Lehon - Jedi Temple

[Kitt]

"The Force flows through everything. It's currents run deep, even when everything seems still. You must learn to feel it around you. Feel it within yourself, within me, within the obstacles, and even in the air that you breath. When things run out, like your physical stamina, your own senses, that is where the Force can take over. And it can do so because of it's nature. It's created by all living things. And therefore; it binds the galaxy together. Remember this always."

 

Kitt then nodded his head towards the door and began to walk through it, knowing all too well that Garrick would follow him.

 

"Now comes your turn. What is on your mind, or rather, what is in your heart?"

[Garrick Sage]

Garrick quickly took after Master Kitt. As they walked he thought over what he had learned and the former Grandmasters words about the Force.

 

"Two things actually Master. First, what happened to remove you as Grandmaster of the Order? And second, why did you take my sword when arrived?"

[Kitt]

Kitt raised an eyebrow at the questions asked of him. He was expecting both of them, and he would answer both. But for the time being, Garrick would only receive one answer to his two questions.

 

"Good questions. And the answers to both are far less entertaining then maybe you would like. I'll answer both, but not at the moment. For now, you get one. The other will be given at a later time."

 

Kitt walked around a corner and headed for another training room.

 

"Your sword, which is an ancient Sith sword, is one that is infused with the Dark Side of the Force. They feed off of anger and aggression. But they just don't feed off of it, they also enhance it, giving those emotions more strength. Since being a Jedi means to subdue your emotions… such a sword could prove hindering to your own progress. Plus, it could affect others in the Temple. So, I took it from you to protect you and the other padawans within the Temple."

 

Kitt now walked into a large training room. It looked much like the other one they were just in, but almost completely bare of anything. The lone thing within the room was a cabinet looking thing which held a bunch of training lightsabers.

 

"But as a Jedi, you will need to defend yourself as you travel the galaxy. Therefore our next lesson will be with a lightsaber. That cabinet has a few training lightsabers. Choose one and I will begin to do some training with you."

[Garrick Sage]

A Sith Sword....Infused with the Dark Side...Could that sword be a stronger link to my past than I thought.

 

Garrick had carried that sword with him for as long as he could remember. As soon as he had been strong enough to lift the weapon he had done so. Learning the moves and the techniques to hold off most average swordsman, and to defend himself up close. And that had been enough. The sword had long been his favorite weapon. Training with it had been his relaxation, his center of peace for so long. He held the most respect for those enemies he had slain with it. Anyone could kill with a blaster, but to take someones life with a blade required skill. And to take that life with honor, to show respect for someone who had moments ago been trying to end your life required a discipline that the young apprentice had always strived for. And now it seemed the sword had been filled with evil, with a desire to kill and spread anger.

 

Is that why I enjoyed fighting with it?....

 

Pushing the thoughts away for the moment, Garrick decide to think about them the next time he meditated. To think on his past with a clear mind and sharp focus. Turning his attention to the cabinet that held the training lightsabers he looked through the selection of hilts, hoping to find one that tickled his fancy. It seemed among the training sabers there was little variation. But then again, these were not the individual creation of a Jedi, they were almost factory produced. They were simply meant to teach one to wield the unique weapon. To teach a Jedi to overcome the traditions and maneuvers of a regular sword. To speed up the process, Garrick reached into the cabinet and selected a hilt. Gripping it tightly in his hand, he adjusted his grip to feel comfortable and moved to the center of the room and ignited the weapon.

 

SNAP-HISS

 

A emerald blade snapped from the hilt and began to produce the low hum that was the hallmark of the weapon. The apprentice slowly moved the weapon through the air, quickly recognizing the blade held no weight. It was almost as if the blade did not exist. He knew using this weapon would take some getting used to after years of training with his Sith sword.

[Kitt]

Kitt watched as Garrick picked hi blade out and felt it out before speaking.

 

"The blade is weightless, making it harder to find balance. Each swing you take could end up taking off your own limb without proper training. Luckily, you are using a practice lightsaber, which is far safer for yourself, but it could still prove effective out in the field until you build your own. For now, swing the blade around a bit, then I will provide more training…"

 

Kitt moved to collect three to five training remotes to help Garrick once he got control over the blade...

[Garrick Sage]

Garrick nodded as Kitt explained a little about the weapon. Some of it he had figured out himself just by igniting the weapon. Deciding to go through some of the various motions and and techniques he had learned using his previous weapon. So he gripped the sword with both hands and began to move.

 

An hour or so later Sage had worked up a sweat as well as earning himself a few bruises along his back, legs and ribs.

[Kitt]

Kitt watched Garrick move and feel the blade out. After a long time, when Garrick seemed to have a good feel for the blade and had worked up a sweat, Kitt stepped forward.

