Lehon - Jedi Temple

[Drunken Corellian]

Scorpius' hand firmly met the man's as he extended his own, his eyes never leaving Jaren's own in respect, a respect most veterans would immediately recognize, a respect one fellow soldier would offer another. "Nice to meet you Master Jaren," Scorpio spoke as he took the offered seat, laying down his empty tray as he did. "As well as you, Ragien Daour. I am Scorpius Tenshu."

 

His tone was deep and shallow, grizzly almost as he spoke. It held a hint of pain amidst the wisdom and self assurance it carried. As Scorpius drew ready to reply to the Jedi's question, his eyes hinting at the notion of pause and thought, showing the he had truly thought upon his answer, he spoke but a little more than one word. "A Promise" And that's all it simply was. A promise made to a friend, a promise he intended on keeping,

[Darex Trevelian]

"A promise?" Jaren repeated. Now that was vague and interesting. He had seen hopefuls come from all walks of life, for all different reasons, but he thought that this was the first one who had come because of a promise. It made the Jedi Knight vaguely uneasy. He wondered if Scorpius really knew what he was getting himself into, and if he would really be able to stick to the life of a Jedi for reasons as unpersonal as the fact that he had once made a promise. It wasn't that he was doubting that the man had every intention of keeping the promise; his presence here told otherwise. But it would make the life of a Jedi much more difficult if it wasn't the man's own choice.

 

If Scorpius felt alright with opening up to a relative stranger, Jaren was curious to hear more, and tried to communicate that by exuding openness in the Force. Even as untrained as these two men were, they would be able to pick up on it instinctively, even if they didn't understand how. "What do you know about the Order?"

[Drunken Corellian]

"Indeed. A promise that I made to a comrade..." Scorpius stopped mid sentence. He felt odd, a feeling of need to tell this man the story, a feeling he did not truly share. Even Scorpius knew it was not in his character to tell such tales to anyone he did not trust dearly, especially complete strangers he had just met. Why did he feel this way all of a sudden? Did this place have such an effect on people? His gaze fell back upon the Jedi. No. It wasn't this place. It was the Jedi. He knew the Jedi were capable of such powers. He had seen similar power before. Taking a deep breath, Scorpius focused his mind, slowing his thoughts, withdrawing himself.

 

"Not much, I'm afraid." Scorpius said, answering the Jedi's question. "As a child, tales of the Jedi were adventurous and extravagant. Something children on my homeworld dreamt of being. Although that was many years ago. My time in the Wilds had all but made such dreams seem as if they were but a child's fairy tale."

[Darex Trevelian]

Jaren was a bit puzzled. "Well, I have to say, I'm confused then. You promised a friend that you would give the rest of your life to an organization that you know nothing about?" He shook his head. "You must have trusted hIm a great deal. How could you be sure that he wasn't asking you to become a criminal?"

 

Suddenly he realized that he was jumping all very this man. "I'm sorry," he immediately apologized. "The other Jedi here say I'm too frank for my own good. I don't mean to be impolite. I'm just concerned. The life of a Jedi is extremely difficult. It requires the utmost devotion and sacrifice. I'm just worried that if you aren't here because it is your choice, you will regret coming here for the rest of your life."

[Drunken Corellian]

"It's quite alright." Scorpius replied. "Sometimes frankness is needed. Stresses the importance of the situation. Offers clarity of one's decision." Scorpius pulls an unlabeled jar from his satchel and takes a sip, the slight tip of his head revealing a cauterized scar running across his cheek. "But I am all too aware of my decision whether it be a promise I made or not. For the man i made this promise to never clarified which Order he wished me to join, only that I hone my skill as a Force User. Your Order was of my choosing."

[Darex Trevelian]

Jaren nodded. The man's words made him feel a bit better, but he still wondered if he knew what he was getting himself into. Oh well, he thought. He'll find out soon enough.

 

He took another bite of food. "Well, I'm willing to answer any questions you have."

[Drunken Corellian]

"Hold that thought for a moment..." Scorpius spoke, holding up a single finger to emphasize his words. His mind had drifted off toward a sandwich in the distance, it's suculant loaf and lucious leafy dressing having caught his eye. If there ever was a weakness in Scorpius, it was food. It called upon him like Wampas during mating season, and he couldn't but help himself to it's curvy form. "I'll be right back."

