Private The Pillars Of Wisdom

[Jamie Pyne]

"Of course. But it was difficult enough as is to get here. If I had told you that, we'd have no water left by now and we'd really be in a bind."

The woman ran her arm over her forehead to clear away the droplets of sweat that were still falling. The air inside the temple was stifling, even without the scorching sun overhead. The only benefit to being inside was the lack of worry that they might be burned by the harsh rays beating down on their skin.

Jamie waited until Juniper was finished before beckoning for her to follow. "We'll have to wait until we're clear of the ruins. I wont get a signal in here." The thick stone walls, coupled with the depths and the vast sandpits they were surrounded made a short wave transmission essentially impossible. So long as nothing went wrong, collapsing ceilings, unexpected Sith, that sort of thing, they'd be out in less than twenty minutes.

"And since we're still on the subject, I want you to practice what you've done here today for at least two hours every day while we're on the ship. It will be time well spent and you will begin to expand your connection to the Force in a much more meaningful way. It will lend to your training when we're doing other things as well, so it's very important you see to it."

Juniper

 

[Juniper]

"Oh. We're leaving already?" As if she hadn't hated the place to start. She scrambled after Jamie's heels, a pep to her step as she realized she was moving closure to a place with climate control. "Ow ow ow," she complained along the way, sore muscles dragging as she waded through the the sand threatening to swallow the temple whole.

"Why did people live here? You'd think they'd have chosen a more better place. Do you think they wore clothing? I wouldn't be surprised if they wore bathing suits all day. How can you do anything in this sort of heat? No wonder why they died." She was thirsty again already. "How could they water so many people?"

She dragged her hands along the wall as she went, dust and sand falling in small waterfalls in her wake.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Yes. We've done what we came here for. This was the closest thing resembling a Jedi temple we could get this far out." It wasn't much, and far from the full Jedi experience Jamie would have preferred to give Juniper, but without waiting weeks to reach the core, or venturing into some incredibly dangerous regions of space, this was the fastest, and closest opportunity.

"Remote places like this were intended to be difficult to find. The less conspicuous they were, the less likely they would be targets for attack. Hostile environments play well into that strategy. As discomforting as it may have been to spend your days here, it would have been safer than most."

As for what happened to the temple she wasn't quite sure. It was likely attacked, Jedi didn't typically abandon their temples without cause. Time seemed to have well worn away whatever evidence may have existed. As the two approached the entrance, it was clear that the temple was already beginning to be reclaimed by the planet, dunes forming at the mouth and several inches of sand already notably higher than when they had entered. It would be a matter of weeks before it once again settled back into the depths to be forgotten once more.

Juniper

 

[Juniper]

Juniper popped out with her, shoving aside sand with little telekentic pushes. "Well that was fun," she concluded, no longer lagging as left the Temple behind. She paused at the top of the hill surrounding the Temple, turning around to look upon it from above.

"...Can you show me how to burry it?" She chirped, determined to keep the demonstrations and lessons going. Jamie had done more with her in that hour than she had since she met her. ... Never mind the struggles that Juniper went through along the way, she wanted more. She'd even meditate for it.

Maybe.

She looked up at Jamie, a devilish gleam to the eyes that implored her to bend.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Bury it?"

Jamie hadn't really considered the prospect of burying it. A few days or a week perhaps and the ruins would succumb to the trappings of the sand regardless. "I really had just planned to leave it to nature's hold. Sure, it's possible to bury it, but it might cause more damage in doing so, and I would prefer we not do that to such an important architectural relic."

Not to mention the exertion to apply such amounts of Force had already tired her out the first time, repeating the same feat would leave her feeling rather indisposed.

"Let's get back to the ship, we can do some learning while we head towards our next destination."

And perhaps work on that meditation a bit more.

Juniper

 

[Juniper]

Oh, her drop of shoulders seemed to say.