 

"Now seems like a good time to train with the remotes. This requires the skill set you used earlier in feeling the Force move. You'll have to sense the remotes and anticipate where the remote will fire it's stun shots at you. I'll start it off easy with just one, and then as you get more comfortable, I'll add the other two until I can sense that you get the idea… Remember to trust your feelings. Stretch them out, feel the remote always…"

 

Kitt activated one and stepped back away from the main area.

[Garrick Sage]

The young apprenticed disengaged his training saber and put his hands over his head to help with his breathing while he listened to Kitt speak. It seemed his training was going to be getting more physical and less metaphysical now. While this type of training was something Garrick had always been good at, wielding swords and weapons and fighting, this was not the type of training he felt he needed. But he also knew that during his travels as a Jedi, these were skills he would need. Even if he hoped to rarely call upon them.

 

Knowing he needed to connect to the Force once more in order to fully complete this training, Garrick dropped to his knees and held his lightsaber loosely in his hand. He watched the remote hover for a second before closing his eyes and beginning to concentrate. In the holos the remotes only started to fire once the Jedi activated his lightsaber, so the apprentice felt he was safe for the moment. Just as his mind was beginning to feel calm and quiet he heard the hiss and snap of the remote . He opened his eyes just in time to see an orange blaster leave the remote and snap into his chest. While the strength of the blast was relatively weak, his lack of focus and surplus of surprise allowed the bolt to knock him on his back.

 

Well I guess that was a myth....

 

Garrick knew he would have a red welt on his chest later from the sting of the blast. He quickly rose to his feet and ignited the emerald blade once more. He watched as the remote zigged and zagged through the air, its only sound a hiss as the jets propelled it. As it fired another blast, Garrick, not anticipating it, swing his weapon wildly. Not only did he miss the blast allowing it strike him in the arm, but he felt the weapon slap into his own leg eliciting a groan which quickly turned into a growl. He quickly brought his blade back up in front of him angled slightly forward. He watched the remote closely, stretching out with the Force inside him. The remote seemed to suddenly hit sludge as its movements became incredibly slow. Garricks eyes suddenly became heavy as they flickered to stay open. But he felt the Force urging him to trust in it so he allowed his eyes to fall shut. He could still hear the hiss from the remote, but now he could also see a blur through the darkness and he knew exactly where the remote was going to be. He moved his blade so the tip continued to fall the remote as it hissed through the air. Hearing a snap, Garrick side stepped the blast before bringing his weapon back to bear. He knew the point of the training was learn to deflect blasts with his lightsaber but he knew he was not there yet. The Force was guiding him on his own path to knowledge.

 

Keeping his eyes closed he dodged several more blasts, having a little more time to move before each one. Before long he knew a full second before the remote was going to fire. As the remote spun through the air, Garrick felt it. A pull on his arms to bring to slightly alter the angle of his blade. He let the Force do its work and just as his correction was applied, the remote fired and the orange blast made contact with the emerald blade. Quickly bringing his blade back to the ready, he once more felt the pull of the Force and moved his blade again. Before long his blade was constantly moving, deflecting blast after blaster from the remote, only having precious seconds to return to the ready before having to move again.

 

In the midst of deflecting a volley of blasts, he heard a second hiss and knew another remote had been thrown into the mix. Panic quickly entered the mix and Garrick lost his connection to the first remote, allowing blasts to sting him in the arm and back. The young Padawan quickly rolled out of the way of another flurry of shots before bringing his weapon back to bear and closing his again. Once more allowing himself to sink into the Force, he stretched out quickly to find both remotes. He found that his connection to the Force was getting stronger and his access to it was getting quicker. He quickly fell into a rhythm once more, his blade moving back and forth between the remotes, always sidestepping one blast to bring his blade between himself and the other remote. He noticed something as he fought, despite the sweat covering his body he felt small cold spots beginning to emerge on his fingertips. While not painful, it was a deep cold, almost like the bite of the snow on Hoth. But he kept his focus, falling deeper into the Force, letting the mystical energy field keep his body from tiring as he constantly moved.

 

To anyone watching his blade work was wild and sloppy, each move brought about just in time to stop the blast. But several Jedi watching noticed his footwork was very precise. While his arms propelled his blade with wild sweeping movements, his footwork managed to keep him away from blast after blast, keeping him just in the right position to allow him to intercept those blasts that would normally strike him.

 

After many minutes of practice, Garrick didn't even notice the addition of the third remote. He could only feel the Force flowing through him. But as his connection strengthened and his abilities improved, his feeling of the Force had changed. No longer did it feel like a river flowing through him. It was a dead cold that flooded his muscles with strength, keeping away the burning of fatigue that would wear down a normal man. But yet as the Force flooded his limbs, he felt the biting cold on his fingertips spreading through his fingers, reaching down to his palms. But instead of taking his strength or making it hard to hold the weapon in his hand, he felt a pure strength that propelled him forward.

