Gala - Jedi Praxeum Ruins

[Kitt]

Kitt wasn't all that surprise to see the movement and flow echo off of Roene. The Cerean apprentice was well grounded in some of his ways, which provided him with a base of how he would react to certain situations, whether Roene knew it or not. The lazy block of the Grandmaster's blow to his side was countered with a half hearted attempt at Kitt's side. This movement disappointed Kitt, and part of himself didn't understand why. He wasn't really a lightsaber duelist, so the care and precision shouldn't bother him at all, but it was something in his apprentices mentality that did. Kitt leapt over the blow, as opposed to blocking it. Mid air, Kitt allowed for himself to make an attack at Roene's head, following through with a swing towards his legs on his landing.

 

"Focus yourself Roene!"

[Roene Givrah]

Roene was about to protest; to tell his master that it wasn't his lack of focus, but his lack of skill, when an epiphany-like dream phased quickly through his consciousness. I am taking too much focus away from my movement and concentration. I need to push my focus away from arbitrary deprecation and just let my energy flow”¦

Consequently, at Roene's command, his mind wrapped in a whirl of rapid reparation, cycling through all obstacles and throwing them aside. Each encountered boundary served a might harder to remove than the last, but within seconds, Roene's focus managed to shift slightly in the direction he wanted. As his success mounted though, the Cerean's path came to sudden conclusion; his path was blocked mysteriously by something strange and irrevocably solid and small fear of failure and inexperience burned through his mind. Why now? Why is the doubt of my light saber experience strong enough to block me from experiencing the flow and rhythm of combat? Roene mused to himself as his ghostly avatar struggled with the block of dark and murky fear, clotting his mind. I have gone up against a Rock Golem, I have solved problems that were higher than my level of understanding; I stood up against herds of creatures with nothing but the will of survival and a stick. I will become Jedi Knight”¦

 

His words of thought provoking experience and tribulations were internally powerful in their own right and pushed his focus directly through the metaphorically concrete wall, breaking it with a huge crash. It reverberated off the hard lines of his skull and even temporarily manifested in reality as a small, but audible pop. He was almost sure that nobody heard it, but his mind seemed to be temporary recoiling from the incident. The blow didn't seem to be deafening as much as it was liberating; a liberating stroke to setting his soul free from the captive influence of his fears. As soon as it was over though, Roene's mind began rapidly swimming back to the surface and although he could still remember his entire ordeal it appeared that there was a time distortion. The entirety of his mental experience was fairly short in the scheme of the outside physical world, but within his head, the venture for his inner tranquility took what seemed like hours. When his eyes slammed back into the visible perception of both life and the force, Kitt was already in the air, coming down with a rapid strike at Roene's head.

 

Roene succeeded in calming his mind and solidifying his focus, streamlining his senses through the force and reading the battle a lot better than he did before. Roene could see ethereal blue wisps of Kitt's form coming down, striking at his head, then taking yet another blow at his legs; the motions were swift, but Roene could catch each one and adjusted his stance accordingly. The Cerean smiled lightly under his renewed confident stride and struck Kitt's blade with a strong block from his training saber. Then Roene lead the blow off with a side somersault into the air, avoiding Kitt's strike at his legs. Since it was now his turn to strike Roene flowed through with a similar side strike like before, only he faked it to come back at Kitt with a strong opposing side swipe and his own sweep at Kitt's legs.

 

Roene was panting by now, but his eyes, which shone faintly with blue force energy, were now playing to his tune. His mind was helping him through his trial and education now, instead of impeding his journey to becoming a well balanced Jedi.

[Dahar Raikanda]

Dahar awoke shortly before sunrise. He was a natural competitor and long ago learned to beat the sun to the new day. His mornings at the temple had become almost routine. He dressed and headed to his favorite place in the courtyard. It was a small tree just size enough to provide shade for a few people. In the morning Dahar liked to sit in meditation as the sun dawned. It reminded him of the constantly moving circle of life. And, of the Force, balanced by the light and the dark, it too always changing.

 

As of late Dahar had spent much time on self improvement. Since being knighted Dahar thought frequently of what his duty to the Jedi order was. It seemed fitting to him that his natural physical abilities would be of service, and enhanced by the Force. What he didn't realize was that completely new schools of thought would be opened up to him. The more he trained and learned the more Dahar began to bond his body with the living Force.

