Private Parol de Uhl Olys Lanlo

[Allyson Locke]

The sun had risen only a few hours ago, and it cascaded across the scape of Courscant. The light collected reflecting upon the windows of the Jedi temple, which was already bustling with life.

A figure moved along the sidewalk, jogging. Allyson Locke had decided to go out for a morning jog before she settled into her daily duties. As one of the Masters in the Alliance, she had a full plate, which included the SIA missions she managed and her responsibilities with Saber Squadron. The jogging had become routine, allowing the Corellian a moment of peace during the wartimes. Entering the temple, Allyson made her way towards the locker room that the pilots used to change into their flight suits. Upon entering, she quickly washed up and changed into her usual spacer attire, proudly wearing the Corellian Bloodstripes.

The first order of business was to check out the library of all places. Allyson had a slew of information she needed to look up for the new recon mission she was putting together for the SIA. Walking the hallways of a Jedi Temple remained foreign to her. Never in her life did she see herself becoming one of the fabled heroes of the Force. She fondly remembered the stories of spacers and Jedi combining forces to push back the Sith, especially one of the greats Han Solo.

The library was vast and full of almost all the knowledge of the galaxy, here Allyson could find the answers she was looking for. An older woman looked over the counter as Allyson arrived, she stood and nodded her head to the brunette. "Master Locke, you're up early." There was a giggle in her voice as she poked at the younger woman. Allyson felt a small blush on her cheeks as she nodded. "Lots of work to do, Master Sunstrider; you look great this morning." Smiles exchanged, and Allyson went about her way.

It didn't take long for the woman to find the information she needed, books filled with galaxy maps and hidden hyperlanes. The project she worked on would help guide the Jedi through faster routes and create safe passage for the Core worlds to conduct trade. She sat at the table with a book in her hand, and she fingered the ancient pages carefully as she quickly took in the necessary information.

Auteme

 

[Auteme]

C O R U S C A N T
Tag: Allyson Locke ​

---

Auteme might've had a terrible sleep schedule, but she always got early. In fact, pulling all-nighters studying was actually much better for her chances at getting up early. After all, she didn't even need to change out of her clothes. Breakfast would just be whatever she'd been eating through the night. Maybe she'd shower. Not like she was in contact with very many people during her day...

But something last night had given her the feeling that it'd be best to get a full night's rest. She'd showered, put on a clean summer dress -- green, of course, to match her eyes -- and gotten a healthy breakfast from the cafeteria. The serving lady was a lovely Rodian named Tia. Turned out she had a passion for wildlife, but she hadn't had a chance to indulge in such things since she'd arrived on Coruscant. Still, they had a nice little conversation and Auteme walked away with a full belly and a few extra snacks for the day's studying. Meeting new people was easy enough if she tried.

But sometimes, she was just a little too intimidated.

She arrived in the library, and as usual Master Sunstrider guided Auteme to the books and files she'd requested. The padawan sent a small list of texts that she was looking for every week or so, and the librarian often added a few on for further reading. Today's focus was Ilum. With the impending actions against the Zweihander Union, Auteme needed to know how the environment and local fauna might react to the Jedi's presence. She wished she could get her hands on one of Master Yoda's holocrons, but she wasn't very good at opening them, and the Holocron Vault was reserved for masters only.

As usual once she'd collected her books and thanked the archivist, Auteme went over to her little reading area; a nook in the corner of the library that had a quiet and serene air to it. As she approached she soon noticed that someone else had taken up residence. A few steps closer and she recognized the woman as Allyson Locke, Jedi Master and all-around terrifying to Auteme. Master Locke was like... everything a Jedi should've been. Strong in the Force, good with a saber, studious and wise; not to mention way too attractive. Auteme didn't want to disturb her...

But she couldn't meet new people if she didn't try. Plus, there was something she'd been curious about, and Allyson was currently the only person she knew who could sate said curiousity.

The padawan took a deep breath and walked forward into the reading area. She put down her books and files on the table -- slowly, as to not startle the woman -- and moved over to one of the chairs. She didn't sit yet. "Um, hi. You're Allyson, right?" Now that she was closer, Auteme recognized the Corellian bloodstripes. Seriously, how was this woman so cool? "Do you... mind if I sit?"