[Kitt]

"Yes, let it flow. Remember that a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. It's a powerful ally to have, one that flows through all living things!"

 

Kitt held up his hand, immediately having all three remotes cease fire and returned to his hand as the Jedi Master stepped out into more of the middle of the room. Giving Garrick time to catch his breath, Kitt put back the remotes and indicated for Garrick to follow him.

 

"Keep the training lightsaber. You're going to need it later on until you create your own. But for now, we can now begin the journey that answers your other question… So long as you're ready…"

[Garrick Sage]

Garrick disengaged the weapon and clipped to it to his belt. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he winced slightly as the cold began to recede from his fingertips. Deciding to bring the matter up later, Garrick gathered his robe and took his place by Kitts side and followed the former grandmaster from the training room.

 

"Yes Master. I am ready."

[Kitt]

Kitt took a long moment to observe Garrick from the Force. He was quiet, yet currents moved rather rapidly. There was something upon his mind, or the anticipation of an answer that ebbed off of him like a flare from a star. It was present enough on him, yet he did not speak of it. With a slight outwards acknowledgement of it, Kitt kept walking towards the hangar bay.

 

"We are going to travel to Coruscant together. It was there that the journey that brought me back here started. I'll fill you in on the way, as we will have time during the travel to talk of such things. Although I will warn you, there is turmoil on the planet. While I do not believe that we will be in danger, the Force most certainly can move unexpectedly. And on top of that, I am almost fully certain our travels will continue on past Coruscant. But that is where your training will serve you best. In the field…"

 

Kitt walked them both into the hangar bay, allowing a slower pace for Garrick to express his concerns, if he had any…

 

(You can post a simple acknowledge if you want, or a detailed thing. I can post us taking off.)

[Garrick Sage]

Garrick nodded to Kitt as he spoke of heading to Coruscant. It had been a long time since the young apprentice had ventured to the galactic capital. But he was ready. Donning his robe, the young man gave his assent that he was ready for the trip.

[Kitt]

Kitt nodded to Garrick and then escorted him into a Jedi shuttle. After a quick warmup, the shuttle was off towards Coruscant...

[Sandy Sarna]

Time seemed to stretch into eons as Sandy worked to regain her strength. The bacta had done its job, so had the cloning process, but it still left much to be desired. It had taken her nearly a year to overcome basic learning fundamentals. Improper brain mapping was to blame. Though cloning had succeeded in returning her body to its pr Ar-Pharazôn state, it did nothing to heal the scars inflicted on her by pirates, or even to completely eliminate the distant horrid memories inflicted upon her. But she was alive, and though far from a Jedi Knight, she was at least making progress.

 

Adenna had left for a mission amongst the stars, all too far away. So she was an apprentice without a master. Alone even around the rest of the younglings. So she carried her tray through the cafeteria and looked about. Pudding, crackers, and protein cubes.

 

Delicious

[Trushaun]

After an insane amount of patience and commitment- Trushaum had followed and reclaimed the relic that she had tracked. What she didn't know it where it pointed her. Quickly making her leave of the Bandit's camp, two worlds ago, she followed the signal. It wasn't broadcasted by normal means, but this was through the Force. Ever since she had returned to the rest of the galaxy she had felt nearly nothing. No blips or any vibrations from the Force. The young Fosh had thought she had returned and everyone she knew via the Force and Jedi- had disappeared. There was nothing from the other side either.

 

The Force had beckoned her across two other worlds, and a slew of cargo ships. Even she had to find her way here- to the Temple. Here she had been for a week or so- then- there was another arrival. It seemed as though this one- some human- had recently joined them. Well, the ranks at least. Trushaun hadn't bridged the gap where she identified as part of this retreated temple- or the people here. They truly were secluded.

 

But there she was- a pale, frail, blonde human girl. It wasn't a judgement, just an observation. Trushaun was well aware the Fosh were a sturdy - but somewhat fragile species. Her frame fell somewhere inbetween the extremes. The lightsaber bounced with her steps, the attachment was given slack since she was in a safe zone. She was proven in the naturalist and lightsaber techniques. If one could choose, she would always pick her bag of nature- the bag under her right arm.

 

So far- no one had sat near the blonde in the past few days. Trushaun had noticed- and she would change that. Something about the girl seemed familiar. It was familiar to the Fosh. Had she met the girl before? No, it was just an impression off of her. the Avian approached the girl who was looking at her food. Carefully, Trushaun set her tray down, and reached around to dig in her bag.

