Private The Pilgrims 2: Life Creates It

[Jend-Ro Quill]

Once again, Quill kept their destination a secret, half from puckish perversity and half to avoid preconceptions or expectations and a third half because he just plain forgot to tell people. The latter was a side effect of keeping to oneself. He'd greatly enjoyed the quiet and solitude of long snowy walks with Elder Walker-of-Sky the blue bantha. He likewise enjoyed that the fifty-two-metre Visitor had plenty of space for the relatively small number of Jedi who'd come along.

All that to say, he didn't say much. So when the ship plunged under the surface of an ocean, it might or might not have come as a surprise to them.

When the ship touched down at last - on the seafloor - he toggled the intercom.

"Welcome to the waterworld of Sedri. We're in Fitsay, the underwater capital city. Most of the domes you see have breathable atmosphere; the native Sedrians can breathe either air or water. Plenty of them speak Basic, so we don't need to worry about waterproofing our translator droids."

The Sedrians were visible outside: vaguely humanoid upper bodies, finned tails, and heavily whiskered faces. Some wore small lumps of glowing golden stone around their necks or at their waists, either unadorned or encased in various kinds of alien technology.

"The Sedrians worship a huge coral formation called the Golden Sun, which you'll see once we enter the 'sun caves' beneath the big central dome. You can probably feel its presence already. The Sedrians can draw on the Golden Sun's Force energies and healing powers remotely through pieces of its coral; it's the foundation of their technology as well as their religion. Quite a few years ago, a reformed Sith alchemist named Rave Merrill figured out that the principle could be replicated.

"The Golden Sun is a sapient coral hive mind, and it's agreed to commune with us. My hope, my sincere hope, is that if we learn the ways of the Golden Sun together...our trusted friends may be able to draw on our individual energies at will, from far away. I envision giving a personal keepsake or talisman to a friend or ally, and occasionally feeling my Force energies reduced as my friend draws on my strength distantly. It's ambitious, but it's how the Golden Sun uses the Force to benefit the Sedrians, and I believe we can learn it.

"There's underwater suits in the cabinets near the aft airlock. They're safe and easy to use - they're designed for tourists. Let's suit up and go meet a god."


OOC/ Signups this time, by whatever Lightsider faces they prefer, are Romi Jade Allyson Locke Ijaat Mereel Saint Lauren Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri Coren Starchaser Elise

Also more than welcome are other participants from Pilgrims 1: Nylea Apollodor Tiland Kortun Amani Serys Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Caltin Vanagor Dagon Kaze

If you're not on the list and want to be part of the expedition, just ask.

 

[Ijaat Mereel]

The armor was still left behind, and Ijaat half felt naked being out of beskar'gam, but he had decided to put aside that mantle for now, and just exist and be. Learn. Grow. Find a new purpose than just searching for an enemy to vent the innumerable frustration of his life. When the announcement came, his eyes opened as he stood, shaking the dust off as the expression went. A lightsaber was hooked to his waist, and a short beskad in the small of his back. Otherwise he was in a simple off-white tunic, brown trousers with goldenrod piping, and black boots. A non-descript spacer.

And Jend-Ro Quill was right. He could feel the Coral/God/Golden Sun from where they were. Had felt it before the announcement, if he was honest. So he took up towards the suits, and begin kitting up as he awaited any other fellow travelers.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The Starchaser clan, for lack of any better word for it, had a special relationship with the water, they loved it. The family was Olys Corellisi, Old Corellian. They were sailors and voyagers before they took to the stars. When Quill mentioned the Pilgrimage, Coren had reached out to both his first borns, as well as Kyra Perl and Celeste Rigel to see if they were interested. He did get a positive from Kaia because she was starting to just travel with Quill, for better or worse on the old hermit. But Coren made his way to Sedri all the same.

“Going to be a bit different than the Kattadan ecosystem.” Coren said, to no one in particular, but anyone who would listen. Mostly Kaia. She’d been helping out on Kattada a lot, especially since the twins were born. And knowing where they were going, Coren had prepped the suits that they had, typical neoprene and surplus Levantine. If it wasn’t broke, don’t fix it, y’know?