 

[Allyson Locke]

Her left eye had a slight blue glow as it scanned the pages she read. The Corellian's unique lens helped memorize the highlighted points that her mind placed as a focus. The speed she moved through the pages was a bit quickly, but the time she had to study was very little. Allyson was about to put the book down when she had heard the thud of books and other documents landing on the table. It seemed she had attracted a visitor, which to the brunette's surprise was someone she quickly recognized. Closing the book, Allyson looked at the padawan, smiling.

"Auteme, right? Go ahead, I don't mind the company." her tone happy as she tried her best to not react to the feelings she felt from the young woman. Allyson didn't quite understand the faint air of fear between them, "Didn't expect to really into anyone this early in the morning. How have you been?" The pile of books near the Corellian moved to give Auteme a bit more space.

Remembering the first time that Allyson had noticed Auteme , she knew the girl was smart - which made seeing her in the library unsurprising. She hadn't expected for the padawan to come looking for her, which concerned Allyson.

 

[Auteme]

C O R U S C A N T
Tag: Allyson Locke ​

---

"Yeah," she said, acknowledging Allyson's first question. Auteme smiled back reflexively, then set her books on the table and pulled out a seat for herself. Seeing the Jedi Master's ability in the Force use so casually was very intimidating. Instead Auteme decided to focus on the question that was asked of her. If there was anything she wanted to be good at, it was answering questions.

"I'm good. I'm usually up this early anyways to study." An awkward pause followed her reply. Why did she come over to talk to Allyson? This was terrible. She didn't know anything about her. Then again... why was she nervous? Ryv was pretty awkward, and he and Allyson seemed to be close... well, that was pretty bad, wasn't it? She didn't even know what kind of relationship they had. Auteme was being irrational. She didn't like that.

The padawan took a deep breath and calmed her mind. Just ask. Talk. That was all it took. She'd been able to work out so many problems just by talking to another person, and that was all she needed to do. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she began, glancing at the book Allyson had been studying. "I was just... curious. I heard you speaking what I think is Old Corellian on the ship the other day, and... um, I was kind of wondering if you could teach me a bit. Or at least find me some sources? I've heard it a few times before but I always have trouble with the pronunciation, and the word structure is way different than Basic, even though I know it was inspired by it in some ways..." She stopped herself before she could continue ranting.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Auteme

Allyson pushed her books aside and focused her attention on the padawan. Auteme seemed to have something on her mind beyond the studying she had brought over. Everything felt out of place, and she could feel the anxiety pouring off the girl. Her feelings were pouring off of her and made Allyson slightly anxious about the conversation that was occurring. Doing her best, Allyson kept her bright nature about her as she folded her arms in front of her chest.

Old Corellian was a language not many knew, the ones that did have roots deep in the planet's culture. Allyson thought quietly, listening to the padawans' desire to learn the language. It wasn't one spoken by anyone other than Corellians; they were usually pirates and smugglers who spoke the low form of the language. On the other hand, Allyson's family were considered aristocratic - having a long lineage on the planet Old Corellian was passed on but in the high form.

Allyson blinked a little and remembered that Auteme would have heard one of the names she's called Ryv. It passed the woman's mind until Auteme brought it up. "Oh, yeah, it tends to slip out from time to time." As much as she wanted to question Auteme about the anxious feeling that hung in the air. The older woman continued with the topic of the ancient language. "Old Corellian can be tricky," Allyson started, "It's practically a dead language that has two dialects one is High Tongue and then you have Hoodish and Vulanish." Allyson mused on the topic and smiled. "My family is pretty old when it comes to Corellia. So the Corellian I know is High Tongue - I know a lot of the Hoodish dialects, but that's what you'll hear pirates and smugglers speak. Either way, it's a fun language to learn."

"We can start with something easy, Mahn. Uhl. Fharth. Bey. Ihn. Valle. May the force be with you." Allston spoke the words making sure to overemphasis the different nuances with the sounds of the words. "The word you heard me say on the ship was um," Allyson had to think a little and then responded, "Mia Kavalir, means Knight."

"Go on and give it a try."

 

[Auteme]

C O R U S C A N T
Tag: Allyson Locke ​

---

Right into it. That was okay. Auteme quickly opened up her notebook and jotted down notes. As her hand began to move, recording Allyson verbatim, Auteme's nervousness evaporated. Given purpose there was little to slow her down; her hand only stopped printing the neat cursive when the Jedi Master stopped speaking. The woman might scare Auteme a little but she never stopped learning. Fear could not stop her.

