Wayland

[Tarrian Skywalker]

Wayland

 

Astrographical Information

Region: Outer Rim

Sector: Ojoster Sector

System: Wayland System

Orbital Position: 2

Moons: 0

Grid Coordinates: O-12

 

Physical Information

Class: Terrestrial

Atmosphere: Type 1 Breathable

Primary Terrain: tropical jungles, mountains

Points of Interest: Mt. Tantiss Complex

 

Societal Information

Indigenous Species: Myneyrshi, Psadans

Immigrated Species: noghri, humans

Primary Language(s): Psadan, Myneyrsh

Faction Affiliation: neutral

 

Defense Rating: level 1

 

JediRP Canon History: Wayland has a history of darkness, as it was planet that housed the secret research facility and arcane storehouse of Emperor Palpatine. But with the Emperor’s death and the resettlement of the Nohgri on the planet, it has fallen out of the galactic spotlight and returned to being a quiet jungle world. Nothing of galactic significance has occurred here since then.

 

((Summary compiled by Amidala Skywalker. Thank you!))

[Jinx]

The day was close to an end, and Tera-Lee sighed. Another day, watching her baby girl grow. Emily-Jade giggled and ran around with a couple other children from colony. Picking up E-J's shoes, she slowly turned to watch the sun disappear. Glancing around, she caught sight of the children running farther away. Shaking her head, Tera called to E-J, and motioned for home. The girl's smiled died, but came back as she ran towards her mother. E-J took the shoes, put them on, and grabbed Tera's hand. The two of them walked silently back home.

 

Entering the small building that Tera shared with another woman, she let her daughter's hand go and went to see if Dnia was around. After looking for awhile she figured she was out, so she went to E-J's room to tuck her in. Finding her sitting on her bed, looking out at the sky through her window, Tera sat down. E-J broke her gaze.

 

"Mum, tell me a story, or tell me about Dad...." Emily-Jade blinked slowly.

"Emm... we've been over this thousands of times" Tera laughed, hugging her daughter close. "What else is there to know?"

"You never told me why you left Naboo. Why you left him." the reply came short.

 

The mood changed quickly. Tera-Lee looked to her hands, "One day, when you're older, we can maybe discuss that." Glancing back, Tera got a look. "I know, your seven..." Kissing E-J's forehead she smiled, "Bed time, girl." Emily-Jade sighed and nodded. She was ready for bed, so she went under the covers. After tucking her in, Tera left the room.

 

Heading to her own, she shook her head. For seven years she asked herself those questions. Dhan-Jaroe had been her life once united to him again, then she leaves him, for fear of the Sith. Out of those seven years, she had never heard from him, or him for her. She had left without telling him. Now on Wayland, she had doubts that she'd ever see Dhan-Jaroe again....

[Guest]

Emily woke up the next morning, and it was rather bright out, as the sun was rising. She grunted to herself.

 

"She forgot to wake me up."

 

She got out of bed and looked around, finding Dnia sitting in the kitchen.

 

"Dnia, have you seen my Mum around? She forgot to wake me up." Emily asked, as she yawned.

 

"I think she's outside watching the sun rise."

 

Emily grabbed an apple off of the counter and went outside, where her mother was indeed staring into the horizon.

 

"G'mornin." She said as she wrapped her arms around her mom.

[Jinx]

Tera-lee, noticing her daughter, smiled. "Morning, Emm. Beautiful day, isn't it?" Tera stood up and hugged the girl. Whispering to no one, she said "If only you could be recognzied by the Jedi...." Looking down on E-J, she drifted back to the dreams she had the night before. Tera's smile fadded.

 

She had tossed and turned, being restless all night. Dhan-Jaroe's voice echoed in her head. She saw him standing there, in their house on Naboo, looking at a picture frame. She sobbed as his image faded, and his voice went with it.

 

-------

"I was once like you, ya know. A little opposite in pattern, but like you. I left to support her, one thing led to another, and soon, I lost memory of her. I was gone and never sent back word. When she found me in the RJO, she was devestated; she thought I died. Now that she's gone, I wish it were repetition, that she just forgot, and she's still out there somewhere."

 

He took his own ring out of his pocket and put it in a table, to collect dust.

