Private The Pilgrims 2: Life Creates It

[Saint Lauren]

Lauren dismounted with the vessel into the chilly ocean waters with Jend-Ro Quill and Romi Jade , and of course; anyone else who saw fit to follow suit. She kept her comms open and accessable so to make communication easy and fluid among group members. Telepathy would be unpredictable among this group anyway. Best to stick to science for a little awhile.

Quill mentioned dropping in on the High Priesthood. Interesting. I mean, that sounded fine. She was used to politics. Alas, she had forgotten to bring a gift nor even a peace offering for the culture. Mmm. Ah well. This wasn't a first contact situation anyway. They were just guests or off-world travelers today. Perhaps it would be an easy visit to the High Priesthood after all. Routine or mundane or, at worst, polite.

Now. Lauren wasn't sure if Master Jade and Master Quill knew each other. They didn't seem familiar. But she decided to approach them like new friends anyway. Swimming along easily and moving to answer Quill's earlier question over open and surprisingly brisk comms.

"Thank you." She said for letting her tag along, "I'm from Denon. Decided to tag along at Master Veronica Cane's request. She's a friend of the Academy Network working with the DAS and the Silvers. She knows of my love for all things Jedi and spectacular so? I guess she figured it was an easy fit."

Lauren checked her wrist monitor as they jetted along. All systems green. Nice and easy.

"Anyway. Happy to be here. It's been a few years since my last group Jedi mission. Feels good to be back among friendly faces."

She smiled when she said that. Even if you couldn't hear it over the mic.

"And um. How about you Master Quill? I understand you travel alone most often? Why the change of heart?"

Hermits don't often invite company for their adventures. Especially such a large and exotic group. Perhaps he had his reasons? Or perhaps, he needed back up and a few more guns for this one? Ah. But alas. There it was again. The old soldier inside Lauren just wouldn't quit sometimes. So far underwater. So far from home. I guess she just sort of defaulted to risk assessment. Even among introductions.

A pity. But such is life and chaos. First things first.

 

[Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri]

Kuxirra made her way to Jend-Ro Quill and the others. "I hope you don't mind me tagging along. I don't want to seem like I'm intruding or anything." She said.

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

Saint Lauren Romi Jade Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri

"Oh, of course, Kuxirra. There'll be plenty of time for all of us to visit with the Golden Sun over the next week or so. I just felt like getting right to it."

He switched from the group channel to just speak with Lauren. "I can't stand being in large groups with busy life all around. But spend too much time alone and I lose whatever toughness I'd built up. This kind of trip helps me acclimate so I can be useful when, say, I need to spend time at a big temple or on a warship. Rare occasions but I'd like to be functional."

***​

The High Priest was a silver-pelted Sedrian, friendlier than his heavily accented Basic could keep up with. He welcomed them into the great pearlescent dome and led them down into the Sun Caves beneath. The caves were largely underwater, but a few air pockets glimmered in the dive-suit lights. The omnipresent golden radiance was unexpectedly dim down here - at least until the High Priest led them into a huge submerged cave.

The Golden Sun coral had grown bigger than any of the huge blue-horned banthas he'd just visited on Entooine. The coral took organic, fractal forms that made him dizzy. Just looking at it, Quill felt he could hear a thousand wordless voices singing happily, and feel the energy it was so uniquely anxious to share. No wonder the Sedrians worshipped it.

 

[Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri]

Kuxirra gasped in wonder, closing her eyes and basking in the beauty and warmth of it all. She and Golden Sun had something in common, she realized: they both wished to help others, to give their strength to those who needed it. The Togruta, however, had no knowledge of how to do so. She hoped she could learn from the coral.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

With those not in a hurry to visit the Golden Sun, but intending to be courteous over time, Tiland finally strapped on the rest of the dive suit and had a vague idea of what all the dials and symbols meant. Most of them dealt with air, which was fine. Worst came to worst, he could simply hold his breath until they departed. It might be a while, but he thought he'd be able to pull it off.

But he slipped out the airlock after the group going with quill and kicked towards the restaurants. He didn't exactly eat, per se, but he had enough of a normal digestive system remaining that could process soft foods or liquids. He wasn't entirely sure how long he'd be able to sustain himself through Force-imbued teas, though. Eventually, all the resembled normalcy would disappear, and he would have to sustain himself on nothing but the Force itself. That was still at least some ways off, however.

For now, he would cherish what teas and soups he could find. Savor them while he still could. He glanced back behind him to see who else was looking to grab some food before going to visit the Golden Sun.

