The Gardens

During his dozing Panno had fallen into a waking dream. He was aware that this couldn't be real, he had already lived through it but he couldn't awake. He was back on Prakith fighting the swarms of nude lizard men. He was back to when he changed the tide of the fight, only this time he couldn't convince the creatures to attack one another. The wave of blood, and flesh and bone just kept coming. His arms grew weary and just before the final strike he awoke.




His breathing was ragged as his eyes darted this way and that. Taking a deep breath he assured himself that it was over. He was not going to die. Standing atop the mushroom he shook his head as the last dregs of sleep wore off. Looking over the side he saw an amber haired beauty. Why hello down there. He would have stayed up on his throne but the force swirled around her like it had the planet. Pulling him towards both, obviously she was part of the reason he was here.

No no I am glad you woke me. Despite the dry sarcastic tone of his voice he actually meant it. However he wasn't about to let someone in, especially a human. Shrugging he looked at her apologetically. I really couldn't tell you. I only got here earlier today. I don't see why people wouldnt want to sit on them. Comfort than any bed I've been on.

He appeared dumbstruck, he had been awoken only to be left by the wayside. Yeah thanks for the wake up Jedi. He was about to turn away when he stopped and looked back at her. Wait why did you wake me? I mean dont get me wrong, seeing your face was worth it but what drew you out here? Maybe she was the reason that he was here, or she would lead him to the reason for being here.

Hesper Calix's footfalls could be heard coming from the main body of the Temple as she wandered into the Gardens. The Jedi Master had seen better days. Her face was wind burnt, her blond hair was the colour of straw. She had a nose that had been broken more than once, and she wore Jedi robes from another era in time.

She carried her woolen cloak in her arms, and what looked like a bundle of fur.

"It's another garden, Little One. I know that you are hungry, do you see anything for you to eat here?" She asked as she lowered the bundle to the ground.

"Hello? Is there anyone here?" She called out loudly into the Gardens.

Hendo tilted his hooded head very slightly in surprise at the garden, though not in awe. How could a garden, supposedly untended to for several decades or possibly centuries, remain so... managed? It flourished, but did not overgrow. Perhaps it was symbolic of the Force to Hendo. Perhaps it was even symbolic of himself. The man in ragged, torn gauze clothing followed Hesper and the Kushiban inside, and the air which was surprisingly more crisp than that of Felucia itself filled his lungs. It smelt sweet like nectar and honeysuckles, and it surged with life. It was not surprising that Jedi meditated here.

Tantin thought for several minutes about the question. He could think of several reasons why it was a bad idea to not train on a full stomach, but few popped into his mind about why it was a good idea...He could only guess.

Tantin spoke apprehensively, as if unsure about his answer. "Because if you eat right afterwords you'll get sick because your body is overheated?"

Tantin made a puzzled face, and gestured at the flowers he had given Hesper to eat. Surely with all the running she had done, and the exertion of healing him, she must be hungry as well.

"Try them. They smell a little bitter, but they taste really good."

Another question...Tantin was unsure about the flora of this world. He could feel the planet, feel the living energy of it as it turned in orbit. Maybe that had something to do with it? Tantin knew a lot about plants, his diet of raw plants and vegetables demanded he be able to tell what was poisonous or what was not. Even a child could tell the difference. It was instinct.

"Is it the energy of the planet? I can feel it. Its....alive? I'm not sure how to explain it...."

Tantin sat down on the ground, and began pawing at his fur, trying to get some of the blood out. Some of the dried blood flaked off, but large patches were stuck to his skin.

"How many times have you crashed on a strange planet before?"

"Because if you eat right afterwords you'll get sick because your body is overheated?"

Hesper chuckled at the Youngling's reasoning.  "If only it was that complicated, Little One. You don't train on empty stomach so you won't feel hungry.  I suppose that'll be a lesson for another day, Tantin, you can't ignore your body.  Some Jedi can go for days, week, months even without eating food.  They can rely solely on the Force for that, but the toll it takes on their bodies can't be reversed.  It wears out the body too soon."

"Try them. They smell a little bitter, but they taste really good."

"Thank you, Tantin, but I can't eat flowers.  I think it's beautiful, nonetheless."

"Is it the energy of the planet? I can feel it. Its....alive? I'm not sure how to explain it...."

"What you're sensing is the Force, it's alive in all of the creatures on this planet. Some beings are more skilled at channeling the Force, others are not. I'm surprised that you're able to feel that. Some newer students don't realize that the world around them is alive."

"How many times have you crashed on a strange planet before?"

"Too many times, Little One. A Jedi never 'crashes' by accident. They're carried there by the Will of the Force. There are no such things as accidents."

"Just me," I call to her, "and..." I pause, realizing I don't know the Dressellian's name. "And this man here,"

She turned her gaze towards the newcomer in the Gardens. "This is an unexpected sight. Only two Jedi at this Temple? This Garden is well-kept, how did you two manage?" She asked curiously. "My name is Hesper Calix, and this little one is called Tantin." She gestured towards Tantin, who was likely still eating (or exploring) the Garden.

"There was an accident in the forest. The ship that was carrying him crashed. I pulled him from the wreckage. Could he find a place here to rest a while?"

"Kushibah has no cities, like on other planets. We're mostly farmers. There's not much to do but listen to the wind and watch the silkweed grow. It's a steady, peaceful noise though. Here its wild and loud. Like a swarm of bees."

She returned her attention back to the tiny Kushiban. "I must hand it to you, Little One, you certainly have a way with words."

"So if the Force can make you crash on a planet, why doesn't it just tell you where you need to go? Crashing is dangerous....I would know...."

"There are lessons to be learned from everything, Tantin. In your darkest hour, you'll find your light. It was likely that you needed to teach your body to survive. You've undoubtedly been changed by what happened, now it is up to you to make what you can of it."

"And if you don't eat flowers, what do you eat? Those biscuits? I hope I didn't eat all of yours...You need to eat too, so you don't feel hungry."

"Don't worry about me, Little One. I'll eat later with the others. You don't have to worry, I don't eat as often as others do. It's a skill that you'll learn later on in your training. The Force will teach you a great many things, it will push your body to its limits, but in return it will teach you things about yourself that you would never have learned otherwise. One of those things is how to effectively process food so that little is wasted. My body has learned how to do that. I can now survive by eating a few bites of food a day."

"Have you ever been to any large cities? I've seen a few holos. They seem too large for life. How do people live in them?"

"So many questions, Little One. Yes, I've been to many cities. In the course of your studies, so will you. Don't be in a hurry to see the galaxy, it'll still be there waiting for you when you finish your training. You must focus on keeping your mind on the here and now, or else you'll forget about today while thinking about tomorrow."

"What if the Dark Sider was following us? Can you sense him? Why does the Force allow for evil in the world, anyway? Why not just make everything good?"

"Don't worry yourself about the Darksider. Their kind come and go as they please. Most of the time, they avoid a fight because it draws too much attention to themselves. They like to remain hidden, it's one of the reasons why they're called Darksiders. As for our guest, we will simply have to watch and wait. If he wants to make himself known, he'll do so."

Hendo had stood silent for too long. In fact, he had already walked away to a patch of soft grass in a small clearing near a pond or irrigation pool of some sort. The area was void of any of the taller vegetation and thus was a sufficient meditation spot. The young man shrugged slightly at the somewhat meager clearing before simply sitting down in it, crossing his legs. His eyes closed, he placed his palms on his knees, and once again, he meditated. Hendo didn't care much if his meditation would attract attention, but if it did, it would be an excellent way to display a few of his unique abilities.