Come on out, the Stars are fine

[Jaxton Ravos]

Mustafar. A literal hell-hole of a planet by the definition of most cultures, but a home for many an odd creature. The questionably sentient hive mind of the Kubaza beetle, the northern and southern Mustafarians, but the most strange of all species lied not on the surface, but below. The Daelite's were an easy going species, literally and figuratively due to their natural fluid state, coursing through the lava of the Mustafarian rivers, lakes, and oceans. They'd continue their days mostly wandering about searching for Mirkanite Ore to eat, or merely thinking about the societal quandary of the day. Every Daelite had an opinion, an interpretation, a thought on how the lakes of the Mustafar should work. How society should be be seen. How Daelites were to conduct themselves, and they spent a great deal of time arguing it. A society of philosophers might be perceived differently than one of politicians but in practice the same pluralism occurs, people just argue over different questions.

Most Daelites were satisfied with this life however, but not all. One in particular could not help but wonder what more there was than the undercurrent of lava. What was on the surface? Beyond? His curious nature grew with time, yearning to find new angles to explore, new discussion to be had, new land to explore. Until finally his curiosity was so great that it overcame his fear. His fear of the surface, his fear of solidifying death, his fear of living a life without the company of other Daelites. His curiosity made him come to a decision.

That he would explore more than the lava lakes, even if it would kill him.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

While a Daelite of uncommon thought process scoured the deeps of the Lava Rivers of Mustafar curious about the surface travelers from across the universe scoured the volcano-filled surface, eager to sate curiosities of their own.

"Mentor Forris, why bring us to this world? It is a place of death, and a one that supplies death for others in the galaxy."

"Would you care to elaborate on your concerns Mana?"

"This place is an inferno Mentor. The surface of this world holds no water at all. Yet it is filled with hunters that feed on the rocks and ores here, not to mention any unprepared travelers. Said ores and rocks that are used to create weapons of terrible power."

"And what does all that mean to you Mana? Don't look at it as a Mon Calamari, but as a Jal Shey. The rock-centric eco-system, the lack of water, what does this planet have to teach us?"

"I am looking for what you are trying to teach Mentor, but I cannot see it. There is power in this place but that is not what you're looking for."

"Sometimes one cannot find what one is looking for. In these moments it is good at least to realize what you are not looking for Mana. This planet holds much power yes, history too, but what is most amazing is how well the creatures live here. Where does life come from Mana? How does life sustain itself?"

"Life comes from the Force. Most things sustain themselves by eating something or another."

"Yes, and a large portion of these creatures eat rocks. It is said that the Force is all around us, permeating the air, the life around us. Would that imply that perhaps rocks contain the Force as well? There are species, some alchemical some not, that can sustain themselves with the Force? Could this ability be taught to other species? If so could we remove the need for creatures to eat other living things like animals or plants? Or would the rocks themselves be considered alive?"

"Feeding people with rocks? Rocks being alive? Mentor I have never doubted that you a wise man, but what you speak seems . . . unlikely."

"The Force is infinite Mana. We need only learn how to use it."

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Under the surface of Mustafar a Daelite traveled, looking for 'Nomads', other travelers. He wanted to say that they didn't limit themselves to a certain lake, river, or under-ocean but that wasn't always true. Sometimes Nomads were Daelites banished from their homes, criminals who'd stolen the food of others, pushed others up to the surface, or swindled others out of food or supplies. That meant his adventures weren't exactly safe, but if safety concerned him than he wouldn't have pressed for a journey to the surface in the first place. Hunting nomads wasn't an easy task, as many of them don't want to be found, but with enough effort the Daelite found what he was looking for.

Interviewing them was a difficult process. Nomad's weren't really the sharing type but more of barterers. With no clan aiding them they didn't often eat as well and thus Mirkanite Ore was always a valuable commodity. In a world of lava where nothing could be stored it was the only commodity. Thus the curious one was forced to leave the Nomads informationless, and hunt for food. Food he couldn't eat, but food that would give him information.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

"If the Force is infinite then why do we have to wear envirosuits? Didn't you say you can use the Force to keep your body temperature in the right spot? Why didn't you teach me that before we got here?"

"The Force is infinite Mana, but our power to use it is not. I could use the Force to stop the planet's heat from smouldering me but such an approach is callous. Overconfident. The Force is more than a tool Mana, it is the life around us, it is the will of the universe, it leads us yet listens to our commands. To attempt to command the Force in such a way for such an easily solvable problem? It is unnecessary. It makes one unable to read the will of the Force. One cannot make waves and read the ripples you see."

