The Great Blizzard

[Iden Hyde]

DAY 1



He had been on Ossus for nearly six months.

It had been a choice to come here, and Iden Hyde had not regretted it one bit. The Jedi were welcoming, and the Alliance personnel - though dwindling - seemed to go about their tasks with a sense of quiet satisfaction. It was, after all, a rather temperate planet despite the history attached. He knew that others like him, not attached to the Alliance military machine, had chosen to come here for a less-than-hectic life. From the Chiss sandwich maker to the myriad of everyday folk trying to make their way in the galaxy. Ossus had a certain appeal.

The radar center that he called his second home had been set up along a sheer cliff face, with a small smattering of antenna towers sprouting up from the jutting plateau a short distance above. They were his 'eyes in the sky'. His little fingers that told him everything he needed to know about the weather patterns.

For so long Iden had made his living as a weatherman. He'd worked with GNN, GBC, and even a brief stint on Anooba. But now, he was back to his humble roots of simple planetary meteorology. Whatever planet he was on, that was the weather that he had grown to know. Some called him prescient, and he'd covered his fair share of weather events, but on Ossus was a new challenge; one he had jumped at.



The main thoroughfare of Sanctuary one had grown from a simple dirt track to a paved road, lined with vibrant trees and shrubbery that boasted dottings of vibrant red berries. Pedwalks along the side were also framed by smaller growth, like whisper-whip saplings and flowering kasahar creepers.

He passed the comms building, which had grown from a hastily erected permatent structure to a rounded, stucco-covered bit of architecture that looked perfectly at home among the freshly-planted banthawoods and yellow-bloomed Ithorian tulips.

Taking a right, he stepped onto a well-trodden rough stone pathway that sent him between the comms center and the medical building. It was a path that would lead him to the old, natural amphitheatre, and further along to the weather station.

It was a bright morning, without a cloud in sight. The birds above sang their songs, and the sound of random chatter could be heard from those who were going about their normal activities.

With his leather carry-case slung over his shoulder and across his chest, Iden pulled in a deep breath.

Ossus was such a lovely planet.

He smiled to himself, and raised a hand in greeting as he approached another in passing.

"A fine day, yes?"

[Serena Laran]

On her way to the medical building, Serena smiled and nodded to their new local meteorologist. He had been with them for about ...six months? Perhaps not so new, after all. She had come to look forward to his forecasts.

"Beautiful weather," the Jedi master agreed. "Should I expect more of the same for tomorrow?"

[James Prent]

James Prent walked up the main street of Sanctuary, passing by Councilmember Laran who was having a conversation with someone she didn't recognize. Her time among the Jedi had been informative, but she didn't feel like she was getting anywhere in her studies.

Group lessons were all well and good, but there seemed to be something ...missing?

She found herself thinking about the man she'd left behind. A lot. They talked on the comm every couple of days, but it wasn't the same.

Shouldering the pack lunch she'd fixed from the mess, James hiked up into the hills in search of some meditation and inner peace.

[Tevit Ramastan]

He had been on Ossus since the first Whaladon had landed after parting ways with The Wheel, and he had been among The Wheel before that. For the Nehantite, work was work, and good-paying work was hard enough to come by, so he'd stuck with things and found himself in a position he'd never imagined - Site Foreman.

From being an engine grunt, to ship technician, to electrician, to general construction, Tevit had put his paws on most aspects of physical labor when it came to engineering and fabrication, and what was supposed to have been a contract job as an electrician led to him taking charge of a build site, and eventually displacing the ineffective foreman to wind up running the show. Of course, he'd had help. Structural engineers made many of the big calls, while Tevit managed workers, scheduling, and inventory. Working with a tight crew on run-down starships had instilled in him the ability to judge character, and learn when to trust someone to manage themselves, or their role. Such skills had led to mostly effective leadership, with a hands-off approach to aspects like droid work - he left that to Suri - versus hands-on in areas of his own specialty, such as wiring and electronics.

It was such an approach that found him out of his office much of the time, and somewhere in the colony site, armed with tool belt and satchel, as he was that day. Padding with bare footpaws along the walkway, his soft footfalls allowed him to catch additional snippets of conversation most would miss, including mundane ones about the weather.

"Hoping so," he chuckled. "Gonna need clear weather to install some longer-range transmitters on the roof, up there." Nodding to the tall building next to them, he then smiled to both Serena and Mr... Duck? Pelt? Hyde! That was it, Hyde! "Finally get you all the higher-speed data transmission you've been asking for."

[Iden Hyde]

Smiling at Master Laran, and then at Mr. Ramastan, Iden pullws in a deep breath of fresh air. There was something different about the atmosphere here, on Ossus. It was difficult to describe, but he liked it all the same.

"Well, all of my current models from yesterday are saying that we'll be having some cloudcover later today, but I don't think it'll be too much. Of course, I can't tell you for sure just yet," he gave a gesture down the path, which further along led to the amphitheater. And past that, his station.

"I'll need to check the collected weather markers that accumulated over the night, before I can tell you anything concrete."

