tushanshu_logs | Open! Luke's arrival log.

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Open! Luke's arrival log.

Characters: Luke Skywalker and OPEN!
Location: MU-GAI, then all over Keeliai
Situation: Fresh out of the Welcome Center Luke is exploring his new surroundings. He'll first head to his quarters at Mu-Gai, meet whoever's there, then he'll set out all over Keeliai and the different sectors. Luke wants to know as much as he can before he makes himself known on the public network.
Warnings/Rating: None, however if you plan on interacting with Luke at all in the future please do take a look at his permissions post and consider filling out the form there. Luke can't currently use his powers because of the 24 hour thing but he definitely will in the future.

MU-GAI;

Sometime in the late morning Luke arrives at the Mu-Gai suite. He's not sure where his head is at the moment and he's still processing the events of the past few hours. There's some frustration there at feeling trapped, helpless, brought somewhere against his will. He's putting as much trust in the Force as he can but it's trying. There's also confusion. Luke's still not ready to accept this as reality. He's already been through the explanations, the maps, the dialog, meeting people who seem to merely be sending him on his way through an assembly line.

Still, if there's anything he can do he won't see it unless he keeps a clear head. Luke attempts to quiet his mind and focus on what's in front of him. It's never been his strong suit and the frantic thoughts and worries of the day fight to overwhelm him as he approaches the door. This will require meditation later, he knows it.

Luke peers inside the dwelling, almost as if afraid of disturbing someone. It's his home now too but the newness of everything makes him wary. "Hello?"

Slowly he steps inside, shutting the door behind him, and begins exploring.

Keeliai;

It's not the strangest world Luke's ever seen but living on the back of a giant animal is definitely up there on the list. The villages and markets are quite similar to ones he's seen before, and some even remind him a bit of home. The technology is certainly different, even archaic to his eyes, and he finds the complete lack of a spaceport odd, but he's nothing if not adaptable.

He'll spend several hours of the afternoon exploring as much of the city as he can hobble to. His injuries from his recent encounter with Palpatine have left him a little slow and sore but he's in no hurry to get anywhere. He occasionally stops at a shop or market stall to buy various necessities as he really wasn't left with much upon arrival.

For the most part Luke keeps the hood of his cloak up as he's still not ready to trust a soul here. His face isn't all that visible but on the other hand it might also make him stand out a bit in a crowd.

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Iroh made it a practice to come out from the kitchens during slow periods, and do his best to draw in customers. So right now, he's checking the store front of his Fire Sector tea shop and making sure everything is clean. He noticed the cloaked figure.

"Good afternoon! Would you like a seat?"

Iroh had noticed the figure was moving slowly and limping a bit, which implied injury. He could sympathize with being sore, as Iroh had lived an adventurous life, and wasn't as young as he used to be.

Despite his hopes to be left alone to explore the city Luke finds himself stopping to consider taking the kind man up on his offer. His senses detect no danger or ill will and the rest of him thinks sitting down to be a very good idea at the moment. The 2-1B droid that had been looking after his care on the Home One frigate would short circuit if it knew he's been wandering around an entire city without his hoverchair. He really should rest for a bit.

Through the shadow of his hood he smiles gratefully and turns to approach the shop. "Yes, thank you."

Iroh held the door open for the shop. At this time of day, only a single kedan was seated at a corner table. "Would you like some tea or just a quiet place to sit?"

Luke pauses briefly by the doorway to take in the shop. It's quiet, which he likes, and the gentle scent of tea is immediately evident to him. Luke lets down his hood. He's a far younger man than might have been suspected from the tired, achy way he moves.

For a moment he considers Iroh's other offer but then decides that he'd better conserve what little money he has while his income situation has yet to be worked out.

"Thanks, I'll just sit here a minute." Slowly and with a strained sigh he lowers himself into a chair at the nearest table.

"Well, you can't blame a shopkeeper for trying," Iroh said. "Let me get you some water, then. On the house."

Iroh was an old warrior before he was an old tea merchant, so young men moving like old ones aren't unknown to him. So are injuries that aren't visible in flesh; fighting with fire or earth or water can make unusual injuries compared to swords and polearms.

Luke smiles gratefully and calls after Iroh. "I'll gladly come back and give you business once I'm more settled."

Idly, Luke examines the shop. Was this kind man a 'foreigner' like him? Perhaps this shop is the kind of 'opportunity' he'd been told about at the Welcome Center. He'd have to secure income of some kind eventually but he's not sure if his skills would come in very handy around here. He mostly knows droids and ships and fixing things like that. Or maybe someone needs a body guard...