 

Her voice was a bit high at first, then settled. It was as if the Bird-like Alien had spent countless hours rehearsing Basic. There was a slight exotic accent to her voice- "You know, this set up- regular and nutritious food on a regular basis is nice. But... Oh bother... where..." At first she spoke to the Human female across from her- more to herself in the latter half. Her eyes were in her bag- searching for something out of eyeshot. Glass clanked- and an audible click came from the alien. A noise for success it seemed, as a jar full of seeds. The feathers across Trushaun's head rippled with a touch of red- then fading back to blue. Reaching into the jar, she pulled out a few seeds.

 

Her mouth stretched wide- what was a smile for this avian race. Her left hand, or claw, reached slowly out to the human- while the right hand dripped a few drops of water onto the seeds and blocked the field of vision for a moment. "You are new here, yes?" The avian eyes glanced over the pale girl. "My name is Trushaun." Her name came with a slight chirp and a sing-song tone. "I am Fosh. I am Jedi. I am Naturalist." Trushaun's voice broke a bit here, listing things off was not a well practiced sentence structure. Her native language pattern was noticeable to those who knew the Fosh language, so just Trushaun here.

 

Her eyes glanced down- feeling the change herself, it was time to give this girl a 'Welcome' present. "Welcome back." Trushaun's voice said cooly- and she moved her right hand back to the table. In her left hand- she held out fresh- ripe- berries. The most common across the worlds, but a treat here at the Temple. There were a dozen various berries- Rasp, Black, Blue, Strawberries.

[Sandy Sarna]

Sitting alone upon the cast duracrete was depressing to say the least. Duracrete brought back memories of home. Though Gala had been a popular vacation spot for nearly a millennia, with even the slightest amount of urban sprawl, there were slums. Dedicated no go zones for tourists who would rather look upon great forests than the last vestiges of humanity. Sandy blinked at her small bowl of pudding and considered that had she lived a different life, such as was the life of much of her family, she would have killed someone for some morsel that small. A vibroknife in the dark, a quick plunge into kidneys, or the alien equivalent, and those credits a tourist had been too foolish to flaunt would be hers. She had seen it done countless times.

 

Her father had been convicted for such a crime. Leaving their small family unit that much more vulnerable to the surrounding denizens of the undercity. Luckily for her, instead of a brutal existence, she was here. In the Jedi Order.

 

Sandy’s emerald green eyes flicked up to see a young Fosh approaching. Though she had never been formally introduced to the creature, she was still happy to see anyone approaching her lonely table. The avian looked friendly enough. And from the colour of her robes she could only be one of the most illusive of the Jedi. A naturalist. Unlike Sandy’s previous Master Adenna, the naturalist did not concentrate mainly on the combat aspects of the force. They concentrating on the natural arts.

 

Sandy let her pursed lips grin into a smile as the Fosh laid her dish down. Finally some company to pass the time. The being spoke with near perfect Basic, with a beautiful chirp in it. Sandy began to answer,

“A pleasure to meet you master Tru-”

 

When the lady Jedi began to rustle through her bag. Sandy quickly shut up and watched. Perhaps the Jedi bore a message? A message from the council? Dismissing her no doubt. Feeling a tinge of anger at the imagined message, Sandy began to rise, but was quickly surprised enough to sit back down. No matter how entrenched in the force one was, it always surprised Sandy. The magnificence of the Force. To bring life in such a way.

 

Sandy accepted the gift with teary eyes. She accepted the gift and inclined her head in a submissive bow.

 

“A pleasure to meet you Master Trushaun, I am Sandy Senya. I cannot thank you enough for your gift. Is there anything I can do in return?”

[Trushaun]

The girl took the food. Good. Trushaun thought. The girl was so small, she needed more than the rationed food. Her hand fell to the utensils and started to eat- with a certain precision in the movements. Almost as if were a rehearsed action. That would be the result of living in a strictly solitary word. Culture would not dilute with the influence of other cultures. The girl offered her a favor in return. How sweet, hopefully Sandy Seyna would not be this trusting of strangers out of the temple.

 

Finishing chewing- a smile came across Trushauns face. A wider grin than before, the Fosh was amused. "I am no Master, Sandy Sen-" The alien paused, struggling with the pronunciation of her new friends last name. "-na." There was a slight flush to the orange feathers on her head. The bird warbled for a second, trying to regain her thoughts. "No need, my dear. This is a favor, a gift. Welhome back."

 

The Fosh took a bite- obviously comfortable in the sudden silence. The large blue eyes were halfway closed- as if squinting. Then a smirk, almost as if she had been thinking of something- a flash from why she was in a good mood. Everything on top of her mission from her clan being achieved- was a bonus. The deep blue eyes looked to Sandy again. "Everytin is- " Trying to think of the right word, but she felt it best to settle with a simple- yet deep answer. " -alive an(d) perfekt."

