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She’d been neglecting her saberwork for the past three months, so Komari could not claim Battlemaster Drallig’s surprise at her presence in the main training salle was unfair.
Just uncomfortable.
“Padawan Vosa, is there anything in particular you would like to focus on today?”
A very polite way of asking what the kriff was going on.
In general, Jedi trained in the largest main salle during open training hours without direct oversight, unless one was working directly with their padawan, or holding a friendly spar to work out a particular sequence one friend had learned and was now helping their fellow Jedi learn as well.
Drallig or one of his assistants still oversaw these sessions, but with the air of a lifeguard overseeing a swimming pool.
And now Komari had approached Drallig after practically ignoring everyone for the past three months.
She’d felt guilty, shameful and embarrassed really, when Master Dooku had left and Komari had more or less completely retreated into the spare room of Rael’s apartments. Rael had told her she was too hard on herself, and that she deserved some time.
Well, she’d done that, even made a plan. This was Step Aurek.
“Yes, Master Drallig, I was hoping you could allow me access to a Temple forge.”
The older man blinked a few times, then tilted his head and squinted. Komari tried not to squint back.
“A… forge?”
Komari re-planted her feet. Why hadn’t she tried to figure out how to meet Drallig in his office?
“Yes. During a recent …. excursion I began learning how to metal-work. I would like to continue growing my skills, but I do not currently have access to a forge.”
“And… I do?”
Now Komari blinked in confusion.
“Ah… yes? For… the Temple Guards’ armor?”
Drallig’s eyebrows rose, and Komari’s heart sank. He was going to tell her no.
“I see. Let me make a few inquiries, padawan. I rather doubt that will be the correct path to find what you are looking for, but I would hate to give you false information. Give me a day or so, and I will contact you.”
Komari was not sure if this was a positive or negative reaction, so she bowed to Drallig then left the salle.
Foolishly, she’d hoped Drallig would actually be able to provide some kind of information, and she’d planned her day accordingly. That meant she was entirely at loose ends for the rest of the afternoon.
When she returned to Rael’s apartments, she was not sure if she was thankful that her eldest padawan-sibling (was that even still true? Or was she yet another cast-off of Grandmaster Yoda’s lineage?) was there, seated at his small dining nook likely going over reports.
“How’d it go?”
Komari groaned and threw herself down into the tufted couch-like contraption Rael had inherited from the apartment’s previous owners, since it was so large it could not be moved.
“He didn’t think the Temple Guard armor, however it gets made, would be ‘the correct path’ for what I wanted, said he’d get back to me with more information.”
Rael nodded slowly, hands steepled far too much like Master Yan.
“Well, sounds like you’ll have more information soon. Though I know of at least one place where you could find even better information.”
Komari squirmed from within the… thing. She knew Rael wanted her to visit the Archives. And he was right, she should.
But she could not deal with whatever reaction her presence would draw from Master Nu.
Master Nu was a crechemate with Master Yan, and while the two were not close, they still respected each other. Or, at least they had respected one another. Komari had no idea where the venerated master landed among the many opinions and threads of gossip traveling about the Temple in relation to Master Yan’s departure from the Jedi Order and Komari’s current standing.
It wasn’t like she hadn’t been a source of entertainment for tittering fools before Master Yan left, and Komari knows she would be faring much better through all of this if that hadn’t been the case.
As it stood, Komari could barely make it through meals with Qui-Gon in the main Temple refectory once a week (curse the man’s inability to cook) and her one weekly lecture, designed for talented senior padawans but more so for young knights, a course she’d taken pride in being accepted to before Master Yan left, that was now near-agony and she knew she was performing poorly.
Even without the spectre of Master Nu, the Archives would be terrible.
Rael studied her. Komari felt it, but she refused to look directly at the man.
“If I take you on a little field trip-” (Komari let Rael feel her contempt at his choice of phrasing. He answered with his own amusement and kept speaking) “-will you in turn put in a request to have an Archivist help you find more information about metal-working?”
That… would solve a few problems, probably, maybe. Master Nu was far too professional to directly interfere in a formalized request for research assistance, and whatever Archivist would have information about metal-working within different Force traditions would probably also be inclined to treat her well since she and Qui-Gon had brought back the copies of the letters and such from their time at the retreat.
