The Higher You Are, The Farther You Fall; The Je'daii Order Settlement of Ceto

[Lief]

Academy Construction Site​

Ceto​

​

​

Perched atop a rocky plateau, nestled between two mountainous rock faces with the promise of a deadly drop on all sides, the foundations which marked out the future Academy lay. The views are absolutely phenomenal, breathtaking in the truest sense of the word, and all around the heavy rush of water falling down the mountainsides echo through the valley. A brisk sea breeze washes over the area, brought in from the ocean which lay just around the corner.

The island which had been carefully selected by the three involved bodies, the Je'daii Council, the Selkath Government of Ceto, and Mister [member='Jorus Merrill'] of the Outer Rim Coalition, is paradise. Even with the din of construction workers melding with nature's chorus the serenity cannot be tainted.

Several individuals who are not especially necessary for the construction process itself are presently on site. A small number of representatives from the Je'daii Order, [member='Cotan Sar'andor'] from the ORC, and a member of Ceto's Department of Design and Construction, make up the integral party.

Objectives and (Optional) Writing Prompts:

1. Offer assistance on the Construction Site; while some of the more technical aspects may be left to the professionals, there's always room to lug equipment and make hot beverages...
   
2. Explore the nearby area; this area will be an integral part in the upbringing of many of the Je'daii's youngest members. Any extra information about the native wildlife, or nearby wonders, could prove beneficial.
   
3. Capitalize on the peace; sure you're here to keep a watch on things, but that doesn't mean you can't make good use of your surroundings. Take a moment to meditate, to reconnect with the Force, or learn from those around you.
   
4. Whatever the heck you want; I'm not your mother, do as you please!

Known Participants:

[member='Cotan Sar'andor'] | [member='Asha Hex'] | [member='Lothar Lundgren'] | [member='Ryiah Tenriem']

Any other member of the Je'daii Order is free to join in.

If you wish to participate, but are not a member of the Je'daii Order, feel free to send a PM to Asha Hex and we'll see if we can't work something out.

The height at which she currently stood was dizzying.

An overwhelming urge to throw a stone over the edge overcame her, curious to see how long it would take to reach the bottom, of whether there would even be an audible indication of such. She shifted her gaze over the side, body visibly tense as she took in the sight of mist below. The vast amount of waterfalls in the area left the lower elevations filled with a perpetual spray of water, making it even harder to gauge the distance.

"Be careful that you do not slip, young one."

The voice of the Selkath official drew her attention away from the edge, and with a wry smile she rejoined their merry band of misfits. Most of them she knew, whether she had brought them into the Order, met with them while scouting out this very project - albeit on a different world all together - or had simply seen them around Aurum. There were a few faces she was used to seeing that were not present, such as Jyn and her Father, but they were busy over on Midvinter finalizing Stav Kesh with the Valkyri High King.

So many projects were taking place to facilitate the Je'daii's growth. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride.

To one side Je'daii Temple Master Jal Som was talking over some technical issues they were facing, nothing major but enough to have the Neimoidian locked in heated discussion with the foreman.

The foundation was admittedly just a square, and had she not seen the architectural plans with her own eyes she might have been skeptical about what was being built here. Her gaze drifted over to some of the materials which had been brought forth from the innards of the mountain they were facing; a large chunk had been hollowed out and reinforced to make room for a hangar bay, and the stone itself would be utilized in most of the Academy's outer structure.

"The colour is beautiful," she remarked, running her hand over one of the slabs, "We'll hardly notice that the Academy is here at all..."

That was, she realized, the plan.

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

Ceto
Future Je'daii Academy

The Je'daii Journeyer ticked off another new planet to his vastly growing list. Never had he ever thought he would travel this much throughout the galaxy before leaving his slightly primitive homeworld. But even then, a new temple was under construction on Midvinter so perhaps the Valkryi would be able to visit home sometime in the near future. It was almost overwhelming how much was going on in the Order, and with Lothar trying to help with it all. He couldn't help it, however. He felt obligated to help the Order as much as he could, and truth be told he really enjoyed experiencing everything he had.

