Fantastic Beasts and Where to [Copyright]

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

”Hard to say.” Aela answered truthfully. The histories that she had read were ancient by any standard that one could ever imagine. There was much that even the most learned scholar didn’t know about Korriban. ”By all accounts it’s always been that way, but we just don’t know.”

An unfortunate oversight really, but there was no way of knowing the truth without them somehow time traveling back several dozen millenia. After the Gulag Plague quite a bit of knowledge was lost as well, something that didn’t really help with the histories.

”Kind of.” She told Jamie as they turned a corner, a bright light beginning to glow at the end of the tunnel up ahead.

”It’s been occupied by both Jedi and Sith over the last few decades.” The former generally just consisting of small outposts either above the planet or located away from the Valley of the Dark Lords. ”It’s not abandoned like Dxun. I wouldn’t doubt if there were Sith there even now, lurking, learning.”

It was an unfortunate truth. ”It’s a wasteland, but there’s always something...someone there.”

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"I see. It's amazing how much is still unknown about the galaxy even now with all of the technology available to us." It was incredible to her that an entire species could be essentially hunted to extinction, and almost all trace of them lost on the galaxy, save for some historical points, ruins, and trinkets here and there. A whole culture spanning hundreds of generations, one that left such a profound mark on the modern day shape of the galaxy, lost in the sands of time, largely forgotten.

"With the collapse of the One Sith, have those Sith mostly just scattered about the galaxy in exile?"

Jamie wondered about where they all simply vanished to. Did they have somewhere they went to regroup? To plot a return? It was historical fact that the Sith never truly went away. They just disappeared for a time until eventually they returned in force, claiming some poor world as their own, enslaving its' inhabitants, and re-emerged to the galaxy as a whole once their numbers had soared once more, seeking to once again pave the way for the darkside to rule.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

That was a tougher question to answer, at least for Aela. The very nature of Sith meant that...well they were slippery. Like eels they tended to disappear until it was just the right time to strike, and unfortunately for the Jedi of the galaxy they did it very well. She frowned for a moment as they headed towards the end of the tunnel.

”We think so.” Aela finally said in answer.

The sunlight was now burning brightly into their faces, Jamie and Aela making an exit of the Temple as they found themselves on one of the upper balconies of the odd pyramid like structure. Below the ancient ruins of the city sprawled out before them. Among the grand pillars and collapsed buildings moved bright green lizard like creatures.

The Boma’s they had been looking for.

The things trundled along, moving without a care in the world.

”There are a few more...obvious Sith strong holds. Panatha for instance.” Which was an unfortunate spec of dirt on the galaxy. ”We also think the First Order is harboring Sith, not to mention the Knights of Ren are...well not exactly Jedi either.”

Though supposedly not quite Sith. ”Jacen and I have spoken at length about this subject...whether or not its easier when the Sith gather into an Empire or when they’re scattered like this.”

It was one of the things that troubled Aela.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Arriving at their destination Jamie placed her hands on a partially complete rail, looking over the balcony to the beasts below as they bumbled about their business. They were simplistic looking, four legged reptiles. Big enough to cause a problem for humans, but small enough to not be at the top of the food chain either. Then again, there was always a bigger fish. At least, that was the saying back on Naboo, where some of the underwater creatures were as big, or bigger, than the galaxy's tallest skyscrapers. Her head turned from them for a moment, towards Aela, listening attentively to the woman speak. Her lower lip folded beneath her upper teeth while she processed that information.

"I've heard stories of Panatha. None of them good. I imagine most aren't entirely fictitious?"

That world was the stuff of nightmares; stories built on fact and myth passed on by those unfortunate enough to have stepped foot on the world and lived to share a tale. Generally it was understood that death was more forgiving than living on Panatha. Rumors were something she heard quite often wandering about the marketplace and star port on Naboo. People always liked to talk, but Jamie had typically always passed these off as tales by travelers to make their experiences sound more impressive.

The more she learned of the galaxy, the more real those stories became.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

”Most, are probably true.” Aela said ruefully.

Panatha was by no means a pleasant world, and it had long since been a planet that she wanted...for lack of a better term cleansed. There had been talk years back about striking at Panatha first, but ultimately it had been decided to take Coruscant instead.

It had been the right decision, but there were still thousands of people suffering upon Panatha, and that wounded Aela in an odd sort of way. She frowned for a moment and then set down her pack, ushering Jamie to get to the edge of the balcony so that she could prepare herself for what they were here to do.

”The world is not a pleasant place.” She told her padawan. ”A horror really.”

Aela sighed as she sat herself down, legs crossed. ”I suppose the consolation to that is many worlds used to be the same way. Before we toppled the One Sith.”

