In search of the next story

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel knew what Orihime was thinking. They knew each other well enough by now. If there was a path, then the quickest way to find people was to follow it. It would lead you to either people or their destination. It was not precisely an intricate plan – but it was a fool-proof one.

Carefully she followed Orihime down. The pit was not somewhere she wanted to end up and so she was cautious in her descent and only relaxed when she felt firm ground under her feet again.

“So, let’s see who made those paths,” she said and headed off in the direction of the nearest one.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

"Hopefully whoever or whatever had the beacon." They hadn't been able to map all of the island sure but they had found signs of people living here. FOr a better idea until she was working on some parts of it. With a small look on her face when they were moving around into the better and more improved areas here. Orihime could see some parts of it for herself as she brought her head around. Following the path and now it was into the chance to explore and search. Using the force energies themselves here to reach out and search with her senses. Slowly breathing in and out as there were parts of the trees they could search around here. A small stream from the water that was cutting around different areas here. To see out where she pointed. "There are some footprints."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel nodded. Hopefully they would encounter some friendly faces who welcomed outsiders – maybe even seeing them as someone who might rescue them. The alternative – that they might be seen as meddling strangers was less palatable.

Sorel kept her senses sharp but detected no visible or Force-related signs of life until Orihime pointed out footprints. And they were genuinely footprints, not boot prints. But then, given the people here could be many generations removed from the first settlers, that made a lot of sense. Sorel looked around and wondered if there were any natural materials to hand to fashion clothing, otherwise they may be encountering people who walked around naked. But given they had been here for centuries, this would now be considered customary.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime was looking at more of it as they went and she could see something, more towards the interior coming upon them an orchard, with rows of trees sections off by type judging by what she could see growing in the trees. THere were small fences, not really impressive or made to stand against attacks but they were made to divide it and likely give borders for planting and trying to contain where it all grew. Small carved areas with water running along it that came out like a sprinkler for them and it all looked very natural for a system. To collect water from the rain and she was guessing the regular water supply to water it throughout the day then there was more. Scalable parts to the mountains and trees with different posts and they were spaced out for moving around with vines wrapped around them. She could see all of the different parts with a small look of approval on her face. "Well someone or things are here, the orchards show people do pick things up and maintain them, those would make for great ways to practice getting around and avoiding the major pathways if you dind't want to be detected."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel noted the vines wrapped around the trees and concurred with Orihime. “Yes, it would be a good way to travel if you didn’t want to touch the ground and it must be quicker than walking. Which makes me wonder what they would be looking to avoid.” She looked around the area in case something scary was crawling around.

“But it all points to someone being alive, which is interesting. I just hope they realise we’re friends.”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime looked at her and she spoke. "The ground is lava." She said it and as a small game she and her sisters had played she knew a little about it when she was looking at them here. "My sisters and I used to play that game growing up. A great way to practice force jumps where they would be able to move around without going to the floor. Drove my mothers crazy." She said it while walking and walked off to see now as the ground gave way to more trees with some fruits that she could grab. Not eating it for a moment but she was wiping it and getting a small blade out so that she would be able to cut off a piece. Everything seemed fine with it and there were no sounds here but the sounds of the water before she walked over to see some parts of it with a look on her face following the footprints in the sand and dirt leading towards a sectioned off area they had growing more food.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel nodded at Orihime’s explanation. “If I have a concern it is with the limited wildlife here. I wondered how the eco-system managed itself with so few animals apparent. I mean there will be insects to pollinate flowers and plants, but I suspect there is not a wide variety of flora or fauna and it makes me wonder how people survived here – unless there is more to the island than meets the eye?”

She noted that Orihime was trying one of the fruits and was tempted to join in – but hesitated – her experience of trying things was mixed and so she refrained for now.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Matsu looked at her when she thought about it and there was a lot that they would be able to do possibly. All over the island there could possibly be a lot more things so she had that interest.... As well as some fo the other parts they did. "Maybe, we have only seen a small part and there are some large parts we haven't seen." She was uncertain though when the more open areas gave way to sounds and she stopped. Crouching to the side and motioning for Sorel as the first sign of something came around so that the two of them were dodging and weaving around. They seemed to be playing with wooden swords for a moment until another one appeared and the children were all laughing. The sight of an adult in the distance watching them though brought her interest around as no one seemed to notice the two of them here. Orihime was wanting to go around while they got a chance to investigate here.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel nodded. Her own thoughts were that perhaps there was an underground complex – or that even something like White Current was being used to hide buildings, or even other islands. If so, it wouldn’t show up on any scanner and even the Force would not reveal it. You’d have to physically walk into it to find it – or enter the White Current yourself of course.

Which was when she saw the children playing. Sorel was immediately unsure how to progress. If they tried to hide, it suggested they had something sinister to conceal. But to just walk up to the children risked scaring them, which felt equally uncomfortable.

“So,” she whispered to Orihime. “Shall we just loiter here, or walk up to them slowly?”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime was looking at Sorel as she had to agree with her about it. There was a danger in approaching but there was also the danger in staying back here where they were sitting around. So they would jut have to bite the bullet and really think about it when she was looking to better iimprove upon what they had. "We'll go and see what they can do or are showing." With a nod of her head when she was leading the way forward prepared for anyting that they might be able to find here. The children stopped and looking at them as she could see some of the others come forward to approach them. Hand pushing their sarong style outfits to the side. it might not be very traditional but for an island in the heat is was likely made to have comfort while others would be in heavier thicker and more heat retaining clothing. "Who are you?"