[Serena Laran]

"I will let you get to it then," smiled Serena, nodding to Mr. Ramastan as well. She was expecting youngling Clan Mynock and Jedi Knight Oolong in the medical center for a 'behind the scenes' tour and check ups. She had a lot to prepare before they arrived.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

The sun overhead briefly shaded out as a ship passed over on approach to Sanctuary. But it was far different than the usual vessels that came and went from the small starport. The large shadow cast by the vessel suddenly diminished as a series of four enormous solar sails tucked away into the craft's elongated hull. Cruising ahead on atmospheric engines, the star yacht doubled about, eventually coming to rest softly in the alotted free space on the tarmac. The gangplank lowered, and two blue-robed Senatorial Guard exited the vessel, standing to attention at either side of the ramp.

[Iden Hyde]

Master Laran deferred to him, and Iden graciously favored her with a genteel bow of his head. She was a kind spirit, and calm and always seemed ready with a soothing tone to accompany her words, and it never failed to put him at ease.

"You are too kind, Master Laran," he smiled, one hand going to rest over his heart as he straightened back up.

"With the winter months at our back, I'm sure that we have a bit of spring rains coming our way, which I am sure Mr. Hicchoru will appreciate, as I saw him laying seed in the gardens just last week."

[Serena Laran]

“He does love his gardening.” Serena smiled and took her leave, walking the short distance to the medical center. The agriculture center had a greenhouse full of sprouts for anyone who wanted to plant a personal garden, but the large fields that would supplement the settlement’s food supplies were not scheduled to be planted for a week.

Inside the medical center she nodded to M47-E4 and set to getting ready for the younglings to visit.

[Jamis Kerr]

Sitting on a small outcropping, Jamis flicked at a moth that had decided to land on the scragbrush beside him. Being a Jedi seemed nothing short of boring, to him. Where were the epic lightsaber battles that he'd read about in the history books? Where were the nerve-tightening tensions of diplomatic ties that needed to be smoothed over? None of that was to be found here, that was for sure. Oh, they had diplomacy classes, and there was always the sparring arenas, but it was nothing like what he'd read about. Sometimes he wondered if the Alliance personnel and their habits of visiting cantinas wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe when he got older...

From his perch, the boy spotted a newish face meandering her way up the walking path.

James.

Whatever. James was a weird name for a girl, but he wasn't going to roll his eyes too much at that.

She look distracted enough, and he'd save the interrogation over her name for a later time.

As she approached, he rose to stand.

"You looking for a meditation spot... ?" he called out.

[James Prent]

Startled out of deep thought, James flushed at the question. "Ah, yeah, I was actually."

She paused on the trail, looking back the way she'd come before back to the kid. "Is your name James, too? Sorry, I don't think we've actually met before."

[Jamis Kerr]

"Jamis," he huffed slightly.

"And no, I've only ever seen you about."

They'd not had classes together, and for brief moment he wondered if she even went to any of the general education classes.

"You can sit up here, if you want. It's not a bad place, and you can see most of Sanctuary, too."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Hmpf. No one to meet uss."

Senator Meorrrei stood on the tarmac with her guard, only mildly annoyed at the lack of protocol. The weather was doing its job in buoying her mood, and the Cizerack took in a deep breath of dry air.

"Madam Senator, shall we accompany you?"

"Therre won't be need forr that herre." Taataani said with confidence, keeping her back to the commandos. "The Jedji arre frrjiendss. Sstajy wjith the sshjip. jI'll get along bjy mjysself jusst fjine."

"As you wish."

She looked down at her feet. At least she'd planned on decent shoes today. Even on a good day, Ossus demanded a bit of walking. She headed off towards the structure that housed the Jedi Council.

[MA7-E4]

The droid registered the nod of arrival from Jedi Master Serena Laran, chronicling it into her data logs for the day. She had been informed in advance of a tour of Jedi Younglings that would be arriving for informational instruction and check-ups. The light blue droid had been certain to restock on candied sweets when she had arrived this morning. Part of her programming included procedures for pediatric care and a subsection of those routines had informed her that young organics could become frightened by new and unfamiliar medical procedures. Even simple regular check-ups. Her files had recommended sugar-free candies as a means of calming any such concerns.

// DAILY REPORT //

// Stock taken of medical supplies - restock suggested for gauze and bandages within 8 days. //
// Preparations under way for facility tour by Jedi Younglings. ADDENDUM: Discuss with Jedi Padathingy Kazahan the difference in Jedi ranks. Where do Youngling fall in hierarchy with Padathingies and Masters //

[Iden Hyde]

DAY 1 - EVENING



He was still in the cliffside weather station, brow furrowed. There was of course a single assistant that had been assigned to him, and Iden was currently looking over the readouts that she'd handed to him. They were troubling, to say the least.

"I don't know, Mr. Hyde," Padawan Kastalin mumbled, her own expression pinched as she consulted a myriad of datapads.

"Nothing here is making sense!"

Hyde gave a hrmph as he continued to look over the information before him, and a few moments later he sighed, leaning back in his seat. A look out the large-panel transparisteel windows, to the Sanctuary Valley below, he let his gaze travel upward to the scudding clouds that were painted in brilliant colors of gold, pink, and red due to the setting sun. It was truly a holographic moment if there ever was one; perfect weather, a sunset that was of the sort that Hologram posters would die to capture with their imagers... everything now was perfect. In this moment, the evening now was a time of peace and tranquility. Even the windspeeds were down!

"It doesn't make sense to me either, Ms. Kastalin," he murmured.

"But Sir... snow???"

"That's... what the projections are saying."