Still, it was something that needed addressing.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The blonde gave a nod, taking with it a few steps towards the ledge, setting her own bag down just beside herself to rest, propped up against the cold stone wall. Carefully she sat down herself, sliding her legs over the ledge as she peered over to look down on the Boma meandering about several meters below. A couple of heads awkwardly lifted upwards to take notice, though they hardly paid more than a glance of attention before returning to their grunting and stamping about searching for food. One of the reptiles would take an extended, long gaze up at the girl, as if contemplating something before realizing it was far more effort than the creature was willing to exert to find a way up to her.

"I can only imagine the horrors that are locked away there. The comparatively brief period that they held Coruscant brought with it a great number of abominations. Panatha seems like the mouth of hell."

As her legs dangled over the edge of the balcony Jamie swung them forward and back lazily, counting around twenty three of them skulking about. The Boma were curious, odd looking creatures. Large, strong frames on them, but curiously stupid looking. She laughed to herself quietly as two made a brief scuffle, grunting and growling and exchanging a quick headbutt before separating and going back to their own business.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela nodded. Jamie was right. Panatha really was in a way, hell. The planet was ruled by a family of Sith, a family that took cruelty to an entirely different level. That would change one day of course, they couldn’t hide behind the yolk of one faction or another forever, and Aela knew that better than most.

”Alright.” She said quietly. ”Enough of that.”

They were here to learn after all. ”We can get more into the histories of Sith another time. Let’s get back to your training.”

The Boma were already roaming around, and they were close enough that reaching them with the force would be relatively simple. They had enough food and water to stay here for a day or so, and she’d made sure to bring sleeping bags just in case they lingered for longer than they originally intended.

Staying here wouldn’t be ideal, but probably okay given the narrow halls.

”Just like before.” Aela told her apprentice. ”Start off with one of the smaller ones, simple tasks, get it to walk across the courtyard.”

It would be a long day.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie awoke to the buzzing sound of some type of pesky insect flying about her head. It was considerably persistent, as if it was trying to intentionally rise her from sleep.

Annoying.

Despite her best efforts, scrunching nose and eyes held deeply closed the insect defeated her will, finally forcing the young Jedi to open her eyes and swat the air towards the assailant. With a bit of persistence herself she was able to rid her personal space of the invader. The damage was done however, her eyes were open, and the light from above the two women poured into the ruins, illuminating the vast majority of the area surrounding them. The boma's beneath the balcony had mostly wandered off, leaving behind only a few stragglers that were too stubborn to vacate the premises.

The one she'd managed to influence through the Force was one that stuck by, perhaps a remnant of that hold lingering on its' consciousness, or perhaps it too was simply a stubborn creature, disinterested in finding a more suitable habitat for its' continued existence. Either way, Jamie smiled, feeling rather accomplished after the previous day's exercises and lesson. She still needed more practice, but she felt more confident than when they had arrived. The idea of something substantially larger than she, though, was still intimidating beyond belief. That fear was mostly built on the idea that things larger than her could quite easily injure, kill, or devour her quite easily if she made the slightest mistake.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela was already awake of course.

"Nice of you to join me." The Jedi Marshall said munching on one of the rations that they had brought along yesterday. The food was...well still incredibly bland, but at least the candy that it contained inside was palitable. She ate the small bit of chocolate as she watched the Boma below, looking up towards Jamie with a smile.

"We're going to go into the nest today." She told her padawan. "See if you can't tame the Alpha."

It was dropped so casually that Aela might have been joking.

She wasn't of course. Jamie had shown that she could get inside the mind of a Boma, and now...well now it was time to kick things up a notch. Heading into the nest would mean there was an element of danger, and danger meant that Jamie would have access to more of her own power.

Stress was a wonderful thing.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie mouthed the words Nice of you to join me silently, in mockery of Aela in return, her eyes and nose scrunching and and wiggling as she did.

"We are?" She asked, leaning to the side to drag her bag closer to herself. A soft zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzip noise could be heard as she opened the pack, taking out one of the oh so delicious rations for herself. The joy on her face towards the idea of eating more of them was evident in the gosh, why, sort of fashion. The one thing she missed more than anything during this trip, aside from Kurt, was real food. Fresh vegetables and fruits, fish caught that morning, and real meat from the market butcher back home. Now that was living.

This....Could be considered a form of torture back home.

With a cringe and a scowl the girl forced the items barely passable as food into her mouth, chewing with an almost disgusted look that would make even the most emotionally devoid person feel some degree of sorrow.

"Isn't he going to be surrounded by other, less than friendly boma? Won't they take issue with our invading their territory?"

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Probably." Aela said with a shrug.