 

One ability Dahar practiced often was the power to use the Force in self-defense. He had always been quite well at defending himself with a sword or a fist but he was very much interested in pushing himself to learn new things. Over time he had learned to shield himself with a sort of Jedi force field. This ability first came to him one day in the forest. He had been jogging and stopped under the jungle canopy for a moment to rest. Overhead in the trees he heard the screeches of some animals fighting. Birds or lizards he couldn't tell but shortly the scuffle had made it's way from tree to tree, eventually taking it's toll on one of the larger ones. Before Dahar could collect himself huge pieces of tree were falling from up high. He tried to stop each one individually but soon realized that would be impossible. The limbs came crashing down. Dahar closed his eyes and ducked. The sound echoed in his ear as he noticed he had not been crushed. He stood in the middle of a circle, perhaps only 2 yards in diameter, surrounded by tattered wood. As the trees came down on him the Force came to Dahar and shielded him literally scattering the limbs around him.

 

Over time Dahar had learned to hone this ability. He was now able to shield himself from all sorts of things. He had practiced with rock slides, lightning, and even blaster bolts. If he was matched up with a Jedi of similar strength in the sparring ring he was even able to shield himself from Force pushes to the more subtle Force attacks.

 

Flash back to today as Dahar sits peacefully absorbing in the new day. With his eyes closed he becomes suddenly aware of something he hadn't noticed before. He opens his eyes and looks behind himself on the other side of the tree. To his surprise there lies an old brown book. Books were sparse in the temple. "Somebody must have dropped this here" he thought to himself.

 

The young Jedi Knight picked up the old book and felt an uncertain presence coming from it. He couldn't quite place his thoughts on it but he knew the contents should be handled with great caution. His eyes gazed at the cover as he read the title aloud, "THE PRACTICE OF RETRIBUTION".

[Skye Organa]

[continued from Double Helix]

 

Skye sent out her transmission codes as she passed the alliance base and closed on the Jedi Temple... Given clearance, the modified YT-2000 hovered near the Jedi Temple then set down in it's allotted hanger bay. The Jedi Master went through her post flight checks and instructed I-Nine to keep the ship ready for lift off once she had collected her new padawan.

 

She could feel the strong presences of the Jedi Grandmaster and other Masters as she walked through to the living area to where Darla waited. As the two women walked through the ship and down the embarksion ramp she asked, "So, do you want me to go with you to find Darex?"

 

Her brilliant double blue eyes scanned the hanger, looking for a sign of her new padawan, Nishant.

[SithAcolyte]

"Yeah, that would be great. I'd rather not be wondering off alone."

 

It wasn't that Darla felt that she would be in danger, just that she still felt a little uneasy. This was probably to do with the heavy secret that she still carried.

 

I'll just find him and head back... I can tell him at Corellia, by the lake house where we'll both be nice and relaxed.

 

"Actually, I'll send him a comm while we go find your new apprentice. That way he can come find us."

 

It made more sense to Darla. She wasn't sure where Darex was, Gala was a big place afterall. For a moment she wondered how Tares' new apprentices were doing. He had told them to make their own way to Corellia as a test of their skills. She hoped that they were doing alright.

 

-comm to Darex-

 

"Hey it's me. I don't know what's happen with your Jedi business here, but me and Skye are heading to Corellia. I figured it would be a nice Holiday and a chance to spend some time with Skye. If you're finished here come and join us, we'll be heading out soon. If not not, maybe you can meet us there when you're finished?"

[Skye Organa]

Skye laughed as Darla changed her mind to sending Darex a comm. She shook her head, still amused as she glanced around the hanger. "Nishant said that he would meet us in the main hanger so I guess we wait for a while. I have a job for Flitter while we are here so there's no hurry."

 

As she mentioned Flitter, her hover droid appeared. "Here's the list of items I will need, and the authority you will need to procure them." She handed the list to her droids arm. A small compartment on the spherical droids body opened up, the arm placing the list within it until it had to be shown to the quartermaster. Moments later and after a few more beeps, the droid hovered off on it's mission.

 

Her eyes sparkled as she watched her droid leave the hanger. Noticing Darla's quizzical look she replied, "Just a couple of things we might need. Serenity was restocked before we left the station, this is just something you might require later on." She left it at that, giving her friend something to think about.

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex felt a change, an eddy in the Force that this time was more pleasant. He didn't know what it signified, but when his comlink beeped, he quietly excused himself and took a few steps away to answer it.

 

His face lit up when he saw who it was from and heard that she and Skye were here. He glanced around, but as he didn't see them he figured they must be in a different hanger bay. Now that he focused, he could vaguely sense their presences in the base. The Jedi Master reached out, not knowing if Darla would feel it or not, but hoping she could sense how glad he was that she was near.

 

He glanced back towards Armiena and Furion. He'd prefer it if Darla stayed away from the Sith; given Furion's earlier words regarding her, it would make Darex feel better if they didn't meet again. Not that he thought Furion foolish enough to try anything, but still.

