Lilla knew little of...

[Lilla Syrin]

“Oh, it has been too long since I last tasted Jedi.”
― Queen of Ktath’atn

Lilla knew little of Ktath’atn. If she ever wrote a journal, she was sure every page would start with those lines – for she’d spent her formative years on Tatooine. Or, more accurately, those early years she remembered. Prior to being found by the Jawas, she has no recollection of anything – no memories, no keepsakes – nothing.

So every planet she visited was new to her – but, in fairness – Ktath’atn was not precisely a tourist attraction and so she doubted many, if any, of the Republic Remnant Jedi had been to the place.

She was here as something of a cultural attaché. To represent the Order in searching this sector of the galaxy for Jedi artefacts or historical structures of note.

And she knew little of the person she was liaising with – the phrase was becoming a little too well worn! But she knew she was an experienced Jedi Master. So, she piloted her light freighter to the rendezvous point where they would formulate a plan for their explorations.

At least the planet had a breathable atmosphere. And it had history – Lilla could not deny that. She set down in a clearing amongst the forest, near one of the many mountain ranges that littered the planet. It was the most convenient point to strike from to reach the Citadel of Ktath’atn – which is why she presumed her co-traveller chose it.

Having set down, she powered down the ship and put her cloak on over her traditional Jedi robes, before lowering the ramp and stepping out onto the planet’s surface. She took in the fresh air, and smelled the fragrance of the grass and trees, carried by the faint breeze. When you grew up on a desert planet, any greenery was to be embraced, whenever possible.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

Matsu looked at the world and as she brought the ship into place had to give a small grin It was... it had been a long time since she got to just completely go out and explore... with someone of the jedi order. So she brought the smaller ship in after having departed the Library. THis far out it wouldn't be able to do much... and she didn't want to risk it or some of the other ships in case of problems. The jedi master grinned to herself wearing the outer robes of synthmesh and skylar. She placed her hands in her inner robes pockets, it made for a different look but she had her sabers in her sleeves and usually didn't need to use them while standing as tall as she could.

The doors of the ramp and airlock opened up revealing her. Hair cascading down her back with the small inth metal and crystal bells in her hair, Pale skin of her face until she was walking down the ramp and seeing the other one. The Screaming Citadel was something many didn't know and few really ever came from this planet. For a small risk though she was willing to try it and offered a smile and bow of her head to the other jedi. "Welcome." She was standing there though as her thigh pack was attached, her equipment for use in whatever they might be able to do. She was just glad the robes were highly protective and wintrium enhanced.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla relaxed once the second ship arrived. There was always the risk you'd be stood up, or you'd got the wrong planet - or even the wrong date.

And once it powered down and the tall Jedi strolled into view, Lilla smiled. And the newcomer was certainly tall.

"Glad you could make it," Lilla said, bowing formally. "I presume our destination is obvious?" she cocked her head in the general direction of the citadel. "But what I don't know is what we're likely to expect. Is it long abandoned, or is there a reigning queen?"

"Oh, sorry - I tend to jump straight into business too quickly. I'm Lilla by the way, Lilla Syrin."

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

Matsu stood there and it was a very strange feeling for her to be taller if even a little then most jedi. She was only five foot nothing and her boots weren't made to lift her up while she was walking towards the jedi knight. Seeing the citadel as she stood there and her cloak moved in the breeze with a smal clasp at her neck. "It is quite alright Lilla." She gave her a smile and moved forward before checking out a few other parts of it. "I am Matsu Ike and this citadel should be long abandoned. The region of space we are in most don't come to and fewer actualy know what it is." She was saying it and walking forward, this is what she did and enjoyed... she loved exploring the mysteries of the galaxy ever since she was a little jedi padawan with her master. "There are mostly just rumors and legends about what has been here, no one can be certain."

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla barely supressed a smile. There was a whole school of psychology that dealt with perceptions based upon ranking. The more important someone was perceived to be, the greater their characteristics were remembered as. So, people were recalled as more intelligent, more attractive and taller.

And Lilla knew she’d fallen into that very trap. As Matsu approached, the young Knight realised she was only average height. And as she came even closer, Lilla realised she was much taller than the Jedi Master.

And the words that Master Ike shared were reassuring. “Abandoned by the former queen and her progeny is of course positive, although I suspect we have no way of knowing who or what might have taken residence instead. But I suspect there is only one way of finding out for sure.”

Lilla’s smile was apparent now. “And I’m very much looking forward to exploring. My upbringing was based on one planet – and a desert planet at that. So exploring one sand dune was much the same as the next, and the next. Ruins and the like were almost non-existent, so I’m eager to discover something that hasn’t been seen for countless decades, centuries even.”