 

"She got pregnant, and when she disappeared, so did the baby. I'd give anything to find them, to bring them back, to be with them again."

 

He wiped the dust off of the frame, to reveal a blonde haired woman.

 

His eyes got teary again.

 

"How are the you supposed to rely on me? How can the Jedi? How can the galaxy?"

 

Another man, a jedi perhaps tried to cheer him up.

 

"Hey, why don't I make you a deal. You show me every trick you know with the Force, I'll call in a favor or two I won awhile back. I don't know how much I can do, but maybe we can get a lead about where she is. No one's entirely invisible, even in this giant universe of ours.

 

"Sound like a deal?"

 

"But what if they are dead? What if I did fail them? If I can't protect the ones that matter to me most, how can I protect star systems full of strangers?" said Dhan-Jaroe "How can a person like me lead the Jedi to a bright future? I failed my family twice, and I failed the jedi twice. Hou-Jo said third time's a charm, but what if it isn't? What if I fail Talon, what if I fail the Jedi again?"

-------

 

Calling to him, crying out loud. She tried to run to him, but the closer she tried to get to him, the faster he faded.

 

Waking up in a cold sweat, with her pillow soaked with tears, she pulled her knees up to her chest and cried. Dhan-Jaroe had been her life. Then Emily-Jade was born, and her love for him and his daughter grew. He never saw her after she was born. Once Tera and the child had gone into hidding, she never heard from him. Wiiping her tears away, she tried to sleep again.

 

After several more hours of restless sleep, she drifted off into another dream. This time, the dream was the one she had been having ever since E-J had become of age in which she would have been identified by the council, if only she had been on a planet controlled by the Republic. There the three of them stood, on some planet in front of an open bay, all standing close, watching the sun set. The dream always stuck in her mind.

 

'One day..' Tera thought every night she tucked E-J into bed 'You'll see your father...'

 

Zoning back to her daughter's smiling face. She sighed. Taking Emm away from everything she knew would be cruel, but Tera wanted so much to do everything in her power to have E-J make the most of out her life. If leaving Wayland was the choice she had to make, then so be it.

 

"Emm, I'm about to ask you to do something that you may not like... I believe it's time to take you away from here... to find your destiny...." looking down, she blinked. "I want you to maximize your life... I believe that you may have a chance with the Jedi Council...."

 

----------------------------------------------------

 

It took about a week to leave. Emm didn't argue with Tera, but she definitely made it clear that she didn't want to leave the life she had. The hope of one day meeting her father kept her somewhat happy. They had taken off in the Star Gazer, and haeded for Rafa V. Tera had talked to some of the strangers coming in from the port, and had found out that there were Jedi on the desert planet....

[Talon]

The small, Eta-2 Interceptor ripped through hyperspace and neared its destination. Zee, who had piloted the craft from Nar Shadda, now alerted Talon.

 

BEEP BOOP BEEP-BEEP

:WE'RE NEARING THE PLANET WAYLAND.:

 

Another series of beeps and whistles.

ROPPING OUT OF HYPERSPACE IN 3... 2... 1...:

 

In the briefest of moments, the small interceptor lurched back into real-space. Talon only felt the tiny fraction of a strain from his rather comfortable pilot's chair. The tiny orb that was Wayland proudly displayed itself in the Jedi's front viewport. With each passing moment, it grew larger and larger.

 

"Alright Zee. Prep for scans."

 

While Zee programmed the scanners to search for the downed Excalibur II, Talon's hands played across the front controls. With the flip of a switch, a digital outline of the planet below appeared in one of the corners of his viewscreen. Talon's interceptor broke the outer edges of atmosphere. Again the Jedi's hands moved to his controls. The push of a button activated the standard scanning equipment. The generated map at the bottom of the screen enlarged and came to life. A blinking red line indicating the scanning equipment's range flared across the spherical rendering. As the ship began its search, Talon began a search of his own.

 

Trusting the smooth piloting of his ship to Zee, Talon adopted the most comfortable position he could manage. His eyes slipped closed, and the tendrils of his mind stretched out. The ship is here. The pirate said it was. Even though his senses were acute, he could not feel a pin-point location. He could feel the familiar aura of his old steed, however. The pirate had indeed been telling the truth. His eyes flickered back open.

 

"Alright, Zee... I got it from here."

