Old Masters Long Gone.

[The End Narrator]

Yavin IV

Massassi Temple

The text before Mira was something of note, well chronologically it was ancient but by Jedi standards it was fresh, so to speak. During the rebuilding of the Massassi Temple and the surrounding area, she had discovered a small alcove in one of the old Jedi barracks rooms – a dusty, dented case that had quite a treasure within it.

It appeared to belong to a Jedi Master she had never heard of, then again, she never really knew many beyond her mother and grandfather. The markings along the box were similar to that of the Jedi Order, maybe she should turn it over to them and allow them to examine the text and contents within?

Nah, that would take the fun out of it.

She had locked down her room, even from [member="Aton Gyndar"] and [member="Alec Rekali"] – giving her peace and quiet to rummage through the various items contained within. There appeared to be a few holo-images of a young boy and a red-headed woman…well she appeared to be in a few of the pictures. A padawan braid that somehow survived this time within the sealed box and several holonotes which were readable – for the most part.

She’d find spots where data and coordinates were corrupted, causing frustration as she jotted them down on her own datapad. She’d listen to the bits and pieces of audio clips as much as she could – trying to make sense of the broken audio, taking notes more feverishly than ever before. It was like a treasure hunt of some kind and something was tugging at her as she continued to interact with the box and it’s contents…something within the Force.

Her ultimate fear was not getting enough information before everything became too corrupted and being disappointed by finding something unique and slamming head first into a dead end. Now that wouldn’t be something she’d like to face, especially if Aton found out. She’d bite down on the stylus pen before continuing to take notes from the other datapads sprawled out before her.

Spoiler

Note – This is semi-open due to the current bounty that Mira has on her but I ask out of respect that you please let me know if you’re going to pop in. Sort’ve working on a development series more than anything else and if a pursuit is given – that’s great but I’d like to be able to plan around it!

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

Her love of rocks and history seemed to be getting her invited to some of the most intriguing places. Serena was on Yavin IV she had long wanted to be here and her encounter with [member="Venris Helion"] had made it a mission to keep looking for artifacts. She did not ever expect to walk into a cave and find an artifact waiting to be found.

No the force did not always work in such a fashion. It took lots of hard work and research to find the past, to find a relic that spoke volumns to anyone who looked upon it.

That is what Yavin IV did for her, when she looked around she could see the days of Master Skywalker. This place with its dual history of Jedi and Sith, of a time when Jedi were gaining group to become a force once again within the galaxy. She smiled, this is what she felt here.

it was a place of peace to her. The demons that haunted her through the voices of others seemed quiet today.

She walked silently looking listening contemplating a visit to the library.

[member="Mira Gyndar"]

 

[The End Narrator]

As Mira continued to read through the documents - it dawned on her what all this was about and who it had come from. She quickly closed up the documents and stuffed them away back into the container with a sudden gasp - her eyes going wide as she slammed the lid shut. "Master Skywalker...." She whispered softly as she ran her hands over the container gently.

It contained remnants of a journal that belonged to him, spoke briefly about his journey through life and who he had encountered as well as a holocron and a Lightsaber he had given to the love of his wife - Mara? Was her name? He mentioned she had died at the hands of a Darth Caedus but some of the text was missing beyond that. Luckily, she had backed everything up onto her own personal storage device and managed to lift the container up and place it on the floor before her.

She would stare at it for a few more moments before finally moving over to her small workbench and begin working on a small lock device - attaching various pieces that would secure the container until she returned if she needed to find additional clues or items but hopefully she wouldn't nor would anyone else be able to get into it without potentially destroying what was contained within. It took some time, and some fitting before the device would be secured to the ancient container and stuffed beneath her bunk. She'd dust her hands off with a satisfied smile on her face and look around the room for her satchel....

Now it would be time to pack for her journey - the first place it spoke of was Vjun. A relatively easy place to reach within the Mandalorian space and with the access to the Stealth-X that her mother had given her - she wouldn't have a problem getting to areas that were potentially restricted. Right?

