Planning a Surprise (Ghostie)

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

(Note: This takes place before 'A Flicker of Hope')

Sherasti Rin smiled sedately as she leisurely walked through the corridors of the Jedi Temple, her bare feet making no noise as they contacted the smooth, cool floor below them. She had her usual aura of happy serenity, relaxing those around her with her presence, even as she moved along with a purpose.

She was on her way to meet Sirius Kelrune.

Her own Padawan, Xell Rayner, had mentioned Sirius as being his best friend, even since they were Younglings. It would be safe to say no one knew him better. Not even Sherasti knew Xell that well. She trusted him implicitly, and she'd seen into his mind upon occasion, but despite their strong bond and their relationship together, she still didn't know him well enough for what she planned to do. And if she asked him questions it would give away the 'surprise.'

In her spare time, the young Togruta Consular had been looking into human customs. Some of them had seemed familiar, such as various celebrations like births, mourning periods for deaths and the like. But one type had caught her eye as being especially exotic: the surprise party. The idea of a celebration planned in secrecy and revealed to the intended was quite interesting indeed, and she knew just the reason for it.

She'd received approval for her request that Xell's heroic rescue of her from a group of Mandalorians count as his Trial of Courage. It was a delight that they'd agreed with her judgment. He'd passed his very first Trial now, and surely that was a cause for celebration.

Sherasti had understood there were such customs as gifts and the food known as cake, something she'd indulged in approximately once before. It really had no redeeming value, and it made her sleepy. But for Xell, she'd arrange for a cake. She just needed to know such things as his favorite cake flavor, colors, and what kind of gift would be most meaningful for him. If she asked those questions he'd figure it out and the surprise would be lost, and if she touched on his mind there was a chance he'd notice too. He'd shown a few telepathic gifts she was hoping to hone.

That left his friend Sirius.

She stopped at the door to his quarters and knocked on it, taking a step back and waiting. It was mid-afternoon, and a sunny day at the Temple. Sherasti herself probably would have been out basking in the sun on one of the courtyards, and she'd been worried at first that Sirius might be doing the same. Luckily she could tell there was someone inside.

[Ghostie]

Sirius sat at the desk in his quarters. There were no lights on, instead Sirius allowed the sun shining through his window to light up the room. His room was rather clean, which was a big change, but he did admit it was a nice change. Except right now his desk was littered with computer parts and tools. Master Ka had retreated to her own quarters for some personal meditation, and Sirius ducked away to get some rest of his own. Yet he couldn’t rest, so much had happened in the past week.

It had only been two days since Sirius had become Master Ka’s apprentice. That had been a long day; Sirius got a practice of everything in before lunch, and was sore by the afternoon. But it was worth it. Sirius knew he made the right decision becoming Master Ka’s apprentice. She was the right person to teach him how to fight dark jedi, and he had made it his goal to do just that after Master Wolf had died.

Did he want to fight dark jedi just because of Wolf? Maybe, probably. Did knowing that change his mind at all about his decision? Not in the slightest. If someone didn’t fight dark jedi, more apprentices would end up like Sirius; having the one thing that mattered to them stripped away and then they would be left in grief. Sirius didn’t what that to happen, no matter who it was. All dark jedi did in Sirius mind was cause pain. He decided in the past few days to start living by a saying Wolf had; wielding a saber without the Code only brought destruction.

Sirius sat at his desk, putting together a computer, without the manual. It was the type of thing that occupied Sirius’s thoughts, let him focus on only one thing at a time, and it helped him clear his head. Fixing things was Sirius’s own form of meditation in away. He decided that it was a good idea to keep on not only his telekinetic and physical exercises like Master Ka wanted, but also his skills with technology too. Sirius found a way to incorporate both, and he was using his telekinetic abilities to lift parts of the computer around and rearrange them in the casing. It was rather fun too.

It took a moment for Sirius to register that there was a knock at his door. He was so focused that it completely slipped his mind. Not to mention Master Ka said she would probably take longer than an hour. So who could be knocking at his door? The only other person was Xell, and Sirius highly doubted that.