She turned as they shuffled, force-pushing a small wave of sand dowwwwn the hill. The tiny avalanche stalled before it could reach the base of the temple. It was all a bit anticlimactic if you asked her.

She learned that word last week in class.

"It's so cold all of a sudden," she commented, the desert heat dropping noticeably as it inched closer to the horizon. She rubbed her arms and scattered back into Jamie's side, glancing back at the dying sun as the ship approached.

"Are we going to another heat trap?" She'd skip onboard.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Two weeks later...

Coruscant - Upper Levels
​

It had taken a substantial amount of time for the two to travel from Vrogas Vas all the way to Coruscant, however several refueling stops later, the ship at last touched down on landing pad ZT-09XV in the upper levels of the city-planet, and heart of the galactic core. Here Juniper would see more activity, more people, more life than ever before, moreso than perhaps she could imagine, even with the assistance of the holoflicks. Something could be said for the reprieve of traveling as well, all things considered. Not to mention the whole practicing meditation business that Jamie had put the girl to. A change of scenery would do them both well.

R5 chirped and beeped as it rolled through the corridor to let them know they were ready to disembark. It seemed the little droid had no intention of being cooped up any longer either.

"I've made a list of things we'll need to get while we're here." Jamie picked up her datapad from the table and began to read it off to Juniper. "Water, vac-sealed vegetables, vitamins, energy capsules, more fuel, three microvalves, a coolant coil, coupling motivator, and ring stabilizer." She looked up as she navigated the corridor towards the ramp, ushering Juniper to follow. "We'll need to stop by the shipyard, the markets, and the Jedi Temple. This one, you'll be pleased to hear, is very much active and not lying in ruin in the middle of a desert."

Juniper

 

[Juniper]

"Laaaand!" Came the melodramatic exclamation. Ship life was not half as glamorous as the flicks made it out to be, a fact Juniper was quickly growing to dread. There were very little few places to run away and hide in when Jamie came calling for daily tasks. It was a conundrum she had not considered, and even her lack of school and home life could not curb the suffocating sensation of being met by dead ends everywhere she went.

The wild child was not quite enjoying being tamed, but Jamie's firm patience was doing it work. Juniper was at least staying put for daily meditation now. Sometimes she even got somewhere too.

Juniper jogged ahead, spilling off the ramp and tossing her head back to the sun. "I never thought I'd miss yooooou," she exclaimed to it, her once vicious sun burn all but healed.

She spun in place, arms outstretched, before stopping in a flurry in front of Jamie.

"Another Temple?" Her delight was palpable. She fell in at the woman's side, no wanting to delay that any further. "Have you been there before? What's this one like?"

It was at that moment that she noticed the busy world around them. Her steps slowed, her lips parting ever so slightly.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie smiled as they peddled feet along the pad towards the inner starport. It was nice to be back in the core. It had been quite a long time since she had stepped foot on Coruscant herself. How long? At least a year she supposed, perhaps longer. Overall it was still the same, though the intricacies that wove the fabric of the planet had changed with time. New faces of power, new direction, new things.

"I've been there many times. It is one of the most prominent, populated temples in the galaxy, despite its numerous sackings throughout the centuries."

Coruscant was the gem of the galaxy in a way, at least that's what the people here claimed, and its temple always found a way to endure the ages.

"It's large. Very large. Gardens, meditation chambers, training and sparring rooms, archives, libraries, Force chambers, a forge. Everything one could imagine a Jedi to need, can be found within the temple walls." She smiled, "Well, except practical experience." That was more the manner in which Jamie was trained, than spending years in a temple.

Juniper

 

[Juniper]

"Ugh, but we meditated this morning!" She protested, her excitement dashed as soon as the chambers were mentioned. She paused, a thought crashing through her.

"Wait, are there really that many Jedi? Can we stay with them? I want to hear their stories." Juniper was perpetually asking Jamie to tell her about the things she had done as a jedi. She had a seeping suspicion the woman was keeping details from her. They really were the most anti-climatic, cautionary accounts.

