The Show Goes On

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie slipped off the boulder she had been sitting atop and meandered her way back over the railing and onto the granite walking path that led back to the palace and city. "Alright." The blonde gave a quick nod. "Starport is this way." She extended her finger and pointed off towards the east. "I'm sure we'll find something that is a class above junk, Princess Dramatic." Her fingers wrapped around Aela's wrist and pulled forward with a sudden jolt, breaking into a light sprint.

"Though you may have to sleep on the floor if there's only one bed!"

Her hand slipped free of Aela's wrist as she sped up. The city streets were still well filled, forcing her to shoulder between bodies to avoid colliding with anyone, turning back every few feet to make sure the other girl was keeping up her stride. "Don't fall behind now!" She shouted back, "Wouldn't want to leave you stranded here while I visit your new home!"

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela perked an eyebrow as Jamie broke out into what could only be described as a jog.

The Jedi Master smirked for just a moment, though the expression lingered for just a second before she suddenly broke out into a sprint. There was no issue in her moving that fast, not when the force kicked her into gear and wove around her. In just a few heartbeats the young woman caught up to her padawan, overtaking her just a heartbeat later.

Perhaps she was cheating just a bit...but that was what the force was for. "I think."

She said as she bounded past Jamie, glancing up to read a sign that pointed towards the direction of the starport.

"You're the one thats going to have trouble keeping up!" Aela bellowed the word as she twisted around a corner.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Hey!" Jamie shouted as she felt the sudden wave of Force surround the elder girl and carry her forward through the crowd and around the corner. "Cheater!" Came her chant as she followed only steps behind, rounding the corner herself with cerulean eyes locked on to Aela, stern expression settling on her face as her hands reached forward. Like a phantom on the wind a sharp tug on the back of the Talith's shirt would aim to pull her down.

Jamie would look to step around the crowd and continue up the stairs to the Starport just a few dozen feet away, heading towards the terminal displays within the lobby to check availability and course plots, first those of which might be available, followed by those already traveling near the system, if they had to take a more public mode of transportation.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela flailed slightly and only half managed to keep herself standing up right when Jamie pulled on her with the force.

She caught herself, watching as her Padawan shot by her and headed all the way up the stairs. A frown pulled at the older woman's lips. She scowled, and then finally managed to put both of her feeth back on the floor before quickly ascending the steps and coming along side Jamie. "That was dangerous you know."

The Jedi Master told her padawan.

"I could have fallen!" Unlikely, Aela had faced far more dangerous things than a set of stairs, but she could still make Jamie feel bad about it.

Her eyes drifted to follow where Jamie was looking, checking the display boards for anything that all that said 'Wroosti'. It was no surprise that there were no direct transports, Wroosti wasn't exactly and economical or industrial center, rather more of a homely, peaceful planet. There were really only two or three reasons to ever go to Wroosti. The Academy, the Forest, or the liquor. Wroosti was said to make some of the finest distilled wines in the galaxy.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie turned her head partially to eye Aela from the corner of her peripheral vision. "Could have." She echoed, holding up a finger as her azure eyes moved back to the terminal. "But didn't."

Noticing the same listing of flight paths as Aela Jamie wriggled her nose a bit and pondered. "Okay, nothing public that wont take more than a week to arrive." She said, tapping her finger on the screen where a small prompt waited. "Display RSF escort and ambassador vessels." In a heartbeat the screen rolled over, displaying the starships bound for external systems and those currently at dock. Several were issued to areas in various Alliance territories, others destined for relief efforts on the edges of that territory, or just outside of it. Two ships, however, remained uncharted.

"There." She said, pointing to two yachts. "One of those we'll take."

Luxury vessels complete with the reflective plating on the ships and lavish dormitories for living quarters.

"Let's go."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Excellent." Aela said with a small smile.

If she was going to travel on a starship then it was nice to have it at least be something nice. Since her latest crash with Jacen Aela hadn't exactly been keen on flying in...pretty much anything. The Young Jedi Master was starting to grow a real fear of flying, something that in this day and age wasn't at all a good thing. One could hardly get around without traveling on some kind of starship.

She frowned for a moment.

"Can we just take it?" Aela asked. "I think we need a pilot first."

Mostly because Jamie wasn't that great of a pilot and if Aela flew they'd end up crashing into the side of some building in Theed. "Make sure there's snacks on board too."

She said with a nudge to Jamie's side.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Well, we can't just take it." She said, tapping her chin. "We'd need a reason to need the ship." The girl thought for a moment, biting her lip habitually. "I have authorization codes that will release the docking clamps from just about any government ship, save for those exclusively used by the royal family, but I need to input a manifest and an official use into the database. I don't think they'll accept joyride to Wroosti as an acceptable use of government property."