Xell Raynar was Sirius’s best friend since his youngling years, but they hadn’t spoken for a few days which was weird, because they were both in the Temple at the time. Sirius had made a bad joke about Xell and his ability to lose his masters after he and told Sirius about the adventure with the mandalorians and his new Master, Sherasti Rin. They hadn’t talked since. It was in fact the same day Sirius had met Master Ka. She had warned him about Xell, and how he “wasn’t all there” as she put it. But having a crazy friend was better than having no friends at all right? It had felt like such a long time ago, even though it was only a few days, so much had happened. Sirius thought many times of finding Xell and apologizing, but what would he say?

Sirius put down his tools and dropped the pieces of the computer he was lifting telekinetically onto his desk. He got up from his desk and walked to the door. As Sirius opened it, he could definitely see that it wasn’t Xell standing in the doorway.

It was another Togruta. Sirius felt like he was looking at a younger version of Master Ka. The togruta was female, and she was pretty tall even when you weren't counting the montrals. Sirius would’ve sworn it was Master Ka, except she lacked the scar on her face. That was one way Sirius was able to point out Master Ka in a second.

“Hello there, can I help you?” Sirius tried to be as polite as possible.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

“Hello there, can I help you?”

Sherasti ran a hand along her right lekku, the slender rust-colored fingers sliding across the chevrons of sedate blue and pristine white. It was a nervous gesture really. She tended to rely on the soothing touch there when she was leaving her comfort zone. For example, knocking at an unknown door and interrupting a young man. Luckily she was confident it was the right door.

The Togruta Jedi Consular smiled at him. It was her friendly face, a peaceful expression she usually wore mixed with the obvious external indicator of her gentle touch. She had a soft edge to her, a special sort of kindness.

It was gratifying to hear the politeness in his voice. That reassured her considerably, it gave her the impression she wasn't imposing.

"Sirius Kelrune? I'm Sherasti Rin, Xell's master. I was hoping we could talk, there's something I'd like to get your help with."

She stared past him into the neat and orderly room, noticing the assorted bits of technology scattered across his desk top. It would probably be good to head into there and get out of sight. The doorway wasn't the place to hold a conversation anyway. And it could hurt the 'surprise' aspect she was working on.

"May I come in?" She asked, glancing around the empty corridor. It was that period of the afternoon when most were either off training or in their quarters napping, and it was the type of day when both activities could be done out in the sun. No one was around to observe, but she simply couldn't resist looking around as if it was all some conspiracy.

"It will be easier to talk when we're both sitting down."

[Ghostie]

Master Sherasti Rin, Xell’s new master. This will be good. Sirius thought she wanted to talk about how he had treated Xell, but he wasn’t quite sure yet. He wouldn’t say anything until he knew for sure. Sirius felt like it was a private matter between himself and Xell after all.

Master Rin seemed nice enough, but Sirius thought she was acting a bit weird. She looked around the hallway as if she was being watched. It wasn’t as if another Jedi would have a problem with Master Rin talking to Sirius would they? Sirius didn’t think so. There could’ve been other reasons she was acting that way, but it still seemed weird.

“Yeah, you can come in Master Rin.” Sirius said as he stepped aside to let her in. Sirius saw what made Xell blush when he talked about her, but she was a Master. Sirius still thought Xell was crazy. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Xell talked very highly about you last time I saw him.” That was an understatement, Xell talked about Master Rin like there was no tomorrow last time Sirius saw him.

Sirius turned on the light switch as he followed Master Rin into his room. He was lucky it was clean for once, first impressions were important to Sirius. He closed the door and turned around to face Master Rin.

“Your choice, you can sit on the bed or the chair.” Sirius said. As Master Rin sat down, Sirius still standing in the middle of the room. “So what can I do for you Master Rin?” It seemed weird that Master Rin would need anything at all from Sirius, but he would help as much as he could.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

When Sirius gave her permission to enter, Sherasti moved past him and into the minimal room, no longer standing in the doorway. The rooms assigned to Jedi were rather Spartan, and roughly analogous to a small hotel room. There was a refresher, a closet, a bed, and a desk. In that respect, they were all much the same anywhere you went in the Temple. Her own quarters were quite similar, even in that both had windows to the outside world.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Xell talked very highly about you last time I saw him.”

