Searching For a Sign

[Nylea Apollodor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io-lz1zvV-A

Theed, Naboo
Sometime at day

Nylea wasn't sure what she was looking for anymore. If anyone would ask her the answer would have been hope, but at this point she doubted that was enough at this point. That fateful day when the woman she had looked up to more than anyone turned her back on everything the echani stood for and left a gaping wound in her soul replayed in her mind every night. The sight of [member='Hazel Zanteres'] walking past her in the hallways, the feeling of dread creeping over her as she felt the Force scream out in pain, the nearly lifeless figure of her closest friend [member='Nora Lithos'] in the courtyard of Sanctuary. It kept her up when she needed sleep. The Order of the Sacred Lotus hadn't been what it once used to be for a long time, but was this the end?

There were feelings of guilt over leaving Monastery without a word without even knowing what was going to happen now but more importantly not being there while Nora recovered, but the silver-haired woman felt she simply had to. She couldn't bear to watch whether the Lotus would survive or not, the one place she felt she could truly redeem herself. Eventually she would return, but until that time she would search. For what Nylea didn't know, but what she did know was that it wouldn't be found on Monastery. And so her aimless wandering had brought her to Naboo, a place that by all account should have lifted her spirits. The market she strolled through was buzzing with life, merchants were shouting to praise their wares, there was laughter. Yet, it wasn't what she was looking for.

As the woman was lost in thought she accidently bumped her right shoulder against another market-goer, snapping her out of her own little world and back into reality. "Sorry," she said in a bit of a flustered tone as she rubbed her upper arm before continuing her walk. The sleeve of the jacket she wore that covered her left arm got pulled up a little while doing so, revealing an armband with the Lotus' emblem she still wore to remind herself to return one day. For now however, she would explore Theed a bit more. Perhaps there was something she hadn't come across yet.

And there was something telling her there most definitely was.

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

As a teenager, before the whole Jedi business and discovery of her Force sensitivity, Jamie had been a normal girl. She went to her studies, performed her civic duties, volunteered as a youth advisor, helped her parents around the estate, and practiced her fencing when able. But the one thing she had always taken special joy in was Theed's marketplace. It was a sprawling expanse of vendors, travelers from all over the galaxy that would come year round to sell their products to both locals and tourists alike. And like the tides, what they brought always changed. There was such an eclectic variety of trinkets, equipment, novelties and more that Jamie could spend hours upon hours just browsing, though she typically found a small something for herself now and then.

It was distractions like these that got her into trouble. Quite often she would pass through on her way to an important test, or to a gathering or event. The girl would get so caught up in perusing that she would be terribly late, so much so that she received an earful of scolding from her mother.

It was things like that she missed. Simplicity. The ease of life as it were when she were merely years younger.

Now everything was different. She was twenty-one. She was the elected monarch of her home. She was a Jedi Knight, or at least she was by some standard, if not 'officially'. The blonde belonged not to the New Jedi Order of the Alliance, never had, in fact. She had been trained by one of their Jedi, that much was true, but she was anointed to Knight by personal decree more than undertaking any prescribed trials of a council. Unorthodox by many standards, but it was training that she would have taken no other way. Aela had been a great teacher, and an even better friend to her. In Jamie's eyes, they were sisters.

She walked quietly, plain clothed and unadorned with the typical styling of Naboo monarchy. It drew too much attention, even if she were still largely recognizable with her sun bathed, partially curled golden locks. Most paid her little attention, save for a nod and a good day as she passed. Unlike other places in the galaxy, the monarch of Naboo was seldom a scarce sight. Their availability to the public perhaps wore off some of the novelty of meeting what some would consider a celebrity in other reaches of the galaxy. As she browsed beneath the shade of a tent, ocean blue eyes scanning the wares, the woman paused, not so much due to anything in particular before her, but the odd sensation of a ripple in the Force. As if a gentle pebble had fallen into a still water. Her head lifted then, curiously shifting from left to right. With so many people about it would be a challenge, but not an impossible one, to locate the catalyst of that ripple.

[member="Nylea Apollodor"]

 

[Nylea Apollodor]

As much as Nylea wanted to move on and go wherever the wind would take her, the nagging feeling in the back of her mind kept her from doing so. It was clear there was something about this market yet she did not know what it was, but until she found it she couldn't bring herself to leave. It left her wondering whether it was the reason she was still here what she was looking for or not, with the only way to find out letting the Force guide her steps. The echani hoped it would bring the answer to that question, even if that hope was one she did not invest much in. It was the result of walking on her toes for some time now, down to the point where she had to see things with her own eyes to believe it. Perhaps the feeling would fade, perhaps there was more to it. Either outcome seemed likely.

