Bamboleo, Bambolea

[Caulder Dune]

THE MACHINATOR
HYPERSPACE

[member="Jemmila Kyrgen"]

Telekinetics. Saber training. Gym. Study. Sleep. Telekinetics. Saber training. Gym. Study. Sleep.

This was the sort of monotony Jemmila would endure under the tutelage of Adekos. Adekos believed that well-rounded apprentices turned into well-rounded allies, whether they wanted to or not. Well-rounded allies were the best sort to have. Besides, the more boring he kept her lessons, the angrier and restless she would become. Such was the way of the Dark Side. Occasionally Adekos would be there in-person to direct her lessons or tell her what to study or smack her over the head with a training saber. Other times she could go a week without catching sight of the man, instead forced to rely on holocron recordings and training droids.

Slowly, more and more luxuries found their way back into Jemmila's room- including a broader arrangement of meals (mediocre, but better than the Imperial Rations) and the clothing Adekos had allegedly burned after her tryst with Carach. Though some things weren't always there. Some items regularly vanished depending on what she had done that particular day to muck things up on the Lucrehulk or just attempt an escape.

Adekos simply couldn't fathom why she would want to flee. This kind of training was so much fun. As much fun as it was, it was time to break the cycle just a little bit and see if she was capable of doing... Well, anything an apprentice should have been able to do. Along with the security droids that usually brought Jemmila breakfast, Adekos made an appearance at the door this morning- roughly a week and a half since she last saw him. They were about an hour earlier for the delivery than usual.

"I hope you're awake." He announced, offering little in the way of a greeting. "We're going on a field trip."

 

[Zola]

The brewing storm that was Adekos' budding apprentice was jostled awake by the sound of her Master's voice, a sound that was quickly becoming more grating to her than nails scraping on duracrete. Jemmila rolled over and slowly sat up, covering herself with her sheets in some semblance of modesty. She knew that Adekos was already convinced that she was a wanton harlot so she took great care to feign innocence around him. Not that she really cared one way or another what the damned man thought about her morals. She just liked to prove him wrong.

As annoyed as she was that Adekos had burst into her room unannounced, the prospect of a field trip did pique Jem's interest. The chill of fresh air, that clay smell of dirt before it rained, snowy white clouds drifting across expanses of cerulean blue. The Hapan Acolyte longed to be outdoors. Of course, knowing Adekos, they would be visiting some barren uninhabitable dirtball.

At least he had the decency to wake her himself, rather than send metal tormentors into her bedroom to poke her sleeping body with cattle prods. Those first few days on the Machinator with those horrid droids were enough to make her afraid of a blender. Another small miracle happened when Adekos began to return some of Jemmila's creature comforts, like her sumptuous clothing. Well, most of it, anyway. There were some articles of clothing conspicuously missing, such as the unmentionables that Carach had bought her from Fredrick's of Coruscant. She imagined those frilly pieces of practically non-existent fabric had sadly been reduced to ash.

"Master Adekos," she said plainly. "Unless we're going to a planet of nudists, then I suggest you turn around while I put on some clothing."

[member="Adekos"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Jemmila Kyrgen"]

Adekos made a sound that roughly simulated a cross between a clearing of the throat and a cough. How was he supposed to know she slept naked? Frankly, he had thought that kind of behavior was reserved for-... Well, this was Jemmila he was referring to here. He should have expected this type of sleeping habit, even if he had gone through some lengths to see her other unbecoming behavior was repressed. Frankly, her behavior only concerned him because of her present, direct association with him as a subordinate. Her actions reflected his own. Once she was an independent master of the Force who needed no man, she could seduce the entire Dark Council (individually or all at once- it hardly mattered) for all he cared.

Well, he would make an effort to not care, for what it was worth...

Besides, this was the only way his surprise entrance could have backfired on him, so of course it would happen. "Oh. Right. Make yourself presentable and then meet me outside."

The Umbaran turned on a heel and exited the room posthaste. "Don't take long." He called over his shoulder. Being in the same room as one's pupil when they were as naked as the day they were born was hardly appropriate. The droids dawdled for a few moments longer, setting down breakfast on the desk Jemmila had been afforded before joining their owner outside. The door slid shut a final time behind them.

 

[Zola]

As Adekos exited her bedroom, the Hapan smirked, knowing full well that any mention of nudity would send him packing. Jemmila took her time with the breakfast the droids had brought her, savoring both the silence of her room as well as the surface on which to eat. She never knew that she could have strong feelings for an oaken desk, but after being bereft of furniture for a couple of weeks, she felt what could only be described as an odd friendship with the inanimate object. Over her blue and rigid corpse would she let that man take it from her again.

As she browsed through her closet, Jem realized that she had no idea what to wear on this "field trip." Were they going to a planet that called for a rough-spun tunics that could protect her from hostile weather? Or a land with snow-covered caps for which Jem would need warm furs? Would she need armor? Or blast-absorbing padding? Or...oh feth it, there was only one way to find out.

She gathered up her bed sheets and padded barefoot into the hallway, tapping her Master on the shoulder. The bed sheets covered her naked body, but only just barely.