"Maybe they can give us a mission," she chirped, eyes going wide as they turned up to Jamie. "Oooh, please. Promise me you'll ask? I'm ready to try something. I could help you... help someone?" She bite her lip, unconsciously pouting as she begged.

She didn't even notice the spaceport opening up before her, the rich architecture splaying across the skylines. That's how serious she was.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Oh shush! I didn't say we were going to the temple to meditate. I don't intend on spending our time meditating when there is much more to see here than we have time for." She smiled, gesturing for the girl to hustle along as they entered the starport proper, passing through the customs screening with relative haste and ease, given their overall lack of luggage accompanying the two. "There will be many Jedi at the temple. Younglings, children, young adults, trainers, teachers, knights and masters alike. Custodians and keepers of the archives and records, and more. The temple is a sight. It's quite large, likely bigger than any building back on Vlemoth Port."

Jamie paused for a moment as they passed by a small caf vendor, finally remembering the small chain had some of the best caf in the core. "Would you like something to drink, before we go?" She pointed towards the brightly lit green sign with a cup'a'caf logo. She avoided the subject of taking a mission in hopes that the distraction of caf would settle the girl for a few moments. Jamie wasn't exactly a member of the Jedi Order of the Alliance, though she'd maintained ties with both government and Order for years, having been an agent within the SIS for a period of time in a previous iteration of the Alliance.

Juniper

 

[Juniper]

Juniper deflated in pure relief.

There was good in Jamie after all. No meditating. She sushed right up, dutifully walking alongside Jamie as they went. The distraction attempt stopped her short, her eyes skimming along the small menu list. "Ahhhh." Would she ever. It was no secret Juniper did not like ship food. It was another discomfort she had to learn to adapt to. Like the hot desert sand and the daily practice sessions-- it was slowly becoming a normal that she had been broken into.

The complaints had stopped, but that did not mean she was without her distaste.

"Thatwarmchocolatedrinkplease," she uttered quickly, ready to savor the treat. Jamie was blessed with silent companionship as she ordered, Juniper perpetually tucked almost too tightly into herself. Like a little duckling. She took the drink and cradled it close, sipping the burst of sugar with reverence as Jamie waited for her own.

"Where are you from?" Juniper chirped, the question coming to mind as she watched the woman operate confidently in such a large place. The credits were handed over, the final cup was exchanged. Juniper looked around them, wondering for the first time if her Master's secret past had occurred behind one of the high rise windows dotted around them.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Caf in hand Jamie turned to continue towards the exit of the starport with Juniper in tow. "Hm? Oh, my family is from Naboo. It's a planet out in the Mid Rim." She smiled as she looked over at the girl, "It's not quite as far from here as your home, but it's a ways out from the core." The blonde reached into her pocket and retrieved her datapad, skimming past a few screens before dialing in her photographs of her family, parents and sister, her home, and some of the regions of Naboo, passing the device to Juniper to look at. "Here."

The city opened up in its vast expanse of skyscrapers and air-lanes full of speeders at multi-level routes both above and below. To the uninitiated it might look like complete chaos. The business of Coruscant was incomparable to most other worlds due to its sheer population size, yet off in the distance stood the large Jedi temple.

"That's it there." She gestured with her head towards the pyramid-shaped building on the horizon. "Come on, lets get a transport." Jamie pointed towards a taxiing service off to the side where a few speeders waited to pickup passengers.

Juniper

 

[Juniper]

Juniper practically vibrated.

What was she to look at? Curious picture's of Jamie's past? The chaotic weave of speeders that were going to crash. Or the temple-- so big if it rolled over it'd squish them all! She tried oh so very hard not to be a nuisance, following tightly at Jamie's side, but she couldn't help but to lag and stumble.

