Post by DreadPirateMike on Mar 5, 2022 23:49:09 GMT -5
To the limited scope of Jaidan's available knowledge, this planet had never been host to any manner of civilization, and perhaps that was for the best. Had any sapient race from a place so dreary found not only the capacity, but the ambition to reach for the stars, he could only imagine the wars that would have results once they discovered the surprising multitude of more enticing prospects already occupied.
That was not, of course, entirely fair. This planet absolutely did have a kind of stark and savage beauty to it. Further inland from his crash site, where the ocean beat relentlessly against the rocky cliffs and shore, surprisingly vibrant green forests had sprung up over the aeons in spite of how little visible sunlight made it through the omni-present cloud cover. Nor were plants the only native life this world sheltered; Jaidan's survival and continued good health owed much to a wealth of marine life. Indeed, when Jaidan had emerged from the torn hull of his ship, he'd had no particular complaints about this place as an alternative to a slow death by hypothermia and asphyxiation in the vacuum of space. Even the most gregarious of Jedi could appreciate a bit of restful solitude, and this he was offered in abundance. More than that, Jaidan had always loved the rain, naturally most of all when he had the option of finding shelter from it. His ship would never fly again, but it was still whole enough to offer a roof, and it was always drizzling at the very least here.
And yet, for all that, his years in exile had taught him that "too much of a good thing" was more than just a pithy saying.
But the Jedi Master had never given himself over to resignation or despair. He'd made good use of the time, passed countless hours, days and more in meditation, seeking always to deepen his communion with the Force. But also, without exception, he had kept up his daily practice with the lightsaber and the Echani combat forms. As was often the way of such things, he couldn't point to anything concrete as proof, but he'd always known somehow that sooner or later, the hour of his deliverance from this place would come and that he must be ready for it.
Now, it seemed, that hour may have come at last.
He'd felt the tug of the Force at the edge of his awareness long before any of his more mundane senses could offer confirmation. The approach of the Other. After so long without any sort of sapient contact, it was hard to tell at first, but soon enough, it became clear. This was more than simply the presence of life. It was bringing the Force with it. And it wasn't coming in gently.
Abruptly, his ears confirmed that very literally, as the tell tale BOOM of a ship entering the atmosphere far too fast rattled the metal frame of his home. His eyes snapping open at the alert, Jaidan Shatani sprung up from his seated meditation posture, and grabbed for long brown cloak on the way to the nearest exit. Luckily, the garment's armor weave construction had kept it in fairly good condition even after its constant use on his regular forays out into the damp. Once he had his eyes on the open sky, the cause of the disturbance was plain to see. Even now, it still trailed smoke and fire as the ship's pilot tried to shed velocity and level off its descent. Regardless of the visitor's success, planetfall would occur somewhere within the bounds of the inland forest. There, aid may be required. And Jaidan would have questions.
Ducking back inside his ship only long enough to grab what remained of the ship's onboard medical supplies, he pulled his hood up, and began his hurried journey after the artificial meteorite.
That was not, of course, entirely fair. This planet absolutely did have a kind of stark and savage beauty to it. Further inland from his crash site, where the ocean beat relentlessly against the rocky cliffs and shore, surprisingly vibrant green forests had sprung up over the aeons in spite of how little visible sunlight made it through the omni-present cloud cover. Nor were plants the only native life this world sheltered; Jaidan's survival and continued good health owed much to a wealth of marine life. Indeed, when Jaidan had emerged from the torn hull of his ship, he'd had no particular complaints about this place as an alternative to a slow death by hypothermia and asphyxiation in the vacuum of space. Even the most gregarious of Jedi could appreciate a bit of restful solitude, and this he was offered in abundance. More than that, Jaidan had always loved the rain, naturally most of all when he had the option of finding shelter from it. His ship would never fly again, but it was still whole enough to offer a roof, and it was always drizzling at the very least here.
And yet, for all that, his years in exile had taught him that "too much of a good thing" was more than just a pithy saying.
But the Jedi Master had never given himself over to resignation or despair. He'd made good use of the time, passed countless hours, days and more in meditation, seeking always to deepen his communion with the Force. But also, without exception, he had kept up his daily practice with the lightsaber and the Echani combat forms. As was often the way of such things, he couldn't point to anything concrete as proof, but he'd always known somehow that sooner or later, the hour of his deliverance from this place would come and that he must be ready for it.
Now, it seemed, that hour may have come at last.
He'd felt the tug of the Force at the edge of his awareness long before any of his more mundane senses could offer confirmation. The approach of the Other. After so long without any sort of sapient contact, it was hard to tell at first, but soon enough, it became clear. This was more than simply the presence of life. It was bringing the Force with it. And it wasn't coming in gently.
Abruptly, his ears confirmed that very literally, as the tell tale BOOM of a ship entering the atmosphere far too fast rattled the metal frame of his home. His eyes snapping open at the alert, Jaidan Shatani sprung up from his seated meditation posture, and grabbed for long brown cloak on the way to the nearest exit. Luckily, the garment's armor weave construction had kept it in fairly good condition even after its constant use on his regular forays out into the damp. Once he had his eyes on the open sky, the cause of the disturbance was plain to see. Even now, it still trailed smoke and fire as the ship's pilot tried to shed velocity and level off its descent. Regardless of the visitor's success, planetfall would occur somewhere within the bounds of the inland forest. There, aid may be required. And Jaidan would have questions.
Ducking back inside his ship only long enough to grab what remained of the ship's onboard medical supplies, he pulled his hood up, and began his hurried journey after the artificial meteorite.