 

The unrehearsed lines came out slightly broken- Trushaun's accent coming through a little thicker now. Her vocal cords almost couldn't go from 'n' to 's' or even a 'th-' or a sharp combo as ''-fect' or '-elco-'. But her basic was good enough- it was obvious the Fosh had not spoke the language long.

[Sandy Sarna]

Sandy smiled. Though she felt joy and true happiness, her smile was all lip and no teeth. Though her new body had been grown with a new and perfect set of human teeth, she had lost many of the teeth of her old body whilst enslaved and tortured. With great effort Sandy grinned at the accent of the Fosh. She had seen many avians as a child on Gala, most of them had been hand sized. Though Sandy was tempted to ask if the Fosh had a clutch of eggs somewhere, she knew that was nowhere near appropriate. So instead she maintained a grin, showing her white teeth.

 

Sandy closed her green eyes and savoured the pudding. It was nice to eat something instead of dwell in the past. She caught herself and looked up,

 

“I was considering going to Tython in search of a new master, would you advise such a course Master Trushaun?”

 

Sandy savoured one of the berries given her. Juicy, sweet, and strangely filling.

[Trushaun]

The girl was bold. She spoke of the secret home world of the Jedi. In fact, her species held Tython in a constellation of the stars they saw in the southern sky. The Fosh species was from a deep core world, just like Tython. Eons ago the two worlds had communicated at least. Then it fell silent. There was a ripple, history had noted, they all felt and would later come to realize that it was indeed the Force. The realization that some Fosh were better attuned to this, was amazing. That had also been a ripple in and of itself.

 

How did the girl know of the world? Maybe it was better not to know... just yet.

 

Trushaun swallowed the last bit of food. Slowly, she brushed her hands off over her tray. Crossing her arms- the bird leaned in, and spoke in a low, but soft voice. "Does a girl know how to get to T-yth-o-n..." Her vocal cords worked through the word- broke down to basic. "...the girl would have to be resourceful. A accurate chart is rare."

 

The blue avian eyes eyed the girl up- and down. Measuring her. "If a girl found a chart, shee woul nee a..." an amused cluck came from Trushaun. "... a friend who is a pilot who can get her there. Journey is... tricky." The accent, again, shown through as a set of harsh chirps at the last word. Her skills in the second language was getting better.

 

"In this story, Trushaun would say yes." If Sandy really did have came about star-chart that was plotted through the perilous deep core that could guide them safely to Tython- she would, and literally now, would be at the edge of her seat. It would be interesting not only on a social scale, a cultural, and a naturalist scale coupled with just down right curiosity.

[Sandy Sarna]

Sandy frowned at the avian. “Well, I spent the majority of my life on Tython. I grew up from the age of seven there along with many other apprentices. So yes I know where it is.” She didn't mean to come off haughty about it. There were plenty of ways to get a chart home, if she did not grab a starchart from any of the navicomputers around the temple.

 

She could always ask any of the Jedi pilots around the area for assistance. THough she knew the basics of flight from both Adenna and the simulators that were common, she didn’t exactly trust herself to fly into deep space with only a strange Fosh as company. Still she nodded.

 

“I may be young, but I have flown before…..”

[Trushaun]

The Fosh eyed the girl carefully, sizing up not only her reaction, but her feelings. While everyone else in the Temple had been Force Sensitive in one way or another- Only her and Sandy had a marginal control over it. The people in the Temple had almost no control over it, it was more like a cult than anything.

 

Trushaun had been out there- in the universe as a whole- traveling and seeing the disappearance of the Jedi for herself. Not to mention the other side, which she had yet to be formally introduced to. All the notable Jedi had disappeared for a number of years. Nothing was the same anymore. Only recently had things started to change.

 

In her travels, well- her tracking of Jedi Artifacts that had been stolen and/or looted from abandoned temples, it was a miracle of the Force that she had found Lehon. The avian had hoped that she was not alone after all. Sadly, she was disappointed that no one here had control of their powers- just the admiration and touch of it. Most of them over stated how important they were to the Jedi. The 'Grandmaster' of this temple was nothing more than a university teacher who had been here before the recession of the Force, and assumed control.

 

Trushaun had given him that much credit at least- keeping things running in the Temple, accepting those who found the hidden Temple through the Force. Trushaun had felt Sandy's presence before- but now she was in front of the bird, and suggesting they venture to Tython.

 

The bird let out a slow whistle, as if prepping for a long drawn out sentence. Her voice low, Trushaun was about to set a few things straight- not scolding, but not coddling the young girl either.