"Least fun language to learn for me was Huttese. It just sounds icky. No offense to Hutts, of course, they're quite incredible," she mused. Really, of all the races in the galaxy, she was surprised most by the Hutts. Once upon a time they were among the most fearsome warriors out there... and now they were all considered common criminals or disgusting thugs. She'd yet to meet one, but she wanted to find a Hutt who used their talents for something other than crime. Maybe their language would sound better spoken by someone with good intentions.

She'd studied dead languages before, but this language had living speakers, so it was far from dead. For now she focused on saying the words. With Allyson speaking them first, it was so much easier than the jumbled texts and poorly-spoken recordings. "Mahn. Uhl. Farth... not quite. Fharth. Bey. Ihn. Valle. Mahn uhl fharth bey ihn valle." The sentence structure was practically the same as basic. If everything translated one to one, it might be easier than she'd thought. She spelled the phrase out phonetically in her notes.

Mia Kavalir... well, that was certainly a good way to describe Ryv. But the 'mia' denoted something else. She'd ask later. Language was just as important. "Does Old Corellian have its own script?" It'd be nice to know.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Auteme​

It was funny to hear someone else speaking the language she had grown up with. Allyson was briefly reminded of the lessons she had had with her grandmother. They were both painful and amusing at the same time. As a child, Allyson was stubborn and never wanted to sit for longer than she had to. Yet, the lessons with her grandmother were welcomed because, with the lessons, stories came with them. Each phrase, especially the wise phrases, had a story. A warm smile spread along her lips as she lost herself in the memories. ​

Auteme did well with the pronunciation. "Good job Auteme." Allyson clapped her hands lightly, remembering that they were in the library. Allyson couldn't help but chuckle softly as the younger girl explained her distaste for Huttese. "It's not that bad, Huttese is interesting. I picked up while I was doing spice runs as a teenager." Old Corellian and Huttese, two languages every Corellian smuggler knew, Allyson learned the need for both after a few trip-ups quickly and being locked in small confined spaces. ​

The atmosphere felt better; it seemed the nervous feeling that had hung in the air was gone for the most part. Allyson had wondered what initially had sparked it, and her concern grew the longer they spoke. Before she could ask, Auteme questioned about the Old Corellian script. It took the woman a moment to think and remember the text her grandmother had taught her. It had been years since the brunette needed to write in Old Corellian. "Mm, yeah lemme see your notebook." Allyson slid the writing pad towards her and yoinked the pen from the padawan. ​

View attachment 365​

"It's pretty much basic, but just like sounding out the words - it's really how it's spelled. Writing comes pretty easy once you learn the phonetics of the language." Holding the pen in her left hand, Allyson quickly and with a bit of elegance wrote out what they had just said. ​

Putting the pen down, she looked at Auteme. "Sadly, it isn't anything too special, but at least once you get the hang of it, it's pretty simple to pick up." Leaning back in her chair, she stretched and mused at what else she could teach the girl. The language wasn't something someone could pick up in a day, but at least they could try. Allyson remembered putting information into the Jedi Network a few years ago about the language and her ability to mimic accents - it had become training for Shadows in the Silver Jedi back when she was under their care. ​

As much as she wanted to remain talking about languages, she did worry about Auteme's state when she had come up to speak to her. This wasn't the first time the two had met, but it was probably the longest time they had been in each other's company. Still, if she could help in any way, she would. "Hey, Auteme," The Corellian started, concern coating her words, "When you came over - you seemed nervous about something. Is everything alright?"​

 

[Auteme]

Allyson Locke ​

Spice runner, really? She felt there was kind of a trend here, Jedi being former spice runners. Ryv had been a Hutt enforcer, odd as it sounded. How quickly life could change... so it was really frustrating for Auteme when she felt like she was stuck in place or being left behind. Yes, she'd become a Jedi and that was a big shift from the often rootless life she'd led before. But she still studied and helped out and whatnot. The core of her life hadn't shifted much.

So, it was nice to have some familiarity when it came to these sorts of things. As Allyson taught, there was little difference between the spelling of words between basic and Old Corellian. The script appeared to be High Galactic, so she decided she'd switch out of the Aurebesh. It did make sense considering how old the two languages were. Doubtless that one split from the other back when Corellia was first colonized by humans. As Auteme listened to Allyson, she began to write the phrase she'd been taught for practice, then the translation in High Galactic.

