Haruun Kal

[DarkJedi K'munee]

"Ouch!" DJK said out loud.

 

*The circuit board from the climate control device he was repairing sparked again, then fizzled into a thin stream of white smoke. This was the second time the system had seemingly lashed out against him. The old Jedi instinctively put his shocked finger tips in his mouth, trying to dampen the pain. Shaking his head, he looked at the blackened tips of his fingers, wondering what compelled him the return to this temple.

 

In that same instant, he seemed to have given an answer. Underneath the console where he was working, his eyes locked on to a frayed series of wires, leading to an input coupling. He would have to switch of the main power to the device in order to repair it or risk increasingly more painful shocks.

 

No sooner had he finished his thoughts, had he became aware of another presence. A presence that was not native to these surroundings. Reaching out with his mind, he searched for feelings of ill intent or malice. Luckily he found none. There was, however, a strong sense of doubt. DJK looked over his shoulder just in time to see a figure standing in the outside corridor. His left hand, had instinctively gone to hilt of his lightsaber. When the figure spoke, K'munee was given a clearer picture of the bings state of mind and relaxed his guard, slightly.*

 

"Yeah. Something I can do for you?" he said, trying to seem casual.

[Dahar Raikanda]

Erm... well... yes sir.

 

Dahar had played the scene over and over in his mind. What would it be like when he finally met a Jedi? He had expected some larger than life character almost glowing with power. But this man seemed, at least at face value, like a normal sentient being. There was something special though. The energy that radiated from this man pierced Dahar to his very core. It was the Force, and he could feel it.

 

Nervously, Dahar addressed the Jedi Master.

 

I... um... Well I've traveled quite a distance to learn... well... I'm not sure what exactly.

 

He closed his eyes and focused on the thought of peace as Dashel had guided him to do.

 

I came here wishing to learn about the Force. Something made me leave Adumar and that something told me to come here.

 

Dahar recalled the feelings he felt when he stood alone in the temple.

 

When I arrived I found this temple, destroyed. I sat down and I felt a surge of different emotions. At first I felt at peace, connected to the galaxy around me. Then I felt afraid, and angry, and almost empowered by the anger. Somebody named Dashel called to me and I heard him in my mind. He told me to focus on the peace. I followed him to Ilum, but shortly after arriving I felt something tell me to come back here. So here I am.

 

Dahar paused for a moment realizing he had been rambling.

 

The... point I'm trying to get to... is... well... I would to learn about the Force. I wish to learn the ways of the Jedi.

 

Dahar glanced the man from top to bottom, then back up. He was sure, he could feel it.

 

I don't know how, but I can feel the Force in you stronger than anything I've ever encountered. Are you a Jedi?

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*There was something odd about the young man that stood before the aging Jedi. K'munee relaxed the hand that gripped the hilt of is lightsaber and stod up slowly. The coveralls he wore, were covered in dirt stains, smudges, and a fine layer of dust from his duties. Dusting his hands off as he walked toward the entrance of the dimly lit room where he had been working.

 

DJK sized the young man up. There was some uncertainty in his voice as he asked his questions. But he could hardly blame him. From the outside looking in, he would have mistaken him him from a maintinance man or janitor. The current envirorment of the temple was not one that was very user friendly with traditional Jedi attire. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, a half smile began to manifest on his face. The last thing the young said stuck in his mind:

 

I don't know how, but I can feel the Force in you stronger than anything I've ever encountered. Are you a Jedi?

 

"Yes, I am a Jedi. But only when it suits my purposes." DJK said, narrowing his eyes to apply emphasis.

 

"However, there are times when the tides of darkness overflow the mental flood gates we use to suppress them and give us a glimpse of the shadows we would become if we allowed it to consume us." He said.

 

*He extend his right hand, with the palm facing up and leveled it were the Jedi hopeful would be able to see. The center of his hand began to glow. Small currents of blue electricity surged from the middle of his hands, radiating out to each of his individual finger tips. He slowly closed his hand, as the light was extinguished with a faint glow visible between the creases of his fingers.*

 

Looking at the young man with a raised eyebrow, he said, "Do you still wish to be trained?"

[Menthu]

This is.... was his home. He had been born here, of that he was sure. It was to that end that he was here now. Once again born anew, though he had been for some time. His patience was great, and in the time since his defeat e had patiently waited.

 

After all nothing went to waste on Harrun Kal. He had milled the streets, in the rebuilt 'civilized' areas. Glad to once again be apart of mere mortals, and not feel the hunger of power. It was almost a peaceful time for him. One that was immediately broken by a single peddler. As the temple had fallen into decay it seems, small little scavengers desperate to make a buck had raided what stores they could. At first it was perhaps food and medicine.

 

Over time he had watched with increasing frequency, other more unique items making their way to market. As a result his patience had once again become renewed. That was until his hands were steeped in blood that is. One by one he hunted down and exterminated those foolish enough to buy that which rightfully was his. Like a dark specter hanging over the town, until the items were taboo to talk about much less purchase. Yet by then it was too late. He had already acquired both the sword and the bowcaster. Two items that almost seemed to sing in the force when once again reunited with their master.

 

Clad in his special robes once more, he left behind that which he was unable to obtain, and boarded his ship. After all once the items had been listed on the do no touch list, they had been promptly dumped in the jungle and devourd by the 'wildlife' that existed within.

 

Feeling to some degree complete, he departed this world. He had delivered a warning to the Jedi. A warning that he had noticed they had promptly ignored. Sad to be sure, for those unfortunate enough to be so casually dismissed by the Jedi.