She might even be able to get some information without actually stepping foot in the Archives. Unlikely, true, but a girl could dream.
That just left this mysterious ‘field trip.’
Komari forced herself out of the couch just enough that she could squint at Rael. It was not enough to let the man feel her suspicion, he needed to see it.
He had a diplomat’s smile on his face, but his presence was laughing, no, giggling. Ugh, she’d been cursed with idiots in this lineage, hadn’t she?
“Is it possible you’ve already set up this little excursion?”
“I’ve set up nothing.”
He was right. Rael hadn’t set up the trip, because the trip was quite literally a field trip. Rael had signed them up to help chaperone a field trip. A field trip of crechelings.
“A curse on your house, Master Rael.”
They were standing at the rear of a pack of younglings, listening to their crechemaster’s safety instructions on a small, in-system transport vessel the Temple had likely been loaned by the Coruscant Transport Authority.
“But Padawan Vosa, you are currently part of my household.”
“I was not placing a curse so much as stating what I have observed.”
Komari felt Rael stiffen beside her, and she realized how her joke could be interpreted in relation to Nim.
“I am no longer surprised Nim ran away to deal with bureaucrats and politicians if you regularly thrust her into situations where she was responsible for children.”
Rael snorted, but his posture also relaxed, and he sent a brush of “humor-appreciation-fondness” toward her.
Komari remembered her own clan going on a field trip to an enclave in Coruscant. It was a typical experience for all initiate clans, especially those that were mostly or entirely one species, like Komari’s human or near-human clan.
Jedi younglings grew up surrounded by different species, but if one was not living beside a member of another species, it could be difficult for them to understand how to intuit the ways their fellow Jedi may be different because of who they are as a being and who they are as a member of their species.
Like the way many species with full body hair have specific customs associated with their hair, or fur, depending on the cultural and biological differences. Yet many Jedi of these species try to keep their hair, or fur, short, or braided in some way, since many chose to wear more clothing than was custom among their people.
(One Wookie initiate who took a class with Komari when she was around twelve, and he was his species equivalent, told Komari that he could not be bothered to spend a whole day once a month doing an entire routine on his body fur. It was a little offensive to other members of his species that Jedi Wookies often kept their fur so short, but it was less offensive then not treating their fur with a ridiculous number of masks and oils, something that was expected unless one was in mourning, so it was grudgingly accepted by the rest of their species.)
This particular group of very young humans and near-humans were going to a Symeong enclave.
They would not be able to visit the Symeongs’ actual individual homes, but the enclave on Coruscant was a converted shipyard where a couple thousand Symeong could live together after it had been retrofitted. The interior pathways between their homes were still accessible to larger species, in large part so Symeong guild companies could meet with potential employers from the protection of their settlement.
At least the end destination would be interesting.
But Komari was unsure the journey would not kill her.
The group of younglings were, technically, well-behaved. They were still curious, and just young enough that they simply could not sit still for the entirety of the transport to the enclave. Thank all the brightest stars they had their own designated transport. Komari was positive they would have lost at least one child if they’d been roaming around the public system.
Finally, they arrived at the enclave, a couple layers down and 67 degrees from the Temple.
Rael, Komari, the crechemaster and their cultural exchange instructor herded the younglings off the transport and to the enclave entryway.
A group of three Symeong beings appeared to be waiting for them.
“Ello, welcome to Taeyn, our little piece of Courscant! My name is Gental, I am an assistant homekeeper here. To my left is Curet, one of our community elders, and to my right is Lys, one of the metalsmiths stationed here in Taeyn.”
Metalsmith?
Komari looked over at Rael. He met her gaze, and sent his own “surprise-intrigue-interest” back to her.
Gental led their little group further into the converted warehouse, and Komari and Rael adjusted to better follow the group, allowing their crechemaster, Master Wei, to take point toward the front of the little clan.
Komari listens as one does when guarding a diplomat, attentive, but more focused on her charge. Or, charges, in this case. Two little ones at the back had begun hitting their shoulders against one another, little scowls growing on their faces, while Gental explained that Symeong liked to sleep in rather small, closet-like spaces they treated almost like nests, then shared large, communal spaces with others for their “living space”. Komari gently sent a sense of “warning-watching-behave” to the two creechlings.
