Private Foreign Place, Friendly Face

[Mathieu Brion]

It was good to see her take on his offer of a wrap and with that, they seemed to be off with both of them way more comfortable than before. Listening to her describe how her species works, he let out a short "Just like my heat regulators" but soon raised a finger after taking a moment to reconsider "Except, you're not part of a wrecked ship" he chuckled, thinking of how horrible of a comparison it was with the likely state of his heat regulator in mind.

Listening to her speak of why he might not know of them gladdened the Mercenary as it almost felt as if she was helping him come up with an excuse for not having studied well enough at school. But then, what she said seemed to carry some merit on its own. Upping the pace at which he ate, Mathieu hoped to finish his wraps by the time she had eaten hers. Having spent many days and nights on the fields of battle, he was used to eating at a rapid pace without letting too much food go to waste. The side effect, however, was that he would grow a bit more quiet, mostly responding to her with short confirmatory noises instead of actual words.

Finishing his last wrap a bit after she finished hers, Mathieu had a satisfied smile grow on his lips but he was quick to return to normal as he listened to her attentively. He let out a quiet "Oh wow" as she mentioned having helped him with the application for a visitor's permit but quickly grew quiet to let her finish. "Thanks! That's great!" chuckling, he leaned his head to the side and then back again "I think a break from the galaxy might just be what I need for a while" For a few moments, his mood dropped considerably but just as fast as it did, he seemed to recover "The last months have been hectic!" he added with a much more lighthearted tone.

She continued speaking of where he was going to live which caused him to make a quick comment "Oh, thanks" before she continued speculating about the options. Internally, Mathieu cringed at the idea of getting a hotel room, knowing that they were usually far too expensive. But then, he could no longer sleep in his ship and had no desire to sleep on the streets. A hostel seemed like a good middle route, but before he could arrive at any real conclusions, she spoke of an alternative.

His lips shut tight as he gave her the stare of a child who had been found guilty of stealing from the cookie jar. Indeed, he was force sensitive and had been told about it on few occasions - yet it was nothing which he had ever explored, always seeing the force as something which couldn't truly be harnessed by someone like himself. Humble, and not wanting to be a leech on their resources, he shook his head "No, no I couldn't" he said whilst smiling. He was still feeling sad about declining such a wonderful opportunity, beating himself up over not taking the chance to change something in his life, now that so much was in turmoil. Letting his gaze fall for a while, he eventually looked back up at her and spoke with a determined voice "But I want to" he said, echoing her last words and confirming that he had changed his mind.

Getting up from the hospital bed, he looked around for his clothes. Only having planned for it to be a shorter mission, what little extra clothes he seemed to have brought with him were no longer suitable for him to wear with the burn damage and being pierced by something during the crash. It became rather obvious that his normal combat gear would have to do for now - but that hardly seemed appropriate to what he assumed to be some form of Jedi. Hesitantly, he looked at the gear and then to her "Just give me a minute or two and I'll suit up" he said, trying the waters by letting her in on what he was going to wear.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

The geminaie chuckled, her previous smile extended into a wide one at his comparison. If there was anything to rescue from being cut off from her feelings, is that now that they were back she could appreciate them with a renewed fervor. Laughing, idle conversation, her relaxed shoulders...it was like discovering herself all over again, everything felt new even if at the same time it was completely familiar. She adjusted herself in her seat, allowing her back to rest against the chair bringing her further comfort as he said his thank you. "No need to thank me, it was the least I could do after...you know, behaving like a jerk," She said, not worrying herself with trying to find less informal words. The sudden disappearance of his bright mood did not go unnoticed, but it returned so fast Palm did not have enough time to ask if everything was alright. She feared, for a moment, that she was the cause of such a change but a quick observation of the man indicated differently.

