Lehon - Jedi Temple

[Jaina Jade Skywalker]

It was a smorgasbord of delight. As she stuffed her face with braised nerf, some sort of squishy vegetable, a Gungan-style stew full of kelp-like greens, and pajii fruit from Alderaan, Tirzah became acutely aware of being studied in the brief moments before hearing a musical, somewhat foreign voice murmur, "Hey, Ash, is it? May I sit here?"

 

Tirzah tilted her head to one side, turning her face toward the newcomer. Not bothering to finish the current mouthful of food she was working on, she blurted out, "Whadunfeeaerr?" At the sudden sense of admonishment she felt from Mommy, she grinned apologetically and paused several moments to finish chewing and swallow. "Why don't you have any hair?"

 

The sense of admonishment didn't go away, but was replaced by profound embarrassment, or even surprise. She couldn't understand why Mommy would feel embarrassed about her posing such a simple question, though. Maybe the woman that approached them didn't like having hair and got rid of it. Or maybe she did have hair, and Tirzah's Sight wasn't working right. But no, there she was: the Little Fairy danced around the outline of the woman, shining and sparkling and sort of sad. She seemed like someone who had been on a long journey without many friends. Little Fairy seemed to grow brighter and brighter in the aura of this newcomer, the sensation of quiet power and meditative inquisitiveness came issuing forth from her like the gentle lapping waves that Tirzah had sensed earlier. But there was also a sense of uncertainty, even a lack of confidence that she projected.

 

Immediately, Tirzah began to like this woman.

 

She wasn't merely curious; somewhere within her, she wanted to give reassurance, to give a calming hug like the kind that Mommy gave her when she couldn't sleep or had bad dreams. However, in this serene and contemplative place, she suddenly felt too shy to do it, and turned her white-pupiled eyes in the direction of the tabletop. But her Sight was buzzing with the soft light emanating from the woman, and Tirzah spoke to the Fairy in her mind, urging it forward, reaching out to give a calm embrace to the jittery shiny lady who stood before them. She felt the surprise from earlier, only magnified. Suddenly, Tirzah knew that her name was Moon. She couldn't quite explain how she knew, but it seemed to be imprinted on the woman's mind, and Tirzah's Sight could see it as clearly as she could hear the clangs from the adjacent kitchen.

 

"Moon," she murmured quietly, her small voice still pointed at the floor. Turning her chin up, she didn't wait for a response from either Moon or Mommy: she smiled shyly. "You can sit with us. I like you. Will you be my friend? I only have three friends. Mommy and Dika and Jax. But you can be my friend now too."

[Serpe]

Moon couldn't help but smile. Setting her food down on the table, she composed herself to answer Tirzah's questions. "Well, I have no hair because I'm Rattataki. Rattataki are a species with rather pale white skin, bald heads, and sometimes tattooed bodies." Chuckling, Moon added, "I don't have any tattoos though." She could feel Tirzah using the Force to See her, her white-pupiled eyes focusing first on her and then embarrassingly on the table. Immediately, Moon felt Tirzah eminating a spirit of calm and acceptance into the Force, giving Moon a feeling of almost physical embrace. She thought this little girl was talented, but now Moon realized that Tirzah's power was far greater than she first perceived. She was stronger, certainly, than any one of the Younglings in the Temple. This girl didn't just have potential. She was a blessing. To the Jedi, and to Moon.

 

Then she heard her name. Quietly, but loud enough that Moon could hear it. The little girl turned her head back towards Moon, she spoke: "I like you. Will you be my friend? I only have three friends. Mommy and Dika and Jax. But you can be my friend now too."

 

It brought a tear to Moon's eye. She could feel that Tirzah sensed her pain, perhaps even her struggle with the Dark Side and the taint that it left on her. And Tirzah didn't seem to care at all.

 

"Of course I'll be your friend!" Moon started, pouring happiness into the Force. Not purposefully. "I'm honored, Tirzah. I am Mando'ade, and honor and friendship are two things we hold in high regard." Violence, anger, and hatred were also things that Mandalorians held in high regard, but Moon wouldn't mention that, seeing as she has left that part of her life behind her. It only boiled up to the surface when she fell to the Dark Side; something she hoped to be redeemed from. Something that she felt she was already beeing redeemed from, thanks to Tirzah. "I don't have many friends either. In fact, right now, you are my only friend. I want you to be my new best friend." Moon smiled and again poured happiness into the Force, this time purposefully. Tirzah managed to, somehow, remove all of Moon's fears and worries. She was no longer anxious. She was no longer afraid. In fact, she looked toward the future as bright instead of hazy. The future is always clouded, but Moon could See bright things. Which brought another tear to her eye. And then another. Moon hardly realized that she was crying.

 

But this time, they were tears of joy.

[Ary the Grey]

The Blur rocketed out of hyperspace, the Grey Master at the helm having the most fun he'd had in a long time, pushing the ship to its limits and performing all sorts of radical somersaults and flips and even a barrel roll or two, in homage to a small red creature who once found his way to the stars. After about thirty minutes of mindless nonsensical fun, he finally brought the ship around to come in for a landing at the Jedi Temple planetside. He ignored the air traffic control instructions, because he knew an air traffic controller very well, in fact the same bastard who decided that Aryian would come to Lehon, and the Master knew that they were all quacks anyways.

 

After he set down on the landing pad, Aryian meandered down the landing ramp, into the Temple. It was time to have a little fun, instead of being stuck waiting for forever for a response.

[Darex Trevelian]

Scorpius seemed troubled and still trying to work through what had been revealed to him. Darex knew that this wasn't the time. He laid a hand on the young man's shoulder. "Calm yourself, apprentice. Do not let your emotion cloud your mind. When you have a clear picture and have worked through the ramifications of what you have seen, then we can talk."

 

He rose and motioned to his son. Leaving Scorpius to his musings, the two Trevelians made their way to the mess hall. As they arrived, Darex felt the arrival of a presence in the Force. Once he recognized it, he was surprised. Seeing Moon, Ash, and Tirzah at a table, Darex escorted Jax over to them and grabbed his son some food from the serving line. "Can Jax sit with you? I'll be right back."

 

The Grandmaster turned and headed back out of the mess hall, following the Force's guidance, until he came across the new arrival. "Master Darkfire," he greeted the man. "What brings you to Lehon?"

