Roene Givrah

A song? Like the stanzas of a song, she sees the living heartbeat of the force translate into music. No wonder she is so strange. She thinks of the force in ways I have never thought of before. If allowed, I must learn more. “I see…” Roene said, after letting the young woman’s words rest for a moment. “You release it to the force to prove it has no power over you. That is an inspired act and I admire that. Very few people acknowledge their weaknesses, let alone seek to conquer or face them willingly.” Roene flexed his wooden left hand and arm with some effort and passed it to Kyrie for inspection. He gently offered his hand to her with his palm up in an open gesture of kindness. Inside of his palm, was a delicate fusion of living and dead cells, fused together with metal and the force to create a living lightsaber hilt. Nature’s fury slept softly in the palm of Reone’s hand and only stirred for a moment when Roene revealed it to Kyrie. “This,” indicated Roene as he turned the hilt a little more for her to see, “along with my wooden arm, are reminders of my past. They teach me that I am not bigger than a mountain. I can fall like any other tree. I am mortal. Even with access to all the power in the known universe, I can still fail. I know my natural rhetoric might seem a bit stale, but I communicate through the world around me. If you grow bored of it, you can let me know and I will try to avoid nature based metaphors in the future.” Roene chuckled a little and smiled, allowing the Tython horizon to sink into his pale blue eyes. “Something puzzles me though. Your heart feels to me like that of a mighty oak. But something stirs in the middle; in the core of your bark that I can’t quite see.” Roene smiled a little in reference to his earlier remark, but then his face scrunched. He looked hard at the horizon and then turned his head a little to look at the woman. “But before I inquire more, I wish to introduce myself. And although we have already met, I would like to know your name as well. Mine is Kro’Roene’Givrah, and I am a Naturalist Knight of the Jedi Order.”

A troubled spirit walked alone in darkness. Her strength stood tantamount to the obstacles before her, but she was lost. Something lay in her mind, and her thoughts sought guidance. Roene let his mind wander and guided the force spirits to his grove. He guided her to his side and listened as she approached, her footfalls crunching the crisp morning grass underfoot. Roene flexed his bare feet as they rest in a crisscrossed position. He flexed the muscles in his legs and let deep breaths in and out. He took air in through his nose and blew it gently from his mouth. His mind was transfixed on the force energy glowing around him and his eyes were closed. His hair played with the wind and his hands, one flesh and one wood, rest in front of him. They were relaxed, but significantly articulated. You are not disturbing me. I have been expecting you, please. Come sit with me. His voice was soft as it entered her mind. Like a warm breeze he introduced himself, brushing the insides of her consciousness and offering himself, like one would offer their hand for a handshake. “I smell poison on you strange one. It is of the Blue-Drip fungia, is it not?” Roene said, breaking the silence. “Do not be alarmed. I have studied this planet’s fauna intently. It is a study that, in its mastery, would take a lifetime.” The woman that approached was darker than she appeared. Something troubling rest at the core of her being. But a brilliant light pierced through it, cutting the darkness like it was butter and dropping it to the ground. It was a small thing. It lay on the floor of her mind, gasping for air. But even in its frailty, it still bit at her heels; begging to consume her; begging to snuff the light out. Conveniently, that was the measure of all things. The eternal struggle between light and dark. One was vulnerable and open to the casualties of the world if they did not understand this. Even Roene, a Knight gifted in the natural arts, understood that spirituality had two sides. The force, was not inherently good. It simply was. It was how one used it, how one channeled and mastered it, that made it dark and all consuming. Darkness has a way about it though, which can break even the hardest hearts. Something about this woman, this apprentice, felt odd. “Why do you carry such a poison. What is it you seek, out here in the wilds of Tython?” Roene didn’t turn to look, but his gaze fell on her all the same. His cool eyes fell to her as he spoke. His words of consolation and his words of counseling fell on her ears, giving comfort to her woes and shielding her mind from the world around her; from the dark whispers that filled even the strongest of minds.

((Double post, but waaaaaaaaay too long after the last one.)) Days passed... Infrequently, Roene made incursions to the main Jedi temple near Ashla. He would talk to the other Jedi, briefly train the younger members of the Order and tend to the garden whenever he found time. These trips occurred few and far between, but Roene would learn more about the Order as a whole when he made them. ________________ Soren left Roene to his own devices after a time. The Cerean wasn't overjoyed to see him go, but youth always went where they wished. There was very little holding them to their path. Roene knew more than most where youth could take you and that it wasn't always a boon. The morning air clung to Roene's loose brown robes and he sighed pleasantly as he gazed at the structure that his contemporaries had erected in his absence. Using the natural rock and dirt beneath their feet, a team of force users shaped an organic structure in the cliff face. A natural path woven through the brush led down to the cavern, which opened into a large opening made entirely of rock. It was a big cavern, almost the size of a small stadium. The walls weren’t carved, but formed instead, through numerous hours of labor and intensive focus. It was faintly lit, but the light came from natural sources. It came from natural openings in the cliff face and luminescent fungi. The floor of the cavern was dry and comfortable to rest on. It looked like cold stone, but the entire sanctuary glowed with force energy and welcomed weary bodies to rest and take solace in the warmth of its embrace. A hallway branched off from the main cavern and led downward into the heart of large neighboring hillock. Along the hallway there were small caves intermittently strewn about with cots to provide suitable lodging for those who wished to stay one night or longer in the Sanctuary. At the heart of the hillock, there rest a beacon of force energy. It was awash with ambient light and stood as a beautiful nexus for meditation and reflection. Memories were vivid lights here that danced in the stone. Thoughts, feelings, hopes, passions both benign and numerous wandered through the living stone with a playful eagerness that reflected a childlike whimsy. Roene sat atop the cliff, atop the Sanctuary and sighed once more. He had a smile that stretched from ear to ear and his heart warmed at the thought of his dream coming true. Most of the Jedi that helped him with his task had wandered back to the Jedi Temple proper, but one or two still milled about, taking in the majesty of the structure and the energy that flowed through the stone. This planet - a planet that served as a spiritual boon to Roene’s exploration and meditation - had given him so much. He didn’t know what to give in return. He only hoped to teach others of its magnificence and help them achieve enlightenment and guidance through the force. He sat atop the cold grass, feeling the ebb and flow of Tython’s energy beneath him and waited patiently, calling out to those who were lost, curious, or eager to learn.

((I am a terrible person for making you wait this long. I will do better. )) The clearing that Soren approached was decent in size, but it was surrounded by trees. The grass broke away a few feet away from the path he took and opened into a bare rocky surface that spread out in a circle. There were five Knights sitting in a series of different meditative stances and arranged in a pattern that seemed almost measured. Roene was at the head of the group and he sat in the silence, breathing quietly to himself. He mentally acknowledged his apprentice’s presence and indicated a place for him to sit nearby if he wished. Nothing was said to anyone. His head didn’t even move, but the hairs on the top of his head swayed in the breeze and tickled the morning air that flew around him with delicate form. Roene didn’t move, he didn’t hesitate and if someone looked at him long enough, it almost looked like he wasn’t breathing. However, deep in Soren’s head, Roene’s voice poured forth, clear as day. Welcome Soren. I feel you have grown quite a lot in the last few days. I know it will take some time for you to realize your talent as a Knight, but I feel it is okay to show you something new. Roene visualized a small rock shifting into multiple different forms and visualized his earthy metamorphosis idea for the temple he planned to build further on through the forest. Then he let those images fall into Soren’s mind seamlessly. I would like your assistance on this project, and I feel you are ready to understand and practice this method of manipulation. It will be hard, but most good things often are… With that Roene prompted Soren to sit in the depths of his padawan’s brain. Then the Cerean slowly spoke to him in a careful and practiced manner. If Soren looked around and listened through the force, he would notice that all of the other Knights were hearing the same mantra that was now finding its way into his mind like the low hum of a Gregorian chant. Calm your mind… Steal away your senses… Still your breath… Listen to the world around you… Be the Earth beneath your feet… Feel the Earth in your arms and in your legs… The meditative stanzas continued for another ten minutes. Then, in an almost ceremonial motion, Roene and the other Knights stood together. They didn’t move quickly and they didn’t move with abandon, but they moved simultaneously. The entire group looked almost like they were on strings. If Soren was paying attention, he would feel the same tug against his body as the others did.The other Jedi didn’t say anything, but now that they were standing, their eyes were open and they paid full attention to Roene. Their expressions didn’t reflect that of a Padawan to a Master, but that of a pupil willing to learn from the teachings of a peer. They respected him and were willing to listen regardless of their own beliefs, which is why they were silent. The only one that was still moving was Roene. With the pace of a sloth, Roene moved his arms with rigid joint articulations. Each one was laborious. Each move was harsh and brittle, but stiff and strong. His legs answered his arms and he always remained rooted to the ground. The Jedi that stood around him expected to see his head creased with wrinkles that denoted the struggle of each movement. They expected him to sweat, but he did not. Roene was thoroughly in control of his body and moved with a rhythm that defied their thoughts. Through the force, Roene’s body was liquid. He seemed to be merging with the force energy that surged through the earth at his feet and with one more upward, vertical movement of his long right arm; he brought the energy of the earth to his fist and raised a small pillar of stone from the ground. The pillar was one foot by one foot square and stood as tall as Roene did. When it flew up from the ground, it mocked Roene’s pace and lifted only as far as Roene, because Roene stopped it at the top. When he was finished, Roene let the pillar sink down a little as he relaxed his arm. Then he firmly clasped both of his hands together and spread them out quickly, but with a similar air to his movements from before. Immediately the pillar broke apart and split horizontally, deliberately missing the entire group and spraying the outlying area. Roene nodded quietly once he was finished and then opened his arms out wide, indicating that it was now the group’s turn to give it a shot. If you need help Soren, please let me know. I am here to assist in any way possible.

