Pyramid of Light

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Matsu had been working on many things since she had met with her padawan on Vaynai, Sorel was talented and opinionated. Really she was an ideal student to learn from her while the world that they had discovered. All of the exploration probes that could go over the different things were there as the jedi master went over the new and improved materials for crafting but also for exploration. The hand axes to get through the ruins and caves or some of the thing things that were there. The larger continents of the planet that were still above the ocean were filled with deserts and jungles while the ship was being taken down near there.

"Exploration and practice, one of the most useful and practical ways to expand the use of the force." Matsu stood there while she was going over some of the things, notably the designs of the robes that her daughter had made to give to the padawans who had helped her with exploring. It gave a good impression of the planet but both master and student had grown since that time and now she was looking for some of the really exciting things to do on the world. Like discover if there was anything that might prove invaluable or useful to construction efforts aside from the hibidium and jarna stone found on the world. "I hope you have been studying."

She was all for the hard work they could be doing and her proof of skill had been coming with many of the different things they could do. The Silver Sanctum and jedi were working on many of the things before they were working on more projects. The jedi master prepared standing there in her robes with a hand on her saber styled chakram so it could be used if they needed it as well as her twin blades. The force enhanced, songsteel swords were lightweight with crystal so she could channel force light into them. Make them very strong but it also gave a look when she wore them on her hip as she had been practicing a quick draw.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Sorel had been here and there of late and spent less time with her Master than she would have liked but sometimes that was the fate of a Padawan. But now they were reunited and Sorel couldn’t wait for the adventure that would undoubtedly follow.

She enjoyed exploration — especially with her Master and she was a firm believer in practice, so was overjoyed at the prospect of both.

She nodded when asked about studying. One of the benefits of space travel was time to study and practice — and Sorel had been doing plenty of both.

“I am ready for whatever you have in mind, Master.”

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Well that was good to hear, she rather liked a willing padawan who wanted to learn... more so one who wanted adventure that could work with things. Walking over some of the things she presented her padawan with one of the most important things. The indexes they had worked on for padawans. Something to identify species across the galaxy using every database so they could know what they were facing and another index for planets to get what information they could based on stars as well as location within the cartographer network. "These will help you as well as some of the other things, I know my daughter has worked hard to give you and herself special robes." She was looking over many of the things there while finishing loading up her equipment back and bringing the ship in towards the planet. They had detected crystal deposits across the planet as well as large concentrations of minerals and ores. "Make sure you have everything you need and we'll be able to head out."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel readily took one of the gadgets. She knew that her Master was inventive but also practical. Whatever information it contained, she knew it would be useful. She glanced at it and sure enough, it was stunning — a portable treasure trove of information about planets, star systems and species.

She nodded when the robes were mentioned. “Yes, they were a perfect present given the scrapes I tend to get myself into.”

She packed her small knapsack and ensured her pockets contained everything they needed before nodding to her Master. “I am as ready as I’ll ever be.” She beamed.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Well that was the best she could hope for as heading out with her padawan there was a whole lot of sand. The desert region of the world was large but she could see reflections from massive structures built into the mountains and dunes. She could see parts of it as walking out to work on some of the things. Matsu removed one of the canteens that they could use and it was going to have plenty of water for them out here in the desert. Okay not the best place but she could see the massive black walls that had drawn their attention from a fly over while moving out with her hand touching the sand. It was very fine and more smooth then she had felt other kinds. "The sands here on the world is very smooth and strange. The structures seem like they s though look like carved marble.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel had a recent experience of desert. Her abiding memory was sand. Sand that got into everywhere. Boots, pockets, underwear…you name it, sand would find a way to infiltrate it.

But just as jungles varied, so did deserts it seemed. The strong winds and coarse sands of Jakku and its almost primitive feel were very different to the current landscape that seemed regal by comparison.