The looks of surprise and slight embarrassment were rather rewarding.
Gental brought them to one of these living spaces on the groundfloor of the towering building, and there described how this particular family group had organized their living space, who would consider this their home, and how Gental in his role helped keep such areas clean and functional. Komari allowed herself to drift back to Rael while Gental answered the younglings’ questions, then drifted back to her post when they went on to the next part of the tour.
Their next stop was a community forge.
Komari’s full attention was on Lys.
Lys explained that this particular forge was often used to teach their younglings basic smithing that was expected base knowledge among their people and the first lessons a metalsmith would complete when working toward their own mastery. Lys, with the help of another Symeong being who had been keeping one of the small forge fires warm, showed the little ones how metal can be melted down in a crucible and poured into a casing. This particular casing was a series of small charms, blessings according to Lys.
Komari watched closely and also studied the community forge room. It had a tall ceiling, as did all of the community spaces they had seen in the Symeong community, with rungs that a Symeong could climb as easily as a stair to different storage spaces, cooling racks and even small ovens likely meant for refining small amounts of metal.
Was there another forge for larger works?
So much was still a mystery.
She listened closely to the answers Lys gave the younglings, and tried to hold back her own, private (or private from all but Rael) frustrations that she could not ask for more detailed explanations, follow-up questions, or even for a demonstration of some of the interesting things Lys described, like their community’s work recycling discarded metals.
She felt a small tug on her pant leg, and looked down into the face of one of the two younglings who had been jostling their crechemate earlier in the tour.
“What is it, young one?”
The little boy sniffed, pale white skin turning a little blue as they became more upset (this youngling must be near-human, and this was their version of a flush as, right, yes, that often happened before children cried), and tears started to gather in their eyes.
“Kor-Tal is gone!”
Komari felt a spike of concern and worry from the crechemaster. She looked up at Rael.
She watched him quickly count the little heads, then he looked at her with a grim face and nodded once. They’d lost one of their little charges. Gental was wringing their hands.
“Do-do we send out a search, or, do you put trackers on them?”
Cuert, the elder, made a hacking-laugh sound.
“They don’t put trackers on their younglings. Shame, really.”
Komari did not roll her eyes.
“Master Wei, I will find Kor-Tal, you and Master Rael stay with the younglings, and I will let Master Rael know when I’ve found them.”
One of Master Wei’s eyebrows rose and Komari, once again, did not roll her eyes. She knew where or not Master Rael had taken her on as his padawan was one of the kinder pieces of debated gossip in the Temple, if being talked about behind one’s back could ever be kind.
Master Wei turned back to Lys and asked the Symeong smith to continue their lesson. Komari, for just a second, also wanted to cry.
Kriff, she wanted to be here for this!
Instead she turned and walked out of the community forge. She opened her senses, and was quickly flooded with the Force-signatures of the many life forms in the large building. She closed her eyes and reached out, as one Force-sensitive being would to another in greeting, especially when one does not know the other’s sect. She was surprised, and realized she should not be, when she felt a flicker of recognition and greeting from a handful of beings.
(Does this mean there are Force-sensitive metalsmiths and mechanics among the Symeong on Coruscant? Could she, maybe- no, not the time!)
She also felt a bright flare of confusion and determination, one that felt young and green, to her left.
Komari opened her eyes and-
Kriff, saw a tiny opening in a wall of community shops, private living spaces and tiny sleeping compartments. How was she going to get in there? How had Kor-Tal even fit?
“Looking for a young’un?”
Komari looked up. A Symeong being was leaning out of what Komari assumed was the door of a communal living space slightly higher than her head.
“Ah, yes, he seems to have run off.”
The Symeong snorted.
“He sure did. Ran out of the forge like his fur was on fire, slide right under the first step bar and took off into the maintenance hall.”
She looked at the tiny space the Symeong indicated.
“Is there another way to the end of that….maintenance hall?”
“Might be able to go up, then down, that’s how our’s do it. There’s sections that are bigger near different ports and such. The halls between are meant for slipping wires, sending tools through.”
Komari nodded. That was good, she could use that. She bent her knees to jump, then stopped herself, almost falling.
“Do you know, would it be-upseting, if I-”
The Symeong waved a hand, like they were brushing the concern away.