 

Making a quick decision, he sent a comm back. "Sorry my business here took longer than I was expecting, but it's been an interesting day. Regardless, I'm almost done. Misal Draygo wanted to speak with me on Helix, so I'll need to find her here and see what she needs, but otherwise, Corellia sounds lovely. If you don't mind waiting half an hour or so, I'll accompany you and Skye. Otherwise, send me the coordinates, and I'll be right behind you."

 

He felt like he should say something else, but ended the comm. He hadn't had time to really think about what Julio had said about her. He told himself that what the Sith had said didn't matter, but knew himself well enough to know that it would be wise for him to take some time and ponder all the ramifications if what Julio believed about Darla was really true.

 

His comm sent and his plans settled, he rejoined Armiena, not knowing if she still needed him or not, but willing to assist her before he left if she wanted it. He also sent a quick comm to Misal, letting her know that his plans had changed, but that he would be more than willing to speak with her before he left for Corellia.

[Kitt]

Kitt could feel the small emotions and thought ebb off of Roene as the two made contact here and there with their blades. While the attempt was made, Kitt was stronger in the Force to over arch the attempt with a slight brush against it, and to which Kitt was sure that Roene never picked up on the subtle thing. It wasn't like it mattered. Kitt just wanted to feel out his apprentice, to fully test his skills and abilities. The soft brush of the Force was nothing more then a check. His mind suddenly became more aware as a trickle of feeling ran down his spine. He could 'see' the movement already taking place, and reacted before it ever came into full swing.

 

Kitt moved his blade into position to block the dangerous coming blow, but it quickly pressed him through the Force, and was then followed by a slight action that gave way to the fake. Kitt lifted his own legs into the air, but decided to press and attack with it to through Roene off guard. As he became equal level with the Cerean, he pushed him with the Force. He didn't even need to make a movement with his body, he simply just pushed against Roene's body, sending him flying backwards. As he did, Kitt extended his senses and reached out for Tirius. He sent him a single phrase that he knew his other apprentice would understand.

[saberforce]

Holden was slightly ecstatic. The last time he was walking the halls of the Jedi Temple on Gala, was right before what his dad called as the Unholy Trinity attack. It was actually right after that he was placed on the Helix station. He could barely contain it just walking from the hanger bay into the main halls. He held such an energy as any normal young boy would who hadn't seen his dad in a long time. It was then that he saw him and took of running at him.

 

"Dad!"

[Mathis]

"May the Force be with you, Jedi."

 

The words spoken by Emily's father over his dying body continued to echo through Mathis' head. Ever since he had first started on the path of the Jedi, the Force was always with him. It did not rule him, but it helped to shape his thoughts, his actions, his very life. Now, as the younger girl explained how she had gotten here, Mathis could feel the Force flowing through him, warning him to pay attention to her words.

 

Since when is it ok for people to kill people just because of who they are?? If you're in a war, that's one thing, but during times of peace?

 

He glanced down at the lightsaber in his hand and frowned at it.

 

Apparently I've become one of those people, too...

 

Mathis hung his saber back on his belt, and turned his focus back to Emily.

 

Sith, who didn't like their order??? Could it be that we're not so different after all? I've had my own share of differences with certain people in my own order.

 

So her father is the reason for why she's here now. But what's her own reason for being here?

 

He had already started to respond to Emily when she caught him off guard by already knowing his full name. All other thoughts were pushed straight to the back of his mind.

 

"I only have one more question for you. What is your reason for wantin... wait, how could you possibly know that? Yes, that's my full name."

[Tirius Giovanni]

Tirius watched the spar with only a little interest. He was sure that Roene would turn out to be quite a capable Jedi Knight, but he had never really understood the Cerean, who clearly marched to a different sort of beat. At any rate, he hadn't really expected to find himself sitting aside and watching lightsaber training at this point, especially because he had come quite a ways in Ataru earlier in his training, and he really couldn't learn anything from this spar.

 

So he mostly observed the rest of the Temple around him. There were a few interesting things going on, including the presence of what felt like another Sith. Not the first he had encountered. It was one of the strange things about his time with the Jedi that he had experiences so different from the reality they taught. Some of those things would need to be re-evaluated, right along with the goals toward which he pointed himself. That was what he had been meditating upon since Helix station, really, and now he felt better about it than ever.

 

Presently Tirius got a mental signal from Kitt and had no problem picking up the message behind it. He had always been good with telepathy. Quickly, silently, Tirius started to move. A few quick steps, predicting Roene's sudden flight, the result of Kitt's telekinesis. Then a quick snap-hiss as his silver lightsaber leapt to life, and a brisk motion as he swung the blade at Roene's airborne form.

