He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed tinkering on ships until he'd gone some time here without doing anything like it.  Growing up, Luke had always been up to his elbows in some project or another, fixing droids for his uncle or modifying the speeder he used; later on, the tinkering turned into working on real ships like his X-Wing, the Falcon, and then Mara's ships.  There was something comforting in it, in the logical way that components fit together--and right now, with so much having happened recently, Luke found that tweaking systems on his X-Wing to better than spec was the best way for him to organize his thoughts.

Jaina, Han, and Chewie showing up had been enough of a jolt to Luke's mind.  Jaina wasn't the only child of his sister and best friend now; she hadn't watched her twin fall to the Dark Side.  Chewbacca was, well, alive.  Han was years younger.  And then there was Jacen, who only had the tiny seed planted by the torment he'd suffered at the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong and their insidious mental shaping.  And then there were those nightmares, and the strange surreal dreams that twisted aspects of his memories...

It was on Jacen that Luke meditated while he lay on his stomach, head and shoulders inside an access bay, using a hydrospanner to make adjustments to the shielding system and periodically sitting up to check the diagnostic readouts on the ship computer.  It wasn't going smoothly, and he muttered a very un-Jedi Huttese curse after checking it again, and sighing.

It was really bad when a Jedi lost his center.

The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their numbers. After the revelation that their worlds are gone, many of them are even more eager to see people they knew from home.

Several people are set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicoms and comm rings. New crew-mates might see a green-skinned alien and snake girl among their number. There are also several authoritative-looking figures ready to introduce themselves.

There's a lot to tell the new people. It's going to be a lot to take in.

[ooc: Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have your guys greet the newbies.]

Anakin stared out of the window. His thoughts drifted to many things prior. The fact that a member of his future family was here. That his former Master now knew everything. It was all surreal. He had taken the time to sneak away for a moment and collect himself. ... Not that he was meditating or anything, that was Obi-Wan's gig not his. Still, he found it calming to be alone in his thoughts.

Most importantly he thought about about her, and what she was doing. If she missed him, if there was any way to get back to her. His emotions swirled together and he found himself almost gasping for air. He had a sudden realization. What if he never found a way back? What if he was stuck here without her?

... No. He couldn't think that way. He would find a way home back to her. He would not allow himself to be trapped like some animal. There had to be a way. There always was a way.

Bringing his gaze downward, he looked at his robotic hand. Clenching his fist for a moment, he just stared at it. He didn't feel anything from his hand -- he didn't put any pain senors in them -- but he did feel something when he fought with Dooku. In a hand which should have no feeling. Even now he felt something ... but it wasn't there.

Bringing a hand to his chest, the pain struck him from the inside out. The more he thought about her the more he hurt. He tried to push the thoughts away, but they lingered, threatening to over take him.

All that he could do was stare out into open space and hopefully find a way to ease his mind.

Obi-Wan had done as he ought, he'd done what he could and then retired from the field. Too many hands for that pot, and not a one of them with as little sense. Still he was weary from his injury and his healing, and after a strange dream-addled sleep, what was needed most was perspective. The church was crowded, the city was an uncertain mess, and there was little enough peace to be had in the barracks— the Jedi had retired to the oft-praised sensoriums to look for a place of quiet. And he'd found in his choice of setting nothing less than what was unmistakably a Jedi Temple.

Oh, it wasn't the Temple, but the architectural style, the general layout were similar, all rounded, organics shapes an living stone. It resonated with him and so he found a cushion and a comfortable, bright lace where little but warm moist breezes and quiet birdsong reached him and began the quiet, measured breaths that were a prelude to the less combat-oriented meditation styles. Comforting quite, peacegiving pulse of the living Force in his very veins...if introspection were not so disquieting, they would have given greater balance. Obi-Wan sighed and began again. Anakin and Luke would know where to find him, when they were ready— and at least one of them deserved the lecture he'd be getting, and knew it.

[Instructions: Here.]

Despite a few tricks up their sleeves, the Conspirators hardly stood a chance. It's all or nothing as they make a few last ditch attempts to kill the Yeerk, and as the fight grinds to a screeching halt.

Will they kill the Yeerk?

Will someone other than the Yeerk get killed in the crossfire?

Luke sat at a table in the observation deck, chin resting in the palm of one hand.  It was an attitude he'd never really abandoned in all his years, and one that had always made him look incredibly boyish--or so Mara had said.

