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Zyrusticae · Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 92

Xan stirs from his bed, and all the objects in the room that were floating mysteriously above the ground just moments ago suddenly come back down, sitting perfectly where they were sitting before he went to rest. He sits up and gingerly rubs his eyes, a cup of water flying to his waiting hand and consumed in short order.

He lets loose a long, idle yawn and mutters, "Finally, some peace an' quiet..." before picking himself up off the bed and sitting cross-legged in the center of the room. Within moments, everything not bolted down to the floor is once again floating as he clears his mind of the morning fog. Once he can clearly 'see' his surroundings in his mind through the ubiquity of the force he gets dressed, strapping on his discblade and making for the outside world.

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Zoe the Pink Ranger · Site Admin Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 269

You wander the streets for something like half an hour, noting the people as they start their day. Some don't appear to notice you, others offer a smile or friendly nod in passing but do not stop. There is an air of almost stubborn purpose to the city, as though the people just want to be doing something because if they stop, they may not be able to cope.

Unfortunately, by not stopping to engage you in conversation, they don't really give you much to do beyond admiring the scenery.
This changes when you reach a bridge over a large river in the centre of the city.
Sitting precariously on the edge, and looking like she might be contemplating a swim in the rushing water, is a girl, a little younger than you with flame-red hair and wearing a purple vest and leggings.
You recognise her as the girl from the Pit of Despair; Mara Jade...

Zyrusticae · Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 92

Xan idly walks on by, his arms locked behind his head in a very obvious stance of boredom. He stops a few meters away from her and inspects her person, the subject of her attention, and then back again. With a shrug, he leans forward on the railing of the bridge and looks over to her.

"You're not thinkin' of jumpin' in, are ya?"

Zoe the Pink Ranger · Site Admin Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 269

Mara looks over to you and flashes an infectious smile.
“I don't know” she says playfully, “Depends on if you can think of anything more fun to do. You do want to join me, right?”

Zyrusticae · Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 92

"Eh...?"

Xan props his elbow up on the railing and leans his face into his hand, inspecting her expression.

"Fun, hm... There's not really much around here, is there?" He pauses and lets out a disappointed sigh. "Buncha greenery an' people too busy to give a stuff an' such. I can see why yer thinkin' of jumpin' in... river looks more exciting than lotsa the townsfolk. Say... where're ya from?"

Zoe the Pink Ranger · Site Admin Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 269

Mara looks at you, still smiling.
"I was from Ralltiir originally" she says,
"My parents had a place up in the mountains near the High Ontis. I used to hang around with some other kids and play in the quarries. It was a lot of fun. Nature can be great if you let it. Loads of different terrain and places to explore"

A mischievious look crosses her doll-like features.
"Why don't we go and do that?" she asks.
"Miss Zalli only told me I couldn't leave the city if I was alone, but I won't be alone if you come with me. We could explore the woods and stuff. Maybe even practice with the Force a little while we're out there. It'll be fun.

Zyrusticae · Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 92

Xan raises a brow at her and remarks, "Oh, right, you're Force-sensitive... Um, who teaches you, anyway? And... were you a Jedi or something? I kinda... never bothered to learn. Eh-heh..."

He scratches his head and gives Mara an awkward smile. "An', yeah, I guess we could go. Better than sittin' around out here..."

Zoe the Pink Ranger · Site Admin Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 269

Mara grins, then swings her legs around so she can drop to the ground beside you.
"Well lots of people were teaching me when I was with the Empire" she says, walking and talking at the same time.
"They said Darth Shadus wanted me to be her 'hand' or something like that. They taught me how to do all sorts of things. Miss Zalli is sort of looking after me but I don't have a new teacher yet. What about you?"

Zyrusticae · Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 92

"Wait... they were training you to be Sith? Um... how'd they treat you? My... uh, mentor, I guess, I don't know if you've met him, his name's Jayce, an' he treats me pretty well. Can't really complain..."

Xan walks beside her and talks in turn, his arms folded behind his head once again.

Zoe the Pink Ranger · Site Admin Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 269

"They treated me a lot better than the people on the ship" Mara says thoughtfully.
"I don't think I was ever really meant to be a raving Dark Side loony, I was meant to be loyal because I liked her, not feared her. She was creepy though, the way she always had her face hidden by a black veil. Maybe she's got a really ugly scar or something"

Zyrusticae · Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 92

"Maybe... but there could be any number of reasons for it... so, um, how far 'til we get out of the city an' such?"

Xan looks around at his surroundings, trying to spot some sign of the border.

Zoe the Pink Ranger · Site Admin Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 269

"Oh, it won't be that long" Mara says, giving your arm a playful tug.
"The forest is only about another mile. I'll race you. Last one there is a rotten Hutt!"
Without saying another word she breaks into a run, dashing off to the West...

Zyrusticae · Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 92

"Aw, geeze... that just isn't fair!"

Drawing upon the Force to aid him, Xan dashes off after her as quickly as he can.

Zoe the Pink Ranger · Site Admin Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 269

After a few minutes, you and Mara leave the city and arrive at the edge of the forest. Nearby, you can see the main road to Spinnaker, which, according to a large sign, is currently closed to civilian traffic until repairs are complete. The sign also recommends the use of ocean-going transport between Theed and Spinnaker.

Mara seems to pay the sign, and the road, little mind. It is obvious that she prefers the woods themselves.
“What do you think?” she asks
“North side or south side? North side lets out near cliffs overlooking the sea. South side goes past mountains to a bunch of plains, then more forest and swamp but that's a much longer trip”

Zyrusticae · Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 92

"Doesn't sound like much of a choice to me... let's head north. ...Which way's north?"

Xan looks up at the unfamiliar sky, wondering which direction the planet revolved relative to the sun...

Zoe the Pink Ranger · Site Admin Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 269

Mara looks at you and shrugs. It seems she isn't sure either.
"Wait a second" she says, "I think I remember something about this. That road there heads west, which means if we're looking down the road like this, then that way..." she points to her right, perpendicular to the road "has to be north. Come on"

Zyrusticae · Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 92

As soon as she points out the way, Xan is already moving.

"I'm way ahead of ya!"

Zoe the Pink Ranger · Site Admin Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 269

"Not for long!" Mara shouts playfully and rushes to catch up, keeping pace right beside you as you enter the north side of the forest.

Almost immediately the thick canopy of the surrounding trees cuts out more than half the light of the morning sun, not bringing total darkness but certainly providing sufficient shade to make running a bad idea.

Through the Force, you get an immediate sense that this place is very, very alive with birds and small mammals navigating the trees above, other small mammals scurrying about on the ground, and lots and lots and lots of insects.

Zyrusticae · Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 92

Xan pauses to look around and absorb the various sights and sounds. Though it's nothing new to him after his travels with Jayce, the subtle differences between the creatures of this world and the next still fascinate him. He's so lost in thought that he momentarily forgets about Mara...

Zoe the Pink Ranger · Site Admin Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 269

"It's beautiful" Mara murmurs, just as awe-struck by the forest as you.
As she takes in the landscape, her mind immediately gets to work on thinking of adventures; wondering how easy any of these trees would be to climb, or if there are hidden tunnels or caves somewhere.
Endless possibilities for fun and exploration.

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