Many roots and many leaves..

[Talia]

Protectorate Library
Naboo



There were few things that would bring a certain measure of joy to Talia al Ghul, professor of S.A.A.T and educated scholar and researcher of the Protectorate. A few she could name off the top of her head were the following.

One was a fresh cup of black steaming caf, a strong bitter brew with enough omph to wake the dead. And the other, was the newly released periodical by Jedi Master [member="Phylis Alince"]. Needless to say, she had both in front of her, along with a sheet of loub-paper, her datapad, and her handy stylus.

Today would be one of the few days she was able to personally go through the library and conduct some research. Perhaps she might even be able to find more information on a particular piece she had been curious about.

Either way, she had the periodical to read, and for a researcher and scholar like her, this was as good as it got to a trashy romance novel by her favorite author.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Talia Al Ghul"]
Naboo. Phylis rather enjoyed the place, and since her family was there it was all the better. As she disembarked she looked at her chrono. Or rather she looked at her empty wrist and frowned.
"Oh...crumbs," she said mildly and fiddled with her bag. Finally she extracted it and peered at the result, puzzled. "It's not midnight...oh, sync to local time. That's better."
Determining that she had a few hours before her family get-together she headed for the library. She had some research to do, and she had some finishing touches to put to 'Archaeology Galactica Volume 12', the next issue. This one was about something probably only she would get excited about; the finding of Jedi ruins on the planet Voss. Well, maybe her and one other who happened to be around....

She went to the front desk and checked in. They knew her well enough by now that they gave her a pass. "There you go, Master Alince. The stacks are open to you," the attendant said.

 

[Talia]

Needless to say; word would travel fast.

Not fast enough for Talia perhaps, but fast none the less! It paid to be able to get holotweet updates. Yes, the archaeological and researcher society of sorts had a holotweet community.

It was small but it had passion!

Either way, Fate would have it that the two did not need a Holotweet to bump into each other. Talia was already sitting down upon a desk near the stacks dedicated to Voss.

Luck would have it that she was also the only one here. Yay for not many really enjoying academia.

Ahh, their loss!

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Talia Al Ghul"]
Phylis bustled through the library, heading with intent for the Voss section. This library contained many records which would have otherwise been lost when the 400 Year Darkness swept the galaxy.
She noticed one other woman there, a redhead. It was unusual to see people here who weren't staff. Generally she worked in the less popular and exciting areas of the library.
Still, she had work to do so she put down her bag on a desk and started gathering texts. She was very clearly a Jedi, if not for her Force signature, then her brown robes and lightsabre gave her away.
"Hmm, yes, Esh-dur's 'Summary of Gormak Lnaguage', yes yes. Hmm...where is 'A Record of Tablet Inscriptions' by Master Phinus? The computer says it's in stock," she asked aloud, mostly to herself.

 

[Talia]

[member="Phylis Alince"]

That slightly redhead, mahogany... shimmering crown of... well this isn't a trashy romance novel, and it certainly wasn't going to end with heaving breasts and crimson locks waterfalling upon gossamer gold!

Talia's head rose, brown eyes drawing up in curiosity as she heard the soft rustling of another sentient enter. From this distance, she couldn't quite get a look at her face. Save for the blonde hair and robes.

Well there were plenty of people who wore robes, so she couldn't quite peg her for a Jedi. That would take her a bit longer. At least, until the metallic glint of a lightsaber at her hip would prove to be another sign towards that direction.

Esh-dur's 'Summary of Gormak language'. That made her ears perk. Natural curiosity won out. Especially after the, 'A record of a Tablet Inscriptions.'

That one she had at her side, right next to her datapad. And alongside Master Alince's periodical.

Time to rise and shine. A faint smile would drift over her lips as Tali would lift her hand and wave, saying aloud for the other woman to hear, "Ahh.. I would have that."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Talia Al Ghul"]
Phylis peered over at the other woman. She was surprised, even puzzled.
"Ah, good...yes. Are you using it? Not many people are interested in esoteric historiography. Well, I guess you are. I'm Master Phylis Alince and...oh, you've got my article! That's good! Did you like it?"

 

[Talia]

There was a moment, yes, a single moment, where this particular protagonist began to blink and then.. promptly freeze.

Really, if there was ever a way to get Talia to stand there looking in shock and with a quite ridiculous expression on her face - a combo of surprise, realization, joy, excitement, followed by sheepish embarrassment - it was then.

Thankfully, no one else other than Master [member="Phylis Alince"] would bear witness to that.

"Ahh..." her lips would part only to close... and only to open again. She immediately held out the record of a Tablet Inscriptions over to Phylis, perhaps, in an overly excited manner. But oh well, nerds can be like that.