“Did the sand smooth the marble, or did the marble create the sand, Master?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

That was a thing to think about, she was not certain about it when the time came to some of it. THe marble was strange, heavier and very dense but it was something that could be shaped and carved into something they seemed to have used in most of the things. "I am not certain, it could be a mixture of both but the sand is smoother then on many worlds." She was slightly impressed, it was kind of like sifting through crystals while she was waling and coming across one of the large structures. She could see it as it went up into the sky with white marble almost looking like a full and solid piece. The jedi master was watching some of it when she found a partialled covered by the sand entrance. There was sections she could see while pulling at it with the force to reveal there was a larger chamber inside. Setting up what she had while one of the hardlight walls were set in and hooked up to make an entrance for them to go through. "These pyramids are very large. There could be danger but I am not sensing anything inside."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

A sense of excitement coarsed through Sorel's veins. Not that she was reckless by any stretch of the imagination - but most of her exploring was to places new to her. Ruins that so many will have visited before. These pyramids? It could be centuries ago that anyone set foot in them, millennia even. It was entirely possible the sand may have kept them hidden. She knew that on Jakku, the landscape changed daily and she wondered if it was the same here. Revealed today, hidden tomorrow.

"Nothing living, but hopefully there's something inside." She said it with a cheeky grin on her face. "Yes Master?"

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Inside who knew what they might be able to find. the world was strange, she could feel it in the air almost. Like a droopy haze that made her want to relax but it was less inviting then she thought it might have been. Instead Matsu was letting the force wrap around her body and mind protecting her while she extended it out towards her padawan to keep Sorel shielded before walking through the stone hallways she could see images. Murals and script across it as she ran her hand across coming away with noting to her mind. She didn't recognize the script or the images but it seemed to detail some of the history in the world and show massive creatures that were being slain. "Large creatures they hunted maybe or things that could have been around as she looked up. "I think the capstones are crystals for channeling energy. These images show many of them around an alter."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel kept close to her Master. She felt the Force surrounding her — protecting her. No doubt her Master’s doing.

Despite the Jedi’s history dating back millennia, there were many more ancient civilisations than even their Order and Sorel wondered if this was one such race. “Do you know what the energy was channelled for? For general use or for something specific to do with the alter?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

She gave a nod of her head while thinking about it. "It might have been for general use, all of the hard work they have don to make a place that could stand throughout all of the centuries. We should be able to figure it out... maybe... mostly." She wasn't sure they might ever know without well some of the things like a way to read the language... which seemed more like pictures that would tell the story. She'd find what she needed before opening a double set of doors leading into a large garden area... or now a garden. She could see where the stone seemed to go down and it looked like bleached stone on a smooth surface. It looked like a large sauna as there was a brazier with blus glass in it and around that was ground in some places to sand. The plants were overgrown throughout it as she could see some water still trickling through roots to make a small stream."It is a nice place and peaceful. I do not know what we might be able to find out about these beings."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Figuring it out was something Sorel enjoyed. She didn’t mind studying things that were useful, but as a rule she preferred to use her grey matter solving problems rather than learning facts.

“Don’t we have a program that could translate?” she asked. “Not that guessing won’t be fun.”

Then she followed her Master through the doors into the garden area. “Ooh, a hot tub,” Sorel said, grinning widely. “Whoever they were, they knew how to have fun.” And she took her Master’s lead and looked all around the area for clues but came up empty-handed.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

"We do, a good way to work on translation but we need something that would help with it. Something showing an alphabet or at least enough to get an idea of what forms the words." She chuckled a little though at the idea and if this was a hot tub to them it was massive while checking the stone work. She crouched down looking over more of it, there were glass sections in the stone while she looked over more of it with a small grin on her face." There is some art here, looked like a painting of what had here." Matsu was looking over it as she uncovered some of it so it shown in the light. "I don't know if they ventured into space yet but it looks like they built cities and large roadways connecting them, these temples out here were part of a network that went out towards the ocean for I am not certain." If they had force crystals it meant they had some idea of how to do things with it. They might not be jedi but she looked up as it felt even with the sun down in here cool and rather nice. The capstone was gleaming as she leaned back at the right angle to look up at it and was observing the small statues of fairly large humanoid shaped being. "They were large... maybe or might have just been making things for the people to really stand out." Small trickles of water were there as it came down looking like it might have been a waterfall to elp with it. Railings showing pillows as well as tables.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel had visited planets that had wonderful ancient civilisations that were so splendid in their culture and architecture yet never managed to reach for the stars and wondered if this was one such example.