 

He hadn't seen Aryian in a very long time, and they had never known each other very well. Darex had been friends with his ex-wife more than him. But he was well aware of the fact that Aryian had turned to the dark side and had only recently been redeemed. The report on that to the Council had been very interesting.

[Jaina Jade Skywalker]

The little girl's face glowed with the light of the smile that crossed it. Never had she felt so at home anywhere in the galaxy; these Jedi were all at once welcoming, calming, encouraging, exciting. She had made more friends in the space of a couple hours here than she had made elsewhere in the entirety of her short life. She hadn't forgotten about what happened on the way to the dining room; Mommy's mind was swirling with darkness again, but now didn't seem the time to talk about it, and she couldn't think of what to ask, anyways. Normally acutely attuned to the emotions of her Mommy, Tirzah found herself so flooded with emotions of her own that she had trouble sorting out what belonged to her and what didn't. Maybe it was a side effect of the fact that everyone here seemed to be friends with the Little Fairy. Maybe that was why she felt like she belonged here.  

 

"I would like to be your best friend, Moon," she said, trying and failing to restrain a giant grin. "What's a Manda….Manda…Mandodie?"  

 

Moon didn't have a chance to answer, however, before the Little Fairy nudged Tirzah's mind and she became aware of Jax drawing closer. Quickly, Tirzah stood, climbing up onto her chair as though it would help her to be aware of his location. She closed her sightless eyes and stretched her fingers out, a faraway haze of a blurry presence coming into her Sight. Turning her face upward as into a breeze, she inhaled slowly as the Little Fairy flittered away at her bidding to touch Jax upon the shoulder, to draw the little boy in closer.  

 

But to her surprise, it wasn't Jax's voice, but his daddy's that followed. "Can Jax sit with you? I'll be right back."  

 

Tirzah cocked her head to the side as his brightness retreated from her Vision, and she climbed back off of her chair and sat down, patting the seat next to her for Jax to occupy. "Hi, Jax!" she practically shouted in her enthusiasm. "I'm glad you're here! We can play later if you want! But right now my tummy's too full and I'm talking to Moon because she's my new best friend but you can be my best friend too because I like you and you're little and you're a boy and I've never been friends with a boy before but you're not like the boys that I knew before who were all mean which is why I like you."

 

For a moment she sat quietly, waiting for a response that she knew wouldn't come, since Jax' mouth was full of the same bounty she had been cramming in her face since arriving in the mess hall. Leaning across to Mommy, she whispered loudly, "MOMMY! Is Master Darex okay? Is Jax in trouble?"

[Ary the Grey]

"Grandmaster." Aryian bowed, a deeper bow than he gave to most people. Despite the true reason that he came was out of an old sense of adventure coupled with raw boredom, he still held onto his honor and sense of respect.

 

"I didn't realize you were here, this is a bit of an unexpected surprise. Would you prefer an honest answer, or one more befitting of a Master of the Force? Truth be told, they are one and the same, but you may not understand or accept my raw honesty on that one."

 

Aryian paused a moment, chuckling. It had been too long since he'd sat back and watched the machinations of the galaxy at work, always amused at how things turned out.

 

"Heck with it, why not simply tell you both. The Force 'willed' me here. There's your answer from the responsible all-knowing but mysterious Force-wielding hermit. But honestly, people were going catatonic at my dojo, possibly something to do with the asbestos in the walls, and I figured it was high time for an excursion. I suppose I'm really here just to relax for a bit, and maybe help out a tad if I'm needed. That is, if I'm still welcome...last time I checked, Jedi Temples weren't in the habit of turning away pilgrims. Anyways...how have you been? I haven't really been keeping up with how either Order is faring amongst galactic affairs. Don't really read the articles unless I have to, or it's just a good read."

[Ashley Jade Skywalker]

Ash couldn't help but smile at her daughter's antics as the small group at their table grew. She reached around Tirzah, offering Moon her hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Moon." She turned her attention back to her food for a few moments, idly listening in as Tirzah rambled on.

 

"Man-do-ah-day, sweetie," the correction left her mouth of its own accord, pure reflex, her fork stopping halfway to her mouth as the words registered in her brain.

 

How the kriff do I know anything about Mandalorians? Shaking her head at herself, Ash forced herself to continue with her meal. That was just one more mystery to add to the ever-growing list of things she didn't understand about herself.

 

She looked up just in time to see Darex rush past, depositing Jax on the bench next to Tirzah with a quick request, and then buzz back out of the mess hall. Towards the hangar bays, if Ash hadn't gotten her sense of direction confused during the journey to and from their room. Tirzah's somewhat concerned voice pulled her attention back to the table.

 

She frowned thoughtfully. "No, sweetie, I don't think Jax is in trouble. I'm sure Master Darex is fine, he's in charge and he's probably just very busy." Satisfied with that answer, at least for the moment, Tirzah returned to her somewhat one-sided conversation with Jax, who was more interested in eating than replying, and Ash turned back to look at Moon, offering a smile. "Thank you. She's never had many friends... they were always afraid of the blind girl who somehow acted as if she could see. This is good for her." Her hands idly moved Tirzah's empty dishes back onto the tray. "It makes me sure that I made the right choice in bringing her here."

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex smiled. "You still talk in riddles, I see. Of course you are welcome here, Master Darkfire."

 

The two walked leisurely side by side in the general direction of the mess hall. Darex was hungry, and the brief glimpse of food that he had gotten when he had dropped off Jax had only served to increase his desire to eat. When Aryian asked how he was, Darex shrugged. "The Jedi have lost a lot of influence in the galaxy. Many of our knights have left the Order, or been called elsewhere. But our core has never been stronger, I'm pleased to say. And in a way, having cut out some of the bureaucracy, we are more effective at protecting the people of the galaxy." There were several instances he could think of right off the top of his head. He was pleased with the way the Order was going right now, despite their smaller size.

 

The skin around his eyes crinkled. "As for myself, I'm doing well. Between being engaged, raising three-year-old twins, and my duties as Grandmaster, I scarcely have a moment to relax, but the business suits me."