Did he? Well that was a pleasant surprise. She wasn't exactly sure how Xell discussed her, or his own situation for that matter. She was his master yes, and increasingly a friend to him. The lines were blurring, but she still didn't know how he broached the topic of her, or his former master for that matter.

Regardless, it was nice to know he thought highly enough of her to share. That also had the added bonus of Sirius knowing her by name and reputation of a sort. It saved her a little extra bit of time from explaining who exactly she was. That was nice.

“Your choice, you can sit on the bed or the chair.”

She opted for the edge of the neatly made bed, lowering herself to rest on it. It was soft, but firm beneath her. Much the same as her own bed, which had been replaced rather recently in fact. During her recovery from injuries, Xell had left open the cage of thimiar she kept for food and the small rodents from Shili had escaped, and promptly proceeded to wreak havoc on her quarters, burrowing into her bed and gnawing on her possessions. Luckily her headdress and sash had emerged unscathed.

She'd gotten a new bed after that.

“So what can I do for you Master Rin?"

"Knight," Sherasti corrected. She was far too young and inexperienced to be a Master, and she was the first to admit that. To be fully honest, she'd been more than a little surprised she'd been asked to take on Xell. She had a reputation, and it was quite likely she'd be a master some day. But not this day. "I'm not a Master."

The Togruta Consular clasped her hands together in her lap and crossed her ankles, though it wasn't visible under her flowing skirt.

"I need to know more about Xell. I need your help to plan a 'surprise party' for him. He passed his Trial of Courage, and I want to give him a special reward for that. Maybe bake him a cake..."

She flashed back to the time she'd made him eggs for breakfast, and the expression on his face when eating them. Belatedly she'd realized humans didn't eat the shells.

"Or maybe have the kitchens bake him a cake. I just want to do something special for him. Can you help me?"

[Ghostie]

Throw Xell a party and bake him a cake? Sirius was speechless for a few seconds. Sure, passing your Trials, even one of the Trials, was a big deal. But Sirius highly doubted that Master Ka would get him a cake, much less throw him a party, for passing his Trials. Xell was one lucky padawan. Sirius sat down in the chair, across from Knight Rin, as she had been quick to correct him. She still had a padawan though, and that made her a Master in Sirius’s eyes. But how could he possibly be of any help here? She was a higher rank than he was, so it would be easier for her to get a cake from the kitchens wouldn’t it?

“Wow, you want to throw him a party? Xell is one lucky guy. I doubt my master would throw me a party.” Not that there was a problem with that. In fact, Sirius had never heard of someone getting a party for passing their Trials. This seemed pretty unusual. Sirius leaned over in his chair, looking at Knight Rin. There was still one thing he didn’t understand.

“But why do you need my help? I mean, wouldn’t it be easier for you to get a cake from the kitchens, since you’re a higher rank than I am? I can hardly get some good waffles from them for breakfast.” Sirius laughed. It wasn’t true, the kitchens did cook good food, but he just said that to try and get a point across. The kitchens really didn’t have to listen to padawans at all. Sirius trying to get a cake from them would be next to impossible. For Knight Rin, not so much.

Sirius adjusted his glasses and leaned back. He put his hands behind his head and sat there looking at Knight Rin. Xell was one lucky padawan. Sirius doubted that even Wolf would’ve thrown him a party had he passed one of his Trials, and Wolf was a very nice person.

“I can help you plan a party though. Xell used to… I mean is my friend. But I still have all my training my master wants me to do so I can't help you all the time.” Sirius almost let it slip that he had a falling out with Xell. Did he really think Xell wouldn’t want to be his friend anymore? Maybe. But that didn’t stop Sirius from trying to patch things up. This seemed like the perfect opportunity.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

“Wow, you want to throw him a party? Xell is one lucky guy. I doubt my master would throw me a party.”

