2. To Settle [OPEN]

[Laura]

It was like a dream. Not bad, but hardly good either. Laura just wandered around in a trance, somehow removed. Fundamentally detached from the hustle and bustle around Silver Rest. The temple grounds were immaculate, the courtyards bathed in dappled light, the sky a radiant splash of cerulean broken by scudding puffs of grey. The breeze was cool against her bare arms, and the light of the golden sun was warm but gentle. Still, she felt adrift. Lost. Certainly out of place. Around her, people hurried along and paid her no mind. They were busy with their days. Busy belonging. They had things to do. She was just... Standing there.

Well, that was not entirely true. She did have things to do. Numerous books had been lent to her in the past few days, and they sat, thick and heavy, on the small desk back in her room. The desk was one of only two pieces of furniture occupying the space, the other of course being the cot into which she gratefully collapsed each night. Laura could not bring herself to go back to the books, to get stuck reading the same line over and over. Nor could she bear the thought of going back to the small wooden orb that sat next to the books. Could not bring herself to sit down and stare at it, to hold her hand out and will it to respond to her commands. She'd seen the others do it, the Padawans, pick up objects as if it were no trouble, as if it were second nature.

But after almost three months, Laura had managed nothing. Try as she might, she could not move the little ball even the barest degree of a millimetre, except for one time, when in a fit of rage and frustration she'd lifted the object as if it were nothing, and hurled it against the wall in a single motion, splitting the little toy in twain. Then, she'd felt the power beginning to bubble and fizz inside her again.

Instinct prevented her from admitting this to her teachers. She'd said she got angry and had thrown it against the wall.

Perhaps the problem was exacerbated by her own solitary nature and refusal to seek help. But the idea of going up to those Padawans, who knew so much about the Jedi, about their nature and ways and teachings, who roamed the halls like they were home, who chatted to each other as they roamed, that sounded... Exhausting. Laura had never really been a people person, but these days even just a few hours in the company of others left her feeling drained in a way that was hard to explain.

Laura sighed. Perhaps if she went out to one of the gardens, she would feel a little better. A little sunshine would probably do her some good, too. With a slight nod to herself, she gathered her thoughts and stepped out into the day.

[member="Ura Iolar"] | [member="Metis Athena Elpis"]​

 

[Metis Athena Elpis]

Metis was bored, frustrated and feeling inadequate. At home on Naboo when at universities or even on official diplomatic envoys, her encyclopaedic identic knowledge was praised and admired. Here on Kashyyk among the Jedi, it was almost criticised, never directly of course or at least not yet, though she was frequently given gentle nudges or suggestions to relax. As her most recent mentor had advised.

[SIZE=9pt]Studying to enrich the mind... Or recreation to rest it. It matters not the reason, so long as it was useful.[/SIZE]

Metis wasn’t sure what she thought of most aspects of the Force. She felt something that was true, and when she practised her martial training or even better when she danced she felt an energy course through her body, through her veins, but she had yet to experience any of the practical applications of the Force the she had witnessed of the Jedi, let alone the near mythical feats she had heard of.

Metis wasn’t sure whether the trick to accessing the Force was calmness and serenity or focus and will. She had heard both methods worked for different individuals. Which was even less than useful and more than a little confusing to her analytical mind. Metis let out a frustrated sigh and tried to distract herself with some basic mental exercises. She began by doing multiples of 7 then switched it to multiples of 9 from the number 49. The exercise had helped her since she was a child but was unable to relieve her frustration.

Groaning at the lack of fulfilment in her thoughts and need to succeed or to be useful, anything to contribute to her situation, Metis huffed her breath in exasperation. Maybe she should compare Kashyyk with other floral planets. Metis got out her datapad and started writing a report on the subject

Metis started by admiring the large Flora, most respected xenobotanists, believed the native Wroshyr tree’s had been implanted with growth hormones of some sort eons ago. Of course now that she was studying with the Jedi, the Jedi Masters had different theories, that the native flora and fauna were imbued with the force, well Jedi believed everything was imbued with the force, but Kashyyk in particular even more than others.

Metis was unsure about the scientific validity of that school of thought though she was unsure of many aspects of the Force. She had always prided herself on being a rational, knowledgeable, intelligent being who studied sciences with definitive results everything from engineering to archaeology. Even thoughtful sciences to do with culture or emotions like anthropology or psychology had theories within them that could be identified and studied extensively.

Metis tried refocus her thoughts on the task she had set herself. Other Floral planets such as Felucia also had similar theories associated with them. Forest moons such as Endor or Dxun had large dangerous fauna native to their habitats. Metis was considering whether the Fauna on these worlds were as a result of growth hormones in the distant past, a product of their environment or indeed somehow attuned to the Force. Metis frowned in concentration. Although that theory didn’t hold weight with planets with entirely different ecosystems that also had large, predatory fauna such as Tatooine a desert planet with multiple suns.

Metis was so lost in her own internal thoughts that she didn’t see where she was going and ran head first into another padawan that had stepped into the gardens.

