Ads-Gop Flif

Ads was about to suggest to Kirlocca that he could handle himself in a fight, but the words had not yet left his mouth when a sharp rap on the door announced the arrival of their hosts. It was Akao at their head who informed the Jedi, "Dirrm is ready for this meeting to commence. You can follow us now." Ads bowed to Kirlocca as he subserviently offered, "After you, Master."

Sensing the Grandmaster's caution, Ads glanced at the door before responding. "Well, I can draw on the Force to help me jump, run, manipulate objects, push and pull them. Most of my Force skills are telekinetic, although I can detect other people's presence and with some effort, I could probably sense their motives. But I can't manipulate anyone's mind or do any of that stuff that seems to be where the *real* power of the Force lies. "Oh, and I've heard there are different ways of thinking about the Force or philosophies about it or something, but I don't really know anything about those."

"Training?" Ads always hated this question; his answer was so complicated even he couldn't be sure that got all the details correct. "I've had all kinds of training. Formal, informal, and it hasn't all come through the Jedi Order. I was first trained at the Jedi Academy years ago by Master Raven. I had a couple of other trainers in the years following that, but they were almost of no consequence. For a short time I was training as a Blademaster, but that was cut short like almost all of my other training. I've had a few trainers recently, as well. But I've never really gotten into very much training, and I certainly don't feel like I have any grasp on the Force compared to what I see and hear about other Jedi."

As the door to the Jedi's...Jedis'...Jedi'... As the door to Ads' and Kirlocca's...Ads and Kirlocca's quarters closed, the Wookie informed Ads, << I think she means for us to fail.>> Looking across the room at the Grandmaster, Ads responded, "Doesn't everyone?"

As the Jedi rode toward the Social Hall, Kirlocca leaned in and whispered in Ads' ear, << These two Bothans are well known for opposing having Jedi lead any form of military collation during the time of war. Twice they tried to hang up Onderin Starlisk as well as myself for war crimes. They would rather the Jedi not be in any public light. >> "So I suppose I shouldn't mention that I also served with Onderin a few years back?" Ads responded as the speeder began to slow to a stop before the Social Hall. The building was very utilitarian, in keeping with the Bothans' philosophies of advancement over frivolity. Geometric ferroconcrete blocks formed the tapered, trapezoidal structure which stood above the other buildings in its immediate vicinity. The inside of the Social Hall could be considered equally utilitarian, although its utility was certainly more in keeping with its name. As the party swept through the lobby it was clear that the building was not being employed for its recreational ammenities, but rather the practicality of using such a building; it was simply a place where a meeting like this one could be held. Very utilitarian.

"What do we do first, master?" The Wookiee stood up to peer out one of the shuttle's viewports. Ads view was almost completely occluded by the mess of fur reaching almost to the dull durasteel ceiling. People had always told Ads that he had thick hair, but there was more within three inches of his face now than Ads would ever have on his head. Through his viewport, Ads could just barely see a few dignitaries approaching the shuttle. Kirlocca, also seeing the dignitaries, looked over his shoulder at Ads to tell him, << Akao Den'kji will take us to our meeting place and entertain us until Dirrm Gir’tey is able to see us. >> The Wookie opened the shuttle door, got on the landing bay floor and walked the distance between the shuttle and the Bothans. His stride across the ferroconcrete tiles was brisk; Ads practically had to jog to keep up. When Kirlocca finally came to a halt several feet from the Bothans, Ads almost ran directly into his back. GaAaAaHhHh THAT'S NOT HIS BACK, Ads realized as the Wookie bowed. Ads awkwardly moved his upper chest and lowered his head to look at the floor in some strange imitation of a bow as he regained his composure. That would have been embarrasing, Ads thought as Kirlocca spoke to the lead Bothan, the harsh undertones of his voice seeming to belie his benign words. << I am grateful you could meet us here Akao Den'kji. >> Akao's eyes widened almost as subtly as she shook her head. It was clear to Ads that she was not in favor of this meeting. She spoke up, her words nowhere near as subtle as her body language. "Your flattery is misplaced Jedi Kirlocca. Dirrm is the one who thinks this meeting could benefit both parties. Not me. Save your charm for Dirrm." Ads was surprised that the short Bothan had the audacity to speak that way to a Wookiee who looked almost twice her height. Ads was glad the Bothans were not empathic; they already picked up on every little bit of information they could gather, the last thing he needed was for them to sense his emotionally responses to their words.

