Like it's written in the stars

ancient jedi temples - specially those not yet marked on maps - were not unheard of. the legacy of the jedi spanned thousands of years and was shaped by more hands than memory could fit, each master - and era - different from the one which preceded it. when the council is informed of a possible temple left to time and ever-growing vines, it's not quite the surprise many may think, but it is still important to investigate and take note of.

the building is on somewhat of a desert planet - the forests the holos described were long gone, giving way to near-blue sands that spanned for miles and miles. without the lush vegetation to conceal its location, the space of this theoretical jedi temple stood out like a sore thumb, lodged between a bowl created by a mountain rage surrounding the well-preserved ruins.

it took qui-gon - the one assigned for this mission - half a day to make his way down the hill and into the temple. nearly immediately, he took notice of a symbol drawn into the ground. recent, it appeared - the grains were still in position, rather than having been blown away by the occasional breeze. the same image could be found throughout the various halls of the building, all leading to the courtyards outside - and, in their expanded reach, the faint presence of another.

She doesn't notice him. Not at first. She's too wrapped up in the frustration of her situation to even pick up on the sound of footfalls (if indeed there had been any). There's no sense of being watched from a distance, which is no surprise as there's several dozen standing stone walls that come between them, but still. Had she known how long he'd been following her little trail of marked passages, she might have been embarrassed at least a bit more.

The pull of the Force, however, she does feel. It's like a gentle hand draping itself over her shoulder. It's an unfamiliar Force signature, something warm and curious, and she stops in her tracks at the sensation of it. She wheels around on her heels, expecting to find herself staring down some ancient Temple Guard, ready to defend the inner sanctum's secrets with what remained of its life force. Instead, she finds she's still alone in this little section of the courtyard. With a breath, she relaxes her hands and retucks her traveling cloak around her, no longer requiring easy access to her lightsaber.

That is, so long as this stranger remained at a distance.

She closed her eyes, fighting with her inner voice (the one that sounded an awful lot like Xanatos) over what she ought to do. Reaching back out with the Force would almost certainly give her position away to this stranger and for all she knew, they were an immediate threat. On the other hand, not returning the gesture might lead to further complications later on if she ever did run into this stranger face-to-face (which seemed almost inevitable now). Too many possibilities, she thought, too many angles this interaction could take. Minimize the risks, Xanatos told her, and always have an exit.

"I'm fine, just a scratch." "It's just a flesh wound, nothing serious." "Don't worry about me, I can still keep going." "I've had worse. This is nothing." "I don't have time to deal with this right now." "It'll take more than that to stop me." "I can handle the pain. Just help me patch it up quickly." "I'll be back on my feet in no time." "Ignore the blood, it's just a graze." "This won't slow me down." "I've got work to do, so let's wrap this up." "No need to panic, it's just a bullet wound." "I can't let this stop me from finishing what I started." "I'm tougher than I look." "This is nothing compared to what I've been through." "Save the sympathy. I'll be fine." "Just focus on the mission. I'll deal with this later." "Keep moving, we can't afford to stop." "I refuse to be taken out by something like this." "I'll rest when the job is done."

should the time have suddenly come to an undetermined pause, the scene opening before destiny's eyes would've made quite a beautiful picture in all its ordinariness; new acquaintances sharing a 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, as tender and soft as a feather, a breath drawn on the verge of something that'd eventually bloom and make foundations for mutual fondness. there was something unusual in the air for sure, padmé could tell — she too had temporarily welcomed a sense of perplexity with all her attention directed at a single thing, a person, instead of focusing on what she'd originally been doing or trying to gain by taking a different route towards her office space, than usual. a soft hum of amusement rolled from rosy lips as the senator offered a firm nod, ❝ yes, miss. i can take you there. ❞ anyone could easily get lost in these vast halls and endless corridors without guidance, not forgetting the security personnel who wouldn't always be in the mood for treating lost souls with patience and kindness. they had their hands full of work, understandably so. padmé knew she'd have some time before the next meeting, so offering some help for this kind being wouldn't be an unwelcome change in her schedule.

Following the other's lead, she allowed her steps to fall in line with Padme's own. Blue eyes darted this way and that as they walked, taking in the opulent sight of the building they traversed. As governess, she was accustomed to finery but this place was certainly something to write home about. Tailored to be welcoming to a thousand cultures and ways of life, it teemed with a sense of purpose and class that she was certain few places could achieve as effortlessly. A soft laugh escaped the brunette at Padme's implication and she shook her head.