 

The droid surrendered control of the ship. He could at once feel the weight of the ship through the joy-stick. With the interceptor's superior handling, the slightest alteration could send the ship careening in the opposite direction. Talon's hand was steady, however. Instead of searching in any logical or patterned way, he allowed his Force-driven instinct to guide him...

 

After several hours of piloting in this fashion, a small blip appeared on the generated map. A match to Zee's search parameters had been identified. In the northern-hemisphere, the terrain had become mountainous and rocky. A crash landing here would have been difficult, and Talon pictured several dents and scratches along the side of his previous assualt shuttle. Nonetheless, the Jedi's excitement was mounting. This was it...

[Guest]

Entreri looked at the Galaxy map on the Basadoni finding a planet that would double has a home and training ground to perfect his skills. Finding a place called Wayland he piloted a course for there hoping that the population was not that large above all else Entreri hated being around people,It made him feel weak being in a large group Entreri the loner needed no group or partners to be strong. He thought to himself "Let the fools count on each other for support" all he needed to think about was himself.

 

 

Later that day he touched down and started building his home and training ground by the end of the year Entreri hoped to have his body toned to perfection and his reflexes as good as a Jedi and his blasters as accurate as Jango and Boba Fett.

[Guest]

Entreri finished the work of building his home and shooting range in 2 days it was a simple design but it would protect him from the elements,He began to explore his new home looking for a good river or stream to fish from or a berry bush to forage food from. He came out his front door 10 minutes later clad in all his gear "I think this might be overkill for scouting" He said to himself then he remembered living on a planet from hell known as Narr Sharrdaa and he set off. He walked down a path were he heard running water he quickend his step to get there faster but then relised what was the point there was no one to shoot him in the back here or to kill him in his sleep he slowed down trying to get a feel for his new home. A noise to the side brought him out of his train of thoughts both his blasters came out and 2 shots went into a bush he looked over to see that he shot 2 shots into a deer that was passing by he quickly dragged it back to his home skinned and butchered the animal he would eat good for the first time in weeks.

[Talon]

With each passing moment, the blip indicating Exalibur II got closer and closer. Finally, when the interceptor passed over an exceptionally high mountain peak and the blip was right to the front, Talon could see the old assault shuttle come into view. The silver hull reflected the high afternoon sun, and announced its presence.

 

"There it is Zee..."

 

At a glance from afar, the damage was not as bad as Talon had at first assumed. In a bid to save his own life, the pilot had found a softer, soilier valley between two ranges to crash the ship. Judging by the burrowing marks imprinted on the smooth, grassy land below, the ship had come in from the southwest. Talon turned the fighter to run parallel to the trail, slowed to a near halt, and brought it down to only several meters above the open field. Now less than 10 meters away from the downed assault shuttle, Talon nestled the fighter on the spongy turf. He outstretched one hand and deactivated the scanning equipment, and then began to power down. As the powerful engines were silenced, the cockpit hatch hissed open and proudly displayed the exiting Jedi Master.

[Guest]

Entreri seen the Ship crash in a valley and he set off at once with all his battle gear not knowing what to expect.

 

 

After walking for a hour he came to the down ship and seen a Jedi Master,"Not good" he thought to himself. Entreri walked from the bushs his hands on the handle of his blasters and said "Greetings Master Jedi" waiting for a reply he stood there

[Ashley Jade Skywalker]

From the black quiet of space came an interruption of the peacefulness of vacuum: a small flicker of pseudomotion, announcing the arrival of a ship coming out of hyperspace and dropping, albeit temporarily, into orbit around the planet below.

 

Seated in the copilot's seat of the Renegade II, Ashley gazed out through the viewport down at Wayland's orb, floating quietly in space. "Nice place." Different circumstances might've allowed her more words on the subject, but her mind was still mulling over what Andon had told her before they'd left Nar Shaddaa... And the look that had come across his face when he'd mentioned what they'd be working on. Something in it had reminded her of when she'd first met him.

 

An amused smile crossed her face as Andon began to take the ship down through the atmosphere. This had potential of being fun.

[Talon]

The Jedi Master leapt softly from the interceptor, and landed quietly on the soft, mossy floor. Zee jettisoned himself from the plug on the wing, and joined his human counterpart. The ship, which had come to a final rest along the edge of a dense forest, was only several steps away, and it only took moments for the Jedi and the droid to reach it.