Her honey-colored eyes remained on Mathieu as he pondered on her offer. Her patience kept the nervousness that awaiting a response inspired at bay, but her curiosity was just as potent as her composure and that left her at a balanced point between perfectly calm and excited to know his thoughts. As soon as he shook his head she felt a heavy feeling settle on her stomach, disappointment. Not the judgmental kind, but the disillusioned one. Palm was readying herself to reinforce her point and try to convince him to reconsider, but the mercenary beat her to it. His change of mind once more put a smile on her face and she clapped her hands one in celebration of the small victory. "That's settled then. I'm glad you agreed, I have a good feeling about this." She confided, trusting that whatever ripple it was she felt in the Force caused by him was promising enough to merit her contentment.

Once again, her eyes followed him as he stood up from the bed. It didn't take her long to realize he was looking for his clothes, and soon the same realization he had come to himself dawned on her. It was not conventional per se, the soll'nav wore comfortable robes as did most other Orders. It was one of the few aspects that they had stayed true to. However, they were no foreigners to combat and luckily for Mathieu, prejudice was not prevalent among them. "Sure thing. We'll get you some other clothes once we are there, you are lucky tall people are the norm here or this problem might have been a bit difficult to solve." Her last words carried on with humor and an amused smile. She proceeded to stand up and exit the room, giving him his privacy. She had already filed the necessary papers when she had come in to the hospital so instead, she waited a bit ways down the hallway for him to come out.

When he did, Palm would wait for him to catch up before starting to make her way through the hallways and to the elevator, until they finally exited the Asclepian Medcenter. Mathieu would be welcomed by the sight of Axa City, the very confusing and striking Axa City. "I would offer to give you a tour of the city before we leave, but without you having a permit yet that would mean filing many papers and getting stopped frequently by security. More trouble than its worth," She said, hoping he would understand. Palm wasn't being lazy - or maybe just a little bit - but there would be plenty of time for him to explore Advena once he had his permit, if he so wished.

The Ambassador walked with him until they reached the hospital's bay, the Stygian Vagabond sat waiting patiently for its owner. Palm walked up the ramp and took her sit at the cockpit, waiting for Mathieu to occupy the co-pilot's place. "At least you'll get a good glance at Axa now." She mused, eyes looking beyond the transparisteel of the windshield. Once they were both settled in, the freighter's engine came to life as Palm took it into a smooth take off and set the course for their destination. The trip was spent in idle conversation, it was a good thing that the previous tension between them had dissipated. The trip would take about five hours, regrettably there was no such thing as hyperspace within a planet's orbit.

When they finally neared their destination, Axa City left behind, the Vagabond rounded a mountain wall and revealed a sight that put the brightest of smiles on Palm's face: Advena's Navah Xae, the main Academy of the Soller Navah. "We are here." She said, her admiration permeating into her voice. The building was large and imposing, nestled in a large and lush valley. The freighter slowly started gliding lower towards the landing bay. A group of grey-robed people were walking towards the bay too, summoned by the ship they saw approaching.

Palm was finally returning to her second-home, after nearly three years.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

While he did not know why she was so happy about him agreeing to go to their force order but he didn't care too much for it. The woman seemed to be nice enough and he doubted that she had any bad intentions. It was risky, for sure, but then, Mathieu had an easy time putting trust in people and was only glad to see her so excited about it. Laughing and smiling was contagious anyways so it could hardly hurt to have someone to be happy with.

Letting out a minor sigh in relief, Mathieu nodded at her with a sense of enthusiasm after she told him that they could get him some clothes there. While it did indicate that his heavy armour might not be too well suited for the order they were going to, it also suggested that it wouldn't be a problem to arrive dressed in it as he had feared. Many cultures of force users would - when peaceful - shun someone appearing at their gates, fully armed for combat. It often indicated that the person had the wrong mindset to join their ranks. Letting out a chuckle, the large Morellian shook his head, remembering that he had once been put in Trandoshan clothing during a hospital visit as the normal clothes were too small. But for him, the largest problem tended to be not only his length, but also his muscular build. But then, if they were just donning robes, he would hopefully be fine regardless. "Well, some of you are" he said, looking down at her with a teasing yet friendly smile, not yet having made the conclusion that the males tended to be much taller than the females.

