The Lay of the Land

[Theo]

"We have reached our final destination. Please remain seated with passenger restraints engaged until the shuttle has come to a complete stop."

The droid's pleasant, programmed warning signaled the end of the journey. While many of his fellow passengers disregarded the message and started standing and pacing the aisles of the small shuttlecraft, a distinguished-looking besalisk remained in his seat - fast asleep and snoring almost loud enough to drown out the intercom. Only after the rest of the passengers had deboarded did an ancient, but well-maintained B-1 tap him on the shoulder. He awoke with a thunderous snort and a cough.

Upon stepping down the boarding ramp he immediately began coughing. A cloud of dust enveloped the landing pad, the result of a furious flurry of construction at the fledgling military base. His luggage and supplies were already being piled onto a landspeeder while a second vehicle sat nearby, loaded with the other passengers, construction workers and other civilians.

The besalisk caught the attention of the nearest dock worker. "You there, my good man, how far would you say it is to this Jedi settlement?" The man didn't look and continued to dutifully stack crates onto one of the speeders as he replied with a deadpan, clearly oft-repeated, "You accommodations can be found in the city proper, just up the road. A complimentary transport has been provided for your convenience."

"Yes, yes, I can see that. But how far?"

The man paused, "I dunno, maybe a kilometer."

"And they expect me to take a speeder like some doddering old fool? Poppycock. Sounds like just the sort of exercise I need after being cramped up in shuttles and ships for the past few weeks. Just up the road this way? Yes? Of course, probably where that other dust cloud is. You folks have been busy these past few months, haven't you?"

"I say, could you perhaps hand me my baggage? It's that dinged up red one. And my walking stick, if you would. I see it right there, underneath that bag. Wonderful piece, wouldn't you say? Yes, it was given to me, given by the Coway tribe on my recent expedition on Mimban. Fascinating place. No, that's not my baggage, mine is a bit larger. It's...oh there it is, right in back. I'll just..."

With a yank, Theo extracted a trunk from the bottom of the pile, sending half the pile tumbling to the ground. The dock worker looked at him with tired eyes, trying to form some sort of words.

"Ah, my apologies. Thought I could snatch it out of there clean. Please have the rest of my gear sent to my quarters. I assume they have a facility set up for me. Phrastus. Doctor Theo Phrastus. B-1, see that it gets where it's supposed to. I'm in the mood for a bit of a walk." Leo flipped a credit chip to the stunned worker. "For the trouble, lad."

He popped an odd, wide-brimmed helmet on his head, hefted the rather large chest over one shoulder with one of his four massive arms, and grabbed the walking stick with another. Whistling an odd tune, he set off walking towards Sanctuary One.

[Theo]

The passenger-laden speeder passed him about halfway to the small settlement, the one carrying baggage soon after. Theo continued with sure, steady strides, still whistling his tune. The sun was shining, he was working up a good sweat, and his legs had yet to feel any fatigue. Life was good. He felt young. He wasn't young, mind you. At over 100 years standard old, he had comfortably passed middle age for one of his species. But his eyesight was still keen, his ears still sharp, and his hair was still a dark brown. Well, it was normally dark brown. By the time he strolled into town, it was a dull, reddish hue thanks to all the dust.

It wasn't much of a town, of course. Sanctuary One had only existed for about two months, and for almost half that time, if the intelligence reports were to be believed, it had comprised nothing more than a scattering of tents huddled in the shadow of the lumbering beast of a freighter in which they'd arrived. Some of those tents still remained, but many of the residents now lived in one of the ugly, prefabricated buildings that were being assembled. A cluster of those buildings lay ahead of him, at the intersection of the road that lead back to the landing pad. It was among these buildings that the speeders were parked. The newcomers were going to and fro with purpose, claiming their luggage and getting their bearings. A foreman was hollering orders, his construction crew working with efficiency to unpack. Theo spotted B1, his faithful droid assistant, standing apart from the others next to a neatly stacked pile of his gear.

"B1. Well done. Did everything make the trip undamaged?"

"Affirmative, sir. A cursory examination of your equipment has revealed no notable damage."

