Cities of Gold

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu was looking at her and now could be the scholar for it as she spoke. "A quantum null field creates a stable dimensional gate connection. On ships it takes you to the dimension of hyperspace to travel large distances in hours what could take centuries. In the case of this, they likely used the same type of technology to transport a person or group across the planet." She was on it but there wasn't a way to test it, the loops she had found with the jedi did much the same thing only they were used by a magician. "I have not, after Kiskla most of the jedi seemed to shun me and I was considered an exile, only now when some deem me useful am I acknowledged. It is why I was curious about you, no judgement for people beyond some small things and you are a lot more approachable." She came down though with her forearm pad filled with notes she had been taking. "We might never be able to reproduce this technology but study of this is what gave people hyperdrives. So you never know grandmaster. Something may yet come from it in the future."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened and did her best to follow. History was her field. Ancient languages were an occupational necessity. Science was never her strong point, but she did her best to keep up.

Her nose wrinkled as she did her best to digest the information and paraphrase it back to show understanding. “So…like hyperspace but instead of ships, people?” She thought that was what was said. She smiled in the hope that if she’d got it wrong, Matsu would be sympathetic.

“We are all Jedi,” she offered when Matsu had finished talking. “It is odd to shun any. We embrace those who act for the greater good — even if they use the Dark-side, so I have to admit I do not fully understand the logic of shunning anyone. But when I arrived on Ossus, there was a lot of barriers put up between Jedi. I didn’t pretend to understand it then, nor do I know. People have reasons for their actions, even if we do not agreed with them or even understand them.”

“And your work in all fields is worthy of note and who knows, maybe one day you’ll crack this particular conundrum. And if not, you never know what by-products you might find. Did you know most breakthrough technology came not from looking for it as a solution to a problem, but as a finding to an entirely different problem. History has taught us that.”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu was looking at Corvus as she was thinking about it. Thoughts of the different jedi groups within the orders she had seen and known well it was not new. There was always a divide but it wasn't them competing and going against each other. They targeted and tried to shame others which lost a lot of its grandeur when the jedi fight themselves as much as they fight the sith and even more viciously because they know the side won't fight back without falling. "It is not like it was, the order has always had groups within it but it was healthy, they had their fields of study and supported each other... Then it seemed like that support became competition and later that competition became something twisted where groups sought to control the order more then help it and have their ideals." She had well seen it and jedi playing political games to undermine their fellows or oust a grandmaster then declare him evil for speaking out against the actions. "Hopefully though you will have some creative solutions and ideas. I know I am looking forward to picking your brain on some of the things you have learned and would expect the same." It might also work towards the ideas of the problem with this, you could find solutions or ideas from discussion on it with people. "As to you question, yes it would be like creating a hyperspace window for a human that is used briefly. The distance compressed to a mere heartbeat. Or that is at least the idea. The ability to access and use pocket dimensions is a science I don't think many species know. THe gree and Kwa knew how but their knowledge is ancient and hard to find in the galaxy."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded. “It would be foolish to believe we could be unified in a heartbeat. But it is similar follow to decide it is impossible too.”

“All we can do…all each of us can do…is to bring us closer together. Even if it is under a very broad umbrella, there is value in working as one. Doing everything we can to oppose evil. The Sith, slavery, murdered, whatever the cause, we all want the same thing in the end, don’t we?”

“And as for what I know?” She smiled. “Knowledge is to be shared, why else would we learn?”

And then she turned her attention to Matsu’s thoughts on the possibility of humans travelling through these hyperspace windows. “It’s an admirable aspiration. And good luck with your endeavours.”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu was looking at her and she walked pointing a finger with a smile. Yes this woman got it compared to all others she got the idea of knowledge and learning how to do things. Always growing, always changing and always on the move as she walked backwards a little sliding her hands into the pockets of her robes. "Now is a good idea and plus we do have an entire city to explore, maybe I'll show you how to detect fields for the smallest electrical impulses." She had worked on learning the skill for well it was a great way to tell if some of the coma patients were still alive or brain dead but also hibernation traces and how to tell if a jedi entered one. "I can also maybe tell you about my wife who sadly doesn't share your thirst for knowledge."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened. She was always fascinated how Force Abilities overlapped and supported each other. Force Sense and Force Sight worked well together - to the point where it was often hard to tell where one ended and the other began. She used them for detecting Force Auras as a rule and to tell if someone was alive or dead. But what Matsu suggested was a step up from that. To tell if someone was in a coma - or Meditating - was a fascination application of the Force.

"I would be delighted to learn. Both about the Force and your wife." Corvus realised she knew very little about most Jedi beyond their role as peace-keeper. And another's insight on married life would certainly come in useful.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu bowed her head while she was walking and now shifted her stance a little. The teacher edging out while she spoke with excitement but it was tempered though with some teaching to it. She couldn't show all of it at teaching another and a grandmaster at that. "Your skills with sensing an aura and sight within the force is the first step. Detecting the life field is making it into something you can do without thinking about it. You'll be aware of those within a range based on how far you want it to be but the longer you try to focus the range the more you can miss if you are not careful but you'll be able to know who the person is, feel and see their aura before they know you are there."

