Log:Back to Naboo
Chani begins a new chapter, and closes an old one
OOC Date: December 02, 2020
Location: Various Locations
Participants: Chani Tahn, Aryn Cole
It's the middle of the afternoon by the time that Chani shows up to Hanna Medical Center for a second time. When she sees reception in the lobby, she says that she's there for a follow up with Doctor Cole, and although there's nothing in the system, all it takes is a call to the physician and relaying her name to get the wheels in motion. They get a staff member to escort her back into the examination area and then beyond, where rows of offices are filled with doctors catching up on paperwork, working on cases, or doing any number of things they might need to take care of in the privacy of their office. Chani is silent on the walk, with nothing but footsteps signaling their passing. The staff members leaves her at the door, and after a few drawn out moments of consideration, she finally lifts her hand to bump against the button that signals someone's presence outside the office.
Aryn didn't need the prompt to know someone was outside the door. Her connection with the Force afforded her many inherent senses that clued her in on details such as this. The prompt still served though, and when the door opened it revealed a corner office with two sets of windows shaded by the tinting technology of the glass. Decorative curtains celebrate the blue color of the walls and accentuate the presence of sea-shell colored tables and a luxury seating arrangement. A central picture of Alderaan's blue mountain range dominates the wall opposite of the windows, and a rug of snowy white fur tie everything else together. It's an affluent office, but it fits the bill for what Aryn is.
Aryn is rising up from her desk at the far end of the room. Instead of the garments of a doctor, she wears an expensive ensemble with a cape that drapes down her back and hangs across her shoulders. It's fastened by an electrum brooch that captures the light, glittering like some eccentric jewel.
"Welcome, Miss Chani," Aryn announces while rounding her desk. "Please, come in.."
She doesn't make the same blunder she did last time. Once Doctor Cole presents herself, Chani gives her the kind of proper bow someone trained in etiquette knows to give. It's neither too fast nor too long, neither too deep or too shallow. It bespeaks the due respect being given. "Your Highness." Her dark gaze, cast in the spectrum of shades somewhere just visibly brown, focus on the Princess first. It's not until she's invited and and passes through the door that she breaks eye contact to admire the office space she finds herself in. She knows the fact the office feels small has nothing to do with its size and everything to do with her trepidation. It's a sensation she tries to shake off. "Thank you for having me, Your Highness." She doesn't waste time on small pleasantries or inane topics like how in fashion Aryn's current clothes are. No doubt the Princess is well aware of how trendy her styles are. Part of her wonders if the blonde can hear her heartbeat. It certainly feels like its beating hard enough to make noise. "I.. don't know where to begin."
Aryn returned the gesture of respect with a proper bow, then straightened. Her hands retreat to the small of her back where they clasp. Awarding Chani with a pretty smile, Aryn says, "We can begin with you calling me Aryn. I am humbled that you recognize me, further more that you respect the title I hold; it can be cumbersome to say Your Highness a lot though, and I think the weight of our discussion will require a bit more familiarity. So, please.." She gestures to the seating arrangement and moves to take a chair, her back to the windows.
After seating herself, Aryn took the luxury of leaning back and crossing one leg over her other. Her hands orient themselves properly by cupping over her dominant knee. "What brought your path back to me?"
Chani's not sure if she's glad for the extra delay finding a seat among the furniture arrangement affords or if it just feels like it's adding to her anxiety. It seems impractical to stand, though, and while she doesn't acknowledge anything regarding the title in question and what the Princess would like to be referred to as, Chani does find a seat on one of the cushions on the curved sectional wrapped against the wall. She sits close to the edge, straight-backed and showing nowhere near the comfort as the noble reclining in her chair. She stares at the surface of the table between them rather than the blonde, as of its blank surface can somehow provide the necessary white noise for her to get her thoughts in order. "Curiosity. Concern. A great number of things. If what you've said is true," Chani seems to be struggling to come to terms with the information still, "This.. changes everything. My people believe in duty, as I'm sure you are aware. This would be life altering for me."
