Private Of Zeniths and Ziggurats

[Rhia Kesyk]

"Look, Deon, another Temple..."​

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One might not be at all surprised to find a Temple within the Great Temple Valley, given that it was right there in the name, and yet the young boy at her side perked up all the same at the sight of it. This would take them to the third ruin that day. Ruin was perhaps an overstatement, though, they were in surprisingly good form despite all the years which had passed. Overgrown, sure, but relatively untouched beyond that. Nature reclaimed what it wished in the end.​

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It looked like something of a ziggurat in truth, jutting up to make itself known within the valley. They'd all been pretty similar insofar as architecture was concerned, though this one definitely extended further upward than the other two they'd visited.​

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Rhia glanced upward, taking note of the sun's lofty position in the sky, and then smiled. Barkhesh was a pleasant enough world, it wasn't quite so empty as many they visited in that it had a strong agricultural presence, and yet despite that they'd still managed to make this mini pilgrimage of theirs without ever bumping into another soul.​

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Master Shif had thought it would do them some good to stretch their legs, and expand their minds. Nobody really knew where these Temples originated, which ancient and likely long since dead civilization had wrought them into existence. The pair of Je'daii certainly weren't going to unearth the answer to that, but maybe they'd learn something about them all the same. Even if all that amounted to was they really liked ziggurats.​

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Sometimes it was better for them to explore unaided. But that did not mean that Shif did not have his eyes upon them; he wasn't a Master of Sense for no reason, after all.​

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Alana Sunrider ​

 

[Alana Sunrider]

@Rha Kesyk

Alana tilted her head to one side, listening from where she perched on a small hover-platform high along the side of one of the ziggurats. She’d spent the day doing electronic surveys of the structures to get a glimpse of what lay beneath the underground. LiDAR, some people called it.

She was looking for carvings or any sort of symbolism that might be buried beneath the plant time. Psychometry would be useful, but it wasn’t one she could do. So she was doing it the old fashioned way. Moving back and forth scanning the surface, inch by inch.

Nobody knew who built these temples, so perhaps it was the Qi-Kans or some other ancient forerunner species. There had been rumors about a return of the forerunners, but she hasn’t gotten around to asking them. Let Tiland talk to the grumpy aliens who woke up from tens of thousands years of napping.

Other people were in the valley. She could just hear hints of words rising up from the valley below and feel a stirring in the Force. Not one recognized, but… familiar. She put a small beacon to mark her location, tightened a harness, and slid down the liquid-cable. It rasped and whistled as the device hissed through the rappelling knot. Alana ducked her head between her arms as she slid through leaves and branches before landing heavily on the ground with a grunt.

People! She desperately wanted somebody to talk to after working in solitude, so she tilted her head to listen better and pick her way towards where she thought she had heard voices. It didn’t feel dangerous, so she gave a call.

“Hello! Is somebody else there?” She waited for the call to fade away. “I think I have some frozen desserts left if you want some snacks!”

 

[Rhia Kesyk]

As they approached the ziggurat, a voice boomed out from the distance. So much for being alone out here, it seemed as though they were not the only ones looking to unearth the secrets of these ruins. Though she slowed them in their approach just a little, Rhia still walked forward; Ideon pressed in closer to her, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings for whomever it was that had called out.​

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Then came talks of frozen desserts. Her mind raced back to what Master Shif had always warned them: do not accept foodstuffs from strangers. It would not end well, he'd said. But the voice didn't seem all that bad, it was feminine and light at the very least. But a warning was a warning... No frozen desserts.​

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"Hello?" she called out all the same. Reaching out through the Force, she sensed just one presence. It was lighter, too, there was no malevolence beneath the surface. None that she could pick up on at least. Vero would have known, but he wasn't here.​

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One presence, though... There were two of them. Admittedly, one was much younger. Ideon was a force to be reckoned with, though, he'd surpassed her when it came to blade training and she had many years on him. No, they'd be okay. She felt certain of it.​

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So they approached, and glanced upward to where the woman now stood.​

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"We didn't expect to find anyone else here; if we're interfering with your work, we can move on to the next Temple, Miss."​

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Maybe they should do so regardless. Just to be safe...​

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Alana Sunrider ​

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Rhia Kesyk

"Oh, nononono," Alana said, anchoring the cable to a tree trunk and waving her hands as she slid down the edge of the slope to land on the flatter ground. "I'm Alana. And don't need to do that! I'm just doing archaeological surveying and I've been over here by myself for three days. Some new people would be amazing."