 

Bet you weren't expecting this. But through the Force, there's no reaction. Only prediction.

[Roene Givrah]

Needless to say, Roene was cart wheeling through the air rather viciously, but not only were the Cerean's eyes closed as he tumbled, but within the intense focus of Roene's mind - conjoined through the ease of his thoughts at the Kasha crystal's presence not too far away - Roene eased the energy around him and diffused the force at which his descent was happening by using the energy around him to push in the opposing direction at an equal momentum.

 

The move stopped his motion immediately and with its sudden end it created a beat of energy that pulsed slightly through the air around the Cerean as he landed. The Cerean's face was stony, not betraying any emotion, but he deactivated his lightsaber and stood perfectly still. His eyes were trained on Kitt and he made no move to block Tirius who, realizing his attack would not hit his target due to the target's interrupted fall, would no doubt continue his charge.

 

”œSo you would wish Tirius and I to fight? Or do you wish to gang up on me? I don't understand the rules of this form and I do not wish to construe an ill-gotten message from my education. Is it two people I should be fighting? Or one?”

[Emily]

Emily smirked inwardly to see him caught off-guard. Serves him right for trying to kill me for no reason in the middle of the Jedi Temple, she thought. She hesitated only a moment, though. "My father left something or you. He wanted me to return it to you, if I ever ran across you when it was my turn to wander through the galaxy."

 

Had her father somehow foreseen this moment? She wouldn't have put it past him. And if that was the case...it made her feel good. It made her feel like coming here had been the right idea. Not that she hadn't figured that out already for herself, she thought, glancing at Nishant and feeling her cheeks get a little warm. Clearly, any decision that had brought him into her life had been a good one.

 

She turned her focus back on the Jedi, and then nodded once. Reaching for the bag she had slung over her shoulder, she rummaged through her few belongings until she came across the item she was looking for. It was a lightsaber. Emily had no idea what the significance of the lightsaber was, but hopefully Mathis would understand.

 

"He told me to give you this," she said, offering it to him. "He said that it was time for it to be returned, and that it was penance of some sort."

 

After she handed it to him, she stepped back behind Nishant. If asked, she'd laugh at the idea that she was a little intimidated by Mathis, but as it was, she just felt safer putting Nishant between them. She was truly grateful that he was here, and fervently hoped that he always would be.

[Kitt]

Kitt shook his head and deactivated his lightsaber and placed the hilt back upon his belt. As he finished, he indicated for Tirius to do the same.

 

"No, my method was to see how you would react with a sudden outsider. The purpose behind the spar was to inspire the Shii-Cho within you, as it did. Tirius joining in was to push you outside of what you know, and you failed it."

 

Kitt closed his eyes, reaching out his perceptions with the Force, and then he extended his sense beyond what could be felt. It was his way of finding peace and calm. For him, knowing that the Force was all around was comfort enough for him.

 

"You have a tendency to assume that things can always be thought out, but in truth, some things, at least as a Jedi, you will have to go on instinct alone. While Tirius' attack may not have been close enough to do anything, in a real situation that you may encounter, preparing yourself to fend him off would be a far better solution then to ignore it. Nothing that I throw at you during our time together has been in vain, or even something that either of you should ignore."

 

Kitt then lowered his head. There wasn't much more he could say to them, or that he could impart to them. If they were going to learn their lessons under him, they would have done so already.

 

"Go clean yourselves up, there is nothing left for either of you to learn from me. Return to the auditorium once you are done with that task."

 

Kitt then turned away from both and walked away.

[Roene Givrah]

Roene was flabbergasted to say the least as he stood in front of Kitt and apparently failed his trial. He didn't mean the gesture as an incrimination; he didn't want to be cruel or mean and thought he had prepared for Tirius' action well enough anyway, even though he misunderstood the intrusion.

 

He hadn't the need for insecurities, because he knew it wasn't his capabilities that drew him back, but apparently his... Well... He didn't know. He had questions for his master, but above all of them, Roene wondered if he had offended his master.

 

So, through his mind as Kitt walked away and Roene followed Tirius to the auditorium, Roene spoke to Kitt.

 

I am sorry if I offended you master. I knew Tirius was there; I kept my eye on him metaphysically even if I didn't actually see him. I was prepared for his move should the spar continue and I even sent him a blast of force energy to contend with before continuing my candor with you. I am sorry if I failed you, that was not my intention. I was however caught off guard as to the plan of your actions.

 

I am sorry again and I wish that the air not be troubled between us...