“Brooke will be bummed.” He shrugged and then perked up when Quill mentioned a familiar name.

“Rave made it out this far?” He had been pouring through what he could find about the woman, see if he could replicate what she had done in the Force, or find a light side equal to it.

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

Kaia was a few steps ahead of her father as soon as she heard what world they were going to. Aquatic? That meant wetsuit, it meant rebreathers and it meant inner space. The dark haired Mirialan was a huge fan of the vastness of outer space, a hermit in her own right, as a Warden, but when she had the chance to be planet side? It was odd, she loved the enclosed feeling of being under the water. Her suit was navy, and had a few different bells and whistles on the safety harness, lights, cameras, and a small cam droid that could help her take readings on things.

“After the Blue Banthas, this will be so different, but so cool!” She couldn’t help but smile, looking at her father. “And… I’m glad you got the chance to get here.” She hadn’t seen him much since returning from Korriban. She left Celeste and the Twins had Coren for a bit while she caught up on some errands.

“Will we have any restrictions once we’re out there, Master Qull?” She looked to the Hermit-turned-tour guide.

He sort of reminded her of Jorus.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Quill. Ijaat. Starchasers. This was like the days Tiland remembered from the first Galactic Alliance. He stood quietly at the back of the bridge, listening to what Jend-Ro discussed. He was intrigued. Water and aquatic planets were not ones he tended towards. He was no diver to the extent Coren and Kaia seemed to be. His preference when it came to water was steaming and with leaves sprinkled in.

But this idea of the coral and the hive mind fascinated him. It reminded him of what he had studied of Alkahest with Phyllis Alince while she was developing it. Yet it was something both more complex and far more unique. He wasn’t entirely sure about the idea of others drawing upon his strength with the Force, but he had plenty to give and if he could help others, he would indeed.

Though who he would give it to, he did not know. But that would come in time. He sensed it fully, truly. It surrounded them and permeated the entire area around them. It was something that would be well worth exploring.

He turned back and joined Coren in working through the awkward process of equipping the suits, unfamiliar to him in the entirety, but be followed what Coren did as he struggled with the process.

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

“Will we have any restrictions once we’re out there, Master Qull?” She looked to the Hermit-turned-tour guide.

Quill was shrugging into his hardshell suit by this point. How the suits and the ship and the city's tech ensured they didn't need to worry about the bends was anyone's guess. Not that the city was particularly deep underwater.

"Be polite?" He shrugged. "Be good guests. Don't break anything. This a small city, out of the way; they don't see outsiders much, so best behavior. This visit may shape the Sedrians' perception of Jedi for generations. Feel free to spread out, try the local restaurants and inns if you like, visit with the Golden Sun and its Sedrian priests whenever you see fit. They're cautious but welcoming, and they're expecting us to visit over the course of the next few days."

 

[Saint Lauren]

Diana traded the cybercities of Denon for the golden waters of Sedri. Even parked on the bottom of the sea, the waters outside the cockpit shone brightly with an otherworldly golden light. It was truly beautiful.

She smiled at how life had changed for her so quickly this past year. Diana went by the name Lauren now. Years since her last adventure with the Silvers. But her business protecting her investments back on Denon had concluded over a year ago. So she was once again free to rejoin the galaxy and all it's wild crazy adventures. Today would prove to be no different. Quill was a hermit of no renown to her. His history eluded her. But Veronica had insisted that Diana join the adventure. If only to get her out of the house and away from Denon's purple electric skies. "Think of it like a vacation Diana," she had said with a coy smile. Ha. Well. Some vacations do involve a little scuba, don't they? I guess she was just going to have get into the mood for a deep sea kind of getaway.

Diana smiled and gave a nod to the underwater suits in the cabinet. Mm. Diving fins it was then. Well, this was going to be a fun change of pace after all.

She quickly switched clothes. Changing from her long, black fur cloak into a deep purple suit with a transparasteel bubble helm. It wasn't a glamorous outfit but she made it look good. Strong arms, strong legs, strong butt. Omph. Oh dear. Wasn't a Jedi supposed to be mysterious and cryptic? How was she supposed to look like a wizarding woman worth half her salt in this crazy get up. Umph. Oh well. At least it would make sense when they hit the water. Team sport an all that.