Sherasti nodded. She did want to throw him a party. It was just the sort of gesture she could make to let him know she cared. Yes, she did know other masters didn't bake cakes for their Padawans, but other masters weren't her. She also had to thank him for saving her life.

Although she did wonder...

"Who is your master Sirius?" She asked conversationally.

“But why do you need my help? I mean, wouldn’t it be easier for you to get a cake from the kitchens, since you’re a higher rank than I am? I can hardly get some good waffles from them for breakfast.”

That was simple. Simple enough that explaining it would be easy.

"I can have them bake a cake yes, but I don't know what flavor he likes. I was hoping you did. And maybe his favorite color, for 'frosting' I think its called."

She thoughtfully rubbed her chin. She honestly didn't know the answers to these questions. Did that in any way reflect badly on her? She hoped not.

“I can help you plan a party though. Xell used to… I mean is my friend. But I still have all my training my master wants me to do so I can't help you all the time."

Used to? That slip didn't go unnoticed by Sherasti. A slight frown tugged at the corners of her mouth, and her hand fell from her chin to her bicep. She squeezed the muscle gently.

"Used to? Has there been some problem?"

[Ghostie]

“Sorry what?”

It was a rhetorical question. Sirius had been talking so much he had hardly noticed that Knight Rin had asked him a few questions until she asked about him and Xell. So she had noticed the slip up. Sirius was hoping she didn’t. He looked around on his desk for a moment. There on the edge of the desk, pushed up into the back corner because of his computer, was a picture. It was a picture of Xell and Sirius when they had first both built their sabers. They stood side by side, arms over each other’s shoulders. They held their sabers in their hands unlit. Xell was a bit taller than Sirius, with Sirius reaching up to wrap his arm around him. Sirius had hit a growth spurt afterwards though, and he swore he was taller than Xell, even though Xell wouldn’t admit it.

Sirius sighed at looked at the picture for a moment. He figured he should ask all of Knight Rin’s questions; it had been pretty rude of him to just keep talking.

“Well first off my master, my new master, is Master Teer Ka. I’ve only been her padawan for a few days and it’s already been pretty intense.” He had bruises to prove it from their sparring sessions. Sirius offered the picture to Knight Rin as he continued talking, this time being sure not to be interrupted.

“And about Xell. I was actually hoping you didn’t pick up on that slip. The same day I met Master Ka, I met back up with Xell for the first time is a few months. We were talking about what had been happening recently, and he mentioned a mission that involved some Mandalorians and you going missing. I made a bad joke about Xell going through two masters. We haven’t talked since.”

And here came the lecture. You shouldn’t have done that, that wasn’t the Jedi way. Blah blah blah blah. Like Sirius needed to know something he already knew. He wanted to keep this a private matter, but that didn’t work out too well. And he knew it was a dumb joke, he preferred to forget it.

“And Knight Rin, not to be disrespectful, but I prefer to keep this a matter between myself and Xell. I think it’s something we need to work out on our own. And I know it was a dumb joke and a bad decision, no need to tell me that.” Sirius switched gears before Knight Rin got a chance to say anything. “Now, about the help you need…”

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

“Well first off my master, my new master, is Master Teer Ka. I’ve only been her padawan for a few days and it’s already been pretty intense.”

If even half the things Sherasti had heard about Master Ka were true, then 'intense' was the understatement of the year. No wonder she wouldn't be baking any cakes...

The young Togruta woman sincerely hoped she wasn't going to be making Sirius somehow jealous through her own style. Of course she was sure they must have made an effective duo, and he was probably learning much. But her own style must have seemed... lavish? Easy? Overly relaxed? Comparison did some strange things.

“And about Xell. I was actually hoping you didn’t pick up on that slip. The same day I met Master Ka, I met back up with Xell for the first time is a few months. We were talking about what had been happening recently, and he mentioned a mission that involved some Mandalorians and you going missing. I made a bad joke about Xell going through two masters. We haven’t talked since.”