Jamie ran a hand through her hair, trying to come up with some plausible reason.

"The pilot won't be an issue. There are droids on board capable of piloting ambassador yachts. These two should be no different."

They just really needed a reason for taking one.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

For a moment Aela thought. "Improving relations with the Jedi?"

Did Naboo even care about that? There wasn't a Temple here as far as she knew, and it wasn't like the Naboo had any sort of great history with the Jedi Themselves. She considered for a few seconds and shrugged, mostly because she actually had no idea what would be deemed acceptable in this sort of circumstance. She wasn't exactly 'in the know' when it came to politics, much less the ones that went on here. Jamie would have to figure that out on her own.

"Wroosti is pretty close to Sullust." She pointed out. "A few hours down the hyperlane."

That was probably the easiest excuse.

The Galactic Alliance didn't put much pressure on the planets that were within their sphere of influence, but every now and again Ambassadors, Governors, and sometimes even Senators were sent for so that members of the Triumvirate could speak or hold talks with certain worlds. It was the normal political order of the Alliance.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie shrugged. Naboo didn't care much for the Jedi or the Sith. They weren't particularly against either or, but they were just seen as a generally vague entity of which there was little difference aside from whether or not they fought for the side committing the acts of atrocity at the time or not. In the end, most common folk didn't distinguish between the two. Naboo wasn't an epicenter of Force wielding beings. It was a community of humans and gungans mostly, quiet and unassuming of the galaxy at large.

"I'll put in the manifest that we're negotiating humanitarian efforts with the Jedi." That would resonate better with those behind the desks.

Both ships were relatively similar in both size and design, so it mattered little to the younger of the girls which they took. "This way, the RSF docks are down this corridor."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Okay." Aela followed along quietly.

She wondered for a brief moment if this would get Jamie in trouble, but she doubted that. The Naboo seemed like a relaxed bunch all in all, though from what her padawan had told her there were a few of them who were quite...high strung. Like her mother.

"It's not exactly a lie." Aela mused out loud as they wandered down the halls towards the ships. "Dealing with younglings should be considered humanitarian effort."

A small smirk touched her lips, her eyes folding towards her Padawan before they passed to the ship on the right. "With all the trouble they tend to cause."

She smiled to herself.

"Give a few ten year olds power over the force and it causes some real troubles." Not that she could really talk.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"It's not." She agreed, "It's just a stretch."

The Jedi were generally thought of as humanitarians. It was close enough in Jamie's mind to warrant the use of the ship. Though the look Aela gave to her in that moment made the blonde squint her eyes in suspicion. "I know you're not referring to me when you speak of trouble, so I will simply carry on." Heading down the long corridor that opened into the hangar space, several landing pads lined the area. The two ships with uncharted dossiers were where the woman expected them to be.

Jamie pointed towards the one on the far end. "There." With a gesture to follow she led the way to the terminal, entered her clearance codes, the coordinates location, and justification into the system before turning to Aela.

"Okay. Let's go." Her finger pressed the release on the ship's ramp as she spoke, lowering the entrance for the two to step aboard.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela stepped onto the ramp with no hesitation.

In truth she was eager to get home. The Apartment on Wroosti was where she felt most comfortable now, aside from Borleias anyway, and she hadn't been there in nearly a month. Part of her wondered if something might have changed while she was gone, but she doubted that. "No no."

Aela said with a small wave of her hand.

"You're not trouble at all." The two girls wandered onto the ship. "Getting captured every other week and such."

A small smile touched her lips. "No trouble at all."

She teased of course, giving Jamie a quick glance before she stepped into the ship and let out a whistle at the interior.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie rolled her eyes heavily. "Every other week? You are royalty for sure, Aela. Queen of over-exaggeration." Turning to the console she sealed the ramp behind them and shook her head in irritation. "I blame my failings on the shortcomings of my teachings." She said with equal mockery. "Perhaps if I was better trained."

She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth as they headed up towards the main level of the yacht. "Those poor younglings, I worry for their future, you know. I hope you're not the only Jedi there."

When the two finally made it up one level a droid was already busying itself with prepping the ship for launch, the coordinates having been uploaded from the terminal outside.

"Take-off will begin momentarily. Please make yourselves comfortable." The machine spoke quickly before meandering away towards the control deck.

"Hope we don't crash, those are the old models." She said with an evil grin.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela sat herself down on one of the chairs, pulling the straps across her chest.

"Your teachings were perfect." Aela said with a waggle of her finger. "It's the application that's lacking."