Ads decided to not question the Wookiee regarding his cryptic revelation about his relationships with the Bothans who they were supposed to make nice with...with whom they were supposed to make nice...Whatever. As the shuttle touched down, Ads got up and stretched his arms and legs. Turning to the Wookiee, he asked, "What do we do first, master?"

<< Akao will be greeting us. She is very particular about order. I will speak first of the two of us. If I do not introduce you to her, that is for political reasons, do not take offense. >> "Won't take any," Ads replied, his fingers punching in commands for the computer to bring the ship down. They had been assigned a docking bay only a few building away from Drev'starn's central plaza. Their location was pretty much on the other side of the planet, affording Ads and Kirlocca great views of sweeping ocean and landscapes. As Drev'starn came into view Ads spoke up, finally taking his eyes off the view ahead to look over at the Wookiee. "So do you already know this Akao?"

<< When we reach the surface, communication is a subtle thing. Actions speak louder than words for this mission. Watch theirs, and be mindful of yours. >> "I'll t--" before Ads could respond, the comm flared to life, a distinctly Bothan voice blaring from the speaker. "Shuttle LB3-K, we have you on our sensors. What is your destination?" Ads turned on the microphone. "Bothan control, this is shuttle LB3-K, standby for transfer of flight plan." Once Ads had tuned off the mic, he turned to the computer, typed in a few commands and sent the plan to ground control. "Should I bring her down, Master Kirlocca?"

<< No, no bigger mission. But it will require for you to be alert with the Force, but you may end up not using it at all. >> "All right. I can do that. Looks like we're almost there." It seemed strange to Ads that they had such a short conversation over the 17 hours flight, but hey, what are you gonna do? He put the thought aside as he prepared the shuttle to exit hyperspace. "Dropping out in three, two, one..." The swirling lights of hyperspace momentarily dissolved into streaks before their resolution into pinpoints of light. Bothawui hung before them, its massive, emerald continents and rich blue seas certainly providing a welcome sight.

<< Do not look down upon yourself Ads for your lack of experience or training. Even the most powerful can be defeated by someone with little to no experience. Besides, on missions such as this one, two eyes with different views are far better than just one pair. And we will be seeing both Dirrm Gir’tey, whom is the acting Senator for Bothawui unless there is a withdraw. We wil also spend some time with Akao Den'kji, whom is a governor on the planet. He holds some great swing weight. >> "So are we just going because the Jedi are in a similar position as the Bothans, or is it also because we can get an upper hand with the force--will we be actually using it much? Wait--is there a bigger mission that we're going on that the Bothans don't know about?"

<< Trust. It all comes down to trust. The Bothans can respect a Jedi Master's view upon the situation, as we have as much reason as they do to not remain tied with the Galactic Alliance. They want to hear our view. And while a call could have done that much, me showing up shows them how important I feel point of view is. It also shows them respect. >> Ads turned to Kirlocca. "That makes sense. Will they understand why--or even realize--you came with someone who is..." Ads ruminated on what he wanted to say for a moment, his hands practically flailing through the air as he though. "Someone who's --who is just learning? And who are--with whom are we actually meeting?"