She glanced around to recheck her bearings and then turned towards a narrow trail that had been worn through the undergrowth. "I have a camp set up not far from here if you need anything. Water? Snacks? I've been hoarding them for a while to keep me going, but I'm very glad to share."

They were Force-sensitive, but the feel of it. Not quite Jedi, but not Sith either. Something she'd not felt in a long time. Were the Je'daii back? It was possible. She hadn't heard anything about it, but it was possible. Out in the Rim, news traveled slowly, if at all, and even slower in the wild places she'd found herself in search for the traces of the Qi-Kans. But she also sensed a touch of wariness, which she supposed was warranted for randomly running into people this far away from civilized space.

It couldn't really be helped, but she really missed talking to people other than herself and what she thought her parents might be like.

 

[Rhia Kesyk]

"Surveying?"​

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The girl's eyes widened with intrigue, and she stepped closer to the woman; naturally, Ideon followed close behind. In her haste to find out more, she'd quite forgotten to respond with her own name.​

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"Have you unearthed anything interesting? So much about these places are unknown, and we haven't the tools necessary to do proper scans just see what our eyes can see." Well, and what the Force could show, but she wasn't about to go yelling from the mountain tops that she was a Force User now was she?​

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The woman turned to walk away, and funnily enough Rhia found herself loosely following after her. Not so close that she couldn't have time to react if something went amiss. Strangers were unknown entities, and Vero had raised her better than to trust them blindly. Speaking of.​

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"We just ate, but thank you all the same miss." Alana. She'd said her name was Alana. Then it hit the girl that she hadn't given their names. A quick think, and then she spoke into existence a fresh set of alias'. Thankfully Ideon was paying attention enough to realize what she was doing.​

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"I'm Rana, this is my brother Kesir." ​

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Alana Sunrider ​

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Rhia Kesyk

"You could be surprised!" Alana said over her shoulder as she picked her way through the undergrowth. "There's been some fascinating developments. I've been using laser-based technology to measure different heights in the stone."

She paused for a moment to perch on the top of a fallen log as she checked with a datapad on a gauntlet on her wrist. "I still need to process the data, but once you process the data, you can use digital technology to remove the undergrowth and see the detail underneath."

"Oh, and please, I feel funny when people use titles for me. Just call me Alana. And nice to meet you both, Rana and Kesir! I was surprised to meet other people way out here. Are you two interested in history?"

Alana settled for a moment as she slid down the slope of a small hill to a campsite nestled in the side of the hill, just a bit above a small pool. A slight touch turned on a small heater and she grinned at them.

"Miss a chance for some food? You must be more disciplined than I was when I was your ages. I could never afford to skip any chance at a meal."

 

[Rhia Kesyk]

What the woman was talking about sounded simply fascinating, wonderful even. To unearth what lay beneath the surface and end up with a nice model of it in the end to study? Just how far down did these ruins go, she wondered, and what else lay within them?

"Is this the first of the valley you've surveyed?" she inquired, during a brief lull in conversation. The woman insisted they call her by her name, not her titles, so she made note of that and offered a smile of understanding in lieu of words. Her question however pulled yet more words from the girl. "You could say that, yes, it's fun to learn about those who came before us, isn't it? Imagine who they might have been, what they did..." Not to mention there was a lot you could learn from the past to ensure history did not repeat itself.

Or, in some cases, to ensure that it did.

Rhia watched as the woman slid down the hill toward her camp. Then glanced down at Ideon. He projected a desire to follow suit, and with a nod of approval she watched as he likewise slid down on his butt toward the campsite.

For her part, the girl walked sideways down it to ensure even footing.

Talks turned to food and discipline, and Ideon stuck her with a certain look. She furrowed her brows as she looked at him, and then he projected yet another feeling to her. One of hunger. He didn't understand why they couldn't accept the offer of food, but she just shook her head.