Roene's heart sang with the force of Tython all around him when he came to a stop. He could feel the warm breeze of the coming afternoon mingled with the departing chill of the morning. Fresh plants were beginning to bud, avian creatures flew about the trees with little care for what their deeds meant to the world and little animals scurried around without boundary. The Cerean took a deep breath and let the essence of the planet sink in to his skin and a deep fulfilling smile stretched across his youthful, but weather beaten face. His muscles contracted with ease, but the strain was obvious after a few seconds. It wasn't immense like it was the first time he did it, but it was still there and it always would be. Just because Jedi could channel the force to do amazing things, did not mean that pushing their bodies beyond their natural limit was without consequence. Nature and natural boundaries existed for a reason, but even nature pushed its own boundaries sometimes. Soren wasn't too far behind Roene and when he caught up, Roene's smile widened. "Amazing job for your first time Soren. Well done. And, in answer to your question, it takes a lot of practice. I have always been focused more on using the force than using a light saber for most of the things that I do as a Jedi, so I have more of an aptitude with powers like these. I was also pushed into a situation where I had to survive in the wild for a year or two by myself. There were many large creatures out there that would have liked to get a piece of me if they got the chance. My job was to prevent them from having that chance." Roene said with a small laugh. "Anyway, the caravan has moved on, we'll need to jog a little bit to catch up, but it shouldn't take too long." Roene lifted his arm over his head and beckoned his padawan into a small jog that took them back toward the group and off into the trees. ((Due to the fact that I am a slow poster (I will do what I can to be quicker in the future) I am going to fast forward this a few days to the next lesson. Feel free to post your activities during those days. )) _____________________ 3 Days Pass (4 Days Left) _______________________ The next few days passed by in a blur. Roene and the other Jedi enjoyed some time around the campfire with Soren if he wished and they all had an interesting time trying to find the trail after a day of storms made the path forward obscure and vague. Roene decided to hold off on lessons for a day or two while they found their way back to the path and when they did it was night time already. It was about midday of day six, with four days left in the journey. Roene had been away since day break. He took a few of the Knights with him, but a few of them remained at the camp to assist in day to day chores and activities. One of the Jedi in the camp approached Soren as he was walking around the camp and stopped abruptly in front of him. "Excuse me... Soren is it?" she asked with slight hesitation. A small, blue Twi'lek Jedi was looking up at him with a smile on her face, but something about her posture made her seem a little curious or unsure. She looked to be about seventeen and was clearly a padawan to one of the Knights in Roene's company. "Knight Master Givrah is awaiting your presence off in the clearing. He said it had something to do with your next lesson." A couple of architects walked by looking around. It didn't take very long, but the taller one of the two noticed a particularly large, male, Cathar Jedi Knight serving a large spread of vegetables and meat gathered from the surrounding wood. The men hungered greatly and almost bumped into Soren on their way by.

Roene listened to his Padawan's question and smiled a little. He listened to the trees speak to each other in the rustle of the leaves. He heard the wind whip across the low mountains in the north and he could smell the scent of fresh foliage around them as they walked carefully midst the Tythonian wildlife. "To that I say, 'why don't we building something when there is a perfectly good temple a ways back?'" Roene said with a small, but visible smirk. "Plus, we aren't 'building it. We are carving it. The building crew are here to assist and monitor the work as well as provide technical advice if we need it. We don't have too many workers, if you noticed on your tour through the camp." Roene walked a little ahead of Soren and sat down on a lumpy boulder that sat off to one side. He adjusted himself until he found a comfortable posture and then rested there while he continued to speak. "The Jedi and I, while we are alike in many beliefs, do not agree on several key issues. The Jedi seek to abolish or destroy the Sith. They may not openly admit it or say it in such a way, but that is what they wish. I do not wish that. The Sith are our opposites. If we push them, they will push back. If we rise up against them, all we do is fuel the fire. Yes Sith may just push until they get their way and rule the galaxy. However the same is true of the Jedi. The Jedi will rise again and push the Sith away as they always have and always will." Roene looked away for a moment. His grin was replaced with an expression of remorse. "All the historical books in the world couldn't begin to describe the amount of terror and destruction wrought by these two forces when they clash together. I have read many of them and can tell you it doesn't meant anything good when the 'guardians of peace and justice' are just as responsible for the destruction in the universe as the supposed homicidal maniac Sith are. I agree that there is no death, but even the wisest sage cannot possibly ignore the trail of blood that has lead to today. Still, despite all that, there is a natural explanation to it. When you push a tree down to clear a path, you lose the chemical benefits that that tree provided; you also lose shade and many animals may lose their homes, which could in turn cause those animals to become desperate and bite or claw at people passing by. When you destroy a forest, you create smog and pollution or you deprive a whole slew of animals any sort of shelter, which could cause them to get angry as I said before. This may sound like pure conjecture, but I assure you that everything you do, down to the smallest action, has some form of reaction. Even if you can't see it, there will always be something there." Roene took a long sigh that filled his entire body. He shook his head softly and looked at his padawan straight on. "No one can control nature. Even the most powerful naturalists couldn't tell you when it will rain or when it will snow or if an earthquake is coming. We may have hints in the way the land reacts or the animals feel, but we are not entities defying nature itself. We don't see everything in the force or even the galaxy, but we don't fight it either, or at least I don't. To fight nature or the balance of nature is only going to sow chaos, which is why I choose to be out here, building something, instead of hunting Sith. I am out here carving out a place where any force user that wishes to meditate will find peaceful solace and comfort in the force. They don't have to believe what I believe. As long as they don't wish any harm upon the structure or those inside it, they are welcome." Roene looked up and his expression changed back to a semi-grin. "I have wanted to do this project for some time. I hope to make it a special place where memories can be stored and reviewed without need for a physical library. It is an experiment on a grand scale and I look forward to seeing it through. I don't know what the Jedi at the Temple will think, but I have like minded people with me on our expedition that know roughly what I am planning." Roene hopped off the boulder now that he was done lecturing and noticed that the caravan had started moving. He looked around at the level grassland between his location and the exploration crew and looked back at Soren with an even bigger smile. "Time for your next lesson." The Cerean knelt forward a little on his left leg and then placed his right leg behind him. After that, he raised his left arm to answer his left leg and let his right arm rest at a ninety degree angle by his side. It looked like he was about to take off running. "First, I want you to clear your mind, like you've been practicing; then, I want you to take a stance similar to mine. Second, I would like you to envision in your head a flat path from here to about a mile past the caravan; then I want you to picture yourself running all the way to the end of that path in about two minutes. Use what connection you have to the force to channel energy into your body, supercharging your muscles, your joints, your bones, and your tendons. Finally, when you've done all of that, I want you to run as fast as you can behind the caravan and around to the other side." Roene's last word was cut off when he took off like a gunshot and reappeared on the other side of the caravan, waving at his padawan to proceed behind him.

“Nahjira not ruin fur. She like to play with dirt.” A small white Cathar said to a larger Kheldor that sat opposite her. She was, only moments ago, exploring the outskirts of the campsite and enjoying the cool morning air. The fragile light of the morning star was growing and the warmth it brought was almost divine. The Kheldor was plaintive though. He did not meander outside the camp and decided instead to stay in the boundaries set by the other Jedi. He was warming his hands by the fire and chose to remain away from the fresh mud so as to avoid ruining his robe. “Yes Nahjira.” The Kheldor said, sticking a finger in the air and wagging it back and forth, “but your robe looks filthy.” Nahjira looked down at her robes and then back up at the Kheldor. Then she looked at her robes again and scratched her head. “I see nothing wrong with robe.” Nahjira said plainly. Her eyes were deep pools of sapphire blue and although her fur and robes were both covered in mud; her fur still had a brilliant sheen. “Nodjuub, you are silly… Look at Knight Roene.” She pointed off with one claw toward Roene as he entered the camp with his padawan in toe. The Cerean stood tall and proud as he walked toward the food table licking his lips, but Nahjira could hear his stomach growling from feet away. His robes, although not covered in mud like hers, were weathered and beaten. They showed a fair amount of wear and tear from their expedition and although she knew Roene washed them when he could, she didn’t think the Cerean cared whether or not he was dirty. It was all part of who he was. “Yes Nahjira,” Nodjuub said reluctantly. It was clear by his motion and his intent that he had given up his argument. ______________________________________________________________________ The food was amazing. The meat was filling and fresh. The various vegetables and berries were just like they were years ago when he was here alone. The differences between then and now were a little more than obvious, but the tastes, sights, smells and sounds were all around him. The camp was lively and many different Jedi chatted with each other back and forth. Roene noticed a Cathar or two looking at him as he walked by, but he didn’t generate much of a hubbub when he entered, which was what he wanted. The company would be setting off soon, so now was the only time for contemplation. People were already starting to set up camp, but others were milling about on the edges and Roene helped out when he could, between bites. When he was finished eating however, he was more concerned about his padawan who had wandered off toward the edge of camp by himself. He didn’t know whether or not something was wrong and that wasn’t what worried him. In fact, he wasn’t really worried. His feeling was more akin to curiosity than the mentor or parent-like concern for their pupil or child. Still, the fact remained that he was responsible for training him and any question Soren had, was Roene’s responsibility to answer. Therefore, after Roene cleaned his face up and mopped up the remains of breakfast, he ventured off toward his Padawan as the rest of the Jedi in the camp continued packing up. “Anything puzzling you Soren that you would like to know before we head out again?” Roene asked when he approached, being careful not to bump into Soren on accident.