<< Peace keeping. The Bothans are considering a withdraw from the Galactic Alliance, due to the tied nature with the Sith and the Imperials. Remember that they fought against them for so long, that their trust in them might be the reason behind their new found stance. Our mission is to uncover why they want to withdraw, and to keep them from withdrawing, peacefully. >> Ads thought on Kirlocca's words for a moment as he watched the viewport shutters close, blocking out the swirling hyperuniverse outside, a (quite litterally) sickening sight beyond the first few moments. "This sounds almost too...I mean, sure, the Bothans are generally rather withdrawn, but this seems like a matter that a simple call could resolve. Why send a Grandmaster? Just respect that we will send our highest representative to speak to theirs?"

Ads nodded as Kirlocca plopped down in the seat next to Ads. << Our mission lays within Bothan space. Bothawui is our destination. >> "And we should be there in about..." Ads checked the nav computer. "Fourteen hours or so. What exactly are we going to be doing, if I may ask?"

<< So you would say that the Jedi Order has failed you? Or was it the Force? >> Hmm, Ads thought, a little surprised by Kirlocca's question. I've never thought of it like that... Unsure of his exact answer, Ads verbalized his thought and just continued to speak from there, perhaps spontaneity would reveal his feelings. "I've never thought about it like that, um, I don't know that I really think either one has failed me. I don't thin the actual Jedi Order was much involved in my training, just the specific masters, and I don't really see how the Force could have failed me. But I don't really know too much about Force theory, I guess it would be called, so I don't know." Ads tried to show on his face that he was thinking about it, but he really didn't think he would come up with a good answer, so he just hoped that Kirlocca would continue shortly.

Ads appeared to disturb Kirlocca with his question. Oops. The Grandmaster responded to Ads with questions. Ads wasn't quite sure what to make of them, but before he could begin to consider it, the Wookiee continued. << Answer me this first, and than I will yield an answer to your question. I have seen you from afar for some time within the Jedi Order. Whom of which did you train with, and why do you still hold your rank of padawan? >> "Yes," Ads began, ruminating on his past. "I first trained years ago--it feels like a decade, yet I was not a decade younger--in the Jedi Academy. My class was instructed by Master RaveN and Jade Dragon. We learned some basic force skills, but I believe the Academy was shut down before we could complete our training. I had a couple of other masters after that, but they became..." Ads paused, pondering their condition, "...catatonic. They simply stopped responding to any external stimuli. So I left them." Ads considered the years since. "Then, my next trainer was Knight Ordo. Something similar happened with him. Possibly. Come to think of it, we just switched trainers in the middle of the night...we were taken on by Oovo, and that is where you came to us. I have had a few other associations with the Republic and Jedi without receiving any training as well. So that's why I am still a padawan. My masters have simply stopped responding. And there are the periods I have blacked out for what seem to be years on end. I guess I forgot to mention those. That's probably why I have not continued to find new masters throughout all these years. So," Ads trailed off, yielding to the Grandmaster. ((By the way, the catatonic masters are users who disappeared from the site, and the blacked out years are when I have been gone from the site.))

A Jedi shuttle, piloted by Ads-Gop Flif and carrying Grandmaster Kirlocca, popped out of real space and into hyperspace. "Should be safe to undo your restraints," Ads called back to Kirlocca as he turned to face the Wookiee. "So, what's at our destination, if you don't mind my asking?"

<< We're going here. I want for you to pilot us there. >> Ads swiveled back to the console and punched in their destination. It was an interesting choice, and Ads wondered why they were going there specifically. You see, it didn't have quite the Jedi presence of some other planets (if Ads remembered correctly), and he wasn't aware of any major events going on there at the time, although he did not know everything that was going on in quadrillions of lives in the galaxy, so there had to be many major events throughout the galaxy. "Strap in for takeoff!" Ads called back to Kirlocca as the shuttle rose off of the bay's floor. The transport flew out of the hangar and then rocketed out of Lehon's atmosphere. Once the gravitational pull on them was sufficiently low, Ads informed the Grandmaster, "making the jump in three, two, one..." The engines whined and the pinpricks of light turned into streaks, which merged into a sphere of light for a brief moment, and the shuttle burst out of real space and into hyperspace. [[Continued in Space.]]