The nest would be filled to the brim with Boma, that was...well that was the nature of a nest. These creatures were defensive of their territory by nature, and Jamie and Aela would have to wander deep into it to actually get to where the Alpha tended to stay. The journey would not be an easy one by any means, but that was part of the point. They were here to challenge Jamie, to teach her new things and to force her to grow into herself.

"Don't worry." Aela said with a smile. "This is where another trick comes into play."

She wasn't suicidal after all. "What you've learned has so far been more about direct influence on creatures. This...this will be more subtle."

Also a little more simply.

"There's a way to make the creature ignore you." A subtle touch of the force, a brush, nothing more. "Animals work on instinct, Boma included. I'll show you how to nudge that instinct in the right direction...away from us."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"And if it doesn't work then we have a whole nest full of very irritated boma looking to punish us for our intrusion of their territory?"

Sounds great.

Jamie nodded, making a small pop noise with her lips. "You're the teacher." She said, a mixture of sass and nervousness ringing through her tone as she spoke. "I'll follow along."

The girl bit into the soggy bar of -- She scowled, looking at the package, high protein, caloric nutrition supplement. Immediately her mouth pulled back to the left, all the willpower in her being stretched to its thinnest to refrain from spitting out the barely edible substance. Coughing once she'd managed to choke back the tears of disgust and having swallowed the piece, the girl wrapped the bar back up and tucked it into her pack, content to remain hungry for the morning if it meant delaying having to eat that again.

"Should we follow the tracks the boma left behind down there?" She asked, pointing to the ground beneath the balcony where they'd slept. "Suppose we could just climb down, the walls look like they've been pitted enough to allow small footholds." All the time spent exploring cave systems back on Naboo made her a pretty decent climber, one of her other few talents that she could actually pride herself on.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"It works, we'll just have to see if you can keep it up!" If not, well then Aela would have to take over.

Aela already knew the technique worked, mostly because she herself had used it dozens of times. The skill was a handy one when you were traveling within the wilds, though obviously it didn't work on certain things. Rancors, Terentateks, Drexl, and half a dozen other creatures were more annoyed than subdued by the trick, and well...they were generally not something that you wanted to annoy. It was a detail she decided to keep from Jamie, at least for now.

"Yeah." She told her padawan. "Leave your pack here too."

They would have to move quickly. "And try to wipe any remains of food off your hands."

The boma's would smell the remains and then be a bit too distracted by the scent, something that they didn't really want to happen while they were in the middle of a nest. Aela took out a small packaged wet napkin and began to clean her hands, giving a similar one to Jamie before she quickly began to climb down the side of the pyramid.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Yeah...That's the part I'm worried about. If."

Jamie drew in a breath and sighed. The proposition of this task was already daunting, exhausting even. Taking the damp cloth the girl wiped her hands off carefully after setting everything in her pack aside in a safe place for the time being. Pulling back her hair into a tight ponytail Jamie followed Aela down the side of the wall towards the base of the ruins. It was a relatively straight trip down with plenty of crevices and spaces for her hands and feet to safely maneuver their way to the ground.

There was only one way out from here, forward. Jamie had to assume that was the direction towards the nest, given that was where the other boma had to have gone. The ones still lingering however began to take notice of the two as they reached the bottom of their climb. At first it was simple curiosity, humans not being a typical sight for the creatures. Though as they neared the end of their descent the ones actively engaged with their newest visitors slowly became a bit too interested for the comfort of one Jamie Pyne. The moment her feet hit the ground she turned to see two of them approaching, With the skip of a heartbeat she quickly stretched out her mind to dissuade the first of the reptiles, which now were much larger when face to face. At the same time, the girl made the attempt to influence the second one at the same time as Aela had instructed. It was difficult, more so to focus on the ability than the act of actually doing it.

In her mind she worried that she wouldn't be able to maintain a strong enough influence over a whole nest of these while simultaneously attempting to win over the alpha as well.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Don't try to focus on each one individually." Aela said quietly. "Focus more on us, on just you and I."

This was where it got tricky. "You don't want to push their minds, you want them to forget about us. So instead of trying to reach out and touch the minds of each one individually, you want to...twist their perception of us. Make us appear to them as something uninteresting, a rock, another Boma, something they wouldn't care about."

She spoke softly.

The Nest was teeming with Boma of course, though they hadn't quite wandered into it just yet. The way Jamie was using the force now was good, but it would put too much strain on her in the long run. The idea of this wasn't precision, it was more about tossing out a large blanket and trying to cover as much as one could.

"Don't worry about all the Boma." She told Jamie. "Just the ones within a few meters."

Aela herself kept the force ready, flowing through her at a constant rate just in case.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

There was a pause in Jamie's step, her hands raising to cover her face and eyes for a moment. It helped to reshape her focus and thoughts. Aela's advice was, in a way, counter to what she had been learning up to this point, making the transition more difficult to accomplish. She struggled with the process for a minute, absentmindedly lapsing in focus for a few brief moments, enough however to catch the attention of the boma that was a bit more interested than the other enough to take a few more prominent steps towards the two girls.