((Apologies for the wait. I also apologize for the disjointedness of this post. I will work on my next one to make it sound a bit smoother.)) Roene could tell his demonstration intrigued Soren. The young padawan's mind was a whirling torrent of thoughts streaming through his head like millions of fireflies. He knew the feeling, because it was very similar to the one he had five or so years ago when Kitt was explaining the intricacies of the force to him. The Cerean walked slowly through the heavy underbrush and could see the camp in the distance. It was set under the cover of two large trees, whose canopies stood high enough to be daunting, but low enough to provide ample shade from the Star's rays as it rose into the sky. There was a great deal of activity and as Roene approached, an interesting thought poked into Soren's mind that Roene felt was valuable to discuss. Roene stopped his walk and turned to face Soren. He smiled a little and asked his padawan to take a small walk with him around the perimeter outside of earshot of the others. He paused for a moment before he started talking, because he knew it would seem awfully rude that he was peaking into Soren's mind at all. He bowed his head a little and let out a breathy sigh. "First of all, I would liked to apologize for eavesdropping. Then, I would like to tell you what my mother always told me when I was growing up. 'Patience is a virtue in all things' and 'nothing good ever came without hard work.'" Roene said, trying to do an inaccurate impression of his mother's tone and inclination to brighten the mood a little. A small pang of grief flitted in his face, but it left as soon as it came. "These are cliche phrases carried by the elders of my race as they strive to keep old traditions alive. I was sympathetic to their cause because of my mother, but I later learned exactly how important these statements truly were. For instance..." Roene started and then stopped walking. He knelt toward the ground and picked up a rock. He took the rock into his mind and began floating it in the blink of an eye. Then, without meditation, he tried to manipulate it at the same time. The rock was under so much influence and pressure that it exploded. "If I tried to give you a lot of information all at once, your mind might fair as well as that rock did. The brain doesn't do well with overwhelming information. At least the human brain doesn't. My race is better at accepting those consequences, but even we have trouble with too much information." Roene stood back up and looked once again at his padawan who was covered in rock dust. He apologized and tried to clean off some of it, but was relatively unsuccessful. After a minute or two of trying to clean up his mess, he gave up and continued walking. "Now, I can explain what I know about your curiosities and you can go from there, but I recommend caution. Most Jedi would turn you away from trying to manifest any form of lightning because lightning is purely destructive. I however believe lightning to be a force of nature and thus see nothing wrong with learning to create or manipulate it. Will I do it? Not really, because I have no need to. Does it take a great deal of energy and focus? Yes. According to texts it takes Sith several ranks before they can produce large and powerful arcs at will." Roene continued orating and his feet walked at a slow, but measured pace. Twigs cracked silently under his bare feet, the camp was buzzing with life nearby and the aroma of a well cooked meal was wafting through the trees. Roene wanted to go get food, but he felt he should help nourish his padawan's curiosity before eating. "Now, I know a great deal about the natural force of lightning and have read several books on the subject. I won't belabor you with the scientific facts and before I tell you what I know, you need to know that I have never made it myself, nor have I encountered a Sith who used it. However, my assessment of lightning and how it would be used, may in some way be accurate to their methods. I will try to explain it to you based on my own mythology and what I have learned about actual lightning in nature." Roene cleared his throat a little and then continued talking as if there had been no interruption. "Lightning is the act of reacting with unbalanced forms of nature. I would assume, based on the evidence I have, that the Sith create an unbalanced energy in the atmosphere by twisting the force to their design. The charge that results, reacts with their target like a lightning rod. Unless of course, they aim at a Jedi skilled to counter the maneuver. Then the Jedi would either deflect the charge or neutralize it by bringing balance to the unbalanced energy." Roene's voice was analytic, much like the way a professor would speak when talking to a class full of students, but he often looked off into the trees as if searching for an answer. "I have not tried to make lightning and I don't really recommend you try to do so until you learn a great deal more about the force. As for the earth shifting I did earlier, you will see much more of that as we go. I will be teaching that to the others as we get closer to our destination. You are more than welcome to join them and learn more about that if you wish." Roene looked once more at the camp and saw that they were bringing out a large pile of meat and berries. He looked back at his padawan and smiled. "Your next lesson, will come after we eat." Just before Roene left Soren to walk toward the food, his stomach growled fiercely.

It was mid-morning of the third day of Roene's expedition. The other Jedi were starting to get used to the outside life that came with camping and a few of them even began to have their own little adventures off in the woods during the long breaks between travels. Roene was still focused on his task when his padawan approached him. The Tythonian day was longer than most and even in mid-morning, you could still glimpse the two moons, Ashla and Bogan. Roene looked up at them from time to time during his isolation years ago and would contemplate their dual existence. He would remember words of ancient texts citing references to the ancient Jedi's meditation on these two moons. One was brighter than the other and spurred meditation over the dichotomy of paths in the force. Light side users were sent to Ashla to contemplate balance with the dark side and dark side users were sent to Bogan to contemplate Ashla; an interesting practice that seemed alien to those driven by light side extremists. Roene wondered how much of their history had been forgotten. How much had Jedi preserved and how much had they lost. Soren's approach was quiet. Roene could feel the vibrations of his feet against the ground held firmly in his fingertips. He could also feel the energy of the rock that Soren held at his side. Like a pulsar beating quietly against the silence of space, the rock hesitated in the air. A string of Soren's design kept it firmly in the air and Roene had to admit it wasn't half bad. Roene was kneeling on the ground with one knee touching the soil and another close to his chin. He bowed his head low and held his arms out wide to both sides. The Cerean's eyes were closed; tentative; watchful. His hands hovered feet above the ground, but he could still feel the soil beneath him. The grains of sediment slid beneath the pores of his skin and into his body. He could feel the energy of the molecules as they danced like glowing fireflies in the night. Then, with a small but firm shift, Roene's eyes opened and he moved forward onto both legs. He swung his arms out in a much larger motion and brought them together into a huge clapping gesture. A large storm of dirt and rock echoed the sound and shot from the mountain, spilling down the cliff side. Roene smiled peacefully and stood at his full height to see what he had accomplished. He wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and motioned Soren to follow him over to the brim of the cliff’s edge. Then he traced a fracture line down the side of the mountain with his finger so Soren could see it. “I am learning to manipulate rock and soil. Like the rock you still hold, the soil and minerals that make up the planet’s surface are composed of organic matter. That matter, as per my theology on the subject, is made entirely of the force. Therefore, if the force makes up all organic matter and Jedi can manipulate and channel the force, then it is plausible to conclude that a Jedi can channel and manipulate the elements.” Roene said. He walked a little away from the edge of the cliff side and took Soren to a small sitting place over by a large overhanging tree nearby. “Take Sith Lightning for example. On a physical level, all we see is blue or purple electricity. But on a molecular level, the Sith are superheating the atmosphere and essentially manifesting the right conditions for lightning. They are creating and manipulating the forces of nature by bending them to their will. I am doing something similar, but I am working with the force and following the fracture lines that are already present in the planet’s crust.” Roene sat cross legged. The dew that still clung to the early morning grass chilled Roene, but he didn’t pay much heed to the icy sensation. He looked at his padawan and took the rock from his control for a moment. He lifted his hand and guided it over to where he sat. Then, with the concentration he demonstrated before, he moved his hands around the rock in sharp, firm gestures. The Cerean’s brow furrowed, his eyes closed and for a few seconds nothing happened. Roene reached out with the force as he worked and brought his padawan to a level of visual comprehension that it was easy to see Roene’s exertion through the force. Plumes of energy poured through the Cerean’s arms and through the Force it looked like Roene was on fire. Through the force we see the individual parts of things. We see things as what they are, not just the surface, but anything and everything beneath it. Roene let Soren go back to normal sight and continued his movements. It still took a second or two, but after he reiterated the same movement a fourth time, the rock began to shift. The stone moved and altered itself in the method that Roene was moving. Patterns began emerging in the stone similar to the motion and before long Soren’s rock changed into a perfect sphere of stone. “With the force, anything is possible. We just have to put our minds to it.” Roene said, breathing heavily. “In the meantime, I think that is enough strain for now. Shall we return to camp?” _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Hyasura, a young, female, Cathar Jedi Knight sat valiant at Cathryne’s side. The little girl had been unconscious for some time and she was worried. Like a mother, she gazed down at the small girl. She could only imagine the horrors that she faced in the forest. Jedi had been all over this planet in ages past, but Hyasura knew that darkness can still linger in the corners where light cannot reach. She was a young adult Cathar with a lithe frost white figure. She had short hair, a long tail and claws that were cut. She had black spots on her body that clumped around the face and back, and a large black spot that covered her right eye. Her eyes were a deep sapphire blue and they studied the girl intensely. They had been for quite some time. The Cathar was dressed in light brown robes customary of a Knight, but they were quite worn after three days. She didn’t really care, but some of the others commented on her attire when she wasn’t looking.