 

They arrived at the mess hall. Darex didn't know if Aryian was hungry, but mentioned that if he was, he would be welcome to join the group of them that were eating together. Then he grabbed a plate, piled it with local dishes, and took a seat next to Ash. "You did," he commented, having heard the end of her comment to Moon. "Your daughter is extraordinarily strong in the Force, and the sooner she gets some training, the safer she will be. Besides, it's good for Jax to have someone to play with besides his sister, and she's not even on-planet."

 

His mind, as it often did, flitted to Darla and Alana. They had talked on holocomm just yesterday, but it was hard to be apart.

[Ary the Grey]

"Had your own catatonic episodes, eh? Maybe it's a galactic epidemic. And I didn't know you were engaged or had kids. Welcome to fatherhood. It's a bit-...uhhh, yeah."

 

As they entered the eatery, it was clear how many people had almost heard his expletive and were now glaring at him. Quietly, he continued.

 

"But it's worth it. Just protect them from baby-hungry Sith and it's the best thing you'll ever experience."

 

As Darex invited him to grab a plate, Aryian nodded and headed over to the serving line, grabbing a plate and addressing the food server with his order.

 

"Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun."

 

The food server, too confused for words, just stared at him quizzically, having never heard of most of the foods he'd just rattled off. Deep down, he'd known he'd never have the chance to eat the food he'd had before, and this was just a symptom of his predicament, if a predicament was what it could be called. Existance wasn't really something taken lightly in philosophy. Sighing, the Grey Master coninued.

 

"Right. Just give me a small nerf steak and a bread roll. Apparently that's all anyone eats, except for the weird crap in the EU like eyeball soup or whatever. And no, I don't expect you to understand that either, so don't worry about it. Here, just...gimme."

 

Using the Force, Aryian levitated several servings of various foods onto his plate, and returned to the table where Darex was. He sat quietly, studying the faces, not knowing any of them save Darex, and that was really only in passing. So, he waited, either to be addressed, or introduced by Darex, or for a frozen space monkey to come crashing through the ceiling. Aryian chuckled to himself for that last one, it certainly would be quite the ice-breaker. Get it? 'Cause the monkey's frozen? Oh, screw off, Aryian's humor is an acquired taste. Like eyeball soup.

[Serpe]

Moon was flooded with sensation. Ash seemed a trifle confused, but she ignored it and took her extended hand in her own, giving it a rather light shake before retreating the hand back to her side. Listening to Tirzah try to pronounce Mando'ade made Moon chuckle inside. She made sure to push that feeling out into her Force Aura, knowing that Tirzah would See that she wasn't offended and found it a tad bit cute. She had a soft spot for children, especially for this one. She was strong in the Force. Exceptionally strong. Beautifully strong.

 

And then came Jax. Another cute child, also strong in the Force. She was so excited to see so many Jedi, or potential Jedi. She sensed that Ash was glad to have brought Tirzah to the Temple, and Moon was glad that she met them as they arrived. Not only did she have a new best little friend, but she had acceptance from both Grandmaster Darex and Ash. She respected them both. She caught a bit of confusion in the Force, as she had noticed earlier, but only recognized now. It seemed that Ash had something troubling her. Exactly what, she didn't know. Nonetheless she reached out into the Force, giving Ash a warm hand on her shoulder. She wanted Ash to know that she too was troubled. Not in exactly the same way, but enough to at least try to understand. Later, if she caught any alone time with Ash, she would reassure her physically and confide in her as the first Jedi to hear exactly what had happened to her.

 

Another... something... approached and then sat at the table with Darex. Moon didn't sense that he was a Darksider, but she sensed something odd about him. She couldn't quite place her finger on it. He was displaying an Aura of balance, at least that's the best way she could word it. The Light and the Dark living in harmony. Perhaps she had something to learn from this man.

 

"Moon." She said, extending her right hand to greet the man. "Fallen Jedi. Seeking redemption. Call me what you will." She smiled, keeping calm as best as she could. This man was extremely powerful, and it slightly intimidated Moon. But, as she was sitting with the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, she felt no danger whatsoever.

 

In any case, she was delighted and honored to be in the presence of such great people. It was lonely in exile. Now she wasn't alone. And she didn't ever intend to be alone again.

[Ary the Grey]

As he nibbled on his food, one of the young women at the table extended her arm to him. He took her hand, greeting her in kind, while wiping some of the sauce from the nerf steak off his lips.

 

"Aryian. Redemption, huh? That's, um...amusing, I guess. Funny thing with redemption, it's always based on perspective. What kind of redemption are you seeking from whom? When you feel you've redeemed yourself, will others think the same?"

 

Aryian grabbed his bread roll off the plate, almost taking a bite but refraining.

 

"Um...sorry. I guess here and now isn't exactly the best time and place for philosphy and sociology discussions. I didn't mean to make light of your situation, it's just I tend to see things very differently from most people. Part of the reason why I left the Order, you could say. I didn't want my philosophies to interfere with that of the rigid doctrine and dogma of the Order. The Jedi have survived for millenia, and their teachings are sound. Who am I to upset what has been by all accounts a tried and true method of cultivating Force Users since long before I was even born?"

 

Aryian took a bite of the roll, looking up, hoping nobody was giving him sideways glances. He figured he'd be a little socially awkward since his journey, since nobody else would have seen the things he saw, but he really had no idea. It was a little embarassing, at the least.

 

"Anyways, I'm just simply Aryian now. No 'Jedi Master' or anything. Not anymore, at least."

 

He took another bite of bread, remaining silent.

[Jaina Jade Skywalker]

"…and then Dika and me chased them through the forest, and we came to the clan village and then they made me their chief." Tirzah trailed off mid-prattle as a newcomer joined their table, the uncharacteristic shyness resuming as she studied him with all of her senses. Unlike the rest of the table's occupants, whom Tirzah could See as loudly as the roar of the Falls on Endor as the Little Fairy flitted through their silhouettes, this man seemed to shine with only a hushed murmur. Like a thousand voices talking at once, compressed into the space of a single person. It was a wonder, she thought, that he didn't explode from the pressure of listening to all of them. He spoke with strange words, like fill-a-sophie and so-she-all-oh-gee, and dog-mama and things like that. She didn't understand his talk of redemption, but she did catch the word "Jedi"; her attention was uncharacteristically rapt as he spoke.  

 

"Cultivate" she did understand, though. She had heard it several times, spoken by a traveler passing through the village in Endor who spoke of bringing an almost-gone species of plant to grow in the forest.  