"So we are forced to inaction or blindness?"

"Not necessarily. Sometimes one can find a weakpoint by analyzing their surroundings. Sometimes one doesn't need a weakpoint if they can power through a problem at it's strongest. There is merit in both paths, but our order is one of research. One of analysis. If we are to learn what we can about the galaxy, about the Force, about how to change it for the better we must learn, read all we can, listen to what the data and the Force are telling us."

"So it is wrong for us to use the Force when we don't need too?"

"It can lead to temptation but it can also lead to great success. Is it wrong to want power over insight? I cannot say, but it is not a method I prefer."

"So what can this insight grant you that power cannot? Can you give me any examples Mentor?"

"Examples? One merely has to listen to the environment around them Mana and their examples will come if they are patient." Mentor Forris said, before stopping for a moment and turning east. "In fact, I think we might find one soon enough."

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

The curious Daelite spent the next few hours searching for deposits of Mirkanite Ore. It was a difficult thing to find, but Daelites didn't exactly require a large amount of it. Unless one was fighting against the current a Daelite didn't expend a lot of energy just floating around. Rather than operating like a mammallian species and having to eat every few hours the Daelites were more like reptiles, only needing to eat every few days, or after periods of extreme work. Unlike the rest of Daelite's however the curious one didn't often have issues finding them. It was hard to explain why, but the curious one simply had a knack for finding what he needed. Sure, he was good ad deduction and thought, but it was something beyond that. Sometimes he felt like the currents of Mustafar were telling him where to go.

He eventually found three deposits of Mirkanite Ore. Not much, a few kilos each, but enough to bargain with. He'd return to one nomad, conduct his trade, and learn that it claimed to have gone to the surface before. That one could survive a trip up there they merely needed to keep themselves hot enough. Though the curious Daelite wished to know of where such a place could be the first nomad could not answer. He said his journey to the surface was in a cavern where heat was trapped, a cavern that later collapsed. A lead surely, but not the solution he was looking for.

The second nomad was exceedingly pleased at the store of Mirkanite, and claimed that she had been to the surface as well. Like the first daelite she claimed that one needed to find a place that was hot like the lakes. She said if you found the right place it was comfortable but liveable. When the curious Daelite asked her where she'd been she told him a way, a small valley filled with geysers of lava, where something called 'steam' permeated around instead of molten rock. It was confusing to the curious one's perspective, but he was still satisfied to learn of a place he could journey too. The curious Daelite thanked the female for her help and then left her.

The third nomad was a liar and a thief, presenting no useful information to the curious one. What a waste of time.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

"Where are we going Mentor Forris?"

"You shall see soon enough." The Ithorian Jal Shey told his apprentice, though the Mon Calamari was still impatient. Fidgety. Perhaps it was this world, the fiery contrast to his aquatic species that made him uneasy. Or perhaps Mana was merely of the impatient sort. It would not be surprising. Patience was an important thing for a Jal Shey to learn, but it was not often a lesson learned in youth. Mana was uncharacteristically silent after that. Perhaps he was reaching out, trying to feel what Forris felt. It was unlikely that he could sense it, at least sense all of what Forris could, if he was indeed sensing at all. Perhaps he merely stewed silently in annoyance. Either way his eyes would be opened soon.

"We shall wait here." Forris said finally, setting up 'camp' around a small valley, teeming with geysers of liquid stone until it hit the side of a lake of lava.

"Here? Could you not pick a more dangerous spot Mentor?"

"Studying the galaxy and the Force is a dangerous thing Mana. It will lead us to dangerous things, expose us to dangerous people, even make us dangerous ourselves, but that doesn't mean we should refuse to study. It means only that we need be alert to our surroundings, our company, and our actions. In fact, let us conduct an excercise. Tell me all of the dangers that we have crossed thusfar, and how best to learn about them without provoking them."

"Must I Mentor?"

"You are required to do nothing Mana, but then again neither am I." Forris replied, and the Mon Calamari let out a sigh.