"And have you located my quarters and the lab facilities the Alliance have provided?"

"Affirmative, sir. Your living quarters are in the building behind me, unit 42. Your lab is to be deployed in the assigned portion of Warehouse A, which you may have passed on the way here."

"42?! Portion of the-?! This is unacceptable! It says specifically in my contract that I am to be provided with an individual residence, at least 100 square meters floor space, and a separate lab facility, at least as large. I'll not be packed into some communal living conditions with the rest of the riff-raff. Good gods, man, I am a worlds renowned scholar, not some common vagabond."

"You are correct, Sir. Those are indeed the terms of your contract. However, it seems that no such facilities are currently available. It is my suggestion that you move into the offered spaces temporarily until a more appropriate arrangement can be made."

A clearly rankled Theo was still blustering, but he knew the droid had the right of it. At least for now, there was nothing he could do but to get his gear out of the elements and into whatever meager space he allocated. The good mood he had cultivated on the walk from the landing pad now soured, Theo set off to find someone in charge. He would not rest until this situation was rectified. "B1, get this into that warehouse and out of the dust. I shall return forthwith."

[Theo]

Nearly two hours later...

Theo had been momentarily distracted from his search by the discovery that among the residents of the Jedi camp was one Dr. Arlan Solborne. He had to at least drop by (http://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?55442-The-Repeating-Day) and introduce himself. Professional courtesy and all that. The quick introduction had led to a lively conversation that, unfortunately continued as midday had come and gone, a fact of which Theo's rumbling stomach was eager to remind him. He did his best to ignore it the insistent organ as he passed the mess hall on the way back to the center of the Jedi portion of the "town". Already, two distinct groups of buildings had emerged in the town, with the Jedi occupying the eastern end of the street and the civilian workers the west end. Of course, it hardly mattered since only several hundred meters separated them. Before he knew it, Theo was at one of the few crossroads, getting his bearings. He spotted the Jedi Council chambers to his right, along a road that stretched into the distance, disappearing down into a hollow where, he was told, a Cizerack force had been establishing themselves.

Unlike most of the buildings in the settlement, the Jedi Council chambers was not a prefabricated structure. All that really meant, however, was that it wasn't as ugly as the rest. The design, like everything surrounding it, was still very modest - a simple block of a structure with a low, sloping roof and a back end that expanded into a semicircular bulge.

The front doors, unguarded and unlocked, opened inward as Theo let himself in, hoping to find someone who would hear his concerns.

[Serena Laran]

The doors to the council chambers opened, and a Besalisk walked in. Serena looked up from where she was studying reports at the semi-circular table and smiled. "Welcome friend."

[Theo]

"Welcome friend."

Well that threw him off a bit.

He hadn't expected to be greeted like he was a guest of an old acquaintance. Nor had he expected the "council" to consist of a single person. Nor had he expected to be the only other person here. "Not much of a council," he said, if only internally.

"Good afternoon, Miss," he said out loud while giving a stiff bow, his helmet already removed (as was proper when indoors) and clutched in a large, meaty hand. "I am Dr. Theo Phastus; I trust you were informed of my arrival. I am here on behalf of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, contracted to conduct a thorough survey of the regions surrounding your settlement here."

[Serena Laran]

She got to her feet and leaned over the table to shake one of his hands. "The name does sound familiar, Dr. Phastus. I am Serena Laran, Jedi Master. I'm afraid the rest of the council is out and about - regular 'office' hours aren't for an hour or so."

Serena sat down, smoothing her robes. "What can I do for you, Doctor?"

[Theo]

The besalisk grabbed a chair in two of his arms and placed it down on the opposite side of the table from Serena.

"You are likely a busy woman, so I will endeavor to keep this brief. Now, I'm sure you were aware of my coming and made the proper arrangements," Theo said, pausing for effect, "but I'm afraid things got all muddled somewhere down the line. You see, when I attempted to located my quarters and the location where I will be setting up my lab, I was informed that the former is no better than a shipping crate with a cot in it and the latter is some corner of a garage apportioned off for my use. Now, is this something that you can remedy or should I be seeking out one of your underlings?"