 

Then, gathering up all of his things, leaving a great deal of the color crystals behind for others to use, and checking the corridor for Tyue - his pet Garral - Roene made his way to his chamber to clean up before walking all the way to the auditorium as Kitt asked.

[Kitt]

Kitt could understand where Roene was coming from, but at the same time, Roene must also understand where he was coming from. Being the Grandmaster, and even his master, meant that he must look at an overall big picture. While he took no offense at Roene's actions, Roene still could not figure out why he had failed, and maybe it will be a lesson that an apprentice of his own might be better suited to teach him. But now wasn't the time to ponder such thoughts. He would soon be in a position that would require and demand more out of him then ever before.

 

He found his way into the auditorium, and then made himself somewhat comfortable until his two apprentices arrived. It wasn't until a few seconds passed that he saw that Aidan Darfire was also in the room with him. Kitt smiled at the young boy.

 

"Tell me Aidan, how has your time within the Gala Temple been so far?"

[Tirius Giovanni]

Tirius' attack went wide, and he immediately poised himself to spring at Roene for another attack. Ataru was fast and aggressive, and one evaded blow wasn't about to slow his assault. But then the dynamic changed as Roene stopped fighting and started to question the purpose of the attack. Right there, in the middle of sparring, he stopped and asked Kitt to hold his hand and tell him the purpose of the change.

 

Even before Kitt spoke, Tirius knew what he was going to say. Asking for instruction wasn't the right thing to do. If Tirius had learned anything from Kitt, it was to trust his instincts, and to trust the Force. Throughout his whole training process, Tirius hadn't had a single thing explained to him. Roene had been Kitt's apprentice much longer than he, but did he still not understand?

 

Finally Tirius shrugged mentally and followed instructions, shutting down his lightsaber and heading toward the refreshers. He'd already had some time to himself, and didn't really feel like this was necessary, but he was still patient. He did wonder just how long he would be sidelined....

 

His thoughts drifted back to Roene as he walked. He thought about talking to the Cerean about what happened, but he didn't want to make himself sound superior by attempting to teach the lessons he had learned when he technically had less experience with the Force than Roene. Ultimately, it looked like Roene's extra time training was actually what was holding him back. Too much time spent under instruction stripped one of their initiative.

 

Kitt had said he could no longer teach either of them anything. That was perhaps only partially true, but the core of the statement was essential--what they needed now was experience out in the galaxy. Roene probably had a few hard knocks coming his way, but if he learned the rules by which the galaxy played, he'd come out stronger for it.

 

Half an hour later Tirius came out of the private 'fresher, done with his sanisteam and wearing some dark Jedi robes. He didn't think he'd keep the look for long, but he suspected that he was on his way to being Knighted, and it was probably a good thing to look the part.

[Nishant]

(Oh, that I have to depart so soon)

 

Always approach with a weapon in hand? Nishant remembered the training with Kirlocca, and his instinct to leave the lightsaber on the ground, to abstain from using one. Now he knew with firm resolution that he would not build one of his own accord, that he would not use one. He would find his way without a weapon in hand. It would not be his way.

 

That thought reminded him that his soon-to-be teacher was a master, and a healer, and that he had meant to leave the moment this man, Mathis, had arrived. Not giving himself time to truly acknowledge the dismay he felt that he could not keep Emily around for even a little longer, he disregarded the company and turned around to face her for a moment before pulling her into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry. My teacher is waiting for me. I won't be far. I'll think of you."

 

And with that he was gone, but he left a warmth behind him that would smell of sunshine, to keep her company. Nishant was moving down the halls of the Jedi temple at an easy run, not anxious but purposeful. When he reached the main hangar he knew his pace had been appropriate, for the one he immediately knew to be his teacher had apparently just landed, and was accompanied by a woman--they seemed to have met a man; all of them felt experienced. He supposed the other two, aside from Master Organa, were masters as well, in some fashion; one, the man, was obviously a Jedi.

 

As he moved towards them, Nishant looked to his side as a sudden remembrance came, some kind of familiarity. What he saw would have been the same scene as in the garden, only now the Sith named Julio was calm, and warm, and seemed to be filled with love as he held his daughter to him--the panther-like Jedi woman did not seem so sharp now, either, but resolute.

 

However, Nishant's attention was for his master, and he approached her with his light, steady way and said, "Master Organa, I'm sorry that I was not here as you landed. I was saying goodbye to a friend. I'm very glad to be in your company."

[Roene Givrah]

Roene sighed to himself quietly. After an hour or so of speculation, enjoying the fresh feeling of the refresher on his sweaty skin, he knew his mistake, but it wasn't one that he knew he could rightly solve quickly. Whenever he was in a teaching environment, Roene had a hard time letting go and trusting his instincts, because for all he knew, the teacher was supposed to be the guide every step of the way; he knew there was a time that the relationship was supposed to be a bit freer, but he assumed that was when the teaching was ended.