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel followed Orihime’s lead as they walked slowly forwards towards the youngsters. It was a pace that was not threatening whilst at the same time showed they weren’t skulking around.

As they drew close, Sorel noticed that the children became aware of them and finally they spoke to them.

Sorel smiled and gave a small bow, as was customary. “We are Jedi and we heard a distress signal coming from this place and thought we should come and check that everyone is alright.”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

The children were looking at them and there was a look between all fo them that seemed to change but there was also grins. The jedi adults around were motioning them to come forward. "Well then, you are kind of out of date. We sent that a few thousand years ago." Orihime looked at them though when they were leading the way around everything and it presented her with a better idea as well. There were a lot more children and adults here but all of them looked like jedi. From their robes to the sabers on their hip. "Welcome to Okishima, the home for the children of the jedi." There were more of them and she could see some of the domesticated creatures on the island itself here helping them with the soil or as farm creatures.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel smiled as the children spoke. To them it was a joke and she wanted to know she was joining in and approved of their humour.

“We presumed as much, but wanted to check it out anyway. If nothing else, it is helpful to know if you do need anything from the outside galaxy, or would prefer to be left alone. For you seem to be quite self-sufficient here and we have no intention of intruding.”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

The children were looking at her and Orihime, there were some fo the adults coming along to see them as Orihime could feel it at first. Less danger sense and more knee jerk reaction to someone who was in power here. She looked at the approaching jedi who was tall, muscled and the female looked like an amazon with fiery red hair that was in thick dreads. Facial tattoo's that were over her one eye and she could see the aurobesh here until they had been seeing parts of it. She stood tall and had a great saber there on her hip that she didn't touch. Looking over at parts of it for herself though, She had some things to drink in her hand as it looked like something that was heavy for them. She had the cask on her shoulder. "Come then." She didn't say much put mostly was looking at the two of them as some fo the children were moving and a few were wearing robes. "We are the descendants of the Altisian Jedi who found the island. We sent out the beacon when we started getting sick but have since managed to recover a little."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel felt relaxed but also slightly on guard. But the Force was not sending out any warnings, so she focused on the positive and was aware that now adults were coming out to join the children. She expected the Children of the Jedi received few visitors.

And then Sorel’s eyes were drawn to the woman that, if she was not in some ways a leader, she was at very least a significant Jedi here. Sorel bowed, as was her custom, and smiled. “We do not wish to intrude – but if we are welcome here, we would appreciate talking with you, and if we have any supplies that could help you, we would gladly offer them to you.”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime was looking at what they had around here where she could see it. There were plenty of children, a village like this and she could see they had food stores, equipment. "All are welcomed here, darksiders aren't but we can handle them if they ever come around." She motioned for them to follow and was leading the way around with a look on her face. "I am Jarl the leader of the village and master of the jedi here." She thought about soem of the things but supplies would serve a purpose Orihime was thinking where tey could look around into the village center that had some of the other jedi standing around together. "Supplies though may be needed, we mostly get around with some of the locals on the main continents in trade and there are a number of creatures that have been brought to this world by different groups. Some have made it to the different islands which we can hunt."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel listened and was genuinely impressed by their ingenuity and tenacity. It seems they had overcome whatever hardships the planet had put in their direction and were able to deal with them.

“We have a wide selection of supplies. They are all practical, including solar power converters, medicines, a large selection of tools, some construction equipment and even parts and crystals to make sabers, should you wish them.”

“But we also have information, should it benefit you. We could leave a datapad that shows the history of the galaxy since you came here – and access to relevant Jedi records that could prove useful. But all of these things are for you to choose and we would not be offended if anything we suggest is not required.”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

They looked at it and Orihime was walking now with all of them seeing it. The large woman spoke when she was looking at them. "We have communications with the outside galaxy we just choose this. It keeps others safe, when the jedi purge came a number of children were brought here from the temples that were seeking to protect themselves. This far out, the statues we have around the island obscure it from the force and from people sight with the mist." She said it there before heading off with them until they had a chance to see some of the other parts that the jdi here had. If they had used this island like other places to survive the purge and different wars then there might be even more. "Before that we used this island to survive in the jedi civil war and different times when the jedi and sith were in conflict. Families are here from back then, mostly having grown up and trained here."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel was slightly surprised to hear they were communicating off-world, but not upset. Actually she was slightly disappointed the Silver Order were not someone the Children of the Jedi chose to speak to, but this was a chance to establish formal dialogue.

And Sorel nodded at their ingenuity. It wasn’t White Current, but the outcome was the same. A combination of the Force and natural phenomena meant they were invisible to the outside world unless they wanted to be seen.

“I’d be keen to hear about your training. Has it evolved over time, are you aware, or has it remained traditional?”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

"You seem disappointed" Orihime sensed something but she nudged Sorel while they were walking and under her breath for a moment. Allowing the force energies thmselves to go outwards and search the people around here. She was looking at some fo the others though. "Our training methods are much the same as the jedi with some changes. The tombs on this island are from ancient jedi and sith that we have discovered. Many of hem have b uilt in tests we have learned to reset and disable for challenges. We have trained many of our jedi and taught them the values of the order with some small modifications to go with our time here. As we did not know about some of the others or what might have changed the children don't reveal the location of the island or how many people are here but on this world we can help out a few people in small ways."