Now, the Journeyer was walking along with a few fellow Je'daii, including [member="Asha Hex"], on the world of Ceto. If Lothar had to choose a word to describe the location of the future academy, he would probably choose "interesting." Between two mountains, on and island, and a hangar that originated inside of one of the mountains itself. Interesting indeed.

Lothar Lundgren watched as Asha remarked on the color of the stone slabs. He nodded, agreeing to the comment on the color and the comment on the visibility of the academy.

He stepped off in an undetermined direction, staring off into the wilderness. The Valkryi was pondering what he would do today. Perhaps he would help out with the manual labor of the building of the Academy, or perhaps go exploring a bit. Maybe he would wait and see what his colleagues would start on first.

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

"You know, I think this is the first time I've been outside of ORC territory in a year," Cotan mused to himself, watching the building process going on in front of him. And it was true - Ceto was just outside of ORC space, and Cotan had been in ORC space almost exclusively since he joined them a month or so before his twentieth birthday. "I really should take breaks like this more often." A short while prior to this, he'd first met Asha Hex on Aaris III, when she'd been scouting out a temple location. While that planet itself didn't work out, after he'd sent her to Jorus Merill the planet Ceto ended up getting chosen as the best location, with Cotan being sent along as the ORC's representative.

Which, while he was technically working, was - so far as he was concerned - a paid vacation. Everything had been worked out perfectly well enough that all he was really there for was to witness what was happening.

Which, the more Cotan thought about it, while relaxing, was also a bit slow, compared to what all he'd been doing recently. Hunting pirates, fighting bandits on a train, getting involved in a shootout with thugs in a warehouse...

It could even be described as boring.

Cotan, indeed, felt bored.

Asha would shortly notice the stone she was running her hand over lifting up into the air, alongside the rest of the stack below it, floating towards a hoversled nearby. Cotan had just noticed one of the construction workers walking off to find equipment to lift the stack up onto the hoversled, so that he could pull it along to where the stone was going to be placed, starting one of the walls of the academy. "Careful you don't interrupt the work, miss Hex," he called to the slightly younger woman as he walked up, in a jocular, teasing tone that hearkened back to the conversation they'd had on Aaris III. Or, more properly, the numerous jokes he'd made in that conversation. Before she might ask him why he'd done that he gestured to the surprised worker, who had just returned with the equipment that would lift the slabs of stone. "I felt like being helpful!" he told the Selkath (and, he supposed, Asha), gesturing back at the hoversled, which was now heavily ladened with stone. The worker thanked him in Selkath - a language that Cotan didn't really know at all - before moving back to the hoversled.

Cotan, meanwhile, turned back to Asha, although just past her, he could spy another Journeyer, staring off into the wilderness of the island. Said Journeyer looked like he could wrestle down a Gundark if he found one (which was only a slight exaggeration, in Cotan's mind; the young man didn't necessarily seem to be a full adult yet, but maybe when he got older, he could wrestle a Gundark and win). "What're you thinking about, muscles? Going to try and play skipping rocks with these slabs?"

[member="Lothar Lundgren"] [member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Lothar Lundgren"] | [member="Asha Hex"] | [member="Cotan Sar'andor"]

There was a third representative besides the Je'daii, the Selkath government and the ORC Judge.

Lord Itash of House Mecetti. Owner of Didact Defense Solutions and officially contracted by the Selkath Government to run security for this construction effort little over a week ago. Lobbying had gone into this contract, of course, Wyman apparently had been quite friendly with the Selkath Senator many years ago before the One Sith burned down Ahto City and send many of them fleeing their homeworld. The old man would get his share, DDS would get theirs and the Selkath government would rest easily that there wouldn't be another slaughter associated with the Je'daii like the last time on Aurum.

That had apparently been a blood bath.

He remained silent for the most part.

Instead Tash watched the construction efforts, elbows leaning easily on one of the large crates, while softly listening to the chatter between his men all around the construction yard. There weren't many of them, but enough that if something happened?

These people would have the time to evacuate in time. "Security through deception only works for as long as said deception stays in place, miss." Tash finally piped up, while stretching and allowing one of the Selkath workers to take the crate away towards its destination. "Can't go wrong with a heavy deflector shield and maybe some anti-air emplacements." The Mecetti scion had already offered that suggestion twice around, but both times he had been rebuffed.