"Yes -- I mean, no! Not presently," she would begin, face starting to flush as she attempted to gather her compsure again. "And yes, yes I did quite enjoy it."

"I'm Talia -- I mean, Professor Al Ghul," one hand would then drop from the book to hold out to shake Phylis's hand. "A pleasure, Master Alince."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Talia Al Ghul"]
Phylis frowned, as though trying to place the name, then her eyes lit up as she shook hands. "Ah, this is a happy chance, Ms Al Ghul. I have read your works of course, especially your one on the Bando Gora which I thought was especially brilliant."
Holding out her hand she called the other datapad to her hand with the Force and examined it. "Hmm, yes, well, I have some new information on Voss actually. I'm going to add it as a supplemental to my article. I think you will find it interesting, hmm...if you'd like me to lay it out here."

 

[Talia]

[member="Phylis Alince"]

“That is high praise, thank you.” Talia would say, a genuine smile gracing her lips.

One did not have to tell Talia twice. In moments, she was helping in clearing out an area for Phylis to work upon.

“Yes, of course.” there was a bit of excitement dribbling across her face. So few were the chances of being able to discuss archeology and history with a fellow on par if not beyond her. Her bracelet would jingle slightly, the one with the pendant of the Order of Selab dangling from it.

“What new information do you have?”

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Talia Al Ghul"]
Now Phylis Alince was a Jedi Master, but she was somewhat amiably vague most of the time so observation was not her thing. However, it has been noticed elsewhere that perhaps this was just a cover, and that underneath she was a calculating and steely manipulator. Probably…the truth was somewhere in between.

However, she did notice the bracelet Talia wore and nodded. From under her robe she produced a pendent with the same symbol on it. It made sense that the two of them were sisters of the Selab.
“Good to see someone from the Order. The proper Order, not the other one I encountered recently.” She shuddered, recalling a meeting with [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] and her ‘literacy group’ which was…nothing of the sort.

“Still, where was I? Hmm…yes. Voss. Well, I’ve found old evidence from the Cold War era that there were Jedi on Voss in the distant past…and that they unintentionally shaped the mystic’s beliefs!”

 

[Talia]

[member="Phylis Alince"]

Shock would flicker across Talia’s face, brown eyes locking up on Phylis. The commentary about encountering someone from the Order, the proper order striking a chord within her.
Her attention would fall to the pendant, the symbol of the Selab Tree identifying her as one of the Order.

The corner of her mouth would perk. Leave it for Master Alince to be part of a group that would seek to secure knowledge from those who would abuse it.

“Well this makes all the more sense now.” came Talia’s soft reply, more to the former than the latter.

Her brows would rise, only to furrow. “That Voss were unintentionally shaped by the Jedi?” she sat down, inviting for Phylis to do so.

“What have you’ve discovered?”

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Talia Al Ghul"]
Phylis sat, tucking her medallion out of sight once more. It was good to be part of the initiated, the true initiated, and not some sex addled cult like last time.

“I have discovered information, pieced together from records of the time and from excavations that once the Voss and Gormak were one and the same people. The Sith in the ancient times had conquered them, and the Jedi taught them to use the Force to fight the Sith. However, the Force changed those being taught, and the Voss evolved from the Gormak, becoming a separate species!”

It seemed Phylis was always in the box seat for uncovering embarrassing secrets about theocratic despotisms. Such was the job of the historian.

“Of course, such a claim, even with proof, is liable to cause great and considerable outcry.”

 

[Talia]

[member="Phylis Alince"]

Her eyes would widen. This was news indeed. “That the Voss and the Gormak were one species?” a pause would follow as she would mull over this tidbit of information. Much of the research and data recovered on the Voss had been lost in the wake of the Gulag Virus. Even prior to the four-hundred year darkness, Voss had maintained an aura of mysteriousness.

“Yes, it would cause an outcry. One against Sith and Jedi alike -- likely to be used as proof that the intervention of both can cause such rifts within a local populace and cause drastic changes to their society.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Talia Al Ghul"]
"It was discovered thousands of years ago, but the information was buried," Phylis explained. "But yes, I think this is information we cannot allow to just roam free. It's something for us to preserve, don't you agree, Professor?"
Now all Phylis had to do was discover another race's embarrassing and then she'd have the trifecta!

 

[Talia]

[member="Phylis Alince"]

“Indeed,” Talia would nod, agreeing. “Such information may very well set in motion a troubling series of events.”

She would frown, pondering. “What are the current relations with the Voss and the Gormak?” she would ask, wondering. With the most recent rediscovery of Voss, there were only mere fragments of data.

Talia had not heard of anyone other than a few xenologists mentioning Voss in recent travels.