When the young woman collapsed and Roene felt his own booming voice echoing in his head, he couldn't help but think, I think I might have over done it a little bit. The Cerean sighed a little. He shambled through the undergrowth to catch what he could of the little one before she fell completely to the ground. He saw that her eyes had rolled back and her body was limp. If he didn't know anything about human anatomy he might have assume that she was dead, but she still had a heartbeat; likely, the little one was in shock. The wounds on her hands with the thorns still threaded through the skin, tore deeply into the fleshy parts of her palms and crimson ran from multiple parts on her body. She was hungry, she was tired, and she was injured. This little girl was the epitome of vulnerability in a jungle of predators. The anathema to the jungle's prowess and strength; that something this frail could survive in so harsh a climate was nothing short of miraculous. Roene did what he could to set the small woman against the side of a tree and ripped a large part of his robe off at the knee. He took her hands and carefully removed each thorn, sterilizing each wound with the force. Then, he cradled each small hand in his own callused ones and wrapped cloth from his robes around both of them to stop the bleeding. He cleaned the cloth in a nearby stream and sterilized it as well, to make sure he wasn't doing more harm than good to the girl in this vulnerable state. Her knees seemed a sad sort as well, so he did what he could with them. When everything was said and done, Roene gently lifted the small girl over his shoulder and carried her off toward the camp. He avoided the overhanging branches for fear that the young woman caught them on the way by and went slowly to avoid adding any injury to the pre-existing ones. ______ When they reached the camp, a small group of Jedi approached Roene with varying looks of curiosity. They inquired about the last hour and the activities that went on outside the campsite's border. When they asked about the young woman, Roene instructed them to follow him to the center of the site so he could give her a place to rest. They lifted a hand to one of the open tents and helped Roene set the small woman upon a cot that was roughly her size. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to rest on, but it was the only comfortable thing to rest on that they had. Roene looked at her for a moment. When they entered the camp, her eyelids closed and she looked peaceful now as she rested. He placed a warm hand on her forehead and explained what happened to her in a whisper. From this distance, his voice would seem more like the breeze whispering to her on a peaceful summer morning. Then, he offered her a place to stay. Should she choose to do so, she was free to stay in the company of Roene's caravan until she saw fit to leave it. Roene looked up at the jedi that surrounded the tent and instructed them to inform him when she awoke and to provide her with answers if she needed them. She was to be treated as another member of the caravan and if she wished to leave, then they must provide her the means to do so. After Roene felt they all understood their instruction, Roene went off to where he was earlier and continued practicing his elemental exercises.

Roene’s eyes of pale sapphire glittered under the fresh air of the morning light as it crested over the horizon. His heart sung with the majesty of symphonic beauty as the light caught on the trees around him one by one. The staccato rhythm of life around him continued to proceed regardless of the spectacle that surrounded them and the combination of the two was what made Roene a naturalist in the first place. No book or holojournal in the world could capture the colors in a natural sunrise or sunset. No word could effectively describe the beauty or awesomeness of witnessing one of nature’s greatest blessings. Just when Roene was enjoying the first breath of the morning air however, a small cry for help bounded into his ear like a whisper on the breeze. It was high, shrill and although in tune with the natural harmony of the wind, was impossibly definitive to be the current’s natural flow. Roene crouched low to the ground and placed his right hand against the wet grass beneath him. He tested the bottoms of his feet down to all ten toes and tensed each muscle in his legs one by one. Then he disappeared. He took off with rapid haste along the jungle floor, keeping his feet as an echo to the vibrations in the ground. The calloused skin met ground with little difficulty and Roene was like a blur of light in the hazy morning fog. He didn’t have time, he didn’t wish to wait. Help was something he would always provide to those who needed it and by the sound of the cry, it seemed to be desperate. He was crossing the mile marker, giving mental cues to his Jedi counterparts at the campsite, when he came upon a large feline predator pursuing its prey. Normally Roene was keen to watch as this order of nature went on, because it wasn’t his business to bother with this feline’s survival, but the prey in this case was a small girl, not a small mammal. Roene looked at the situation for a moment and paused. He spied the feline in a moment of weakness and analyzed its vulnerability. The specimen in question had a number of lacerations on its side and it was rabid, likely from lack of food. The protruding ribs alone would indicate that this was the case, but the predator’s mind was heavily affected by an intense psychosis fueled by starvation. Roene watched as the girl passed and noted that she too had been without food for several days. She had cuts and bruises on her body as well, but the feline beast behind her was the most likely culprit for those. After a minute of pursuit, the Cerean emerged quietly from the trees and stopped the feline in its tracks. He placed his right arm out and sent a pulse of energy to absorb the excess energy from the absence of momentum. Then he suspended the feline in midair and bound its limbs together. With the thumb and forefinger of his wooden left arm, the Cerean touched the beast’s mighty head and pushed into its mind. He sensed failure, famine, disease and sorrow. He saw images of continued pursuit, of a gaping belly and struggle. Then, when he was finished he spoke to the beast in a calm and reassuring manner. Go mighty beast, I have left a small bag of meat for you not far from here, go and sate your hunger on that. This girl is not to eat… When Roene was sure the feline understood, he let the beast down and turned to find the young woman. The beast recoiled and made to strike at Roene’s backside. The Cerean Jedi Knight shook his head solemnly, stepped to the side and ignited his light saber. A deep growl emitted from the hilt and Roene sunk into a low combative stance. The feline shifted its weight to match and they just looked at one another. The feline roared and gnashed its teeth at the small girl as she continued running, but Roene’s light saber roared back in return. Roene came forward with a thrust and made one final threat to the big cat, before cutting off its head and letting it plop to the ground. A few small mammals that were too terrified to come out earlier, immediately started filtering out from the trees. They pranced about on the crisp green and began to enjoy the food left behind by the great cat and the meat that Roene left behind a few clicks away. He could hear them mill about independently and he knew that they would take care of the poor beast. Roene deactivated his light saber and clasped the hilt firmly to his waist before walking off toward the small girl who continued running even after Roene intervened. He reached a friendly hand out to her and talked through the force, reassuring her that all was well. My apology for the sudden intervention, but your pursuer is gone. If you need food we have some back at our camp if you would like to follow me.

((I will be continuing this story. If I have to, I will just edit this post and continue on.)) The Cerean took Soren's silence as acceptance and turned from him with the rest of the expedition. The mists of the morning were just starting to blanket the forest floor and the pack beasts shuffled in the cool air. The twinkling of stars that still hung low in the morning sky were accented by other lights from the sky that led the group as it shuffled merrily on. Soren was quiet in his duty, which was encouraging. Roene didn't want to pressure him or saddle Soren with a monotonous task without letting him know the purpose behind the exercise. Knowing the purpose often helped comfort people and prevented them from losing direction. Sometimes, having the experience of getting lost is valuable, but this wasn't one of those times. That would come later. The caravan approached the rest stop and began to unpack camp when Roene turned to find Soren focusing hard on his task. Roene looked for a moment at him and then heard something rustling in bushes. He cocked his head to the side for a moment and tickled the air with his senses to draw out the noisy perpetrator. It wasn't paramount to bend his focus, but with a curious whim he wished to know what was approaching the campsite, even if it was a small mammal. Roene sighed and the breathed deeply, letting the thickness of the morning air fill his lungs. He could feel the temperature in his body drop by steady increments, but reveled in each strain of the morning breeze against his cheeks. He looked over toward Soren once more, but didn't meet his eyes. Instead, Roene walked away from the camp site for a few paces and sat on the wet dewy ground beneath him. He let his hands touch the ground and groped for each blade of grass. The trees whipped in the breeze as it passed him and the subtle growls of stalking predators resonated from tens of feet away. The Pack beasts snored while they napped, people shuffled around while building shelters and eating their small trail snacks; the sounds of life continued to proceed without any hindrance. Roene focused on just one sound at a time until he was encased in a small bubble of silence. Then the Cerean got to his legs and hardened his stance. He set up in a strong horse stance and carefully made a punching movement in the air. He solidified his mind, and pictured the ground beneath him. He made himself as inert as the earth and slowly pushed his arm out, picturing the earth mocking his movements and sure enough, it did. It wasn't crisp and there was only a small pillar of earth, but the sediment beneath him responded to each movement he made. When he clenched his fist even more, the dirt and rocks compounded themselves together and when Roene moved his arms back toward the ground rapidly, the rock smashed violently to the ground and exploded in brown powder. That is coming along nicely, Roene thought to himself. When he was done moving, he used a piece of his robes to dab at the sweat on his forehead. I just have a little bit to go before I can teach the others. Then we can begin construction right when we get there. Roene sighed again. He looked out toward the morning sky as the deep blue of night gave way and a blanket of soft light blue took its place.

