Execute Order 22 (Mooney/Andrew)

[10Tickler]

          Tython was...a rather lovely planet, the Shaved Deveronian woman had to admit, having caught a few glances on the way down through atmosphere. Verdant green, and lovely cerulean seas speckled the continent that the Transport had set her down upon, and now that she was here... there was work to be done. Ignoring the awe-filled chatter of the twenty-some-odd children behind her, the Soldier's eyes were already scanning the perimeter of the clearing that had been chosen.

          It had been almost a month since she'd been ordered to travel to the Temple grounds on Coruscant, and had met the Jedi Masters who had planned this entire event, and she couldn't get the uneasy feeling off of the back of her neck still. They'd grilled her for almost three hours, showing her unlabeled maps, asking the soldier to pick the best places for the training that she offered, and by the time half an hour had passed, she had intuited exactly what was going on here.

---

Two Months Prior

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          "You're planning some sort of Joint Training exercise, and this is an interview of some sort, isn't it?" First Sergeant Ellemaiare Meesha inquired investigatively, her eyes and their body language saying more than any of the assorted Knights, or masters, or whatever they were could have vocalized. They seemed...nervous almost, like there was something more...complicated about this. "...My C/O ordered me to Cooperate, so whatever it is, spit it out. I don't mind going into actual combat without all of the details. Training is another matter." she'd demanded, a fuzz-backed hand slamming down on the table between them impatiently. When the apparent leader finally spoke up, Ell had felt her heart sink. Yup, it was training in her specialities, and more importantly... "...Children? You want me to Teach...Children?"

Any and all protests were ignored. Her Commanding officer? Didn't care; this mission was to help re-secure the longstanding alliance and friendship between the Jedi and the Republic.

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Present Day

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          The fur along the back of her neck bristling as her ears twitched to the sounds of carousing from the initiates, Ellemaiare turned to face the entire group, shepherded for this week-long expedition and exercise by a Master and an unassociated Padawan, and took a deep breath. Inhaling through her nose, she did the best that she could to quiet the little niggling voices inside of her that told her to just treat the children like any other recruit she was training. With a loud noise, she clapped her hands together, then brought both little-fingers to her lips and let out a piercing squealing sound that shattered the natural silence around them. "Ok, Settle down. There's going to be time for fun later, I'm sure. Right now, we need to set up Camp, and this clearing isn't a good spot. First lesson Kiddos, if you can see easily around you, you can be seen easily. We'll head into the woods, about one-hundred meters, and set up camp there. Fall out!"

          The order given, and with any hope her position as a leader secure within the Initiate's minds, Elle hefted her pack more securely to her shoulders, gave a nod to the Two older of the Jedi, and began to move, doing what Pathfinders did best. Blazing the trail into the more heavily forested area before them. Behind her, she could hear so much happening. This wasn't a battle zone, and it was a good thing, between the Transport taking off, and the too-loud clatter of initiates gathering their own packs, they would have made for easy targets, sitting pelikki for even the worst sniper in the galaxy. 'Children, Ell' she mentally reminded herself, taking another deep breath as she began to push forward, keeping the same, steady pace, and marking the trail by rote. A broken stick here, a scratch in a tree trunk there, if someone knew the signs, it was easy enough to read and to follow. That was going to be the first lesson. Her own bag contained, among other things, a micro-avian droid, in sleep-mode, who would help her by holo-projecting the symbols that the little initiates would be learning, and using during this exercise.

         Damn if this planet wasn't beautiful though.

[andrewtech]

"...Xilaren, please stop pulling on Nyeb's braid! Ugh...! And Fenn, I'm sure that Kaya didn't mean to eat the last of your candies! Sweet Revan! REDORICK, put that lizard down! You'd better stop acting like a kid and more like a Jedi youngling!

I swear on the Force, if you embarrass us in front of the good Sergeant!-" The padawan would keep the children in line, doing her best to tend to those whom needed her attention the most.