She was moving and looked for some of the creatures, small thins that looked like rats with thick fur. "Here practice with them, see them in the force and focus on one of them. Feel it within the force and imagine it and the others like a strand of thread. Grasp it and hold it in your mind while they run away while doing something else, occupy your thoughts with another subject so your sensing becomes a natural part of your sub conscious just like breathing." Matsu was sensing them and motioned for Corvus to try as she was thinking of ways to preoccupy her mind with other thoughts.... The idea of how to distract her with a grin. "While you are doing that, my wife Hanna. She was once the vice chancellor of the Republic and I met her when I was on her protection detail for elections. We have four daughters."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was a practitioner of Center or Being. It took a long while to master — given you had to give up all conscious control to the Force. To allow it to guide you in combat when your conscious brain wanted to make all the decisions. So that was, Corvus hoped, a head start.

And given her depth of knowledge on Meditation techniques, she was also proficient with Moving Meditation. Again, allowing the conscious brain to perform one act whilst the Force enabled another.

So she listened acutely to Matsu’s advice and focused on the small creatures. Initially she found she was naturally using Sense and Sight — but saw this as an advantage. She’d done so without conscious thought. So she kept the Force senses operating whilst she listened to Matsu. It was harder than she thought. She felt the need to check on how the Force was working for her and lost concentration on Matsu’s words. So she smiled to herself and remembered the advice she’d carried the past dozen years. To trust in the Force. Implicitly.

So she re-engaged with Matsu and trusted the Force to do what she wanted and needed. It was difficult at first but she found she was managing it, aware of what Matsu was saying and the actions of the rodents — until Matsu said something that broke the spell.

“You have daughters? How? I mean…actually I’m not sure what I mean. I guess I mean how. But not that…abruptly. I think I really mean…how does it work, having children and being a Jedi?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu looked at Corvus as she was working and bit her tongue a little to hide the amusement.. also to not just make it a joke and start to explain the mechanics of two women. She didn't need to tell the grandmaster that type of information. "Well it helps when you have the ability to take them around the galaxy with you. They might have been babies but I had a ship, regular check ins with the order and ruins or excavation I can explore. So they were raised within the jedi and have developed into skilled padawans." She offered a smile to keep up the distractionas she was movign and watching the creatures run off into small holes of the cave.

She was feeling and tracking them in the force while she reached outwards gripping at those strands of them before turning her attention back to Corvus. "Though if you want other details, I am afraid I cannot give you those ones. I might be open to talking about somethings but not that with you yet." Or every but she made it clear that was the joke, she had to need to spill such details while moving backwards a little while she was keeping track of her surroundings. "But keep thinking of different things. My children are Orihime, Lorieth and Reiko. There is another from Hanna's first marriage my little step daughter Kia."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

She was a Grand Master of the Order. A veteran of countless battles. But she was poor at social interaction once the subject strayed from Jedi Lore.

So she first focused her mind back on the task in hand. Like entering Moving Meditation, she found it easiest to connect to the Force and then allow it to slip into the subconscious part of her mind. A background activity whilst she gave her attention to speaking. She was able to spar and deliver lectures on Jedi Lore. This was, in theory, a lot easier. And like her other uses of the Force, it would simply require practice.

So she set about it straight away. Every now and then she’d have to stop speaking as she found the connection to the Force wavering, but as she progressed she found it easier and easier.

“I don’t plan to have children. Not that I’d rule it out. I see Coci and her little ones and hear you speak so fondly of yours. But just not for me. At least now now. And if I did, I may leave the Order. I just don’t know.”

In truth she had a lot of practical questions to ask but decided to hold off for at least the present. “Is the fact they’re Jedi a blessing or a distraction?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu was moving now as she thought about it, had it been easier? Well to her yes, they were wanting to be jedi and had embraced the life of it... Made well worrying about them less as she could trust in the protection of some of the older temples that others rarely went to or used. "It was easier, they have learned much and the only real trouble has been getting them a master who will stay around." A problem more and more common with some jedi compared to others but she had tried to teach them what she could. Lorieth seemed to be enjoying it and the young woman stood at the ready to be a peacekeeper, Reiko was helping jedi on other world... Kia was well she was twoand enjoyed being with her mothers.... Orihime was traveling around and helping others. "But you do not have to leave he order. Force dynasties can be dangerous sometimes but family is important and can save you."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus cocked her head as she listened. "Until very recently I struggled to be a person and a Jedi. Maybe, in time, I can learn to be a mother and a Jedi? But that seems so distant right now. Maybe being a mother is actually enough for me to cope with?" She smiled. "But such talk is premature. If Braith heard me, she would worry I was becoming broody. I am," she said with some certainty, "Definitely not."

She was aware that despite the depth of the conversation, she was still aware of the rodents and their comings and goings. "I am getting the hang of it," she said with a smile. "With practice it should become second nature."