 

Talon stood at the side, and took in a deep breath. His outstretched hand brushed along the name emblazoned in the hull. So many memories...

 

The snap of a twig announced the arrival of the forest dweller. Even when the being stepped forward with his hands on his weapons and spoke, Talon did not turn away from his prize.

 

"Greetings Master Jedi"

 

Talon released a surprisingly heavy sigh. Was it too much to ask to have a little peace once in a while. It seemed everywhere he went he attracted attention. The Jedi outstretched his feelings through the Force, trying to get a fix on the newcomers thoughts and objectives. They were blurred and unknown.

 

"I'll have you know that if it was my wish, I could... 'dismantle' you in approximately 947 ways. If I were you, I would remove my hands from the blasters and tell me your intent, before I remove them for you."

 

Though he did not mean to be so forward, he did not want to take any chances, and the forest dweller had yet to show himself as friend or foe. Just in case, Talon's trusty droid Zee moved to a position where he could get a clear but protected shot off with his built-in stunner.

[Guest]

"I will have you know i could kill you in 5 different ways" Said Entreri he also said "You should tell me your intent for you are trespassing in my home are you not?", Entreri noticed the droid not knowing what weapons the jedi and the droid had he kept his hand on his blasters

[Talon]

Talon finally turned away from the hull of his ship to look at the forest dweller. He doubted the first part of his acquaintance's words. To the Jedi, the man looked hardly capable of killing him one way, much less five. Nonetheless, it was true that this was not his land. He had no authority to barge in and issue threats. He also, however, had no intention of leaving without his ship.

 

"Very well. My name is Talon, and I am, as you noted, a Jedi Master on a personel mission. That mission is, as of now, proven successful. This wrecked ship was once mine, and I am here to reclaim it." He paused momentarily, and allowed the forest dweller to absorb his words. "If it was my intent on harming you, there would be no doubt that you would already be dead. That said, I again warn you to take your hands off their weapons. I will not ask again."

[Guest]

"Very well" Said Entreri as he slid the blasters back into his hoisters.

 

"Now I would ask you a favor a toll of sorts if you suppose i would request that you take me to the rebel base seeing as my ship as been Destroyed when i first came here. Would you be so kinda as to give me Passage to the Rebel Base?". Said Entreri secertly hoping the jedi would be kind enough to do so.

[Talon]

The man wanted passage- passage to the rebel base. Talon took a long while to simply wait and stare the man over. He still wasn't sure if the forest dweller wanted to help them or hurt them.

 

"Unfortunately, I can't take you to the Rebel base... for several reasons. For one, it is now more the Galactic Alliance and not so much the Rebels. Security also has a small part to do with it. For another, I've been out of the loop for a while, and to be honest with you, I'm not entirely sure where the current base is. I can, however, give you passage to Coruscant or one of the other core worlds. There you'd be able to find the contact you'd need to find the Alliance, and they can tell for sure whether or not your fit for the job." Talon turned away from the forest dweller and back to his ship. "Before I get either of us anywhere, though, I need to get the ship back in flying condition. If you'd excuse me..."

[Guest]

"I think Mon Calamari would be a good place to look if you could drop me off there i would be very gratefull Master jedi" Entreri repiled, He also said

"If i could help you in any way repair your ship please let me know".

[Talon]

Talon nodded once, and then he was gone- disappearing into the ships hold through the hatch Zee had manually opened. He had to crawl to get through the partially submerged opening, but when he fell through on the other side, he found himself standing in the commons area behind the cockpit.

 

Well I'll be... Everything was nearly just as he remembered it. The texture of the seat cushions, the smell of the bulkheads, the sight of his weapons rack in the back near the ramp (which was currently inaccessible in the ships partially submerged state. Talon noticed Zee had moved to the hatch opening, and he was now staring expectantly through.