"Few have our gift," Aryn says carefully, trying to provide further confirmation they are alike in this regard, "..and even fewer come to embrace it. The days of the old Jedi Order have faded with history. What had already been myth has retreated to legend; there are those who /believe/ that we do not exist at all." Aryn smiles to inject a bit of levity, "Regardless of what history tells us, there are still great mysteries about our galaxy, about our existence, we do not understand. One of those mysteries is in our blood. The Jedi Order exists for a number of reasons, but its chief focus is understanding this gift. To a degree, our committment to knowledge leads us down the path of duty and service."
"Maybe I can provide you some answers to satiate your curiosity and concern?"
Chani's gaze rises from the table to meet Aryn's. Few on Naboo have ever thought the Jedi a myth. Their culture has a storied past with the Order. They are not shy about teaching it to their newest generations. "It's not about.. the gift, Your Highness. It's about.. what to do. How do I just.. change everything? I know what the Jedi Order is trying to do these days. I've seen the holovids of the Jedi on Coruscant, trying to save people from burning buildings. I've seen some of the galaxy and what the First Order is doing. But up until yesterday, the only way I knew how to impact that world was to bring music into people's lives. Now you're telling me that I can do more than that, and I don't know how to handle it. How do I just leave the Orchestra behind? What would I even say? What do I tell my parents?" It may be a blessing, indeed, but for Chani it comes with many questions and maybe a crisis of identity. "I can't just ignore it and pretend like it doesn't exist. That would be wrong. I don't want to be a liar. I just.. don't know what to do next."
"Now that you know you /can/ be more, do you want to be? The answer to your question is not something I can convince you to accept. It is not a choice I can make for you. That answer resides here.." Aryn raised her hand to touch the place of her own heart. "I do not want to convince you to be something you have little desire becoming. That is not my purpose. Your journey begins by recognizing there is a new path. Do you /want/ to serve as a Jedi and devote yourself to this committment? Or do you feel fulfilled in your current life and see no reason to change course? I believe that when you can answer that question, and it feels right in your heart, you will know what to say to the others."
Chani doesn't know how to articulate her feelings in regards to the question. It's not about what she wants and more about what she can do to help others. It's less about a pursuit of being more for the sake of being more and more about understanding she has a responsibility and shouldn't turn away from it. Giving verbal form to those sentiments is harder than she thought it might be. "I want to help others," is how she ends up answering after struggling, the knuckles of her fingers almost turning white as they're threaded through one another and grip each other with enough strength to blanche the skin around them. "I already realize that there's a new path, Your Highness. I won't lie and say that I dislike my life. I enjoy what I have achieved and worked hard for, but if I can help others by doing more than playing music, then that's worth pursuing. I feel that's right, I truly do. I just don't know anything about this. Am I even allowed to tell someone? What if that leads them to being in danger? I know the Jedi are hunted." Her questions and what she needs guidance on are more practical matters, not so much coming to terms with what she's been told and how to handle that.
"I say that is a good start," Aryn replies to Chani's answer of wanting to help others. Aryn grows quiet as she listens to Chani speak more on how this troubles her. The conundrum of safety and obvious danger that came from being a Jedi. "Recognizing the subsequent danger of becoming a Jedi is good awareness. There are no stipulations about concealing what you are from people. We prefer discretion where it is needed. I encourage you to tell only those who need to know. You can convey the importance of keeping this information to themselves, and that none need obtain the specifics of your decision."
"If things transpire that lead those you told to encounter danger, then there is nothing that says we are unable to step in to defend them. It is not an easy choice, and I want you to know that. All of the Jedi I know struggle with this dilemma. It is why we support one another when we have to. You are not alone."
Aryn sits back in her seat again and breaths a little more easily, putting on a calm demeanor. "If you are concerned with the Orchestra, I may have a solution there. We can say I have accepted you into my service. It is not a lie outright, but it is an opportunity they would understand you accepting without drawing any other conclusions."
The more Aryn speaks, the more the apparent tension in Chani's body begins to ease. The edged-up positioning of her shoulders becomes slack, the definitive flex of muscle in her jaw loses its distinction, and her fingers no longer squeeze together so tight that it looks like it might actually cause pain. She lets out a long, slow breath, because the questions she's presenting now are the same questions that have been plaguing her since yesterday. Her position on the seat adjusts, feet shifting together and hands spreading out across her lap as if to smooth the long skirt of the simple gown that she's wearing. She shakes her head softly. "I was more concerned about my parents than anything else. We Naboo value privacy and discretion. The director will allow me to leave with no questions asked. I appreciate your offer, Your Highness, but I do not want to start down this new path with any falsehoods. I guess I just needed to say things aloud. You've helped greatly."