[Dahar Raikanda]

Dahar's eyes focused in on the blue current radiating from the man's palm. He was quite impressed. Would this be the type of thing he could do as he learned to conjure the Force?

 

He didn't put as much thought into the man's answer as perhaps he should have. What he focused on was the part where he said "Yes, I am a Jedi." He didn't quite get what he meant by the rest. It seemed acceptable to Dahar to accept that darkness did in fact exist. It was better to acknowledge it than to ignore it completely.

 

Dahar bowed to the man.

 

Yes master Jedi, I do. My name is Dahar Raikanda. As I said I have left Adumar to learn the ways of the Force. I pledge myself to whatever teachings you can offer me.

 

With that Dahar knelt to the ground. He felt a burden being lifted off him. He was no longer without guidance. He was no longer alone.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

"Dahar, please stand up. I do not wish for you to bow to me." He said.

 

*K'munee place a hand on Dahar's shoulder after he stood and led him down the hallway.*

 

"I have not trained a padawan for a long time. My methods and ideology are unorthodox, but effective."

 

"The galaxy we reside in is a harsh one." DJK said, as he looked at the diagnal scorch marks on the walls of the hallway, where ome great lightsaber duel had taken place.

 

*Stopping in front on Dahar, he made direct eye contact with him*

 

"I will train you in the ways of the force, and I will train you in the art of combat. Go find a functional room and store your things. There is an extra enviro-suit in the hangar. Put it on, then meet me in the courtyard."

 

*DJK gave Dahar a reassuring smile and walked away. He peered out of one of the temple's transparisteel windows, into the jungle. The bushes stirred and a flash of fur could be seen. Some unlucky animal had just become prey for a predator. The Jedi master thought it was odd sight to witness after taking on a new padawan. Maybe it was an omen. Maybe that explains the lingering presence of darkness he sinced a while ago?*

[Dahar Raikanda]

Dahar was relieved. He wasn't sure if there was a certain level of reverence he would need to treat DJK with but the man seemed fairly down to earth.

 

He made his way to the living quarters. The hallways had taken some obvious damage from the burning of the temple. The entry-pads of the first few rooms he tried failed to respond. Eventually one opened. He entered the room and analyzed his surroundings. It seemed fairly simple. There was, of course, a bed. A closet. A small sink. Realizing he had left home with nothing, thus having nothing to store, he left the room.

 

He made his way down to the main hangar. Looking around he located a storage chamber. Opening it he found the enviro-suit DJK had mentioned. He took it out and put it on. It was a relief to have some sort of protection from the acidic rain that had, since this point, rained down uncomfortably on his bare skin.

 

Leaving the hangar he made his way through the halls. There was indeed the presence of the Force here. The stale air of battle still hung in the corridors.

 

Entering the courtyard he approached his master.

 

"So, where do we begin?"

[Leran Jokar]

A lone X-Wing silently made its way toward the planet of Harrun Kal. Keeping its S-foils locked in position and its weapons powered down, its pilot quickly maneuvered into the orbit of the planet. As it flew around the equator, its pilot scanned for any hangars or docking bays close to the Jedi Temple. This planet was little known amongst the citizens of the galaxy, but after several years of searching, the pilot knew this was the place to begin his path to justice. The hooded pilot had come far from his home world in order make sure justice was given to those who deserved it. All those who slaughter the innocent, destroy the helpless, and profit from the spread of evil would find justice at his hand. And that is why he had come. Only by joining the Knights of the Jedi Order would he become the force for justice that this galaxy so desperately cried out for.

 

After locating an empty hangar within the Jedi Temple, the pilot angled his fighter toward the Temple and made his way into the hanger. The young Jedi hopeful knew it was very probable that his vessel would be searched and picked over by some of the very best technicians in the galaxy. He could not allow for all his information to become public. Opening all the subroutines within his fighter, he quickly erased all information involving previous hyperspace destinations, past communications, and all relevant personal information. To even the most trained technician, the X-Wing that would soon be landing is brand new, straight off the factory floor. Only several blast marks along the hull would distinguish it from brand new fighter. Climbing down form the cockpit, Marius waited in the hangar for someone to arrive.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*DJK stood in the doorway of the temple's main entrance, wearing his enviro-suit. The air was thick. A breeze of hot air dried the beads of sweat that had recently formed on his brow. The rain had finally ceased, but the ground was a dark muddy mess. Walking out into the courtyard, his boots sank deeper in the ground with every step. The heat had turned the damp ground into a dirt pie with a mud topped upper crust. His eager, new padawan ran over to him. Dahar seemed anxious to get started.*

 

"When do we begin?" Dahar asked the Jedi master.

 

*In the distance there was a faint sound. K'munee looked around, searching for the source. The sound grew louder and then it's origin was clear. The sound was from the engines of a X-Wing fighter in the skies above. The ship circled the perimeter as it descended. The X-Wing entered the hangar and landed.

 

DJK motioned for his new padawan to follow him as he jogged over to the area where the starfighter now rested. There was a hooded figure seated in the cockpit, though K'munee could not see his face. Expanding his influence of the force, he searched the ship and pilot for signs of anything that could be a threat. Unable to find any signs of a threat, he stood at a distance that would give him prope reaction time and an overall veiw of the area.*

 

"Can I help you?" DJK asked.

[Dahar Raikanda]

Dahar followed his master with caution. It had been quite some time since he had seen an X-wing. He wondered who it might be transporting. There wasn't too much too offer in the immediate surroundings. This led him to believe that the occupant had either come searching for the temple, or, seeking out trouble.

