Private Those Who Know History

[Ran Serys]

2 Kilometer South of Selvaris Camp - Before Dawn

The Onyx Runner flew low. So low that when guided by Ran's hand, the ship appeared as if it glided across the vibrant, morning greens, purples, and reds of the jungle canopy. The dawn of Selvaris' twin suns bouncing off the colorful canopy was a sight that amazed Ran. Beauty beyond words. Fortunately she didn't need words as she looked to her co-pilot, the Jedi Master Efret Farr. <Beautiful> Ran signed one of the few basic signs she learned before pulling the Onyx Runner up and away from the canopy. The ship hummed with freedom as the Jedi hovered in the sky above Selvaris.

Ran took a quick glance at the data screens across her console. She confirmed their location. They were in the right place and close enough to see their final destination. "There it is." Ran announced as she pointed through the viewscreen of the Onyx Runner. "I'm surprised it still stands." She added noting the overgrowth of brush and canopy that obscured it. The "it" she referred to was a prison facility. One left to waste after the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion nearly a millennium ago.

"Master Farr," Ran began. "What was it that we were expecting to find here exactly?" The Knight asked as she aimed the Runner at a nearby clearing for landing.

Efret Farr​

 

[Efret Farr]

Efret's attention was drawn back into the cockpit coincidently as Ran made the sign for beautiful. The Lorrdian smiled in agreement but also in gratitude that Ran had learned at least one sign. "Very," she agreed.

She looked back out over the landscape below with Nirrah's help when Ran pointed out of the viewing screen, but only for a quick glance so that she could go back to lipreading. "So am I," Efret concurred again. "Extreme durability isn't uncommon for biot, but it is abnormal for remnants of the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion to not be...untouched, let's say." Many governments and even local groups of civilians didn't want them around, which was more than understandable.

"Heaviness," she then said to the question of expectation. Any prison camp in the galaxy was bound to hold heavy emotion whether it was active or not, but one that had been built and operated by members of one of the most violent, intolerant, and doctrinally uncompromising religions ever recorded surely had more than its fair share. "This won't be an enjoyable trip, but I'm glad you came along anyway." She had told Ran about this place and what it had been at camp days ago. Her intention hadn't been to trick Ran. "As this enclave of your grows, it will be important to develop the kind of culture you want it to have."

Efret added quickly, anticipating a question, "Yes, Jedi culture has been established for generations, but I believe that, when the Order establishes operations on another planet, we have a responsibility to not just bring those parts of our tradition there but also to allow the native ways of the planet influence us." She smiled at Ran once more, her own face full of equal parts sorrow and hope. "And the history of a collective trauma that happened at this camp is part of Selvaris."

Ran Serys​

 

[Ran Serys]

Ran lowered the Onyx Runner into the clearing. It was a slow and smooth landing but the hum of the ship sent creatures and critters scattering from what they perceived as a giant mechanical unknown. Ran thought about what Efret had said. The biot. The Vong. Ran wondered how many of these creatures had been irrevocably altered all those centuries ago by the Vong and their influence. It was likely that some of these creatures would avoid the Jedi as they came to the Prison Facility, others might act with aggression and prove more territorial. Ran didn't know much about the Vong, only what the Sith had programmed her with in youth, which was strictly tactical. This history was a mystery, which is why Ran was glad Efret was with her.

"I'm glad I've come too." Ran agreed.

"While my goal is to keep the Enclave hidden away from the galaxy at large, I wouldn't want this enclave to grow ignorant of the history of this planet. I want to honor its trials," She continued. "And of course honor the history of the Order in so many ways." Ran added not meaning to sound like an afterthought, just a given.

"I'm glad to start that mission here." Ran declared. As she powered the Onyx Runner down. "Maybe you can share more about what happened at this camp as we explore." Ran suggested as she got up from her seat and made her way to the back of the ship.

Her Jedi Robes dragged behind her as she moved. It was a new sensation that bothered her only slightly and the robes were a stark difference between the spacers leathers she was accustomed to. Selvaris, too tropical for leather, made Ran take on a more typical Jedi look. She'd caught her own reflection for a moment and decided she'd put her own spin on the robes yet.

The exit ramp hissed as its hydraulic arm extended to the forest floor. Warbling and chittering from nearby creatures was even more clear. Selvaris was silent but very active with sound, and Ran wondered if Efret's translator extended to ambient noise. "I'll lead." Ran announced as she walked down the ramp, the crunch of her boots on the grass joining the symphony that was the forest soundscape.
The prison camp and the clearing weren't very far apart, maybe a kilometer, but they were far enough part to encounter trouble.

Efret Farr​