[Serena Laran]

Her eyebrows had slowly raised as he spoke, but when he finished they returned to their normal position. "I'm afraid there has been no mistake, Dr. Phastus. Your quarters are modest, no doubt, but there are none better on Ossus. We are installing the infrastructure here from the ground up. However," she looked at a datapad, "we can arrange for a tent, if you wish.

"As far as your office, I believe those are partitioned and given out by the Alliance Corps of Engineers. You should contact Lieutenant Farsi, the officer in charge."

[Theo]

He had a feeling he was being subtly insulted or dismissed, but the jedi was so damn serene and polite about the whole thing that he couldn't be sure. Still, he kept his composure, determined to be equally polite. He sat up even straighter, if that was possible, in his chair.

"A tent would be acceptable, given sufficient size. I've spent many a night in the bush with sorrier shelter. But what can you tell me about those larger modular structures on the south side of the road out there? Those would suit my purposes quite well. As a laboratory, if not a dwelling."

He wasn't a man accustomed to taking "no" for an answer. There was always a way.

[Serena Laran]

"Those are larger CLL modules - set aside for larger species and families." She appraised the besalisk's size and smiled. "We can probably arrange with the Lieutenant to move you into one when it becomes available. Again, laboratory space is outside of the Council's perview."

[Theo]

Theo's chest puffed out just a bit more. It felt good to register another victory. The larger CLL units, while still not nearly up to his usual standards, were at least habitable. Though he would likely take the Jedi up on her offer of a tent. He could sleep anywhere, but to work he wanted privacy and comfort.

Bidding farewell to Serena and taking his leave of the council chambers, returned to the western portion of town where he found B1 just finishing moving his gear into the warehouse and his baggage into the tiny living quarters to which he had originally been assigned.

"B1, track down a Lieutenant Farsi. I think he's one of the Alliance here, but he could be a Cizerack. I don't know. Failed to check. In any case, find him or her and see to it that we are issued a tent. You know my usual requirements. Have the baggage moved out of that box where it's sitting and into the tent. And then get all this gear moved into one of the larger CLLs on the south side of the road back there. Any one will do. See if you can arrange for it to be moved to...," he paused, quickly surveying the grounds, "over there." He pointed at a point along the road about 100 meters distant from both the public baths and the most easterly completed building in this cluster. "Try and get it done by nightfall. I believe I will see about getting a preliminary survey of the valley to north in while there's still light. I'd like to get an early start tomorrow morning."

He didn't wait for confirmation before doing an about face and striding off back towards the landing zone. As always, he was confident that the dependable B1 would get things done.

[Theo]

Caked with more dust, Theo arrived back at the landing zone, still energized from all the physical activity. He continued past the landing pad to a staging area, where the Alliance motor pool was arranged. With the Cizerack, stationed to the north were providing much of the heavy equipment being used to construct the settlement, it was a sparse selection, comprising mostly light transport and reconnaissance vehicles. A pair of T-47 airspeeders were at the forefront, standing by to shuttle large parcels from the landing zone. On the other side of the area were clustered various means of ground transportation, including a handful of scout bikes, an A-23 speeder, an assortment of cargo skiffs, and even a few AT-RTs. But today, he would be taking to the air and his gaze fell upon the two T-16s sitting right in the middle of things.

He sought out the supervising officer, who was seated in an open air pavilion, his head buried in a datapad. His hearing was keen though, as he sensed Theo's approach when he was still several meters away.

"Howdy there. What can I do for ya?" the man inquired with a wide smile.

"My name is Dr. Theo Phastus," he said, pausing a moment for recognition. "I require the use of an airspeeder to perform a preliminary survey of the surrounding areas."

"Well gosh, I'd love ta help ya, but we don't generally allow civilians to use the equipment. You know, liability and all that. But if you want, I could see if one of the pilots could take you out some time in the next week. It' sure is a purty area, innit?" He was still smiling.

Dr. Theo's face twisted with displeasure. The man was entirely too familiar with his tone of voice. This younger generation had no sense of proper decorum. If they were the ones who would be running the new Republic, he had grave concerns about its viability. "I assure you, sir, I am perfectly capable of piloting the craft myself. If you would check, you will see that I have dispensation from the Alliance armed forces high command to use a wide variety of wheeled vehicles and repulsorcraft to complete my tasks."