Vero said to be wary around strangers she reminded the boy. He let out a mental huff, but didn't push the matter any further. Ideon knew better than to ignore her warnings. The last thing he needed was for her to pull rank again.

"Would it not be easier to camp by the ruins?" she inquired after a moment, though she could admire the way in which the camp was set into the hillside, and how close it was to a fresh water spring. Still, if there was equipment left upon the ziggurat how could the woman ensure it wasn't taken, or damaged, or something?

Alana Sunrider​

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Rhia Kesyk

Alana put a kettle on a small heater, filtering water before adding it to the kettle and taking out a small ration of caf beans. "Caf, at least? Especially if you're going to be walking a lot, it can help keep your energy up." At the first question, she nodded, sneaking a quick handful of some field rations. "It is, yes! It took me a few days to calibrate the laser sensors to the densities of the local undergrowth, since they vary by the planet."

She grinned as Rhia spoke. "Right? Isn't it marvelous? I grew up scavenging parts from wrecks, so I always lived surrounded by the past." Or, in her case, literal ghosts trapped within the lake on Ambria. "This is so much better. It's not..." she considered for a moment. "The parts I'm looking for, but the knowledge."

They seemed suspicious of her, Which she supposed was fair? It was a bit odd to run into a stranger on a remote planet, but it was even odder to run into two strangers. Maybe she was too friendly? Was that possible? It was hard to say.

"And yeah, it could be easier to camp up there," Alana agreed, measuring out the caf beans into the water. "But it feels... presumptuous, without an invite, to sleep in or on or around other people's temples. I don't know what their traditions were or their beliefs. Long abandoned they may be, they are still sacred, I think. But what brings you two out here so far? Aren't you both sort of school-aged?"

 

[Rhia Kesyk]

The offer of caf was met with a far less dubious response from the girl than that of food had. She glanced down at the still growing boy at her side, then to the woman, and then she shrugged. "Caf sounds good... Though, I'm not sure it's good for my brother. He'll take a hot water, though. Thank you." Using the boiling water would mean it was filtered and clean, right?

Ideon didn't even fight with her on it. He hated the smell of caf, something he projected to her when the question had been posed, and he didn't much want to try tasting it because of this. Still he was still complaining about being hungry. After the third time he projected as much, Rhia reached into her pack and pulled free a small nutrient bar for him, and handed it down his way. It was packed with nuts and oats and that sort of thing, with a little added sweetness in the form of tree nectar.

The boy seemed grateful, and Rhia didn't have to continue feeling his emotions. Win-Win. She just hoped the woman would not take offense.

"If this isn't what you're seeking, then may I ask what you're looking for?" Rhia frowned in thought, then glanced back at the woman. "Or are you surveying for knowledge's sake." Either way the girl couldn't blame her, it seemed the worthy cause. Were they not here for similar reasons?

"I suppose you're safer out here, than you would be at the Temple proper. There's not a direct path here, but there is to the ruins..." Yeah, it made sense to camp here even if Rhia might have chosen the safety of the Temple. Or more, the convenience... Yeah. Convenience was the right of it.

Then she was asking about why they were here. Rhia smiled sheepishly.

"Call it an assignment," she offered with a loose shrug, "No better way to learn about history than by coming to the source..." Was that a good enough reason for them to be here alone? Who knew.

But it was in fact the truth.

Alana Sunrider

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Rhia Kesyk

"Caf is good for young people," Alana said, laughing, "It makes sure they have enough energy to keep up with their growing. But hot water it is!" She poured out a cup of hot water, steaming and crisp, before adding the caf beans and letting the small caf maker go about its business. As the fresh aroma wafted into the air, she smiled and leaned back against the slope.

"I'm looking for a long-lost species!" Alana answered, adjusting her cloak to add some more cushion. "We call them the ancient Qi-Kans, after the name of the world a mentor of mine discovered. Qi-Ko, way out on the galaxy's edge. Then some funky Force stuff happened and he talked to their ghosts. They said they created four worlds as galactic compass points to help navigate the galaxy."