His concern was appreciated, but unnecessary they had assured him.

Of course it wasn't concern for their well-being.

Part of him would be morbidly satisfied if another slaughter happened, because they didn't listen. But the larger part- it would be annoyed that a source of income would go away. After all, if this assignment went well and without hiccups? What was to say that the Je'daii Order wouldn't think of him next time around they needed some extra brawn into the mix.

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

[member="Itash Mecetti"] | [member="Cotan Sar'andor"] | [member="Asha Hex"]

Suddenly, a voice interrupted the young Valkryi's thoughts. Lothar turned around, now facing the man who was speaking to him. He had noticed Cotan when they all arrived, but Lothar had yet to introduce himself to the man. He chuckled at the man's comment and spoke, "I don't think I'm quite that strong." The Valkryi stepped closer to Cotan, and extended a hand out, "I'm Lothar Lundgren, Journeyer with the Je'daii Order."

There was another man in the group that Lothar had not yet been introduced to. A CEO or something of that sort. As far as Lothar knew, the guy wanted business in selling some sort of defensive structures to the Order. Personally, Lothar didn't think much about the defense of the Academy. At the moment, there was not much of a threat poised at the Order, and even less at a place for younglings to learn and grow. He did, however, understand the man's point. Should the Academy come under attack, defensive structures would surely be appreciating. The issue with that, Lothar assumed, was the cost of upkeep. He didn't voice any of his opinions, however. He was still young and still just a Journeyer in the Order. He would leave the big decision making to those experienced enough to properly make the big decisions.

Lothar glanced back over his shoulder, gazing upon the Selkath workers continuing to construct the future Academy. He was excited to witness its completion, and even more so to watch younger Je'daii learn the ways of the Order here. A whole new generation, perhaps even one at least partially taught by himself. The thought only lingered for a moment though, as the Journeyer realized he was just fantasizing and that he was still a ways away from teaching anyone.

 

[Lief]

She would have been lying if she said it wasn't an absolute pleasure to hear [member='Cotan Sar'andor']'s voice again.

The ORC Judge was quite the character, charismatic and easy to talk to he had left quite the impression on the young Hex back on Aaris-III and had ultimately led her and her Order to this point in time, getting her in touch with Jorus Merrill himself. Now they were both able to watch the fruits of their labour grow, stone by stone.

"Me? Interrupt? Hardly," she quipped, with a grin, turning toward the sound of his voice and watching as he quite effortlessly piled one of the hoversleds high with heavy materials, "Seems to me you're the one poking your nose in. Though he appreciates it." Just like Cotan, she did not in fact speak Selkath - though she intended to learn it during her time here on Ceto - but she was generally a good read. That was the Lorrdian in her.

Another voice was just as quick to interject, and Asha was surprised to see that it was the leader of the security group which the Selkath Government had hired who had hailed her attention. It was a clever move by the Selkath, while Aurum was relatively unknown and insignificant to the Core, out here on the Fringes, especially this close to home, there were few who did not recall the butchering of their people by the Horde. She doubted they wanted more of the same besmirching their good reputation.

"You are correct, of course. Still, this is a place of learning and growth... Not a military compound. Your concerns are duly noted though, and appreciated, Mister Mecetti."

She stepped toward him, watching from her peripheral as her fellow Journeyer engaged with Cotan, and inclined her head into a respectful bow. "It's good to finally meet you, I'm Asha Hex." Not that he needed that information, nor likely cared, but Asha was a creature of habit and tradition, and she had seen his name on the roster of incoming bodies since the project first began. Some things she couldn't simply shake. Besides, that meant most of the larger introductions were out of the way. They could think about moving onto different things. Asha, for one, felt inclined to explore the surroundings... And she had noticed that Journeyer Lundgren had been looking to do the same.

[member='Itash Mecetti'] | [member='Lothar Lundgren']

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Asha Hex"] | [member="Lothar Lundgren"] | [member="Cotan Sar'andor"]

"Lord," Tash corrected her smoothly, before seeing the blink of confusion on her expression. "Lord Tash of House Mecetti."