The man looked down at his console, quickly tapping screens and navigating menus until he found what he was looking for. Apparently, it was good news, as his smile somehow got even wider. "Well would ya look at that! Yer right. Says right there that yer cleared for quite a few. Now..I can't give ya one of the T-47s, since we're gonna need them this evening; expectin' a fresh load of cargo, and we can't just let is sit on the landing pad, ya know? But what about Betty here?" he inquired, gesturing over his shoulder and the nearest T-16. "She a fine little ship. Should be great for a little sightseeing."

"That should be suitable for me needs, yes."

"Well ain't that great? Come on over, I'll give you a quick once-around and get you two acquainted." He slapped a cringing Theo on the back and lead him over to the craft, chattering away the whole time.

[Theo]

Theo was pinned back to the utilitarian seat as the T-16 leaped away from the planet's surface. He was a fair flyer, but gentle takeoffs had never been a part of his repertoire. Below, the cloyingly friendly Alliance soldier waved at the departing airspeeder.

With a little altitude, the general layout of the settlement could be seen: a trio of intersecting roads and the ever present bulk of the Action IX transport. The professor had little interest in edifices, however. His gaze was already drawn to the surrounding hills. To his left, a ridge extended to the west, a spur of a fold and thrust range that dominated the western horizon and swung around in a wide arc to the north. A low peak was separated from the ridge by a narrow gap in which the town was nestled, sheltered on three sides by the heights. A small stream wound through the gap, possibly the remains of a greater flow that had carved away the land between the ridge and the peak, both likely sandstone, in ages past. He looked forward to hiking to the top of both of those features.

Behind him, the land sloped down into a low plains, but his attention was drawn to the north. He brought the airspeeder north, low, over the town and through the gap. The Cizerack encampment dominated the pass, with the stream sneaking between it and the isolated peak. Beyond lay a series of parallel ridges, all extending from the great range. Hidden in between them, in one of those shadowed canyons, a group of Gossam were building a settlement of their own. The walls were twisted into fantastic shapes, the shadowed crevasses no doubt hiding plenty of secrets. He would explore those canyons as well, testing for likely mineral seams and setting up a sensor network to measure seismic activity.

Theo aimed the airspeeder into one of these canyons. Narrow and twisted, the glacial-carved ridges rose steeply on either side. Reaching the head of the canyon, he pulled back into a steep climb, rapidly gaining altitude. The peaks were massive bodies of what looked like granite and basalt, forming an imposing barrier to the coastal area beyond. Expeditions to these heights would no doubt be organized, but it would likely wait until later in the year, as a large portion of the summits were now covered by ice and snow. He brought the ship about to the right and followed the ridge line to the northeast. A bowl-shaped valley opened up below him. He dropped down into it and watched as a herd of four-legged creatures scattered. He would certainly have to come back here. In addition to the 4-legged beasts, the valley was absolutely teaming with life.

He did not continue along to the peaks on the opposite end of the valley, instead turning sharply to the right, looping over the eastern edge of the valley and into the wide basin beyond. It lay like a shallow bowl ringed by the mountain range, that if reports were correct, was home to a number of native tribes. The basin was dotted with meager growth and low escarpments. A wide, lazy river wound through the basin, running east of the Jedi settlement and eventually out to the sea. He followed the course of the river south. The vegetation, while sparse to the north and west, near the mountains, grew thicker as he continued south and to the east. By the time he passed the isolated hill that marked the location of the settlement, it was a fairly dense forest. Somewhere in that forest lay a deserted Library, last remnants of the Jedi organization that called this planet home thousands of years ago. But the Library didn't interest him so much as the bedrock on which it was built and the fauna that called it ad the surrounding area home.

He made several more loops around the basin, noting various landforms and pockets of wildlife that he intended on studying. After nearly three hours in the air, his stomach began to rumble. Realizing he hadn't eaten since the morning and that the sun was dipping low on the horizon, Theo brought the airspeeder about to a return heading.