Chani's gaze drops from Aryn's to consider the blank surface of the table again. Before, it seemed forlorn and desolate. Now, Chani feels like it represents something new. A place to paint a picture. She meets Aryn's gaze. "I don't know what any of this entails, but I am ready to take responsibility for this gift, if you will help guide me."
"That is a decision I respect immensely. Truly." Aryn offers a reassuring smile and she shifts forward to make the discussion more intimate, like they are friends eagerly discussing the details of something. "Nothing would give me more pleasure, Miss Chani." Aryn rose to offer her hand as if to shake, and if Chani took hold of it, Aryn cupped her other hand over the top. "I am so thankful our paths crossed. I /fervently/ believe you will find your place among the Jedi."
"Will you need time to make arrangements?-- And.. if I might impart one bit of wisdom?"
The mere suggestion that Aryn is going to rise from her seat prompts Chani to do the same. She stands more quickly, ensuring the Princess reaches her full height last. The extended hand is considered for longer a period. Just like yesterday's blunder, she worries about doing something else equally awkward. Still, the Princess has offered, first, and it would be insulting, Chani thinks, to avoid such a gesture. Her hand joins the blonde woman's for only as long as it is necessary, and she suppresses any kind of telling adjusting of her weight from one foot to the other when Aryn's other hand setles atop hers. She gives the Princess of Alderaan's hand a gentle squeeze, and then retreats from the contact, though not rushed. "I need to inform the director and then.. gather my things, I suppose? Should I bring anything?"
"You can bring what you desire," Aryn answers, smiling. Her hands have retreated to the small of her back again. "I was going to suggest you tell your parents in person. If it helps, I have a ship we can take back to Naboo for the visit. Truly, no bother." Aryn steps away from the seating arrangements to walk toward her desk. After walking around the desk, she pulls out a drawer to look inside.
The look of surprise that registers on Chani's face speaks does nothing to hide the emotion that spreads through her at the suggestion. Etiquette, of course, dictates that she refuse such an offer. Imagine, allowing the Princess of Alderaan to act like some courier service? Still, this is no small matter, and Chani would much rather speak to her parents in person rather than trying to relay everything over a holocall. There is, too, some small paranoia blossoming in her mind. One that makes her afraid that somehow, someone might listen in on that conversation. The desire to make sure her parents are safe is a deep one, and Chani can't fight against it in this instance. "I.. would be indebted to you, Your Highness." It's all she can think to say. "I'd appreciate that greatly. I need.. an hour?" She guesstimates. She doesn't know how long it'll take. Safest to give a window like that. "Where do I meet you?"
"Speak nothing of debt, my friend. We are here for each other, and please take all the time you need." Aryn shuts the drawer and returns to Chani, offering a keycard to her. "This is the encrypted key to my hangar at the starport: Hangar number five. When you have concluded business on Chandrila, you will find me there." Aryn offers a reassuring smile once again. "I will see you soon, Miss Chani."
It's one surprise after another. Chani's about to turn and leave when Aryn produces the card and explains what it's for. She reaches for it with both hands, taking the corners with her thumbs and forefingers and glancing at the card as if it might somehow animate and do something she doesn't expect. She imagines this is not something that is handed out lightly. A literal Princess does not, after all, just give things to total strangers that could compromise her security. "I understand, your Highness. Thank you." She bows again, in that respectful way, and tucks the card into her palm with a tight grip for safe keeping. "I'll see you soon." Chani leaves, feeling surreal about this entire situation and where it's taking her.
Roughly an hour later…
It's not a full hour before Chani arrives at the fifth private hangar linked to Hanna City's spaceport. She arrives by public speeder, which pulls up outside of the imposing, large area sealed off by bulkheaded doors. She parts with a few credits for the ride and removes her bags from the back. The droid up front tweets something at her, but Chani doesn't understand binary and can only lift her hand in some semblance of a parting gesture before the craft's engine spools up and it takes off in a wide turn across the tarmac that takes it back towards where it originated from. She pulls a hallikset in a cross sling from her left shoulder to her right hip, then dons the smaller bag she was carrying before on her right shoulder.