 

He stood on guard behind his master, his hand close to the blaster on his belt.

 

Dahar tried to use the Force to feel out the new arrival. He had not yet perfected this skill and could sense neither peace nor hostility.

[Leran Jokar]

The young Jedi hopefuly watched as two men in dark robes made their way towards him. From beneath his emerald hood his eyes narrowed as they paused some distance away from him.

 

"My name is Marius Dane. I have come to be trained as a Jedi."

[DarkJedi K'munee]

"I am the only master currently residing at this post." K'munee said.

 

*Looking over his shoulder, behind him, Dahar stood as though he were ready to respond to any threat that may have emerged from the X-Wing. He could tell the young was no stranger to fighting. *

 

DJK considered turning this new padawan away. In the old days, it was forbidden to take on more than one padawan. He was alone out here. The council was on the other side of the galaxy. Ultimately, he decided he would face them when the time came about his decision.

 

"If you wish to train here, I suggest you find a spare enviro-suit and meet me in the courtyard."

 

DJK began walking toward the hangar entrance, with Dahar not far behind him.

 

"By the way, I am Jedi Master K'munee. I hope you are ready."

[Dahar Raikanda]

Dahar ran his eyes up and down the new arrival. His master had obviously found no ill will in the young man. Removing his grip from his blaster he approached Marius. Dahar extended his hand.

 

"Hello, my name is Dahar Raikanda. I'm also a fairly new arrival here. You'll definitely want to grab that enviro-suit, the acidic rain here can get uncomfortable fairly quick."

 

Dahar bowed to his fellow Jedi hopeful. Following DJK he headed for the courtyard.

[Leran Jokar]

Nodding slightly to both Master K'munee as well as his fellow apprentice, Marius walked towards a small locker on the wall of the hangar. Taking out an envirosuit, the young Jedi apprentice made his way towards Master K'munee and Dahar.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

It was a couple of hours after noon and the bugs native to the planet were out in full force. The bugs were not blood thirsty. They just had a habit of flying in close proximity to his eys and mouth. DJK had read in some data file that the bugs were attracted to the carbon dioxide that humans exhaled. The insects were more of a distraction, than a problem.

 

He knelt down, scooping a hand full of dirt with his gloved hand. Behind him was the sounds of his two padawans approaching from the hanger.Turning to face them, he held out his hand.

 

"There is an unseen energy in our universe. This energy, which we refer to as the force, is created by life." Moving closer to the two young men, he made sure that they could see the contents of his hand. Three small worm crawled through the dirt entering and exiting holes.

 

"The force surrounds us and binds the galaxy together. Those who are able to hear and understand the will of the force, are able to become conduits to it."

 

"The force is said to have two sides, a light and dark side. The Jedi are practitioners with the use of the light side of the force because they use the power of the force for the greater good of the galaxy. In contrast, the Sith are wielders of the dark side. This means they use the force for selfish or destructive gains." He paused briefly to make sure that both Dahar and Marius understood.

 

He dropped the dirt back into the hole from where he previously dug it up and summoned a baseball size rock from the ground using the force. The rock hovered inches above the palm of his hand, rotating slowly. The rock hovered above DJK's head and shattered into a thousand smaller pieces. The fragments fell at his feet. He waved the two padawans over so that they could observe what he had done. The small rock fragment were moving around on the ground, bumping into each other and trying to form a pile. Everytime they seemed to form a mound they would collapse and disperse on the ground. K'munee repeated the exercise three times for the padawans to witness.

 

"What I have shown you is an example of easy it is to destroy something. At the same time, I showed how hard it is to create or recreate what has been destroyed. The essence of the dark side is the easy way. For a greater understanding and mastery over the force, you have to learn to oreserve life." The two young men nodded in unison.

 

"I want you to sit down or kneel, which ever is more comfortable. Then I want you to close your eyes and focus on the force. Feel the lifeforms around you in the trees and the animals. Try to bond with aura of the force that surrounds this planet."

 

((OOC: In your posts, describe what you sense and feel as you learn to read and interpret the force.))

[Dahar Raikanda]

Dahar watched in awe as his master lifted the rock with his mind. He had no idea that men could be capable of such things. He hoped he would someday learn this skill. He watched as the rock crumbled on the ground, and then scurried to put itself back together.

 

He knelt down on the ground and tried to do what his master had instructed.

 

He meditated on the Force.

 

It surrounds us and binds the galaxy together. He became aware of the living Force flowing all around him. He could feel it like a wind coming at him from all directions. He tried to concentrate on the complexity of all living things. With some effort he was able to sift through the veil of unknowing. He focused in on a single tree that he sensed behind him. Concentrating even harder he though of the life system of the tree. There were leaves which brought in the sunlight, and roots that gathered nutrients from the soil. Freeing his mind he was able to see, faintly, an individual cell inside one of the roots. He saw this microscopic life form. It was it's own living entity, completely at peace with the universe. But at the same time it was part of a much larger existence. Dahar came to realize that the relationship between the cell and the tree was the same relationship as everything in the galaxy. We are all our own unique entity but all part of the greater picture... Flowing through the stream that is the Force.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*K'munee paced around the peimeter of the courtyard, kicking rocks of the walkway. A small creature scuried across the path into a thick patch of withered underbrush. Finding a branch on the path, he examined it. Except for a couple of odd bends and a handful of miniture branches protruding from the main body of the branch, it could serve as a proper walking stick. In his mind, he pictured another use for the branch, as he began snapping off the mini-branches. Swinging the stick horizontaly from left to right, the courtyard's silence was broken by the sound of it cutting throught the wind. He held the stick out in front of him in a defense stance similar to a high guard. He closed hs eyes and exhaled deeply, as his body began to go through the motions of his kata.