She gestured vaguely around the world around them. "I'm trying to identify any similar markings that might connect to the Qi-Kan scripts, or perhaps some sort of record. We don't know who built these temples, sadly, which means there are lots of puzzle pieces to try and piece together. And as for safety..."

Alana shrugged. "I'm not too worried. This isn't exactly a high-crime area compared to Coruscant, Corellia, or Terminus. And I can handle myself if the need comes down to it." She checked the caf and poured out a cup for her before looking up. "Sugar? Cream? Anything like that?" Her brow wrinkled in thought for a moment. "What sort of assignment tries to teach history by visiting temples of unknown provenance?"

 

[Rhia Kesyk]

Huh. She'd never thought of it that way. Everything she'd heard was that it would stunt his growth or something... What did she know, though? She wasn't any sort of expert on the matter of caf'. Either way, he didn't much like the smell so it wasn't like he'd be missing out on anything.

"He says thank you" she informed the woman, as Ideon was passed along a cup of hot water. It would help to stave off a little of the chill which lingered despite their afternoon trek, even if it wasn't flavoured. He didn't mind. Water was something they were accustomed to drinking.

Her response to why she was here fascinated Rhia, who perched on something or another - maybe a fallen log - to listen. Ideon followed suit.

"I don't think I've ever heard of them" she confessed, tilting her head to one side. "But it all sounds very intriguing." A Galactic Compass? She'd have to ask Vero about it when they met back up. "Well I hope you find the pieces to the puzzle you're looking for. If not all then at least some!"

As caf' was poured and sugar and cream offered, the girl lightly shook her head. "Black is fine, but thank you." Truth be told Rhia herself wasn't the biggest fan of caf' but it did a good job. If she was going to drink it she'd just have it as it was, no fluff. That summed up her existence in general though, didn't it? They were ever on the move, couldn't get too attached to thinks. Whatever was easiest to get their hands on was what they were drawn to.

"Is it just you then? You don't have like, an excavating team or whatever?"

Her question made Rhia frown, and she chewed the inside of her lip as she tried to figure out a good enough response. Nobody ever got into this much detail asking them about their presence somewhere.

"Well, maybe history isn't the right term for it. We're just trying to learn what we can from the ruins themselves I guess. It's just something we enjoy doing."

Nevermind the fact it was yet more survival training. Vero certainly liked to ensure they knew how to survive without him.

Alana Sunrider

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Rhia Kesyk

Alana nodded, and inhaled deeply, giving the younger traveler a grin. "You're welcome! Hope you find you can enjoy caf eventually. It's one of the wonders of the galaxy."

She handed a warm cup of caf over before inhaling the aroma of her own with a smile. "Black it is then. The best flavor, sometimes, I think."

"And they're interesting, these Qi-Kans." She said after a moment. "We only discovered the world of Qi-Ko about ten years ago and we've been slowly deciphering what they left behind, so we're not entirely sure what we're looking for. Hopefully there can be some corroborative data."

Alana shaded her hand to look up where the top of one of the pyramids just be seen over the lip of the gully. "Nah, just me. I'm not excavating anything. Just mostly taking scans and readings."

She raised an eyebrow at the answer and considered it. "I suppose that could work? I don't quite know what that means, but it sounds interesting. Very... spiritual, I guess?"

 

[Rhia Kesyk]

Much to Rhia's surprise, Ideon actually gave the woman something of a bold and broad smile as he sipped on his hot water. Usually he was far more reserved, preferring to keep behind her when they were in unfamiliar company, but now he stepped away from Rhia and genuinely began to take an interest in their surroundings.

Every now and then he'd once again send hunger pangs her way, and she'd give him the look. Not least since she'd just handed him something to snack on. Either way, he'd taken a liking to Alana.

As wary as Rhia was, she didn't try to deter him too heavily. She just kept a close eye on him.

When her own mug was handed over, Rhia blew on the surface before taking a sip. "Mm, just what a cool day ordered," she muttered appreciatively, "Thank you very much."

She went on to talk about the species and their culture, of how recently they'd been discovered and how little about them was known. All of this was fascinating to the girl, it was remarkable that after so long of hyperspace travel being a thing new civilizations could still be unearthed.