 

But cultivating Jedi? Growing and tending them? What a silly idea. Jedi simply were, not shaped like mud castles on the bank of the lake. She had only known of them for several hours, but it seemed to be in the essence of this place: the tranquil soothing of space to think, to breathe, to be. No one had yet explained to her what Jedi were, or what they did, but she could feel it in the surroundings: that these people were all different, all complementary, and all utterly themselves.  

 

"Why do you have to culta…culta…cultivate them?" she asked suddenly, her little voice piping up. "Why can't they just be the people that they are?"  

 

She basked in the beauty of the collective presence here: the tenderness and resolve of Mommy, the quiet learning gaze of Jax, the calming, unworried peace of Master Darex, the hopeful anticipation of Moon, and the mixed-up presence of the old man who smelled like pea soup… Aryian. To imagine any one of them bent into a shape that they did not fit would be wrong.

[Ary the Grey]

Aryian stopped mid chew. The question was valid, and quite intelligent coming from a girl of her age. Slowly, he shot a sidelong glance at Darex, wondering if it was something he'd rather answer, but still the question was directed at Aryian. The Grey Master swallowed slowly, and began.

 

"Well, little lady, people like myself and Master Darex here have a great power called the Force. You do too, and you'll learn to use it in time."

 

He began to levitate the rest of the bread roll slightly above his raised palm, making the crumbs that were still in his hand make slow varying orbits around the roll. It was really only a visual effect, meant to intrigue and inspire the mind of the young girl.

 

"And like a wise man once told me back when I used to fight crime: with great power comes great responsibility. Meaning, you have to take care with how you use the power and how you treat other people. Most people in the galaxy tend to really only care about themselves. And when those kinds of people grow up with this kind of power, they tend to grow more and more concerned about only themselves, and less and less about other people. Whether you know it or not, there's bad people out in the galaxy just as powerful as myself or even Master Darex, who care about only themselves, and would kill for little or no reason. They see others as simply in their way."

 

Aryian balled his fist, crushing the levitating remains of the bread roll with the Force, and lightly tossing it into his mouth. He chewed a few times, and swallowed, continuing.

 

"And that's why the Jedi seek out these people, to try and teach them and make them care about their power. To make them responsible. To cultivate them into better people that will use their power only for good reasons. Does that answer your question?"

 

He smiled and winked at the girl, hoping his answer would sufficiently satisfy her curiosity. Or, she'd be like those other little brats who would keep asking 'why?' until he'd beat her to unconsciousness with a garden hose. Of course, that wouldn't be a great course of action, especially since Darex and the mother, Ashley according to her character sheet, would most certainly intervene. And it's not like looking at her sheet was really cheating, it's not like he'd mention her name or anything or pretend to know who she was until she was introduced to him, otherwise it'd be deliberate OOC abuse. But, the point was he really didn't have the motivation to fight with a Jedi Grandmaster and another probable Jedi or whatever that he was too lazy to go back to her sheet again and check how far she was in her force training, if she even had any.

 

Eventually, he resigned to scanning the room for a possible dessert tray. He suddenly had a strong craving for a cupcake...and a craving like this from a man as powerful as Aryian, left unfulfilled, would cause extreme amounts of unbearable crankiness. As if he wasn't codgery enough already.

 

Edit:

 

Aryian hit the edit button. Someone, somewhere, made a little blurb on their five year old's character sheet and had apparently been dropping vague hints that their character was completely blind, even though this particular five year old's eyes were, at first glance, obviously completely useless. Because, you know, who the hell plays a five-year-old? Raynuk would eat them alive, he mused, mulling over the edit. Perhaps that would actually happen. And if she did turn out to be the little brat who asked 'why?' after every Sithspit sentence, she'd deserve it. At the least she'd probably be able to tell the difference in the good and bad uses of the Force in his demonstration, instead of crying about it in an OOC forum and wetting her diaper.

 

Blind little piece of...where are the damn cupcakes?

[Darex Trevelian]

Jax stared, suitably impressed at Aryian's Force-demonstration with the bread. He at least appreciated Aryian showing off.

 

Darex was more impressed at Tirzah's question. It showed some sense of maturity beyond her years. Yes, this little one would need to be trained soon. He saw Aryian's curious glance towards him, but he elected not to say anything at first. He was curious himself to see how the Gray Master would answer. When he finished, Darex did speak up though, wanting to simplify what Aryian had said so it would be clear to her. "We don't change how people are, Tirzah," he said kindly. "There are good people and bad people. The Force, this power we all have, makes the bad people worse, and the good people better. But at the same time, power can make even good people do bad things if they are not careful. And that makes them sad. So we help them learn how to be careful."

 

It was as simplistic as he felt he could get. It wasn't every day he had to discuss Force philosophy with a small girl. He was still adjusting to being around children; before having Jax and Alana, he had rarely if ever been in their presence.

 

Meanwhile, while his father had been talking, Jax had been attempting to duplicate Aryian's trick. He was holding a piece of bread in his hand, concentrating. But an untrained three-year-old didn't have the control needed to compete with a master of the Force, and all he managed to do was to send chunks of bread flying off of his hand to hit several people around the table, including his father. Seeing what he had done, he let out a burst of childish laughter. "DID IT!"

[Serpe]

Moon was slightly taken aback from Aryian's question about her hopeful redemption. Mulling over it, she couldn't find an answer that pleased her. And if it didn't please her, it would definitely not please the Grey Master. She paused, thanking the Force in her mind that Tirzah threw a question at Aryian. It gave her the time she needed to think of a reply. Unconsciously, her face twisted into an expression of confusion.

 

Then into an expression of surprise, if not envy, of Aryian's slight expression of his ability in the Force with his food. It looked as if a planet and all of its satellites imploded and then vanished into the black hole that was Aryian's mouth. It was impressive, and she repressed the urge to clap in excitement.

 

After Darex spoke, Moon attempted an answer to Aryian's question. "I guess I'm seeking forgiveness, if that makes sense. I didn't do anything tremendously terrible, but I did do terrible things that I won't mention, due to the presence of the young ones." She started, pointing a finger to Tirzah and Jax in turn. "I wish for the Jedi to take me back in, and perhaps... cultivate... me back into the person I once was." She tried, probably unsuccessfully, to use Aryian's words as humor. She slightly blushed at her sad attempt at being funny, but continued. "I don't know what other people will think, nor can I control that." Silently, in her mind, she added, nor do I really care. That thought was sudden and unexpected. A thought she repressed due to its rather dark nature.