Roene wasn't surprised by this question. He was a little surprised that his padawan held out as long as he did without breaking sooner, considering his former difficulties with focus. His growth was definitely a point of interest and worth noting. Even so, after about an hour or so, Roene invited the bird to come down and fly at Soren to see what would happen. He did not wish any harm to befall his padawan, but the aspect of focus and patience is crucial to a Jedi. He slowed slightly and let the caravan pass ahead, but did not stop walking. "You don't lose focus and you remain aware of your surroundings even while you are focused. You exist in the force as much as anything else does, right? If you are focusing on a rock with the force and manipulating it, then you already know that you and the rock are as much connected as you and the bird are connected. If you focus so much on the rock that you don't notice anything else, then you aren't truly opening your mind." Roene stopped for a moment and noticed that the 'platitudes' he was using would seem circular to someone who had not had that much experience in the force. He slowed his speech a little, but remained at a steady pace. He ducked below a low hanging branch, dodged past a group of flying leaves and hopped over a small puddle on the ground, but his gaze never left Soren. "Alright, let me see if I can explain this a little bit differently Soren." Roene said. Then he held up his hand and formed it into a small 'o' shape. Then he placed that shape over his right eye, so it was clear that he could only see the points through that small 'o' shape. "If you know what a telescope is, you can picture that, but if you do not then this visual should help. If I hold my hand in this shape over my eyes, I limit my field of vision significantly, but I am able to focus on what is in front of me right?" Roene contined with his hand over his eye even as he climbed a rock and continued after the caravan. His gaze was still glued to Soren. "Now, that single focus is all well and good, because it accomplishes my objective, but what if something did pop out of nowhere and interrupt me?" Roene put his hands over his eyes and stopped making the 'o' shape. "I get startled and I am forced to re-focus myself. I am blinded for a few moments while I try to recover my sight. Now, imagine that I have multiple telescopes or hands with 'o' shapes all around my head. I can still focus on that one thing from before, but because I can see more, I know if something is going to distract me. We may be limited by our minds and our eyes, but the force sees all and is all. It is always there. We can tap into the force and it shows us the world even while we are focusing on something as small as a rock." Roene took a small rag from a satchel at his side and wrapped it around his eyes and continued walking. “If you see only with your eyes then your awareness stems only from what your eyes can see, but if you give yourself to the force and tap into it, every movement, every sound, every life and soul around you will become visible to you. It may be a little overwhelming and hard to focus in that chorus of sound and color, but if you can focus even while remaining aware of your surroundings then you will come one step closer to mastering this particular force technique no matter what context or circumstance exists.” With the rag over his eyes, Roene’s movements didn’t change. He still looked at Soren and still managed to avoid the objects on the ground. What did change is that he no longer felt obligated to walk in a straight line, so he started walking backwards. Then, when he felt the message was sufficiently delivered, he removed the blindfold and grabbed another rock for Soren to continue the exercise with. “If you have further questions, you may ask them when we get to the first break point in an hour or so from now.”

Soren's question showed some circular logic, but his speculation was well founded. Roene knew there were some requisite things to learn for Jedi and some beginner techniques that he needed to teach before Soren was ready to move on to deeper understandings or more advanced methods. He took a moment to stoke the fire with a small stick he found nearby and watched as the flames lept an inch or two from their resting spots. "I think tomorrow morning when we set out again, I will start you on your first beginning techniques if that is okay with you. If we keep at our pace, we should make it to the spot I indicated in around ten days time, which will give us plenty of time to train. Then the construction itself will take a great deal longer." Roene looked at his padawan through the dim firelight. It seemed that Soren was speculating deeply and that was good. He could feel that his padawan's connection to force had grown and that the training would not be lost on him. He only hoped that he was a good teacher. ____________________________________- The next day Roene woke up bright and early. He grabbed a quick bite before helping the others set up camp and then took up a large satchel over his shoulders to assist the caravan. He augmented the strength of his joints enough to hold the wieght comfortably, but left his mind to wander as he approached his apprentice. Then, without moving his hands or thinking about it, he raised a large rock from the forest floor and levitated it beside them as they walked. He looked toward his padawan with a small grin and inclined his head toward the rock. "Here is your first challenge. I know that this exercise has been done many times, but here is how this is going to go. We are going to walk ten miles today. We will stop momentarily for meal times, but for the most part we are pushing through the day to make good time. I want you to take this rock and levitate it as long as you can. If you can't levitate it at all then I will give you a crutch for the first mile, but once the mile is up I will drop my hold on it and you will have to pick it up. If you drop the rock for any reason what so ever, you fail the challenge and must find another rock to start again. You are allowed up to three failures and then we stop the exercise for the day." Roene grinned mischeviously at his padawan, but laughed with a warm heart before continuing down the path. "If you need any more explanation about how to do it, or if you need me to tell you I will do what I can within the first twenty minutes or so, but then you are on your own. Keep in mind, we have nine to ten days on the road to reach our destination. If we stop today, that doesn't mean we won't do any training tomorrow." Roene continued on ahead and helped a female Jedi regain her footing after losing control of a top heavy bag. "Things may happen to us while we make our way through the forest and beasts may hound our footsteps. It is mine and your job to help keep track of them to keep them away from the caravan. If we have to interrupt our lesson because a wild beast threatens us, or wild weather conditions rip us away, then we must do what is necessary to keep the caravan safe. Mother nature is never predictable." Roene said half in Soren's mind and half out loud to him. Then, without any more deliberation, Roene moved the rock slowly over toward Soren until it was floating steadily in front of his face, but matching pace with the prty so it didn't hit him. "Shall we begin?"

++// Details of Sanctuary //++ _______________________________________ ((Thank you kindly)) ((As to you Soren, I am going to speed us up a little bit, not too much, but enough to get us past the Jedi temple.)) The moment Roene set foot on Tython things started to happen very quickly. The ship managed a careful and meditated landing at the capital city and a missive was sent out to the nearby Jedi temple for the supplies that Roene asked for on his way. A few workers from the construction site received a transmission and a handful of Jedi from the temple did as well. He received small messages back from all of them in response to his requests and everything was going according to plan. All except one thing, he wasn't there yet. That was an easy remedy, but it would take a great deal of time. Roene looked back toward Soren and nodded with a smile. "Everything is going according to my specifications, but we'll need to make a small stop at the Jedi temple." He said it kind of over his shoulder, because the Cerean was already making his way there. It would be a long Journey and not one won by dilly dallying. Tyue happily rushed off in front and took an indirect route. __________________________ They arrived at the temple around midday and there was a small caravan waiting outside. The Jedi and workers that Roene had requested were gathered together and a herd of pack animals loaded with supplies were waiting for them. Roene thanked each one in kind and tended to a few sore spots on his feet while sitting on the temple steps. He looked from one to the other and smiled ever more, imagining the adventure that they had before them. When Roene was finished massaging his feet, he removed his shoes and stood so that the whole crowd could see him. He asked that Soren join the crowd, but ultimately didn't push him one way or the other. "My friends, we are gathered here to take a journey across Tython, through the forests and across the great vibrant fields of green. There will be beasts on the road, but I ask that you all bear with me. I saw the place where we are headed about two or so years ago when I was fending for myself here. It is a beautiful place and one that will provide ample opportunity for this construction. Those of you who wish to stay behind, I understand for it is quite a long journey on foot, but I ask you to stay and enjoy it with us." Roene looked at all of the assembly with an expression of warmth. His hands were outstretched and he was standing atop a large stone railing that led into the temple's great hall. A few workers looked at him expectantly and the Jedi didn't seem to flinch in their footing. They all looked back at Roene with an equal expression of respect and admission. He had been in communication with them for some time before and told them tales of the place where they were going and they all wanted to see it for themselves. Roene brought his hands back in, stepped down from the stone and set off in a northward direction, with his robe swaying in the wind. "Then off we go!" Tyue came up beside the Cerean, and without even an acknowledgment the dog ran off into the woods. Roene's excitement filled him to the brim and he took off into the underbrush followed by the caravan at his side. ____________________________________________ A day or so since they landed, left them around 10 miles away from the temple proper. They had set camp for the night and everyone was set about their duties or falling asleep. Roene kept to himself by the fireside with a big grin on his face and a rallying health that filled the camp with light. He looked to his padawan and nodded respectfully. "While we make way, is there anything you wish to learn or practice?" ((Feel free to respond to each one as if you were there and what your reactions would be. I kind of wanted to speed us up past a certain point. From here on out either you or I will determine where we are in our progress. The journey is about 100 miles or so.))

Soren left Roene to the preparations and Roene couldn't help but smile . He could feel the exploration going on in his padawan's mind and nodded quietly to himself. Flashes of his own early exploration of the force echoed in his mind and he couldn't help but feel oddly reminiscent. The preparations were easy, because they had only landed a day or so ago and sooner or later Roene was resting back in his chair, listening to the small pants of his canine companion. We will be back to your home planet soon Tyue, you looking forward to seeing your mother again? The Garral dog, who had matured fairly recently, nodded his head up and down slowly with a large grin on his face. When Soren returned to the ship, Roene shut the door and they took off. "While we fly I want you to take this small rock." Roene said, as he unveiled a small pebble from his robe, "... and move it. Since we aren't really allowed the full mobility in this vessel that we would get outside, I won't be able to do anything else with you, but now that you have found some measure of focus, I want to see if you can use that to levitate this pebble. Use that table over there and I will come and check on your progress when we land." << Next Post continued on Tython. (( Don't post yet please, I am going to ask a mod for something.)) >>