“And I presume your experience is vastly greater than mine?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

"Yes." She said it more or less so she wasn't bragging. It was hard to say it in the end... she was a jedi since she was born. Raised in a temple for imperial knights... then jedi and spending nearly fifty of her years studying the force itself. She had explored the galaxy and trained with force spirits and greater things. The spirits of ancient force beings, gods and demons... the Gree library that was the size of a planet, monoliths across the stars and the heart of the universe after a small misstep when the mirrorverse and netherworld opened. Matsu had no real way to explain all of that to someone without it sounding like she was talking all about herself and dominating the conversation.

"I have studied the force and the galaxies history for a long time." She said it while offering a smile and walking with her hands clasped behind her back. The sound of the crystal and inth metal bells that radiated the force energies themselves were brightening everything. THe jedi master was looking over towards the citadel in the distance. She could walk through the streets and area leading to there. "The citadel itself well, who knows what we might find in the vault or within the tower itself. The Queen might have been dangerous and the people fearful but that doesn't mean she didn't collect artifacts. Her price was things of interest... which could mean ancient jedi knowledge."

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla listened and nodded at the appropriate junctures. She was sure the Jedi Master was underplaying her extensive experiences — she had read enough about her to understand there would be few systems in the galaxy she hadn’t visited.

And Lilla was smart enough to know when to listen and when to talk — and now was not a time to hear the sound of her own voice.

“I know a little about the Queen and the Citadel. Has your research uncovered any possibilities of what we might find — either positive or negative?”

Lilla fell into step with the Jedi Master and found the conversation flowing. Some older Jedi could be intimidating without even trying — and others definitely tried. But Master Ike was similar to her own Master, in the sense of being approachable and conversational.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

"There were rumors of the symbiots being here, dangerous creatures that can cause a great deal of harm... but never much int he way of proof one way or the other. A standing order is generally to eradicate them." She said it and looked up while reaching out with the force. For the most part it felt... cold and lifeless... something that could change or could be false she knew but at least it wasn't.... active with many here to try and get the interest of the queen. That was when things could be really dangerous as you never knew what oddities would be something of interest. She was letting the force guide them before she was approaching the doors. "We'll remain on our guard in case of danger and internal defenses but I am only worried if there are dangerous creatures in her vaults. She could have had them in stasis that long since failed."

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla reflected on the likely challenge. She knew a little of the Abersyn symbiotes. They apparently fed on the brain stem of sentient species. For logical reasons, their existence was considered a threat to civilisation and they were typically destroyed when found.

And Lilla remembered something about the Queen of this planet keeping them. She shuddered at the thought of being infected by them.

And her attention was snapped back to the here and now by mention of the possibility of dangerous creatures. To date, Lilla’s missions and experiences had all been linked to the most treacherous of beings in the galaxy – man – and realised she’d never faced anything that was life-threatening and not sentient. She decided to share this information with Master Ike.

“Master Ike,” she began, her voice calm and confident. She was not confessing a weakness, merely imparting a pertinent fact. “I have to confess that I have never faced a dangerous creature. I have studied the most common and I am aware of their strengths and weaknesses, but I have yet to come face-to-face with one. And, if I’m honest, hadn’t considered the prospect – so I appreciate your warning. Forewarned is forearmed after all.”

Lilla was not one for small talk, so allowed the silence to fill gaps as they walked, but when she had a question or an observation, she readily shared it. “Tell me, what’s the most surprising thing you’ve ever found?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

She gave a nod of her head in understanding to what the jedi was saying. Offering a reassuring arm over her shoulder. The girl was young and she had time that she might be able to discover any number of things. The goal was to help her and make it so she could and would be better then the generation of jedi that Matsu was from... or at least better then her if possible. "It is quite alright Lilla, not everyone has to go out and explore or face creatures." The small smile though was there when she stopped thinking about the question and she held her hand out in front of herself. The force swirled when she was generating it and pulling whisps of energy from the planet itself.

"WHen I crash landed on Bedlam.. or did I get brought there. Even after forty years I am still uncertain about it. I met beings so strong in the force that the sith who had followed me well lets just say.... they made a mistake with the beings there and bringing them back to be tried for their crimes was impossible." She said it when she was looking at it in the distance. A place for them to go. "The beings though were amused with me is the best I can say, they were older then many would want to believe.... they were more dangerous then anyone could know and chose to ignore the galaxy. So seeing someone like me trying to claim knowledge or power... got a chuckle from them."

She said it and had been taught by them at least in the way one learns while waiting permission to leave the world of their own accord. They had provided no help but had given her food... made her food, had let her live and survive... she was fairly certain they had even done other things to her just to see if they could. She didn't doubt it or their strength and they had taught her about beings like wutzek, the ones and some other worlds that were more dangerous then she could possibly know. The limited knowledge of the force and history could astound her as she broke out fo the thoughts and turned back towards the jedi.