 

DJK's body moved as though he were in a trance or under a spell. His movement was effortless as his body reponded to years of training and muscle memory. While performing his exercises, he could sense the budding connections to the force of his two padawans. To achieve a greater understanding of their progress, he expanded the circumference of his awareness sphere to cover the entire courtyard. Through the sphere he was in tune with every living thing within it. A stong sense of discovery washed over him. The feeling was strongest coming from Dahar. Marius appeared to be a little harder to read, but the connection was there. He was impressed with how quickly they found their connections to the force. In that moment in time, they were all as one. Their thoughts were now completely open to him.

 

Using the sphere, K'munee gave them a wider glimpse of what the force was. An image began to form of a lush, green environment. A large waterfall filled the background. At the base of it, was a busy fishing town. A child could been seen running and playing with friends. The scene flashes forward to the child standing at the edge of a cliff seperated by a broken bridge. The child leaps from one side of the cliff, landing safely on the other side, leaving his friends in awe. That scene dissolved into an image of the galaxy. In the vision, a massive shadow began to stretch from one side of the galaxy to the other. The temperature inside the sphere had drastically changed. Although their eyes were closed, DJK knew that if he could see that puffs of expelled breath from his body would be visible. He could sense that his students felt the cold, as his own body began to shiver. The vision began to fade, but before it had completely dissloved, he could faintly hear the sound of someone chanting.

 

K'munee opened his eyes, as he had just completed a diagonal slice, ending in a defensive posture. His awareness sphere had been dropped by the break in his concentration. Over his shoulder he could see his two padawan's awaking from their meditations. Tucking the stick under his arm, he walked over to them, helping each of them up from the ground.*

 

"Congradulations!" He said smiling, while patting each of them on the shoulder. "Your first lesson was very successful. Now that you can sense the force, I will now teach you how to use/manipulate the force."

 

"Take this." He said as he gave Dahar his lightsaber. He positioned his baffled student about two feet away from himself and made sure they were far enough to not injure Marius who stood on the side to observe.

 

"When you are ready, activate the silver emmiter switch by your thumb and attack me." K'munee retrieved the stick he had been practicing with earlier and assume a defensive stance across from Dahar.

[Leran Jokar]

The young Jedi initiate watched as a small rock floated above the Jedi Masters head. He watched as it slowly rotated above him. Then almost instantly the rock shattered, each individual piece frozen in place, mere inches from its previous position. Deep down, Marius knew that all he had to do was push the pieces together and it would be right again. The rock would once more be whole. And then he watched as the rock, now rocks, fell to the ground. As it fell, the initiate kept his eyes glued to the pieces as they settled to the ground almost contently, as if each piece never knew it was part of a once grander whole. For a moment the rocks lay still, and then slowly each piece began to jerk. They rolled together, joining in the center to once more form the original rock. Just as the rock was near completion, once piece would slip, the stone would become many once more. Marius watched several times as the stones attempted to recreate the rock they had once formed, each time met with failure.

 

"What I have shown you is an example of easy it is to destroy something. At the same time, I showed how hard it is to create or recreate what has been destroyed. The essence of the dark side is the easy way. For a greater understanding and mastery over the force, you have to learn to preserve life."

 

 

"I want you to sit down or kneel, whichever is more comfortable. Then I want you to close your eyes and focus on the force. Feel the life forms around you in the trees and the animals. Try to bond with aura of the force that surrounds this planet."

 

Marius watched as Dahar kneeled upon the dirt and closed his eyes. Instead of kneeling, the newest addition took a seat and crossed his legs. Dane turned his palms skyward and rested his arms on his knees. The young Jedi slowly began to control his breathing. His breathing became deeper, stronger. He turned his eyes to the worms that Master K'munee had dropped to the ground. He watched as they writhed on the ground, each trying to dig into the ground, each trying to return to their home. As his breathing became totally controlled, Marius allowed his eyes to slowly fall closed. The last thing he witnessed was the last of the worms entering the loose soil. At first the young Jedi saw nothing but the darkness that came from closing one's eyes. Still controlling his breathing, Marius turned his focus towards the Force. His new masters words played over and over in his mind. As his focus centered more and more on the Force, he began to feel a true calming sensation flowing over his skin. Each in-breath he could feel it flowing along his skin, moving up his arms and legs towards his chest, while each out-breath, he could feel it flowing the opposite direction. Deep inside, he knew he was feeling the Force flowing through him; he knew it was the Force flowing around his body. The young initiate allowed the sensations to flow over his skin for several more moments before deciding to press this new found skill. Deeply breathing in, the Jedi apprentice focused on bringing all the sensations along his skin to his chest. In his mind he picture thousands of droplets of water all slowly sliding along his skin, each droplet intent on making its way to his chest. Within moments, he could see(within his mind) and feel that all the sensations were at his chest. In his mind's eye, he watched as the droplets swirled around one another, sliding across the surface of every other droplet but not forming a whole sphere. Focusing upon two droplets, the young Jedi watched as they swirled around, awaiting the moment when they would align and he could attempt to merge them. As the moment approached, he focused on pushing the two droplets together. As he continued to push with his mind, he watched as all the other droplets in the ”œsphere”

[Dashel Illioni]

Dashel dropped out of hypserspace above Harumn Kal and was immediately greeted by a new friend on the bridge of a Action IV heavy hauler.