"It sounds as though you have a lot of work on your hands" she said, eyes widening slightly. Though the woman wasn't excavating she said, just scanning. Even so... With so little known about the culture, it was likely going to end up a life's work. Rhia couldn't imagine being so dedicated to something.

Well, outside of the boy she traveled alongside. But that was a sense of duty above all else.

"Spiritual? I uh... I guess? Yeah, that sort of sums it up. I guess in a way we're doing what you're doing, only... Without the fancy machines. We're not seeking to unearth anything, just see what lies on the surface. We'd never seek to disturb what remains." No that was far too disrespectful in her eyes, this wasn't a Je'daii structure, they had no right to go digging around.

"I suppose mostly... We're just exploring the valley. This is the third temple we've seen today."

Alana Sunrider

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Rhia Kesyk

Alana grinned at the boy, "Don't worry, we'll win her over to giving you coffee eventually." She shrugged a little bit. "It's not as bad. I'm not trying to do anything archaeological, really. There's some proper scholars who will do most of the brainy work. I'm just doing the grunt work."

At the other's answer, she just nodded thoughtfully. "Oh, I suppose that makes sense. I suppose that makes sense. The temples are quite impressive!"

She gestured broadly. "I do enjoy the romance and the mystery of the unknown, but I don't know I could learn anything from them on their own. Have you learned anything?"

 

[Rhia Kesyk]

Rhia reckoned the grunt work was just as important as anything else, arguably more so. If you didn't have somewhere to begin your assessments then, well, there wasn't a study in the first place. "Maybe archaeology is the wrong word for it" she agreed, though it seemed at the very least a parallel to such. Studying what lay beneath the surface, lost to the throws of time. Yep. "All the same, it seems very interesting. Maybe one day I'll learn more about it for myself."

As for learning where nothing was inherently obvious, Rhia shrugged.

"I suppose everything's got to start somewhere, where the past is concerned," the girl shuffled some on the log, then patted it to encourage Ideon to sit and rest too. Presently he was wandering around the camp, exploring what he could of it. After spending the entire morning on their feet though, he was due some time to settle. "Though there's usually more than just a temple to make use of. Still..."

Had they learned anything? That was certainly a question, wasn't it? She pondered it for a long moment, sipping on the coffee, going so far as to scratch her cheek with her free hand.

"I mean, they certainly had a set style," she remarked, "Ziggurats... They're believed to hold some sort of divine purpose to many, symbolically I mean. Gateways to the Gods..." Did Rhia believe in Gods? No, not really, but there were those out there who believed that the Force itself was a deity. And beyond that, plenty of smaller civilizations looked to the stars for answers. Typically though when they joined the wider Galaxy insofar as technology went those beliefs tended to wane.

Then again... Look at the Sith. Even they had their Gods, if you asked some of them. Typhojem came to mind. And the Sith were known for enjoying similar structures... Panatha was full of them, and they had a pantheon despite their place among the Galactic standard.

She realized that she'd been lost in her thoughts, and shook her head to wash away the fog. "That, or maybe this valley was known for flooding once upon a time. I did notice some off-coloured regions on one of the other temples which could be indicative of such, a different kind of weathering to the upper levels. Another good reason to adopt such a lofty design, no?"

Either way, the girl found it fascinating.

Alana Sunrider

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Rhia Kesyk

Alana raised an eyebrow, watching the boy wander around. "You can't break anything, feel free to poke around some more if anything catches your interest." At the older woman's answers, she just nodded as she listened, before grinning slightly.

"Lots of people think that about ziggurats and pyramids. Ways of reaching the heavens. Communing with the gods. I have a different theory." She grinned and shuffled through the mud and leaves for three stones. She stacked them atop each other, but they slid off and collapsed into a rough pyramidal shape. "It's the best way to build something that lasts. Same thing with stone as a construction material."

She pointed over her shoulder to the tops of the pyramids. "Whoever built these wanted them to last a very long time. It could be religious, certainly, but I don't have the evidence to make a guess."

