School and Politics

School and Politics
Date of Scene:	19 December 2025
Location:	Kublop Springs - Tenoo - Outer Rim
Synopsis:	Cayde and Thaarin visit the school in Kublop.
Cast of Characters:	159, Cayde Alexis

---

Athena (159) has posed:
Not much time has passed, since Cayde, Navi, and Mondrian had left the underground tunnels beneath the tram station. Little has transpired either, but as co-deputy, the young padawan's list of things to oversee and action upon is ever growing.

And at the top of Cayde's ever increasing agenda is to visit the local school in Kublop and discuss with the principle and the mayor, a plan to put the children of Aklyrr Bend into the education system properly.

Thaarin had agreed to accompany the young padawan, and Soren as well had said well that if any other needs arose, he could be available. He hadn't planned to return to the colony within the next couple days anyway, although he had not yet disclosed why.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde had finally sent a message to the superintendent requesting a visit, after staring at it for weeks. The wording is still kind of awkward, but at least it's not...unintentionally scandalous sounding any more.

    So he and Thaarin head over to the school in Kublop at the agreed upon time. Truthfully, the young Jedi knows he's terrible at this sort of thing. But he has to learn it one way or another.

Athena (159) has posed:
"You're going to do fine," the tall blue alien encourages. "And you know as well as I do that it will be good for you to be around peers."

They approach the school, and immediately Cayde will be able to hear the cacophony that's children playing, talking, and even playing sports right outside the school. They've arrived just in time for school to be let out, and there's a crowd of kids ranging in age from ten to eighteen congregated there. They look up when Cayde approaches, some regard him with neutral looks, others look a bit confused, and a few give him condescending looks.

"Let's go inside," Thaarin urges, ushering him past the stares of many children.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [Thank you] he signs when Thaarin offers encouragement that he's going to do just fine.

    He focuses on keeping the cacophony at bay, trying to remain rooted in the moment. As the students peer at him, he gives them all a friendly smile. [Hello] he signs to them, before following Thaarin inside.

Athena (159) has posed:
Many of the children just look away, seeming a bit confused by his signing. They're younger, so probably don't know Basic Sign.

Once inside, they'll venture down a hallway towards the principle's office. Waiting outside of it is the jolly mayor of Kublop, a broadly set elderly human man with twinkling eyes.

"Hello there!" he greets warmly. "I've heard many a great thing about the co-deputies from Rykard. Cayde, I take it? Everyone here knows me as Mayor Niklas, but you can call me Hedge." He smiles and offers the young padawan a hand to shake.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Well...he tried, at least?

    Cayde follows Thaarin down the hallway toward the office, finding the mayor of Kublop outside of it. The man's good natured demeanor somewhat reminds him of the former Chancellor.

    He nods and bows slightly toward 'Hedge'. [Yes I am...good to meet you mayor] he signs.

Athena (159) has posed:
Thaarin greets and shakes the hand of the mayor after Cayde, and then the door opens. On the other side is the principle, who seems equally delighted to have Cayde and Thaarin here.

"Come into my office and make yourself at home," the principle says. He then nods at the mayor and smiles - they seem quite familiar with one another.

Once they've settled in, the principle turns to Cayde. "So," he says, "tell me about the children of Aklyrr Bend...?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde enters the office and sits down in front of the desk, noticing it seems the school administrator and the mayor are quite familiar with each other. Well it was a small town, after all.

    He looks pensive at the question, trying to find the right words to use. [They are good children...need education but no school in Aklyrr...want to...] a pause. [They want to learn...want to be useful]

Athena (159) has posed:
The principal pauses, looking slightly dissatisfied. "... ah, I mean, yes, that's all well and good. But I was hoping you could tell me more about them as people. They're 'good', but how so? And how old are most of them? How many of them are there? How do the parents feel?"

Thaarin just nods encouragingly at Cayde, indicating that he wants Cayde to try to answer all of the principal's questions.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Another pause, and this one takes a bit longer.

    [Most ten to fourteen...a few younger...maybe thirty age for school...] Cayde estimates on the number.

Athena (159) has posed:
The principal frowns pensively as if trying to understand what Cayde is trying to say, and Hedge blinks, apparently a bit confused.

Thaarin's expression becomes dangerously neutral, which Cayde will immediately recognize as the Chiss man's reaction whenever he's internally cringing.

"What he means is that there's at most, 30 children who would be eligible to be enrolled in school," Thaarin explains. He casts a sidelong glance at Cayde.

"Oh-h-h, I see," the principal says. "Well, unfortunately, I think that's probably more than our school can currently enroll..."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde pouts slightly...well, he tried his best...there were so many questions.

