Winter is Coming (Abbi Odell)

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Abbi Odell"]

Matsu looked at her as she thought of a way to describe it. "Imagine a place, warm and filled with life to the point it feels like you could be smothered by it but once it washes over you. You are everything, you feel the child wanting a better life on the outer rime, you feel the old man proud of his accomplishments and you can feel the weight of how small you really are compared to some being. When I was lost they found me and led me to their world only there was much more there. A golden world that showed the connections, the energy and feelings of every being that existed and would exist. The five sisters existing since the dawn and they shared that feeling they have at all times, able to feel everything in the galaxy with me for only a moment." Yeah cause that didn't sound crazy.... she was trying to explain it but you had to feel it and that was how she had found the eye of the sun with their help so she knew she wasn't crazy and they had taught her the secret to surviving past your bodies death within the force and manifesting.

 

[Abbi Odell]

"Uh, sure," Abbi said not knowing how to respond to that. It sounded like her master was addicted to spice but that seemed improbable. All she knew was that when she experienced the heart of the universe it was going to be one heck of a ride.

Squaring her shoulders and looking [member="Matsu Ike"] in the eyes she said, "don't get me wrong. I believe you but I feel like it will be something that I just experience. Kind of like reading a book, everyone gets something different out of it." That sounded right.

The air suddenly dropped about ten degrees causing Abbi to shiver. The weather on this planet could change in a second which effected even the underground area they were in.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Abbi Odell"]

Matsu looked at her and wanted to say more but her face showed it... a nod and sort of grin more nervous as she agreed. "Yay it is hard to explain, if it can even be that." She also wasn't certain if the girl would be strong enough to get there but there was always the chance. Matsu had been the product of her masters teachings and influence so maybe she'd inspire someone. Once the temperature dropped she brely felt it taking in the padawan with her eyes. "You're shivering... I swear some jedi are too lazy. Tapas should have been taught to you for cold environments like this." Matsu moved over to her and held a small grin on her face though.

"Alright a quick lesson because this has to be you, your body, your strength." She stood there to the side and placed the smoky grey crystal in Abbi's pocket for her to have with her saber. It felt more attuned to the padawan anyways while her hand remained visible. "Tapas it used to produce heat within your body and keep you warm in the coldest of places. The heat comes from inside you, your inner fire and breath used to empower. We breathed in the air and hold it within your lungs for a moment, let it warm you and then grasp that sensation. Take that warmth and hold onto it as you exhale and inhale once again."

She demonstrated a few times letting the padawan feel her skin which while pale and looking like a bleached snowflake as someone had said once would be warm to the touch. Like a thermal heater but at that point right before you really started sweating. The jedi master continued while the sensation of being watched was around her and she looked on seeing the ghostly image of an old man in a robe out the corner of her eyes. A few degrees cooler before she was watching and the figure had disappeared, the jedi master understanding she hoped and moving with the padawan to follow while she was speaking into her comlink.

"Prep the ship go departure and make up a guest room. There is a lot happening but I have a feeling it will become clear soon enough." The small look on her face though showed more while she hoped the padawan was feeling warmer. "There is only so much I can teach you here on this world. So If you are up for it, a warmer place to train and you can think of it as your first mission with the order. I am having the ship prepared for a small trip using the maps we got from a holocron." How she got that holocron fighting a leviathan and literally cutting herself out of it covered in stuff she wasn't going to detail but a lost jedi holocron had been what she found.

 

[Abbi Odell]

For one horrified moment Abbi thought that [member="Matsu Ike"] was going to suggest shoving themselves inside an animal caracas for warmth. She had heard that works from somewhere. But then thankfully the master taught her a technique to produce her own warmth. It made the small Jedi question why her previous teachers hadn't even thought to teach that. It was always lift a pebble or find a grain of sand in a bed of rocks. Both of those things sucked doing.

"Warm is good, I like warm," she said following Matsu. Abbi was really willing to follow the Jedi master anywhere. She already trusted the more experienced Jedi more than all of the previous masters she had encountered. If someone could make her into a halfway decent Jedi it would be Matsu Ike.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Abbi Odell"]

Matsu looked at her as they were walking out of the tomb, the ruins leading down to the ship that had arrived, Matsu looked over the E'ron class as she led the way. Her crew there opening the bay doors while she smiled to the padawan. "Yes warm is good and you'll be warm on the ship padawan." She sent the message in for the others who were there and keeping track so she had her new padawan. It wasn't a problem since the girl wasn't assigned to one or classes yet being new which was helpful. She led the way in as the ramp closed and led her into the large observation room that was filled with most of same equipment from the temple.