 

No, you must understand Roene! There are times that require systematic thinking and logical breakdowns, but there are also times that you must feel without thinking. Whether your are in a teaching/learning environment or not.

 

That was just it though; in the field, out in the galaxy, even the time he spent traveling with his master, felt different somehow. While he was out visiting planets like Mon Calamari and Kashyyyk and Tython, he could feel the soil beneath his feet, he could feel the air as it rushed past his face and he was at once part of the world, galaxy and even the universe around him; so why was it easier to trust his instincts outside of class, than it was when he was in a temple receiving lessons from his master?

 

Well... I must learn to control this, because if - and thats a pretty big if - Kitt turns to the dark side and asks me to do something only for me to let my guard down, that would not be profitable to me or my future. I know for a fact I can trust my instincts, because even as I contended Kitt's advice on his teaching, I was still ready for Tirius' attack. I know I have done well in the wilderness by myself and it is obvious that my instincts were key in my journeys. I can only hope my static journey for knowledge doesn't translate into a future foul up and I am able to solve it with little difficulty. This I will need to practice. Also... Maybe learn a bit more combat before I start learning another light saber form, because I am a little sore.

 

A small pain shot through Roene as he stood comfortable in the refresher and for a moment, he let the mammoth of the force envelope his mind, carrying his thoughts and dreams to the very depths of the galaxy around him. He was at peace with the connection and although his shoulder still nagged at him, it was but a distant memory. It wasn't long then before the Cerean finished his refresher session with a long stretch; he vented the steamed air out through a small ventilation system int he private refresher and then he stepped out into his room. He quickly got into his clean brown robes and grabbed his satchel with light saber tools and pieces.

 

Then, checking for a few small things before he picked up a grumbling Tyue, Roene turned off the lights and walked toward the auditorium, petting the Garral in his arms idly while it bit at his fingers.

 

He could feel the ceremony of his knighting coming to an extreme closeness that he could almost touch, but the anticipation was strangely lost on Roene. He was happy, yes, but he was calm too... At peace.

 

He would learn a great deal more in the years to come and hopefully share with his apprentices the virtue of knowledge and the gripping elements of experience. Roene's future looked bright and all he could do was sigh jovially as he took a seat in the auditorium, waiting for whatever was going to happen, to happen. Tyue barked a little, but Roene patted the Garral's head softly, sending the little pup into a quiet sleep, rolled up in Roene's lap.

[Mathis]

((Sorry, World Cup was distracting me, otherwise you two could have had a little more alone time))

 

The weight of the lightsaber in Mathis' hand was nothing compared to the load of bricks that had just been dropped on him.

 

"My... my old lightsaber? But......this......impossible......"

 

He was so stunned at seeing the saber, even more so because it had been delivered to him by the daughter of his former enemy, that words started to fail him.

 

Penance?! A Sith that regrets his actions?? What could have possibly happened that would have made him do that? Some change of heart, obviously, but what could have caused something as dramatic as this?

 

Mathis was finally able to drag his eyes away from the handle in his hand and turned back towards Emily and Nishant. He caught them both by surprise when he bowed low before them.

 

"I must apologize to both of you, but especially to you, Emily. This saber used to belong to me. Your father must have taken it after he defeated me. If a Sith can be remorseful about his actions, at the absolute least I can be respectful to his daughter.

 

I need to go and get my thoughts in order. Emily, I would be honored if you would possibly tell me more about your parents some more some time, if you are willing."

 

Nishant had left before he could finish talking, but he had at least been able to hear the apology.

 

Different generation, different ideals. One day he might understand...

 

"I just want to again say that I'm sorry for the way I reacted to you."

 

With that, Mathis turned and walked out of the garden. He slowly paced through the Temple, silently focused on the lightsaber in his hand. When he reached the main entrance of the Temple, he continued on, out into the surrounding forest.

[Aidan Darkfire]

Aidan looked up at the man, not recognizing him. His robes were pure white, and it looked cool, but beyond that he hadn't the faintest what it denoted.

 

"It's been all right, I guess. A lot different than what I'm used to. Who are you?"

 

Aidan looked up with curious eyes, his face serious yet neutral, wondering if he could make a new friend. Then his thoughts wandered back to what the dark man had said, and then he wondered if he ever would have any real friends, even if they were nice to him. It was depressing, but it was a concept that felt real to him, real enough to cling to.

 

Deep down, even though he was surrounded by good people and a couple who loved him deeply, Aidan felt alone.

