incorporate more archaic but detailed elements into that modernity to create a building that really screamed "we do theatre here!"

"We're here to see Gido?" A lifted her head, surveyed the two of them, then flashed them both a smile when she put their Jedi-like attire and Gido's name together. She stood and gestured for them to follow her. "Yup, this way. I'll take you to his office."

They would be led through the theatre, passing by scores of Zeltrons bustling about doing everything from painting sheets of plywood to carrying piles of fabric about. "That's right, the opening night is growing close..." They'd need to find this actress - Drya Zune - quickly if they wanted to save the play.

tag: @Altaris

 

[Zayn Talis]

Zayn flashed Jaesa a bit of a grin when the Dathomirian seemed to enjoy the idea of the live music. To be honest, the Corellian Padawan had spent the better part of his training stuck with overly stiff, crotchety old Jedi Knights who likely would’ve found the entire suggestion completely unassuming. Even if they had proven to be great teachers, Zayn was more than a tad bit pleased that Jaesa seemed less uptight than the rest.

He blinked a few times when Jaesa gestured towards the tattoo parlor, eyes widening a bit and lips tugging up towards a smile. “Hell yeah you could!” He exclaimed, gesturing to the Dathomirian’s bicep and forearms. “You could totally pull off the full sleeve.” The Corellian stated confidently. As if to further prove his point, Zayn pulled up the sleeve past his forearm - flaunting the variety of tats that were inked against his skin.

“Maybe we can hit it up before we head out.”

—​

Zayn couldn’t help the way he marveled at the site of the theater as they finally approached. Growing up on Corellia, the Padawan was used to the urban monstrosities and skyscrapers around every corner, and the certain smell that seemed to pervade much of the neighborhood he called home. This was nothing like that. There was something more elegant and refined about the structures - enough for Zayn’s gaze to linger on some of the delicate ornamentation on the pillars as they passed through the entrance.

He walked alongside Jaesa as they were led towards Gido’s office. Zayn allowed his gaze to linger on a few of the Zeltron workers as they passed, observing the men and women as work in preparation for their opening night. A few more minutes of walking and the pair finally rounded a corner at the end of the hall - arriving at the partially opened door leading into Gido’s office. The Zeltron women didn’t bother to wait before entering, maybe thrapping her knuckles against the door while pushing it open at the same time. “Mr. Gido? The Jedi here to see you.”

Inside, Zayn and Jaesa would see a Sullustian man sitting behind a desk - papers and other materials scattered across the worksurface. From the way he frantically moved behind his desk to the expression on the man’s face, it was abundantly clear that the man was under a great deal of stress. The man was practically pulling his hair out.

If Sullustian’s had hair, anyway.

“Huh? Oh, yes, yes, come in.” Gido waved them both in, gesturing to some seats for Jaesa and Zayn. “It certainly took you both long enough.”

@lizziie