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

Quill picked up one of the many chunks of golden coral that littered the edges of the great cave. He didn't think they were alive in a coral-y sense, but had been snapped or chiseled off by priests for supplicants to take. Hundreds of these pieces formed the foundation of Sedrian technology, no matter where Sedrians carried them on the planet. That implied limits in range - but didn't require them.

He asked the wordless question: if the Golden Sun had given out only a couple of pieces, remote access keys really, could it empower them from farther away? The coral had trouble grasping the hypothetical, but it offered a tentative assurance. He intuited, or maybe guessed, that by choosing to connect only with coral pieces that were here on the planet, the Golden Sun was keeping its friends close and preventing others from exploiting them. Or maybe it was keeping its strength close at hand so it could give the Sedrians everything they'd ever need. Love was a question of priorities and also of judgment.

Love whom you will, and share your strength with them as you deem best was the general sense that he got in return for his ruminations. He took a shaky breath as the golden radiance swelled. When he held up his hand, his flesh glowed like he'd placed it against a spotlight, but warm gold instead of angry orange.

To his extreme surprise, he realized his Odion Syndrome wasn't bothering him despite being in a small city and in tune with a commune of millions of divine polyps. He felt as relaxed as if he was the only mind on the planet.

 

[Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri]

Kuxirra picked up a piece of coral as well, holding it gently for a few moments and feeling the life and the beauty of it all before gently setting it back down.

 

[Saint Lauren]

Lauren followed Jend-Ro Quill and found her meeting with the Golden Sun to be much less, energizing. Rather, she knelt down in it's presence and began to meditate. Closing her eyes and experiencing a tutorial of sorts into the nature of the hive mind. It was like her eyes were adapting to a bright light. Blinding at first. Then, slowly. Melting away into a deeper state of understanding.

She sat this way for about ten minutes before rising to her feet. Her tutorial now complete. She had grasped the breadth and depth of this anomaly in it's fullest and found it to be an excruciating massive undertaking. Like walking into the Jedi Library for the first time and watching all the servers glitter blue with the data of a trillion suns. Even when acclimated and possessing a decent search function? Gah. Where does one even start?

"Well. That was. Exhausting." She muttered to no one in particular. One heck of a tutorial, to be honest. "I think I'll rest on that assimilation for the day."

She turned to Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri and tapped her own helm,

"So? Find anything interesting?"

 

[Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri]

"Interesting? This whole place is amazing!" Kuxirra half-whispered to Saint Lauren . "I could stay here for a really long time. It's like with the blue banthas. It's unique and beautiful. I can't wait to learn more..."

 

[Saint Lauren]

Lauren nodded her helm as her jets gave a soft escape of bubbles. She seemed affirmative of Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri 's observations. Well, she didn't know what a blue bantha was per se, but? Unique and beautiful was an understatement to be sure. This place was, transformative. Alien. Yet, simple enough that she had gotten the hang of it already. Thank the Force for rebreathers though. She didn't want to know what this place smelled like.

"Right you are lass." Lauren nodded with her eyes to ceiling. Perceiving the world beyond the dome. Wondering just what other crazy things were out there. Then, returning her eyes back to earth, she turned to Jend-Ro Quill ,

"Well. I'm off to grab some food and see what infamous underwater tourist traps await us. Hehe. ...Good introductions though. Thanks for taking us straight here. I'd tell the priest thank you as well but, erm, we already spoke. I think?"

She shrugged. Hard to tell voices apart in a hive mind chat room. Everybodies always talking all at once. Bleh.

Anyway. She kicked the sand at her feet and floated back towards the door. Offering them a small wave in goodbye. Lots to do. Lots to think about. Hopefully they'd reconvene in a few days to talk about it. Maybe by then she'd have more than just introductions, tutorials, and mind-scribbles to talk about.

Hopefully.

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri Saint Lauren Tiland Kortun Romi Jade Ijaat Mereel Coren Starchaser Kaia Starchaser Nylea Apollodor Amani Serys

ONE WEEK PASSED QUICKLY
​

For his part, Quill had spent his time as privately as possible, communing with the Golden Sun in the Sun Caves or from aboard the Visitor. Not that he disliked his fellow Jedi at all, but he was what he was. Being in a city of any size caused him some challenges.

In the end, he took a chunk of coral, went to one of Sedri's few and tiny islands, and communed with the Golden Sun that way.