 

"I can only hope that they - they meaning the other Jedi - will accept me once I learn to accept myself."

 

Moon thought that was a suitable answer, but it seemed to simple. She hoped desperately that she would satisfy the Master's appetite.

[Ary the Grey]

Crumbs hit him in the face, but the child's laughter softened his heart. It was funny, and he really couldn't do anything more than chuckle. And then chuckle again at the humor Moon attempted. That was funny too, but moreso because it was a bad joke. Exactly Aryian's kind of humor.

 

"Well, that's good. At least you understand things a little more than most who try to seek forgiveness. Some may not forgive you, but the important thing is that you can forgive and live with yourself. If you are happy with yourself, especially in regards to how others feel about you, then you can truly achieve internal peace. One hard truth I learned as a Jedi, and a fact I'm still forced to accept every day is you can't make everyone happy. But, that's also not your job, gratifying as it might be. The life of a Jedi...is not an easy one. Especially with all the expectations everyone else holds you to. You, however, have a better chance than most of succeeding, I think."

 

FInishing off the last of his Nerf steak, Aryian looked around again, this time not trying to hide it.

 

"Um...does anyone know where I can get a cupcake in here?"

 

Craving...getting...out of control...must...not...turn into the hulk...really...like these robes...

[Jaina Jade Skywalker]

Learn to be careful. A great power called the Force. Tirzah breathed in deeply, putting their words into juxtaposition with her feelings. A great power called the Force. A great power called the Force.  

 

So her Little Fairy wasn't so little. It was a great power, and its name was the Force.  

 

The liberation of being understood by these adults whom she already respected, rather than dismissed and scorned by them, was pure giddiness to the little girl, who had finally found words to put her experience into. A great power called the Force flitted within and around her. Mommy had it, Master Darex had it, Aryian had it, Moon had it, and Jax, even in his own not-quite-conscious way, had it.  

 

Sightless eyes smiled up at Master Darex and Aryian, whose voice, directed at Moon, came distantly to her ears. "I think I understand."  

 

Yes, she understood. Finally, for the first time, she knew these weren't just games she was making up. She couldn't use her eyes the way normal people used their eyes, but the Force saw for her.  

 

Her Sight was in this great power called the Force. But it must be endless! She had never been any place where it was not present. That wasn't a great power; that was an infinite power.  

 

"Is it everywhere? The Force, I mean," the seven-year-old asked Master Darex. "I can't see with my eyes, but everywhere I go, I can See people. More than just what clothes they're wearing or how high up they go. I can See if they are nice or mean, or scared, or happy, or sad, or… is that normal for someone like me?"  

 

She had just finished her question, brow furrowed, when a stray piece of bread from Jax's demonstration bonked her in the nose. In utter surprise, she clapped her hands along with him and giggled. If Jax could make things fly like she could, it would be a game they could play together!  

 

"…does anyone know where I can get a cupcake in here?"  

 

Reaching out with the arms of the Little Fairy-the Force, Tirzah reminded herself-she could See the buffet table where they had gotten their food, and a kitchen where the food was prepared. Looking past the presences of all the people working in the kitchen, she saw what had been reserved for last: a table spread with desserts of all kind, including a tower full of cupcakes. It must have been hundreds of them, all different flavors and simply asking to be devoured. With giggles catching in her throat, she stood up on her seat and reached her arms out toward the kitchen, in her mind feeling the wind of quiet afternoon on Endor. In her imagination, the wind whipped past them where they all sat at the table, and whisked through the kitchen to catch up a large number of the cupcakes and carry them out to the table where they sat. A collective gasp sounded from around the table, and cupcakes dropped onto the table in front of Tirzah, Moon, Darex, Jax, and Mommy. However, the reaction interrupted the girl's intense concentration, and a hand flew to her mouth as she again felt her grasp slipping, losing her imaginative sense of the wind carrying the cupcakes. The rest of them, easily thirty or so, collided with Aryian's front, coating him with frosting and stray bits of cake.  

 

Wide-eyed and mortified, the little girl hiccupped loudly and dived under the table, curling up in a ball at Mommy's feet.

[Ary the Grey]

The room seemed to rumble lowly as the Grey Master sat there, now covered in cupcake. A muffled voice was heard after a moment.

 

"Twawbewwy? Ith thith...twawbewwy?"

 

His arms reached up, poking into the layer on his face, and what appeared to be a frosting covered chin moved up and down slowly. After another moment, he jumped up, pumping a fist.

 

"I FWEAKING LUWV TWAWBEWWY!"

 

After a moment or two more, most of the cupcake had been eaten off his face. As soon as he saw some attendants coming over to help him clean off, though, he raised one of his fists.

 

"So help me god, these are my cupcakes. I will cut you."

 

Aryian continued to glare as he nibbled at the frosting still caked across his forehead.

[Ashley Jade Skywalker]

Ash wasn't sure what to make of this display, this quasi-Jedi Master sitting there, covered in icing and cake, courtesy of her daughter's latest shenanigans. She shook her head, trying not to smile as she glanced down at Tirzah's huddled form at her feet. She was torn between trying to admonish her daughter and just laughing, as this man called Aryian was clearly rather pleased with the results.

 

This conundrum seemed to be happening a lot since they'd left Endor.

 

She settled for pulling Tirzah up off of the floor, plopping her back onto the bench between herself and Jax. Force users were a food fight waiting to happen, trained or not. She kept that thought to herself though, aware Tirzah had garnered enough amusement from her trick and it didn't really seem as if it would take much goading for Aryian to decide to show off some more... he didn't really seem entirely stable.

 

She picked up a cupcake off of the table, her eyes focusing on nothing at all, dimly aware of Tirzah continuing her one-sided conversation with Jax, the thought finally occurring to her that she had once been a Jedi, however long ago that was. That she was capable of these feats that the others had been performing, and she hadn't really had an inkling of it at all since waking up on Hapes.