She had never really thought of herself as the best teacher, but she'd done a good enough job. The younglings all loved her and Jamie did just fine in most areas. She smirked slightly, thinking of a few of the times she'd made Jamie climb around on Dxun.

"Maybe we'll crash on a nice forest planet." Aela said as her safety belt clicked into place.

"We can live with the wildlife for a bit." The Jedi Master smirked. "Do some more of that training you apparently need."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Were they? I don't know about that. I exercise my teachings to the best I was taught. Perhaps if the teacher were a bit wiser."

Jamie strapped herself alongside Aela for take-off. Once in the air they could more easily move about the cabin.

"But if we do crash, I'll have to make sure to get a good look at the panic setting in on your face. I'd love to see it turn green."

The blonde poked her tongue out as she felt the engines fire, the low rumbling and vibration that came with the vessel springing to life. Several moments would pass before the weightlessness feeling would arrive, confirming that they had lifted off of the surface of Naboo and were bound for the outer atmosphere and eventually, hyperspace towards Wroosti.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

She made a face at Jamie.

"Why don't you just sit down and be quiet." She waved her hand, they were already sitting of course but Aela really wanted her to adopt the second part of her suggestion. She felt the engines rumble and the ship take off into space, her fingers digging into the armrest.

She really didn't like flying.

It was a phobia that seemed to get worse and worse with every crash that she was in, something that made sense but silently terrified her each time she stepped aboard a new starcraft. Jamie made fun of it, but after all that had happened to Aela it was an understandable thing, at least she thought.

"Star Dragon." She said quietly to herself. "Definitely."

At least the trip wasn't too long.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Very well! But I don't want to hear you squeal like a frightened child when we hit some turbulence either." She barked in return, before settling into her own seat.

The trip would only take a few hours, and Jamie was certain that the ship was in excellent condition as the Naboo hangar was properly staffed with qualified individuals and took great care of their vessels. Still, despite that, it would have been amusing to Jamie to see Aela cry out if something did go wrong.

Jamie lifted and crossed her leg over the other, leaning her head back gently against the wall and began to hum a small tune to herself quietly.

Hopefully Wroosti wasn't going to be anything exciting. She had enough excitement to last her several months.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Exciting? No.

Wroosti was about as plain and boring as it could get. Things weren't always exactly 'hip' or happening there, but that was exactly why Aela had chosen it in the first place. She didn't want action, she didn't want war or battle or excitement. She wanted peace, she wanted relaxation and damn it she wanted to be normal. As normal as she could be anyway.

After a few hours travel the ship that Jamie and Aela had taken entered Wroosti's sector, passing through the Alliance border screen with no trouble. The young Jedi Master stood as they finally dropped out of hyperspace, frowning at the lurch in her stomach as they returned to real space. Her gaze drifted out the viewport to the planet in the distance, a small smile on her face as she saw exactly what she expected to see. No Giant space station, no drive yards, no hovering Star Destroyers.

Nothing but calm. "There."

She pointed towards the planet as they zoomed closer and closer.

"The Temple is on the Southern tip of the continent." Aela explained to Jamie. "My apartment is just a few miles from there."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie looked out through the viewport to the planet in the distance as they drew nearer. It looked relatively quiet, tucked away in the expanse of space.

"How many?" She asked quietly, "At the temple. How many students and Jedi are there?"

She had never known of this temple before Aela told her of it. It wasn't widely known like Ruusan, or Coruscant, or Voss. Jamie wondered if this was kept a secret for a reason.

"Is it large like the one on Coruscant?" That was quite the sight, "Or the one on Sullust?"

Another beacon of engineering genius.

There was a slight rocking and rumble as the ship breached the atmosphere, sending a low creak through the hull in its descent towards the landing pad. In just a few seconds they would touch down, and Aela would be free of the starship she feared so much. Jamie however, would need to return back to Naboo before long. It was just the way of things.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

“Twenty three.” Aela said with a small smile.

Jamie would of course instantly recognize that was an absurdly small number for a Jedi Temple, at least compared to Sullust or Corcuscant, but there was a very good reason for it.

“Its a small Temple.” She stated the obvious. “All the younglings there demonstrated an incredible potential in the force from am early age, some of them as young as six months.”

Albeit that had been accidental. “There's only six teachers besides myself, and we all work closely with the younglings to help them gain better control.”

The calm environment of Wroosti helped with that as well, something that Jamie might notice as the ship slowly descended.

Within a few moment the four obelisk like spires surrounding the small pyramid of the temple came into view, a grand sort of garden decorating the edges of the Temple itself. Aela smiled as the ship touched down on the landing pad, a loud hiss ringing out as the door began to open behind them.

“Come on.” She motioned to her padawan and headed out.