Although it seemed Nylea was wandering randomly, this was not the case. Although she did not know what she was walking towards, the Force most definitely did and that was all she needed. It was one of the many market stands where she came to a halt, looking over the wares that were displayed in front of her. It did not take long for her to instinctively turn her head to the side, laying her eyes on the woman next to her, her previously oblivious mind suddenly realizing there was someone standing close to her who stood apart from everyone else when looking through the eyes of the Force. Her face was one that many would recognize immediately, and the same went for Nylea. She was certain the blonde next to her was the queen of Naboo, but that made little sense to her. Queens wouldn't show up to crowded markets like this, she assumed, yet the resemblance was striking, too much so to be a coincidence. The echani wondered if this was why she felt compelled to stay here. That didn't mean she knew what to do next, however.

Burying her troubles underneath a gentle smile, she nodded slightly to greet her before quickly reasserting her posture to match her facial expression. It was far from out of the question to assume she would be able to see through it, but she did so anyway in an attempt to retain a friendly look. "Good day."

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

As the woman slowly swiveled her head through the expanse of crowd, it was then she noted the one person in particular that seemed to have already seen her. She spoke, but it wasn't the two brief syllables spoken in greeting that had Jamie transfixed on the echani woman, but a feeling of tension and unease that settled around her like a fog. That was it though, nothing more surfaced on the woman. Peculiar. Jamie nodded in a friendly manner, dipping her head in a small bow whilst returning upright with a smile.

"And so it is."

This person wasn't someone Jamie recognized, certainly not from the royal court, nor one of the many embassies in Theed. A drifter, a traveler, or a tourist most likely. The accent was certainly not of Naboo, of that she was certain. "Visiting Naboo?" The question was posed more rhetorically than anything. Jamie was rather certain she was not living in or around Theed. Most Force Sensitives had no reason to find themselves on Naboo without purpose, and there were no Jedi or Sith temples to be found.

"Allow me to welcome you to my home. I'm Jamie."

[member="Nylea Apollodor"]

 

[Nylea Apollodor]

"One of the many planets I have visited on my journey." None of the planets she had visited earlier had left much of an impression, but Naboo was perhaps the first towards something. Nylea nodded for a moment as she turned her head back to the market stand. "I was born on Eshan, but I live on Monastery now. The home of the Order of the Sacred Lotus, although it isn't nearly at the scale it used to be anymore." Perhaps the woman knew of the group, perhaps not. Time moved quickly and things were often forgotten at the same speed, but every once in a while the echani would meet someone who remembered. They weren't completely dissolved yet, but they were no longer able to operate on a galactic scale. "I must say, Naboo is as beautiful as the stories I heard. It's good to see that there are still places like this in the galaxy."

When the blonde woman revealed her name, Nylea suddenly stood up a bit more straight. The fact she looked so familiar could have been a coincidence, albeit a very rare one, but having the likeness queen of Naboo as well as having the same name took away that possibility. "Am I, am I right to assume you are Jamie of House Pyne? The queen of Naboo?" She turned her full body towards Jamie, a little unsure of how to act. "It is an honor. My name is Nylea Apollodor." A small tremble snuck into her voice, acting as evidence that she was a bit nervous about meeting someone of such importance. "I apologize for not recognizing you earlier."

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie nodded, a warm smile adorning her face as she listened to Nylea. Though by the time she had finished her apology the girl had nearly lost her composure. A wide grin was all that separated her from a bout of laughter. "It would be incredibly egotistical of someone, myself included, to demand recognition of travelers abroad. Even here, on Naboo, I never expect or demand any kind of tribute or honorable reception by those I meet." All things considered she was a very approachable person. Unlike other places in the galaxy where a sighting of the monarch or governing figurehead was akin to celebrity status, Jamie was very much an accessible person.

"But to answer your question directly, yes, that I am. And no apology necessary, Nylea."

Jamie had heard in passing about the Sacred Lotus, but scarce was the information she had on it. The majority of her attention was focused on the First Order, and rightfully so, as they had pushed several times into Alliance territory, as well as kidnapped her and nearly murdered her twice since. But that was hardly a story to share with visitors.

"Naboo is beautiful indeed. But it is not the only beautiful place. The galaxy is vast and far reaching, but we have the Force to guide us on our journey. Just as it has brought you here."

She turned partway to look Nylea in the eye, vibrant sapphires glowing against the sun. "Though I am curious to know what for?"

[member="Nylea Apollodor"]

 

[Nylea Apollodor]

The calming feeling of Jamie's presence in the Force extended itself to her words, which helped Nylea shift gears from her somewhat nervous state into something more collected. "I suppose I am just not very used to meeting someone so important and well-known." It was perhaps a bit unexpected to see just how normal the blonde woman was, which required a bit of an adjustment. Luckily that meant she could be herself as well however, which was a natural switch rather than a concious one. "And this generally isn't the kind of place where you would meet them," she noted with a bit of humor in her tone, her worries put aside even if it was for just a moment.

"I cannot dispute that. I must say that Monastery is one of those places as well, but then in a different way." It had felt like it had been too long since Nylea had last seen its surface, even if it had not been more than a week. It would have been a lie to say she didn't miss home. "It is a very quaint place. Very removed from the troubles of the galaxy somehow."