 

Excusing himself, Scorpius made his way over to the sandwich, his stomach gurgling as loud as a rancor as he drew near. Within moments he had grabbed it up and now showed pure esctasy upon his face as he chewed upon the meat's tender body. In truth it had been days since his last meal, and such a sandwich had made his existance heavenly. Truly, if the Jedi supplied such food, he didn't want to be anywhere else."Well... spank my Wookie and call me Solo" he thought quetly to himself. Grabbing a napkin to wipe the mustard from around his lips, he made his way back toward the Jedi.

 

Sitting back down, his serious demeanor came back as he swollowed another bite from his sandwich. "I have only one question... What do the Jedi believe it to mean to be Jedi?" A curious question indeed, but Scorpius was rather curious himself to know the Jedi's answer.

[Onderin Starlisk]

((Darex is out of town for the next several weeks. I'm taking over for him, at least for the time being.))

 

Jaren watched in quiet amusement while Scorpius devoured the sandwich with more voracity than a Krayt Dragon would snap up an ostracized dewback. It seemed that he hadn't eaten in a while, which wasn't a problem. The Jedi Order took care of its members.

 

"Being a Jedi means serving the Force," Jaren answered. "We learn to draw on the Force when he are calm, at peace, and passive. When we do so, we forget ourselves and act as an extension of the will of the Force. This commonly means protecting the innocent, standing against evil, and seeking to bring peace to those around us. The Jedi Code is our beliefs distilled, and it governs how we should act; learning it should be one of the first things you do here. It goes like this:

 

"There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force."

[Drunken Corellian]

"Strange.." Scorpius replied, a confused looking sweeping across his face. "I was under the impression that your mantra was slightly different, or perhaps i was told an altered version. It went like this: Emotion, yet Peace. Ignorance, yet Knowledge. Passion, yet Serenity. Chaos, yet Harmony. Death, yet the Force."

 

Perhaps Scorpius was wrong, but this did not seem the Order he was told about. The Code it's self hinted of Soldiering, of War, even in one's self. And the way Jaren describe themselves to be, he spoke of grunts, following commands of a mystical energy as if they were trained warrior monks rather than philosophers, scholars, and teachers. Is this why his friend had stepped away from the Orders, had distanced himself from the orthodox methods he was seeing before him? Scorpius had came to the Jedi to get away from war, away from battle, to find himself, as was apparent upon his face as he finished his meal and brought forth a cigarette and lit it.

 

"So your telling me..." Scorpius spoke, turning his head away from the Jedi to blow his smoke in the opposite way. "That the Jedi are Soldiers of the Force, following it's will without question, and voiding themselves of their very own nature? Forgive me if my words cause offense, but in your own words, your saying this is what causes Sith to be who they are? That because of the person's defiance to void themselves of their own nature, they fall into darkness?"

 

((No problem. Hope every thing's okay with Ami. And don't read too much into my char... he questions a lot of things lately))

[Onderin Starlisk]

((Oh, yes. She's perfectly fine. Just has no good Internet connection.))

 

Jaren frowned at Scorpius' version of the code. The man had claimed to know next to nothing about the Order, but what he had recited was a very old, archaic version of the code which he personally suspected was mistranslated. Emotion and passion could be quite dangerous to a Jedi if left unchecked.

 

"Central to a Jedi's beliefs is acting passively, and I do not believe that version of the code reflects that," he answered carefully. "I would certainly not say that we are soldiers of the Force, as battle is often a last resort. When we act based on emotion or even our own intellect, we apply a bias, knowingly or not. Often that bias is self-serving. What makes the Sith fall into darkness is that they give themselves to their selfishness and lust for power, valuing themselves over others. They are willing to go to any lengths to gain that power, and they draw on the Force using raw emotion and ambition. The Jedi are selfless, and how can we be truly selfless until we remove our own needs and emotions from the equation?

 

"Is it easy? Certainly not! But the galaxy is a better place because of the Order that had stood watch over it for millennia."

