Chapter 7: Renovating
There and then I decided to make this my new home. At least if I somehow could find something to compensate for the lack of daylight down here. But clean water was worth more to me than daylight. Since my species originally was carnivores and hunters I can see fairly well in the dark so if needed I could manage with a few glow roads.
I spent the night down in my new cave, hoping fervently that Dex wouldn't be too worried about me. When I woke, a little stiff and sore I decided that a decent sleeping mat would be good too. The Chton seemed to have found other hunting grounds for the day because I couldn't even feel their presence nearby when I departed my new home.
I didn't have to worry. Dex was helpful as ever and through one of his numerous acquaintances I was able to get materials so I could rig some light sources. It wasn't as good as the brightly lit halls of the Temple but it was good enough for me. I also managed to find a simpler route to the surface which brought me out of the Chton's area.
I even managed to earn some credits by working as a mechanic on some of the mid-levels so after a few days I was able to buy a used, but fairly clean sleeping mat and a blanket. My home was complete for now.
Compared to the situation a few weeks ago I was in a fairly good shape. I had shelter, I had water and I had some credits so I could get food. Life wasn't good, but it had definitely improved.
Until now I had been too busy with just surviving, so I hadn't really thought much about my new surroundings except marvelling over the entrance hall and the fine mosaics that could be found everywhere. But now I had some time and I wanted to explore my surroundings a bit more. I had noticed several smaller rooms in the corridors that led away from the grand hall and armed with a glow rod I decided to see what more could be found.
The rooms were quite small and simple. It seemed to be small cells, much like the dorms for the older initiates in the Temple and a suspicion began to nag in the back of my mind. There had been stories about an old Bendu Temple that actually had occupied the ground where the "new" Jedi Temple was raised. We all considered the storys more like a fairy tale because nobody had heard about anyone actually seeing the ruins, but maybe it was more than that. Surely it was more than that, after what I could see. The tranquility I, and probably every other force sensitive being in the galaxy could feel here might have attracted first the Bendu, and later the Jedi to raise their temples at this particular location.
When I found a larger room that must have been a refectory my suspicions were even more confirmed. Then the thought struck me: if my assumptions were true, I had to live right beneath the Jedi Temple now. I almost chuckled to myself before realising that I now had to keep my shields up all the time. If I were as close as I thought Skyguy and Master Obi-Wan would actually be able to sense me. I couldn't let that happen. I immediately reinforced my shielding…
Another thought struck me just as fast. What if there was a path connecting the two Temples? If so I had to find it and block it before anyone could enter from the other side. It surely wouldn't look good if anyone found me here.
It took me two days, or rather two evenings, finding it. I found an old winding staircase and followed it. A small door was found at the end of it and after searching thoroughly through the force I found that it was safe to open it. Carefully I looked out and peeked around me. I was coming up a huge cylindrical construction and for all I could see I was in the lower part of the Temple, not very far from the main technical rooms if I interpreted the faint buzzing sounds of transformers and fans correctly.
I almost chuckled to myself. I could actually have…uh…shed some light over my quarters by tapping some electricity from the main generators. Oh, well, I'd better not leave any traces of my presence. I'd better get to work and find a way to block the door from the inside to avoid uninvited guests. From the dust outside nobody seemed to have come this way in centuries but still… A couple of solid bolts blocking the upper and the lower doors from the inside would probably do. It wouldn't stand the assault from a ram, but then again - there was no space for a ram in the lower part of the cylindrical structure I had come to suspect was the base of the central spire of the present Temple. Any Jedi could potentially blow it open by use of the Force or simply pull the bolts aside, but then again - they had to find it first, and such ministrations at the most important part of the entire Temple's structure would likely not be too tempting. At least I hoped so.