Rayna Maisal, a young human padawan that had volunteered to accompany this group of younglings on their training mission, was doing her best to keep order amongst the youngling ranks. Most were well-behaved, respectable young Jedi children, but there were a couple of troublemakers here and there...

She had always had a way with children. Mostly because she, in truth, was almost young enough to be one of them. At eighteen years of age, she was barely an adult under Republic and Onderonian law, and it often showed. She herself could sometimes be frolicky and immature, but she most certainly would not be on this mission.

As one of only two Jedi chaperones, Rayna had a duty- Nay, an obligation to act as a role model for these young children. The young woman knew that it was a great honor to be allowed to accompany a Jedi Knight other than her own master on an exercise such as this, and she had begged Araya for many weeks to let her go on this trip. 

Her had clearly thought Rayna to be insane, volunteering to help Master Shae in this task, but had consented to allow her to join them in the end, on the condition that she leave her faithful astromech droid, T7-B4, at the Jedi Temple with her for the duration.

Rayna had always loved nature, and had studied both galactic flora and fauna extensively during her padawanship. She herself was fairly competent when it came to survival techniques, but of course was nowhere near as skilled as the Republic Sergeant whom they were currently traveling with. She secretly hoped that by accompanying Shae, the Sergeant, and the younglings on this mission, she might pick up a few things herself during this journey...

In any case, she would be rather quiet as the Sergeant speaks to the children. As she addresses them, Rayna would have moved to stand by Master Shae. She'd attempt to whisper to her, "I think that's all of them, Master Shae... May the Force help us..." 

[Moonfire]

“I really don’t thin-- I’m not really adequately trained to be an instructor.” The dark haired Jedi tried quiet valiantly to protest into her holocomm. The striking blue figure of a togruta merely tossed a dismissive hand. ”It’s a simple training exercise featuring a Republic Sergeant, you’ll merely be there to give your support and ensure the younglings absorb every message she has to pass along. It would be a great opportunity for you, Moonfire. ”

She couldn’t help it really. There was something in her aura, she was positive of that, that screamed scapegotal. It was prevalent in her youth for sure, but she thought now past her trials that situations involving the inability to say ‘no’ were long behind her. Shorza might have even used the opportunity to tease her, if he knew, thankfully the zabrak was off on whatever Coruscanti adventure life took him on these days. Less than illegal in all likelihood.

“Of course, Master Orix. Happy to help. I am already on Tython…” The young woman held back her pained expression, a little bit of that facial discipline she’d be practicing at work. Master Orix hung up with a thankful smile, leaving Moonfire to her small cabin-like cottage, forehead meeting palm with a long sigh. What the Force had she just agreed to?

An hour or two later and Moonfire was before a rather rambunctious group of older younglings, mid being wrangled by a poor girl still wearing her braid. A few bootfalls later and Moonfire stood, long dark hair pulled into a thick ponytail as the Devaronian lead the charge into the woods. A pleasant smile was shared between the two other chaperone’s, a human girl… Rayna, if memory served. Snickering at the comment Moonfire couldn’t help but whisper back conspiratorially.

“Should we both survive this I’ll recommend to the council that this count as a trial towards knighthood for you.”

Moonfire took a few more steps forward, counting heads as she went. Twenty-four. That was how many tiny terrors she’d had to keep alive by the end of this. That shouldn’t be terribly hard, right? They were Jedi… sorta.

[10Tickler]

The older Jedi were one thing, of course. Ell knew a little bit about their...command structure, enough to realize that the eldest of the Jedi was, at the very least a knight, if not a Master of their order, and would therefore command a good bit of respect from the young ones. The younger of the two though?

It had been difficult for the Devaronian to keep from laughing, really. Clearly, this assignment was a different form of training for her. That or the knight she squired for had a pretty good sense of humor. Either way, it had been amusing to watch the Padawan -Rain or something like that- try and keep order. Now though, from the small datapad she had strapped to her forearm, Ellemaiare was trailblazing, leading the way by example, until the entire pack of Children with their adult caretakers were well and truly In the Woods. Coming to a halt, she raised her hand to signal to the others to stop where they were, before turning to face them, leaning against a fallen log that she'd stopped in front of, arms crossing in front of her.