[Drunken Corellian]

"I see." Scorpius replied, heavily contemplating the Jedi's words. They held honesty and truth in them based upon the man's own personal beliefs, but in reality, as an ex Soldier himself, Scorpius knew all too well the pride in selflessness. In war, all sides believed themselves to be right, and defended that very principle with life after life. He could see that the Jedi prided themselves in self sacrifice and in honor of defending the weak, a noble cause to say the least. Although pride it's self was an emotion, as dangerous as it was harmless depending on one's personal view. But he knew that one could never truly void themselves of emotion no matter how well they tried. He grew to understand this all too well. Perhaps that is why his friend had told him the altered version of the Jedi's mantra. It told of the Jedi's burden, the weight they carried that it signified:

 

To realize that Emotion would forever be present, yet to understand one's peaceful nature and control one's darkness. To understand one's Ignorance in Knowledge, that one can never truly grasp it. That one's pride and passion can lead one into the darkness of self righteousness, yet one's serenity can stand against the tide. That one can be a beckon of harmony, even amidst the chaos of life. That Death only furthers one's understand of the Force and of life.

 

Scorpius contemplates this farther, a moment of silence lingering in the air before his tone breaks the silence. "I believe that I understand now, both the Jedi's beliefs as well as the mantra i was recited. Perhaps both, although altered from one another, hold similar truths. I thank you for this."

[Onderin Starlisk]

Jaren nodded, satisfied that he had been understood and that Scorpius had at least a basic idea of what he was getting himself into by joining the Order. "I'm pleased that I could help," he responded. "If you're still determined that this is your path, then please take some time to get situated here at the Temple. We can set you up with a room here, and there are a series of ongoing courses for hopefuls to gain basic proficiency with drawing on the Force as well as a few basic skills like telekinesis. They run almost constantly, so basically as soon as you're ready you should be able to find one. The hope would be that you would then be chosen by a Master for more in-depth training. Once he or she is satisfied that you have learned enough, you will be subjected to a set of Trials to enter Knighthood, at which point you will become largely autonomous and perhaps take an apprentice of your own."

 

It was all fairly standard but important information. The path forward was not a short one.

[Drunken Corellian]

"More training..." The simple thought of it curled his stomach. Too long had he known war, forever training to be better this his enemies, forever training to survive day by day. But he knew when he came here, this would not change. His reasons, his motives, might would change. But this would stay the same. His old friend promised him peace, promised him understanding, by taking this new found path as a Force User, no matter which way he chose. But both would be long, winding, rocky paths that would test the very fabric of his being. Then and only then, would he find the place he sought. Scorpius knew he would need to suffer this until the very end. With the Sith, he would be a bringer of war and devastation. But with the Jedi, he would end war and destruction. And after so many years of seeing war, living it, breathing it, the stale stench of war had grew to sicken him. This was his reasons for fleeing to the Jedi rather than the Sith.

 

Was he truly ready for it? He could not and would not ever know until it came to be. But he knew his old life had long been over, his past best forgotten. There was no turning back now. The wars within the Wilds were a bitter memory. This was the future he had chosen. This would be his future.

 

"I've already been set up with a room upon my arrival." Scorpius finally spoke. "I'm ready to begin."

[Onderin Starlisk]

"Ah, excellent," Jaren said. It seemed someone had beat him to that part of it. "We have a class of new ((NPC)) hopefuls starting in just a few minutes. I'm leading it, so I should actually get there now to set up. You're welcome to tag along."

 

So saying, he got up and went over to a courtyard. Lehon was a beautiful world, and the Temple had been set up to take advantage of that. Especially with weather as nice as what they were having now, the courtyard was tranquil and surrounded by life. It was an ideal place to take those first steps into the much larger world of the Force.

 

Jaren went about setting up for the class. Not much was required other than putting down some mats and pads in case the hopefuls wanted to sit on them instead of on the tiled stone floor. He also retrieved a basket full of random supplies, including a set of smooth plasteel balls of varying colors. A few other hopefuls started to come around, but Jaren knew it wasn't going to be a large class, and that was the way he liked it. This kind of training was still best done by Masters, and with a smaller group he could give more individual attention to each member. Soon, he had six hopefuls gathered, including Scorpius, and it was time to start.