 

He sighed, wonder what the man had planned. A single Action IV would not be enough to rebuild the temple and as massive as the ship was, could contain just about anything.

 

Kala had just announced making connections through the comm system when a series of coordinates and some information came through in plain text.

 

"We will be heading to the surface to begin search and salvage operations."

 

Dashel turned to Kala, "Umm, its probably too late to recover anything, I imagine the Jedi took care of that."

 

"No, he intends to begin salvaging the usable parts of the temple and too preserve them for when he does rebuild the temple. For now he intends to build a small base of operations and landing port."

 

Dashel took control of the ship and headed to the landing spot. He was now really curious about the man's plans and decided he needed to know more.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*DJK's request seemed to catch Dahar of guard. Through the force he could sense some hesitation. It was an odd revelation to stand on the business end of his trusted weapon. He could feel every component of his lightsaber. With his connection to his lightsaber, he could have easily ignited the silver blade through force manipulation, but decided against it.

 

K'munee noticed Marius was taking interest in the event that was about to take place. The Jedi hopeful seemed eager for his turn to take the next step. He thought back on his days of training. All of that pain and frustration, only to find himself standing on the path of discovery with two of his own students.*

 

Marius I will need you for phase two of this exercise. Be ready.

[Dahar Raikanda]

Dahar held the shining object in his hand. With his thumb he activated the sword. It ignited in a magnificent burst of light. He waved it around trailing the beam with his eye. It was a much lighter instrument than his blastsword. He examined this brilliant weapon and weighed it against the stick held in his master's grasp. Not only did he not want to attack DJK but he assumed that in this position his master knew something that he didn't. Dahar certainly seemed to have the advantage in the situation. He was fairly confident in his combat skills, he had been a prized champion on his homeworld. If this man was sure enough of himself to defend a stick against a lightsaber then Dahar hoped to rise to the challenge.

 

He held the saber vertically in front of himself. He breathed in deeply and allowed the Force to flow through him. With a yell he pulled his arms back and charged his master swinging upwards and aiming for his chest.

[Jedi X]

Rain drizzled from the heavens above, nurturing the plant life below as it's moistened form exploded on impact and soaked into the soil with little trace. The sun had began to set, the mixture of purple, red, and gold lining the distant horizon as another day came to a subtle close. Not far from a lone hut, on a hollowed log found upon the grassy plain sat a lonely little Togruta girl, her arms clutched tightly around a worn doll as tears rolled down her innocent face.

 

Her stomach growled fiercely, aching with hunger. Yet she would not enter the hut. Her skin rose and fell with shivers, her body temp falling wit the evening sun, yet she would would not seek shelter. Tears of guilt and sorrow fell down her face as more and more came forth, painful memories of what laid inside the hut haunting her very soul. She drifts to sleep, the overcoming hunger and tears succumbing the young girl to sleep as dreams of distant memories take hold.

 

A woman stumbles in the door, drunken and painfully torn by a past she had never asked for. Enraged by the sight of the young girl before her, she tosses aside the bottle of ale found within her hand.

 

"Mommy!" The girl exclaims, jumping up from her seated position and lovingly runs toward the drunken woman, arms wide open ad a gleefully smile encompassing her face. "Your home mommy! Your home!"

 

The child body flies across a nearby table, her body going limp and fear spreads like wildfire as she looks up to view her mom rushing after her. Tears fall from her face as the woman's hand makes contact with her innocent cheek again and again. She wonders what she did wrong to displease her mother so much, what it was that made her mother hate her so.

 

"I'm sorry mommy! I'm sorry!" She screams through the pain, begging and pleading for her mother to stop and love her again. "Please stop! I love you!"

 

Suddenly a urge takes over her body, the instinct to survive, the notion to live. Her mother's form flies backwards with astonishing force, a mysterious hand grabbing her drunken form and yanking her off. Her body twists an crumbles as it lands, the sound of breaking and tearing echoing through the empty hut as her lifeless body comes to a rest upon a nearby sofa before it slumps to the floor. The girl turns, her face swollen and her legs broken as she stares into the empty eyes of her mother.

 

"Nooooooo! Mother!" Kari shouts, waking up in a fastened pace, her heart pounding and sweat dripping from her body as she tosses aside the sheets. Another nightmare had ruined a night o peaceful sleep. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she rises, opening the viewport and knocking on Ghost's durasteel cranium.

 

"Rise and shine, sleepy head." Kari spoke with a chuckle, grabbing her cloths and heading toward the refresher. "We've another long day ahead of us."

 

Kari days as a youngling had been over for quite some time now, but her life within the Order was far from over. She had taken on the life of an Adept, helping out with the every day chores of the Temple. It hadn't been long since her transfer to the Haruun Kal Temple when the Temple at Gala was lost, but Kari was adjusting well. Or was until the recent attack. With her T3 unit, Ghost, in tow, Kari headed out toward the Sector she had been assigned to.

 

"Okay Ghost, let's crank this door loose so the salvage units can clean it up."

 

As Ghost hacked the door's security, Kari began to pry it open with help of a crowbar. But deep down, her mind was lost in the nightmare that still haunts her dream every night. After all these years, why can't she forget her life on Shili?