"I suppose in time when I become more familiar with each path I will be better able to choose." Roene smiled. His face was a little more wrinkled than his young age would suggest, but the Cerean was weathered from his time spent in nature. That, and the male half of his race were often characterized by their short lives. He sat on an odd looking stump and crossed his legs. The strangled mist of air that filled the world around him, continued to pull and push with the steady breeze. The large mangrove like trees that lingered throughout the dense and murky swamp breathed with life. The veins of their roots pushed far into the ground and gave the planet circulation. "An interesting answer. One that I would expect from someone still at the beginning of the path, but sooner or later a choice will be made." Roene said, steeling his gaze over the open, but murky river at the foot of the stump. "I myself chose the Jedi path. Though I have disagreements with their ideals, I go with nature. I know it is foolish to rise against the nature of man, and foolish to rise against the nature of a planet. I like to protect people, but I see the inevitability of death as a path we all must take someday. I have consoled the shadows of my past and rose against my own demons in my struggle to remain passive, but I go with nature. The flow of the wind has no master. The growth of a tree is not something that can be controlled. The peace of the world exists in chaos and that is where I lie. Had I been a more impulsive person a few years back and had I not seen the tranquil masterpiece of nature, I probably would have chosen the 'dark' path." Roene's treatment of the word 'dark' sounded as if he thought of it as more of a title than a label. Roene shifted his weight and came to a kneeling position on the stump. The cone of his bald pate glistened with sweat and he wore a relaxed sensation on his face. "I would like to go to Tython. I will tell you why when we get there, but I have something I must do there." The Cerean's blue eyes shone with a different, but pleasant light in the dim echoes emitting from the swamp. He stood on the stump slowly and shuffled off toward the ship, summoning Tyue with a sharp whistle. "I will say though, before we set off. I want you to reflect on what we have said here. I want to think on it and I want you to continue the exercises from earlier. When you can clear your mind easily and see the force at a more consistent capacity, we will move further. Until then however, you must train your mind. We will work on physical training later." Roene completed the last few parts of his instruction with a few small telepathic hints and then focused on getting the ship ready to take off.

"Another question then, Master. If we are all part of the same Force, if it is everything and brings life to the animate and inanimate together, then why are there conflicts in its body? And what do you mean by abuse? Who is abusing the Force? Is that why there have to be Jedi?" "You have so many questions and truth be told, there isn’t really one concrete answer." Roene said silently. His smile didn't fade, but his eyes wandered through the fog to what looked like a small nearby river. He indicated with a small motion of his hand that Soren should follow and then started off in the direction of the river. "Since I have started you down my mythos however, I will continue to provide you with my thoughts. Take them as you will, and feel free to disagree with me." The Cerean looked around with a small shift of his pale blue eyes and could barely make anything audible from the fog that billowed out around them. It was murky, it was green and more importantly, to even an untrained sense of smell, the stink of the area was clearly profound. "As I said before and you so echoed, 'the force is everything and brings life to the animate and inanimate.' It gives us life and provides us with the life we use every day. Even the 'non-force using species' have the force flowing through them, they just have no reason or no way to siphon or control that potential. Now, for the benefit of clarity, I will use a metaphor or an allegory to explain the latter half of this answer." Roene continued as the pair approached the river that was indicated earlier. He pointed a long and pale finger toward it and began talking once again. "Picture the force as a large river. Everyone and everything in the galaxy flows down this river; everyone and everything in this galaxy feeds off of the momentum and energy that the river provides as it moves onward. Now, picture the same river, but with a large rock impeding its progress." Roene illuminated the river with a pale blue light to provide more visibility. The light grew from the small flow and hung in the loose fog that continued to pour out at their feet. Then, with the mention of a rock, Roene lifted a nearby rock with his mind and set it in the middle of the small river before them. The water - that was now filled with a faint blue glow - immediately began to split into two separate groups. The flow of the water was compromised by the interruption, but it seemed to flow even faster to move past the obstruction. "The river has nowhere to run, correct? Therefore, the river must carve new paths around the rock, creating an enormous amount of tension on the rock itself and the areas surrounding it. This provides the rock with a great deal of potential energy." Roene stuck his hand down toward the rock and knelt toward the river to help his instruction. "However, this increase in tension will cause the speed of erosion toward the rock to accelerate and the opportunity to gain more energy then becomes something that will eventually destroy the rock entirely. Yes, erosion will still take years to profoundly affect the rock, but in time, even the strongest bonds break and the biggest rocks can fall." Roene's last words faded with a somber hollowness that drifted only a foot or so from his face. "This is what I talk about when I talk about the Sith." Roene continued, getting to his feet. The Cerean's smile had shrunk into a flat line, but he betrayed no clear emotion behind it. "The Sith are like us. We are both things that exist in the river. However, we as Jedi exist in the river and let it - as well as ourselves - flow through the channel with ease. We give ourselves to the mouth of the river when it falls into the ocean, because we accept death as an eventuality. We do not fear it as a damning reality. We live our lives by the force and thus must give ourselves back someday in return for our debt. Some Jedi, and a great deal of the Jedi Order would have you believe that we are the guardians of the force and that we defend society and order to protect it, but their attempts at protecting society are no better than their blind judgment. They see their knowledge and wisdom as an endless font and seem to have an answer for anything, when in reality they can't see much further than their noses. If a Jedi doesn't see the galaxy and insists on remaining in one spot for too long, they lose sight of what it truly means to be a Jedi." "The Sith on the other hand; they oppose the flow of the river and stand as rocks in the relentless tide, threatening to disrupt balance as I have demonstrated here. In the end however, the force works against them. The lie of more power and freedom from death proves attractive to those who fear giving themselves up and in the end, they destroy themselves." Roene said. Then, with a small acceleration of the water's flow he showed that - in time - the water would have pushed the rock down the path and sent it careening to whatever fate awaited it, regardless of its struggle. "The interesting part about Sith though, is that they are an agent of free will. Thousands of books couldn't tell you exactly what a Sith is and how they will act. I have read many things, but it is what I have seen that ultimately defines my opinion of the Sith -- I have seen many things in the galaxy and although I haven't seen everything, you don't have to see too much of one thing to form an opinion about it. Sith have a remarkable will to stand up to even the 'natural order' of things and question their existence. They live by their passions and ride through their lives in chaotic bounds of happiness and freedom. The only problem, is that their passions aren't consistent. One Sith will enjoy the company of many women in order to relieve stress, while the next will sate his rage or misery by destroying an entire city. There is no way to tell with someone who lives through free will. That is why the Sith are dangerous." "As to your other questions, 'is this why there have to Jedi?' and 'why are there conflicts in its body?' These are simple.” Roene let the glow from the river fade and then etched a glowing symbol in the air between them. It looked like a large circle with an ‘S’ in the middle and two dots on either side. Roene completed the image by making the left region and right dot glow, and letting the right region of the circle and the left dot remain empty. “This symbol, although repeated in various mythologies and religions throughout the galaxy, has the same meaning throughout. Balance...” Roene took a small step away from Soren and let his glowing image fade. He looked off into the deepening afternoon murk and heard as the evening whispered its greeting to the fading light. “Things happen every day without our control, Yes? The clouds give us rain and science tells us why. Does that change the fact that you are in the middle of a storm on a day that was forecast as nice and sunny? No. Can science explain exactly when it will rain? No. Will it ever be able to offer a one hundred percent reading of weather forecasts? More than likely, no, even if people boast that it does. Nature, life, humanity... Everything, exists in chaos. There are times where we can say that things are at peace, but even at peace, things are in chaos. Peace begets conflict and conflict begets peace. The arrogance of Jedi insisting that ‘there is no chaos, there is harmony’ is not shared by me. Chaos and harmony exist in tandem. If you try to resist chaos and push for peace, you only bring chaos, or more chaos. If you try to sustain harmony, you may only risk causing chaos to come once more. The force is the ultimate judge; it is infinite, it is ruthless, it is objective, and it will not back down.” Roene took a deep breath and the thin line he wore on his face before became a soft smile with barely any accent present on the corners of his lips. “So when you say that ‘there have to be Jedi’? That is not true. There don’t have to be Jedi as much as there don’t have to be Sith. The existence of the Jedi propagated the existence of the Sith. Granted, as I have learned and many have told me, regardless of their origins, the Sith will never relent on their want for freedom. However, what will happen if they are granted their freedom? What will happen if no one fights them and all the Jedi give up? Will the Sith win a war if there is no one to fight? Will their passions be sated if they are allowed to win, or will their victories be soured through the lack of effort and strain? The Sith have a want that comes from the Jedi and the existence of the Jedi physically denies their right to freedom. The existence of the Sith threatens the existence of the Jedi and thus threatens what the Jedi hold as sacred, which is the 'order of the galaxy', first and foremost. It is a never ending war and a battlefield that stretches eons through time.” Roene knelt toward the ground and felt the soil beneath his feet. He let his eyes close and reflected deeply for a few moments. “Even on a planet as far and away as this, you can still feel the wounds of war tearing it apart.” Roene stood once more and placed his hands at his sides. He yawned openly and looked at Soren with a soft and understanding smile. "As I said before however, not all Jedi believe the same way I do. That doesn't make them wrong. It doesn't make me wrong. In fact, it doesn't really matter who is and isn't wrong. It only really depends on you, little rock. Will you defy the will of the tide, embrace freedom and let your protector - your very life energy - destroy you in the end, in the exchange for the promise of more power? Or will you give yourself up and let yourself fall victim to the binding force that brings us all together, allowing the platitudes of 'protecting order' to mask the inability to understand?"