 

"Welcome, students. Let's begin," he said with no further preamble. He sat down on one of the pads he had put out at the front of the group, facing the hopefuls, and indicated for them to sit as well. "The first thing you have to become comfortable with is touching the Force. Not all of you are doing this for the first time, but it takes some practice. It's a little different for everyone, but I recommend for these first steps that you close your eyes and stretch out with your feelings. Empty your mind of questions, doubts, and emotion. The Force is everywhere, generated by all living things. It's like the background hum of the universe, but a tangible current that you can feel when you open yourself to it.

 

"Try it now," he said, his voice growing soft.

[Drunken Corellian]

"Thank you." Scorpius acknowledged Jaren's offer with a bow of the head. "I shall."

 

Quickly rising to his feet, he followed Jaren into the courtyard. It was a spectacular view, full of fauna and life, unlike the barren rocks and metallic walls Scorpius had grown so accustomed to. There would be days without the brightness of sunlight, or skies blotted by the fogs of war, life a rare thing upon most of the battlefields. As sickening as he found this utopia, it still held a certain calming to it. Perhaps this dog of battle had been away for far too long and such relaxation could heal the wounds upon his soul. Perhaps this is why he had been pulled toward the Jedi in his choosing. Perhaps he knew deep down that he had grown tired of such travesties and needed life in his life again. He wasn't quite sure what to make of his feelings quite yet, only that he trusted his friend and his words.

 

As the class began, Scorpius found a place upon the tiled stone, finding himself at home among the hardened seating. He wasn't very accustomed to the life of luxury or the comforts of soft padding of the mats. The stone reminded him of the durasteel plating of a ship's flooring. Crossing his legs in silence, he looked on toward the other students as Master Jaren began his instructing, and almost chuckled at the irony. For the first time in a long time, Scorpius Tenshu found himself a rookie at something. It spoke volumes of his previous life. Closing his eyes and listening to the Jedi's words, he let them linger upon his mind and settle his thoughts.

 

It's a little different for everyone, but I recommend for these first steps that you close your eyes and stretch out with your feelings.

 

Scorpius had never been good with emotions, nor letting his feelings grasp his conscience. But in those few months he had know his friend, he had learnt the art of meditation. He had always been a man of act without thinking, quickly following orders and worry about the consequences of his actions later. But with meditation, he had found himself capable of being different. He allowed his thoughts to play out before him, allow his mind to grasp the reaction for every action he took. It had honed and sharpened his mind immensely. Closing his eyes, he reached out, urging his mind and body to feel and touch the aura around him, much like one felt for the morale of one's men before battle. Feeling confident, he pushed farther.

 

"Empty your mind of questions, doubts, and emotion."

 

This was where Scorpius faced trouble. Confident as he was, he had never cleared his mind completely. He always questioned orders, even if only in silence. It was in his nature. Sure, in times of war, if one hesitated, it meant lives. But there was always still the lingering question whether it was right or wrong. Such was the consequences he felt later. Emotions of guilt, anger, sadness... all consequence of one's actions in war. It seemed impossible to void one's self of these thoughts. But nevertheless he tried, focusing on Jaren's words and tone of voice rather than his own thoughts.

 

"The Force is everywhere, generated by all living things. It's like the background hum of the universe, but a tangible current that you can feel when you open yourself to it."

 

And so he did, listening to Jaren's voice, letting his thoughts linger upon the Jedi's expression of the Force. He let the words echoing within his mind, let it's expression take hold upon him. At first it was but a mere chirp of a near by cricket, quickly followed by the sounds of near by waves. Then it felt as if he was standing within the waves, feeling the ebbs of the tide. It was calming, feeling as if paradise had truly been found. But then sadness erupted within him, followed by pain. He could feel the aches of blaster wounds, the slowing of heart beats within one's chest, the ache of loss, and finally his head felt like an explosion of emotions.

 

"No..." Scorpius yelled, quickly standing and grabbing his head. "No more suffering...." He hadn't noticed it yet, but his mind had drifted off back to war, to the Wilds, and yet, he still felt the pains of it even here billions of light years away.

[Onderin Starlisk]

Jaren was quick on his feet soon after Scorpius was, approaching troubled man. Some of the students turned to look at the disturbance, but two of them actually managed to maintain their meditation. Jaren made a note of how far they had come along even in the short time they had been here.