[Kitt]

Kitt smiled and lowered his head as he wondered how many actually would be able to recognize him. Realistically, the chances were very slim as he only rose to the position of Grandmaster, and until recently, he had tried his best to stay out of the public's eyes. Raising his head, he found the boys eyes very warm, yet somewhat distant.

 

"Who I am is not important."

 

He could feel both Tirius and Roene now approaching the room, but decided not to acknowledge them as they entered. Aidan was a bit more important, or at least he felt that way through the Force.

 

"You feel alone... why?"

 

Kitt extended his presence out to both Roene and Tirius, letting them know to take a seat and he would speak with them both shortly.

[Emily]

Nishant's sudden hug caught Emily off-guard. She hadn't realized that a master was going to take him as their apprentice. He hadn't breathed a word of it. Now that she thought about it, she assumed that must have been the message the hover droid that approached them earlier was carrying; at the time, she had been too distracted to really notice it.

 

So she clung to him, not trusting her voice given the rush of emotion that overtook her. He spoke, assuring her that he would think of her, and then he was gone. She bit her lip and forced herself to think about how good it was for him to be going to get trained and how happy she was for him instead of the sorrow at their parting.

 

Thankfully, Mathis distracted her momentarily by his reaction to the lightsaber. It was interesting that he offered her respect now, and apologized. She wondered what meaning the lightsaber held. According to him, her father had claimed it in the field of battle, but she had no idea why returning it to him would leave such an impact. As soon as the Jedi apologized, he too was gone.

 

And Emily once again found herself alone. She sank to the ground in the circle of dead flowers, full of self-pity, and wondered if she would ever find what she was looking for.

[Darth Furion]

(Sorry, OK, but I gotta move on. Thanks for all your help and your hospitality. All of you.)

 

After what felt like forever, but not quite long enough, the Sith's little girl broke from him, her azure eyes so bright as she looked him over he found himself lost.

 

"Daddy, you're hair is so long now!"

 

I haven't had much chance to cut it, sweety.

 

"No, I like it! Can I braid it?!"

 

A soft chuckle escaped him, and his world only giggled in response, charging in for another bear hug.

 

Thank you, Artiema. Thank you so much.

 

Of course, baby.

 

"I was thinking little braids. Lots of them. With gold beads!"

 

I think I've got some beads at home you can use.

 

"Good. Oh yeah. Mr. Where's my birthday presents? You owe me five, I believe."

 

Ha ha ha....They're in the mail. Some of them were a little hard to find.

 

"What are they?!" She pleaded, knowing she wouldn't get the answer she was looking for.

 

You'll just have to wait and see.

 

"Aw man."

 

He held her a lot longer then, and his heart tore apart at how much he had missed this. This, of all things, soothed the monster. This little girl, who had nothing but love for her father, a man who both knew wasn't really her blood. But they loved each other all the same, no rhyme or reason to it. It was, and it was right.

 

He glanced back toward the two Jedi, his features softened beyond recognition of his normally jaded self. Can I have some time alone with Rose? I know you two have other things to attend to. Your own loved ones to see.

 

As he turned away from them, they faded from his mind. Whether they left the hanger or not mattered not to him. Everything stood before him and he held it, and it held him. The former Grandmaster should feel this too, if for no other reason than giving it back to Julio. Darex had his own to see, but curiously would likely leave her be for the time being. Sad.

[Debauchery]

His walk was one of uncertainty... each step carried a wave of rejection, buried deep within it all though a vague hint of betrayal could be felt lingering. Sebastian felt as if he'd brought harm upon his companion. Not physically, but much worse within his own mind... it was a mental attack of some kind. One that was not intentional and weighed heavily upon the burly ex-miner.

 

As they walked down the hall, little conversation amongst them had taken place since the confrontation. Sebastian taking it as a sign remained silent. That is until Holden spotted the Wookiee who managed to dwarf even him, the grotesquely large padawan.

 

"It is a pleasure to see you once again, Master Kirlocca. You've got yourself one spirited boy there..." Sebastian said with a genuine smile, as seeing the Jedi brought him back to just a few days ago when he'd arrived here and first met him. Good times... He thought allowing the negative feelings he'd been feeling to slip away for a moment. It was a relief to him.

 

"We've come here, in hopes of obtaining your permission for little Holden to accompany us on a little trip to Corellia. You see, Master Tares Vortex, has taken me on as an apprentice. Along with Adenna, here."

 

"He wishes for Holden to attend as well, Master Skye Organa and a few others will be coming as well... so the little tyke will be well taken care of. So what do you say?"

[ObliviousKnight]

((I deserved that.))

 

”œYou go ahead, Darex.”