So much had happened since the latest podpop.  Two faces he thought he'd never see again had shown up, but neither knew him--they were from a time earlier than Luke had even existed.  Obi-Wan was happier than Luke had known him, with a kind of vitality that told just how deeply the ravages of a prolonged war, and Anakin's fall, had affected him.

Anakin... Luke's blue eyes were troubled as he thought of his father.  Young, talented, arrogant--all the things that the records had said of Anakin Skywalker were true.  He'd rebuffed Luke, suspected him of treachery, and that had hurt Luke more than he let on.  What could you say to that?  What could you do about it?  Luke wanted to tell Anakin the truth--tell him that Anakin was his father and Leia's father, tell him everything.  But he'd seen someone who was so quick to anger and suspicious before he was ever trusting, and Luke had had to retreat.  How could he make Anakin believe him anyway?  Luke was old enough to be Anakin's father.

Obi-Wan had said that Anakin wasn't good with new stresses, and to give it time.  Luke hoped that the other Master was right.

[OOC note:  this takes place just around the time of the stuff going on down in the City.  Directly after this thread ends with their danger-senses going off, Anakin and Luke will be making their way down to the City to be bystanders!]

Breathe, inhale, count again.

It had taken Obi-Wan hours to find a place flat and open enough to do this in. He'd originally wanted a clearing or courtyard, but in the end the only thing that had turned up was a flat rooftop near what he'd dubbed the "North" end of the strange city in this insane place.

Step, turn back, begin again. Third form, faster now; breathe, inhale, and lift—

Comforting basics, he'd run this form a thousand times or more. He'd mastered it. There were no fancy moves, nor clever flourishes in this calm ballet. The Lightsaber hilt was warm and comforting in his hand; familiar design, familiar grip, the hum a constant stream of nostalgia near his ear as Obi-Wan whirled it again into the third stance, then the fourth.

Start again, faster, faster, the blade became and arc of light, blinding quick in time with hurried, open-mouthed breaths, less meditation than workout, now. One arm extended in a lunge— that was a touch of form two, unneeded. Calmer, slower, hold and block, it was like shadowboxing as the Jedi ran through the exercise, imagining with eyes closed a barrage of enemies and blaster-fire against a lone man and a beam of trapped power. The mock-fight cusped and faded, and in the wake left peace. This was the will of the Force glowing bright within him, re-centered and ready to face whatever this experience threw at him. If he wasn't meant to be here, then he wouldn't. Whatever else may be happening, he must be able to do some good in this place. That was his duty, as a Jedi Master, as a tool and expression of the Force within him.

And he opened his eyes, look up and smiled as the hissing crackle of a deactivating Lightsaber punctuated his meditational exercise, "Well, hello. Come for a lesson, have we?"

Another day, another podpop. The crew and command crew has gathered on Obs Deck to greet the newbs, but right now the atmosphere is tense. People are taking turns on rotations to alternately hunt for Sam--who'd been kept in prison during the trial to present his assassinating the Yeerk-- and guard said parasite so it can have a fair trial. The Jury is in recess, for the moment, but will be deciding the Yeerk's fate very soon. A bunch of new people thrown into the mix is tremendous complication.

Meanwhile, the newbies are waking up to a strange, new world, one unlike anything they may have ever seen before. In the Obs Deck, the light of stars--and parallel universes--streaks past in a sleek, transcendent sheet of multi-colored lights in the large, eye-like windows. (They're inside the eyes, looking out, it seems). The statue in the center of the room, going up the domed ceiling is intimidating--and seems to be looking at them.

The tension is palpable, though a few individuals are trying to cut through it with friendliness for the benefit of the scared and bewildered new people now waking up from their gooey slumber.

[ooc: Newbie Helpers List | Instructions: Post your character with one post establishing them as being podpopped. If you would like to play out them talking to the AI, please send an email to the mods making the request--we do this only by request. Then move onto the big Newbie Meeting. Once your character has gotten the rundown from the old crew, you may start posting entrance posts and freely tagging.]


||Pod Release Protocols Initating|| Stacy's familiar voice sounds out to all the podmates through the ship.

In the Pod Caverns, there are the sounds of: Pop. Pop pop pop. Poppuhpoppoppop. KASCHUNKhiiiiiiiissssss.

There is condensation and mist spraying out from cracks in the pods, as the people inside slide out onto the floors, covered in slime.

--

( There was nothing... )