 

"Sandy, is new back to this realm- and Trushaun must share a few things with Sandy." She paused- "The universe is not as you left it- Trushaun can feel Sandy's body is new to the universe- however long ago after Sandy left, the Jedi and whatever Force Users also left. These people here will never ascend the ranks of the Jedi." The Fosh's eyes shot around the room quickly, landing back on Sandy. The girl was smart, but she was still new to the universe again. Trushaun felt the girl's connection with nature was on the fresher side of things.

 

"Trushaun went home to the Deep Core, then tracked Jedi Artifacts down from looters and pirates. Then, one artifact took Trushaun here. To secluded Jedi Temple of Lehon. You see any Masters? Knights? No, Sandy will not find anyone of that stature. There has been an awakening, now. Just before Trushaun land in solitude- here- A new wave of life from the Force. You wish to seek it- these people do not. They honor the light side, no hesitation. But they are stuck in their ways. The Fake Master's way, he has a Dark Relic. That is how Trushaun found this place."

 

"If Sandy wishes- Sandy will tell no one- and Sandy will pilot Trushaun's ship to Tython. The Jedi are back. These people- this cult- not trusted. Search deep- Sandy will find these people will not let people leave of own wish. Reach out- the darkness is there- faint and hidden but all the same." The offer was out there- slip away from the Temple and tell no one. This was the break Trushaun had been looking for- a person, a Jedi, that had direction. The Fosh was tired of chasing relics. The Dark Force relic she had chased was now in the "Grand Master's" possession and she didn't want to give herself away, or fall victim to some scheme. There was no chance he would let anyone away now. He had not allowed Trushaun access to her ship the past few days. It was all the same, the light needed to come back to the temple, the Jedi needed to come back to the universe.

 

Trushaun leaned back, a quick glance around to see if anyone had overheard her. No one had been within earshot. Although she did have a nervous feeling that this blunt wave of observations and discussion had not turned Sandy's idea to venture away. She hoped the girl had not as the kids say- 'drank the koolaid.'

 

"Trushaun is blunt and a bit too forthcoming of the facts people need to be aware of. Bit off-putting, the reason why Trushaun is not home, and reason why fellow Knights respect but keep Trushaun at arm's length. Apologies, if offense on Sandy's feelings has occurred not the intent."

 

Trushaun was mindful of where she was, and who was around. A back-up option formed in her mind, and she made it a point to leave water in her cup. If someone were to come after her or if Sandy betrayed her, she would be ready.

 

 

(OOC: The resurgence of Force Users is coming about, but there was a lack of Force Users for a year or two now and the Jedi/Sith Temples/Sanctuaries/Areas were abandoned, or left in solitude. Some formed cults- see Gala Jedi Temple thread had remnants of a Cult, this is just a light-side of the spectrum. If you have questions, DM me. I'm just going off of what was established in other threads. Let's sneak to Tython!)

[Sandy Sarna]

Sandy looked at the avian and let her pale lipped mouth slowly fall open. As the bid reatur spoke, the vision that filled her mind slowly ebbed away. She could feel her breath quicken as one by one the little things around her slowly changed or disappeared. The numerous Jedi and apprentices clustered at tables, the support staff laughing over their cups of Ithorian ale, all faded into nothing but row after row of empty tables. Where once was life, now there was dust and loneliness. SHe knew they had been there, hell she had talked to them, lived with them for months.

 

And now, with only a few words the Avian Jedi had laid her world to ruin. The months that she had stayed with these Jedi, apprentices, staff, and other personnel that any actual faction would have at a base were now lies. She was shocked. Her bright green eyes widened as her breathing quickened into a horrific pace. In any other situation, she would recognize this as a panic attack. But her mind was far away.

 

Thinking through countless conversations, jokes, laughs she had shared. Now they were all gone,it was all in her head.

 

Oh Gods am I crazy?

 

He thin fingers restlessly scrabbled at the wooden table before her, little bits of wood shaving into curls and she started to cry. She couldn't be crazy, that would let Adenna down. She couldn't be slipping back there, Sandy could feel the icey tendrils of fear snake up her spine.

Not again. Oh Gods not again.

 

She could feel a slight pang of pain as her vision clouded from lack of oxygen, and her head hit the table with a bang. But she was far away. So far away.

 

Crying. Alone.

[Trushaun]

The girl seemed to think on Trushaun's observation for a moment. Then broke. Sandy folded, her eyes welled with tears and her lip quivered. Slightly taken off-guard, she didn't know what to do. Fosh were blunt and to the point, and she was new to the universe- she had to learn to word things differently as to not upset the humans and other aliens in the galaxy.

 

Her avian eyes shot across the lunchroom. Seeing if anyone was watching Sandy's breakdown- a few had, their eyes darted back and forth between them and the person's lunch. A quick glare from Trushaun- and several eyes went back to their plate.

