A monolithic structure approached the viewport, larger than anything Dan had ever seen. The view of Coruscant’s cityscape was amazing, but it fell in line with his expectations. The scale of the Jedi temple blew those expectations away.
Taller than their mountain by a thousand times, it dominated the city around it. A kilometre high ziggurat rose above the foundation, topped by five spires. Dan scanned the braces of the structure, uncertain where the temple ended and the rest of the city below it began.
“This world is so… artificial, not to mention cramped,” May’s nose twitched. “I bet it smells like metal…”
“It’s not all bad,” Etain came to the defence of her home. “There are whole populations of cute little tooka-cats, you’ll love them!”
“Alright,” May smiled at the exuberant youth. “You can show me some once we get to the surface!”
“Let’s head to the ramp, we should be landing soon,” Dan rose to his feet, a final glance at his A.I. “Remember, Ultron, stay out of trouble and finish your errands, then meet us back at the ship.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll behave,” Ultron rolled his mechanical eyes. “This is a much better place than the backwaters we’ve visited so far, the data volume is astounding!”
“Just be careful,” Dan frowned. He didn’t need Palpitine’s tech savvy master to catch his trail. “We’re looking to make friends, not enemies.”
“It sounds like Ultron here is a troublemaker,” Kast squinted at the A.I. “You could get an updated restraining bolt, if he’s causing problems?”
“He should be ok, but I’ll keep it in mind,” Dan laughed as Ultron bristled. “Plus, I’m not sure the technology would be compatible…”
“That’s fine then, but if he messes around I won’t be able to help” Kast shrugged as they reached the exit ramp. “I’ve sent a message to Master Yoda, but he’s in the middle of a class.”
“That’s fine, I can wait, maybe tour the gardens or something…” Dan’s smile froze as the door opened. His nose was assaulted by an unpleasant mix of acrid smoke and human waste.
“That’s unpleasant…” May covered her nose. “Is this whole planet a tire fire?”
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
“What do you mean?” Etain tilted her head. “I can’t smell anything…”
“Our species have sensitive noses,” Dan grimaced. “We’re probably smelling the lower levels.”
“Ah…” Kast winced. “That’s unfortunate, the undercity has a foul stench!”
“That’s true,” Etain nodded. “Whenever we train down there, the smell clings to us for a week… you guys can smell it from up here?”
“Some kryptonians can smell things in space,” Dan tilted his head. “Some of them can hear in space…”
“THAT’S UNSCIENTIFIC,” Etain rolled her eyes. “Come on, May, I’ll show you the tooka’s!”
“Alright,” May followed her friend, hand raised to Dan. “I’ll see you later, have fun in the temple!”
“Have fun adding to your collection,” Dan laughed. He waved at his wife, head turned to Master Kast. “What should we do while we wait?”
“I’d like to visit the library,” Merlyn tugged Anakin behind him like a sack. “A place like this will have many useful pieces of knowledge.”
“YOU’RE ALWAYS READING,” Anakin lamented. “Can’t you teach me to do something cool already?”
“Your apprentice is a surly one, Merlyn,” Kast chuckled. “Feel free, the archives are located just above the main entrance, next to the study halls.”
“Many thanks,” Merlyn squinted at the wall of the temple, then vanished in a pop of air.
“That Wizard has some amazing skills,” Kast shook his head. “I thought only the Aing-Tii monks could do such things!”
“I remember them…” Dan’s eyes glazed over as he dug into his memory. “They have really weird abilities, dealing with both space and time.”
“You know of them,” Kast raised his eyebrows. “That’s a surprise, they’re pretty obscure.”
The pair of them walked through the massive entry way. A vast hall filled the space, ringed with rows and rows of balconies that climbed into the heavens. Merlyn was just visible, far above, locked in a grapple with his young ward.
“Like I said, big fan,” Dan shrugged. “I know about a lot of different force-cults, it’s kind of my hobby.”
“A strange hobby for a young man to have,” Kast laughed as he led the way to a turbolift. “It’s odd for one so young to value history, especially esoteric knowledge like the Aing-Tii.”
The metal door whisked open and the pair boarded. The panel was different than Dan was used to, a key pad rather than set numbers. Kast keyed in level zero and the lift shot upward.
“It’s a bit weird, I guess,” Dan rubbed the back of his head. “I also know a lot about ancient history, I’m an avid collector of knowledge on the Celestials and other precursors.”
“Really?” Kast blinked. “That’s another surprise. I can count the people I know on one hand who can mention the Celestials.”
“That’s not true,” Dan waved the Jedi away. “Everyone knows about Centerpoint station, the whole Corellian system can see the thing.”
Centerpoint was another goal of his. The vast space station could move the stars, shift them through hyperspace like they weighed nothing.
“I suppose, but no one talks about the Celestials, just the station itself,” Kast raised an eyebrow. “It’s more of a curiosity than anything.”
The turbolift arrived, doors opened to a wide, open air space. Well groomed lawns covered the area ahead, trees ordered in neat rows. An area to one side was in use as a sparring stage, while a large group of younglings gathered in a courtyard ahead.
“Master Yoda’s class is ahead,” Kast shifted the topic. “We can join, or we can walk about the grounds until he’s finished.”
“Let’s sit in on the class,” Dan tore his eyes away from the active lightsabers in the duelling ring. “I’d like to see Master Yoda in action.”
They walked forward to join the younglings, a crowd that could fill a small stadium. There was even a small child of the same species as Yoda, held in an older child’s arms. Dan followed Kast to a seat, off to the side, and they waited for the lecture to begin.