Just Plain Ginger
It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.
Location: M'haeli
Isla’s small transport set down at the foot of the D’olop Mountain Range, surrounded by a serene nature scene that was topped off with a blanket of snow. Though she had never been to M’haeli before, she had the feeling that she would be very much at home on the agriworld. For Isla came from farm life, she knew what it meant to work with her hands, to labor from dawn until dusk, and to place all hopes of a prosperous year into the seeds that were sowed. Once her shuttle had powered down, Isla’s tall frame rose as high as the cramped space in the cockpit would allow, and she moved to the small cargo bay. There was a pang of anxiety in the pit of her stomach, she was eager to escape the confines of her transport – there was little she disliked more than flying. But at least this time the controls had been firmly in her hands, not the hands of someone unknown, someone that she did not trust.
Today she was not wearing the traditional robes of the Knights of Ren, but a simple outfit comprised of a hardy pair of tawny trousers, a thick sweater, tough boots, and a heavy overcoat that was fur-lined. Slender hands found her rucksack, and she set about filling it to capacity with supplies, rations, and a few canteens of water. There was a single blaster pistol on her hip, for an adventure into the wilds held the possibility of danger. Isla smoothed her fiery red hair back, plaited it simply, and then pulled the hood of her coat over her head. With her rucksack’s straps slung over her shoulders, and the pack resting nicely on her back, she lowered the ramp. Isla’s green eyes took in the mountain range that towered above her; it almost looked like a painting. There was something peaceful about the snowy peaks, but she knew that the cold and the snow would make her climb all the more difficult.
The young woman’s boots moved forward, sinking down into the snow and leaving behind a trail of footprints. It was still morning, and there was plenty of light left to travel by, but her hand touched the light rod on her belt, just to make sure it was still there. Isla pulled a pair of leather gloves from her pocket and slid them over her calloused hands. Despite her warm clothing, the cold still bit at her face, but it was not completely unpleasant. It was refreshing. Isla was a new addition to the fold of the Ren, and she had been living for the past weeks in the Citadel at Starkiller Base on Dosuun. It was a different world than she was used to. She had a wild spirit that was easily broken when kept away from the freedom of nature; Isla was truly at home when under an open sky.
And now, she moved towards the mountains, her heart light and her head focused. For she was not here to journey aimlessly, she was here to find a Dragite Crystal – a most important component for her lightsaber. This pilgrimage to the D’olop Mountains would hopefully provide her with a crystal, and a quiet place to meditate.