 

Mentally, Trushaun sighed. Her hand shot out to catch Sandy's head from hitting the table too hard. A soft thud was heard, and the eyes found the duo again. A stirring in the Force- Trushaun felt them start to contemplate intervening.

 

"Sandy." Trushaun snapped in an authoritative tone, which faded to a softer tone as she continued. "Forgive bluntness of Trushaun. Fosh do not know or place delicacy in words. Trushaun apologizes. These not bad people- no. But-" She stopped- injecting the area with a wave of positivity- "Things will be okay. Easy now. Reach out with the Force, take deep breaths."

 

The girl was young, maybe that was a factor to her breakdown. But, it was also in Trushaun's wording. "Take deep breaths and think. We not in danger. Easy."

[Sandy Sarna]

Breathe. Breathe Gods damn it all. Just breathe, that's the first part, then we can concentrate on your mind.

Sandy was suddenly brought back to a reality of sorts. A barred cage, a Mandalorian Woman holding her sobbing shoulders. No, she would not let her mind bring her back there. There being of course the damned hideout of the slavers who had captured her and her friend.

 

In her mind’s eye, Sandy could see the knife bitten scars creeping back up her arms, bringing with them the white hot pain of the brands the slavers had used to stop the bleeding. Adenna’s lovely voice drifted through the mists of memory.

 

“Use the force girl, rely on it. Let it flow through you and carry your pain and tears away.”

 

Sandy sobbed in a few breaths drawing on the tendrils of the force that were her only companions. She could feel the pain start to ebb. Her breathing calmed to a steady rhythm.

 

Her bright green eyes opened and she looked at the avian. Embarrassed she rubbed her bruised forehead.

 

“Well what are we waiting for?”

 

She stood and placed her tray in the receptacle. It was time to fly. She grabbed her rucksack and the weather beaten cylinder of her yellow light saber from the seat next to her. She smiled.

 

“Where can we grab a swift shuttle?”

 

One of the passng techs overheard her, and pointed to where, several turbolift rides up onto the veranda, the meagre shuttle bay sat. Upon selecting a green coloured one they climbed up and set off towards the depths of space. no doubt they would have time to talk about mental faults in the the expanse between Lehon and Tython.

[Tobias Vos]

The Jedi had remained on Lehon during the last few years- or at least the support staff. They were still paid- but they had turned into some sort of cult. They had been in isolation for so long that the ideas and thoughts that flowed through the Temple had broken. After reading the reports from the Jedi Padawans Sandy and Trushaun a dozen times, Tobias Vos had dispatched a Nautolan Jedi Knight to help Xae-Lin remove the cult feeling and thoughts from the Lehon Temple. Trushaun remarked there was a Dark Side Relic, actually several that the Nautolan Jedi sensed. He was optimistic, though. Making his way to the Lehon temple was easy- he had done a detail here years ago- so he was familiar with the Temple.

 

Smiling broadly as the temple came into view, he reached out to gauge the occupants inside the building. All of them had the same taint about them. That bolstered what he had discerned upon arrival. No other ships were present in the dock yards, so where was Xae-Lin? Would he have to do this himself? He was up to the challenge, but he knew he would have to file a report to Vos at a later time. Right now he had to go inside and establish his presence. The project would be quite the undertaking. Get the Dark Side Relics- Remove the cultish vibe coming from the temple- report back. Sounded easy enough, but the Force worked in mysterious ways- it would not be as easy as it sounded in his head. He knew that.

 

Approaching the main doors- he was greeted by three individuals who eyeballed him up and down. After asking what he was here for- cults hated letting random people in, but he was a Jedi-and he would be allowed entry.

 

"My name is-" he paused, practicing the alias's name in his head once more. "Lord Peregrin. I have been tasked to talk to the leader of this temple on behest of the Jedi Council."

 

Producing a datachip- proof of who he is, the mission he was on- but not in precise details...just to establish contact. The three were skeptical, but then warming up after checking with their superiors to allow him entry. A Jedi from another Temple was quickly welcomed in the standard reverence of the cult. No one here would remember his detail here years ago- most of them had been transferred to the Gala Temple. Reaching out with the Force- there were Jedi here, but they had the distinct signatures of padawans. Given an escort- Lord Paragrin was escorted to the head honcho. Nothing much had changed in the Lehon Temple, at least to his eyes. He would have to remain wary with the present company.

[Tobias Vos]

"Lord Peregrin." The Bith's eyes narrowed as he looked over the Nautolan Jedi Knight. His mouth was a twisted in a smile- his pointy teeth showing. Ideally for piercing through fish scales- like his watery homeworld. He sat behind the desk- a datapad in his hand- the one Peregrin had handed over upon first arrival. Chal'lar, the headmaster, slouched in his chair. Usually a visiting Jedi would be greeted with respect- not a casual ire. That is why he did come here after all, he was seeking the Dark Relics that Chal'lar had collected in the absence of the Jedi and the policing they enforced.