The last bag is more a case that requires both her hands to carry. She lugs it over to the door, then looks at the portal with some small sense of trepidation when she produces the card that's supposed to open it. She half expects guards to bear down on her for being some sort of intruder. Part of her also expects it might not even work. Like maybe the Princess has played a long, elaborate con and is sitting somewhere, laughing with upper crust socialiates and telling the story about the young, stupid girl she convinced into believing she might be anything more than what she is. It's only when the door opens and she begins to step in that the settling realization that all this might be true starts to set in.
The hangar is revealed to be weathered and well used. The tarmax is scuffed from frequent landings, and several berths are currently occupied. High up above, a metallic causeway leads to a loft looking down over the interior and a wall behind it, aligned with windows, suggests the presence of an apartment inside. Is that where Aryn resides?
The small blonde emerges from a Helix-class Interceptor, a large freighter occupying one of the berths. The ramp is thick, but it conveys her steps loudly enough that they echo in the large space. She waves, rather than yelling, and begins to close the distance toward the harpist. The cape Aryn wears gently licks at the space behind her resting only when she came to a quiet stop in front of Chani. "I was just thinking of you. I hope your departure from the orchestra was not too taxing.."
Aryn makes a show of idle hands, gesturing like she can help. "May I help you?"
The true scope of the hangar reveals itself once she's inside. Thinking about one person owning this much space is a little mind-boggling. Her family is wealthy, and her paternal grandparents own no small amount of land out in the Naboo countryside, but to take up this much space in a city seems.. far different than that. Not to mention the size of the ships resting in their berths. Chani supposes she shouldn't be surprised. Princesses are, after all, typically known to be rich. She's busy looking around when Aryn emerges from the freighter, and it takes her a moment to spot the blonde woman approaching. "It was.. something." She doesn't elaborate further than that, but it's impossible to miss how her eyes dart. Her tone doesn't entirely conceal the sense of sadness that comes with parting from something she knows.
"I couldn't impose on you anymore than I already am, Your Highness. These aren't heavy." This offer for help she does refuse. "But I am ready to leave." Maybe it feels less heavy because she knows she's headed for home. It wasn't that long ago that she was there. They played in Kaadara for a fundraiser hosted by Senator Naberrie, but even a few days away from home always makes Chani miss Naboo.
Aryn takes no offense of being refused. A graceful step and she stands abreast with Chani, and a small gesture is made to prompt them into motion. "The only way is forward, Miss Chani. You travel a new path, but you are not alone. Let us return to Naboo. I daresay its beauty might be enough to make you smile."
Aryn leads the way toward the blue freighter she exited moments before. The exterior is painted to the color of distant rainclouds, and the name seems just as apropos 'Rainstorm'. The ramp is wide but not steep, and the incline is a gradual thing leading to a luxurious interior. The atmosphere inside was slightly warmer, perhaps in preparation for the colder climate of space, and there was ample storage for Chani to store her belongings and secure them from falling.
A corridor toward the 'front' led to a sleek cockpit, intended for a pilot and co-pilot, with a vast canopy that provided an unrestricted view of what lay above and beyond. The door that typically sealed off this corridor was left open, and a small green (pine green) and white BB-series droid rolled by warbling a greeting.
Aryn's comment earns a wistful kind of smile all its own. It fades as quick as it comes, but it was there all the same. It's as difficult to describe how she feels now as it was to try to describe it sitting in the Doctor's office. She's closing the door on something she spent years trying to achieve and pouring all her time and dedication into. Something else waits, though, and Chani knows she'd never forgive herself for just sitting idly by and not pursuing it. That's never been who she is. They approach the freighter and Chani eyes it with a discerning look that doesn't really capture anything of note. She's never traveled aboard something like this. The Orchestra always used its own form of transportation to travel from performance to performance, and while it was nice, it was also crowded given the number of musicians on board.