She checked her wrist computer and reviewed the environmental settings. It was set for automatic adjustment. Good. Quill was right about the tourist thing. She wouldn't have to play with any dials, worry about temperature, or water pressure today. She was all set. Flippers, lightsaber, and all.

Quill made mention of trying out the local restaurants and Diana agreed. Fitsay had housed an inn for generations. Probably the best fish n' chips this side of the Outer Rim. Haha. Well... Minus, the chips of course.

Diana unfastened her bubble helm and placed it in her lap. Taking a seat and waiting for the others to dress. She didn't know anybody on this mission but that was normal. It made her fake name all the more usable and besides! Not being the only sorcerer in the group meant that she could lean on Quill or the others to do all the heavy lifting or saber jockeying when trouble showed up. Hehe. Awesome.

Welp. Here goes nothing. Saint Lauren of Coruscant, was ready for a swim.

 

[Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri]

Kuxirra went to the cabinets and put on one of the suits before following the others. She looked out the viewport and gasped. It was beautiful, as was what she sensed. She couldn't wait to see the Golden Sun.

 

[Nylea Apollodor]

Much like during the group's visit to Entooine, Nylea mostly kept herself to the background. As eager of a student as she was, her favored method of learning when in greater groups was observing first, then practicing later. It wasn't the most efficient, but it did allow her to learn at her own tempo. There were enough outspoken types here, she wouldn't need to add anything more herself.

After changing into the underwater suit and joining the rest of the group, Nylea listened as master Quill elaborated a bit more on the nature of their visit. They weren't necessarily all visiting the Golden Sun at once, meaning the echani could take her time. As curious as she was about the coral hive mind, she also had a rumbling stomach to satisfy. Trying out the local cuisine didn't seem like too bad of an idea.

"I will be looking for a place to eat at," Nylea stated to the rest of the group. "If anyone else is wanting to join me, you are more than welcome to." It would help her efforts to find more of a connection with her fellow Jedi, the echani supposed. The past few years had seen her mostly disconnected from those who bore that title, but she was making an effort to change that.

Jend-Ro Quill | Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri | Saint Lauren | Tiland Kortun | Kaia Starchaser | Ijaat Mereel ​

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

Nylea Apollodor Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri Saint Lauren Tiland Kortun Coren Starchaser Ijaat Mereel

Quill breathed in sharply as the Golden Sun reached out to welcome them wordlessly. The divine coral touched their minds with unassuming ease. He knew, of course, that each coral polyp had a relatively short lifespan, and thus this was not the original Golden Sun in a ship of Theseus sense - but the presence, the collective, still felt deeply ancient.


OOC/ Some bio flair for you:

 

[Ijaat Mereel]

Shrugging into the wetsuit, Ijaat adjusted the gunbelt he had brought slung over a shoulder, and muttered. Nowhere to put the beskad, so he left the Mythosaur skull adorned shortsword in the same cabinet the suit came from. The lightsaber was clipped to his belt as he grumbled a bit, adjusting the fit of the belt over the wetsuit and nodding.

Then Nylea Apollodor spoke, and he felt his stomach clench. He hadn't eaten in a while. So he spoke up.

"I will gladly take you up on that if you want some company."

Then he felt it. A warm, effortless touch on a mind that was to most standards a barred fortress. A gentle caressing fount of energy. And he nodded.

"Then after, we see this God, pay our respects, and find some drinks."

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Coren had a lot of recovery still to do after his affair on Korriban, but he knew that he could handle a few things, and diving and learning? That was high on his list of things he could do. The group he had around him, Tiland, Ijaat, Quill, his daughter, the other Jedi, it did feel like home. Maybe he wasn’t just a warrior, maybe he was a Jedi and a learner, a voyager? It felt… right. It felt true. There were times now where he even wasn’t yearning for the battlefield, the simplicity of it all.

Watching the others, he noticed Tiland having a little bit of trouble. “Just stick with me, my friend.” The Jedi Master nodded as he looked at Tiland. The elder Jedi had his own focuses and that was what made the Jedi great. The monk and the warrior were still able to be close friends and comrades, despite it all.