After a moment of silence, Roene hung his head down a little lower and smiled a simple smile. The air around them, although thick and murky, began to settle and wash away Roene's misgivings from the past year. He was finally able to take a deep and meaningful breath which hid no abstract joy from his weary mind. "Well padawan, it seems you have hit the golden question," Roene said, his chilled blue eyes of sapphire resting behind their lids. "It is a question that I myself struggled with for some time and one that no real master can hold the answer to, because the force is still a mystery to even those as practiced as the highest in our order. Everyone has their own interpretation, everyone claims that their way is right, but does anyone truly know what the force is?" Roene asked. The echoes of his voice questioned the world around them. The stillness of the air cowed and relented at this blatant interrogation for no answer came. A few minutes of silence held more truth to Roene's statement than he could provide on his own and after the air was clear once more, Roene cleared his throat and continued. “My interpretation is this: the force is both alive and not alive. It is whatever it needs to be to accomplish its purpose. It comprises living things and things that we perceive as ‘dead, ‘ but even as it comprises such ‘dead’ things, it does not grant them sentience. In life, the force proves a bringer of life and a destroyer of life. It makes up the things that live, but wreaks havoc on the bodies of those that abuse it. In ‘death’ or, ‘inaction,’ the force provides the means of existence.” Roene said, holding softly the lids over his eyes as he made soft flourishing movements with his hands. He brought his hands together to form a ball and then slowly started to move them around in the air in front of him, surging and flowing with a glowing energy that blinked in both the world of mortal eyes and those that could see past limitation. “Now, what is life? Is life purely the existence of living cells in the body? Or is it the sentience that we are accustomed to? If you were to ask me, everything is alive. Even in states of death, organisms and creatures feed and perpetuate things that live.” Roene’s hands fell slowly back to his legs and he sighed, allowing the air around himself to cool several degrees. “The force is everything, and everything is alive, so I would say to you that, in my opinion, the force is alive. There is no death, there is the force.” A few moments passed and a stir in Roene’s ward pricked his attention. The hairs on his neck started to stand and his eyes immediately started open. His head, although still calm, tilted toward the east and some part of his smile sunk into a look of mild concern. “It seems we have company.” His expression changed slightly and Roene stood within the circle habitat around them and stared out eastward, feeling the range with his hands. He stepped a little past the perimeter of the great tree, then stuck his hands out and slowly clenched his fists together. The motion was fluid in the breeze of Dagobah’s acrid marsh thickness, but strain was present on Roene’s face. He wrapped his wrists in effort and eventually drew his arms back to his chest, levitating what looked to be a large and angry beast toward the camp. The beast was bound by the hands and the legs and as soon as it came into view, floating as it was, Tyue started barking at it feverishly. Roene put a single hand out to calm Tyue and returned to his chore until the beast rest within a foot or two of Roene’s body. Irritation was wrought on its large scaly face and Roene could plainly see that this was an errand of hunger, not of malice. Such was the errand of a lonely beast and such was an errand that Roene could understand. He had made a priority of hunting when he was alone in the woods and knew what living without food was like. The Cerean stuck his right hand out and placed it on the beast’s head. The beast almost bit Roene’s hand off, but at the touch of Roene’s pale fingers, the animal calmed. His eyes grew distant and he seemed to cry a little underneath his predator’s stare. Passion filled his amber eyes and he was a bit more docile than he was when he broke through the underbrush. Roene paused, nodding his head slightly and when the beast seemed to calm down, Roene pointed out west with his opposite hand and looked deeply into the predator’s eyes. “Great beast, you have no quarrel with us. Please find food elsewhere. I understand your hunger, but ours is not the food you want. There lay a pack of mammal like creatures in that direction. Do not eat more than your fill and you may yet have more if your appetite demands it. Now go.” Roene said quietly to the animal as it floated barely a foot from his face. Then, in the barest wink of an eye, the predator gently fell to the floor and then wandered off into the woods, wagging his tail between his legs, but without shame or disappointment. “That should help for a little while. Now where were we…” Roene said, his smile returning.

Roene could feel the mist in the air as the world around him culminated into a dense fog. The humidity of the air congealed into one large cloud of murkiness and Roene was truly fascinated by the weight he felt as he moved. Each step seemed to anchor him in some muck or another and as each foot fell he would stop for a moment and analyze it in his mind. He would think of the depth that his foot fell and exactly how much strength it would take to pull it out. It took a few moments out of their constant walk, but he didn't really mind. Tyue seemed to agree and would patiently wait at his master's side until the calculations were done, then resume his course when Roene continued. In the meantime though, when he wasn't measuring his footfalls, Roene was communing with the trees and plants around him. They hung deeply to the marshland floor. His whispers of intelligent discourse whipped through the breeze unheard of by the naked ear, but still present like a shadow on the breeze, or an echo passing its way up a lonely corridor. Each swooping branch, each sagging moss and each willowy piece of bark had a story behind it and behind each story grew a powerful life force. There was a deep resonance here that transcended that of mortal perception as did most natural settings in the galaxy, and Roene was thoroughly transfixed with what he perceived to be the nexus of all of the energy he felt growing inside him. He kept walking toward it like a moth to the flame without thinking of the repercussions that it might reap. To be completely honest, he wanted it to reap repercussions, if only to see what they would be. However, in the end, there were no consequences to the trio's arrival. Roene approached the largest energy source in the area and came upon a great tree. The tree was a about twenty to twenty five times taller than Roene was and twenty to thirty times as wide. The branches and roots were so massive that the breadth of each root would have made a comfortable walking path if their round stature made them at all fit for walking. It was breath taking in size and before Roene knew it, he had already jumped up to one of the large branches and started to meditate quietly with himself. This is where we will start. Before we continue our journey, I would like to finish our lesson on the ship... Said Roene in a deep and cold voice within Soren's head. The chillness of his voice wasn't that it was stern or hard, but the breathy quality of it seemed to denote something crystalline that echoed off of many things. I cannot teach you patience or focus or concentration, those are things that you must find on your own. However, I can teach you the meditation forms, the practicality of the meditations and exactly how or why we do them as I had started to on the ship. Roene waved his right hand toward the sturdy bark of the tree and began to chant softly to himself. In time the growth of the tree began to accelerate. With a whisper, the tree leaned itself down to the ground and tipped itself into the marshlands, groaning as it moved and pushing its way to a perimeter about them. It stretched its long branches and roots out, encapsulating them within a large dome of wooden roots. Now, here is where we will learn more of the world around us. Roene sat silently, softly and with great care, upon a solid piece of the marshlands. It was well tended for something so wild, but it was with this dichotomy that Roene chose to practice. After all, there were even contradictions in the most ideal places of the universe, so trying to find something perfect was a contradiction in and of itself. Without even looking around, Roene set up wards and allowed the trees within distance of the great tree that now shielded them, to treat them with care and to ward off or warn them of danger. As you heard before, you, the planet, the galaxy and the universe are entirely made up of the force. What does this mean to you? How do you feel, knowing this? Roene asked with a small nod. I would like you to sit as I am, but facing me in the middle of this circle here, underneath the great tree's roots and I want you to follow me. I will sit, relax and let loose my thoughts and I want you to do the same. First, focus on something like you did on the ship. I want you to take the whole image into your mind and then just let it go along with the other flotsam in your head. Then I want you to focus on nothing for however long it takes you to realize that there is no such thing as nothing. Then I want you to try and imagine that you can see everything around you and bask in the force energy that flows freely amongst us. Can you feel it?

The landing was slow, but methodical. Nothing was inherently wrong and by some stroke of luck the navigational system even found a solid place to land. In a place filled with swamps and marshes, ships could get easily lost in the muck, so Roene breathed a sigh of relief at their sudden fortune. He turned silently to check all of the gauges on the ship and made sure all of the post landing procedures went through with little issue. Then, without much else to do, he secured his robe, his satchel, his saber and whistled softly as he walked slowly out of the vessel and into the fog. A murky gel met his face when he left the airlock and although the Cerean had read much about this planet from holo logs and books, seeing it was so much different. He could tell that it would be something unique and challenging, but where most saw that as a con, Roene saw it as a pro. The challenge of exploration, of discovery and the invigoration brought by looking into something he hadn't experienced with his own ears, eyes, or nose. The Cerean's hands reached out slowly into the gloom that was so thick that he could almost drink the water in the air even if he decided against it. A small snarl at his side told him that Tyue was displeased, but Roene kept his pace and wandered out into the wild, leaving the ship behind and counting on his padawan to follow. "We are here to explore. We are here to enjoy or investigate a planet that doesn't normally get visitors because of its beauty. There are dangers out there though and while I admit you have some skill, I will take heart to defend you while we are here." Roene said with a comforting smile, even though his face was pointed away from the shuttle. "Just follow me. I may not know exactly where I am going, but that is have the fun."