After just a few minutes, the Mercenary would emerge from his room wearing full armour and the backpack on his back but with his weapons still packed in the box. While she had not mentioned any rules against it, he found it to be more appropriate to not carry openly in the hospital. "Let's go!" he said with plenty of enthusiasm and anticipation as he found her outside of his room. Only when they arrived by the entrance did he stop and with a raised hand, he spoke "Hold on a moment" Regardless of if she stopped or not, he would then put down the box and take out a breathing mask, having been warned that he might have a hard time dealing with the atmosphere by the nurses and a doctor.

With a small jog, he caught up to her and let out an impressed "Waow" as his gaze slowly scanned the city. It was more bizzare than any city he could remember having seen since leaving Morellia - not that Morellia had cities more bizzare than this one anyways. Leaning sidewards towards her, he smiled "I'm lucky you're here - paperwork is worse than facing off against a gamorrean" he joked before continuing to walk along her side until they arrived by the freighter. Letting out a low "Fancy ship", more for himself to hear than anyone else, he walked up to it and assumed the seat next to hers - putting the box behind him. Mathieu raised his hand to the mask and looked at her, wondering if he could take it off or not, seeing as they were now inside the vessel.

It had been a great trip. While long waits were far from the Mercenary's favourite activities, he had plenty of job experience consisting of waiting in a bush or a bunker. This was much better, both with Palm's pleasant company and being able to see the wounderous quirks of Axa and Advena. Upon landing, he thanked her for the trip and if he had previously taken the mask off, he would look to her to see if it should be taken back on again now. Soon, the two stepped off of the ship. Looking down at her by his side, he could see the sparkle in her eyes and the gladdened tone as she spoke. "You really like it here, don't ya?" he asked, thinking that she looked more happy now than she did while working. It begged the question "Why didn't you stay?" he asked, assuming that her knowledge of the force came from this temple. He eyed the approaching figures but quickly shifted his focus back to her again, hoping to get an answer before they arrived. But then, maybe his priorities were off as he was very well aware of how important first impressions were.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

She nodded her head when he gestured towards his rebreather, "Go ahead, its safe for you to breathe within the ship. Actually, you won't need it when we arrive either," Geminidae's atmosphere was only dangerous to others in its higher altitudes. The place where they were headed, while still being well past the height limit to be classified as dangerous, had a little peculiarity. In such secluded valleys like the one where the Navah Xae stood, micro-environments sometimes formed. Standing in the valley was like standing at ground level. "But do remember to keep the mask with you though, just in case. You'd be surprised at how often people forget they might need them when visiting new places." The reminder was probably unnecessary, but it did bring her comfort knowing that she had given the required advice. Otherwise, she would feel responsible if something happened.

The trip had been pleasant, it wasn't often that she got the chance to just sit and chat with people. An Ambassador's life was mostly a solitary one, and the geminaie weren't particularly known for being lone wolves. The thought of her brother crossed her mind, it had been about four years since she last saw Liras, the day he left Geminidae. Except for those who went through the indescribable pain of losing a sibling, only an Ambassador knew what it was to be separated from one. Palm tried not to linger on these thoughts, this was a happy day for her. She'd take what life gave her, and today it had brought her back to friends and mentors, to family. It would be wrong of her to taint her joy with melancholy.

She walked alongside Mathieu as they descended through the ramp, her eyes stuck in the people that approached. The excitement she was feeling was as pure as it had been the very first time she was brought here, no more than a five year old. "I love it here, this is my home." The words flew out of her without a thought. Her voice would take a more contemplative tone after, a sadder one. "I'm an Ambassador. I owe myself to my planet, and I serve and protect it by being away." Even if the homesickness threatened to kill her every night spent underneath a different sky. She had no regrets, and if given the chance to drop her duties and remain in her planet, she would refuse. It was a burden that she shouldered willingly.