    [Sorry] he signs quickly, then arches a brow at the man when he tells them 30 is too many. [Why] he asks.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Well," the principal explains. "There's two, mainly. First of all, our classrooms were only designed to host at maximum, fifteen students. And with next year's enrollment looking to increase twenty percent, I don't know that we would even be able to fit all of the new students in the classrooms. Second of all, thirty new students is the size of two new classes. We don't have enough staff to maintain the five to one ratio of teachers to students. I'm also slightly concerned about transportation. It takes an hour to come to Kublop from Aklyrr, and an hour to return. It could be stressful for the children to be traveling that much everyday to go to school."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [Tax from Aklyrr...to expand] Cayde offers. Yes, he's been studying some of this kind of management stuff, although it is incredibly boring. [Travel...better than no school] he points out. [But maybe not all] There were a few families handling their own education.

Athena (159) has posed:
The principal looks thoughtful. "Well, yes, perhaps, but I'm not sure how the parents feel--"

"Actually," the mayor interjects, "I had an idea. There may be other sources of ah, -willing- funding right here in Kublop. I'd like to elaborate, if you don't mind," he says, glancing over at Cayde.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde frowns, thinking about what Kublop's families could get in return for their taxes probably being raised. Maybe, bigger and better school programs and facilities?

    But then the mayor seems to have a proposition. [Okay] he signs, nodding to Hedge.

Athena (159) has posed:
"I've been talking to the Disciples at the convent, and we've had quite a few discussions about their desire to help contribute to the community here in Kublop in a more meaningful way," the mayor says. "I was thinking, that if they're willing, they could sell the convent back to local government, which would then in turn convert it into a new school campus, that could serve as a boarding school for any children that wanted to reduce commuting. The Disciples would remain there, and be given some real estate for their duties to their religious order, but would also help staff the new campus, and perhaps the Temple back on Jedha would be willing to help fund a large portion of this effort."

"The rest we'd have to figure out, but it would be less than if we just raised taxes all around to hire more staff and expand the campus we have now."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods at the idea. It sounds promising, at least. However, he is then reminded of 'Crane's' true identity. Was it a good idea for him to be around schoolchildren every day?

    [...have they heard about this] he asks.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Well, to a degree, I suppose. We had chatted about mutual interests, and one of them was further development of future generations. So in a way, yes." The mayor says. He then looks to Thaarin, who nods.

"I think it's an excellent idea," Thaarin says, "you could present it to the Disciples, and see what they think."

He glances over at Cayde. "And then you could ask the families back at Aklyrr Bend if they'd be interested in such an initiative."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde listens to what is being suggested, nodding slightly and trying to appear unfazed but the color is draining from his face a bit.

    But he nods slowly anyway. [...okay...okay I will] he signs, pursing his lips.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Oh no," Hedge says when Cayde pales, "is everything alright?"

"Why don't you give us a tour of the campus here?" Thaarin suddenly suggests, standing. "So Cayde can have a better understanding of who might end up being peers of the students from Aklyrr, and some of the programs and facilities that could or should be offered at the new one."

The principal nods hastily, seeming to feel a bit awkward at the sudden subject change. "Oh, yes, right. That's a good idea."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods quickly. [Yes I am okay] he signs.

    [Yes okay let us go] he agrees enthusiastically at the idea of a tour. He stands, and goes to wait by the door.

Athena (159) has posed:
Hedge seems a little surprised at Cayde's abrupt reassurance and then sudden departure to the door immediately after, but he doesn't say anything.

The principal follows Cayde to the door and then leads the way out into the hallway. Next, he shows them towards rear the school campus, where all of the after school programs are held.

Cayde will see a few classrooms filled with five to ten kids of varying ages studiously working on homework while a teacher supervises. They venture into one of them - this one appears to be some kind of crafting and home economics enrichment afterschool program - there's a couple of kids working on art projects, while the rest are bent over a recipe and a single burner in the back of the classroom. Something smells burned.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde is still pondering over 'Crane' and whether Amarik would be a good influence here as he follows them toward the back. But maybe not all of them would have to help with work at the school?

    Upon entering the classroom where the program is being held, he seems interested in the art projects and goes over to see what they're working on.

Athena (159) has posed:
They seem super focused on what they're doing, so they don't notice Cayde right away. The principal seems to be waiting for the right time to interject and introduce Cayde when one of the girls working on her project looks up and sees Cayde.

She screams quietly and jerks away from Cayde, dropping her pencil, startled.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde was waiting for someone to look up or happen to step away for a moment, so he could ask them about what they're working on without interrupting anything. He was just about to ask the girl who happened to look up, but she squeaks suddenly and drops something. The writing utensil falls, but doesn't hit the floor. Instead, it seems to stop in midair, then float gently back onto her desk.