"It might help to know where we're going so that I can dress appropriately," she said, trying not to let her annoyance show in her round hazel eyes.

[member="Adekos"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Jemmila Kyrgen"]

The Umbaran turned around, expecting to see Jemmila all dressed up and ready to go. Instead she was still very much nude, with the bed sheets clinging perilously to what little she deigned necessary to cover. Adekos' palm flew up to his face in a sign of frustration. Rather than complete the gesture, his hand remained where it was- strategically covering the eyes of his mask. Where in the galaxy had she learned this behavior from? Was it Carach again? That ape of a man probably would have greeted her in a similar state of disrobement. Call him old fashioned, but he didn't quite find the idea of seeing the probably half-his-age pupil in the nude appealing or appropriate.

"I'll brief you when you're decent. Just wear something light and comfortable, please." Adekos said, tone not at all matching with the fact that he was shielding his eyes from partial nudity. The prude. "Your standard issued Obsidian Armor arrived before our last hyperspace jump, so you'll be wearing that over it."

He paused for a moment there, as it suddenly sunk in that they were not ten minutes into this field mission and already he was beginning to become annoyed. This could only be taken as a sign of great things to come. There was no question of that.

"But for petty's sake, dress yourself before leaving the room this time."

 

[Zola]

Despite the fact that he was covering his eyes as if she were a gorgon that would turn him to stone, the Hapan apprentice knew that look. The one that said that Adekos had already killed her three times in his head. It was clear even through his mask that he was definitely giving her that look. Still, she had gotten the information she needed to make an informed decision about her wardrobe. Contrary to his beliefs she was trying not to embarrass him when they got dirtside.

She whirled away from him, her bed sheets billowing out dramatically, and smiling, made her way back into her room. Jem took a long, hot shower. Then she took her sweet time dressing herself, whistling softly as she plucked clothing from hangars. She was sure she would pay dearly for this dawdling, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Besides, wasn't patience supposed to be a virtue?

Finally, Jemmila emerged from the room, dressed in light, cotton training clothes, and combat boots, her hair held back in a loose ponytail. Simple, yet still eons more elegant than the grey jumpsuit that haunted her dreams.

"I think you'll find this outfit decent enough for your tastes, Master Adekos."

[member="Adekos"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Jemmila Kyrgen"]

"Lovely." Adekos replied, silently relieved she hadn't exited the room in a battle thong to torment him further. "I suppose we'll have to work on your punctuality next. Come along, now."

Normally there would have been further physical and verbal reprimanding, but now they were going to be late. No sense wasting further time. Perhaps a few days of straight training with no breaks in the regimen would remind her of the value of time being spent wisely. Then again, if everything went well, she would be rid of that strict training schedule in favor of something more freeform. A more creative way to exact vengeance would need to be conjured up, but nothing brutish or life-threatening. Adekos was no Zambrano.

He beckoned for her to follow, leading her and the two droids down the corridor to the waiting turbolift. "Have you ever heard of the planet Cularin? An interesting place. I'm sure you've read about it already."

 

[Zola]

Jemmila nodded as she followed Master Adekos and his droids. "Cularin. I've heard it's very strong in the Force. Wasn't there also a Jedi purge by Sith Inquisitors on the planet not too long ago?"

Jemmila was intrigued about their purpose on the two-mooned planet. Especially since Master Adekos had shifted his allegiances from One Sith to the Techno Union, the Obsidian Order to be precise. Jemmila had no strong feelings about leaving the One Sith, as she had barely left the Machinator since her training began. For now she would simply follow her Master. Despite his relentless acrimony, she was still tempted by his promise of transcendence. Also, the Obsidian Order's principles of protecting the innocent and providing shelter to those incapable of protecting themselves were certainly more palatable than those of the Sith, and she liked their emphasis on individuality and freedom rather than a strict code of morals.

She gave Master Adekos the side-eye. Someone else could use a bit of a brush up on the Obsidan Order's principles, it seemed. Especially the loose morals part. However, given the thin ice on which she already stood, Jem thought it best to keep that opinion to herself.

[member="Adekos"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Jemmila Kyrgen"]

"Was there? Interesting." It was upsetting that the Inquisitors sought the destruction of all Jedi relics. There were some (very few, but there were some) that could prove useful in the right hands. To admit as much would be tocast doubt on the absolute supremacy of the Dark Side, however, and they just couldn't have that occurring. Fortunately, Adekos had outgrown such notions. He was comfortable enough with the side of the Force he had chosen to not feel particularly insecure about what he was about to be doing on the planet's surface. Nothing drastic, but no doubt Sith would balk at the notion.

"You know then that there is- was -a Jedi Enclave on the planet." They arrived at the turbolift just as Adekos realized he wouldn't need to explain what a Jedi Enclave was. Marvelous. "But they also had a full fledged academy on another world in the system. The Almas Academy they called it. A dingy little place, but it functioned well enough. It was destroyed ages ago, then rebuilt shortly before the Gulag Plague hit. Then, as you can imagine, everyone there caught the plague and died. Or they left, caught the plague, and died someplace else."

