As
Carlo Von Corrino
leaped into the air, his hand would indeed wrap around the vine that had snatched his sunglasses. However, before the noble Padawan could retrieve his lost accessory, a second vine lashed out from the tangle to fetch his shades. The creeping plant would drag Carlo's poor sunglasses across the open central space of the tower and deposit them in a nest of thorny, fruit bearing vines. Tendrils of green caged the nest, and the sharp barbs jutting from their surface seemed to glimmer ominously even in the dim lighting.
Valor the Forsaken
's ponytail predicament was alleviated at the skilled hands of
Colette
. Knowledgeable in her respect for nature, the tribal Padawan seemed to have a knack for influencing the plant life around her. As the pair made their way through the citadel, the vines seemed less aggressive – in fact, the plants seemed to downright ignore them.
Then, they would stumble upon an intricate latticework of vines. It stretched high along the wall like an intentionally decorative piece of order among the untamed jungle around them. What was more, the trellis bore plenty of ripe peppers – red, green, and orange, all tantalizingly ripe for the taking.
As
Ryana mina
entered the spire with her lekku aglow from the luminous blossoms, the vines rustled in the darkness. They didn't seem intent on disturbing her, but the Twi'lek would soon come to an obstacle; the stone staircase in front of her had crumbled away. The aura blossoms affixed to her head gave off enough light to illuminate where the staircase reformed in the distance – about half a floor up. In front of her were long, hanging vines that could be used to traverse the gap.
Atop the citadel's roof, Corazona slowly opened her eyes. Yes, the lessons was progressing well within. She removed both hands from the aged tile and wrapped them around a creeping vine, guiding it downward until it shrugged her weight to the ground.
While some of the Jedi present tested their mettle in the spire, others were testing plant surge in a less hazardous manner. Spotting a familiar face, Cora watched as vines grew from between the clawed fingers of
Jonyna Si
.
"Well done, Master Si." Stepping up to the Jedi Master, she offered a nod of approval – yet it still felt so very
strange to be overseeing someone outranked her, even if it was regard a rather niche skill. A Jedi Master would be able to manipulate and alter more easily with the Force than a Padawan would, and the evidence trailed from the Cathar's hands in spires of green.
"You're a natural. Perhaps you'd like to try your luck in the citadel?" She placed a hand on her friend's shoulder and glanced towards the ancient building. There was a small spark of...
mischief? in her eyes.
As she began to turn back to Jonyna, playfulness drifted from expression when she caught sight of
Mahsa
. The young woman had gathered soil onto the lap of her robes, hands pressed to the dirt in meditative concentration.
"Excuse me, Master Si."
Cora paced over to the Padawan, silently observing as little sprouts of green emerged from the earth she'd gathered.
"You're doing well, Padawan." The Knight spoke soft and low, gently as if she were afraid to disturb the growth of the budding flowers. She knelt down and pressed her fingers into the dirt beside one of the seedlings. The Force moved at a slower pace than when she'd grown the blossoms at the beginning of the lesson, but her intent was for Mahsa to feel how she was directing the energy. Gradually, the wispy stalk of the seedling would thicken and give rise to a bud which unfurled into a luminous blossom.
"Take all the time you need, Padawan. The flowers are forgiving – the citadel, less so."
She gestured to the remaining seedlings in Masha's lap.
"I find that it helps to draw inspiration from the life around us – feel the way the Force flows within the grass beneath your feet, in the vines along the tower, even among the trees in the distance. I will be here if you need guidance." With a smile, she rose and gave the Padawan her space.
Cora scanned the field. It was not just Padawans who'd gathered on Ukatis – Grandmaster
Valery Noble
had come to observe, as she often did with lessons. Right now, she was overseeing
Aris Noble
, who was overseeing a blossom of his own. The sight had her expression softening; the Noble clan was essentially family to her.
Among others she recognized were
Zaiya Ceti
,a Padawan that was colorful not only in skintone, but in her very nature. She was accompanied by
Jalen Kai'el
, a senior Padawan whose smarmy demeanor and sense of justice could either defuse or ignite a situation. Based on how things had gone with young Valor, he seemed to have honed his sharp personality since their last meeting. They were passed by
Sazo Vass
, the first Jedi who'd managed to complete the tower's task with impressive speed.
Cora watched the Lovalla-blind guy pair with a curious eye as the stepped up to the citadel, before turning away to approach
Elias Edo
and
Ko Vuto
, her fellow instructors.
"Master Edo, Knight Vuto." Cora tilted her head deep by way of greeting. When she straightened out, she was smiling.
"Thank you both for joining me on Ukatis to help teach this lesson. We are fortunate to have such ecological experts among us." Her eyes briefly fell to Elias' hands, having caught sight of the signing he'd made earlier. She couldn't read or interpret them, but they reminded her of the gestures
Efret Farr
used.
"I hear that you've traveled from Dagobah. I haven't been to the temple there since I was a Padawan."
Her smile turned a little wistful, eyes gazing into a bittersweet memory. It was the last time she'd seen
Cailen Corso
.
Cora's head tilted towards Ko.
"Knight Vuto, it's good to see you again. Thank you for your addition earlier – it seems that you've developed your affinity for plant life even further since we first planted poola blossoms around your Kand tree on Coruscant."
Their pleasant little garden had been prophylactically removed before the Empire's invasion. When the time was right, they would replant.