 

"When you touch the Force, it may show you distant places, the past and the future, and old friends long gone," he explained calmly. "I don't know what you've seen, but you're going to have to come to terms with it." It wasn't all that uncommon for someone to have a strong reaction to something the Force showed them. But it was a struggle he couldn't really help each student with. The Force was extremely personal, and everyone perceived it a little bit differently. Scorpius, just like every other Jedi, was going to have to find his own path.

[Drunken Corellian]

Scorpius was frightfully shaken by such a touch, and rightfully so. He had felt pain not of his own, had saw things not his own sight. It was unknown, and sent chilling shivers down his spine. He knew the Force was powerful, even with it's mysticism. But it wasn't until now that he had felt it, and he knew he had barely scratched the surface of it. And that scared him. While he knew the Jedi's words were meant to calm and encourage him, just as he had done with so many rookies before, they weren't having such an effect on him. For right now, Scorpius was truly scared by the Force, and for the first time in his life, wanted to simply turn coat and run.

 

"Forgive me, Master Jedi..." Scorpius spoke, his fear ever present upon his face. "But I just don't know if this is the path for me. If you'll excuse me, I've had enough for today." With a humble bow, Scorpius removed himself from the class and made his way back toward his room.

 

((Figured this turn of events would make for interesting gaming.))

[Onderin Starlisk]

Jaren let Scorpius go. The path wasn't for everyone. He suspected that Scorpius would be back the following morning to give it another attempt, but Jaren didn't chase him down. He personally tended to shy back from the Force in places where there had been much death recently, and in battle it was often difficult to draw on it passively when he felt what the destruction of life did to it. He knew there were Masters who had spent years fighting in the war, and he wondered how they shut themselves off from that pain. He wondered if he could be that way, or if he even wanted to.

 

The Jedi turned back to the rest of the class. "Clear your minds and start again. Let there be no questions, no doubts. The Force is only limited by your belief..."

[Drunken Corellian]

Sounds of kicked trash bins and grunts of frustration erupted through-out the corridors of the Jedi Temple as Scorpius made his way toward his room. Onlookers gave him puzzled glares and fearful gasps as they viewed the young human hybrid's tantrum. But Scorpius was oblivious. Never before had anything frightened him so much, had proved him to be so cowardess. He couldn't help but feel anger over it, slamming his fist into a near by brick wall, exhausted by his tantrum. This was a man who had led countless into battle, lost and saved numerous lives by simply charging into groups of enemies, not thinking, but simply reacting. So why had an abundence of feelings frightened him so? Surely he could block out such things by continuing his training?

 

Feeling his mouth watering, he spits, staring at the ground. His friend told him that this was no easy task. He thought he knew the consequences of wielding such power. So why did he run? Scorpius shakes his head, puzzled. Nothing had ever scared him to such a degree before. Perhaps it was the moment of surprise, the unknowing of it taking ahold of his emotions. Like his first kill. That adrenaline. That survival instinct taking hold. Only this time, rather than unloading a full clip of ammo, he chose to run from it. Picking himself up off the wall, he made his way into his room. He needed to clear his mind. Reaching onto his hip, he quickly grasped a half empty bottle of Tarisian Ale.

 

"Perhaps tomorrow will be a different day." He said after taking a sip and fumbling for a cigarette. "We'll see."

[Onderin Starlisk]

((Sorry about the delay. This is a filler post anyway--you're the one driving the story here.))

 

Jaren finished the class and the Jedi returned to their quarters as night fell on this part of Lehon. A night guard was posted as always, and parts of the Temple never truly slept, but classes were over for the day and the jungle seemed to come alive.

[Drunken Corellian]

Half drunk, Scorpius had made his way through-out the corridors of the Jedi Temple after night fall, after everyone had gone to bed. Or so he thought. There was no telling who was or wasn't up at this hour, but Scorpius was oblivious to anyone who may or may not have followed him outside. Lehon was a different planet at night, sounds of the nocturnal erupting from within it's jungles and along it's beaches. And the stars, twinkling as if thousands of candles floated over head. Still down from his earlier experience, Scorpius took these moments to take in the sights, clear his mind and think.