They arrived at the turbolift just as he explained the course the Gulag plague usually took. The two entered and, before long, they were moving down a few levels. Then they could hop onto the Lucrehulk's rail system and head to the hangar. Having a vessel as large as a Lucrehulk was sort of tiring in this way, but such was the price of being the perfect capital ship and mobile home.

"For centuries, the locations of the ruins were thought lost forever. Probably consumed by undergrowth or decomposed to the point they couldn't be recognized. But anything on a planet can be found if you throw enough probe droids at it. Regardless of the recalcitrance and violent tendencies of the natives."

He watched as the floor number ticked down, continuing after a moment. "Does the name Kazadan Paratus hold any meaning to you?"

 

[Zola]

Master and student took the turbolift down to what Jemmila presumed was the Luchrehulk's railway. She played with an errant strand of sandy brown hair while she listened to Adekos begin his long-winded brief about their mission. It seemed they were going to the ruins of the Almas Academy, a notion which filled her with anticipation. Despite Adekos' low opinion of her morals, Jemmila was a curious woman, ever-thirsty for knowledge. Adekos wouldn't have known it by looking at the cigarette smoking ruffian he had encountered on Coruscant, but Jem was incredibly bright, if a bit unfocused. Her Master might have noticed her discipline during their training sessions, a trait which was fairly constant. When she wasn't running off. It was possibly one of the reasons he hadn't thrown her in the incinerator yet.

"Kazadan Paratus," she repeated. Her eyes squinted and she rubbed her temple as she tried to recall her history lessons. "He was a Jedi Master I believe? And a bit..." Here she circled the side of her head with one finger. "...crazy?"

[member="Adekos"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Jemmila Kyrgen"]

Adekos gave an amused huff. Crazy would have been the polite way to put it. "He went absolutely insane towards the end of his life. Murdered as a hermit on Raxus Prime after pestering the locals."

The records were incomplete, of course. If Adekos were at all aware of the extent to which Paratus had "pestered" the locals, he would have been filled to the brim with excitement. As it stood, he didn't anticipate this would be any more than the average bauble, and something that would present a reasonable enough challenge to his earnest apprentice. The turbolift arrived at its destination, Adekos indicating for her to exit first before following suit and then leading her to the rail station.

"Fortunately he made a holocron before he lost touch with his mind. It was eventually recovered by the Jedi and kept at the Almas Academy. I've adequate reason to believe it could still be there."

The pair entered the tram. A warning sound playing as the doors slowly closed. Adekos opted to remain standing, gripping a handrail for support. "I dispatched a few probes. The area is largely overgrown, filled with a few scavenger bands, tribals, and some local beasts. A novel enough challenge, I think. You'll do well."

 

[Zola]

Jemmila took a seat on the tram and absently stared out the window as Adekos finally got to the meat of their mission. It was a wonder that her Master didn't use his own wind to power the tram itself. Who needed a repulsor lift when you've got Blowhard McGee over here? Still, the Hapan apprentice was pleased to hear that for once her Master seemed to have a modicum of faith in her to do well on the mission.

"Do you have any inkling as to what kind of knowledge is in Paratus' Holocron?"

Jemmila decided that she would be pretty ticked off at Adekos if he made her risk life and limb just to discover a madman's nonsensical babbling and conspiracy theories.

"Also, will you be accompanying me as we hunt for the Holocron, Master Adekos?"

Knowing her Master, he'd dump her in the temple and then mysteriously disappear, showing up again only until she either found the Holocron or died from exposure.

[member="Adekos"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Jemmila Kyrgen"]

"Paratus was a prodigious technician, despite his Jedi training. He was able to perform feats of Mechu-Deru unseen anywhere else. It's my hope it will be of great use to the Obsidian Order. Once I'm done with it, naturally."

Sharing was caring, after all. Since Adekos was now part of a sect of Force Users that wasn't one-part reasonable beings and three-parts raving sociopaths, he felt more inclined to spread his accumulated knowledge. There was no way for him to train everyone in the delicate arts of technopathy, but he could still play a vital role in crafting a new generation of Force Users able to manipulate technology. Jemmila herself would find little use for the artifact or the subsequent breakthroughs in the Obsidian training regimen, which was why he had a different sort of reward in store for her once they departed this system with the prize in store.

"And yes, I will be joining you." He clarified. "You don't seem entirely comfortable with security droids... Partially my fault, I suppose. The exact details of what number of entities are slinking around the ruins escaped my scouts. You've come a long way, but to send you alone would be an unnecessary gamble with your life."

Adekos was not at all a gambling man. Especially not with particular people he placed beyond monetary value. The railcart came to a smooth halt, arriving at the hangar bay. A plain shuttle was waiting for them there, the two arriving just in time to see a diminutive pilot droid clamor aboard. It looked like a spacious enough thing, though lightly armed and definitely not suitable for prolonged combat. A speedy tactical insertion would be its best role. Especially if the shuttle was supplemented by the hot wind continually expelled through Adekos' mouth-hole. "Your armor is on board. We'll take off once you're ready."

As before, he gestured for her to exit the tram and board the shuttle first.