Her mood had certainly taken a small turn for the worse momentarily, but it seemed to brighten back up as soon as the approaching people were finally within a reasonable reach. Palm had to consciously restrain herself from jumping on the older man that led the group. He was tall, and might have been taller than Mathieu if it wasn't for the slight arch of his back. The pains of old age, surely. For a second, they stood facing each other in an excitement-filled silence. Until finally, the man spoke, his voice low and aged and cheeky. "What? Are you not going to say hello, majhen?" The young woman snorted at his use of the nickname in Nexilis and lost no time in moving forward and embracing him in a hug. She had missed him.

More hugs ensued as she greeted the remaining four of them, fellow soll'kai and her friends growing up. However, she did not forget about Mathieu and before allowing him to keep on awkwardly standing there proceeded with the introductions. "This is Mathieu Brion , the one who crash landed in the frozen fields." A round of murmurs denoting recognition ensued, one of them a small laugh. They all offered friendly smiles to the newcomer, although they didn't hide that they were also sizing him up. "For obvious reasons he is stuck in our planet for a while, and he'd like to learn a thing or two during his stay." Palm said, her eyes meeting the mercenary's while aflame with amusement. Learn he would, but he was in for quite an experience. Then the old man took a step forward and extended his hand to the young man.

"I am pleased to meet you Mathieu, I'm Master Artem-Lahs. We'd be happy to have you, welcome to our Academy." Master Artem trusted Palm's judgement, and his own too. A look at the young man was enough for the Soll'relath to make his first impression, such were the talents that age and his proficiency in the Force granted. His own force-presence was very neutral, albeit somewhat leaning towards the Light. Each of the soll'nav seemed to be unique in that aspect, and their union resulted in a powerful neutrality.

*majhen: little one

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Mathieu thought that the Palm he had met the day before and the one who picked him up were completely different persons - but seeing her current form, filled with happiness and nostalgia, he saw even greater contrasts to how she had behaved before. With a deep breath, he took in the relatively fresh air and the small scents that made themselves available to him by the landing grounds "I can see that" he replied with a seemingly permanent smile fixed on his lips. The atmosphere was a rather joyous one, making it hard for the Mercenary to need feel a little cheerful himself.

His lips would go from being a small curved line into a saddened 'o' as she mentioned the reason behind why she was away. He was well aware of the pains of having to give up things which one held dear for the sake of duty. "I- I-" he begun, struggling with how to formulate himself. "I am sorry to hear that" he said, giving her a sympathetic look. In truth, he was sorry for even bringing it up in the first place as it seemed to have an obvious dampening effect on her mood but there were only so many things he could apologize for before reaching ridiculous levels and so he stayed his tongue for now. Trying to brighten the mood again he looked at her with a cheery sparkle in his eyes "But hey, being an ambassador seem pretty cool too"

While he had tried to cheer her up, it seemed like something else would have a much greater effect. Mathieu's attention snapped over to the elderly man as he spoke. Palm's face quickly brightened up and the Morellian breathed out, relieved that he was not the one being addressed. Standing to the side, he felt a sense of fulfillment as his main person of contact momentarily turned from being the Ambassador of her people into being the little girl who has happy to see her old mentor again. Naturally, Mathieu had no idea what kind of relationship they actually had, but that was how it seemed to him as he looked on as the two met. Awkwardly, he made eye contact with other four, smiling to them with the occasional wave of the hand.

It wouldn't be long before rescue arrived, however. Palm soon introduced him as 'the one who had crash landed in the frozen fields' He looked at her as if she had just stolen candy from a child before turning to the others "In my defence-..." he said, ready to make a witty response with his finger raised and a slight forwards tilt. The witty response never came, however, as he completely failed in thinking of something to say. Pulling his finger back down, he leaned back again to stand up straight with an awkward chuckle "I don't have much of a defence."