"We should be fine, if there are any dangerous I will teach you how to defend against them." THe smile was warmth and she gave it all reassurance to keep the spirits up. Looking over at the citadel itself when approaching it her hand came out so she could work on pulling open the doors. Massive and ornately designed but heavier then she thought they would be. The jedi master was just glad she had gathered some energy pulling it into herself to exert less strain getting it open enough for the two fo them to slip inside as she held it opened then let it slam behind them. THe echo of it closing was the loudest thing going throughout the citadel.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla listened intently. Data was one thing and knowledge another — but wisdom was a level she had yet to attain — and she believed that as much as there had to be an innate ability, as important was age and experience. Jantar respected Jedi Masters not because of their rank, but because of the position on the road she had yet to step on. In fact she could see the place most of them trod, so far ahead of her were they.

But she hoped and expected that, one day, she would walk in the same footprints and be in a position to share all she had learned to the following generation of Jedi.

“I appreciate your help and I hope in turn you appreciate my candour.”

As they approached the Citadel, she sensed Master Ike accessing the Force and was genuinely impressed she was able to open the doors as easily as she did. Lilla knew she had a long way to go to be able to emulate her elder.

“If anyone was asleep,” she said, as the doors closed, “They’re awake now!”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

Hahah she gave her a nod of her head. It was a little louder then she had been expecting but that was alright... she could workl with that while leading the way inside of the citadel. The force flaring out when she stopped and touched the ground. Sending out waves that lapped against the walls and followed everything. She was mentaly mapping it in her mind, Mentally reaching out and searching for electronic signatures, searching for mental energies that were hidden or anything that seemed to be a sign of someone actually being here. The massive beast of a vault sealed away down below them was there and she couldn't feel inside but there was something scurrying within the walls as she felt it. "THere is something here but I am uncertain about what it is... for now." She moved a hand and let her saber slip out. The masterwork crafted handle gleaming quicksilver and aged wintrium. it wouldn't be severed, the hilt extended to hold extra crystals and an exceptionally powerful energy cell that allowed the lens to channel the power from the better emitter. The gleam of it was there until she waited. Not activating it.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla was used to using Force Sight. It was an early ability Jedi were taught, and it was one that developed over time. Range extended the greater a Jedi’s ability to call on the Force became, and also barriers became less of an impediment. And additional details were also forthcoming – Force auras, health of an individual…stuff like that.

Jantar was only just a Knight and still had a limited range, although she could now ‘see’ through walls – but not ones this thick.

So, she marvelled and what she sensed Master Ike doing. It was, she surmised, a form of Force Sight, but one that used the Force like a radar, like bats were supposed to use sonar. She decided that, once the trip had concluded, she would ask the Jedi Master how she did what she was doing.

Lilla nodded her understanding of the warning. She still used her own Force abilities, a blend of Sight and Sense to understand what was around her and if any danger lurked nearby. She saw nothing, but kept her subconscious mind on task, whilst she walked forwards. Multi-tasking was something she was getting more used to now. Initially she had struggled, but now there were certain abilities she could allow to tick over in the background whilst she focused on a separate task. A form of Moving Meditation in a way – except the routine chore was a Force-related one.

Lilla felt her own hand reach for the saber on her belt. But rather than draw it, she allowed the heel and palm of her hand to rest on it – almost as if reassured by its touch. As she walked forwards, her hand slipped away from her belt once more.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

The jedi master was able to sense the jedi knight and flicked her eyes towards her but wasn't saying anything. A small tight lipped smirk came to her face though when she opened one of the doors and it was a quarters. lavish and smaller then she would have expected but it was likely for guests when she turned on the power. "Still has lights at least." She was looking at some parts of it while moving over to an access panel and slipping her chevron pad on her wrist under the robe. To start hooking it up and the library AI went to work, the robed hologram appearing for a moment as it spoke. "Slicing in, one moment..... Processing citadel layout."

Matsu looked at what was coming up in the hologram display from the pad as she got to see some of the security. THankfully it was mostly out of date protection that had been bypassed by leaps and bounds with some of the new slicers in the galaxy. Her eyes narrowed when she focused on environmental controls and everything was good cave a few anomalies within the basement and the throne room. It was warm there and sealed. "There is a few places that have been sealed and cut off from the computers systems. So that they can't be opened." The vault and queen's chambers were still there and showing nothing had oepned them in hundreds of years but the rest.... she was not certain.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla allowed Master Ike to take the lead. It was not about deference to title, but to knowledge, skills and experience. One of them was a novice at this and one a veteran. It would be foolhardy for Lilla to play any other role right now.

