RPlog:Futile Research - Presentation

STARSHIP: Gallofree Medium Transport -- Expedient 3

The interior of the transport is a forest of bunks and bulkheads. The bulkheads don't offer more than a minimum of privacy as they partition the hold into smaller sections. The movable walls were designed to supplement the nets, which keep cargo from shifting during flight. Near the fore of the craft, where the only stock crew section is, the plumbing for the head and galley has been hastily expanded to serve many more sentients.

While Skywalker has had his fair share of challenges since the evacuation of Coruscant, there was always a small tickle of thought in the back of his mind, regarding the younglings. He's always had an affinity for them, one that only grew during the time where the Basilica was operational. How he finds the Expedient 3 is of little importance, he's a Jedi Master after all, but once he does find it, his pace quickens as he heads for the boarding ramp.

Ever since the "siege" of Coruscant began, the lifestyle of the young wards of the NR has become increasingly topsy-turvy. From first being bored out of their skulls, to the anxiety of the evacuation, to approaching boredom again, it seems like the kids, overall, are far from equilibrium. Oh well, at least the variety is "stimulating." It's probably not the safest place, but a fenced-off area of sorts has grown up around the evacuation transports, blocked off by an uneven line of empty crates, broken furniture, and parked vehicles. Into that zone of the tarmac, out of the ramp, wanders a subset of the group (a few of the older kids) out for some fresh air. At the back of the bunch is Arise Omondra, her nose, as usual, buried in a datapad.

"Hey Arise," says one of the boys in the group, a smug look to match his tone. "Better watch out, you'll grow barnacles on your datapad." A couple of the teens snicker and jeer at the remark, something Luke picks up on as he clears the protective fence and draws closer, a frown on his face.

If that's supposed to be some sort of threat about pitching the pad overboard to the bottom of the drink, to be a home for the corals, Arise doesn't appreciate it. "Go find someone else's sandcastle to knock over," she retorts, before returning to what she was doing. She promptly heads in whatever direction will take her farther away.

The teenagers only snicker and jeer a bit more thanks to Arise's response, but once Luke comes into view, they all put on their best behavior. A few sniffles are the only aftermath of their snickering, and Luke merely stares at them for a few moments in passing. They're all old enough to understand the disappointed look on his face. Otherwise, he doesn't confront them, which is possibly better discipline than a scolding or a mind-trick. Instead, he turns and walks toward Arise. "Hello, young one," he says, a gentle smile drawing across his face.

Arise A glimmer of unyet-lived opportunities, this person's human frame is young and light. Her body stands less than 1.3 meters high at a slight 25 kilos. Her sun-living ancestors have given her a glowing bronze complexion that, when she smiles, shadows to soft copper in her dimples. Beneath feathery eyebrows are expressive deep walnut eyes that add a few years to her maturing demeanor. A golden band, hovering just above the nape of her neck and spanning almost from ear to ear, holds the waves of her fine curly brown hair. The hair has gold highlights wherever it can catch the light. She wears a modest long flowing ensemble in sunny colors. An apricot long-sleeve tunic is on top, trimmed in gold around the cuffs and down flanking the front buttons. A matching apricot scarf with gold tassels is draped over her shoulders, tassels hanging in back. Straight yellow pants cascade loosely to the floor underneath the tunic, billowing slightly when she moves. Light {both in color and in weight} brown boots complete the outfit. She is rarely seen without a worn leather carryall dangling faithfully at her hip from a diagonal strap over her shoulder.

Um... Being slightly distracted, Arise hadn't noticed the approach of Skywalker at all. That, and the area is still a little congested with people coming too and from the transports. She's not sure whether to feel relief that the Jedi master has come to check on them, or guilty about all of the feelings that have pent up inside her over the past several weeks. So she just holds her datapad in one hand while raising her other hand to shield her eyes from the sun. "Hi, Mr. Skywalker," she responds cautiously.

Luke casts his eyes around a bit, and spots a set of cargo crates, stacked one next to each other--perfect for perching on both accounts. Not too high for Arise, not too low for Luke. "Don't let those boys bother you," he replies. "They probably don't understand what it's like to be curious and intelligent. Come with me?" He makes to walk the short distance and plop himself down on one of the crates.

For a moment, Arise still feels a pang of doubt, but she knows she shouldn't let his opportunity go to waste. Taking a deep breath, she emboldens herself to follow and clamber up onto a neighboring crate. "They’ve got plenty in the curious and intelligent departments. Sometimes they just don't know when to keep their mouths shut." Oops. Perhaps TOO emboldened, and not the most polite thing to say, but that mynock can't be caught once it's been loosed.

Luke doesn't seem to mind the boldness, he even smiles a bit. "I've been told that myself. It must be a boy thing." He angles his eyes momentarily toward the young girl's datapad, but only for a moment. "I can only imagine the boredom the lot of you are having to deal with." He glances around the refugee camp, noting a small, meager game of 'shockball' being played with a wadded up ball of clothing on the other side of the fenced off area, the players aging from 9 to 13.