 

"Stay at the terminal outside, Zee, and see what you can do from there. If I need your help, I'll holler." The droid whistled an affirmative and then disappeared from view. Talon turned back to the room before him, and stepped down into the hold. The sleeping bunks were there to the right and left. The 'fresher and the small kitchen area were in the far corner, secluded away. Small cages and the cell were in the back with the armory and magazine, for holding criminals, captured animals, and the like. His bulky, exoskeleton like battle armor was strewn about in the middle, most likely used by the previous pirate pilot. As the Jedi's eyes scanned the surroundings in this fashion, he caught glimpse of something else strewn about. To the side of the ship near the front of the hold, a single cylindrical object rested on the floor. Talon's heart skipped a beat. Was it possible? The Jedi moved closer to investigate. He crouched low. He scooped up the object into his hands. Moments later, a brilliant yellow-orange blade sprang to life from one end of the object. A small grin showed on the Jedi's face. He was home again.

 

The rear interior of the ship epitomized the perfect mesh of battle preparedness and creature comfort. It could transport a group of war ready soldiers to the front lines of battle, but just as quickly double to transport noble delegates from the Alliance on missions of diplomacy. The cockpit to the front of the ship, however, was a completely different matter. The cockpit was meant for Talon above all others, as he was the main pilot. He controlled it, and it was his. With the flick of a switch he could drop a durasteel door that separated the two compartments of the ship. With the rear in check, and his old lightsaber clipped back at its rightful place on Talon's belt, it was here to the cockpit that Talon moved to next.

 

The cockpit was shut down and abandoned, but it had such familiarity that Talon could almost picture the glowing lights of the controls, the easy handling of the joystick, and the blur of space moving by through the front windows. Talon's outstretched hand moved over the pilots chair in the center of the cockpit. He spun the chair around, took a seat, and then spun back again to face the view screen and controls. As if on cue, the ship flared to life. From the exterior, Zee had got the systems back up and running. Talon gripped the joystick, and piloted the ship out of its hole and onto the soft ground beside the interceptor. Moments later, the ramp at the back of the ship lowered and displayed the ecstatic Jedi.

 

"All aboard!"

[Guest]

"Wow that was quick" Said Entreri as he boarded the ship hopefully the gut feeling he had was right, Hopefully he thought. He took a seat in the area behind the cock-pit to let the pilot do his job he put on the seat belt and let the Jedi do the rest.

[Talon]

At the forest dweller's remark, Talon smirked.

 

"What can I say? Me and my droid are efficient at what we do."

 

As Entreri settled in, Talon moved to the interceptor and gathered the various weapons he had collected since his return. Upon his return to Excalibur II, he added the weapons to the small armory in the back of his ship. Meanwhile, Zee double-checked the hyperdrive of the shuttle and made sure it was functionally operating. Once the job was done, Talon ordered Zee back to the interceptor. Someone had to pilot it back to the Jedi Temple.

 

And then they were ready to go. Talon moved back to the cockpit of the shuttle and settled into the pilot's seat. He flipped on an announcement to the back of the ship as it lifted from the ground.

 

"This is your pilot speaking. Please buckle in and remain buckled until we reach a steady hyperspace course. Due to the lack of an attendant droid, there will be no refreshments served, but feel free to use the mini-bar to your left. Most importantly, keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times."

 

The intercom shut off, and Talon raised a hailing frequency with the Jedi ship that had followed him here.

 

---Comm Open---

"I've located the Excalibur II, and its again up and running. I'm heading back to the temple, but am making a brief stop at Mon Calamari along the way- as I seem to have picked up a hitch-hiker. I won't be long."

---Comm Closed---

 

Several moments later, both Excalibur II and Talon's interceptor were gone in hyperspace. Wayland was long behind.

[Savior_of_the_Sith]

...

From out of Hyperspace emerged the Napoleon IV, with Sahv Yorr at the helm. It landed on Wayland in a heavily wooded area near a coastline.

Haris' leg didn't hurt as bad as it had all the way from Agamar, and as soon as the two men felt the warm grass below their feet, their spirits were lifted. It was an important feat considering Yorr's life had just been turned upside down. The plan now was to get to Chandrila where Haris had a contact -- an old friend he could rely on to help.

 

Outside, Yorr began examining his ship while Haris went off exploring nearby.

 

Just as the diagnostics had predicted, there was some damage to the read port thruster; Sahv began repairs immediately, with the help of his astrometrics droid, R7.

[Andon]

They had just landed when it hit him.