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira turned to Whistler before looking back to her room – a sense of lingering rushing over her form as she exited the room and gently patted the head of her green and white astromech. She headed silently down the hall, the lingering sensation not passing from her person as she continued towards the turbolifts. She gripped the backpack tightly as she stepped onto the turbolift – Whistler following right behind her. Her hands manipulated the controls as she pressed down, heading directly for the Massassi Hangar.

As she exited the turbolift and headed towards her modified Stealth-X, a familiar sensation came over her – one she had grown up with – quite literally. She continued towards the glistening vessel and motioned ahead for Whistler to continue before she set down her backpack. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she spoke up. “I suppose you’re going to ask where I’m going or see if I got Mom or Dad to approve?” She didn’t bother to turn, knowing full well her twin [member="Aton Gyndar"] was only a few feet behind her.

 

[Asher]

Mira was leaving? The two might not have gotten along at all times but you’d think he would be told about something like this. Was he annoyed? No, just disappointed. The girl was off on one of her adventures yet unlike before she hadn’t really told him about it. Sure, he most likely would have found out about it eventually, but it would have helped if Aton would at least have been given the chance to find her before she had already prepped it all to go.

“Kind of, yeah, but you don’t really care what I think.” She rarely did. “I can’t say I approve of this.”

Of course he was worried, [member="Mira Gyndar"] was his sister. Twin sister at that. Having her run off like this would be... Strange. They had been side by side pretty much always. The only time they hadn’t been side by side was back when the galaxy decided to disappear. At that time it was the worst thing he had ever experienced. It was like tearing something from him that he couldn’t fix and now here she was...

No, he was just being overly cautious again. In reality he probably would have wanted to come along but that didn’t seem very likely.

Aton shook his head. “Do you know when you’ll come back?”

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira chuckled softly at the sense of protection she felt from her twin before she shook her head softly. "No, I cannot say truly when I'll return." She'd turn to face him, making a gesture between the two of them. "I know this bothers you, as it pretty much leaves you alone but I want you to promise me something?" She let that linger for a brief moment before continuing. "Promise me you'll work twice as hard on your Jedi training - I left some of my own personal material in my room, for you to look at."

She nodded softly, knowing full well he wouldn't decline her request, atleast she hoped he wouldn't. "Find a dedicated Master - even if you have to go to the Jedi Order." She smiled a bit weakly. "I have a feeling things are about to get alot worse for us..."

Perhaps her leaving would then make little sense but at the same time, this was something she felt compelled to do - something within the Force pulled her in this direction and told her to go. Deep within the recesses of her mind, she felt there would be a loss of great nature for her and her brother - she just wasn't able to tell what exactly it was. With the state of turmoil the Galaxy was in - it could be anything.

She turned away and gently picked up her things before facing him once more, walking backwards with a smirk on her face. "Beyond all of that, I think I can handle myself...and I got Whistler if I get into any trouble, it's if he comes back to you without me is when you worry!" She exclaimed as she walked further away with a mocking salute to [member="Aton Gyndar"].

 

[Asher]

He would be all alone. Mum, gone. Mira, gone. Dad, absent. It would be Aton and the ancient stone walls around the temple. His hand rose as if to grab hold of her sister but it was already far too late. His shoulder slumped down in defeat, his head turned to his left as his eyes closed in a moment of contemplation. It was to figure this would happen, that Mira would leave him just like the others.

“Fine, I’ll try.” He set his sights on his sister’s mock salute. “But if you die I will murder you.”

Not a threat, a promise. Cliché as it was. After all, Mira was the last truly familial connection he had. To lose that wasn’t even on the table. She may have been all butterflies and rainbows about it but in Aton’s mind reigned the rainiest of rainclouds.

“I...” He straightened his back. “Just, you know, may the force be with you, Mira.”

He took a step back, and then another before spinning his body around in a walk for the exit. She was free to go on her little quest undisturbed. He knew better than to step in her way again. It never really tended to end all that well for him. Kind of like when she had sneaked into his room that one time.

That one hurt. Just like this did.