“Need to make sure the hoses are all set and ready.” He stated as he demonstrated affixing one of the compressed air tanks to the harness. It was then that Coren couldn’t help with the smile on his face.

The Golden Sun reached out, it felt… similar to a Force meld, friendly and healthy. He needed to learn to be this for his Jedi.

"Do you feel that?" He asked Tiland and his daughter.

Tiland Kortun Jend-Ro Quill

 

[Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri]

Kuxirra felt the Golden Sun's presence brush her own, and she smiled at the warmth. "It's amazing..." She murmured. She couldn't wait to meet this being.

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

She was born in space, her family owns a place along the Gold Beaches of Corellia, and her father is the Master of the Temple of Kattada. Kaia Starchaser is used to being by the great expanses, of space and the sea, but this one? T felt more alive than anything else. She knew that it was, in fact alive. It gave her that little bit of hope, a good feeling. She was probably already starting to feel the reefs.

It was welcoming.

Smiling to herself, she looked at Quill and nodded. “I wasn’t going to do anything bad. Just… wanted to make sure we weren’t watched for anything definitely no.” She looked around “Anyone else need any help to get into the water?”

Needless to say, she was excited.

 

[Amani Serys]

These trips were beginning to bring to light just how little Amani got out during her career as a Jedi. Such a vast, diverse galaxy just waiting to be seen, while she preferred to stay cooped up in old temples. Still, better late than never.

“Anyone else need any help to get into the water?”

“Uhhh, I might.” Amani piped up in response to her fellow Mirialan. She was a bit slow to get the suit on, doing her best to overhear the conversation that had already taken place as she stuffed herself into the deep sea gear.

Even with her dampened senses, the Golden Sun's ubiquitous presence was resonant. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the idea of meeting something that could be even loosely described as a deity made the young padawan all kinds of nervous. But once in a lifetime opportunities are just that: once in a lifetime.

 

[Saint Lauren]

Saint Lauren stood up and lifted her eyes to waters above them. The sea beyond the walls. The water behind the glass. And that strange, beckoning golden light that illuminated them. Like Quill understood, there was a collective out there. All that power. Shared. And, a whole world beyond it too. Around it. Inside it. You could almost see it. Touch it.

She looked across the bulkhead above them. Slowly. Down across the walls. Quickly. Her eyes passing over and beyond the other Jedi there gathered. Looking far, far out into the Force. Looking out into that golden beyond. Even down to her feet. Her eyes passing through boot, and hull, and landing gear. To the sand and rock of the ocean's bottom. She turned. Slowly. Letting her mind do the seeing. Letting that golden compass settle upon her mind. Drawing her senses down. Down, down, down. Into the heart of the earth and, and?

And then the light was gone.

Yet. Out of the corner of her eye. A tiny sliver remained. Beckoning her to follow.

"I'll go with Quill."

She looked up from the floor and the depths of the world beyond. Suddenly so very deeply out of her depth. A hint of doubt in her voice. A hint unsure. A hint of being so very, very, very small.

"If uh. That's okay."

It wasn't fear she felt. It wasn't anticipation, or worry, or nerves either. No. It was scale. This thing. This, Golden Sun. ...It was bigger, stranger. Than anything she'd ever felt before.

And it was patient. It was so very, very patient to meet them.

Jend-Ro Quill | Coren Starchaser | Tiland Kortun | Amani Serys | Kaia Starchaser | Kuxirra Tano-Bonteri | Ijaat Mereel | Nylea Apollodor

 

[Tiland Kortun]

"The hoses, eh?" Tiland said, frowning slightly as he watched what Coren did to affix the hoses in place. He watched carefully, rehearsed it in his mind, and then with great care, copied the motions. Technology, after all, was not one of his great strong suits. Certainly not technology that was necessary for survival. He could manage a rebreather easily enough. That was very manageable.

But a dive suit? Was it even compatible with Anzati physiology? Well, only one way to find out. He slowly worked his way into the suit and ran through the instructions of the checklist with meticulous attention to detail that was unlike anything he did except for making tea. He could feel the being too, emanating around them in all directions.

"I could certainly go for seeing what sort of equivalent to tea they have on this world," Tiland said after a moment. "I find it very helpful to get to know a culture that way beforehand."