But all good things and so forth, and the appointed time came for the Jedi team to re-gather. He looked forward to hearing how they'd spent their time and what they'd learned.

***
​

At the High Priest's invitation, the private Jedi gathering took place in the Golden Sun's own cave. Presumably they'd all visited with the divine coral over the course of the past week. It seemed quiescent, even distracted, its attention far away. But its presence was as warm and relaxing as ever - a decent tradeoff for needing to wear a hardshell underwater suit.

Quill began. Instead of talking, he reached out and connected with every Jedi here. He'd taken to the Golden Sun's unique skill in a straightforward way. Each Jedi present would, for the moment at least, find themselves able to draw on Quill's strength in the Force. This echoed something he'd read about in an obscure source - how Luke Skywalker had sometimes given a portion of his strength to his youngest Force students, so they could get a better sense of what was possible and what they were doing right. He explained this briefly and quietly.

Spoiler

 

[Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri]

Kuxirra took some time to enjoy the city, but, like Jend-Ro Quill , she spent a larger amount of time communing with Golden Sun. She reached out with the Force, feeling the fact that she could draw on his strength, feeling that she too could share her own strength.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Tiland had spent time both with the people and many hours in meditation and communing with the Golden Sun, letting himself drift as part of their presence and embrace the hive mind, letting his own consciousness drift and disperse amongst them. It was enlightening. No pun intended, of course, but it had changed him and given him a deeper understanding of himself and the others.

In time, he returned to the meeting with the others, feeling the strength that Jend-Ro offered. He considered that, fingering the pendant that hung around his neck. One of the multiple given out to members of the Jedi Pilgrims and the Circle of the Light Hand. With the pendant, he could send basic thoughts and emotions to anyone who also carried a pendant, and vice versa, and the directions to the rest always hovered at the edge of his consciousness, sharpening if he focused on it.

He considered the words as Quill spoke and then pulled the pendant from around his neck and let it rest in his palm. "If there is any experience that I imagine becoming close to what oneness within the Force is like, it was communing with the Golden Sun." He considered. "And I thought forging these pendants for the Pilgrims and Light Hand was truly an achievement, but this has shown that the Force is far deeper and far more mysterious than even I thought I knew. I can see how this sharing of power will be of great use as well with my students, especially in the more advanced techniques and abilities. Perhaps in time, I will reforge these pendants so that others may call upon the collective strength of the bearers."

 

[Saint Lauren]

Lauren sat in the sun cave with the others. She too had spent some time contemplating and experimenting with the Golden Sun's influence. Her's had been a different experience than most. She focused her efforts solely on the terraforming prospects of sharing Force Energy over the vast distances of the ocean's bottom. She herself learning to heal a tiny portion of the far reef using a portion of her own life energy. Yes. Even over such a vast distance? Even as a Force User? It was a miracle beyond her own wildest expectations. Force Healing using an internet of sea coral to span great distances, instantly. Fascinating.

For now she felt the connection to Jend-Ro Quill and his own familiarity. Though it was not the ability to draw upon his Force Energies that she found most exhilarating. Oh no. It was the fact that she could feel how comfortable he had become in the presence of so many people. So many voices. Indeed, for a man who suffered in the unique way he did? It was a profound miracle all on it's own. For once, Quill wasn't suffering from company. Amazing!

Tiland Kortun had already industrialized a similar network through his clever use of Force pendants. Ha. Awesome. This was indeed a very clever gathering of extremely talented people. She was beginning to see why the Golden Sun had called them all here. Truly, it had something very special to offer the galaxy. Even through the Force.

It made her smile and rub her shoulders. It felt good to be a pioneer again.

"I think this has been a most productive expedition. And I'd like to thank Master Quill for making it happen. And the Golden Sun and the hospitality of it's people, of course."

Something smiled in the Force when she said that aloud.

"I myself used my short time here to experiment with traversing the great distances of the planet using the coral systems like a giant holo network. Never before has my Force Sense been so sharp and so observant. Even if my mind was hundreds of leagues away. I could even exert a fraction of my own influence and managed to heal a complex organism on the other side of the world. My energy passed even quicker through the network the more familiar I became with this unique Golden Sun. Though, I was tired and drained much more quickly than usual in my meditations. It wasn't a one-for-one ratio or power to effect. Still, I found the experience to be very fast, teachable, and practical for further study."

She quickly turned to Quill, and using their shared connection, gave him a portion of her own power as well.

"See. There. Hehe. Not so bad to have a few friends around? Eh Master Hermit?"