 

The dread, the fear, the pain, the sorrow...like a smack of spite it struck him and the somber washings of another forsaken future overcame him. His vision blurred slightly as his hands tightly clenched the control yoke; the Jedi's knuckles turning white. He could never escape this... he would never be free... no matter how hard he tried carnage would always find a place in the galaxy.

 

We can never win. All we can ever do is keep the darkness at bay... it will never be extinguished.

 

His mind raced as his whole being tried to focus on the source of such malevolence, but the galaxy was vast and ever engulfed with the sins of man. Breaking his concentration was the beep of a comm, Talon's voice instantly filling the cockpit as he informed the pair of a fight that had broken out on Borleias. The Jedi Master was en route there now and he requested Andon's presence... the Knight's grip on the yoke tightening further.

 

There was nothing more he loathed then violence, but it was a neccessary evil and one could almost argue that conflict is what fueled life itself. Andon inhaled deeply, allowing the refreshing oxygen fill his lungs as he held his breath momentarily, exhaling slowly as peace once more filled his mind. This is the place he went when emotions threatened to overwhelm him.

 

He was neither happy nor sad. He was neither nervous nor excited. He was neither fearful nor confident. All of his emotions were there yet at the same time none of them were; each were in complete balance with one another with neither of the particular emotion's opposite in conflict with the other. It was a serenity found in the lack of the control of the moment; the humbleness that the currents of the Force ruled all our lives.

 

This was where he was truly Jedi.

 

With casual flaire the ship's engines roared to life as he tore through the atmosphere and into the lower reaches of space, Ashley Jade programming the NavComp on the way up. With their course set, the Renegade II disappeared into the depths of hyperspace. Destination: The Jedi Dojo.

[Savior_of_the_Sith]

After two hours of darkness, Sahv Yorr was concerned for his friend Haris, who had not returned from exploring the immediate area around where the Napoleon IV had landed for some maintenance.

 

"R-7, are you picking up anything?" Yorr asked the droid.

 

He gave an unassuring whistle while rotating his little satellite antenae in a slow arc in the direction of a portion of the surrounding woods.

 

...

 

An hour later Yorr saw something. He and R7 had been sitting outside the ship, hopeful of Haris' quick arrival.

 

Out of the shadows cast by the large trees, two men slowly appeared, carrying a body. It was Haris they were carrying.

 

...

 

Yorr blasted his ship through Wayland's atmosphere and into space, trying to remember where he was going or even why he was going still.

[Savior_of_the_Sith]

Upon the green hills of a strange planet, a young man was given life...

 

Sahv Yorr awoke to find himself laying on a most soft species of fauna. The only thing stranger than the fact that he had no idea how he got there was the realization that he had no clothes. No Jedi robes, no lightsaber, and no Temple.

 

Where am I?

 

After walking a short distance, he came to a small village. Local natives, after getting him some clothes and food, filled him in on exactly where he was... the Planet of Wayland. Sahv remembered the last time he was on the planet, when life had been taken. Only that time, it had not been given back.

 

A cloud of mystery surrounded Sahv's thoughts as he tried to remember what had happended. He stayed with the village members for a week, each night participating in their rituals of self-cleansing and reflection. During one such night, Sahv experience an epiphany of memory and self-awareness. He remembered his fight at the temple, his encounter with the Sith Lord Trowa. He remembered being lightsaber to lightsaber with the villain, a flashing of saber energy. He saw himself in the moment as the smell of the melting air particles and lightsaber hilt metal permeated his senses. He saw the final moments of the battle...

 

He had been defeated.

 

His shock at the thought lasted only a moment.

 

"What was I expecting? I am but a mere padawan in the Force." He asked himself.

 

What remained elusive to him was how he had ended up on another planet, after death. Somehow, though he could not explain it, he understood. The Force had brought him back. He had been given another chance.

 

Departing the people who had given him so much, he made his way to a larger city, a trading port. By the looks of it, recently built. Sahv gained access to a short-range extra-planetary communicator. Coruscant was too far, and the no Jedi base was answering to his calls. Remembering his ship on Tatooine, Sahv sent a comm to his astrometrics droid there...

[Savior_of_the_Sith]

Sahv, holding a leaf up to his body to shield his nakedness from the prickly bushes around him watched gleefully as the Napoleon IV touched down.