Waiting for the Children to come to a stop, and for the general chatter that had lingered throughout their trek to die down some, Ell tilted her head back and watched them. A few were doing the right thing, looking around and gleaning as much information as their untrained eyes could from their surroundings, that was a nice thing to see. Clearing her throat, the Woman stood up straight again and moved closer to the pack so she could speak, even squatting down to speak more on their level. "Now, with my normal trainees, Enlisted soldiers and officers, here's where I'd be splitting you up into squads of Four. Instead, I want you to split into four groups of Six." she instructed, rising back to her feet and stretching a little, before reaching back to take her rucksack off of her back, unfurling the top before setting it onto the ground. "Ishtar, it's time to wake up and introduce yourself[/color]" she commanded, giving her sack a little nudge.

As the children hopefully followed instructions, Ell let them do it, instead focusing on the bag as it shifted, a Silvery bundle unfurling itself to reveal a winged, avian-shaped droid that stretched it's wings out once free of the canvas confines it had been 'sleeping' within. Watching as Ishtar rose to eye-level, the Devaronian shook her head a little, before nodding, letting the Droid know that it was welcome to 'roost' upon her shoulder. She even let herself get lost for a moment in memories, idle thoughts that the droid brought to her mind, before banishing them and returning her focus to the children in the woods, to her current assignment.

"Alright, I assume we're all done with that then? Good. Children, this is AER-09, although she generally prefers Ishtar. She's an old Companion of mine, and will be helping us during this exercise. Now, This group, and This group" she indicated at two of the groups of six. "Your 'Commander' for this will be... pausing for a moment, she consulted her datapad, before continuing "Knight Shae. Ishtar will accompany your group, and your next assignment is to make camp here. Stay hydrated, and remember, excess light, smoke, and noise can all give you away." she told them, before nodding to the other group. "You twelve, and Rayna will be coming with me. We'll be making camp elsewhere. We'll rest and get familiar with the area for tonight, then tomorrow, we can get started with some of the more intense exercises, alright?" Ell explained calmly, not using a 'command' voice...yet.

"Knight Shae? Rayna, I'll be inspecting the camps tomorrow, before setting up the Hunt for the children. Make sure they stay hydrated, and...I don't know really what to suggest for you to do, I'm not a Jedi, but I'm Sure there's some...sitting practice you can lead them in for now. Ishtar and I will help setting up where needed though. Beta squad? Let's move out!" she offered by way of advice and now command, before she turned, and leaping over the fallen tree, got moving again.

Ell wasn't going to separate the two camps by too much, but having two smaller groups would give her better options for training. Tomorrow they would regroup, and...well, if it all went right, she'd be leaving markers for them to hunt her down with, led by Ishtar. For now though? It was best to get a base camp situated, ensure that the trainees needs were tended to. After all, they were only children.

[andrewtech]

Rayna couldn't help but to smile as Moonfire offered her this most thoughtful, kind comment. "Why thank you, Knight Shae! Although I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not... Either way though, I think we'd both better get medals for this after we get back! If, we get back." The young padawan would stifle a soft giggle, twirling a lock of her free-flowing, jet black hair as she looks over at the knight.

She probably was a youngling herself, not 5 or 6 years ago, and one of the things that would strike you most about the padawan is how innocent and carefree she always sounds when she speaks. If not for the lightsaber hanging from her belt and the Jedi robes that adorned her body, you might very well think her to be nothing more than your average, teenage human girl.

But then again, looks can be deceiving... She probably fought with Knight Ves'kade in defense of the Republic during the last war, in fact, when she was younger. But even then, you doubt that she's anywhere near the sort of guardian material that her master is. It's quite amusing actually, because the two are literally polar opposites.

As the scout moves out, Rayna's expression would relax into one of relief. At least now, she won't have to deal with at least half of the little kath pups... "Of course, Sergeant! I'll be right along!" She would cry back to her, before looking over to Moonfire once more.