"I don't get it. For a minute there it almost seemed like that rock was glowing..." Roene smiled a little, but his eyes never left the rock. “Then, for a minute, you felt as all Jedi do; for a minute, you felt as if that rock were more than just a rock; for a minute you saw the inner structure of what to our eyes seems so mundane and inert; for a minute, you saw the force. “ With a small gesture, Roene slide his hand out to where the black rock stood and left it to rest besite the piece of shining obsidian. “But I couldn't hold the focus on it without being distracted by thoughts and memories.” Roene sighed a little, but the grin never left his face and his eyes never left the rock’s surface. “And that padawan, is why you can't meditate; yet. Meditation requires patience, and patience requires focus. Once you master those skills you may begin to see why meditation helps Jedi Masters or Jedi Knights to center and reach a level of cultured understanding in the world around.” With a small breath in, Roene moved his outstretched hand across the metal table closer to his torso. Then, without even a glimmer of recognition, the obsidian began to float in midair. Roene then turned his eyes to face his padawan’s and the rock continued to float. “Your first lesson and one I wish you to take to heart is that everything is the force. I don’t claim to be the final authority on these things and by no means will each Jedi have the same answer for this question, but to me, everything is the force. Down to the tiniest molecule, atom or quark of matter, the force is something that makes up everything in the universe. It is in us all, it is all around.” Roene reached one of his hands out to his padawan and took him into his thoughts. He granted the padawan the smallest perception of the world around him by letting the energy inside, float with the rock and into the padawan’s mind. At that moment he shared a crystalline vision of the world with Soren. The ship faded away from sight to be replaced by a glittering silver blue construct surrounded by millions of smaller, but equally as bright sapphires that glinted in their homes thousands of light-years away. Roene’s voice took on an airy quality and seemed to echo in this chamber of magical bright lights. “The unique relationship that Jedi have with the force is that of a guiding hand. We are the channel as it runs through the mountains to rejoin the larger body of water. We use the force in ourselves and the world around to shape things, heal things and renew things. The more understanding we have and the more aptitude we have in guiding the force, the more powerful we become in its manifestation. Some claim that the amount of midichlorians a Jedi has is what makes him or her more powerful. However, in my understanding, that is only partially correct. To use the channel metaphor again, the midichlorians in our body give us the ability of forming a larger tributary by which the force can flow through. The amount of force we can guide or channel is directly affected by the amount of midichlorians, or symbiotic cells, present in our own cells. It doesn’t make you more powerful. Just because you have more of something, it doesn’t make it significant. Power isn’t something to take lightly, and it isn’t really in the realm of consideration for Jedi.” Roene’s voice didn’t so much waver as it decreased in pitch. The light seemed to darken and for some reason the sapphires that gleamed in the blackness around the ship, were duller than before. “The Sith however – the yang to our yin – do something similar, but altogether different. They push bluntly forward in the pursuit of power and freedom. They feed on the force's energy and neglect to give anything back. They do not wish to ponder or muse on the idle nature of anything and wish to pull forward, breaking as many things in their way as they can. They tear the force asunder, forcing it to their will; they harness chaotic emotions to enhance the potency of their force powers and wreak havoc on the natural order of things, which is why they look the way they do. Ironically, although their code dictates otherwise, they become slaves to the emotions that they wish to use to free them. They strain themselves and work outside the force, bending it and twisting it.” All the while Roene is explaining the metaphor he is showing his padawan a physical representation of this action with his hands. The river of his allegory spread like blue fire from his finger tips and followed every part of the story, down to the Sith’s brutality. Then, in the flicker of an instant, the vision was gone and they were both back on the deck of the shuttle. “All of this is my philosophy of course. Some Jedi may look upon it with scorn, but I do not wish to impose my will upon them. It is not my way. However, as you are my student, it is your luxury to have my instruction put upon you whether you want it or not. What you choose to believe afterwards is up to you." Roene said with slow, but appropriate wink. “I know this was fairly long winded, but oft speculation is warranted where risk and hazard are brought to bear. If you are to take anything from this, let it be these three things: take time to look and feel the world around you more; think about the world as more than what it is; and live life in the moment, acknowledging who and what you are and letting your thoughts and worries leave you.” Roene looked out the viewport from his seat and could see the planet of Dagobah looming over the main cockpit chair. “Oh, it seems that we’ve arrived. I’ll just be a moment making sure the landing takes alright.” Roene said over his shoulder as he got up and walked to the steering mechanisms.

The subtle hum of the shuttle beneath his feet quieted the world around. He could feel the ship as it sailed through the obsidian sea and off toward distant stars. He could feel his canine companion resting softly at his side: the small but determinable heartbeats broke ever so gently over the general din. The world inside the shuttle was quiet, still and tranquil, but the sudden rise in anxiety prodded at him with spiky protrusions. The Cerean was sighing deeply to himself when his concentration seemed troubled by the quickened steps of his padawan. Much about the future was written on the padawan's mind. Already he was too swift. Already he must learn the ways of meditation when he knows not to sit and take in. He talks when he should listen. He asks when he should think. He must learn patience... Master, back at the temple there was an introductory lesson on meditation. I have to be honest, I don't know if I really understood it. I felt something, but I don't know what. I also don't understand why we're supposed to do it. You seemed to be so deep in it that you could communicate with my mind. How do I do that? The voice was clear as a bell to Roene's mind. He sat cross-legged on the deck of the shuttle nearer to the back and could see and hear the padawan before he approached: his shoes rubbed roughly on the ground and his thinking was loud. Roene slowly stood from his position and looked long at the padawan before him. He was only a slight smaller than Roene and had he been a little older, would have been considered way too old for Jedi training. Minds of that age tend to already be formed. They tend to let less in than that of younger minds. They are less pliable and are harder to teach the older a person gets. The Cerean smiled, seeing the reflection of youth in his own history, but it was a weary smile. Roene hadn't had much time with his other padawans and those that he had trained were always so quick. He wondered if there was some way to slow time. He wondered if there was a way to teach someone slowly even if they wanted to train quickly. "Meditation may seem simple padawan, but one must learn other things before meditation becomes to them like the shifting of body weight." Roene said, wiping the sweat gathered on his brow upon the tips of his fingers and softly flicking it toward the deck plating. "You are under the guidance of one who moves by the will of nature: and nature is never swift unless it means to be and even then the pace can shift at a moment's notice. One must have patience before they can see into what the Jedi call 'the force' and meditate in such a way that is beneficial to them. For instance," Roene's eyes sought out another part of the simple ship where a simple metal table sat. There were two metal chairs set up beside it. Quietly Roene escorted Soren out of the room and instructed him to sit at one of these chairs. Then he set a small object in the center of the table. It was a polished rock that he found on Tython and kept with him as a keepsake and it was approximately one square inch in size; it was black in color; and it had a couple of small dimples in it that it rested on as it sat upon the table's cold metal surface. "I want you to stare at this rock. I don't want you to move it. I don't want you to take your eyes off of this rock. No matter what you do, no matter what happens I want you to focus on this rock. I want you to sit and think of nothing but the rock until it is all you think about. Then I will tell you when the exercise is over. I will be close at hand and should you flinch, we will start over." Roene said, a plain look of instruction writ upon his face. Tyue's head poked up for a moment as his master moved about, but he quickly went back to sleep when Roene sat at the other chair beside the table and stared at the rock.

Roene smiled pleasantly, giving the padawan a knowing glance. “I have worn enough of those robes myself. They look good.” The Cerean turned his gaze outward, letting the breeze of the fresh morning air brush through his beard. The tingling feelings he felt, licking his chin were entertaining and Roene was almost tempted to scratch his long beard, but resisted the impulse. He took a long look at the sweeping landscape and at once saw beyond the large rock figures set upon them on either side of a long dirt path. The shuttle they would take lay at the end of that path. It was a straight path with only small risk, but it was through two rock figures that made them look dwarfs in comparison. They were large and made of a vague limestone like rock that shone brightly in the midmorning sun. “No,” Roene said, just remembering Soren’s other question. “We are not taking my ship, we are taking a shuttle that I have on loan from the temple on Tython. I am not the best pilot in the world, but the autopilot will suit us just fine. I will need just one more thing before we go.” Roene put two fingers to his lips one touching either side and then took in a great deal of air. When he exhaled, a huge whistling sound struck the air and pierced the natural silence that enveloped the area. For a moment his gesture seemed irrelevant and pointless, but after a few minutes of waiting, Roene’s canine garral companion Tyue joined them and followed at Roene’s heel. Tyue looked up at Roene with a big grin. He had a fresh piece of meat clung to the bottom of his jaw and he was munch at it idly with much joy glittering in his puppy eyes. “Soren, this is Tyue, my companion. He will accompany us on our journey. He may be a little rough to get along with, but give him time. He will grow on you.” Roene said, patting Tyue on the head and starting down the dirt path. “I didn’t really plan on staying here too much longer so I took the liberty of preparing the ship for take-off beforehand. Let me know if there is anything else or we can get this journey started. ((Feel free to post in Space or Dagobah thread ))

The Cerean paused for a moment. His thoughts became a whirling torrent of consideration and from the chaos he plucked a single strand, signifying what he knew of the jungle planet of Dagobah. It was dangerous in its own right, as far as holovids or books could tell you, but in truth, Roene had never been there before. The texts, which echoed faintly upon the shorter hairs of his moderately sized ears and the strong lines of his sapphire eyes, weren't proven. There was no way to know for sure if these dangers were true without going there himself. Roene sighed a moment and patted gingerly at his waist, letting the loose dirt fall from his robes. A slow, but steady howl shook the Cerean's consciousness and without any further hesitation, the Cerean spun slowly on his heel and began walking down the corridor to enter his own room at the end. It was a short passage so it didn’t take him long, but with a steady hand he took the man’s mind and let his thoughts flow swiftly, like the flow of a large river passing through the sky. Then Dagobah it is… I have a ship ready a distance away. We shall leave momentarily. Be sure to grab all of your things if you have or need them. Roene didn’t know what the man would do, but he figured that such a young man would jump at the chance to explore his potential. With a last look around the temple, the Cerean walked silently through the doorway and into the world outside. I would suggest you follow if you don’t wish to be left alone, were his last words through the force, imbued with a dash of charming wit. ((Sorry to rush, but I wanted to give you a little room to post before I left for a week --- See absent thread. ))