[member="Mira Gyndar"]

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Aton Gyndar"] [member="Mira Gyndar"]

The Jedi Academy on Yavin Four was a place of both feeling and tranquility, so far as Mara's Zeltron senses were concerned, and she found it comfortable on a psychic level. Sometimes she even meditated -- which for her entailed lying in her bunk and tossing a ball at the ceiling, an affectation she'd picked up from Dad. When she really got into a groove, a similar state of flow to what she felt during comprehensive training, she felt the emotional weave of the life-patterns in and around the temple. Today she felt...angst. Not in a cheesy or negative or self-absorbed sense, compared to some of the Padawan crap that went on (either with inter-faction schism issues or with actual Padawans), but powerful all the same. On the one hand, intruding on a private moment of farewell probably wasn't her classiest move ever. On the other hand, it really felt like some people could use cheering up.

The sound of her rubber ball would precede her, she knew, as she entered the hangar. She liked to train in precog and reflex attunement by bouncing complex patterns off the stone walls, ceilings and floors. One such course ricocheted the ball off the hangar door controls, and as metal slid aside she came in to see two sad kids (one about to fly off, one approaching this very door) and-

"Oh sick, a modded StealthX? What's it got?"

Sensitivity level: over nine thousand.

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira stopped in her tracks as a kid stepped out of the turbolift that [member="Aton Gyndar"] was about to enter - a kid that approached between them very quickly it would seem and was very interested in the modified Stealth-X starfighter that her droid was busy prepping. She took a quick look around and chuckled almost sheepishly before setting down her bag to look up at Aton, hoping he'd linger for a moment. His words, as harsh as they may have seemed - she knew what he meant and maybe a moment or two wouldn't hurt sticking around, would it?

"Uhm, yeah..." She turned to look at the slim fighter behind her. Indeed, it was modified. The engines bore a similar resemblance to the XJ-8 with the S-Foils closed unlike the traditional XJ-7 models and there were almost no points to this model and alot of rounded, smoothed edges. The weapons systems had been modified to fire more rapidly and the shielding had been tweaked just enough to recharge at a more accelerated rate. The star-flecked pattern was different, perhaps even more dense than other XJ-7 models - giving it a more voided presence in space.

Mira took another glance at [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] and then the modified fighter. "Well beyond good old Whistler back there..." She gestured to the darkened chrome and green droid. "The weapons and shield systems have been tweaked enough to allow better firing and recharge rates." She pointed to the engines. "These are similar in design to the XJ-8 models but contain the same internal components as the XJ-7, thus allowing for greater speed and maneuverability without the weight..."

She turned to Aton and motioned. "It belongs to our mother, Aaralyn Gyndar who handed it down to me when she takes her own ship - The Ardent."

 

[Asher]

The button to the lfit was nearly pressed when the apparition of [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] blasted past the young man in his effort to leave this place. A quick turn around had him looking as his sister and this weird stranger began raving on about the modified X-Wing.

He lingered for a bit longer if only to amuse himself by the sight of Mira having a stranger bother her. Which, quite frankly felt like a good idea. He leaned against one of the nearby pillars and watched as the two girls did whatever it was that girls do when they first meet. Perhaps they were talking about ships vs. the ratio to which they could blast out of here, or maybe one of them was simply a nerd and the other a girl deciding to runaway.

Didn’t really matter. He stuck around for [member="Mira Gyndar"]’s reaction to the whole thing. Also to listen if she had any parting words. Whichever, really at this point.

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Mira Gyndar"]

Oh, he's cute.

Focus. StealthX.

"Oh sick. Okay, so better shield recharge, faster rate of fire, faster, moves around better -- oh dang, this is the Sword's ship? Siiiiick." One grubby hand was extended for a shake. "Mara. Like the mega-hyperlane that's named after me. If we're comparing parents, my mom's the best shipwright in the 'Verse and my dad's Master of First Knowledge. For the whole Order, not that chunk of gunk in the Republic."

You don't normally brag.

Maybe it's the guy.

"You done anything special with the hyperdrive yet? 'Cause I could use a project. Helped my dad make a point-three-five-seven the other day."

Yup. It's the guy.