"I guess this is where we part ways for a while. May the Force be with you, Knight Shae! And... If you need anything, feel free to contact me via comlink; my frequency will be on 6z82ji38k1. Hopefully, it won't come to that though!"

And with that, the padawan would be off, scaling the fallen tree trunk and hurrying after the sergeant! All the while attempting to keep her half of the little ones in line, of course... Buggers.

[Moonfire]

Moonfire offered a tight but good natured smile in return to Rayna’s excited burbling. It was refreshing, this level of optimism, something Moonfire hadn’t seen much in her similarly aged colleagues in some time. One really needed more opportunities to enjoy a bit of childish glee. Where and when appropriate, of course. Woodland training exercise weekend with some younglings? Well, Mooney couldn’t help but stretch and shake off the more formal shackles of her position.

Nearly a month on Nar Shaddaa was enough to make anyone stiff. Ligaments loosened and tension melted with every footfall down the path, the cool valley air reinvigorating with every mountain breeze through the trees. The walk through the woods of Tython, an ancient and significant world with a bright echo of light in the Force, was the perfect place to recollect oneself, to feel the significance of the universe in every towering tree and pale new leaf. It was a profound sense of peace, quickly dashed by the scattered cries of rambunctious children.

It all struck her with a dangerous sense of nostalgia for her youngling years under Master Si Quan. Moments of tutelage under sprawling Ruusanian skies and in the Coruscant Gardens as they watched little seedlings transform into vegetables with small, white blossoms. A scanning glance of pale eyes brought light to her face, maybe she’d make that sort of memory with someone today? It’d been a while since she’d really spent some time with anyone… uncomplicated.

Pausing for the Sergeant to issue orders Moonfire clapped her hands together, looking over the twelve children she and Ishtar would be guiding for the evening. “Alright, children. Let’s say goodbye to Rayna and Sergeant Meesha.” A chorus of joyful noise followed the exit of Beta Squad before directing their attention to one another. Comically large packs of various gear and equipment bobbling on the backs as they debated amongst themselves on what sort of shelter would be most appropriate.

Her eyes skimmed across the varied faces, smile bright on her rounded cheeks before the slightest tickle of dread settled in her throat. Blast it, they left her virtually alone with them. “Ishtar, I’m going to be honest with you-- I haven’t a single clue what I’m doing.” The young woman muttered to the avian familiar.

Clearing her throat Moonfire spoke again, clear voice quickly silencing the crowd. “Alpha Squad, uhm, listen up! You all heard Sergeant Meesha, it’s time we set up camp. This is a survivalist trip so, can anyone tell me what type of shelter would be appropriate for today’s exercise?”

Fingers hooked behind her back, a comfortable if a tad rigid stance as a miriallian boy raised his hand. “Yes, Redorick?”

”... A tent?”

“Well… What if you don’t have a tent?” Moonfire offered, hand gesturing to the sparse woods of the area. Chewing on her lower lip she watched the blank faces of the children, another hand thankfully raising.

”Make our own tent?” Mikael added, his tone betraying just how unsure he was of the answer.

Moonfire beamed, tilting her head back and forth. It was… sort of correct? “Something like that. Alright, Alpha Squad, today we’re going to learn how to construct a lean to and a leaf hut. This is a kind of shelter I made several times on Felucia. Now, why don’t we break off into a couple little teams to gather supplies?”

For all of Moonfire’s worry Alpha Squad, while certainly rambunctious, was eager to please. Something about years of Jedi philosophy from a young age helped keep them a little more orderly than civilian children, at least with a task at hand. Within a few hours and only half a dozen minor crisis they’d constructed a half dozen padded sheltered, nearly camouflaged against the trees they were built around.

Building the fire was a little trickier, too many missions in cities, but with the help of Ishtar it was properly lit. By evening a fresh water source was found and cantines refilled, the children gathered around the fire for old force games she’d played well into her padawan years, stones skipping telekinetically back and forth between the kids.