 

On board, he found an old set of clothes, and looked around at his former living quarters. It hadn't been since his days as apprentice under Neo that he'd even seen his ship.

 

"I suppose that deposit served me well afterall." Sahv commented to himself, remembering feeling angry at the Mos Eisley attendant who had made him pay for his ship's storage in advance.

 

"R-Sev, plot in a course for Coruscant. My master is waiting."

[Savior_of_the_Sith]

The Myddrin approached steadily with Cal Regium at the helm. The ship landed on a soft patch of green ground, on the side of the planet on which it was the middle of the day. Nearby, a few tall trees provided moderate shade for the edge of where the forest began.

 

Sahv exited with a sigh. "Welcome to Wayland. It is largely a peaceful world. There's not much traffic, and so I've decided to have this be a place where we can begin your training."

 

"Cal, tell me what you know so far of the Force, whether is be your own experience or what I've already told you."

[Cal Regium]

Cal made his way down the exit ramp behind Sahv resting one hand on the hilt of his blaster while letting the other swing freely at his side.

 

Cal reached around and rubbed the still sore scars on his back, "As far as my own eperience with the force, all I really know for sure is that it attracts vornsykrs." Cal smiled as he rubbed the sores and looked out over the beautiful scenery of Wayland.

 

"I have some ideas about what it is. I think it is the thing that Jedi use to manipulate their surrondings. I think I have seen it used by Jedi as a weapon to attack and defend themselves from their enemies. Correct me if I am wrong."

 

"From what you have told me I know that it exists in all living beings in some form or another. I can't say that I understand what you mean by that, but I guess I will soon."

 

Cal thought about the evil woman of his dreams and remembered something Sahv had said to him once. "You told me one time that there is a light and dark side to the force, and that they are in constant battle with one another. What do you mean by a light and dark side? Are there evil Jedi? I have heard stories of people that work for the empire that have similiar powers to the Jedi but I have never encountered anyone like this myself."

[Savior_of_the_Sith]

"and rightly so." Sahv interrupted. "It is not common that one meets a Sith Lord and lives to tell the tale."

 

Sahv sensed Cal's quesion, and jumped in... "The Sith are a sect of Force users who use the Force to meet their own selfish ends. Likewise, their jealosy and greed causes the Force to manifest itself physically in most... unfortunate ways. The truth is, Cal, the Jedi adhere to specific rules with regard to how the Force is used. We do not use it for our own benefit, but the benefit of others. The Sith use so-called "Darkside" powers which give them unnatural strengths. That's not to say that the Sith are more powerful; they are simply more ambitious and willing to go to immoral lengths to do their bidding."

 

"Just look at where they employ themselves: at the behest of the Empire. That should tell you right away where they stand. The Sith are oppressors, and no doubt are working in close league with the Imperial forces. It is rumored that the emperor himself is a force-user."

 

Sahv went into the ship and brought out an average wooden chair. He set it a few yards from Cal, and walked back to stand next to his padawan.

 

"Now. I want you to quiet your mind, close your eyes, and tell me what you see."

 

Sahv did the same, and awaited Cal's response.

[Cal Regium]

Cal looked at his friend, shrugged his shoulders, and rolled his eyes, "OK?" Cal said while doing what Sahv told him without completely understanding why.

 

Cal closed his eyes and all he saw was the usual thing people see when they close their eyes... darkness. His imagination ran wild, he didn't understand what he was supposed to be doing. What does this have to do with the force? he thought, Relax Cal, Sahv is your friend he isn't going to make you do anything too weird, trust him, he said to himself.

 

Now what all did Sahv say to do? Close my eyes, quiet my mind, and tell him what I see. Well, my eyes are closed, I don't see much, but what does he mean by quiet my mind?

 

Cal thought more on the subject. He was having a hard time grasping the idea of quieting his mind. So many thoughts ran through it. Thoughts of his parents and their happy times on Sullon, thoughts of his duties with the alliance, and thoughts of women (probably the subject of most of his thoughts).

 

Then it hit him, Maybe what Sahv means by quieting my mind is that I am supposed to quit thinking and just let things be. Cal took a deep breath and let his mind dive into a dark void away from all noise and thought. His shoulders relaxed and suddenly Cal could sense all the things around him. All of his senses became very acute; he could smell and hear and even feel things that he had never been aware of before. It was as if he was reaching out with his feelings and for the first time truely seeing the world around him.