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

She was getting it fast and that was a good thing as the jedi master was walking and going through the area she looked checking over it while they had sections of the cave made to guide them back to the surface. A small almost quiet snicker though at broody jedi was impossible to surpress given how many jedi she had seen who treated being altruistic and compassionate as some great burden they had to either do alone, or atone and couldn't be understood by others. It amused her more then it likely should have while she turned to see her over her shoulder. "Well I have met broody jedi who cannot be understood and no other jedi knows their pain. I've seen most who use that as their excuse to use the darkside because darkness is life." She said it with a look at her. "You don't seem like them thankfully and you are the grandmaster of the order. You are like a mother to the jedi meant to guide, teach, protect all."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus chuckled. “I suspect I know more about being a mother than I expect. Having to treat all my siblings equally, even though some delight me whilst others frustrate me. Dealing with plenty of poodoo. Squabbles, fights, arguments, tantrums.”

She continued to smile. “After that, one or two children would be a doddle.”

“But that day may never come. So until then, I shall look after my other charges. Teach and respect them in equal measures. And do whatever I can to close the differences between the Orders, between the Jedi.”

“I was once asked what my legacy would be. I had no answer then, I’d only been in the job a matter of days. Now? I wish to be remembered as someone who helped reunite the Jedi. Not the person who did it. No individual can do that alone. But to be considered one who helped. That would do.”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

The way up was filled with the same scents and putrid smells but no signs of dangerous entities. Matsu kept moving forward and listening to the grandmaster and well she had heard that almost from Kisla... though not being a part of it. Vanity had made the great uniter want to be the sole one. Still a noble goal and she gave a small chuckle to Corvus realizing she was skilled already. "You might like it." The pathway through the city was there and above now she could see it, all the things they had climbed through and down around as it seemed to be improving with their movements. She had more then enough information and they still had the entire prison to go through and the way up to talk with each other. Matsu's main thoughts though coming to what else they had found and Corvus was still showing her talent for using the force. A conversation to distract them. "I think you'll be able to do it, given the general state of all the orders and how quickly opinion can change to any direction... You might be able to work with others to do it. I don't know the silver councils disposition beyond one or two, the others seem content to be among themselves. The Republic has you and other groups some of them are generally welcoming."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Their exit was quicker than their entrance and thankfully creature free.

But the environment wasn’t any better and the smells were almost more pungent than before. She’d hoped she was used to them, but her nose told her otherwise. She wondered if the Force could shut down her olfactory senses, but given it was an annoyance, not life-threatening, she figured it was a trivial use of the gift.

“Yes,” she said absent-mindedly, as Matsu spoke. “The key is freedom. Freedom and choice. If we can give Jedi the comfort of being part of something greater than they are, but at the same time affording them the opportunity to keep their own identity, then we won’t go wrong. Or at least, not far-wrong.”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

That was something she was used to and heading up, the city, the ice above with lines of stone and metal to hold it back. It was beautiful as Matsu was looking through it. Rich veins of crystals she could just see while working on the leading them back and out picking the larger chunks as they could. The body of the great beast would likely still be there and with the massive size of the prison they would still have plenty of things to explore if they returned. Matsu digging in her pack for a locator beacon she could send a team of researchers and rangers to study while rubbing her hands together and walking. "Choice can be a powerful thing but to much of it is tempting. All jedi from the one raised since a baby to the one who comes late in life will feel the temptation and having the ability of the force will only add to it. None will make the right decision all the time." She kept moving and the stonework of the prison was there as she moved breathing in the fresh scent of ice and far off the sounds of the blizzard outside.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

There was always a feeling of anti-climax when you left a visit to some historical site. There was always the wonder that maybe you missed something. Maybe if you'd gone just a little farther.

But this place? It could occupy a team a life-time to explore, and who was she to deny them the sort of thrill she'd already experienced. Plus, she wasn't an explorer, or a scholar. She was a Grand Master and she had day-to-day responsibilities. Like lessons and flimsi punching.

And she reflected on Matsu's words. Choice was indeed a double-edged sword. You never knew you had enough until yo u had been granted too much. As much as the thought pained her, sometimes you had to make decisions for folks. But she had the Council to help her in this regard. And it was a good blend too. She believed that if any two of them thought alike, one of them was superfluous.

"I appreciate this trip," she finally said. "We must do something similar soon."

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu gave a nod of her head to enjoying the trip, an adventure into the unknown and now she could return here and work with them as she was working on the equipment and she had the calibrations for the null field to work on it and build up its design. She had plenty of mental notes that could be put into books and different things as needed with her researchers. She was looking at the camps they had while some of the body could prove useful for testing with the force while she was going through the prison and snow taking in the data from the drones as well to add it all together as they had been searching the massive prison on their own. There was other things within but they could and would have to work on searching it while she went into the ship and started to get them out of there. Returning Corvus was the goal as well with their equipment while she finished pulling out a book to write it all down. "We should, there are always places within the galaxy to explore and we shall find more things later on."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded. You could search somewhere new every day for the rest of your life and never exhaust the possibilities.

Which came with a significant drawback — if the options were without limit, where did you start? “Meditation,” she said as the thought popped into her head and then out of her mouth without checking for permission along the way.

“One of our next trips should be focused on a lesser known meditative technique. I never tire of learning new ones.”

[member="Matsu Ike"]