Public Just a Little Help

[Amelia Amadis]

"I know, right? It's beautiful," Amelia beamed wide at Ura, already snapping a few holos from the mountain's base. Which way up? Her tongue clicked the roof of her mouth in thought as she looked around and pointed. Frustratingly, Aixxzal beat her to it.

"I would infer from the rock formation that this will prove the easiest climb," Aixxzal pointed just to the left of where she was. Beside him, the Bothan siblings laid out their climbing gear, double-checking knots, ropes, and buckles. She did the same, making a final check before the ascent.

Watching Syrelia grow her muscles, Amelia grinned toothily, tightening her gloves. "Wish I could do that," definitely envious! The padawan wore practical dark green climbing gear and a bit of padding around her knees and elbows. The tent was the heaviest thing she carried, pressing into her back; only a few needed to bring tents so they could always switch if their arms got tired.

The three Jedi flying the transport disembarked and set up a base camp at the bottom of the mountain. They didn't crowd the padawans, merely offering a few words of caution to the more excitable.

"Double-check your climbing gear, and remember we are a call away," the Jedi Knight said, passing out communicators and wishing the young group well.

Amelia and Aixxzal looked up at the dim blue rockface. Amelia wanted to climb the steeper section, while Aixxzal preferred a more gradual angle. They never settled the argument about how long it would take. Both readied their climbing anchors, ready to drill them into the rockface, and looping their ropes around their belt hooks. Two or more routes were better anyway, so people would have choices in their paths.

"Everyone ready?" Amelia asked. The small Gossam youngling looked the most intimidated; his rucksack was almost bigger than he was. But if they were ready, she started. A test of their endurance, teamwork, bravery, and force skills to come. no climb ever went without a hitch, certainly not a three-day alien mountain stretching into the clouds.

Ura Iolar | Syrelia

 

[Ura Iolar]

Ura was quick to stretch out her body, catching the communicator before it seemed to sink into her sandy form. She then started pulling out some gear to check it, notably also seemingly held in her own crystal mass. Avil looked curiously, while Xiri just looked worried.

"Wait, you don't have all your.... Why is it there?" Ura looked, shrugging.

"Not really an issue for me. harnesses aren't exactly... useful for me, and this is easier than a pack." She said, looking up at the mountain before looking to the others. She then heard Amelia, nodding. "I'm ready to go."

Amelia Amadis Syrelia

 

[Syrelia]

Amelia Amadis Ura Iolar

She had her pack aand the mountain itself was beautiful enough.. a grin forming on her face as she saw the others and the chance to begin was there... maybe... she wasn't certain about everything they would be able to do or how long it would take but she started to walk and was going up the pathway of the mountain. Hiking up her pack on her shoulders she motioned with her hand and started moving up. SMiling to herself as she was going up and allowing the force to guide her when she was looking for the pathway that would work best to lead them higher and higher. She wasn't certain what would be on the mountain itself but she was prepared for anything.

 

[Amelia Amadis]

Day 1: The Base of the Gilstino Highlands
Tag: Syrelia | Ura Iolar

A mix of climb and trail challenged everyone with their own path, sometimes requiring a rope, other times just their feet. The Gilstino Highlands air grew crisper and fresher the higher they climbed, drier on this side of the mountain where water had been spent on greenery elsewhere, leaving less humid air.

Amelia ascended the rock face, using her climbing hooks to propel herself up to the next part of the trail. The Falleen constantly tried to outcompete her, and they raced as they climbed. She always left one climbing hook in the rockface, securing it for others to use for their ropes. Having learned to climb as a young girl, Amelia carefully selected good spots to brace their ropes.

A stream of wind picked up, providing a refreshing coolness and hinting at what might be above once they cleared the base. The small Gossam Xiri pointed upward, wide-eyed, at a descending string-like cloud, a colorful orange ribbon weaving in and out of the rockface. Its atmospheric sound was a soft hum.

"Watch out," the Bothan padawan called beside Ura Iolar . Amelia took shelter under a rocky alcove, offering a protective space. The closer the orange cloud came, the more it unraveled into a ribbon. The little green Gossam Xiri was scared but became enthralled as the faint color passed around them. Strangely, there was no moisture, raising the question: why was there a cloud? Mysteries.

"Is it gone?" the Bothan girl Avil curiously asked beside Syrelia , trying to write down some notes on a datapad.

Flying behind the cloud, a prominent flock of large yellow storks perched up, becoming an obstacle in their way. The flock hopped around and clicked their large bills to each other in rapid succession. These strange creatures were not hostile, just a stubborn roadblock, seemingly indifferent to the padawans trying to make their way upward. Angering birds on a mountain might not be the best choice.

Did anyone have a way past them or an idea?

Sometimes, reality is as strange as fantasy.​

 

[Ura Iolar]

Ura looked around as she climbed, loving the climb. It was probably a bit weird watching the Lervon scale the rock wall, her hands more seeming to spread into the surface of the rock instead of grabbing it. She'd never really done anything like this, and it was surprisingly fun for her. Being up so high already without being in a cockpit. She looked at the others before noticing the ribbon too. It looked so pretty. Wait. What did Ciak say. Of ancestors that got close quick! Ura's form seemed to press against and almost meld into the wall, sliding into various nooks and crevasses as she tried to avoid the cloud.

As the cloud left, she started to pull back away from the wall, her body taking a humanoid shape once again. "Thanks for the warning, Ciak." She said, starting to continue up before seeing all the storks. She slide up a little more, trying to get a better look. "Any ideas on how to scare them off?"