[10Tickler]

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Mission Clock: T:+3hr 15m

Leaving Alpha Squad behind with Ishtar was easy enough for the Devaronian. In fact, she was fairly certain that even with all of their fancy magic trickery and special senses, she would have been able to leave them all behind, and never be found again. Well, except for Master Shae. She looked intuitive enough to pick up on some of the subtleties without having to be told them outright Ell thought. Every few meters, she'd leave a mark, clear in the bark of a tree, showing the pathway she was making, leaving underbrush intact as much as possible as she led Beta Squad towards the Campsite that she'd chosen weeks before. By the time that the Padawan and her cadre of students finally caught up, Ell was already surveying the clearing with judgmental eyes.

"Alright kiddos, time to make camp. Now, you've got all sorts of Fancy supplies that you've brought with you from Coruscant, and that's fine. It'll be easier for tonight, but sometimes, you lose your supplies, or end up stuck without them, so I'm going to show you the easiest, least-conspicuous form of shelter" the soldier told her charges, nodding to Rayna as she opened her pack, removing a small utility-shovel. "And it starts with a hole in the ground." With just those words, she got started, excavating a narrow furrow in the ground, and stacking sticks and branches atop of it. A bedding of leaves tucked into the furrow provided some cushion and warmth, and within fifteen minutes she was done. In the meanwhile, the acolytes had erected their own shelters, pre-packaged tents designed for ease of use.

---

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Mission Clock: T:+6hr 45m

"Master Shae, despite your misgivings...all seems to have gone as well as could be expected" the silvery flying droid chirped to her fleshy companion, mocking the motions of preening her wing as she vocalized, before settling on a nearby branch. "It is quite probably a good time to get the children into bed however. First Sergeant Meesha is, if nothing else, the Consummate soldier, and will be getting up bright and early to prepare tomorrow's lesson, and we will be leaving after the children are introduced to Trail-sign properly at breakfast." Ishtar had been fully briefed on Ell's training regimen, and the changes that she had made to make it a little more...child-friendly.

---

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Mission Clock: T:+10hr 15m | Current Planetary time: 0438

It was Dark when Ellemaiare opened her eyes, flicking them to the micro-datapad at her wrist, before she quietly rose from her created shelter. Around her, children slumbered in their tents, and everyone seemed well and truly asleep. With no ill intent, careful to avoid nervousness, she approached Rayna's shelter and left a small tube-message outside of it. She had to be careful not to set off those Vaunted Jedi senses. Yet, the deed was done, and Rayna was left with a message as Ell vanished, into the woods and away from the Children and the Jedi. It was time to prepare the main event. To teach the little ones how, exactly, a pathfinder was useful, and how to read the signs she left behind.

[googlefont="Inconsolata:400"]Rayna, in the morning make sure the Children get a good breakfast, then break camp. I'm going into the woods. You will find me by following the Signals and symbols I leave behind. First Squad to find me, gets a prize. Good Luck.

-Ell[/font]

When Moonfire woke up the next morning, Ishtar would give her the same message, just recorded on the AER's holoprojector.


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Game Begins

[andrewtech]

Rayna had, of course, dutifully overseen the children as they traveled to the destination of what was to be their campsite for the night.

Of course, she had previously had a bit of survival experience, so she knew what she was doing. She knew what to expect. But this was for the children's benefit, wasn't it...? So for the most part, she tried to let her younglings sort things out themselves, although of course she administered discipline and guidance when need be until they set up camp for the night.

The children, of course, had a good night's rest for the most part. The night was peaceful, a true miracle considering the age of these children. However, the morning was not fated to be as quiet, nor as peaceful...

The young padawan had been sound asleep when the Republic soldier had approached her tent. Of course, she sensed a nearby presence in her dreams... But she had also sensed that it meant her no harm, so there was no need for the girl to wake up and confront the lurker outside.