"Very well Mentor." He said, and began his recitation.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

The curious Daelite found the place soon enough. He could feel the wall of solid rock, lava going through it, pressure building under the lake of lava. It was the build up of a geyser. Upon further examination many areas had such buildups of pressure. More and more geysers. The constant spew of lava above-ground would ensure higher temperatures, but the curious Daelite continued to look up at the edge of the'waterline' of molten rock. He was operating on the word of a nomad. He was attempting to trust a nomad. What if the Nomads were wrong? What if they had lied? He had given them good Mirkanite Ore deposits yes, but he was still trusting his life to their information. Their information that he had no way to authenticate with risking said life. Or the life of another, but the curious Daelite had no intention of forcing this decision on another.

Shall I do it or shall I not?

The curious Daelite thought to himself, before realizing one thing. The Daelite people where one of philosophy. Ones to argue of social protocol, intellectual discussion, the place of morality. And though they held much wisdom they were trapped. Trapped under the surface of the lakes, rivers, and oceans of Mustafar. They had been debating the same discussions for what was probably centuries by now. If his people were to ever advance, to ever find new fields to study, new philosophies to discuss, they would not be found by doing what generations upon generations of people had done before him. Someone needed to leave. To change their perspective.

And why not him?

Mustering what courage, or perhaps foolishness, that he had the curious Daelite swam up, towards the surface, towards a new life, and new experiences.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Mana was about halfway done with his recitation when the lava from the lake grew a bit. Flowed over the rock, upstream. As if controlled by something, someone.

"Mentor Forris-"

"I see it Mana." The Ithorian responded and headed closer to the lake.

"And you're heading towards it?"

"Not it Mana. Him I suspect." The Ithorian said, and the Lava came upwards, part of it rising against gravity. It seemed in constant motion upwards, fighting the desires of physics in keeping it downwards.

"What is your name creature?" The Ithorian asked, and the lump of lava shook around in one direction to another. The ithorian chuckled a bit, but his Mon Calamari neophyte kept silent. He was working his way past the 'amazement' phase before he could do anything else.

"I'm afraid I can't understand language such as that. Can you perhaps speak in some fashion? Vibrate your rock in some way perhaps?" The Ithorian asked.

"Mentor, if this is some sort of trick-"

"Call me Glurp." A heavily accented and gurgley voice came from the lava.

"It is nice to meet you Glurp. How can I help you?" Forris's response was quick, polite, and warm. His intentions, noble ones at that, were obvious.

"To learn . . . of the surface . . . and beyond."

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Glurp the Curious Daelite was perplexed by the creatures. They did not flow, they did not move, their bodies did not flow, and were trapped in some sort of constricting rock. Yet Glurp still believed them to be very much alive. He couldn't explain it but he could feel them without touching them. Not their vibrations or their heat, but the men themselves. It was difficult to understand, let alone explain. They spoke at him and it took him a short whiel to remember it, to remember the inklings of the so called "Galactic Basic" and utter to him a reply in the language not often spoken by the Daelite. Perhaps they were surprised or startled, but with Glurp's limited knowledge of extra-terrestrial facial expressions he could not tell.

"Can you help me? Help. Me. Leave?" Glurp asked, and the hammer-headed creature pondered for a moment while the large eye'd creature intervened.

"You cannot leave? What do you need to go?"

"Need. Heat." Glurp responded. "Large. . . heart."

"It seems we must get him an envirosuit Mana." Forris told his apprentice

"Do they even make such a thing Mentor? To contain lava? Let it move around?" Mana asked.

"I suspect not. But that shall not stop us from aiding a scholar in need. Nor a potential Jal Shey."

"You believe him it to have the Force Mentor?"

"I know him to have the Force Mana." Forris replied.

"So where . . . does that . . . leave me?" Glurp asked.

"I am afraid you must wait for our return Glurp. But we will return."

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Glurp bid the strange formed beings farewell and headed back to the ocean of molten rock. It occurred to him later that while they had made arrangements to meet later he did not know when later was exactly. Though in truth it didn't bother Glurp very much. Being under the surface of Mustafar, unable to see the stars time had little meaning to him. Some Daelites chose to measure time by analyzing flow rates of the lava rivers, but depending on how many daelites were in the area or if anything fell in from the surface, or if anything was mined the surface it could alter the flow rate. Distort their perception of time. Which made their methods all too unreliable for Glurp. If he could not accurately measure time what point was there in measuring to begin with? The wait would be just the same whether or not he observed time's passing.