Sherasti hadn't known Xell for as long as Sirius, but maybe in some respects she knew him better. She knew Xell the young man rather than Xell the boy. She'd seen his mind, and she'd grown appreciative of his soul. He wouldn't hold that against a friend. It simply wasn't in his nature.

Could someone in theory feel that way and turn their back on a friend? Yes, that was possible. But could that person be Xell? No. That would have meant a change in his character she would have noticed. She was his master after all, and she saw him every day. If he was capable of doing that, she would indeed know.

“And Knight Rin, not to be disrespectful, but I prefer to keep this a matter between myself and Xell. I think it’s something we need to work out on our own. And I know it was a dumb joke and a bad decision, no need to tell me that... Now, about the help you need…”

Sherasti smiled thinly at Sirius and reached out telepathically, extending her own aura of peace to him. The way she did it, it was completely voluntary for him, but if he yielded to the waves she was sending his way, he'd find himself being relaxed and having his mind set at ease even without words. But the words would hopefully have a more complete effect than simply treating the symptoms.

"Sirius. Xell is not going to turn his back on his friend for one joke. It isn't in his character. I've kept him very busy lately, and I'm sure he's just been unable to find much spare time to come talk with you. I'm also sure Master Ka limits your time too. If you'd like, maybe I can see to it that Xell has time free from his training at the same time you do. I'm sure the two of you can sit down together and talk it out."

Her half-smile blossomed into a full one, one of amusement. Really this was just silly. But she could remember her own days of being 'silly.' They weren't all that long ago she was only... eight years older than Sirius? Not very much by the standards of the galaxy.

"But if you want to talk business, I brought along a datapad so I can write all this information down. Let's start with cake then shall we?"

[Ghostie]

“Fine, let’s talk business.”

Sirius was a bit put off by Knight Rin. She was just trying to help, but she also made it sound like he didn’t know his own friend. He had known Xell since they were younglings. They always made time for each other when they were at the Temple. If Xell hadn’t sought Sirius out yet something was wrong.

Sirius felt something… strange. He felt more calm about the whole situation than he had just a few seconds ago. It was weird to go from upset and annoyed to at peace in the blink of an eye. Sirius looked at Knight Rin with a studious gaze, suspecting she had some involvement, if not fully responsible for this. Perhaps she was very skilled with telepathic abilities? Master Ka said those were a waste for fighting dark jedi. Sirius wouldn’t say anything though. It would probably only lead to a disagreement.

But instead Knight Rin wanted to talk business. Specifically, party business. A party for Xell. Sirius still couldn’t believe it, although the shock had mostly worn off. Xell was pretty lucky to have a master like Knight Rin. But Sirius wouldn’t trade Master Ka for any other. Xell may get a party, but Sirius was going to be the one hunting the darkside. Wasn’t that what being a Jedi was about anyways?

He leaned back in his chair. She wanted to know Xell’s favorite kind of cake and frosting? Sirius didn’t know for sure. That seemed like a random question to ask someone. ‘Hey, what’s your favorite kind of cake and frosting?’

Although, there was one time when Sirius and Xell had eaten together in one of the many cafeterias as younglings. The kitchens often made random dishes or desserts from different cultures and species. There were all kinds of sentient beings in the Jedi Order after all. But this one particular time, the kitchens had made a cake. It was chocolate, with chocolate frosting. But Knight Rin wanted his favorite color for the frosting.

Ever since Xell had made his first lightsaber, he had always loved the blade color. It an ocean blue, and reminded Sirius of the water in The Room of a Thousand Fountains. Xell always went on about his saber’s color, but Sirius didn’t see anything unique in it. Lots of Jedi had blue lightsabers. Sirius never saw anyone with a bronze colored blade though, like his own. But this party was for Xell, not for him. Blue frosting on a chocolate cake seemed like a good idea.

“For cake, I know he likes chocolate. And I suggest we go with something like blue for frosting, like his lightsaber.”

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

“Fine, let’s talk business.”