 

He had saw too many battles, lost countless soldiers under his tutelage. So much burden he had carried upon his shoulders. And in truth, he often wondered why so many better than he had died while he was left to live. Taking another gulp from the jar upon his hip, he stumbled in the sand on a near by beach. "I think i've had one too many.." He chuckled. "I suppose this is a good a place as any to sit." Setting down the jar, he gazed out toward the vast ocean. It reminded him of a certain shore leave not too long ago. Stationed in the Wilds, He and his friend, whom all but Scorpius knew as "Mage" had visited a marshy planet during shore leave. Scorpius never quite understood the purpose of their visit, only that this was where Mage revealed Scorpius' Force Sensitivity to the young hybrid. Scorpius believed him be full of wampa dung until he forced Scorpius to make the promise he now sought to fulfill. Chuckling, Scorpius found it ironic that the one thing he found fear in, was the one thing he would never truly be able to run from.

 

"Tenshu". A voice erupted from within the near by fauna, quickly causing Scorpius to jump in response. Sobered up by the startle, Scorpius sobered even more when a ghostly figure stepped forth from the bushes and greeted him. To any on lookers, it would be a curious sight, for even to Scorpius, it was just that. "Mage?" Scorpius replied. "But how? Your dead." His silver hair swaying in the wind, his piercing turquiose eyes gazing upon Scorpius, a smirk upon his face, and a chuckle in his throat. "I've told you Tenshu Karagari. The Force is beyond our understanding, let alone philosophy." Replied Mage. "I see you've chosen the path of the lightsiders."

 

"Indeed i have, Mage." Scorpius replied, still shaken by what he was seeing. "You told me to choose my path wisely, to let my heart guide me. And so i have done." A moment of silence passes before the silver haired gentleman chuckles again. "And yet, you flee from you first steps? Come now, Tenshu, I know you better than that. After all, it was your blade that struck me down, Tenshu Karagari" Anger boils within Scorpius. "You know the reasons as well. You cannot turn on your commanding Officer and strike him down. We swore an oath of fealty. You know this." Mage's face turns serious. "Such is the way of a Sith. Remove the weak, support the strong. General Talmas was pathetic, a rapist of women and young girls. His oath was meaningless."Scorpius clenches his fist, knowing Mage was right. "But you had no right killing him. You should have reported him." Mage chuckles. "My choice was my own. He would have never seen a jail cell. Nor do i blame you for my death. Such is the way of the Force as you too will come to see... But i am glad you will follow this path. It was once my own until... well you know."

 

"Yes, i do know. Until Yue." Scorpius, spoke, his tone turning back to normal. "So, have you come to haunt me for all eternity old friend?" Mage sits down upon the sand, slowly lifting his form into a hovering position. "No. I came to tell you this: The longer you fight your destiny, the more dangerous it becomes. Heed my words, Tenshu, just as you did the day you slew me. Learn the Jedi ways. Keep what you will of it, and move on. For you to fear your power, is for you to fear yourself, a dangerous game indeed." Scorpius went to say something but was interrupted. "Now sleep. Tomorrow you dig deeper into the Force. Don't stop until it fills your very core. Then you will see."

 

And with that, Mage disappeared with the rest of the world as Scorpius drifted to sleep, trying to fight it as he might. It was simply no point.

 

((Your welcome to have Jaren witness this))

[Onderin Starlisk]

Jaren could never sleep much after a long day of teaching meditation. The Force had a way of replenishing and sustaining, and meditation was so close to sleep in a way that even as midnight approached he felt nothing but well-rested. So he had taken to wandering the grounds, keeping in touch with the Force and with Lehon itself. Every world he had visited had its own feel, its own resonance. Lehon had a way of being placid during the day but reminding him of the dangers that nature held when predators stalked the night hours. The majesty of an ecosystem played itself out in perfect balance, a sustainable entity that was seemed both chaotic and yet perfectly ordered at the same time.

 

The Jedi Knight had always thought nature was the cleanest analogy for the Force itself, for the two were bound.

 

Tonight something a little bit different was happening with their newest student. Jaren had no idea what was in the man's past, but it seemed very likely that he had fought in the war, as many of them had. Experiences varied dramatically, and it was always hard to tell how the Force would affect someone untrained in controlling their emotions. He headed toward Scorpius quietly, not wanting to disturb what was happening unless it was potentially harmful.

 

There were definitely Force ghosts appearing, Jaren realized. He witnessed some of the conversation that took place, but without the full context he couldn't make too much sense of it. Scorpius seemed to have struck down his commanding officer, but it wasn't clear what had happened with the other man, Mage. Soon the vision had ended and Scorpius slept.