The question that was posed by Jamie was one the echani did not answer in as an immediate way as she had spoken before. "That is a bit of a difficult question to answer." It was not a topic that one could tell anyone about so freely, which made it hard for her to formulate a proper answer that wouldn't weigh down the mood of the conversation. "I suppose the best way to put it is that I am looking for wisdom. I am trying to put recent events into perspective through travelling, meeting new people and exploring new territory." Perhaps it was already a bit too much to say, but it was the only answer she could find in herself that was true.

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

To that she smiled, "I am only important and well known to the people I serve. To the rest of the galaxy? I am just some foreign woman they think of, sitting on a throne and preaching peace and neutrality, woefully misguided and arguably too young to be a ruler, let alone one chosen by the people to hold the title." Jamie stifled a laugh before continuing. "But I am just like anyone else born on this world. I studied, learned, grew up, made and lost friends, held hobbies and liked to explore. To me, this is simply a duty I was elected to carry out, and I do so in collaboration with advisors, and do what I can to continue making Naboo a place of serenity."

Monastery was not a place she had ever been, like many areas of the galaxy she had yet to explore. But if it were anything like Naboo it was certainly a place worth visiting.

"Sometimes being removed is a gift all in itself."

If an enemy thought it had nothing to gain for its troubles, it typically wouldn't spare the effort. That was largely what had kept Naboo safe, aside from its declaration of neutrality.

The blonde gestured with her hand for Nylea to join her as she began to walk. "Wisdom is something I've found that can be discovered in ways not typically thought of. Rather than old texts and aged scholars, it can be found in the most mundane things. It depends on your outlook, your perception, how you react and handle situations, and viewing the perspectives of others. If you're looking to piece a puzzle together, travel is certainly a means to an end."

[member="Nylea Apollodor"]

 

[Nylea Apollodor]

"I am getting the feeling you are speaking from personal experience." At the gesture Nylea cast one final glance at the market stall before turning on her heel and setting off behind Jamie. "I suppose the difficult times that make you seek such wisdoms are what make you grow as a person. To gain the strength to carry on." Not all hope for the Lotus had been lost yet. The ideal yet lived and as long as that was the case they could rebuild. The echani herself would have been of no help in her current state of mind however, perhaps she needed more time before going back. When her personal demons were faced, nothing would be able to distract her.

The crowd around the woman went their own way while she and Jamie made her way through, even if Nylea wasn't certain where they were going. "If I may ask, if my assumption about personal experience was right, what is the story behind it?" It was a question she asked out of wonder, curious to know the young queen found her wisdom.

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"There is no one story, but a collection of them over my lifetime, short as it may be thus far." She smirked. To most folks, she was still a child, especially given the lifespans of some of the galactic races. But the things she'd experienced thus far were certainly unusual for the typical Nabooian. "But I believe that personal experience is the only true way to obtain wisdom." The blonde was hardly looking to speak in riddles and rhymes, but the fact of the matter was that every lesson, small or large, held some sort of wisdom to learn from, and she would not have that wisdom without having experienced it for herself.

"Setbacks and failures, as difficult as they are to swallow, are some of the best teachers of wisdom. I met a Sith once, a pureblood. Rage and hatred consumed his heart. I left him chained to a railing, rather than killing him. He came after me time after time. Nearly killed me more than once. But I learned from that. I was naive. Not that I should have killed him, I still today would not, but I learned not to become complacent, to always be prepared."

[member="Nylea Apollodor"]

 

[Nylea Apollodor]

Nylea could help but nod, unable to disagree with what was said. "Prepared. That was what I should have been." In a way, she believed that she had been complacent herself. The signs of Hazel's gradual descent had been there, but only when it was too late did she truly see that it had been something to take seriously. But it was a lesson, one the echani would make sure not to forget. "I see what you are saying. My own naivity got my close friend nearly killed, and caused caused the person I respected the most-" She cut herself off while a troubled look snuck into her eyes. "Sorry." It wasn't her place to oust all of her feelings in such a manner.

"You definitely are wise beyond your years," Nylea noted while she attempted to shift away from what she was saying before, not wanting to force it upon anyone. "There still are things about myself that I need to sort out. Clean up the mess of the past, so to say." At its very core, it was about accepting it and closing the chapter for herself. That wasn't nearly as easily said than done, however. "Then again, I suppose that when you are the queen of Naboo wisdom is even more important."

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"It's always easier to see your flaws in hindsight. But all one can do is learn from their mistakes and push onward." There were certainly more times than not that Jamie nearly got herself or someone else placed into a very terrible spot. She'd nearly died more than once during a mission with Aela. In fact, she still often wondered how she hadn't died. Aela really saved her behind that night, even though she was certainly under no obligation to. It was risky beyond belief. "The past is beyond your grasp. There's no need to linger on the mistake. The important thing is that you don't make the same mistake next time."

Jamie couldn't help but laugh for a moment at the mention of her requiring the wisdom to rule Naboo.

"I have more help than necessary on that end. Plenty of advisers. Lots of eyes, ears, and voices to go along with my own. Naboo may be a monarchy, but I certainly don't do it alone. I believe that would make me a foolish ruler."

Or a tyrant...

[member="Nylea Apollodor"]