"Why would you ever want to leave?" Not Naboo, here. She was changing topics, her attention as quick moving as the brightly lit ads. "Hey what's that?" She veered off, stopping to gape at a street cart showing all sorts of sweets and toys for purchase. She naturally fell victim, even with the cup of coco in hand.

"I want one," she protested, not following Jamie into the taxi that had opened up before them.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"It's too...Busy. I prefer quiet, peace, serenity. Coruscant is many things, but none of those." She smiled, looking to her side to see that the child had veered off course and was now fully focused on what Jamie considered to be overpriced tourist-y traps intended to pull credits off would-be travelers who knew little about the planet.

"Come on, there's much nicer things elsewhere. You're not going to find gourmet treats on the street outside the starport, I promise you that."

Her comment awarded her quite the look of ire from the vendor.

The blonde held the door open to the taxi, indicating her clear intention not to make any additional purchase by the gesture of her attempting to usher Juniper inside the vehicle.

Juniper

 

[Juniper]

Juniper slumped on into the taxi, a forlorn look over her shoulder at the cart as it disappeared behind the door. The disappointment was short lived, the vibrant layers of traffic catching her eye next.

"It really is so big. What happens if you get lost?" She smushed her face into the glass, the drink left in a holder as they flew onwards to the temple.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie smiled, "Well, despite how confusing it looks, it really is well thought out and designed. Each layer of this planet is its own sort of ecosystem. Think of it sort of like an onion I suppose. As you peel it back you discover that there is another layer, and another, and another, but each are their own size and possess a sort of uniqueness to them."

The lower levels weren't quite the safest, however. Those were more likely the areas Juniper would recognize by comparison to her home.

Thankfully that wouldn't be where they were visiting.

"There are also quite a number of helpful droids, signs, and postings to help direct you if you do find yourself lost. So nothing to fear, really."

Juniper

 

[Juniper]

Juniper fell silent, the rest of the ride spent with her face plastered to the taxi window. It felt like a mysterious wonderland passing by her, 3D and larger than any holofick. And it was all hers.

She spilled out of the speeder when they landed at the Temple, her wide-eyes a permanent feature. "Whoa." She chugged back the remnants of her hot coco and crinkled the paper cup in her palm, feeling particularly small against the looming temple.

"Can we learn something new today? I promise I'll do thirty minutes of meditation tonight. What if they ask me to do stuff. They're gonna know I'm behind." She shot a distressed look at Jamie, the concern feeling world-ending for the teen.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie couldn't help but smirk at the girl's sudden explosion of enthusiasm as they disembarked from the speeder. Understandably so, the temple was one of the largest and most notable landmarks that could be spotted from just about anywhere on Coruscant. That is, aside from the underworld. Juniper would not be visiting that particular locale on this trip if Jamie had anything to say about it.

"I do believe there is plenty of time for a lesson while we are here. I would like to show you around a bit, in particular the holocron vault and Jedi archives as well. They are quite a sight to behold, with the vault being one of the greatest collections of Jedi knowledge within the galaxy." She turned to Juniper and whispered whimsically "Secrets."

The woman then proceeded up the large staircase towards the grand lobby of the massive multi-story structure.

Juniper

 

[Juniper]

And just like that, Juniper had never been more interested in viewing a library than now.

"Secrets," she echoed, conspiratorial as her legs pumped to keep stride with Jamie's own. It had been no secret that ship life was proving hard on the girl. The place which once felt so large managed to become small and inescapable once in the confines of deep space. She had no issue pressing herself up the steps after Jamie's long legs. In fact, she relished it.

"What I wanna know is what's under all these roooobes." She ducked to the side, making space for a group of adults walking by with a swish of cloth. "Why do they all dress the same? You'd think they were hiding something." Juniper was no youngling, but she was certainly tempted to lifting up the next cloth to find out herself.

Mischievous to a fault.

She glanced up at Jamie, grinning wickedly. "My bet's on stringy underwear."