 

Sometimes, the fact that she couldn't remember anything got under her skin. Despite the fact that Tirzah had become her world and she wouldn't trade the little girl for anything, sometimes she just wished that even if just for a moment, she could remember, so she would know where she was from, who Jaina was, what she meant to her, why she'd been carrying a holo of Tirzah long before she'd ever set eyes on the little girl.

 

Tirzah's giggling pulled Ash out of her reverie, and her eyes refocused in time to see the cupcake that she'd thought she'd been holding drop back into her palm. She blinked, wondering if she was seeing things, as the dull pain that she'd come to associate with her flashbacks settled in at the base of her skull.

 

Maybe she was just going crazy.

[Ary the Grey]

"Mmph. Num. Nomnom. I need to remember to stop by here more often."

 

The words came out along with strawberry crumbs, mumbled through a half-full mouth of amazing cupcake. It was really only then that he realized how ridiculous he looked, but it wasn't as if he cared. He didn't have anything to prove to anyone. Playfully, he flung a bit of frosting at Darex with the Force, but he knew full well the Grandmaster would likely catch it before it managed to hit him. Still, it was cause to chuckle. He didn't know who this kid was, but he liked her. Not a little brat like most people's kids, always asking for the latest furby and crying because all their friends had the latest smartphone and OBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T LOVE ME BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ONE TOOOOOOO. Oh no, this one was special.

 

But now, Aryian was stuffed. Fat and happy. Well, maybe not fat, but his stomach certainly was full. Mostly of cupcake remnants. With a grunt, he straightened his back, and the Force energy in the room spiked sharply.

 

"You know what's awesome about the Force? No more paying for Bothan dry-cleaning. Stingy jerks gouge every last credit out of you like the galaxy was ending tomorrow."

 

His eyes seemed to almost glow for a moment as he reached out mentally, quickly grabbing chunk after chunk and adding it to a slowly growing levitating ball of confectionary ruins in front of him. Everything, every last crumb, every little bit of frosting, nothing remained after a short time, all floating in a ball a little larger than the Master's head. Slowly he moved it over to the waste receptacle and dropped it in, finally releasing his hold on the Force. It was an arduous task, due to the multitude of bits he had to focus on to manipulate, but it didn't drain him so much that he was exhausted. He took his chair again, relaxing.

 

"Master Darex, you have a fine temple, a fine selection of food, and what appears to be a fine new crop of young prospects for the Order. I tip my hat to you, sir. Of course, I don't wear a hat, but...you know."

 

Note to self: buy a hat.

[Darex Trevelian]

"You are perfectly normal, Tirzah. Yes, that is what we all feel. I'm sure you do not yet understand everything you sense about people, but with time and training," Darex promised, "you will."

 

He had just finished speaking when her face went distant for a moment, and suddenly Aryian was covered in cupcakes. Darex shook his head, amused, but keeping a straight face. At least Aryian didn't seem to mind. He left the proper response up to Tirzah's mother, instead giving Jax a small shake of the head, letting his son know that this was not an acceptable trick to repeat. Many young Jedi found it difficult to break the habit of relying on the Force as little more than a tool, and felt free to use it constantly for frivolities. Darex wanted to impress on his son and daughter from a young age that the Force should be approached a bit more seriously than that. Once in a while, sure, it was fine to have some fun. But that understanding could come later for the twins.

 

Finally, a now-clean Aryian resumed his seat, offering Darex his compliments. "Thank you, Master Darkfire. I believe you are right."

 

Throughout the conversation, Darex had been surreptitiously studying Ashley. Something about her seemed...off. At first, Darex had put it down to her memory loss. But there was something more. Something about what she had said, or implied, that didn't seem right. As the dinner had progressed, Darex had pondered it, looking through the lens of the Force. And now, all of a sudden, it came to him. He reached out with his mind. You're not the girl's real mother, are you? he asked her through the Force. Her birth mother, I mean? She was someone close to you, a family member or close friend.

[Serpe]

Moon couldn't help but to let out a bellowing laugh at Tirzah's debacle. She smiled intensley, but only because Master Darkfire didn't seem bothered by the event. In fact, he seemed not only amused but happy. He was happy to be covered in cupcake. This man was a strange, strange man. But she liked him. "Thank you, Master. It means a lot." She said, as the Grey Master disposed of the remaining cupcake bits in a rather impressive display of the Force.

 

Turning her attention to the cupcake now in front of her - Tirzah seemed to know that chocolate was her favorite - Moon removed the wrapping and took a rather large bite out of the delicious treat. A bit of frosting got stuck on her nose. She tried, unsuccessfully, to use her tongue to lick the frosting off, but ended up resigning to use her napkin. She thought for a moment that she could remove the frosting with the Force, and then place it in her mouth, but she didn't want to seem like she was just trying to be a copycat.

 

Then Moon caught something in the Force. A ripple from Grandmaster Darex to Ash. She had no idea what he was doing, or possibly even saying, to Ash, but she seemed troubled for a moment. Well, a little longer than a moment. She figured that the Grandmaster would handle it, but she tossed a sympathetic glance in Ash's direction. She wasn't sure Ash saw it, but at least she tried.

[Ashley Jade Skywalker]

Ash's head jerked up at the words in her head, her eyes going wide as they darted from person to person at the table before finally settling on Darex. She wasn't aware of the way her hand dropped to her pocket, covering the datapad there that held the copies of her holos, too stunned by the words in her mind that belonged to someone else.

 

Her gaze went back to Tirzah, a smile softening her face as she watched her daughter for a few seconds before looking back over at Darex with an almost imperceptible shake of her head and a slight shrug. She frowned for a second, not at all sure if she was capable of replying to the Jedi Master's question in kind, but deciding it wouldn't hurt to try. She concentrated on the aching spot in her mind, willing her words to reach Darex. Adopted her. Don't know where she's from. Just knew she was important. The ache eased for a moment before returning and spreading, and Ash let her chin drop as she squeezed her eyes shut, not recognizing the onset of another flashback until it had already overtaken her.

 

As she began to drift to consciousness, Ashley's eyes squeezed more tightly shut, only to snap open as memories flooded her mind and she shot to a sitting position. "Jaina!" 

 

No sooner had that happened, however, than she fell back again as pain rocketed through her head, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the light. "Force... what did he hit me with?" Slowly, she opened her eyes, squinting, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Knowing that her head would only hurt worse if she tried to sit up again, she stayed down, turning her head slightly to look around. And then she finally made sense of her surroundings. 