 

Jaren shrugged and set up a small camp nearby to spend some time meditating where he could keep an eye on Scorpius. Maybe the man would wake up and find him there. Really Jaren just wanted to make sure some predator didn't come wandering along. There were some unusual things on Lehon, up to and including rancors.

[Drunken Corellian]

((Sorry. After rereading that, i can see the confusion. It was Mage that struck down the commanding officer, and Scorpius that struck down his friend Mage.))

 

When Scorpius awoke, he found himself startled. He knew many of the skills Mage had been capable, but he never figured his friend to use such a skill on him. To use the Force to force someone to sleep against their will was beyond distrust. Jumping to his knees first and then to his feet, the young hybrid scanned the local area around him. It seemed safe enough, a few animal tracks nearby and what smelt like a carcase. Such was the nature of the nocturnal on any given planet. His head throbbing, Scorpius gathering up his things and headed back toward the temple. It was here he stumbled up Jaren deep in meditation. It was but an hour or so before day break, so it did seem strange a Jedi would be outside the temple at this hour. But more importantly, his encounter with Mage may have been witnessed, which truly worried Scorpius.

 

"Master Jaren?" Scorpius spoke lightly, raising his tone slightly to make his presense aware to the Jedi.

[Onderin Starlisk]

((My mistake. Thanks for the clarification.))

 

Jaren opened his eyes. He had thought a lot about the conversation he had overheard and still didn't think Mage had deserved what Scorpius had done to him despite the magnitude of his crime. Forgiveness was an essential trait for the Jedi. But that didn't mean that Scorpius could not transform if the he let the Force change him. Jaren's biggest concern was that he couldn't give the hopeful the training and personal focus that he would need to overcome his past. This man needed a Master, and Jaren could not fill that role. He immediately decided he would try and get in touch with the Council.

 

"The Lehon wilds can be dangerous at night," he said. "I would recommend you sleep in the Temple during your stay here, but even I could not wake you after your friend put you to sleep."

 

He figured it was safe to reveal that he had overheard. The more Scorpius opened up, the easier it might be for him to reconcile with the Force.

[Drunken Corellian]

"So you saw him, did you?" Scorpius questioned, his gaze shifting toward the mixture of orange and purple of the rising sun. "I don't know why he haunts me so. I gather that is just his way of reminding me of my crime, my promise to him, possibly of the world i left behind."

 

It was an amazing sight to see, such a sunrise despite Scorpius having seen so many like it after nights filled with artillery shells, the calming of a storm some would gesture at. But this one was different. It represented not another day, but a new day, and Scorpius drank it in as if grasping for his morning coffee. He turns back to Jaren, removing the hood from upon his head and revealing his full facial features and showing the irony of his gaze. To one who gazed upon Mage, Scorpius would look no different other than his ginger hair and cyan eyes. And this was something he felt would speak volumes. "You know, the wilds of Lehon are nothing compared to the Wilds of the Galaxy. Here, we merely face animals who act upon basic instincts. But out there, on the edge of known space, we faced things much more dangerous. Sometimes it was others, like our enemies. Sometimes it was in ourselves. We may have excused our actions in the name of the greater good, but so did all of our enemies. But lines were always crossed, and we would all leave pieces of ourselves on the battlefields. Wouldn't you agree Jedi?"

 

"For me, it was my honor, my integrity, my beliefs." Scorpius spoke, his head sinking toward the ground in shame. "For Mage, well, i suppose you could say he was like a father to me in a manner of speaking. He had long ago lost most of himself in war. First as a Jedi, then as a Sith, and finally a soldier. He had lost his sister, his brother, even half his soul. And finally, when it was all said and done, he lost his life. And it was i who had struck him down. Over a man with an evil heart no less, simply because i believed that our superior's fancies were none of our business and him murdering the man in cold blood wasn't the correct path to follow."

[Onderin Starlisk]

When Scorpius drew back his hood, Jaren was stunned by the similarities he had to Mage. He started mentally guessing at the relation when Scorpius continued.