To think that only two people will be aboard this ship is another one of those mind-boggling things. Chani is encountering many of these situations in the recent days. She takes the ramp slowly, not wanting to teeter off balance as she ascends the durasteel extension that takes her from tarmac to interior. It takes her all a second to recant the thought that the way she traveled with the Orchestra could be considered nice. This? This is opulence. Chani stores her things away where the Princess indicates, and is most careful with the hallikset. She reminds herself, for the hundredth time, to get a case for it rather than just carrying it around. "This is yours?" Chani asks, and fails to hide the awe that comes with the question. It's a silly one, to be sure. Why would they be on board if it wasn't the Princess'?
"It is," Aryn responds in kind. "Do you like it?" Aryn had observed Chani storing her things, and when it appeared that she had secured it all, the ramp was triggered to rise and the droid 'Cedar' departed. Aryn navigated the central chamber and made for the front corridor. When she reached the corridor, she turned back to Chani and smiled, "Come up here. We will begin our departure."
Aryn unclasped her cape by disconnecting the brooch on her shoulder and dropping the elegant material from her shoulder. She hangs it on a hook and refastens the expensive brooch to keep it from falling. This reveals that Aryn is armed. A dark holster is strapped to her thigh, and it serves as home to a pristine silver blaster pistol. Above the pistol and hooked firmly to the same belt is a curved lightsaber hilt. The hilt's design is not eccentric, but there is an artistic detail about it that is not apparent unless seen up close.
Aryn did not linger in the corridor for longer than was needed to hang her cape. She stepped enthusiastically to the cockpit and took her seat in the pilot's chair. The monitors and holo-display were already queued up and waiting execution. A casual tap of the icons, flip of switches, and a gentle rumbling from custom engines made the craft come to life.
"It's very nice." Chani's answer is an understatement if there ever was one. It's all the Princess gets before the young woman follows her suggestion and moves through the corridor towards what she assumes to be the control cabin for the craft. The rolling droid, which had bleeped earlier, receives its own brief moment of attention from Chani's gaze, but lacking any ability to understand it, she's not sure what any noise coming from it might be. It is a small shock to see the Princess armed with a blaster. The lightsaber is not so much a shock, but such a thing demands attention in its own right. Chani has never seen one before. There are too many things to focus her attention on any one place for long, though. Her eyes are on the move.
"I've never been up here before. In a ship, I mean." She clarifies what might come off as a vague statement, and stays well back from getting close to anything. It all seems important. Chani's afraid straying too far to either side will cause her to brush against something she shouldn't. She's still fairly new to ships. The first one she'd ever been on had been the first time she traveled with the Orchestra, and that experience is measured in the span of a few months. To see where all the flying is done is a new experience on top of a heap of them. "Shouldn't I sit in the passenger compartment?" It doesn't occur to her that the Princess will do the flying alone, or that there would even be space for her here. That might be counter-intuitive to the invitation in the first place, but Chani is still processing, and that processing is slowing everything up.
"Over here," Aryn says. She uses her hand to pat the seat beside her and chuckles when Chani says she's never been to the control cabin before. "Nonsense. You would miss all the wonderous views. Come.. you can strap in here."
Repulsorlifts come to life then and a loud beeping alarm sounds indicating the close proximity and growing distance between the landing skids and the tarmac. The ceiling above begins to slide apart casting a glare of light from above that is quickly mitigated by the tinting canopy glass. The room becomes darker, and the instruments come to life. A gust of air-conditioned coolness sweeps out of the vents, further indication the ship is activating all its power priorities.
Aryn does not move the ship until they're settled in seats. She keys the comm and speaks aloud. <<"Control tower one, this is Rainstorm. Requesting permission to begin ascent and exit atmosphere.">>
A moment passes before a voice answers back over the loud speakers in the cabin. <<"Rainstorm, this is tower one. We have assigned you airspace and uploaded the route. Your departure is authorized. Have a safe trip and we look forward to seeing you again.">>
<<"Tower One, Rainstorm; Understood. Rainstorm out.">>
The ship begins to rise up by Aryn's manipulation of the throttle and controls. They rise above the hangar and achieve a view of the starport and surrounding Hanna City; further beyond and glittering into the horizon is the silver sea. A distant storm flashes lightning, its clouds dark and beautiful. Aryn brings up the holo-projected flightpath and pulls back on the throttle to give the ship some speed. It responds immediately with just enough force to put her against her seat. Aryn laughs. "Apologies, I am used to the other ship in the hangar and forget this one has a bit more... mmph." The ship begins to gain altitude and they tilt slightly more to the sky.