She probably would have slept in a few hours beyond 0630, if NOT for the commotion that was soon to plague the camp...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"SCREEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!~"

All of a sudden, the human padawan's eyes would be pried open by the infernal sound of a girl shrieking from one of the nearby youngling shelters!

With lightning-fast, Jedi reflexes, the girl would suddenly grab hold of her lightsaber and throw off her sleeping bag! Wearing nothing more than what she had slept in the previous night, her trousers and a white tank top, she would have sprinted out of the tent barefoot. Activating the viridian blade of her weapon, she would move to slice open the wall of one of the shelters. One that belonged to a young Pantoran girl, Nyeb.

"Nyeb! Stay still, I'll-" Suddenly, Rayna's stance would begin to relax as she notices that Nyeb is in absolutely no danger at all.

Instead, the youngling would simply be curled up against the opposite end of the tent. The innards of her sleeping bag would contain... A Tythonian Bog Lizard, of all things. A non-poisonous, very common animal in these forests, Rayna thought to herself.

"R-Rayna! Master Rayna, t-there's a LIZARD in my sleeping bag!" Nyeb would wail, pointing a trembling finger at the creature as the padawan looms over the scene.

Deactivating her lightsaber, Rayna's right eyebrow would noticeably twitch. "You... Screamed bloody murder, over a lizard...?" She says in disbelief. By now, all of the other younglings had also awoken, and had gathered around the scene of the now ruined tent.

"Redorick planted it! It's his lizard! I saw him playing with it just yesterday, Master Rayna!" Nyeb cries out as she points towards him, a human youngling who's a bit older than the rest of his peers.

"T-That's my lizard, but I didn't do it, Master Rayna! I swear!" The boy pleads with the slightly older girl, the barefooted woman with the frizzled black hair proving to be a scary sight indeed at this ungodly hour.

"Sweet Revan... You lot will be the death of me yet!" Rayna would murmur as she steps out of the tent, along with Nyeb. "As surely as the living Force...- Look." She sighs, relaxing as she takes in a deep breath, and then lets it out.

There is no emotion, there is peace.

"Whatever happened, be this an accident, a fluke of nature, or a deliberate prank, let's just forget about it. Redorick, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt... Nyeb, I could have hurt you, or worse! Don't scream like that unless something dangerous is getting at you, okay...?" The young padawan lets out a deep sigh, it taking nearly every fiber of her body to keep from administering punishment upon the supposed culprit. But she sensed that he was telling the truth... And to lash out in such a way would be against the Jedi Code. It might even set her back several months from getting her knighthood, and she simply could not have that. "I'm sure the lizard just managed to escape, and crawl into your tent during the night... It'd be unthinkable to imagine otherwise!

But I promise, if something happens like this again, I'll assume that there is a prankster in our midsts and so help me, there will be punishment if I find out who it is! You're the finest young girls and boys in the Republic, and I won't have you acting like a pack of wild tachs! And such will be reported to Master Orix, I promise you that!"

The children would cringe at this prospect. 

"For the remainder of this exercise, Nyeb, you will be sharing a tent with Kaya." She was another one of the children, a Twi'lek girl. "Now... Let's see what we have here." Rayna would pick up the message left for her, taking it from its canister and reading it aloud to the camp. "...Perhaps it's for the best that we were woken up so early... We're going to be competing in a race against Alpha Squad to find the Sergeant, and put our skills to the test!" The padawan would beam as she addresses the now fully-awakened younglings surrounding her.

"I'll be cooking up a decent breakfast for the lot of us, and then we'll be setting off to start searching for the signs and symbols that the Sergeant's left behind! If you guys win, you get a prize!"

The younglings would talk amongst themselves excitedly at this prospect, clearly encouraged by the hope of a material reward! They didn't get many of those back at the temple, now did they...?

And so, Rayna would fully dress and cook for them a hearty meal of scrambled eggs and bacon, which all twelve younglings would ravenously consume. Following breakfast, the group would collapse their shelters and start out into the forest around 0800, beginning to sweep it in the hopes of finding some of these signs that Ell had purposely left behind...