Fortunately, Palm came to the rescue, speaking of his desire to learn with them at which point he nodded eagerly. Seeing the tall elder approach, Mathieu took his hand and shook it, neither with too hard of a grip or a too soft one. "Thank you, Master" he said, contemplating whether he should give the full name a go or not, well aware of the possibility of complete and utter failure in regards to pronunciation. Making the leap, he slowly struggled through the name to complete the sentence with his foreign accent "Artem-Lahs"

He looked over to Palm, wondering if he had truly been accepted or not. Naturally, he didn't expect her to be able to read his thoughts and he was not about to ask the question outright either. Instead, he carefully assumed that he was in rubbed his palms together "So, where do we begin?" he asked. His initial thought quickly went to healing people or making rocks float, both some of the coolest and most impressive capabilities he knew that Jedi had. But then it dawned on him that they might - like most orders - require a fair amount of studying before actually moving over to practicing the use of the force. While the idea was somewhat disheartening to the large Morellian who very much preferred staying active, he had already accepted that it was an important part of learning.

Suddenly, he thought of something and completely dropped the attention paid to Artem-Lahs - just for a moment when he was not speaking. Turning to Palm, he asked "You're staying for a bit too, right?" The idea that she might have to leave as he had now been transferred to the watchful eyes of the Order dawned on him. But she already felt like a friend and seeing her being so happy there, he hoped to give her an excuse to stay.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

A kind smile stretched the lips of the old Master as the mercenary said his name, pretty well for a foreigner. The remaining four, Palm standing among them, proceeded to introduce themselves too. There were a lot of people to meet in the Navah-Xae, but for Mathieu's sake they would try to give him his space until he adjusted to life with them. Palm looked at him with the same mixture of friendliness and happiness that had overtaken her since they set foot on the landing bay. She had a feeling Mathieu's stay would be fleeting, but that was no deterrent for them. The soll'nav, among many other things, were teachers and learners. There was no turning down a willing student, even if their path led them elsewhere in the end.

It was then that Master Artem turned, placing a hand on Mathieu's shoulder as they all started to slowly walk back towards the Academy. "Well, for starters we'll get you settled in and out of the armor. We like warriors here, but no one's going to be attacking you anytime soon." His galactic basic sported an accent Palm lacked, Nexilis was a beautiful tongue but one not easy to shed away. Of course, they didn't welcome all kinds of warrior. Killing unnecessarily was severely frowned upon, but the right values in a disciplined body probably made for their favorite kind of person. It was then that Palm slowed her step, falling behind her childhood friends until she was walking next to Mathieu and the Master.

Her light brown eyes met the mercenary's own when he addressed her, but before she could speak the voice of one of the soll'kai ahead of them stopped her. "Unless she can fight all of us to get back on that ship right now, she is staying." That was Emre-Tal, a young man just a few years older than Palm. He turned his head to look at her with amusement and a smirk. He, unlike the Master's lighter force-presence or Palm's own neutral one, seemed to have a speck of darkness about him. Palm arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms, returning his remark with just as much sass.

"I like those odds, Emre, don't try me." She sing-songed. A rich laugh from the man ensued. Of course, only with a miracle would she be able to take four other knights down. That wouldn't keep her from taunting her friends. Even if she was that powerful, there was no way she would leave until it was absolutely necessary that she did. It was a surprise the authorities had allowed her to stay in the first place, Ambassadors couldn't return to Geminidae unless in dire need or officially recalled. To her, this was an oasis in the middle of a desert, to be enjoyed for as long as possible before it was time to press on and leave it behind once more. Palm then returned her gaze to Mathieu, "We have a bit of a different approach to the Force. Each of us has our own, it takes years to find our balance point so I don't think we'll get you there but you will learn a lot about yourself. The good, the bad and the ugly. It's not always fun." She admitted, and felt how Master Artem's eyes fell on her with a knowing look.

As soon as they made it inside the Academy, most of the soll'kai bid their momentary farewell to Mathieu. The soll'nav led busy lives, they had apprentices to teach and patrols to man. However, Emre stayed behind. "Come, I'll show you to your quarters." He said, his grey eyes on the mercenary and a small smile on his lips. Palm would stay with Master Artem for a bit, she knew he had questions to ask.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

He was a cheeky one, this Master Artem-Lahs, for when Mathieu asked him where to begin, he spoke of switching clothes which was not quite what he had expected. Still, he leaned his head to the side slightly, nodding and letting out a short "Yeah" whilst holding back a smile, hoping not to cause any offense in case the man was actually of the grumpier type. But for now, it didn't seem to be the case and the large Morellian felt relatively comfortable around him.