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*Dahar executed the attack just as K'munee predicted. He briefly remembered that his student told him about his history and skill in the dueling arts. This was the same type of attack he, himself had used when he was a padawan during a sparring session. Dahar's attack had the potential to be a killing strike, but his execution lacked focus. DJK watched the way he moved as the attack began.

 

K'munee focused on his counter attack, letting the force guide him, instead of his instincts. Leaning back a few inches and stepping back slightly on his pivot foot, removed him from the tip of the lightsaber's blade. The stick, he held firmly in his left hand, swung up from his side pushing the silver up and to the left. Moving with force aided speed, he took two steps to close the distance between, slamming his shoulder into Dahar. The Jedi hopeful stumbled backwards, recovering quickly from his master's counter in a defensive stance.

 

Looking down at his stick, K'munee noticed the scorched mark across what would be the blade if it were an actual sword. The fact that it was a stick that deflected the lightsaber attack had not escaped Dahar' s attention either. Grasping the section of the stick that had come in contact with the lightsaber, he checked the stick to make sure it was still usable. He applied just enough pressure to verify that the stick was still useful. The stick left a black stain on his palm, that he wiped off on the pants leg of his enviro-suit. Two test swings and a forward stab with stick through the air confirmed its' combat effectiveness.*

 

"You can relax, Dahar." He said lowering his stick. "This was an exercise in misdirection. I wanted to show you how the force can aid you in self defense. Whether you have a lightsaber or not."

 

With a slight tug from the force, K'munee summoned the lightsaber from his student's hand, surprising Dahar in the process. The hilt flew through the air and came to rest in the waiting hand of its' creator.

 

"Remember what I told you about the force. It is created by life. The force surrounds us and binds us. I tapped into the aura of the force that surrounds the stick, applying that same principle. Since the stick was a branch that was no longer a part of a tree, I had to combine some of my own lifeforce into the stick, to strengthen it's force capabilities."

 

DJK threw the stick above his head, watching it twirl in the air. Igniting his lightsaber, he sliced the stick in half as came tumbling back toward the ground.

 

"See, without my added force influence, the stick doesn't have an aura strong enough use against an energy blade. Understand?" The silver glow from the blade faded away, followed by the trademark sound of a lightsaber powering down.

[Dashel Illioni]

Dashel had landed among a rare and exotic sunrise, completely unsure of what to expect from his now erstwhile ally of just a few days.

 

The contents of the Action were just another series of surprises. The first person of that gargantuan ship's stern landing ramp turned out to be a man who responded to the name Tex.

D

Dashel quickly figured out that it was not because he was born with that name, but was instead linked to something from his troopers past. The troopers expanded outward from the landing ramp, and each went to what had to have been a preselected spot and began a series of tasks. In short order they had a workable defense perimeter and base camp established.

 

Once "Tex" had radioed an all clear signal. several large groups of engineers immediately offloaded various types of equipment. They too, had had task pre-established and immediately went about their various tasks.

 

Dashel, Burksed, Tex, and Captain Seers, the head of the engineers met quickly.

 

It went something like this.

 

"Dashel, this is Captian Tex," said Burksed.

 

"Pleased," said Dashel.

 

"Don't want my ment gettin' killed followin' some damn fool Jedi, so don't go gettin' no fool ideas Jedi," growled the well armed man.

 

Dashel resisted the urge to reply.

 

Tex, apparently, harbored little thought of the same amount of control.

"You do what you need Jedi, leave the real fightin' up to my man, got it?" The man stomped off, but not before lighting up a cigar and blowing the smoke into Dashel's face.

 

By the time Dashel finished sneezing, Burksed had wisely begun introducing the captain of engineers.

 

"Dashel, meet Captain Seers."

 

The 40ish human female was obvisously ex-military of some type, but instead of the usual crisp voiced authority, was remarkably calm and collected in her speech.

 

"Pleased. And unlike Tex, me and mine are quite happy to be working with Jedi. Anything you need, let me know and I will help you with it."

 

Dashel simply nodded as she turned away.

 

He turned to Burksed, who was already raising his hands.

 

"Dashel, I know. They showed up at Helix station and presented themselves to me. Their paid for at least 5 years work, all materials, supplies and other needs are to be charged to, well, our benefactor."

 

"Our benefactor?"

 

"Oh, yeah, I get to build a small spaceport and shipyard for the use of the Jedi."

 

Dashel gazed serenly at the man, and waited.

 

"I know, someone comes out of the black and decides to single handedly build both a Jedi Temple, spaceport and hire a legion of troops. Bit weird, huh?"

 

"No Mr. Burksed, its not. That's just part of the myster of the Force."

 

Dashel waived him off, confident that any problems that the man could not deal with would be immediately brought to him.

 

His mind was elsewhere. There were, among the ruins, a number of would be Padawans working on salvaging various parts of the former temple. They were assigned here, pending introduction to and acceptance by a master.

 

A minor disturbance in the Force caught his attention and he began searching among the various hopefulls for a better understanding of what he was sensing. It was deep in the temple ruins, away from the main group that he found what he was looking for.

 

The young Togorian female was attempting to pry open a very stubborn door with the help of a T3 astromech. Dashel watched the two curiously a moment before turning to find Kala at his elbow.

 

"Her name is Kari. She was recently assigned here. Why the interest?"

 

"Force," was his only reply.

 

Kala understood. The HRD had initially been programmed as a Jedi-hunter, and she well understood the Jedi's link to the Force.

 

Closing his eyes, Dashel fell into the force and reached out to where the two were still prying at the door. He drew deeply, and pushed the stubborn panels open.