<< I need for you to go and prep a shuttle for our departure. If you have any belongs you wish to take with you, collect them. We will be heading off planet ourselves. >> "Well," Ads said, picking up his bag, "I already have my stuff and I'm already standing in a shuttle, so..." Ads sat down in the pilot's chair and ran through the checklist. Automatic checks on...and turn on the shuttle... "Ready," Ads called back to Kirlocca, swiveling his chair around to face the Wookiee Jedi.

Ads inched closer to the giant Wookiee, a mixture of awe and terror gripping and enthralling him. What could he have for me?

<< You young one, I have need of you with me. >> What? Ads was dumbfounded. A grandmaster wanted--no, needed--well, on second (or is it third?) thought, he probably was just saying that he needed Ads and didn't literally need him. Then again, it was within the realm of possibility that Kirolcca actually needed Ads' assistance. Shut up, Ads, you idiot, Ads thought to himself, suddenly realizing that it didn't matter what the Grandmaster's word choice meant. What was important was that Ads was going to be around, and possibly training with one of the greatest living Jedi. If anyone would be able to withstand the mysterious powers of catatonicity that seemed to be plaguing those who had trained Ads, it would be a grandmaster. And beyond that, IT WAS A GRANDMASTER CONTINUING ADS' TRAINING. Possibly. "What do you need me for, Master?"

Kirlocca, a Wookiee Jedi Master whom Ads vaguely remembered meeting years ago, approached the padawans and their new master. With a few words from the master, Koovo left. In and out of their lives in a flash. That really wasn't surprising, anymore. What was very surprising, though, was that Kirlocca was to take over their training. We better not be lifting another damn block. ((Sorry, I was typing this yesterday (four posts earlier in the thread) and got distracted and by the time I got back to it, I'd lost my train of thought, and so I just put in Ads' thought just to get my post in.))

When Ads reached the hangar, the Rodian was standing next to a shuttle, touching it, seemingly staring into its soul. This was a strange enough sight in and of itself, but he repeated this process at each successive ship as he made his way across the hangar. Odd. Ads was hanging back by the entrance, unsure of how he was supposed to proceed. The other padawans seemed equally confused, which meant that there was nothing from which Ads could take a cue, so he just hung back behind the others, waiting to see what Koovo would do. When the Rodian finally chose a shuttle, Ads threw his pack on his back and made his way to the pack of Jedi with whom he was training. He had no idea where he was about to go, a prospect that he always found exciting. As he got in the shuttle, he closed the hatch behind him and found a seat.

Ads felt a Halo's voice creep into his head, destroying any possibility of thinking about whatever it was he was thinking. It was...it was something...but having a new voice in his head was rather distracting, and he completely forgot what was in his head. “About time we left this room. Where do you think we’re heading?” Ads turned to Halo with a shrug. He wasn't sure if it was okay or weird or what if he answered a telepathic question verbally, so he just let the silence hang there for a moment. His eyes drifted from Halo's down to the floor and he started to slowly nod as a couple of expressions paraded across his face, displaying the awkardness of the moment as well as this sentence is poorly worded. And awkwardly worded. It indicated an awkwardness that is also a good descriptor of this sentence and the two preceding it. He spoke up again, "Well, I'm going to go pack. I'll see you at the hangar bay." Ads sensed a twinge of uncomfortability in Adrian. "It's that way," Ads instructed as he headed into his room. Ads gathered up his belongings and left for the hanger bay, excited for whatever exciting locations and adventures lay ahead.

With a sigh that betrayed Ads' annoyance with having to manipulate simple objects for the third new master in as many days, he easily moved the boxes and controlled them. ((Seriously, I'm sorry about the lack of details, and I understand IC why Koovo would have us do this, but, seriously, this is the third time. You can imagine it happening however you like, as long as nothing unusual happens ))