 

A ship. 

 

"Great... "

 

Jaina's voice, soft, as if she knew that her sister was dealing with the mother of all headaches. "Morning, Ash..."

 

“You should stay lying down, Ashley." 

 

This voice came from behind Jaina, when she looked, and revealed Raynuk's back at a small stove for cooking. He seemed oddly calm for the situation, taking it as if there was nothing unusual about having two Jedi, one of whom he had knocked out not much earlier, on his ship. 

 

He finally turned after a few moments, stirring a mug of some sort of steaming liquid. He remained silent, as he put the mug down next to Ashley, and turned back to pour two more mugs. 

 

"And Jaina is perfectly fine, so quit your worrying. She's been up in the cockpit up until right now, if you're wondering, and we're on my ship, in space." 

 

*He took a sip out of his own mug and continued as he handed Jaina her own mug.

 

"You should drink that," he said, motioning to the mug he had placed next to her. "It'll make that headache go away a lot faster."

 

With a slight groan, Ashley pushed herself up onto one elbow, reaching for the mug Raynuk had set down beside her. She drank part of it, then carefully lay back down again, rubbing a hand across her eyes before opening them again and squinting at Raynuk. "Did you hit me with your fist?"

 

And as seemed to be the case with all of these instances of sudden memory, when Ash regained control of herself she was on the floor, hands clutching her head, short of breath and drenched in sweat. And instead of just her daughter's concerned eyes, she now had a small audience.

 

“Great,” she muttered under her breath, pushing herself back up to a sitting position and rubbing the back of her neck, looking up at the table full of people. “I'm all right...” she said more loudly, forcing herself back to her feet so she could sit back down at the table like a normal human being. “This has just been happening lately.” She took a sip of her cup of caf to distract herself for a second, trying to gather her thoughts and absorb the information she'd just regained.

 

And then it slapped her in the face, and she almost dropped her mug as the implications hit her, her voice coming out in the barest of whispers.

 

"Jaina's my sister..."

[Ary the Grey]

As all the commotion went down, Aryian leapt up, pointing squarely at Tizrah.

 

"SHE'S POISIONED US! DEMON CHILD!"

 

He let a moment pass before relaxing, letting a grin come across his face.

 

"Nah, I'm kidding. Just had to re-establish my dominance as the crazy one at the table."

 

Calmly, he walked over to the woman, inspecting her curiously. The surge in the Force he'd felt wasn't entirely foreign to him, and from what she'd said, he surmised she'd had a sudden onset of a memory that was once forgotten. Amnesia was a delicate thing, but it could be possibly fixed, or at least helped, through the aid of the Force.

 

"Memory problems, eh, lady? Well, since the Grandmaster here has been so hospitable to an old coot like me, I might as well return the favor and offer my services. I might be able to help. There...is some risk involved, and there are no guarantees to what you'll remember, but if you like, I'm willing to try. It's something I've only done once before, but at the least I'm familiar with how to go about it. Of course...I'll also need the assistance of Master Darex here."

 

In the back of his mind, he knew she'd probably refuse, especially given the risks and good liklihood that she wouldn't want to progress her character development to hyperspeed, but he might as well offer. After all, if he was the be-all fix-all Grey Master crazy hermit of the galaxy, he had to be good for something.

[Jaina Jade Skywalker]

It wasn't the first time Mommy had collapsed into a swirling, dark pain that Tirzah shared with her, but it was more vivid than others recently. It was more than disconcerting; it was downright frightening to the child. She couldn't help herself. As much as she wasn't prone to vivid displays of emotion, the little girl started crying, sensing the place in Mommy's mind that was pulsing with pain. She felt disoriented, like she was no longer able to balance. Like her Sight was confused, pulled in different directions--gone.  

 

She swooned, and would have fallen into a heap of terrified tears, had Jax's tiny hand not pressed into hers. The little boy's touch distracted her enough that she found herself retreating from the most sensitive place in her mind that was currently swimming with the effect of Mommy's emotions. She sniffled once or twice, loudly, before rubbing her eyes with her free hand and whispering to no one in particular, "What's wrong with Mommy?"  

 

And as soon as it began, it was over. Mommy tried to act as though nothing had happened, as though she was okay. But Tirzah knew, and she suspected that everyone else did as well, that Mommy was just covering up her real feelings. Mommy said that grown-ups did that sometimes, but it didn't make any sense to Tirzah.  

 

Without letting go of Jax's hand, she leaned in to bury her tear-streaked face in Mommy's shoulder, just in time to feel her body tense, and she heard the breathless whisper, "Jaina's my sister."  

 

Tirzah tried to bring up the memory of the time that Mommy had explained the holos to her, but she still couldn't distinguish the features of the woman called Jaina in her mind. Every time she remembered back to that moment, all she could see was the sad man with the big heart and the line down one side of his face, something Mommy had called a scar. But then she remembered the dream in which Jaina, Mommy, and Tirzah were dancing with Danger Sticks in their hands, humming and buzzing and twirling and laughing.  

 

Mommy had a sister? Tirzah had always considered herself to be like Mommy in the way that both of them only had each other, and had no one else to be with in the whole world. No one in the orphanage had sisters or brothers. Or if they did, they'd never know. But Jaina was Mommy's sister. The news both intrigued and disheartened the little girl. The profound sensation of loss rushed in. Mommy didn't just belong to her anymore.  

 

Feeling suddenly very helpless and very small, Tirzah grasped Mommy's hand in her free hand and buried her face more firmly into Mommy's shoulder. I don't want to go away from you, she thought desperately. Don't make me go away from you.

[Kaldor Draigo]

Jedi Master Kada grasped a wooden training sword and tossed to the Kaldor before grabbing one himself. Taking a look at the weapon the Nikto took a few practice swings to accustom himself to the weight of the weapon. Twirling the wooden blade in his hand he began to get a feel of the balance of weapon. After adjusting himself to the weapon Kaldor lowered the tip of the blade, holding it loosely in one hand as he awaited further instruction.