Sherasti had the distinct impression that right now 'fine' did not mean fine. She'd grown used to that kind of talk, being raised in such a multicultural setting. Different things had different meanings to different people, and it was extremely common to dismiss things as 'fine' when they weren't.

There was clearly a problem here. She was going to guess there was a certain amount of indignation in that tone. He undoubtedly felt a little disturbed that another person could know his friend well, well enough to make such a decision. But Sherasti was convinced there was no problem. Xell had a strong heart, and if he did feel bitter resentment she would have noticed it. Maybe she simply knew Xell the man better than Sirius did, and in turn he knew Xell the boy better than she did.

There was nuance and subtlety to everything. And perhaps the teenager before her wasn't picking up on it. Sherasti couldn't fault him for that. He was what, 15? 16? When she'd been that young she'd seen things that way too, in simple absolutes. She'd blossomed over the subsequent six years, and grown to learn all about diplomacy and nuance.

Sirius would too she was sure. Maybe not as fast as she had, but he probably would. It was just a part of youth, a youth she'd essentially grown out of. More than once she'd been referred to as 'wise beyond her years.' She wasn't sure if that was true or not. Certainly she didn't feel wise. She simply said the right thing at the right moment and remained true to her principles. If that made her wise, then anyone could be wise.

“For cake, I know he likes chocolate. And I suggest we go with something like blue for frosting, like his lightsaber.”

The young Consular filed that information away in her mind. Luckily there was some overlap there. She enjoyed chocolate as well. Who didn't really? The substance was quite amazing, and it had the uncanny ability to raise her spirits. Whether that was her physiology or purely the taste, she wasn't sure. Either way she appreciated the results. She and Xell would see eye to eye there.

And blue. Blue like his saber. That was a nice touch. It was a color that always reminded her of a certain duality in nature. The sea and the sky. Both vast, and both very blue. And blue that had varying shades based on time, season, and a dozen other factors. Yes, she liked blue. All the colors of nature in fact.

She smiled at Sirius, a pleased look in her violet eyes. "Thank you Sirius, you've been very helpful. Now, can you think of anything else special we could do for him?"

[Ghostie]

"Thank you Sirius, you've been very helpful. Now, can you think of anything else special we could do for him?"

Anything else special? Sirius had no idea. He had never planned a party before, let alone attend one. What did people do for parties? Decorations, food, music? Maybe, those sounded like they would be necessary for a party. After all, a party was supposed to be fun right?

“Have you thought about decorations or music? Maybe food?” Sirius asked, spinning around in his chair rather bored. He loved his chair, able to spin around three hundred and sixty degrees. Sometimes Sirius would just sit in the chair and spin, to see how fast he could go. Sure it might seem childish, but he didn't see a point to growing up if he could be a child sometimes.

As he looked around his room, another idea sparked in his mind. They would need a place to hold the party, and make sure Xell stayed away from that place for awhile. Sirius stopped spinning around at looked back at Knight Rin.

"We’ll also need a place to hold he party. Maybe he can reserve a small courtyard or cafeteria for one afternoon? And if his is going to be a surprise party we need to make sure Xell stays away from that area, so maybe a part of the Temple he’s never in?”

They also had to invite people, set everything up, lead Xell to the party when it was time. Maybe planning a surprise was more difficult than Sirius imagined. Of course, the party didn’t need all these things. It was ultimately up to Knight Rin how the party was going to go down.

“Just out of curiosity, who all is getting invited? We’ll need someone to distract Xell as we get everything ready, and then finally lead him to the party when we’re done.”

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

“Have you thought about decorations or music? Maybe food?"

Decorations. Music. Food. Yes, she might be able to handle those. Well, decorations and music at least. She'd cooked breakfast for Xell previously on one occasion, with what in hindsight seemed to be mixed results. How was she supposed to know humans didn't eat the shells of eggs?

If she did any cooking this time, it would be within her comfort zone, Togruta food. Or better still, she'd have the kitchens prepare something since they had far more skill than she did. Maybe she could expose him to a few Togruta dishes that way...