In a small panicked fit the girl retrained her thoughts once more as Aela had instructed, casting what was essentially a wave of Force energy outwards, enveloping the room they stood in that would hopefully calm the senses of the reptile enough so to allow Jamie and Aela to pass through the room and deeper into the ruins unobstructed. The slight tremble in the Padawan's lip would give away the notion that she was more than a little nervous attempting this sort of thing.

Only when she was certain the animal was no longer interested in her did she begin to slowly move towards the corridor once more.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Good." Aela said with a smile.

Jamie was progressing remarkably fast.

It was somewhat surprising given that she'd only learned of her potential in the force a short few months ago, but Aela liked to think it was partially because of her tutelage. She smiled slightly as they headed deeper into the ruins, the sun quickly disappearing behind them as they entered a more cavernous section of the city. From her pocket she pulled out a bright glowstick, cracking it so they wouldn't be completely blind as they passed through the cavern.

"This way." She told Jamie quietly as they headed deeper and deeper into the ruins. "There."

She pointed towards a door up ahead. "Beyond there is the center of the nest."

How did she know? She could feel the creatures beyond, Jamie would likely be able to as well, especially since she was currently pressing them away.

"Let me take over crowd control." The same odd burst of the force came from her, a hand coming to rest on Jamie's shoulder. "Take a short break before we go inside. The Alpha will be...more difficult than the others."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The relief couldn't have come at a better time. Despite her progress, the process itself was still incredibly exhausting, taking from her mental fortitude, as well as draining her physical form of energy in exchange for that of the Force. So when Aela said that she would take over, Jamie released her focus and hold on the creatures with delight, taking another momentary break from walking to simply stand still and breathe in the sharp, cold air surrounding them. A yawn even managed to find its' way from what felt like the tips of her feet, for it was long and drawn out, making her eyes water some.

"Okay." Her fingers gently rubbed her eyes, maintaining her determination to see this day through to the end. "Let's do this now."

Jamie wondered just how large this alpha was, at least in comparison to the others. The boma here were large enough, though not overly huge. They were just the right size for being intimidating, without becoming overwhelming. A drexl, for instance, might be the tipping point, if this alpha boma wasn't, to putting a real fear of death into her head. As much as Jamie believed in Aela's belief in her, there was always that chance that the teacher was wrong.

Jamie just hoped it was never during a time where their lives were the consequence of that wrong.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela nodded to Jamie and gave her a light smile.

She understood what her apprentice was feeling in that moment, understood what she feared. The Boma were at their core...well carnivores. If something went wrong the beasts wouldn't hesitate and eat either of them, it was simply in her nature. Yet Boma's weren't Drexl, they wren't skreev or Rancors. They were still relatively simplistic, and Aela was confident in her own strength. If something went wrong she would be there to help, and that was more than enough.

The two of them moved together towards the door, Aela waving a hand.

There was a slight hitch, and then the heavy rock fell away to either side.

The beasts within stirred for a moment, at least until they passed into the field that Aela was projecting. They looked up, and then slowly began to look away. At the far end of the room, which was more like a massive hall, sat a Boma that was rather larger than any of the others within the room. IT lay perched upon what appeared to be an ancient sarcophagus, sprawled out and half spread as though the heavy stone was the most comfortable thing in existence.

Aela pointed Jamie over towards a pile of toppled collumns, a place for them to sit in relative safety.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie crept along the outer perimeter of the large room, thickly populated with dozens of Boma, keeping as far away from the bulk of the creatures as possible until the two had reached the downed pillars where the master had pointed the student towards. The two crossed over one another forming a sort of X on the ground, one on top of the other. The massive columns of duracrete would do well to hold both Aela and Jamie whilst the girls observed the animals just below. While it was hardly something Jamie would consider safe, it was better than standing in the thick of the mob, so she could scarcely complain.

Digging her feet into the side of the stonework, Jamie pulled herself up as quietly as possible, careful not to disturb any loose rock or debris that lingered. The last thing she wanted was to disturb all of the reptiles, even with Aela's influence coursing through the ruins around them. Better to be safe than sorry.

Once the blonde got her footing and made her way atop the column she walked towards the far end, which was also the tallest point on the pillar, overlooking the Boma about two meters beneath it.The animal was by and far much larger than the others, likely due to it taking the majority of the food for itself, having asserted its' dominance over the rest of the pack. Jamie took up a seat there, blue eyes cast out over watching it leisurely rest. The Jedi wished to study its' behavior for a few minutes before attempting to influence it into taking any action, or inaction.

[member="Aela Talith"]