Private A Festival of Youth - and Algae

[Klar]

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Calimancha​

Maratton Skyhook​

To be honest, Klar had almost no idea why Jedi Master Ran Serys had invited her out to the edge of the Galaxy for a survey. Her two students were exceptional examples of young Jedi, and would no doubt be of greater assistance. Worse, Klar could only assume that this time spent away from them was harmful to Master Serys' goals for them. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful for the opportunity to study more directly under a Jedi Master in the field - Klar absolutely was. But around and around, she chased her own thoughts trying to discern Master Serys' motivations. She came up short; she simply didn't know her well enough to say.

Calimancha was a frozen planet about as far as one could be from Tython or Coruscant, recently made accessible due to the Planeshift calamity. Covered in glaciers and oceans, the only permanent settlement was Maratton - a spiny grey industrial port built into the corpse of a second empire Star Destroyer. It was, she gathered, why they were there: to study the 'Right to Rule' and learn what they could from it, determine how it'd come to arrive in Companion Grek, and ensure it wasn't a danger to the people of Maratton. Klar couldn't help but question this a little, as the people of Maratton had been slowly cannibalizing the carcass of the Right to Rule for centuries. If there'd been anything dangerous or especially rare there, it would have presented itself by now. Surely.

The only other thing that seemed to make Maratton worth visiting aside from the fact that it was the most convenient port between the Galaxy and the rest of Grek, was the Youth Festival. A species of subglacial pseudo-algae served as the only genuine crop worth speaking of on the planet, and it had recently been brought into the Galaxy. Said algae had been shown to have remarkable age-defying properties, and served as a remarkably effective life extender. Klar knew very little about it - she wasn't a biologist by any means - but it was her next best guess. This time of year, the people celebrated their life-giving algae crop with a festival known as the Festival of Youth, a time of food, pampering, and celebration.

Perhaps, Klar speculated, they were here to survey the planet since it'd been isolated with Grek until just now? Surely they couldn't be here for the Festival of Youth.

Bundled up and carrying a bag of supplies, Klar shifted beside Master Serys aboard the Skyhook while anxiously adjusting her scarf. The blonde Codru-Ji's eyes scanned the handful of of fellow passengers - not sizing them up, but simply taking them in. Not only was this the furthest Klar had ever been from Coruscant, it was the furthest she'd been from... anywhere, really. It was a little scary, but mostly it was exciting! The young woman couldn't help but drink in every detail, not wanting to miss a single moment of the new world as it came into view. Perhaps only dozens of people from Coruscant could have claimed to have even HEARD of Calimancha, let alone visited it! Such an adventure, even if she didn't know the purpose, was simply intoxicating on principle!

She wanted to touch everything. Talk to everyone. Record every word, every quirk and every flavor, and bring it back from the edge of the Galaxy to show everyone who would listen. To preserve this exciting new horizon in the Archives forever! How many things could they even bake, glaze, stuff, sweeten, or preserve in algae, anyway?? How did one funnel a whole cake?! Klar had no idea, but she was EXCITED to find out!

Klar also didn't want Master Serys to think she was a spaz or worse, too caught up in her own ambitions or the moment to be an effective assistant. Though she was bursting with the desire to explore Maratton and the Youth Festival, the Codru-Ji remained diligently sat on the Skyhook beside the Master, her four hands folded demurely on her lap. They only occasionally twitched.

"Is there anything you'd like to do first when we arrive in Maratton, Master Serys?" Klar asked as calmly and politely as she was able, her voice slightly muffled by her scarf.

 

[Ran Serys]

Even as the young lady was muffled by her scarf, her question rang in Ran's ears clearly. She was ready for it. "I'd like to attend the festival." Ran said quickly and confidently. In her mind, she had answered that question long before Klar had finished asking it. "You know of the festival, yes?" Ran questioned feeling like she knew the answer. Many of the passengers aboard the Skyhook had been talking about it. It felt as if Ran and Klar were the only ones who hadn't. "I need to know how one would funnel a cake, and then when I find out, I'll eat one. I may even share." She continued softly, jokingly, and somehow honestly. "I also would like a sample of this algae for study." Ran said more seriously. "Is there anything you'd like to do, Klar?" The Knight asked. "Speak now, or forever hold your peace." She added playing at sounding threatening before she started smiling.

As she listened to Klar's answer, Ran noticed a few worried looks coming at her from several different directions. Passengers all bundled up with concern in their eyes based on Ran's outfit choice no doubt. Braving the cold in her usual Jedi robes. Scantily clad she lived, and scantily clad she would remain, at least for a little while longer. Her mutations had deadened her nerves to such trivial matters as hot and cold. She did not sweat. She did not shiver. She did however understand the look of concern she received from a man in the finest weatherproof gear money could buy. She shuffled in place, a reset, and looked back at Klar.

"You may be wondering why I brought you out here. Do you have a guess as to why?" She eyed the young Jedi with a neutral expression on her face.

Tags: Klar
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[Klar]

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Ran Serys

It was hard to be too worried around Master Serys. Aside from how kind-of-silly it was to see the Jedi master strutting around a polar world dressed like a dancer, she just had a disarming, calming air about her. Klar on her own might have refused to think of this trip as any sort of holiday, but with Master Serys smiling and chatting about the things she wanted to do? It was hard to get too worked up about it. Klar found herself relaxing a little.

"I... I did read at the orbital station that Maratton has wonderful spas." The blonde confessed quietly, fiddling with her scarf with one pair of hands while she retrieved a rumpled tourist brochure from her pocket. "They incorporate the algae into skin treatment, soaps, and lotions. I've also read that the local aristocracy hires masseuses aggressively." She explained, rolling her right shoulders. "I've been feeling a little sore lately, so maybe it wouldn't be the worst idea to have somebody look at it. But... it's mostly the spa part." She snickered. "I've never been to one, and I'm a little excited."

"And! It'd probably be really easy to get a biological sample!" The Codru-ji chirped, lighting up. "They're bound to have vats of the stuff everywhere if they're putting it into so many things."

Asked a question, she paused for a moment and stuffed the brochure back into her pockets. It had coupons for the festival. She would never throw away a coupon. "I-" Klar hesitated, then continued - a little more resolute. "I confess that I've been trying to figure that out." She confessed, pulling her scarf down. "I don't think I bring any useful insight to this expedition. The Jedi Temple has a dozen people who know more about Grek than I do, and dozens with a botanical focus. You have two splendid students. I'm not a... festival expert? If there is such a thing?" She rambled.

"I will admit, Master Serys. At first I was concerned that it was pity. But this feels far too long a distance for such a motivation, and having come to understand you a little better I apologize for thinking such an insulting thing." She added glumly, slightly crestfallen. "But I fear your motivations are still beyond my understanding."