The prospect of being in the control cabin during takeoff is as exciting as it is slightly terrifying. To be able to see the ship ascend to the heights that it has to when it travels to space? She wants to see it and she doesn't. The Princess makes her decision for her in the end. Letting out a breath through her parted lips, Chani steps forward and slips into the seat the blonde woman gestured to. It takes Chani a few quiet seconds to figure out the harness and how to get it buckled in correctly, during which time the Princess sees it fit to prep the ship. She misses all the necessary switch toggling and the complexity of the start-up sequence. All she's privy to is the whine as the engines begin to come online and get ready.
Silence from her side reigns. She says nothing that might interrupt Aryn's back-and-forth transmissions with the control tower. Tentatively, Chani's gaze watches out of the viewport and her breath is taken away by the sudden lurch of the repulsorlifts taking over and hoisting the craft from the ground. Her hands immediately seek out the arm rests of the chair and her fingers go tight around its padded cushions. All manner of irrational fears play through her mind in that brief second, and somehow, seeing the world transition outside makes the inertia feel more impactful. "Whoa!" The Princess' apology is taken in stride. She can do little more than offer a nervous laugh as response. For all the understandable nervousness, though, Chani also feels a thrilling rush as she watches the sky dominate the view.
They begin to increase in speed and the shields shimmer into existence with the slap of a button. When they have reached max speed, Aryn tips the stick back and they look to the sky with no hint of the planet they're leaving behind. In time, the blue ebbs away to the void of space and that sudden realization of insignificance creeps in. The Republic fleet lingers high up in orbit with magnificent ships of extraordinary firepower. Patrols of starfighters angle by in practiced formations and shipping lanes are marked by a line of freighters seeking permission to enter Republic space.
"Beautiful," Aryn comments, glancing aside to Chani to watch her face. "It is the first word that comes to mind each time I see space and all the distant stars. A wondrous galaxy to be seen and it is all at our fingertips. The marvels of a modern society.." Aryn triggers the nav-computer to begin calculating their destination, and she brings the ship into its proper lane, aligning their nose with the holo-projected flightpath they need to take to reach Naboo. A distant light, no larger than that of a small pin's head, is marked for Naboo. It was the very star Chani had grown up under and seen much of her life.
"Hang on," Aryn warns.
When the Rainstorm exited the gravity well, Aryn reached forward to take hold of the other throttle, and pulled back. The hyperdrive reacted immediately, slingshotting them into a vortex of elongated light and various colors. From the outside, the ship zipped from view in a final thrust of impulse energy.
"I never knew it looked like this." She's not breathless, but her tone has that quality to it. There's a plethora of emotions packed into her sentence, expressing everything from awe to disbelief and some of that understood insignifiance. Chani observes the massive cruisers of the New Republic fleet compared against the much smaller starfighters and the public lanes of traffic passing to the planet. Still, while the space around the planet seems active with distant star light glinting off of hulls, the emptiness that's around them is so present that it makes her feel like she's tried to take too many steps at once. It's stomach-lurching in a way that makes her nervous. "It's.. hard to believe. To come to terms with." A lot of that going around.
"Hang on?" The warning in Aryn's voice encourages her to grip the seat's arm rests a little tighter, and Chani casts quick glances from the pilot to the viewport. What happens next is even more wondrous than what came before it. The dark vacuum turns into a tunnel of candescent blue, stunning Chani into literal silence. It plays through the viewport itself, tinting everything around it that color. She doesn't even so much as murmur something. Quite literally, her jaw is slack and her mouth hangs open in wonder. She knows the sensation if nothing else. She knows they've gone to hyperspace. A few minutes is all it takes for Chani to understand why some people dedicate their lives to becoming pilots. A few minutes is all it takes for Chani to want to learn, too. She says nothing of this, but maybe, sometime in the future, she'll ask. For now, she's just along for the ride.
Despite the lurching speed of jumping into hyperspace, the ride is surprisingly smooth. There is no bumping or rocking, just the constant hum of engines as they travel at superluminal speeds. Aryn brushes a hand back through her hair and laughs. "..yes," She answered the question to hang on. "It can be disorienting for the first time. Then? It is is mesmerizing. Everyone discusses the concept of space travel, but all that talk makes little sense until you experience it for the first time." Aryn tipped her chair back casually and stretched. If it were to be a long trip she might have risen and walked to the back to lay down, but a holo-projected timer appeared showing their rate of travel as they neared Naboo.