The same could not be said for the next one who would make a clear impression on him. It was a tall young man who felt a bit more daunting. Mathieu could not pinpoint why that was, but he did throw him a look as he spoke. Fortunately, Palm seemed to be on good terms with him, capable of joking around and throwing jabs at the fellow Geminaie. Instead of dwelling too much on the words of the other guy, the Mercenary feigned a smile before turning back to Artem-Lahs, seeing if he had anything to say - regardless of whether it be about this topic or another. Still, he was happy that the Ambassador would get to stay despite the factors which pulled her away from there. And then, Mathieu only knew of a fraction of the actual factors which kept her from the temple.

Eventually, she approached him again, momentarily leaving her friends to give him a an idea of what their order were. Throughout his life, Mathieu had idolized the Jedi, but hearing her speak of the Geminaie order did not dampen his spirits. The woman had managed to give him a good impression of them so far, and so had the Master whom had greeted him. Nodding in agreement, he spoke "A few years might be a bit much" with a lighthearted tone. This changed as she mentioned that there would be adversity in the learning experience too. A soft smile appeared on his lips as his gaze fell - from his point of view, he had been through plenty of bad times already and seen sides of himself which he despised and done things which he would never have thought of doing as a kid. It was something which he wanted to get away from and with that, he looked back up at her. Determination was clear in his eyes, but his voice remained soft, almost vulunerable "It'll be worth it" he said. Naturally, it was impossible for him to know if it truly was, but he nodded, comforting himself with his own agreement.

The Mercenary's eyes hopped from side to side as they entered the academy. While it was far less bizarre than Axa, it was still unlike the architecture he used to find during his travels. Waving the others off, his attention was soon focused on the tall man whom he had got a bad impression of since before. The idea of this being the person to welcome him was most amusing but it was probably for the best, as it would give Mathieu a chance to judge the guy based on his character, and not his outward appearance. After having listened to Palm, he had come to assume that it was an important thing to do when interacting with the locals of the planet.

Letting out a genuine "Thanks" Mathieu followed the other, making sure to use their time together whilst moving to his quarters to the fullest. "I don't think I caught your name" he said, looking to the other and reaching out his hand for a shake, mentioning his own name for good measure, despite having been introduced earlier "Mathieu" Not stopping there, he continued trying to chat with the man, first inquiring about how long he had been there and then asking "Have you specialised in any particular fields? I know that the Jedi from my end of the galaxy love delving deeper into one or a few select areas." Maintaining a friendly tone, he would try to keep the conversation going until they reached his quarters.

Mathieu had been very quick at changing when leaving the hospital - this time, he was everything but. While capable of getting in and out of his heavy armour at a moment's notice, he struggled more with getting into the robes which had been provided for him. Still, he would eventually emerge in brown colours. The clothing was of precisely the right length for him and while they were a little bit tighter than he would have got from a tailor, it was not at all something to complain about - especially considering his rather impressive build and generally low expectations of just finding something suitable at random. Eventually, he would come back to Palm and Artem-Lahs. A smile was visible on his lips and when he arrived, he said "Guys" and looked down at how he he looked and continued "This is just like when I used to dress up as a Jedi as a kid" he said, laughing and clearly rather happy about the situation. Throwing a glance, first to Palm and then setting his gaze on the Master, he asked "Are you guys sure about this? I mean, all I've done is to leave an ugly mark on your tundra up north"

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

Emre offered a smile, maybe not as warm as the one he had spared Palm but certainly not cold or faked. "You can call me Emre," He accepted Mathieu's hand in a firm and short handshake, then turned and started to walk alongside him as they got deeper into the Navah Xae. "Since I was a boy, three years old I think. Palm started training a few years after, being a Heir didn't allow for her to start as early as the rest of us do." He explained, not remembering that the mercenary might not know what being a Heir meant. Geminidae's government was quite unlike any other in the galaxy. Sovereign's were bred, tested, and eventually one of them was crowned. It was a rough way to be brought up, his friend had to go through three very different paths at the same time: Ambassador, Heir, soll'nav. It was surprising she had managed to make such bonds with people given how little time she'd had to herself.