Glancing in the direction of the sounds of the game (she's not tall enough to see over a crate in her way), Arise replies, "For a while, on the Reprisal, they were trying to get us set up with school again, but I don't think that was a good idea. As long as they don't keep us cooped up all day, it's not too bad. Like a vacation. I've found ways to keep busy." Her wrist tips her datapad, referring to it. "I'm not sure if this is what you had in mind, but I've been trying what you suggested. I had an idea," she adds tentatively.

Luke nods his head, and turns a bit to pay more attention to Arise. "Spill it," he suggests, adding the slightest bit of color to his words, all in the hopes of keeping a light-hearted air. It's something he's been doing with everyone, young or old, since tensions amongst many people in New Republic territories are high.

Since she's not sure whether his very first suggestion was serious, or another hand-wavy adult attempt a humoring a youngster, Arise refreshes his memory a bit further. "You told me to keep going with my studies, and if I had an idea, to share it. Well, the only one I know to share this idea with is you. Where can we go next: us kids from you-know-where." She lowers her voice slightly at the end, all super-spy like, although the effect might be comical. "I've been doing my own cartography reading, see. And I've been making a list. For what it's worth."

As it may be, Luke doesn't find anything about the Basilica humorous, and Arise's almost spy-like way of speaking it only comforts him to a degree. "What are your most notable discoveries?" he asks, angling his neck to see the datapad better.

"Well..." Arise thumbs a marker into place in the file she's currently reading, and flips open a couple of other files. Lists, with a short string of numbers and letters after each planet, followed by a short description. "It kind of depends what's more important: resources or safety. This list," she points to the first file, "is all places that are safely away from the front." It includes places like Calamari and Ord Grovner, all alphabetical, of course. She flips to the other file. "And these places have more resources, but might not be as safe." It includes Elom, Obroa-Skai, Ord Mantell, and Taanab. "Maybe things can even be split up, according to which is more important. And there's another option, totally different."

For now, Luke doesn't make any comments, he merely soaks up the information presented for him. "What's that?" he asks.

Arise screws up her nose as she tries to explain. "Instead of having to evacuate every time you're threatened, what about being able to move around whenever you want, before threats even have a chance to develop? Instead of scattering everything about on a hodge-podge of transports, could you have a fleet that's, I don't know, more organized?"

Luke nearly scowls at mention of the Fleet. "Well, there's little I can do about the Navy." His tone of voice isn't pleased. "They have their own set of challenges. The Jedi Order /does/ have a capital-scale cruiser that can serve as a mobile base... in fact, that's what we have been using since the evacuation. But it isn't a home... it's great for a mobile base of operations, but you don't always need to be in that sort of an environment." The way he speaks suggests that his reasoning goes beyond the tactile world. "It's... difficult to explain."

Arise's eyebrows twitch as she ponders what Skywalker might be trying to get at. She turns the pad’s screen off. It's still on, just resting. "Yeah. I guess not. This is better than the Reprisal, because we can get outside. But I also think this is a LOT better than Coruscant, even if it's not as 'nice.'"

Luke nods his head. "Oh, it is. Coruscant was an icon. Whoever holds it as territory metaphorically holds the center of the Galaxy. It was essential for the Empire to take it for some time, I just don't think anybody expected it to truly happen. Dac is nowhere near as dangerous, though it's shipyards make it a prime target. The Chief of State is quite aware of this, too. It simply can't become the new central home of the New Republic, or the Jedi. Nor can Kashyyyk. The cultural, economic and social impact would be too severe." He eyes the resting datapad for a moment, as if opportunity rested in its databanks. "Can you give me a copy of your list?"

Even though Arise's mind has been helplessly buzzing about all these issues for weeks and weeks now, there's only so much it can grasp and comprehend for extended periods of time. Writing everything down in the datapad's notes was the only way she could remotely keep track of anything. She holds the pad out to Skywalker, with some relief. "Here. You can have it. I won't be needing a 'pad until they get school started again."

Accepting the datapad, Luke tucks it away under his arm. He'd lost his Jedi cloak on Coruscant and failed to replace it yet, so there's no place to stow it. "Thank you," he replies. "I'll have you come see the cruiser I told you about, some time soon. You deserve it, Arise... she's quite a vessel, and I have a feeling this list is going to help us answer a number of questions."

Arise accepts the thanks neutrally. She's sure they've had people working on the exact same thing, but at least she made a good-faith effort. And that's what really counts, right? Both hands free now, she plants them on the edge of the crate and pushes up to swing her rump off the edge. She lands, brushes her hands off, and turns to offer Skywalker a small smile. "I'm going for a walk. I'll see you later, sir."

Luke bows his head. "May the Force be with you." He waits there for about another half hour, then, simply to take in the refugee camp and relief efforts, basking in the good will that is so easily sensible to his trained mind.