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira blinked a few times at the enthusiasm of the girl and then the mentioning of parents, the being named after a hyperspace lane and such. It had to be because of [member="Aton Gyndar"] - only reason why she was behaving in such a manner. She couldn't judge Aton, that was her twin. It'd be like judging a Hutt in a beauty contest - just doesn't happen. She'd look at [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] and shrug lightly. "If you feel that's something you wanna do..." She paused before turning back to the Stealth-X behind her. "I don't see why it would be a problem?" She finished turning back to Mara and nodding.

"Yeah, so - are you trying to do this now or when I return?" She chuckled softly. "Cause that seems like alot for us to take on by ourselves? And in a short amount of time." That last portion lingered, maybe there was a reason for this girl suddenly showing up at the moment she did. The Force had a way of working in it's own, mysterious and magical way - maybe this was a sign.

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Mira Gyndar"]

"I'm always down to tinker with a drive. Besides, poking around in a StealthX is sort of my life's ambition. I mean, it's not a Rassilon or anything, but..."

Big grin. Big grin.

"But yeah. I can take care of your tuneup when you get back. When's that gonna be? Where you headed off to?" At this age, at this stage, her leash was still pretty tight. She could get up and take off, cross half the galaxy, but last time she'd done that, her parents had packed her off to the Kathol Outback for four months to learn from the Barsen'thor. And while she loved what she'd learned...well, bottom line, it had been a heck of an inconvenience. And not one she was anxious to repeat.

 

[The End Narrator]

Curiosity - it killed the bantha they said.

She'd blink a few times before shrugging lightly, bringing up a hand and waving it lightly. "Oh no, you aren't going to get that information out of me, someone else already tried..." She waved a hand. "In fact, two people already have and I don't know that Liam didn't send you." She chuckled softly and turned back to her fighter, tossing the bag into the open cargo compartment. "All you need to know, is I'm searching for relics that belonged to Masters who have long since been gone and I don't know how long that's going to take." She'd throw her mechanical bag inside before turning back to [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] and then take a brief look at [member="Aton Gyndar"]. "He could use some cheering up and some company while I'm gone - think you can do that for me?"

[member="Liam Quez"]

 

[Asher]

Wait, woah, what, woah! Mara like the hyperlane. Mara, Mara’s corridor, keeper of knowledge as a father and the best shipwright as a mother? Aton pushed himself off of the pillar on which he had insisted he’d lean on. The two girls went on about the ship which to a guy like Aton was, well, weird but that didn’t stop him from walking over in a very unsubtle manner as the question had to be asked.

“Mara as in Mara’s corridor as in Jorus...” Then there was eye contact and everything just dropped. Nerves. Panic. Girls. Keep talking. You’re looking weird, Aton. Talk! “M-Merrill! Jorus Merrill.”

The boy scratched his neck. An awkward chuckle followed close as he struggled to achieve any sort of eye contact. “I’m, uh, Aton. This one’s, uh, twin brother.”

“Hi.”

[member="Mira Gyndar"] / [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]​

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Mira Gyndar"] [member="Aton Gyndar"]

"I can absolutely do that." Seeing a Jedi Padawan run off on a solo mission, self-directed -- well, it wasn't how things were done, but Mara respected it more than most would have. It was the Warden way to do things, and the Brat Pack way. Her focus shifted from the StealthX to the guy. "Yyyup. Totally doable.

"And yeah. That's us -- Merrill's the name." He might not have heard her introduce herself to his sister. "Mara D'Lessio Merrill, Queen of the Hyperlanes. Purely a ceremonial position."

Again, she extended one grubby hand for a shake. A good solid handshake, her folks said, was the best thing in the world for getting to know someone. So what if kids didn't shake hands? Kids were stupid.

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira coughed slightly as she stared at both [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] and [member="Aton Gyndar"] and then back to the modified Stealth-X. Yeah, it had some work to be done before she left and so she'd get to it. She'd sigh while the two of them talked and pulled out the mechanic's sled from the side of the bay where her Starfighter was parked and then look for her bag of tools. "Now where did I leave them..." She said quietly as she ducked under the S-Foils and moved behind the vessel.