 

It was then that he again glimpsed the tangle in the force that had attracted him in the first place.

 

He paused a moment before proceeding. He saw several options before deciding on the most probable, straight forward.

 

"Wait a second hopeful, I wish to speak with you a moment. By the way, I am Jedi Knight Dashel."

[Lusef Aryan]

The Solo Wing lands at the Haruun Kal Jedi base. Embarking in a full set of Jedi robes, a ruddy faced, black haired Jedi with a jovial face, Lusef Aryan walks confidently into the base, carrying a carefully wrapped package from Sullust. His eyes, a piercing blue, take in every detail. His Force presence is like a blank wall, sending out neutral waves in the Force, signifying strength, but nothing definite on either the light or dark side.

 

His mind is active, picking up a familiar signature from K'munee. Lusef had run into the Jedi before- back when he was a ysalmari donning bounty hunter. Curious indeed to see him here. Walking on, carrying the package, he wanders about the Jedi base as if lost in thought, eyes searching around, noting defenses and various trainees. It was enough to make real the smile on his ruddy, round face.

[Jedi X]

Steel creaked and bellowed as she flexed and strained upon the crowbar, her bright orange skin pouring forth sweat and gleam. Kari had always preferred to work alone, perhaps a product of her mother's outcasting herself as well as Kari upon her knowledge of the fetus growing inside her. None could tell the true tale as to why Kari's mother hated her so, but Kari had long found salvation in solitude.

 

"Damn it." Kari swore, slamming her fist into the durasteel door. The young Togruta looked to her side, Ghost's bright blue photoreceptor looking upon her with a look of understatement as her continued his work, still valiantly attempting to splice his way in. She chuckled, wiping the sweat from upon her forehead and montrals as she placed her back against the cold hard frame to rest. "Guess it's going to be as stubborn as i can sometimes be."

 

Silently she slid down, taking a seat as she reached into her bag and pulled forth a small flask of water. Taking a sip, she set it aside, closing her eyes as she waited for her slender body to cool. She listened to the salvage droids running up and down every corridor, to Ghost as he continued his endeavor despite her need to rest. They had been at the door for a few hours now with no avail, but he stood relentless.

 

Kari had often thought about giving the droid a good memory wiping, but never could. The two had held fond memories of each's past, the two companions having been together nearly six years now. It was unusual to see such an old droid still in service. But when she happened upon him in the old ruins of the Ossus conclave, she repaired the old astromech and named him Ghost.

 

"Almost got it..... There" A young Togruta girl spoke as she closed shut the front paneling of a ancient T3-C7 astromech droid. With a heartily chuckle, she activated the droid's powercore and watch in amazement as it sprung to life an beeped loudly at it's new Master. The young girl threw her arms around the droid in a display of affection. "Hmmm. Let's see. What shall we call you?"

 

The young girl looked upon the solid white droid with much thought, gazing into his bright blue photoreceptor lens as she carefully searched for the perfect name. She knew he was old, his make having been long discontinued for over four millennia. And because his former Master had likely died long ago, he was without ownership until now. Again she chuckled.

 

"We will call you Ghost." The Togruta girl spoke as she turned to put away her tools before turning back. Approving the name, the T3 unit replied in bleeps and buzzes before turning to gaze his new surroundings of the new Ossus temple. The young girl smiled once again. "You know Ghost. I think this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

 

Kari wakes up as Ghost pokes her in the leg, causing her to realize she had dozed off. Quietly she rises, dusting off the back of her pants and buttock as she grabs for the crowbar.

 

"Sorry Ghost." Kari spoke, apologizing for her drifting to sleep as she began to once again pry away at the door. Ghost bleeps and buzzes for a moment, but continues at his task. Kari smiles, her dream a fond memory his time rather than those that had been keeping her up at night. "Guess i haven't been sleeping much at night anymore."

 

It was then that Kari realized they were no longer alone, the echolocation of her montrals pointing to a lone person watching her work. Perhaps it was one of the older adepts, or even the rare visitation of a Jedi, Kari could not tell. The thought of a Jedi watching her work brought a slight hope that she might be taken on as an Padawan. But Kari ignored it, not wishing to get her hopes up.

 

Suddenly the door came ajar, it's metal form creaking as it opened and heat from outside rushed in, throwing dust into Kari's youthful face. Coughing, Kari attempted to wave loose the dust that had gathered into her eyesight as she peered in. Just as she had figured, the room had caved in due to the recent attack, and rubble had jarred the door shut. Moving aside as a legion of salvage droids swarmed the room, Kari watched the Knight approach her.

 

"How can i help you Master Jedi?" Kari spoke, her voice having not quite caught up with puberty yet, causing her tone to be rather soft and almost childish. "My name is Kari Koi, Jedi Adept and Hopeful."

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef continues his walk through the Temple, noting the damage with interest. The time to strike here would be soon. If he could get a handful of his brethren here of any skill, this would be a total rout and-

 

He approaches a door and opens it, finding a young Togruta introduce herself. He recalls his impressions of the Togrutas from past missions to their homeworld.

 

Aggressive race with a strong warrior and survival ethic, but far too reliant on community to stand on their own most of the time. They can use echolocation effectively too...

 

Remembeing an incident involving the use of high intensity sonics for interrogation purposes brings an wider smile to Lusef's face, forced into a friendly contenance.

 

"I am Jedi Master Lusef Aryan, Padawan Kari," he states in a heavy voice that matches his round, jolly face. "I am newly arrived with a message from Sullust. This is my first time at the base." With a casual display of Force power, Lusef extends his hand, and blows the dust aside with a telekentic wind gust.