    The padawan comes to stand next to her then, peering down at whatever she's working on. [Sorry about that] he signs to her. [It is very nice] he remarks about her work.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Y-You startled me," she says, looking frightened. She watches as the pencil floats back down onto her desk. "Thank you," she says quietly and timidly.

"This is Cayde," the principal finally interjects. "He's one of the co-deputies of Aklyrr Bend. He's going to be helping some of the kids from Aklyrr Bend come to school here," he says.

She nods, looking embarrassed still. "It's... it's nice to meet you," she says quietly.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [I hope so] Cayde replies to the principal's comment.

    He pats the girl on the shoulder as she still seems nervous. [It is okay...and what is your name] he asks her.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Mafa," the girl says. She still seems nervous and maybe a little scared. She moves away from Cayde's hand.

"She's very shy," the teacher who's supervising suddenly says, coming over. "But very smart, and very artistic!" She smiles at Mafa.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [Good to meet you Mafa] Cayde replies, carefully spelling out his best estimation of her name in letter sign.

    He nods at the teacher, then smiles warmly toward her, again looking down at her art. [It is very beautiful] he tells her.

Athena (159) has posed:
Mafa just nods, but doesn't look at Cayde.

"Thank you," she says quietly, fiddling with her pencil nervously. "Do you want to draw something too?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde shifts his position a bit to move in front of her line of sight when she doesn't look at him, assuming she wants an answer to her question, anyway.

    [Sure I can] he then replies to her.

Athena (159) has posed:
She nods, chewing on her pencil a bit, then hands Cayde a piece of flimsiplast and a few markers.

Then she goes back to working on her art project.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde takes the flimsiplast and markers a little bit awkwardly. Back on Coruscant, this stuff was barely used any more. Nonetheless, he sketches out a moderately accurate image of a vase being used as a still life subject.

Athena (159) has posed:
"That's very nice," Hedge remarks, looking over Cayde's shoulder. Thaarin seems very content to just watch Cayde draw in silence, though Cayde won't find this behavior to be uncommon for the Chiss man.

The principal and the teacher have distracted themselves in a side conversation about the budget for afterschool programs, but Mafa seems fascinated by Cayde's drawing. When he's finished, she asks, "Can I add to it?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [Thank you] Cayde replies to Hedge. He was about to offer the drawing to the mayor, but then Mafa asks if she can add to it. Nodding, he hands her the drawing and the markers.

Athena (159) has posed:
Mafa takes the drawing and colors in the background. Then she offers it to the mayor, who seems to know Mafa already. Well, Kublop is small, so it isn't surprising.

But Thaarin is tapping him on the shoulder. "We should probably get going," he says, "It was very nice meeting you all, but the last tram back to Aklyrr will be leaving soon."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Huh, well that was exactly what he'd been thinking. Had he accidentally projected to her? Hopefully, it hadn't done any harm.

    [Okay] Cayde nods to Thaarin, though he looks a little disappointed. They'd only seen one classroom.

Athena (159) has posed:
Maybe. Mafa smiles knowingly and suddenly hugs his arm. Then she runs off, to the back of the classroom where some of the older kids are trying to figure out how to make noodle soup.

"We can come back another time," he says, looking to the principal, who nods. "We'd be happy to have you anytime," the principal reassures Cayde. "Next time you're in Kublop, stop by. I'll be here, along with all my staff."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde pats Mafa on the shoulder again when she hugs his arm. Well, she seems to have enjoyed the interaction, overall. So...that was a good thing.

    [Okay...thank you] he replies. [I will come...in other times]

Athena (159) has posed:
The principal nods. "Of course, my pleasure."

"Excellent!" Hedge says. He seems excited. "You can come by the Mayor's Manor anytime as well. I'm so glad to have gotten to meet you in person!" he says enthusiastically. "We'll meet again soon, and I'm sure I'll have an update for you from the Disciples by then."

Then he and the principal both turn to leave.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde lingers a moment, watching them leave. His gaze goes back over to Mafa as she is helping with the cooking project, then back to Thaarin.

    [How I do] he asks.

Athena (159) has posed:
Thaarin ushers him out of the school first. "It was alright," He tells the young padawan.

"Could have been worse, that's for certain. But it wasn't, so that's progress."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde deflates a bit. Maybe he expected better. [...it is hard...for me] he sighs. [I thought about it a long time]

Athena (159) has posed:
Thaarin laughs quietly. "I know it's hard," he says, patting Cayde on the shoulder.

"It will take time to become better at these things, Cayde. Don't expect to overcome it all in a single night. Now, let's hurry to the platform. It's getting late."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [But... I am better...right] Cayde asks, looking for a confirmation even as he starts toward the tram station.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Yes..." Thaarin says. "You are. You're better than you used to be. So that's good."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [...thank you Thaarin] Really, Cayde needed that. He nods and hurries onto the train, settling in for the ride back.