Amelia Amadis Syrelia

 

[Syrelia]

Amelia Amadis Ura Iolar

She looked at the clouds, at the birds and moved stretching her arm to reach a handhold as the sounds of the bird and the ducking padawan came to her. Eyes staying at the ready and focused on her task more when she moved to dodge and climb. Going closer to the pathway and twisting so she could look up and around with a nod of her head. "Almost.." She said it to the bothan girrl while she was moving with more attention on trying to keep them away from herself. She wanted to fight if it was needed she looked over and checked parts of it before she was leaping up again and stretching her arm out to shoo some of them away but wasn't attacking to make it more violent. "Keep moving up." She said it with a grin on her face though while exploring and climbing higher and higher was the best part of this ascent.

 

[Amelia Amadis]

Tag: Ura Iolar | Syrelia

Ciak cheerfully accepted her thanks and then furrowed his brow at Ura's question. "How about we make ourselves look bigger than we are?" Ciak extended his arms, but as a Bothan, he wasn't exactly large. Maybe Ura Iolar could increase her size; he didn't know.

Amelia watched Syrelia move. She was terrific, Paddy envy! Amelia wasn't waiting any longer. Gathering her climbing gear, she set off before that sneak Aixxzal could catch her, weaving through Storks almost as tall as she was. Their ratatat beaks might sound menacing, but they were just how the birds communicated. One tried to swat her with its beak, but she smiled and sidestepped on her rope, used to Kashyyyk's wildlife. With confidence inherited from her parents, she snapped a photo midway up of a stork, giving Aixxzal a chance to pass her.

Pass her? Hmm! Hmmmmmmm! We'll see about that.

The Falleen tried to catch up to Syrelia , racing her eagerly. Avil moved more cautiously, while at the very rear, small Xiri nervously sang to himself, taking his time around the birds but enjoying the view. Maybe Ura Iolar could also help him.

If everyone made it, they faced thirty more minutes of climbing to reach the next grassy highland plateau. Chance to pause for a brief rest while the others caught up. They were still near the base, but the view was improving over the landscape. Everything seemed deceptively easy, but a warning in the Force suggested otherwise for anyone paying attention. One of the rocks on the plateau got up and moved, then another.

Ciak looked for high ground, Aixxzal observed, Avil asked Syrelia , "Do we like this?" and Xiri panicked, running off behind a boulder near Ura Iolar , which then moved! How could they tell which were safe for climbing without stepping on someone's toe? Was it dancing, a warning, or just living rocks in their natural habitat?

One rock started tapping something. Click Click…. Click… Click Click C C C Click.

 

[Ura Iolar]

While Ura couldn't smile, she did let bit of excitement and mischief in the Force. "I think I have an idea. No one freak out at this, ok." She said as her sandy body began to shift, both looking bigger and more like a large cat. If any of them knew anything about Ura's homeworld, they'd likely recognize it as a razor-tail tiger. She'd then jump up, recreating a growl before watching, and if it worked, she'd quickly help anyone up that needed it before noticing the Xiri seeming a bit worried around the birds. She'd slowly walk up, getting a path clearing before shift back into her more humanoid appearance.

"Need a hand?" She asked emotionlessly, but through the Force it was pretty clear she was just trying to be helpful. As everyone continued though, they'd reach a plateau. The Lervon would go to rest for a moment before living rocks started moving. It didn't surprise the padawan as much. She was living sand after all. What was more concerning was she didn't know what the heck any of them were supposed to about this.

"I may be inorganic, but I don't know what they're doing?" She said, sliding a bit closer to Xiri.

Amelia Amadis Syrelia

 

[Syrelia]

Amelia Amadis Ura Iolar

SHe moved and shrugged. "I like this." SHe looked at the padawan who had asked and was moving as she shifted her arm bending it at an odd angle to move around. Her backpack shifting itno her body as she formed it again on her back with a look around. The things were coming at them and she was able to better move while ascending when the others presented a distraction... which went an even longer way. She moved around and dodged as the other padawans were moving but she didn't break stride.. her body contorting for a moment through a smaller crack as what was coming around her couldn't make it through and she popped her head out another opening. "THis way." SHe said it while moving quickly but motioning with her hand as going through rocks and dirt was fine enough.

 

[Amelia Amadis]

Tag: Ura Iolar | Syrelia

@Ura Iola. Seeing sand tigers, the storks rat-tat-tatted their beaks together, quickly scampering away. Spooked animals reverted to a private tête-à-tête, tatting like the stone clicking ahead. The click-click-clicking grew faster as @Syrella contorted through them, intensifying as she climbed the mountain trail. A small rock clicked repeatedly to Ura Iolar , who bounded around excitedly as if anticipating a significant event.

Xiri continued in wide-eyed wonderment, shuffling along like a tall, thin statue, trying not to get smushed between moving rocks. Amelia couldn't help but laugh happily at his silly appearance. Then she saw Aixxzal way off ahead, trying to race past Syrelia ! He was almost catching her too; that Falleen was fast, really trying to compete with the changeling.

Snapping a few more photos of their shifting rocks. Now, she was fourth on the climb behind Xiri! No good Ame! Checking for signs of life she picked up her heels and skidded off a nearby boulder, which thankfully didn't move! Doing a leap for a high rock ledge to swing around overhead and land behind the moving boulders, a grinning redhead stood looking back at the paddies, enjoying herself.

She could almost see the first resting plateau spot above in the distance for their camp but... something felt weird.

The Bothans, less keen on racing, tried to communicate with the rocks, but all they did was click like the birds' beaks, even more so as the padawans climbed higher. The Bothan siblings seemed to agree on something. "Could they be trying to talk like birds? To tell us something?" Avil asked Ura Iolar . The birds had recently fled from above, but everyone had assumed it was from the strange cloud.

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

A distinct large boulder at the top of the trail rolled toward the smaller moving rocks below. It had a distinct egg-like shape not what it seemed at all. Look out, paddies!