Lilla was not au fait with a lot of technology - she had grown up on Tatooine and did not need much in the way of sophistication. And since being a Jedi, she'd relied on robes, a ship and a saber for her day to day duties. But she could see the value in speeding up the more mundane tasks through the use of gadgets.

She peered into the first room they came to and then paid particular attention to the data that was downloaded by Master Ike. "When you say, can't be opened, I presume you mean they intended for them not to be opened. I'm guessing that means we will simply have to do a little more work to access those places. It won't be as simple as flicking a switch. Logic says the inhabitants accessed them, so there must be a way, we just need to find it."

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

She gave a nod of her head to that, discovering what they could would be invaluable though as the jedi master came away looking at it. "Yes it could take a little work, the vault of oddities would be something to open but we aren't grave robbers. We aren't here for treasure we are here for knowledge and this was around for a long time." She was walking and brought up the map so that they would be able to see it, she had looked towards sections of it. She walked the halls and the citadel itself had a feeling of danger but it was quiet. "Though here we can learn a great amount." She said offering a small look at the jedi before she was looking out into the halls. "We'll do soemthing though but first a lesson. Force sight is one thing but detection is important, with it you can feel the world around you and anything within your range can be felt from droids to humans or aliens and if you are familiar with them you can identify them even from a distance. Whatever is in the walls here we wil want to be able to identify and protect against. If there is a symbiote hive here still... we are going to need to be on our guard."

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla nodded her agreement with Master Ike’s words. The young Jedi had no interest in material things. Yes, any Jedi related artefacts would be of use to the Republic Remnant Order, given it was a relatively poor relation in comparison to other governments and Orders. But for personal gain? Lilla had spent the majority of life with nothing other than the clothes she stood in, and that had not changed since she had become a Jedi – save for adding a Holocron and saber to her clothing as a full list of her personal possessions. And she did not consider the Holcron to be hers precisely, but rather saw herself as someone who was entrusted with its safekeeping for a short period of time, before handing it over to a new generation of Jedi.

So Lilla took full notice of the map and committed as much as she could to memory. She glanced around, not being able to shake off the feeling of foreboding, but remarkably, not being able to identify why she was feeling this way.

Lilla’s eyes widened when Master Ike offered to teach her. Lilla never turned down the opportunity to learn and spent all spare time in the archives, researching gaps in her knowledge that coming to the Jedi late in life had created. But practical development was simply awesome and Lilla knew it came in many forms – more than just scholarly teaching. And what Master Ike offered was practical, real-time advice, which was not something you could find in any journal or datacron.

Lilla nodded at the Master’s words. “I appreciate your wisdom,” Lilla responded. “And will amend my approach accordingly.” In all of the excitement, Lilla had forgotten about the symbiote hive and was grateful to Master Ike for her advice.

“Which way should we head now?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

Matsu was looking at her and she looked up and then down. The best place to go would be down and check it but there was the throne room and queen's chambers that would be better to explore. Matsu was looking at it and the tower she knew had been bruned to get rid of everything. Someone had restored it to look how it was. "She should investigate the queen's chambers and throne room first, the tower was destroyed.. someone has restored it. Not the city below but the citadel was repaired so someone has been here." She was walking and reaching out with the force before watching it more... letting her hand come up though as she touched the wall searching for anything. "We'll get up there." She opened the lift doors but didn't summon it down to them. It would be easier for them to go up themselves quietly.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla listened and continued to learn. There was more to being a Jedi than waving a saber or using the Force on an inanimate object. There was detective work, brokering peace – and searching potentially dangerous locations. So, she took note of the logic in Master Ike’s plan and remembered it – for use when she did not have a wise master to rely upon.

“I understand, and will follow.” Lilla walked over to the lift and then peered up and down the shaft. “Fortunately, climbing is something I’m adept at. But regardless, after you.”

She stood back and allowed Master Ike to lead the way again. She had no idea if the Jedi Master would climb the cables conventionally, or use the Force, or even have a specific gadget to aid her ascent.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Lilla Syrin"]

Matsu looked at her and then upwards as she gave a nod of her head. Pulling out a small tube with a trigger before she fired it off. The liquid going up and hardening quickly as it became stretchy and taut. Like a strong bungie cord she was holding and it could lift her up giving a launch point before she offered it to her. Flying upwards in the shaft and like getting a good lead before you started climbing she just got some height and speed to propel herself upwards with kicks and grabs. She was ascending quickly using the force to conventionally climb the struts and ridges around the lift or the cables. "Come on." A smirk on her face as she stopped and grabbed the underside of the lift itself swinging for a moment and reaching out with the force to feel around them. Less movement here.