"Of course. No one expects a new Foreigner to have much free money," Iroh said. "I was lucky in that I've been in a similar situation in the past."

He'd been a refugee and wanted man for several months, and it had taught Iroh a lot about pragmatism. And at least the Emperor had provided starting funds and a place to live.

Which makes Luke think a bit. Now there's an idea. Instead of finding a job he could make one for himself. He still has no idea what it'd be exactly but at least that way he'd have more freedom.

"Do you own this shop?"

"I rent," Iroh explained. "It took six months to save up for the equipment, and I couldn't afford any real estate in addition. Maybe if we're here for some time."

Well, it wasn't Wan that bumped into Luke first. It was the turtle baby Wan had been adopted by that decided Luke's cloak being up like that was fascinating. The crowds parted for her - they kind of had to considering she was the size of a VW Bus - and she trundled right on up to Luke. She dropped her head to try and peak up under his hood. A difficult task for a turtle whose head was half the size of the human she was looking at.

She was a playful sort and spoke directly into Luke's mind as she inadvertently nosed him, 'Why do you wear that? It's not cold out.'

Luke's used to very large animals, even in the middle of a town. Brontos, banthas, and dewbacks were a regular sight in Anchorhead and out on the dunes. However he's certainly not used to being approached by one without a visible handler or rider and then getting addressed telepathically by said animal. He stops abruptly and stumbles back a step, staring wide-eyed while he tries to figure out where that voice in his head came from.

It had to have been a person, right? This giant turtle isn't capable of speech let alone telepathic speech... right? The longer he stares the less he's sure. Experimentally, he attempts to send a message back, specifically focusing on the turtle as a recipient. 'I like to remain unseen until I'm needed.'

It's one thing to meet a bizarre alien capable of sentient speech. It's another to meet a giant, psychic turtle.

'But you are seen,' she refuted as she attempted to grab the edge of his cloak with her tongue and draw it into her teeth. 'I see you. You are easy to see.'

"Rio'era, no!" a new voice, belonging to a distinctly human man, joined the conversation as he finally caught up to the (relatively) small turtle. He continued with an exasperated "That isn't food." as he attempted to bat her tongue away from Luke's cloak and apologize at the same time, "Sorry. She's still learning a lot of-"

'I know it's not food!' Rio'era interrupted indignantly. 'I want to see his face.'

Ah, so there is a handler. Except if she truly is sentient then that's not the right word. Companion then? Luke's still not entirely sure what's going on and without use of the majority of his powers all he can really pick up is surface emotions. Evastelei had reassured him that they would return by tomorrow but it still makes him nervous.

On the other hand, the turtle's curiosity makes him smile and he waves off the young man. "It's alright." Luke lets down his hood so his face can be seen. "Rio'era, this cloak is considered a sign of humility in my order."

Rio'era pulled her head back and lifted it up so she could see Luke. The cloak was ignored and she left Wan standing there feeling a little foolish because one of his hands was still on her tongue. The tongue which was now in her mouth. Granted her mouth was wide open, but he hadn't pulled it away immediately.

He did so as the turtle let out a mental chortle, 'What order is that? Are there are a lot of your order here? You're new aren't you?'

Wan had been wiping his hand off on his clothes but took a moment to point a still-spit-covered finger at the turtle, "Whoa, slow down. You just met him. One question at a time and you should introduce yourself first."

'But he knows my name.'

"That's only because I was calling for you," Wan waggled the finger before returning to his task and smiling at Luke, "Hello. This is Rio'era, daughter-niece of the Great Turtle."

'We're introduced. Can I ask him now?'

Luke just keeps smiling in amusement. He doesn't mind the questions, especially from such a young, curious being. She must be extremely young if she's the direct descendant of the enormous turtle they're living on.

"Hello, I'm Luke. I'm honored to meet you." Luke briefly glances to the young turtle's companion, hoping he'll introduce himself as well. He'd like to know how someone became acquainted with such a being.

"Yes, I'm new here. I don't think there are any others like me, unfortunately. Back home, where I come from, I'm the only one left. But if you happen to know of any other Jedi here I'd be very interested to meet them."

Wan waited until Luke was done speaking to offer a bow in greeting after catching the glance, "My name is Wan. And, obviously, we're friendly."

He grinned brightly and patted Rio'era on the side of the head while she kept her eyes on Luke, 'I have never heard of Jedi. Why are you the only one left? What happened to them?'