Or she could opt for traditional human foods, possibly part staples if she read up on them further. She was sure of course there'd be meat, even if just for her own carnivorous diet.

"We’ll also need a place to hold he party. Maybe he can reserve a small courtyard or cafeteria for one afternoon? And if his is going to be a surprise party we need to make sure Xell stays away from that area, so maybe a part of the Temple he’s never in?”


Sherasti nodded. She knew of a few courtyards in the southern areas of the Temple that might suffice, particularly some ones planted with more exotic foliage that might provide a bit of natural decoration, as well as plenty of sunlight.

“Just out of curiosity, who all is getting invited? We’ll need someone to distract Xell as we get everything ready, and then finally lead him to the party when we’re done.”

Sherasti smiled sheepishly. Quite ironic given her status as a predator species and her sharp fangs. "I... haven't given that much thought."

She ran a hand over her right lekku, from where it left her montrals all the way down to her waist. It was a gesture she made quite commonly, not quite one of nervousness, but a simple mannerism she had.

Mentally she ran through the list of people she knew Xell knew. There was his former master, Orren. But she wasn't quite sure if he'd approve of such a celebration, or if he was even available. He knew he'd spent a little time with Myri, a blind Youngling. He'd mentioned that experience before. And then there was Master Ka, who he'd also mentioned from the same experience. Only she couldn't see the very strict and rigid Weapons Master taking part in any sort of party...

"I'm really not sure," Sherasti admitted.

[Ghostie]

[maroon]“I’m really not sure,”[/maroon]

Sirius sighed. He had probably over loaded Knight Rin. Parties were a big thing, at least from what Sirius heard. And they usually had all these things to them. But this also sometimes made parties sound more complicated than they were fun. After all, someone always had to plan everything didn’t they?

But they had to do something special. Xell was Sirius’s bestfriend, and Knight Rin’s padawan. Passing your Trials, even one of your Trials, was a big deal. They couldn’t just skimp out if they were throwing him a party. But it could be a small party and be special at the same time couldn’t it?

“What if you did something small? Not invite very many people, only a cake or something. You wouldn’t need decorations or anything else either."

Sirius stopped for a moment. With the silence, he figured Knight Rin was just thinking.

"But it still needs to be special, I mean, he did pass a part of his Trials.”

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

“What if you did something small? Not invite very many people, only a cake or something. You wouldn’t need decorations or anything else either."

Sherasti perked up a little again and nodded. Yes, that was a perfectly valid point. Keep it small, keep it light. Everything would work out admirably. From a certain standpoint it was funny really. Despite being raised in the Jedi Temple around humans, and studying under a human, there was a great deal about humans she didn't understand, to the point of humor. Humans, for example, weren't supposed to eat the shells on eggs.

It was amazing how delicate their digestive systems were.

"But it still needs to be special, I mean, he did pass a part of his Trials.”

"Yes," Sherasti nodded again, feeling distinctly like a bobble-head toy constantly bobbing her head up and down in assent. "You're completely right of course, on both counts. This is special, but a smaller event would be for the best. I doubt I could track down all of his friends from his time as a Youngling. We'll have to be content with a very small party of whoever I can find..."

Her thoughts strayed to another person who'd be keen to be there...

Orren. Xell's former master, who'd shown more than a little interest in the progress of his Padawan, even going so far as to insert the Trial of Skill. Or rather an attempt at one that turned into a very real Trial of Courage. He would be extended an invitation, as a matter of courtesy. Though she wasn't sure how he'd take it.

At that particular moment the commlink on her belt chimed and she picked it up.

"Knight Rin, you're wanted in the central courtyard now."

Well, that ended that. The Togruta Consular smiled thinly at Sirius and rose up to her feet again, towering over the seated human in the least menacing way imaginable.

"Thank you for all your help Sirius. May the Force be with you." Sherasti placed her palms together, fingers outstretched, and bowed her head to him, her regal montrals dipping with the movement. Then she turned and walked out in silence, her bare feet making no noise on the floor.