Oh, it might have sounded rude or unpleasant, but it was a matter of fact. If you allowed propriety and politeness to subvert your titles than what would follow next was complete collapse. It was his noble title that was his strongest support in this Galaxy. Doors that were closed, opened themselves simply because it was a Mecetti knocking on the door and asking for entry.

Would he have received this contract if not for the Baron's patronage, his own nobility and the handful of contracts he had already fulfilled in the Galaxy? No, Tash did not think so.

"Pleasure meeting you, miss... Hex." Head tilted softly as he offered his hand for her to take. If done, a kiss would brush her knuckles next. The standard of Tapani graciousness. Anything else would have been rude- and as mentioned before, that wasn't his aim right now. "Exotic last name, where does it come from?"

A pretty face, certainly.

But a touch too young for his own taste. Amusing to corrupt? Perhaps, but infinitely less entertaining as someone with more experience.

It was merely politeness that was moving him along for now.

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

"You just need to know the right way to poke your nose in, then you aren't interrupting anything," Cotan quipped back at Asha, before rapidly finding his attention drawn in two separate directions. He gave a nod back at Lothar, shaking his hand firmly. "Cotan Sar'andor. Guy who more-or-less knows how to use the Force." That introduction set aside, he turned back to Tash and Asha, catching onto their introductions just in time to hear the insistence on Tash being called Lord Mecetti. The insitence on proper title reminded Cotan a bit of what the nobles back on Naboo were like. Thankfully, he hadn't needed to deal with them much himself.

"Well, your lordship, it's not every day you get to meet a member of Tapani nobility. I never went into Mecetti province much, though, other than a couple visits to Obulette. I spent most of my time there in the Free Worlds or on Procopia." He had no way of knowing if the somewhat-over-emphasized way he'd referred to Itash would be considered insulting, but in Cotan's mind, anybody who was going to insist on titles at a time and place like this could probably benefit from being knocked down a peg. Besides, House Mecetti had held the reputation of being the most bellicose and arrogant of the Tapani noble houses for at least a milennia. Might be fun to see if this gentleman held true to the reputation or not.

"Although I will agree about the deflector shields. Even if this place is hidden, you can never be too safe here on the outer rim. Especially since Ceto isn't even in ORC territory, so you can't really expect any guaranteed protection from them; having something to make sure your temple doesn't get shot by some down-on-his-luck pirate looking for an easy score would be a good idea."

[member="Itash Mecetti"] [member="Asha Hex"] [member="Lothar Lundgren"]

 

[Lief]

"Is it Lord?" she inquired, quite innocently, "Then forgive me, Lord Mecetti, I meant no offense."

Her gaze drifted to the hand which was offered out toward her, and somewhat tentatively she extended her own only to watch as he lifted it to his lips. An odd tradition, though she knew that many noble houses had their way of doing things, just as Asha had developed her own, and so she merely inclined her head and smiled in response.

"As for my heritage, I am not at all aware of where my family originated from. It was always just my Father and I."

It was at this point that Cotan piped up again, and she looked toward the Judge with a curious expression. His words were toeing the line toward being insulting, though whether Itash would see it as such remained to be seen. Instead of voicing such concerns she merely shook her head and continued to listen to what was being said, though her gaze drifted toward [member='Lothar Lundgren'] once again.

"Ceto is a peaceful world," she reminded them, after a few more moments of silence, "They have never attracted the attention of Galactic Powers, wars have not been fought in or around its system, and given that knowledge of our presence here does not go beyond the present parties I am hopeful that such will not change any time soon. Perhaps you should bring your concerns up with the Je'daii Council, Lord Mecetti, they do have the final say over such things after all. It might be that you can have them see your reasoning for suggesting it."

Nobody on this site was really able to make that call on their own, likely the reason why his suggestions had been met with refusal thus far.

"While we are here, Temple Master Som has asked that we investigate some of the local wildlife." These words were of course directed more toward Lothar than the other two, though they'd be more than welcome to accompany them should they wish it.

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"] [member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

The Journeyer watched the conversation between his three companions for a little bit, then allowed his attention to drift elsewhere. Staring off at the workers constructing the academy, his mind began to wander, as well. He wondered what was hiding out in the wilderness of Ceto, perhaps what undiscovered species were still out there. Perhaps there were monstrous beasts just at the edge of the construction, biding their time until they could feast upon the young and untrained Padawans of the Je'daii Order. Perhaps the Journeyer could find out.