“Everyone knows you Jedi are here today. If there’s any concern, I’ll explain.”
“My thanks.”
And then Komari was off.
The spacing of the purposeful bars and handholds was odd, but it was still fun to climb over the walls of the structure. Komari let herself enjoy the experience even as she continued to reach out to that little green, determined light. The Force nudged her to begin moving through the wall instead of up it, and Komari took on the challenge of fitting herself through the relatively small area meant for workers to climb over the maintenance hall.
There, at the very back of the kriffing hall, was Kor-Tal. Komari allowed herself a few curses before carefully climbing down into the larger-but-still-cramped opening near a data port. She found little Kor-Tal covered in grime, sitting next to a sparking opening of wires, holding some small creature.
As she climbed down, his little, dirty face turned up to her.
“Padawan Vosa, I’m sorry but, but the Force-”
Komari let the Force take away her frustration.
“No, little one, you don’t need to apologize for helping one in need. You do need to apologize for running off without telling anyone, but I will leave that lecture to Master Wei.”
Kor-Tal pouted and looked down at the little creature in his lap.
“I think she’s hurt.”
“Well, we’ll have to get out of this, spot, to get her help. Come one now.”
Komari might have been worried about letting a youngling who was not Force-sensitive climb two stories up a dark, dirty wall, but between the many foot holds and such made just for a being Kor-Tal’s size and the training she knows he would have already completed at this age, Komari is mostly unconcerned.
It is a little more challenging since he refuses to let her carry the small creator though.
Eventually they make it back to their group, who had paused their tour outside the community forge to wait for Komari and Kor-Tal to rejoin them. The Symeong who told Komari how to navigate the maintenance hall had also joined them.
“Master Wei, I had to, I felt her in trouble!”
Kor-Tal lifted the little creature for Master Wei to see and all four of the Symeong recoiled. Oh, Master Wei was not going to get away with leaving this little thing with the enclave.
Gental explained the little creature was a chitlik, and apparently a female chitlik that was pregnant. On Ord Cestus they were trapped and released for their milk, but on Coruscant they were an invasive species that regularly chewed wires. Gental did not say they would kill the little thing if it was left at the Symeong enclave, but it was quite clear to all the adults int he room what would happen to the little rodent if Kor-Tal did not bring it back to the Temple, as he’d confidently declared he would do.
Komari and Rael were not laughing, out loud, at Master Wei, but their amusement was perhaps a little too obvious in the Force, as they were both poked by the crechemaster.
Gental went to find some carrier for the chitlit. While they waited for him to return, the Symeong that had helped Komari walked over to her.
“So, I am Tyr. I felt you reaching.”
“Yes, I apologize for disturbing you. It was the quickest way to find Kor-Tal.”
The Symeong waved their hand, brushing away her concern.
“The master here said you are interested in metalsmithing.”
Komari stopped trying to brush the grime from her pants and stood up straight.
“Yes! Yes, I am.”
Tyr nodded.
“I am the chief metalsmith of the Gie Forge. Would you like to come back for a tour, maybe a quick lesson?”
“I would love to come back, thank you so much!”
The rest of the tour was uneventful, though the crechelings were fascinated with the Symeong community, and in turn seemed to succeed in charming their hosts, even Cuert, who had shared a traditional story with the creche clan during their snack time.
And Tyr had stayed with them during the tour, speaking with Komari and Rael, and even Lys, off and on throughout, asking about her previous lessons, her current skill level and what she wanted to learn. He’d laughed when she’d said “everything” in response to that particular question.
Based on Lys’ response to Tyr’s invitation and continued attention, Gie Forge must be one of the most respected in this Symeong enclave. And he was Force-sensitive, though he did not mention or even hint at his abilities. Komari, following his lead, did the same.
They returned to the Temple before late-meal, younglings tired but happy, excited about their new creche pet. Master Wei told the younglings they would need to bring the creature right to the Halls of Healing when they landed, then each of them would need to be thoroughly cleaned since they had all hugged Kor-Tal after his triumphant return, and were now all covered in grime.
Komari would also need a good cleaning, and Rael as well since he insisted on standing against the side of the transport leaning against her shoulder.
“The Force works in mysterious ways, eh Komari.”
Komari laughed a little.
“So it seems, so it seems.”