The knight nodded his head, it hadn't go unnoticed by him that the mercenary was a bit skeptical of him. It was nothing he wasn't used to, and it made Emre guess that this man would lean towards the Light. It was understandable, every day he battled the whispers of the Darkside to remain on the position were his control was solid. Temptation would always be there, but trying to deny it completely was to deny himself of his own personality. No soll'nav would stand by that, Emre would rather accept the challenge of not falling completely to corruption. "I am a Sentinel, a duelist mostly. I focus on precognition and battle, not surprising given my inclination to the Darkside. I am also a teacher, as most soll'nav are." Emre's ability to sense the Force was uncanny, and his predisposition to manipulate it even more - a talent he did not tap onto given the restrain practiced by the Order.

Emre would wait outside once they reached their destination. While not particularly known for his patience, this was something he expected. The robes were comfortable but like with any layered clothing, a bit confusing for those not used to them. Once Mathieu came out once again, he gave an approving nod before guiding him back to were Master Artem and Palm would be.

XxXxX​

Palm walked alongside her Mentor towards a different room. It was a roofed balcony, overseeing the training ground were groups of apprentices could be seen sitting on the green grass while listening to their lectures. Some of the more advanced ones were dueling with practice sabers. The sight brought memories back, and a sad smile bloomed on the Ambassador's pink lips. "You have always yearned for something that isn't here, majhen. You are here now, yet you still yearn." Master Artem's voice spoke with wisdom, as if he knew something about her that she did not. Palm thought she understood what he meant. She loved her home, but it was not its comfort that she missed the most. It was the need to see it free. Now, with her amber gaze upon it, all she saw was caged beauty.

Master Artem knew she didn't completely understand what he meant, not really. But one day she would, and his old heart churned with hurt at this reality. He had seen her grow into the woman she was now, had been father figure where there shouldn't have been one. In a way, they were as his children, and thus no amount of meditation could ever save him from feeling for their sufferings, present or future. He could only hope that when that day came, she would be ready.

"It is the curse of every dreamer, is it not? I have to learn to live with it, with the knowledge that it may never come to pass." A small smile, a melancholic and bittersweet one, settled on the face of the Master as he gazed upon the one he had trained, her attention absorbed by the fields before them. He asked, in silence, that the Force be with her - for he could not follow her on the path she'd have to walk. So for now he would allow her this measure of peace, and he carried the rest of their conversation to happier tunes.

The Ambassador recounted her experiences fully and honestly. But the details of one in particular she kept to herself. Her visit to the reflecting pool in Dragonne Palace still weighted heavily in her mind, too much to feel comfortable speaking of it without summoning feelings she would rather avoid. Artem saw this and understood, and pressed no more on the matter. She still remained firmly grounded in her neutral alignment, and this was good. Their conversation was cut short when both of their attention shifted back to the room's entrance as they heard Mathieu and Emre approach. His task done, Emre bid them all goodbye before retiring to resume his duties.

The old Master offered an approving smile. "Ah, much better. Now we won't have scared kids running about when you make your way out into the training fields." There was humor in his voice. Palm smiled at him too, chuckling when he asked if they were sure it was a good idea to teach him.

"If anything, we'll make sure that doesn't happen again." She smirked, and then looked at Master Artem who nodded for her to continue. If the Master would have rather explained things to him, she wouldn't interrupt him but this was not the case. "So, there is no specific steps to learning the Force. But there is one way to begin understanding it and your own standing in it. Meditation." Palm kept her eyes on Mathieu, he seemed like an active guy and the idea of sitting in silence for hours was probably not very attractive to him. Luckily for him, alchaka was an alternative he could work up to once he managed to fall into a static meditative state. This was the beginning of a long journey for the mercenary, and probably one that would see him stripped of that title.

Mathieu Brion

//End Thread//