 

“In truth, actual combat is the easiest part of being a Jedi. We train our bodies and our reflexes for combat most of our lives. But it is difficult to keep ones calm and focus during a fight. I spoke earlier that a Jedi uses the Force for defense, never to attack. For our training purposes here, I want you to disregard that sentiment. I need to assess your skill with a blade before beginning your training with a lightsaber.”

 

Kaldor spun the blade backwards in his hand as he brought the weapon into a guard position in front of him, angling the blade toward Kada just a bit and dropping his right foot behind him. Locking eyes with his opponent, the Nikto feinted to the left before throwing a quick slash from his right. He immediately felt his wooden blade smash against the blade of Kada. He quickly drug his blade down the Jedi Masters blade and drew it over his head before bringing his wooden sword down in a powerful strike.

 

Each swing resulted in a strong clash between the two wooden blades. Each strike sent a powerful surge through Kaldors arms. His muscles rippled with renewed strength and vigor as they battled. Energy flooded his body as he continued to fight against his mentor. As he fought, a truth was quickly realized in his mind and soul. A truth that even though realized he would never admit to anyone, especially himself. He would lie to himself over and over again before accepting the truth. It was the truth that scared him more than anything else. The truth that this is what he was born to do. Born to fight; born for combat.

 

As the two Jedi continued to fight with their wooden weapons, several other trainees and apprentices stopped to watch the duel. Although it was clear that the Jedi Master had the upper hand was clearly the better duelist, everyone could see that the Nikto padawan was a skilled duelist in his own right. Each strike was quickly parried and turned to a counter-strike. Each combatant showed exemplary footwork and skill as they spun, ducked, and leapt at each other multiple times. After nearly an hour of combat, both Jedi were covered in a sheen of sweat and then it was over. Kada blocked an overheard strike from Kaldor and stepped into the attack. Being shorter and also more skilled, the Jedi Master rolled his wrist, bringing his own blade around behind Kaldors own weapon trapping it between wooden blade and the Kadas back before thrusting his hand forward and shoving outward with the Force.

 

“You have skill young one. It is good that you understand the basics of swordplay, I would even say you are more advanced than most of the students who have been here awhile. But while you understand conventional swordsmanship, the use of a lightsaber requires more training. It requires knowledge of the weapon itself, the physics and the engineering behind them. But that is enough training for today. Before you sleep, I want you to meditate and achieve that calm center you reached before. You must also complete the assignment on studying the Jedi Code. “

[Serpe]

Moon wasn't quite sure what to do. Ash had fallen backwards, distressed and holding her head and neck, but in an instant returned to her seat. Although she still seemed distressed. She sent a shimmer of comfort in the Force, though she knew it wouldn't do much to calm a mind as troubled as Ash's seemed. Aryian made his way toward her, after accusing Tirzah of being a demon child; all in jest of course. Everything seemed to be all in jest with this Grey Master. He was strange. Strange indeed.

 

To Moon's relief, he offered his help to Ash. Moon knew that there was nothing she could do besides try to support and comfort Ash on her journey, perhaps watching over Tirzah if needed. If she trusted Moon enough. But that didn't matter right now. She didn't want to ask if Ash was okay, because she figured that it would only worsen the situation by drawing more attention to her. Ash whispered something unintelligible, but Tirzah obviously heard it; her grip on her mother tightening, drawing her closer to Ash.

 

Moon glanced at Darex, waiting for a responce from him. She figured he would have a better grasp on the situation than any of the others at the table, perhaps besides Aryian.

 

"I can't offer my assistance," Moon began, speaking softly, unsure of her words. "But I can offer my support. I'm here for you, anyone troubled is a friend of mine." A frown decorated Moon's face, not out of distress, but out of concern.

[Ashley Jade Skywalker]

Between the growing flashback-induced headache she was experiencing, the Jedi Master hovering over her, Tirzah clinging to her as if she were going to disappear and the concern she was getting from everyone else, Ash was beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed.

 

She wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter and whispered soothingly to her as her eyes met Moon's and she smiled, mouthing a silent thank you before she turned to look over at Aryian.

 

"I appreciate the offer, I really do, and at some later date I may take you up on that... But at this point in time I think I've had enough excitement for one day, I have one hell of a headache, and all I really want to do is take a few painkillers and let myself pass out for a couple hours." She wasn't disoriented enough to voice the thought that letting someone who seemed half-crazy fish around in her brain for the fragmented memories that were lurking there didn't exactly sound like a fun idea, though she supposed if there ever came a point that she couldn't deal with the random paralyzing flashbacks anymore that she might take him up on the offer.

 

Ash turned her attention back to Tirzah, wrapping her arms around the child and gently kissing her forehead, trying to draw her back out of the shell that she'd withdrawn into. "Hey, kiddo... you wanna go back to our room and rest for a little bit?"

[Ary the Grey]

Aryian shrugged. Some people, some people wanted to not progress character development in order to lengthen their story. That was cool. In a few steps, he was near her, however, and reached out to touch her on her head.

 

"Well, at the least I can do this, then."

 

As his hand made contact, she fell under a funny sensation for a hand full of seconds, and when he pulled away, her headache should have subsided. At the least, he had a headache now, a telltale sign the technique had worked. It was an interesting little trick he'd learned from Ara-Lai Kaipi, a Jedi master with a funny name that no longer dwelled in these lands.

 

"Hope you're feeling better soon."

 

His last words as he stepped away was with a wink. He knew. Oh yes, he knew what she did last summer. Wait...wrong genre.

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex remained quiet as the others spoke, eager to do what they could to help Ashley. Darex had already offered to do what he could do unlock her memories. It would be a little bit at a time, and it would be grueling work, but she would eventually understand who she was and what had happened to her. Darex personally believed it would be worth it--it had been for his fiancee--but ultimately that was her decision. He was sure Ash knew his offer still stood, and was content to let her broach the subject when she was ready.

 

Ash seemed to want to leave, and Darex didn't blame her. He reached down and tousled Jax's hair. "We should go too. Almost bedtime, son."

 

He rose and bade everyone a good evening, while Jax threw his arms around Tirzah and gave her a big hug. Then the two Trevelians left the table and headed back to their rooms. Darex got Jax ready for bed, going through their normal routine, ending with a story about the Little Lost Bantha Cub before kissing his son goodnight.

 

Returning to the main living area, Darex made a call to Darla, then lowered himself into a sitting position and began to meditate.