Lothar Lundgren snapped himself out of his daydreaming just in time to hear Asha bring up Master Som. Apparently he had tasked the Je'daii to investigate the surrounding wildlife. Lothar nodded twice and responded, "Just what I was thinking. I'm ready when you are." His hand found itself resting on the hilt of his blade. Hopefully he wouldn't need to make use of it during their exploration of the area.

[member="Asha Hex"] | [member="Cotan Sar'andor"] | [member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"] | [member="Asha Hex"] | [member="Lothar Lundgren"]

It was not seen as insulting at all.

Why would it be?

Clearly the low-born had seen fault in Hex's initial approach and assumed that what was truly needed was an over-extension of courtesy. Appreciated, but not necessary at all. The fault had already been corrected, after all, with a pleasant apology and a lovely smile. "None taken at all, miss Hex, but one must always guard the sanctity of their birth. Every little infringement bites into the foundation. Until there is nothing left at all." Itash decided to clarify for her with a pleasant tone.

The rest was left for the wayside though.

Maybe he would attempt to convince the people in charge to get their shet together and make sure this place was secure. Maybe he wouldn't, it would presumably depend on the amount of profit he'd receive one way or another.

If the effort didn't gain him anything... then what was the point?

"Will you be in need of an escort?" That was what Didact was for, after all.

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Cotan was honestly impressed that Lord Tash of House Mecetti didn't rise to his goading. Numerous nobles - including Tapani sector nobility - he had met with his old master had far less self control, and were thus far more bellicose than they had reason to be; it was a great way to destabilize them, in the contexts of a negotiation, interrogation, or anything similar. Itash, at least, had the composure and bearing to back up his insistence upon proper titling. Rather than pressing it any further, Cotan just gave the man a nod of approval. Good show.

Noticing Asha and Lothar's little exchange, however - and how Itash quickly put himself into it - Cotan saw another opportunity for some light-hearted ribbing of the group at hand. "Surely, Lord Tash, you saw that her question was directed at Lothar?" he asked, an amused twinkle in his eye. "Maybe they'd prefer we don't chaperone them on their little expedition; besides, I'm sure they can protect themselves." He turned to Lothar after saying that, dropping the jocular demeanour in favour of a (rather obviously fake to anybody who hadn't just met him) stern one, almost like an older brother.

"Now, just make sure to be good, don't stray too far, and bring her back here by ten and everything will be good. And absolutely no alcohol." He affixed a well-practiced glare on Lothar, although this was different than the usual circumstance he might usually be using it. Meanwhile, internally, he was struggling quite hard not to just bust out laughing at his own silliness. "You understand?"

[member="Itash Mecetti"] [member="Lothar Lundgren"] [member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Lief]

An escort.

Now there was a strange offer.

Asha had been exploring planets for most of her life, and often that included going it alone without [member='Jericho'] for company, with a droid for protection if she was lucky though most of the planets were uninhabited and it was only really the fauna she had to worry about. It had earned her a few solid injuries over the years, but she had always come out in one piece. The very notion of needing someone to back her up was somewhat ludicrous, and yet she found herself shrugging her shoulders.

"Sure, why not," her gaze shifted across to a very silly Cotan who was pulling his usual tricks, "You can come too, Mr Judge, that way you can be sure there's not a drop of alcohol."

A grin met her expression there. Glancing around she had realized there was little for the four of them to actually do in that moment short of carrying out the Temple Master's orders, why leave the two non-Je'daii standing around aimlessly when an adventure could be had?

Adventures were Asha's favourite, after all.

Tapping her belt to make sure she had the basics, a flask of water, some rope, her lightsabers, and a commlink, she took a few steps away from the guys and headed toward the 'steps' which were formed into the side of the rock face they were up on top of. A very subtle whistle escaped her lips as she started off down into the wilds.