 

"I am... curious," he probes lightly, looking at her and the droid, presumably hers, "what exactly happened here to cause this disrepair? I have been out of the loop for the longest time. I also have a message to deliver to the master in charge her." He reasserts his good natured smile. "Would you be so good as to give me a hand, child?"

[DarkJedi K'munee]

"Marius!! Your turn." K'munee said as he watched Dahar exit their make-shift sparring ring.

 

*As Marius stepped forward, there was a wierd energy pulsating through the force. The older Jedi knew that it was radiating from Marius because the difference between him and Dahar was comparable to night and day.

 

In his mind, there was a presence. Actually...a few presences had began to manifest on Haruun Kal. He could sense no bad intent from these beings, though he did detect that some had a strong presence in the force. DJK had not given them much thought due to his focus on Dahar's training exercise, but now that he was fully aware, he would keep a mental tab on them.

 

K'munee refocused his attention on Marius, who stood with his hands at his sides, waiting for what would come next. The mud on the ground was completely dry now. DJK tested it by stamping his foot. Each thud from his foot brought up small clouds of brown dust. Satisfied with his findings, he allowed the dust to settle. In what appeared to be a blurr, the jedi master disappeared from the courtyard, as he force jumped into the air. At the peak of his jump he took a moment to observe the landscape, getting a full view of the Jedi temple from above. His descent, gave him that weightless feeling in his stomach as he fell toward the surface. Ten feet above the ground, DJK used a powerful force push that slowed his fall, allowing him to land effortlessly. The fall, combined with the blowback from the close proximity of the force push to the ground caused a cloud of dust, that was large enough to cover the entire courtyard. With a slight touch of the force he held the dust in the air indefinitely.*

 

Marius your exercise will teach you to use the force to see, when your vision has been hindered. I am going to try to strike you through the dust and your task is to try to avoid me.

 

"Shall we begin?" He said, as he tapped Marius on the shoulder from behind, then disappeared into the dust cloud.

[Jedi X]

"Master Jedi?!" Kari spoke, half startled by the arrival of the Jedi Master, her attention span having completely overlooked his approach. Calming herself, she shook off the surprise, allowing her composure to return. "Please, just call me Kari. I am not yet a padawan.... but one day i hope to be."

 

Kari had paused for a moment during the clarification, her dream to become one of the Order the only solid strength within her. She found it quite odd, as she gazed upon his robust face, that two Jedi had approached her today while those visiting from the Order often went about their own lives during their stay. Yet here stood two of the Order, both requesting her presence. She tried to hold i in, but within her gaze, one could see the hope building within her that today would be the day she had prayed for.

 

"Long way from Sullust for a simple message, wouldn't you say?" Kari replied with a hearty chuckle, giving her hand in return as she listened to his inquiries. While in truth she held very little answers, she tried to provide what she could. "I am not quite sure myself what happened here, but the rumor mill speaks of a Sith attack. I was in the village northeast of here gathering supplies for Ghost when it happened."

 

Kari pauses again, this time shame swelling within her gaze as she thinks about her absense during the attack. Lives were lost and injuries were substained, and because she had been away, she was powerless to help protect those she might have been able to save.

 

"I... I regret that i had been away, powerless to stop it." Kari sighed silently, placing more guilt upon herself as she had always done. The tragic accident with her mother, the attack at Gala, and now this. She carried unavoidable burdens that one as young as she should never have to carry, especially when she wasn't to blame. Suddenly a cheerful smile returns as it always did, a feeble attempt to hide her true emotions.

 

"I'll gladly assist you, Master Aryan, in any way that i can. But i'm afraid the Temple has no leadership at the moment. I have noticed other Masters about, but they come and go, merely passing through. I suspect the Order won't place a Watchmen here until the restoration is complete."

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef's smile vanishes, turning into a grim nod.

 

"Not a padawan?" he asks, his Force senses probing the girl, Kari lightly, an idea forming in his mind. His eyes flick up, seeing Dashel in the distance with what looked like a human female. "Jedi Knight Dashel, was it?" he repeats, having heard him in the other room. "I am Jedi Master Lusef Aryan. I was a former friend of Jedi Master Adi-Wan Twinova before his demise. He turned me to the order. The former Grand Mistress, Jedi Master Ara-Lai Kaipi completed my training and allowed me to see the order through her eyes." That last was indeed truth, though not in the way one would normally assume.

 

Lusef continues reaching out with his Force sense, trying to taste the Force auras of those around him, and keep his own neutral- easy enough he assumed, but one could never be too cautious. "I am honored to meet with you." The knight seemed to be really a knight- proud, determined, and nothing to worry about in a fight. The girl though, gave no Force signature. No soul. Not real. HRD. Just a doll, a droid. "I have a package for your order from Sullust. I cannot veryify its content, but it came from the Republic officials on the planet." He extends the hand with the package and its datadisk towards Dashel. Afterall, an offering of good faith always went a long way.

 

"About you, child Kari," Lusef said, his attention turning back to her. "Do not worry about being powerless. Your... committment... to the Jedi Order offers the means to tap into your inner strength, and to ensure you have the power to stop incidents like this from happening- against even the most powerful of Sith." His head turns back towards Dashel. "If the child has no master to take her as a padawan, I would be honored to help the order out and be her instructor in the Jedi arts."

 

The smile on his ruddy, round face is sincere, and in the hollows of his mind, Lusef was determined to train this child well.