Wan's grin broke as he gave his charge a very 'omg you didn't just ask that' look. But, of course, she had. Looking back at Luke, he waved his hands, "Sorry! You don't have to answer that."

When someone is the last of their kind, it's usually for the same reason, Wan mentally murmured to Rio'era so he didn't have to say it out loud. Just like the Great Turtle was the last before you were born.

'They all died?', the turtle asked, not in shock, but in curiosity as she turned her head to look at Wan. Still letting Luke hear her side of the conversation. So it was pretty obvious what Wan had said.

Luke nods a greeting in turn to Wan.

It's a bit of a recent burden that Luke's faced, the death of Master Yoda and his realization that he's the last and now has the responsibility to carry on the teachings. He hasn't put too much thought in it yet as he's had plenty of other things to worry about but he supposes that, yes, someday he'll likely rejuvenate the order entirely.

Though his smile has faded slightly he still regards the two with gentle understanding and he nods to Rio'era. "Yes. But it's alright. The conflict at home is almost over and we'll rebuild"

Luke is rather curious about Rio'era as well but he has a bit more tact (especially having grown up in a culture where inter-species acceptance is a big thing) so he chooses his question carefully. "So how have the two of you come to know each other?"

He also can't be sure that Wan isn't a native kedan, simply choosing to appear human at the moment. Perhaps being friends with baby giant turtles is normal around here.

Being friends with baby giant turtles was normal. But Wan was definitely not a Kedan.

'He is my human,' Rio'era proudly announced. That was all the answer she felt was needed.

Wan, on the other hand, knew exactly how confusing that could be, "She adopted me as her parent the first day I got here. I was brought in to help fight the Great Darkness. The one we aren't supposed to name. Same as you. But after getting out and around, she called to me and we sort of... bonded, I guess."

He smiled, leaning against her, "She has two other parents she's adopted, too. Most of her sisters and brothers have two or three parents they've bonded with. I haven't met her other parents, but she spends time with all of us when she decides she wants to. Since I'll be going to shore for the next few days to check things out, she insisted we spend the day together."

Luke smiles broadly at Rio'era's answer. Well, that's simple enough. Though he also listens curiously to Wan's explanation. "Going to shore? Is that the 'landfall' I was told about?"

Some of the things he was told about at the Welcome Center didn't immediately make sense to him but they went over things so quickly he didn't have time to ask questions.

"It is," Wan confirmed as Rio'era's attention was drawn away from the two of them and to a nearby vendor with very colorful beaded jewelry for sale. She sent thoughts of herself decorated in long strings of them to Wan and it distracted him for a moment. Then he shook his head and rolled his eyes, moving so she could turn behind him and start browsing like a regular shopper.

"It doesn't happen that often, I'm told. It'll be the first one since my arrival a couple weeks ago. I'm really curious about what the rest of the world is like."

After everything Solomon's endured in the past couple of weeks, he's judged it about ready to at least approach training again. It's one thing to have forced himself past the worst of his--illness--with an over-use of his magic, and rely on instinct to have done it (regardless of how it ended.)

It's another to know one's connection to one's magic is now entirely different and assume no further experimentation is needed.

For that reason, Solomon has chosen to go back to the drawing-board--as it were. In this case, that means finding a hotspot of death and seeing just how much that connection had changed. Fortunately, given the number of gangs in Fire Sector and the hotheadedness of its inhabitants, there were plenty of places where the deaths overlapped. In this instance, that was useful.

Solomon chose one such area, a broken-down street, near the edge of the city to avoid too much in the way of interference. His main goal in this one instance is to see how easily he could distinguish between deaths. It isn't that he can't have before; it's just that it's at once easier now and almost more painful in doing so. It's like being thrown into a glacier: everything is clear and still and every moment of emotion perfectly preserved--and utterly, almost cripplingly, cold.

The scene of the fight is laid out in stark lines of light and darkness. The silhouette of one gang-member is slumped against the wall; another lies hung over the fire-escape ladder; another on the ground; another sprawls in midair, where there had once been rubbish bins and are no longer. All their features are perfectly visible, even sharp. Which a flick of his wrist Solomon draws together the shadows to create a set of bins underneath the unfortunate in midair. It seems only polite.

It might be that he's getting around much slower than usual that allows Luke to notice a rather strange scene happening on a side street perpendicular to the one he's on. That man... is just standing there by himself. As Luke watches, he realizes that, no, his eyes are not playing tricks on him. Shadows really are forming out of thin air, no solid objects making them. Shadows of people; dead people, it seems, but at the same time not shadows.