But the wait? It was long. Glurp could not tell how long of course, but conversations with other Daelites did not help. They doubted his experiences, his travels. Said that he had gone up their to try eating the beetles and had a hallucination after eating a sick one. With none of them brave enough to travel the surface with him they largely followed their own opinion, and after a while it got to Glurp a little bit. Had he just imagined the encounter with the Formed Ones? He didn't remember eating or desiring a Kubaza Beetle, but perhaps the lack of lava caused his mind to be addled. The 'air' as it were could have corrupted him. Changed him. Yet, still he wished it to be true. That extra-terrestial beings with that strange solidity would find a way to take him from this place. Allow him to explore the realm outside the lava. A realm many Daelites were not sure ever existed in the first place. But he wanted to believe. He had to believe.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

"Mentor, why do you go to such lengths?" Mana asked as they passed yet another vendor who could not facilitate their request. "I hold no ill will for the creature, but would our time and resources not be dedicated to better pursuits?"

"Mana, as a Jal Shey we hold the pursuit of knowledge of the Force above all other aspects do we not?"

"Well, yes . . . "

"This creature doesn't just have the Force in it, it has the power to utilize the Force. Presumably manipulate it as you and I can. This creature is also liquid. And a rock. What other creature do you know like that?" Forris asked, and the Mon Calamari pondered for a moment as it rubbed the gils extending from it's chin.

"Their are records of a group of Jedi called the "Iron Knights" Mentor. They are crystalline beings that can use the Force, but must use the body of a droid to allow them to move."

"It is good to see to see you taking to your studies Mana. Now, tell me, where does our ability to manipulate the Force come from?"

"It comes from Midi-Chlorians. Little organelles within our cells Mentor."

"Yes, but we are organic. How does a Shard learn to manipulate the Force without Midichlorians?"

"I . . . I do not know Mentor."

"And neither do I. Neither did I assume it could be learned through peaceful methods. Breaking a Shard physically is fatal, you can't just extract a blood sample like you can a Mon Calamari or Ithorian. But this is a liquid being. We could conceivably extract a piece of this being without harming it overall. Learn more of the Force, where it comes from, how it adapts. But beyond that? The ability to pull another scholar to our ranks? With a perspective we'd never find elsewhere? That is worth almost anything to me Mana."

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

It took time, time that immeasurable to the fluid-rock creature "Glurp" but eventually he felt something. Something that said he should go back. Back to the surface, to the lava geyser, to where he met the two solid beings. Or at least thought he did. He was never quite sure anymore. Personally he was under the assumption that he did, but as time passed? As other Daelites spouted that his memories were foolish, that he had imagined the beings, that the air had addled his mind? It got a man after a while. He couldn't shake that feeling though. That someone was up there. Waiting for him.

Swimming up the lava rivers and lakes he made his way to the spot, and rose to the surface. There he found the hammerhead waiting, and bulb-eyed creature and a third creature. It was made of metal or stone, like him, but it didn't move. Just stood there.

"A . . . friend?" Glurp spoke the words slowly, deliberately, and with quite a bit of gargling.

"No Glurp. This will be your body." The Hammerhead spoke in reply and headed over to the standing suit. He pressed a button and it opened, revealing a hollow inside.


"The 'leather' is made of a tungsten-armorweave alloy, while the plating is a tungsten-durasteel alloy. It will be able to withstand temperatures of nearly four-thousand kelvin. If you're as hot as I expect you to be you should only be about half of that."

"Tungsten? . . . Durasteel? Temperature? Kelvin? I . . . do not know." Glurp admitted his confusion, a bit embarrassed. But with him having no idea what the hammerhead was saying he needed some clarification.

"Materials, measures of kinetic motion, scales-" The Ithorian began, before getting cut off by his Mon Calamari friend.

"What he is trying to say is that if you go into the suit you won't go through it, and it will keep you warm. It will be restrictive though. You'll have to move around with the suit, not throughout it. But you will be able to leave here. Explore the galaxy with us. We, well, Mentor Forris, will have much to teach you." The fish spoke, and Glurp began to understand. The Hammerhead shot him a look, though Glup could not understand whether it was a good or bad one. Solid being's body language was, at least for now, lost on the fluid being.

"Mana speaks true." The Hammerhead spoke. "We got this for you, that you might come with us. If you are ready of course."

Glurp thought for a while on his words. Exploration, a whole new world of concepts and possibilities to explore. Mustafar was his home, but if offered him so little in comparison. His choice was made.

"I will go."