At the final statement, she considered, and pulled out a dataprojector. It flickered to life, showing a holographic map of the area's topography. "That is a good observation. I'd missed that. Flooding is certainly possible..." Her words trailed off as she tapped her chin, thoughtfully, studying the display. "I'll have to get some more high-altitude scans and see if a computer can simulate some reverse-weathering on the landscape. See if we can work out what the valley might have looked like thousands of years ago."

 

[Rhia Kesyk]

Ideon seemed suitably excited by the prospect of having permission to snoop around, and though Rhia opened her mouth in protest she soon faltered and instead just shook her head. Let the boy do his thing, she supposed, so long as the woman did not mind there wasn't exactly much for her to balk at. It wasn't her camp.

Instead she focused on the stacking stones and slowly a studious expression washed over her accompanied by a grin. Rhia reached for her satchel, and pulled out a small notebook which she'd been forming sketches and notes in, and she jotted something down. Made a quick sketch. "Yeah, I suppose it's the sort of structure that remains for a reason, huh? Strength, stacked..."

She looked up from the journal, closing it shut, and hummed under her breath.

"Still, I do enjoy the more metaphysical theories too. They're interesting if nothing else." The woman was correct though, making assumptions without any real evidence probably wasn't the best idea. But at least Rhia and Ideon weren't there to try and make some sort of historical journal entry or whatever. They were just passing time, learning for their own sakes. How to deduce and figure things out...

The other half seemingly hadn't been thought of yet, though no doubt the woman would have come to such a conclusion for herself with enough time spent around the ziggurats. All the same, the girl grinned a little sheepishly. "Now that I'd love to see" she remarked, of the reverse-weathering. It would be a shame that they'd be long gone before such was produced.

"Is this going to be published, eventually?" she inquired, tilting her head to one side. "Seeing how this place once might have looked... It would be fascinating."

Alana Sunrider

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Rhia Kesyk

Alana drained her cup of caf and set the cup down beside her, grinning as the warmth and caffeine spread through her limbs. Idly, she followed the younger one as he looked around.

"There's some scrap mechanical stuff in that one," she added, pointing. "If you like tinkering with machinery, anyway." She tilted her head as Rhia sketched some things out in the notebook. "Not seen many people who draw things out by hand on paper. That's neat."

As for the first question, she just shrugged. "I don't think so. I'm not an academic or anything, and most of them would probably laugh at the idea of searching for remains of an extinct species that created mystical compass worlds. What about you two? How long would you two stick around?"

 

[Rhia Kesyk]

From the corner of her eye she observed as Ideon opened the container which held the scrap and began to peer through it. Though their Master was mechanically minded, the children hadn't really been taught much about it as their studies had largely focused on general education, the Force, and survivability. As such the way in which he peered at each piece was with fascination and consideration, taking his time.​

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At least that would keep him out of trouble.​

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Rhia was about to put her journal away when the woman made her comment, and a smile formed over her expression. "It's nice to look back on" she stated, flipping through a couple of pages which revealed more sketches. Some were of the temple structures, others of little bugs and critters they'd encountered. She was by no means a skilled drawer but that didn't seem to stop her.​

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"That's a shame" she remarked when the woman said it wasn't going to end up somewhere she might be able to read, "Well I'm sure whatever you do, even if only for your own sake, it will be interesting." As for them? How long would they be here?​

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"Another day or so," came her reply, with an uncertain shrug. Truthfully it depended on how long it took Vero to conduct his business. They didn't mind though, they enjoyed the thrill of camping out in the middle of nowhere. They'd gotten particularly good at it, too. "We're hoping to venture to some of the other temples while we're here. See what other differences they might hold."​

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Alana Sunrider ​

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Rhia Kesyk

Alana paused, watching the youth pore over the pieces of mechanical gear. There wasn't a ton there, but there was enough to cobble together at least something like a circuit board if he really wanted to. She'd mostly collected it for the scrap metal and to practice with her tech-communing.

She looked back over to Rhia, shifting slightly to try and see some of the sketches. "Do you have any favorite ones? And it's mostly for the Jedi that I'm doing this, rather than me. I enjoy the mystery, certainly, but it's a favor, I guess."

"And that sounds fun!" Alana continued, looking up over the treeline. "Any temples in particular you want to visit?"