 

"What you describe is the greatest challenge of Jedi in a time of war," he said once the man had finished. "The galaxy has been at war for a long time, and many Jedi have fallen to the dark side all while rationalizing it away in the name of the greater good. Even some of the greatest Masters of our Order have struggled with this, and there were some who fell so deep they never came back. For a long time, we fought to try and find a new way, a way to cure what decades of war had done to the Order."

 

He paused. "We were trying to treat a symptom instead of looking for the root cause," he reflected, staring off at the sunrise. "Now that the war is over, we are starting to realize that we had forgotten how to follow the Force. We had been so caught up in trying to win that all too often the ends justified the means, and we forgot what it meant to keep the peace to the point where we only propagated the conflict."

 

Jaren looked back at Scorpius. "We must learn from our mistakes. When we choose compassion and put aside our ambition and our anger, only then can we see clearly. It would be easy to argue that both your commanding officer and Mage deserved to die. But in neither case was the right thing done."

[Drunken Corellian]

"So then.." Scorpius speaks up, a singular tear strolling casually down his cheek. "You understand one of my burdens clearly? That even though I felt at the time that Mage's crime was unforgivable and traitorous, that I held no right to judge nor condemn him, and in return, committed a crime of my own. That by coming here, to the Jedi, I seek redemption not only for my crime, but for my soul as well..."

 

The way Scorpius leaves off his sentence leaves a lingering hint at something left out, and as his gaze settles upon the distance, his mind seems to wander it's self. There were many things left unsaid about Scorpius' past, some revealed in time perhaps whether to Jaren or another unforeseen Master in his future. But for now, he simply leaves his words at only such a small glimpse. His mind settles elsewhere, mostly back upon yesterday's events. If he was to overcome this fear he held for the Force, he would have to face it. And today was a new day. He was even more curious by Mage's words, for Scorpius to learn the Jedi's way and take what he would from it, to dig into it until it filled him wholly. Then he would see. What was it he needed to see? Perhaps today would shed light upon it. Shifting his gaze back to Jaren, he wondered.

 

"I am ready to continue training." Scorpius spoke. "I can not let fear sway me."

[Onderin Starlisk]

Jaren gave a sad smile. "Worse crimes than yours have been forgiven in the past," he said. "When someone embraces the path of a Jedi and sets himself aside, it can have a profound effect. And the Order takes care of its own."

 

The Jedi instructor picked up the mat he had been meditating on. "My first morning class is starting in about half an hour. I should get set up for it. If you want, this would be a good time to get some breakfast; otherwise we can start early and add the other students as they arrive."

 

Finishing gathering his things, Jaren headed back to the Temple courtyard and started setting out the meditation mats and objects for telekinesis training just as he had the night before.

[Drunken Corellian]

((Forgive my absence and lack of post this morning. Had a recent death in the family.))

 

"I see" Spoke Scorpius as he watched Jaren gathering his things. "I would much rather getting started as soon as possible. No time like the present." There seemed a slight difference in Scorpius' attitude, as if some of his burden had been lifted. But his ever present "doom & gloom" aura still hung stagnant about him like a singular storm cloud lingers above one's cursed head. Following Jaren, Scorpius took his place and as they awaited the class, sat down upon one of the mats placed toward the front.

 

"I'm ready whenever you are."

[Onderin Starlisk]

((Think nothing of it. RL takes priority sometimes.))

 

As soon as Jaren was finished setting up, Scorpius had picked out a mat. The Jedi Knight was glad that Scorpius was so eager to get back into it, especially given the bad experience of the night before. The journey was different for every Jedi, young or old. Some had greater barriers to overcome than others. But by the Force, Jaren had seen incredible things as the Force itself willed hopefuls to overcome these challenges.

 

"Very well," he said, taking his place at the front and sitting on the mat there. "Begin by clearing your mind. The events of last night are important to drive you forward, but when you draw on the Force, you can let yourself fade away. The energy field is there, a current within you and all around us. It surrounds us and penetrates us. When you're listening fully to the Force, there is a purpose there, a clarity that we cannot achieve on our own. It is the background hum of the universe, and in order to hear it, we must be at peace."

 

Jaren cleared his own mind as he had learned, and reached out with the Force. He surrounded Scorpius with it, trying to make it easier for the man to draw upon it. Once he established connection the first few critical times, it would come easier and easier to him. "Soon, you will be able to draw upon and release the Force as easily as you breathe in and out."