"Welcome to the Harlequin padawan, it is a simple enough ship. A slightly modified E'ron class that works for teaching a padawan. Food in protein bars in every color of the rainbow, equipment you can use easily enough and gear for exploring. As well as this." Matsu walked a little as she brought from the observation room a panel and dimmed the lights. The lights appeared then holograms danced as the will's computer linked to the stations letting planets and systems appear for them to watch. "The astrometrics suite, an upgrade to the ships that allow us to observe and check coordinates from all information."

She gave her padawan time to let it settle in while she was showing Rhen Var in the hologram while she grasped the hologram letting it bob up and down with a smirk on her face. "You can learn a great many things here studying and we have all the databanks filled but there are some limitations." Shew moved around and showed some of the information going across the screens. "I can't allow you to look at some of the dangerous force powers that people use. Or some of the more exotic and tempting abilities. I am here to teach you, so I am here for you to use as a knowledge source and we are going to explore the galaxy."

She looked at Abbi deactivating the holograms and information as she was going through the supplies for her padawan presenting her with better equipment. A utility belt and kimono style robe that fit more in line with what the ones on her ship wore. Matsu stripped down displaying with her robes that went into the droids to clean. It was covered in dirt and wet from the snow as she stood there in the sarashi bindings around her chest obscuring the mass amounts of tattoo's along her body. The images and tribal designs stopping where the robes end with her hands and feet, her neck left alone as well as some portions of her body.

"It is a small thing compared to some, a jedi should not have much cloths but if you only have one set of robes you are standing there waiting for the washer and dryer to clean your stuff. Fun once in awhile but you can't really make an effort of it in the field so there are some extra robes and clothing around the ship you can wear." Matsu looked at her as she stretched letting the masses of scars across her body show and she removed her one necklace as the glowing sigil pulsed with the lightside of the force and she was allowing her hair with all of its mass to fall out of the braids as it went past her ankles.

She stood there getting from a small droid a pair of wooden sandals for herself while she moved forward. Checking her padawan mostly for size to get her some better robes in the future with a smile. "So padawan if you have a choice of anywhere in the galaxy you can go?" She raised an eyebrow looking up as the viewport that ran along the bubble of the observation area cleared. Leaving them standing in a clear bubble as they looked out upon the stars and length of the ship. She let the holograms come back as the plants appeared into existance again. "Where would you want to go first?"

 

[Abbi Odell]

To say that Abbi was impressed was an understatement. The ship was unlike she had ever seen before. Of course there had been shuttles and small passenger ships but those were nothing compared to this. The Silver Jedi had made a ship specifically to teach padawans which was simply amazing.

It wasn't until the amount of databanks were revealed that Abbi was truly amazed. There was a lifetime of information here and there didn't seem to be enough time to learn it. Reluctantly she let herself be pulled away all that information knowing that there would be time later. Her hands were filled with new equipment and then [member="Matsu Ike"] was getting undressed. Right, the thermal clothing wasn't necessary anymore and the outer layer of her clothes were filthy. Grabbing the spare set of robes, she got changed. They were a close fit but not exact.

Only getting a moment to observe how long Matsu's hair was, her attention was pulled to the viewport. When asked where she would go the answer was on the tip of her tongue. "Felucia," she said without hesitation. It was a dream of hers to go there. There had been endless amounts of books about the exotic planet. It held so much wonder.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Abbi Odell"]

Matsu nodded her head to that it wouldn't have been her first choice but the jungle planet was an amazing place and she had known Sochi Ru a chieftain there while she spoke shifting the holograms to show the planet. She held it in her hand while the ship moved to get into positions and then jumped to hyperspace for Felucia. "Then we shall go, the trip will not be that long. If you are quick enough you can rush down and use your fresher to clean and change." She looked at the starlines while they were standing there and walked towards the lift to take them down while she headed back to her room.

Once there the jedi master relaxed long enough to let herself get some rest, she had slept fine but knew the value of sleep over straight meditation while Harmony the human replica droid stood at the side keeping time for the trip. She spent the four hours sleeping and once there was confirmation they were going to be arriving rose up changing into a light green robe that could still blend in and she did her hair up so its mass was giving the illusion of a far shorter length. The droid was helpful with that while Matsu secured her disc saber and normal saber on her belt sliding in her sleeve a second blade before she was standing in the cargo bay with the large doors leading out into the jungle. "Are you ready my padawan?"