“Oh I’m so sorry I wasn’t watching where I was going”

@Ura Iolar [member="Laura"]

 

[Laura]

This particular garden was a sunken stretch of ground ringed on all sides by the temple buildings. It ran perhaps fifty paces in any direction, and was organised into a dual set of curved paths between varied and carefully cultivated bushes, trees, and beds of flowers. Each path gently descended into the lush heart of the garden, meeting in the middle at a young Wroshyr tree, which one day would grow to dwarf this small garden, and likely outlast the Jedi enclave that surrounded it. Such musings sometimes gave Laura comfort, but they often came laden with truths that proved difficult to swallow.

The large clearing at the bottom of the garden was more often filled with people than it was not, so Laura stopped herself halfway down, idly staring at the small placards listing off the names of the many varied plants without any particular interest. Laura closed her eyes and tried to focus on the rich warmth of the sun on her hands, neck and face. She tried to let herself hear only the swish swish of leaves in the slight breeze. Tried to take in the complex scents of the garden, the freshness of the air. For a few moments, she felt herself beginning to relax. It really was a beautiful day. She could enjoy it, even if she didn't belong here.

Even if the only thing waiting for her outside the garden was an austere room and writings she could neither understand nor put into practice. Even if everyone she'd known before was gone, missing or worse. Even if her home was probably rubble by now. Even if she couldn't go back to check, to make sure. Even if she knew just mentioning she was Arkanian these days would ensure that nobody shared a room with her, let alone talked to her, let alone helped her. Even if she had nowhere else to turn to, nowhere to go. Even if... Ugh.

The truth was the Silver Jedi Order had been generous. Thanks to the word of [member="Stardust Solus Skirae"], Laura had been pulled out of the cycle of moving system to system, of months in temporary housing in space stations. Of quarantine and hard faces. Of eventual death and abandonment. Two years Laura had tried to hold onto the pieces of her old life. Tried to find somewhere where the remnants of the suffering few Arkanian refugees could take root. After all that time, there was nothing left to hold on to, nowhere to go back to, and nowhere else to go.

The Galaxy was not a kind place, and she would have to make do here. Things could be much worse, she'd seen as much. Been through as much.

Laura rubbed her arms, wincing slightly as her hand passed over a painful lump of a bruise, one of a few that she had earned in a disastrous week of sparring lessons. It turned out she was no more attuned to the force when it came to fighting with a wooden stick than she was when it came to picking up wooden orbs with her mind.

When she opened her eyes, the scene was slightly dimmer, a cloud having slowly passed in front of the ever-glowing star above, obscuring its glare just enough to allow the wind to catch her, to wrap around her body with a chill that sent goose pimples down her arms. Laura was yet to be convinced to wear robes, and she looked around for her jacket as she tried to shake off the dull grey fog that had descended over her brain as it so often did. She felt empty, and it wasn't a feeling that was new to her.

Deciding she had left her jacket back in her room, Laura turned and took a step to go back. She figured that if she was set on being morose, she may as well be warm too. But, even as her foot left the ground and she leaned into her stride, she collided with another woman heading the opposite way. Laura leapt back as if electrified, and stared wide-eyed at the person in front of her, clearly alarmed, until her expression slackened, and her eyes narrowed to dark slits.

"Don't worry about it. It's okay. I wasn't really paying attention either."

Not knowing how to continue, and desperately wanting to escape, Laura stared at a spot of ground between the pair, waiting for the woman to say something, or give Laura a chance to mutter some nicety and scuttle back to her quarters.

[member="Metis Athena Elpis"] | [member="Ura Iolar"]​

 

[Ura Iolar]

Ura was annoyed today. For the most part, her Yurbian Deathseed, the Razor-Tail, had been essentially destroyed beyond repair. Kat tried to help her out, but that damage was extensive. The Lervon decided that instead of repairing the old girl, she'd just attempt to create a new version of the Deathseed. And with that, she had decided to hide in the garden with her datapad. She had finally figured out how to get her sandy form to interact with the tech, which helped with trying to create the new design.

Keep the multiple reactor system. Tie them together to allow for power management. Better shields, better sensors, better... well she'd figure out how to balance everything out. It was then that she heard something. Her head popped up over a bush, seeing a pair of fellow padawans nearby. Her eyes conveyed her curiosity. The rest of her body became humanoid as she slowly walked closer, though she didn't say anything. The Lervon was never the best at talking to others.

[member="Laura"] [member="Metis Athena Elpis"]

 

[Metis Athena Elpis]

Metis fumbled with her datapad, gasping at her own clumsiness. Metis stood their awkwardly for a few too many beats as her and the young woman she had collided into measured each other. Metis tried to think of something to say.

“I’m Metis” Metis introduced herself, waiting a few more awkward beats before adding “I’m a Padawan”

Metis waited another tense few moment before she rambled into her own little monologue.

“I am, was a Handmaiden on Naboo before being offered training here with the Silver Jedi. I’m afraid that I haven’t had much training or experience as or with the Jedi yet. I’m hoping to improve with the force, though I haven’t had much success, can barely even make a rock wobble.”

Metis halted her little rant, Metis had never been the most socially adept person. A fact which was by now no doubt obvious to the person she had bumped into then regaled with her little syliloquay. Uncertain what else she could say about herself without seeming like an arrogant, self centred little prat. Metis hoped she hadn't portrayed herself as such.

“Although admittedly that might have just as easily be the wind.”

Metis giggled at her own self deprecating joke.

[member="Ura Iolar"] [member="Laura"]