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"] [member="Itash Mecetti"] [member="Lothar Lundgren"]

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

The Valkryi raised an eyebrow at the Judge from the ORC. He was a joker, that Lothar was sure of. The Journeyer wasn't going to be a stick in the mud, however, and sent a jest back. "Of course sir. No alcohol, and she'll be back on time." He flashed a smile towards Cotan, then towards Asha. Lothar wasn't a jokester by nature, but he would play along if given the chance.

On chances, the opportunity presented was somewhat unique to the Journeyer. Exploration was something utterly new to him, the most he had ever explored was a little bit of wilderness on Midvinter. And other than that, his biggest adventure was simply leaving his homeworld to go to Aurum to join the Je'daii Order. Needless to say, finding new things was itself new to him.

So now, Lothar pulled on his belt, feeling the weight of Odiiran pull it back down. "So, do we know where we're headed? Or just wherever the wind takes us?" Still unsure on the whole idea, Lothar followed his Je'daii companion up the makeshift steps.

[member="Asha Hex"] | [member="Cotan Sar'andor"] | [member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"] | [member="Asha Hex"] | [member="Lothar Lundgren"]

Strange?

It seemed rather logical to him- he was here to provide security and was obliged to do so under the contract. "Hm, I did not look at it from that angle, mister Sar'andor, you are quite right." He glanced on over to Asha and Lother, scrutinizing. It seemed like years ago that he was their age. Of course, it wasn't much more than a decade, but in that time a lot had happened.

Did he really want to play chaperone to a bunch of youngsters cavorting through the hills, while trying to find a good place to pin each other against?

No.

No, he certainly did not.

"Very well. Miss Hex, mister Lundgren, caution is advised. This place is secure- but it had seemed secure all those years ago as well, yes?" Itash glanced at them pointedly once more. Oh, he didn't care about them in a personal, human capacity. If they got themselves killed it wouldn't really affect him personally. But it would affect his rates, he assumed.

He did not think the walking Manaan fish would be very happy.

 

[Lief]

Asha glanced between the gathered individuals and shook her head in mock disapproval, though it was a difficult facade to keep up given the grin that wanted nothing more than to reveal itself at their antics.

With all of that out of the way, and invitations for the two non-Je'daii to join them on their travels, Asha and [member='Lothar Lundgren'] both ventured down the side of the rock face the Temple was perched atop. A nice breeze caught her, cooling off her face and tussling her hair a little more than she might have liked. Though she was not one to ever tie back her hair, the unpredictable winds of this oceanic world had her doing exactly that, pulling it back into a loose ponytail and securing it with a slither of fabric.

"I spotted something from up there," she said, gesturing with her head toward the outcrop they had previously been stood atop, "It looked almost like a lagoon, down by the waterfall. Though, honestly? I figured we'd just explore. I have the Temple coordinates marked down, shouldn't be too difficult to find our way back. Do you have a preference?"

She realized then that outside of a little fun at the Life Day festival, she and Lothar hadn't really had an excuse to hang out with one another, so to speak. It was a nice change, after all Asha was so used to being around the same few faces. What would [member='Caedyn Arenais'] make of this place? No doubt it was somewhere he would be visiting in due time, once construction efforts were completed.

[member='Itash Mecetti'] [member='Cotan Sar'andor']

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

The wind afflicted the young Valkryi along with Asha, though truthfully not as badly. His shoulder length whipped his face with almost every gust of wind, but Lothar didn't let it bother him. The breeze was nice, anyhow. Especially for the Valkryi, who had not yet found himself on a planet with cold enough weather for his liking. Comfort wasn't what he was looking for with the Je'daii, but it didn't hurt.

Miss Asha Hex began describing a lagoon she had noticed while atop the perch they had been on just a minute ago. Lothar Lundgren nodded his head along as she spoke, eventually responding with, "We could start by heading down to the lagoon perhaps, and we may spot something else while down there." Lothar then turned halfway to face their other two companions, he gave a grin and spoke, "How are you two faring? Any other ideas on our path?" While awaiting their response, the Journeyer began shifting his gaze throughout their surroundings, part to admire them and part to make note of them, should they eventually get lost. Lothar figured he had a decent sense of direction, and was sure the others had as well, but noticing familiar surrounding could come be handy as a last ditch effort.

[member="Asha Hex"] | [member="Itash Mecetti"] | [member="Cotan Sar'andor"]