[Roene Givrah]

Roene's mind was calmly drifting away as he softly petted the now sleeping Garral on his lap, but something weird interrupted his cool exploration of the world around him.

 

His mind intercepted the message as it floated over the faint din of avid students and it appeared Kitt was asking him to do exactly what he had been doing for the past 10 minutes.

 

Already here master... Roene stated with a casual touch into Kitt's psyche, ready when you are.

 

After that little message was over though, he let his mind float off a little bit more, exploring the intricacies of the planet before him and meditating on the peace of the world. To feel a father's love and his daughter's deep and longing reciprocation was something that moved the Cerean as he sat, almost to tears for his own mother. To feel uncertainty and loneliness was an alien thought though, but not one foreign with human existence.

 

Without moving from his auditorium seat the sudden feeling of alien uncertainty formed into a somewhat familiar being. It seemed a woman named Emily was all alone. She had been left to her own devices and was now feeling abandoned and hurt.

 

Roene tried as he could to soothe her and help her feel happiness again, but he knew his focus wouldn't hold much longer if this was indeed the ceremony he expected it would be.

[Adenna Alluyen]

Adenna felt far more comfortable back on Gala. She had spent a few weeks in the Temple and knew her way around. She knew how to act and where to go so she wasn't bumbling around. Her day trip to the Double Helix had turned out far more complex than she thought and it felt good to be in familiar ground.

 

She was still rather angry with Sebastian. She had ridden down to the planet in silence and hadn't said anything since. She followed Holden and Sebastian without saying a word. They went to Holden's adopted father, but she still remained silent. She didn't know the giant Wookie and knew that it wasn't her place to interrupt a Jedi Master.

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex put a hand on Armiena's shoulder, trying to offer a modicum of comfort for whatever it was she was going through. But he left it at that, recognizing a dismissal when he heard one.

 

He left the hanger, but hadn't heard back from Misal. He shrugged and turned his feet towards the hanger on the other side of the base. With each step, he felt his heart lightening a bit. By the time he reached the hanger, a slightly roguish grin was on his face.

 

In the hanger stood Skye. Skye was being approached by a young man with dark hair who had an aura of calmness about him that was unusual in one with clearly so little training. But he barely had thoughts for Skye or the young man; his attention went straight to Darla.

 

She looked amazing. It was clear to him that the vacation with Skye had done her a world of good. He strode up and wrapped her in a hug, kissing her as he did so, the smile still dominating his facial expression. "Ignore my last comm; I apparently have the time to come see you right now." He stepped back a little. "You look much better," he commented. Indeed, she almost appeared to be glowing a little. Darex was astonished as his own perception of her. Skye must have fixed whatever ailment had been troubling her.

 

He tossed a grin over at his old master. "Thanks for fixing her up."

[Darth Furion]

For a moment, Julio balanced on that request like the edge of a knife. It was a delicate one to pose, especially for a former grandmaster. What made him so different? What did he possess that she wanted? He had never been afraid to openly talk to the Jedi, walking into Jedi temples as far back as his apprenticeship without any real fear of reprisal. Maybe it was that fearlessness, replaced by more of a childlike curiosity than anything else, that made him so approachable. He suspected that others from the order wouldn't be nearly as open with a Jedi, instead opting to go straight for threats and violence rather than civility and grace.

 

Aside from his own curiosity, he could feel the woman's sadness and longing. She hadn't seen her son yet. But it wasn't that. No....no, no, something else was bothering her too. So much, so little. Ah...

 

Are you weary of the road, Armiena? The path a lot bleaker than when you first started?

 

He turned from Rose, but the little girl stepped back and clasped her little hands in front of her, like she was taught. Grownups were talking, there would be a time and place for her just a little while after. Julio searched the Jedi's eyes, just to try to understand the question, and the intent of the question through the peering windows into the soul. What did you see? He said absently, his gaze and voice more distant by the second. Something grazed across his mind like a stroke of terror, gone as it arrived.

 

My, my.... He stood up straight and blinked, his eyes now focused on hers, but just the surface now. Titans are rising to strike at gods, we haven't much time. Soon the eight-veined death will spark out of oblivion and back into the hearts and minds of men. As always, men will seek to use it and destroy it.

 

He trailed of, mumbling something incomprehensible. He came back to himself in a daze, looking about the hanger for a moment to remember where he was. Go see your kid. If you survive what is to come, call me. We'll have lunch. He gave the Jedi a sly smile and a wink, then turned back to Rose.

 

"We going home now, Daddy?"

 

Yeah, baby. He said as he put his hand on her shoulder, leading her further into the hanger. Maybe stop for a bite to eat before we head out.