"I'll take your word for it," she replied. Of course the native speakers of a language might consider it not all that impressive, but to an outsider it was fascinating. Auteme always loved learning new languages and glimpsing into the cultures they were a part of. It was like Force sensing an entire race or culture.

Seemed like Allyson had a good sense of Auteme, anyways. She was a little taken aback by the question, and tried desperately to avoid any confrontation. "It's nothing! I'm fine," she squeaked. "I just... well I get nervous when talking to people for the first time, really. And... you're like, doing important work, and I was worried I might be interrupting something..." Those were just the surface reasons, but they did make her nervous. It wouldn't do to tell Allyson that Auteme was scared of her. That'd be weird. After all, why was she? Allyson had been nothing but kind and helpful since they'd started talking, after all.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Auteme

​

Auteme’s response was something to be expected. The girl seemed to be the type that did not like to be confronted, especially with things personal. Finding a middle ground, Allyson smiled and nodded, showing that she accepted the answer. They had met before, but this was the first time they had really conversed so she couldn’t blame the padawan. Folding her arms in front of her, Allyson tilted her head and sighed softly. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Auteme. As a Master in the Order, I’m supposed to be open for anyone to come to talk to.” It was an anxious feeling, seeing that Auteme, a padawan, was scared to come to talk to her, a Master.​

The New Jedi Order from her understanding was an Order that rank meant little in the hierarchy. Which said that padawans could question Masters; it provided a constant means of communication and learning. Allyson believed in that, she believed in that dream for the Order.​

“You shouldn’t be nervous to question or speak your mind, Auteme. You’re a smart kid, so you shouldn’t second guess yourself. I mean, look, you’re already picking up the Old Corellian.” Allyson pointed at the way she picked up the spelling quite quickly. “If you need to talk, don’t hesitate to ask me, I have the same problem. I am trying to get better at sharing how I feel and what I’m going through with my friends.” ​

Leaning back in her seat, Allyson kept her hands folded into her lap. Her legs crossed as she looked towards the padawan. Hopefully, this revelation while a Master, Allyson, struggled to share her struggles and joys with those around her. Walls were meant to protect and keep people out, but it was unbiased as to who they keep out. Ryv, Loske, and Maynard had crushed through the walls that the Corellian pulled up, and she hoped one day she could do that for someone else.​

“So if you want to chat, I’m here. You have my undivided attention.” ​

​

 

[Auteme]

Allyson Locke ​

Of course she'd talked to Masters before. Most of them were approachable and personable enough. They were wise, doing good work, and always had things to teach. Years of experience provided much more knowledge than could be stored in many books. First-hand accounts were always more interesting and reliable than the history books.

So why did Allyson scare her?

As irrational as it was, Auteme saw the Corellian as everything she couldn't be. Strong, decisive, motivated. When she looked at Allyson she could see the confidence radiating off of the woman. It was less a feeling of inspiration than another reminder of how far Auteme was from the other Jedi, even the ones she considered her closest friends. They were beacons of light and hope, people who fought against evil and darkness. Auteme was just a scared little girl, watching from the sidelines.

Picking up Old Corellian? No, no. She still needed to learn the grammar rules, pick up all of the proper pronunciation habits, along with learn all of the vocabulary and verb conjugations... that was nowhere near mastery. Auteme wasn't nearly as smart as what she thought 'smart' really meant -- she'd learned enough to know that she still had much more to learn if she hoped to even scratch the surface of the galaxy's knowledge. Even if she tried, she'd likely never achieve the same level of intelligence as some of the oldest non-human races. She knew that she knew nothing.

Still, it wouldn't do to disrespect Master Locke if she hoped to keep learning Old Corellian. It was a delicate balance to strike between avoiding seeming irrational or childish and staying on her good side long enough to learn a language. "I, um... it's alright," she said, forcing a smile. "I mean, I'm just... excited to learn Old Corellian." That was honest enough. Auteme waited for Allyson to keep teaching. She hoped that was what the Corellian did, anyways... it'd be tough if Allyson actually pressed the padawan. Something would probably slip out. Lying and avoiding the truth weren't what Auteme had been taught.