 

Cal's eyes were closed but he still had the notion that he could see what was in front of him. The shape of the wooden chair formed in his mind. He couldn't explain what was happening to him, and he wasn't trying to explain it, but something deep inside of him was now directing his thoughts and feelings.

 

The image of the chair in his mind faded in and out, Cal had to struggle to maintain this state of being, but for a time it lasted.

 

The new padawan said to his master, "I see the chair, not as I normally would, but something deep inside of me is telling me that it is there, something I can not describe but can only feel. It is a sensation that I have never experienced before."

 

Then, with his words, Cal lost his train of thought. He let go of the image of the chair and suddenly his mind was cluttered with noise as before. He opened his eyes still trying to explain to himself what had just happened.

[Savior_of_the_Sith]

"The Force is present in all living things, Cal. However, your sensing this chair is the result of two things. First, the fact that the chair is wooden, and was once part of a larger, living entity. Second, the Force acting inside of you acts as a sort of natural radar, a sensory device that is unparalleled in any other technological instrument. That is to say, the Force can detect non-living objects, and that is undoubtably a factor in your sensing this chair."

 

Sahv was silent for a moment, not sure if his words were making sense.

 

"Let me tell you what I sense. As I see with my mind's eye, it is immediately obvious the things around me. You are standing here, with a relatively strong Force signature. Behind me, the Myddrin, a large object. In front of me, a small wooden chair. Now, this information should not be of any surprise; in fact, it is obvious to both of us. If I search deeper into my mind, and listen carefully, I can sense that you are nervous and quite hungry, that the Myddrin's landing gear has become the home of a certain variety of Wayland caterpillars, and that this chair is structurally weak. In fact, I'm not sure if I'd want to sit on it. I certainly am not surprised it was stowed away in your storage compartment."

 

Sahv gave a hint of a smile.

 

"How am I aware of this information? My senses are attuned to the Force's whispers, is one way of putting it. I cannot explain fully the mechanics of how this is, only that it is. With much meditation, your senses will also come into alignment with the Force. While force sensitivity is a gift and indeed rare, there is much work we must do to best use what we have been given."

 

Sahv asked Cal again... "Now try once more to sense the structure of the chair. It is best to not have your eyes open, since what you see is not always the reality of a situation. And do not push yourself. By that, I mean do not become frustrated. This kind of interpretation of our surroundings takes much time and patience."

[Cal Regium]

Cal listened to Shav's words and tried to understand as best he could. The force was still a large mystery to Cal. He knew this was his first lesson on a long hard road that would hopefully someday yield great knowledge.

 

Cal did as his master said and closed his eyes again, this time with his back turned towards the chair. Cal once again had a difficult time focusing his thoughts, but this time he remained patient and waited for his mind to relax. Gradually, Cal's mind sank into isolation. It took a lot of time, but Cal was finally back to the state of being that he had acheived before.

 

He could once again sense all that was around him. He zeroed in on the old wooden chair and studied it with his mind. It was taking a great deal of effort for Cal to maintain this deeper connection with the force, but he remained patient and focused on his task.

 

His mind examined the chair. He could sense that the structure was very weak as Sahv had said. He attempted to dive deeper still. He studied the chair on a more molecular level by taking a trip through the pourous wood. He sensed the presence of a living being inside of the chair. Cal noticed the difference in force signatures from the living being and the dead chair. He continued to travel through the chair until he came upon the beast that was causing the problem. It was a termite. Its living force signature was strong inside of the dead chair. Cal could see the little insect eating away at the wood, causing it to become brittle.

 

Cal continued to study the chair until he began to wonder if what he was doing was right. Was he supposed to be studying this chair as closely as he was, or was he supposed to be focusing on other things as well?

 

Questions of doubt began to swirl around in Cal's mind and caused him to once again lose his connection with the force. He came out of it still wondering if he had achieved the goal of the lesson, but knowing that in the second attempt he had achieved a greater sense of oneness with the force. He was able to travel right through the chairs molecular makeup and discover why it had become unsafe. He stood before Sahv, a little tired, and wondering what was next. He hoped it was lunch. Shav was right, Cal was becoming very hungry.