Cool air continued to blow at them from various vents, and various buttons and switches idly flashed as their viewport offered a magnificent view of mass shadows, realspace nebulae, and wondrous stellar objects they've passed along the way.
The trip through hyperspace is spent in relative quiet. Chani has a lot to think about. There is a point to this trip to her home system, and the visit weighs on her mind. It's not bad news, but it's news that carries a certain amount of weight with it, and Chani treats it with the seriousness that it's due. Once they revert to realspace, Chani gets a first look at the system she was born in through the eyes of a pilot. She recognizes nothing about the darkness, but something nonetheless feels familiar. It might be nothing more than confirmation bias. She knows they're in her home system, and her mind just conjures up the sensation of home she's associated with the concept for so long. "I didn't think I'd be back so soon," she muses aloud.
When the ship returns to realspace, it's as smooth as the jump to hyperspace. Aryn brings the impulse engines to life and sets an intercept course for Naboo. They enter the public space lanes, passing by a pair of Republic frigates just returning from a Chommell Sector patrol. A trio of yellow and silver Nubian starfighter pass by overhead, their circular blue nacelle engine outputs glowing bright when they dominate the upper portion of the view port. Even with all the traffic here in space, the only sound present was the instruments in the control cabin and the air rushing past the vents.
Naboo grows larger, its blue and green beauty a sight to behold from space. Aryn issues an automated landing request with the flight control. When they get their response, permission to land, a flight path appeared before them and Aryn takes it toward the planet. The view tints darker then as they start the descent and entry into the planet's atmosphere.
Not long after, they see the forests of bright green, and the sky has begun its evening cycle. The Rainstorm lowers through another set of clouds and arrives at a spanning city about to embark upon the night. Domed rooves and lit lamps decorate the ground and they can see the Royal palace off in the distance, the waterfalls misting white as they pour off the edge of the plateau.
Aryn begins the landing routine, orienting the ship and deploying its skids so that it settle onto the tarmac and beneath the protection of the hangar roof. Once settled, Aryn slaps a series of switches that initiate the power down. The viewport blacks out then, concealing their presence inside, and the lights in the cabin glow brighter. The walkway is aligned with smaller blue lights, and the interior of the ship dims a bit as it transitions to idle power processes.
"Welcome back home," Aryn offers with a reassuring smile. "I will see about getting a speeder so you need not carry your belongings too far."
"Thank you, Your Highness. I have to take an air bus from Theed to Keren City, so please don't trouble yourself. It's not expensive at all and my belongings aren't that heavy, anyway. The terminal is not far from the spaceport itself." Reaching up to undo the harness that's kept her secure in the co-pilot seat, the rattling of the buckles coming undone and brushing against the sides of the seat fill the cockpit moments before the shuffling of rising from the seat does. There's something eerily quiet about the ship being powered down and being in the quietness of the enclosed cabin. It's a different experience from the public transports that she's been on before.
"But would it be too much to ask of you to join me? There are going to be questions my parents have, and while they won't think I'm lying, I think they'll have as hard a time with the initial information as I did. Someone with knowledge of all this would be.. better. I think they may initially be concerned I'd become.. ill." Part of her tone hopes Aryn understands what she's asking. After all, having to suddenly face the information she's preparing to reveal to her parents could understandably cause even rational adults to initially reject the idea. This concept goes far beyond anything she's ever pursued before.
Aryn stations herself by the corridor they have to take to exit. She's quiet while Chani speaks, watching and listening to her. She nods her head to show she understands Chani's decision to go to the terminal for the air bus. When the topic of coming with her surfaces, Aryn is surprised Chani wants her to come along.
"I would be honored. Though forgive my doing so, I should wear a hood while we are in public. I do not wish to draw any unneeded attention to you or your family, but once we are safely inside your home, I will reveal my identity. Should you find this agreeable, then I think we need only travel a bit further to achieve our purpose here." Aryn gestures toward the corridor and smiles, and will follow after the young lady once she has passed Aryn by.