Luke squints at the scene. He can't figure it out. It's like nothing he's ever seen before and it gives him a bad feeling. Maybe he shouldn't be standing here watching this. There are many things happening in this place that he doesn't understand yet. Perhaps it's best if he leaves. But, being Luke, his curiosity gets the better of him and he can't seem to make his feet move.

At least he's moved past the stage where he needs to barge into everything head-first. For now Luke will simply watch from a distance, under the shadow of his cloak.

It's been too long, particularly during a very long war, for Solomon not to notice that he's being watched. It's a slight surprise, though--not because he's being watched but because it isn't instinct that alerts him. This is the first time he's used his magic in such a way, particularly around others, since his withdrawal ended. The presence of the person watching feels like an unexpected warm front.

"If you wish to watch more closely, you only need to ask," Solomon says calmly without glancing over. He can still only gain a sense of the victims--for now. Possibly he could get more than that, or possibly it's been too long.

But everything is so crystalline that perhaps he can do something else instead. His brow furrows and it takes concentration as he smooths his hand through the air like he's stroking it. The silhouettes stir, twitching and rising from their locations of death, their demise being played in reverse until the shadows wisped around them and threatened to dissolve. Solomon stopped them there with a clench of his fist, and studied the new scene.

Without much use of his powers Luke is a little frustrated at being unable to get a sense of the emotional vibes going on, but the man's calm voice encourages him to move closer. He's immensely curious and walks right up to within a few meters of where Solomon is standing.

"I apologize if I intruded, I just--... what are you doing?"

"It's nothing. You were actually unexpectedly helpful." Solomon didn't look up as the man approached, though he certainly observed out of the corner of his eye. Hooded, cloaked--the voice sounded vaguely familiar, as if Solomon had heard something similar in an acquaintance.

The scene was one-sided, but it displayed an argument--a typical gang argument. All of the victims were armed, so it certainly wasn't murder. Manslaughter, certainly, but still quite typical.

"I'm investigating a crime-scene," Solomon answered, and then glanced over with a sardonic smile. "To a given definition of 'crime-scene'. This is gang territory; there are locations such as this all over the city."

"Locations...?" Luke worked out that this was a place where people had died, but he was still curious about how this man was able to make these shadows appear. He watches them closely.

"You mean, you can do this anywhere there's been death?"

"Precisely." The stranger couldn't be familiar; he obviously wasn't familiar with Necromancers. Solomon relaxed his fist and all the shadows dissolved into their proper, unmanipulated places. Only then did Solomon turn to face the stranger proper, bowing slightly. "Solomon Wreath. I'm a Necromancer. Death is, so to speak, my forte."

Necromancer? Luke's not entirely sure he likes the idea of death being someone's forte. Where he comes from that usually suggests that someone is an assassin or in some other equally unpleasant line of work. Still, he doesn't like to make assumptions, especially when he's in such an unfamiliar place. It could mean something entirely different.

Luke finally lets down his hood. It's only polite to let the man see his face when he's introducing himself. "Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight. I'm pleased to meet you." He smiles politely and nods a returned greeting.

"So what exactly do you use this ability for? Do you work for the police?"

... Well then. Solomon had heard that there were many different people here, but this was the first time he had considered that it might include people who were fictional. Not, of course, that Skywalker considered himself fictional.

Not that Solomon was terribly up on popular culture, either, but only a simpleton had missed that one.

Solomon regarded the young man impassively but politely, and without in the least letting on that he recognise the name. He had to laugh at the question, though. "No. More ... freelance, in a way, though I'm not currently hired. No, I was training. I've not observed this scene before and my techniques have changed." He indicated the alley with a shrug. "It's too old to be of relevance to anyone, but the idea is to divine details from the context of the event."

"Freelance, huh?" Luke's quite used to that word and where he comes from it has many different connotations that make him smirk knowingly. Smugglers and bounty hunters especially like to use it. Of course, he won't assume such things about a stranger but he can't help thinking it. "You're telling me that investigating deaths is a hobby of yours?"

Idly he notes that this is the first time he's mentioned being a Jedi to someone here without getting so much as a confused look.

"Investigating them is, yes," Solomon said dryly. "The rest is something of a personal choice and, if you will, religious belief." He shrugged. "Few things are quite as reliable as dying. Have you been here long?"

Surely there were others in the city who would recognise the name 'Luke Skywalker', if only because of those films.

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Open! Luke's arrival log.

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