She took notice of the art and still wondered what use the Force crystals had to play and if they used the Force. She followed her Master’s gaze and nodded her agreement. “Most statues are larger than life, but the proportions are usually right. Doorways are usually the best indicator of height in my experience. Architects tend to get that bit right.” With these words she looked around for one to prove or disprove her point.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Matsu was looking at her as she spoke. "The jedi temple doors are near twenty feet high." She said it more as a joke as they were working on some of the things while she walked. Seeing the crystal but more importantly a way up to the next level while she started climbing up. "We'll get up to the tip and see if we can study the capstone, who knows we might find more important things the further we go up." She was guessing but climbing up there was the lounge area she was guessing as sand and some overgrown plants were there. Leading towards the large doors back inside as she could see more of the structure with some of the stone work leading them deeper in while she started looking at some of the lockers in the rooms. Desks and boxes that were filled with small knick knacks and baubles for the people over real things. But she had a few ideas about some of the things but it mostly was looking like a typical home. Each room filled with personal stuff over something uniform.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel laughed. “Good point. Big enough for Yoda to fit through I guess.” As she enjoyed the joke with her Master they headed up to the apex and took note of the rooms as they travelled through them. The capstone might well reveal the greatest clues yet but they should not let that blind them to potential signs they might come across along the way.

There was something slightly uncomfortable about looking through everyday items. She’d sifted through the remains of Jedi ruins and even Sith temples but to examine things that people collected and clearly treasured felt a little odd - but on the other hand necessary.

Yet the search revealed nothing to her at least, so she continued to head upwards.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Matsu laughed at the joke for it all before she came up to some of the things letting attention go to the really helpful things though when she looked in some of the books. There were words and that would help while she started scanning it and if they could find or compile a complete alphabet she could start working on how to translate and read everything around the planet. It gave the jedi master a goal for the computers to work on while she was looking for stairs or a lift to get up towards the capstone where the interest lay. Well more of the interest she wanted to get over before bringing some of the major attention to things while she was respectiful of what was there looking up and over all of the things. Another balcony showing the desert outside while she was pointing to some of the trees. "It looks like there might have been a road ot a walkway maybe."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

It was odd how so many things in the galaxy were alien to Sorel yet others repeated over and over. Roads were one thing - but they were, on the whole entirely practical. But balconies were another that reappeared on planet after planet, almost irrespective of the indigenous sentients. It seemed that people liked to have a view - and windows simply weren't good enough.

So Sorel gazed out at the trees nearby, as her Master indicated, and at the road too. "Why is it views always look better from a height? Like every city looks magical at night from the air, when the lights make them seem beautiful?"

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

That was a thought but it was also something she understood. "I think it is because you can see it all, or more of it. From the ground things look large and impressive but nothing beat seeing just how much a group of people could build from above." She shrugged and might not understand it but going to the stairs they were something she could work with while heading up. "You never know what we might be able to find though or see. We might see more from above beyond the sands or who knows." THe attention she had to some of it opening her datapad to scan the stonework and metal. "But this stone work is made from a strange material, hopefully we'll be able to figure out what it is. Seems dense and stronger compared to jarna stone."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel took buildings at face value. She was no architect and saw them for their function as opposed to their form. Yes, some were more visually impressive than others, but when you’ve travelled the galaxy — even at her young age — it took a lot to be breathtaking. Nature did that from time to time, but stone and durasteel rarely did.

So the revelation that the stone was not usual was interesting but it did not excite her. Unless there was a practical purpose, she cared little for what the buildings were made of. Their purpose was of far more interest. Perhaps its density was relevant? Time would tell.

So she followed her Master as they continued to ascend. “If nothing else, the view from the top should be worth the climb.”

[member="Matsu Ike"]