And if there was a way to drink tea there, that meant he wouldn't have to stay within the suit there. At least, that made sense as far as he knew. Perhaps he was wrong. It was entirely possible their equivalent of tea was to fill it in the water around them and breathed it through gills. Though it was a fascinating idea, he wouldn't know what to do if that were the case.

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

"I'll go with Quill."

She looked up from the floor and the depths of the world beyond. Suddenly so very deeply out of her depth. A hint of doubt in her voice. A hint unsure. A hint of being so very, very, very small.

"If uh. That's okay."

Quill blinked and looked away from the window. "Of course, Lauren. Uh...I'm still not sure what's first for me. I'm a hermit. We don't do schedules."

He scratched at his beard in thought. "I admit I'm feeling impatient - and I did say I'd drop in on the Sedrian high priesthood when we arrived. Shall we?"

The airlock functioned just fine underwater, swapping the ship's pressurized atmosphere for the Sedrian ocean. Most of Fitsay, including the great iridescent dome, was an easy swim away via the tourist suits' jets.

"So tell me a little about yourself," said Quill over the suit-to-suit comlink. "What brings you?"

 

[Romi Jade]

A pinch here...

A pinch there...

Tugging on the seams to get the garment right, and she was off...strolling at a pace likely behind the others. She reached mid walk to swipe her helmet while absorbing the side convos. She wasn't the biggest fan of underwater excursions for hair reasons, for all her roughness...she did happen to care a bit for her hair, who knew when she'd have time again to get the kinks out!

Blame Joza.

Anyways

She was on one of those sabbaticals again, her third really. This time she'd been studying under Darron Wraith -- well the archived memories and experiences he recorded and left behind at least. And now she was supplementing that with obscure force traditions. She knew what she came for really...she was more so curious about the Sedrians and the Golden Sun. She could feel a deep and mild spurt of energy permeating within, something that came about only when the excursion began. So she was intrigued by the thought of understanding more and its relevance to the times the Galaxy was in...

That burden of thought plagued her mostly.

She overheard:

He scratched at his beard in thought. "I admit I'm feeling impatient - and I did say I'd drop in on the Sedrian high priesthood when we arrived. Shall we?"

Glancing over, "I-" minding herself before interrupting, "I'd like to tag along if that's alright." She motioned with a jolt of the head

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

Glancing over, "I-" minding herself before interrupting, "I'd like to tag along if that's alright."

Saint Lauren

"By all means, Master Jade, come along. We'd be glad to have you."

Not long ago, he'd sent a message to Master Jade in search of a new home, now that the First Order had made his presence on Hoth precarious. And she'd responded by giving him sanctuary and a teaching role at her enclave on Jakku. He still didn't really know his new...boss? Patron? But expeditions like this were a great way to start.

The Golden Sun's Force presence swelled ahead; the divine coral understood they were coming to visit, and approved. It wasn't a single hyperintelligent being, he realized: hive minds could take forms along a spectrum of centralization. It was less like Mnggal-Mnggal and more like the Killiks, if each Killik was a smart, empathetic coral polyp. He was unclear whether the Golden Sun collective had any true language, or rather its communications transcended language.

Memories washed over him, memories not his own: a vision from the Golden Sun, conveyed to him in the mode that he knew best. The Golden Sun understood that his work with the Gutretee and Entooinian elders had helped him gain a strong capacity and preference for sharing memory. In an instant - halfway through his conversations with Lauren and Romi - he understood what had happened almost nine hundred years ago.

The Sedrians drew on the power of the Golden Sun through chunks of its crystal coral - healing emanations, stunning 'sun guns', and stranger things. A Sedrian named Karak had gone to the Dark Side and dominated a portion of the Golden Sun, tapping into its power with devastating effect. In the end, the Golden Sun had empowered champions with an eye to its own destruction; its energy had dissipated into the sea all around. Over centuries, the coral had re-grown and regained much of its vitality. Interestingly, those among its champions who were not previously Force-sensitive had become so after this close contact with the Golden Sun. That strongly suggested that - if Quill's plan worked - any trusted friend, Force-sensitive or not, could draw on his Force energies from a distance at need.