 

[Abbi Odell]

Doing as her master said, Abbi went off and got ready for the new journey ahead. After changing, grabbing something to eat, and sleeping very briefly, she headed down to meet [member="Matsu Ike"].

"Completely, totally," she said too quickly showing giving away the tone of anxiety.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Abbi Odell"]

Matsu looked at her padawan as she stood there and she touched her shoulders brushing at them while she spoke giving a smile. "It is alright, Felucia is a very nice place and you'll have fun here. Never know what you will find in the jungle, the last time I was here I found a baby bull rancor who I named jaffi. He is at the temple on Shri-Tal now and happy to be able to run around so relax." She kept it whle checking the rest. "You have your saber? Good, you have your belt? Good and finally you have your nerves and instincts.... Good you'll always need those." Matsu opened the ramp doors and the sight and sounds of the jungle came to her as she was walking out to show the padawan noting was wrong. "See the world is just what you wanted I hope."

 

[Abbi Odell]

[member="Matsu Ike"] made everything sound so flawless. Like life was all about pieces that just fell into place, sometimes with a little nudging. Gathering her confidence, Abbi smiled and nodded. The ramp doors opened and the pair was greeted by the most beautiful jungle that the young Jedi had ever seen. The very air teemed with life.

She practically skipped down the ramp. So much better than books. For the next ten minutes, Abbi bounced between rocks, vegetation, trees, and soil while babbling to Matsu about the items. There were countless books about the planet that Abbi had read and now there was so much to see.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Abbi Odell"]

Matsu was looking on her as she smiled at the excitement. She could almost feel it rolling off of the girl and there was nothing like that first time as she was looking at the jungles and allowing herself to enjoy it as well. A look upon it before she was moving about and letting the ramp of the ship close with the two sirens coming out and taking up guard positions. Matsu held her equipment back while she was clasping her hands behind herself when she walked. Slowly she was moving towards the padawan. "If you think the area around the ship is great just wait until you really get into the jungle." She smiled and offered her hand to lead the way into the jungle.

 

[Abbi Odell]

On second thought it probably wasn't the best idea to run headlong into the jungle. It resulted in Abbi running back to [member="Matsu Ike"] as a small flock of angry birds chased her out of their nesting area. After a short scuffle the young Jedi was able to shake them off to which they retreated back to their nests with glares trained on her.

Straightening out tussled clothes and loose strands of hair, she followed Matsu into the humid darkness of the jungle planet. "I think that this is the most exciting time I have had in my entire life. Do you train many Jedi?"

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Abbi Odell"]

Matsu looked at her and straightened a bang while walking and thinking about it. "I often do, I enjoy teaching the next generation of jedi." There was even a smile on her face while she was walking and the dim jungle was overgrown with light filtering through the canopy as it gave way to the sounds of birds in the deeper parts of the jungle. "Though I will admit." She said it while continuing to fret a little over her padawans hair to fix it. "There not all of them were good choices. One I trained to being a master but I fear I did it because I was just as impatient as he was and where he faced the same past as you with several masters. He was very prideful about it, he had over a dozen masters because they couldn't handle his skills and power. Where you just most likely didn't fit with them. So maybe I'll do right by you and not rush you ahead, teach you a respect for the basics of the force and the jedi."

 

[Abbi Odell]

"I think you're right," Abbi said as [member="Matsu Ike"] fretted over her hair. "It wasn't that I was insolent or didn't want to listen. I tried so hard to listen, I actually think I listened too much. I overanalyzed everything they said to the point of madness. I appreciate your patience greatly."

They had made their way into the dense forest. The trees were as tall as skyscrapers in the large cities. For a short while Abbi strayed from Matsu, exploring the general area around but not too far away. There was so much to see but it would be easy to get lost in this type of terrain. Collecting a few cool looking leaves, she put them in her robe pockets and returned to Matsu. "What's on the agenda for today," she asked the master.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Abbi Odell"]

Matsu looked at her and the girl was exploring that gave her a chance to move around looking into the canopy while she was moving through the filtered light. She was listening to the sounds of her in the forest and waited while keeping and leading the way through to one of the open areas. SHe looked at the mushrooms and the skittering creatures below that were ignoring them and spoke. "We're going to have a little fun. One of the easier skills you have shown has been the floating meditation. I want to work with you to jump from each of the mushroom heads. We're going to explore and world and work on teaching you the basics of the force." Matsu moved and hovered just a little bit. "It will also give us more a chance to bond my padawan."