 

On the datapad was the intention of the Hierarchy of Jedi. An immediate inventory- and an in person report at a location to be determined. The other Lord Peregrin- that idea still irked him- he was just a face and a fake name. This was all meant to happen though. His actions were part of the bigger picture. The resurgence of the Jedi- that started with getting the cult out, and the relics in his possession. One way or another the Chal'lar would be removed from this position. The two bantered back and forth- Peregrin was winning his trust within the Bith. At the end of their first meeting- Chal'lar was actually laughing at Peregrin's jokes. As night came upon the temple- the two parted ways and Peregrin smiled to himself, pleased with the progress he made. He should go back to his quarters- and he did. Part of him wanted to stalk Chal'lar to where he kept the relics, but if this could be done without bloodshed- it had to be explored.

 

That night, Lord Peregrin slept with his lightsaber by his side.

[Tobias Vos]

A week had passed and Chal'lar still had not pried the Nautolan's mission from him. Chal'lar was sufficiently distracted with how charismatic that Peregrin was. Always able to shift the conversation to where he wanted it to go. In another life maybe the Nautolan would have been a politician, put with the ability to use the Force, one was slated for the Jedi- or if the Sith got you first.

 

The two conversed about the logistics about getting Lehon back up to speed, and Chal'lar was as resistant as he could be. The two won some of their concessions, lost on other- it was a level negotiating field and Peregrin was being most curious. They were in Chal'lar's quarters sipping some Correlian wine, and Peregrin felt it. There was the calling that dark side relics gave off. Even pausing for a moment, the Bith noticed. It was a test. The Bith spoke, and Lord Peregrin would have to pass this test in order to gain access to the relics, or at least he hoped.

 

"You heard it, yes? The calling?" The Bith spoke- and it was as if the words were covered in velvet.

 

The glass was pressed to his lips, so he hesitated, the black eyes surveyed the room quickly then took another sip. He formed his words carefully. "I have, it is... interesting."

 

Chal'lar smiled, and pushed an apparent hidden button under his desk. A hidden panel popped open, revealing four Sith holocrons. The Bith seemed pleased with Peregrin's stunned reaction- but remained silent so that the Nautolan would speak when he was ready.

 

"What do they hold?" Implying knowledge, he let his face fall slack to give off a aura of envy.

 

"So much. Sith Forging techniques, and depths of knowledge. The Jedi would learn much from these holocrons." Chal'lar called for one from his seat, setting his wine down. "Have you ever thought of what the Dark Side has to teach someone? Why it's forbidden in the first place? In my studies, these hold the keys to bringing the universe into Jedi Control. We just needed this awakening that is happening to implement it."

 

Peregrin said nothing, his mind still a swarm of conversations. Only one won out. His mission. "Maybe you should inform my boss of your findings. He's new to the Jedi Order, and has formed a new branch of the Order. He would be open to this... these..." His inclined his hand towards the holocron on the desk. They were now walking on ice, any second they could fall in.

"He should come here, there are many pirates that would welcome the opportunity to plunder these relics. Here, they are secure." Chal'lar sat back a bit- but he was now suspicious.

"We have a new base that is devoted to these studies. Besides, if I am to bring you into the fold of our group, you need to meet with him. He will not come here, as he is expecting my return."

 

Chal'lar contemplated it for a moment. He was very against leaving the temple behind- but his curiosity for this new branch of the Jedi Order... as well as to share his knowledge of these holocrons? A few minutes ticked by and the two aliens remained silent. Peregrin was smiling, and taking a few sips of wine here and there- but he wasn't rushed or panicked about what had just came up. Each of their black eyes examined the other.

 

Chal'lar folded, his curiosity winning over the decision. "Very well, I will gather these and venture with you to your... boss. But you will tell me his name."

 

The sharp Nautolan teeth flashed as Peregrin smiled- a small inside joke it seemed, as if he found humor in the name- "His name is Lord Peregrin. Hand of the Grandmaster."

 

The Bith was stunned- "But your name-"

 

The green hand went up to silence Chal'lar- "We are all called Lord Peregrin. That is for The Hand to tell you all about. My role is done, and I cannot give you any more information than that. We will leave as soon as you are ready, agreed?"

 

Irritated, but still perplexed, Chal'lar nodded, and the two discussed their departure plan. They would leave the next day- at sunrise. Chal'lar would leave instructions for the Temple in his absence, and Peregrin would do some last minute meditations and preparation. They were supposed to depart in the morning, but deep down- it would feel like three days.

[Tobias Vos]

The green skin of Peregrine's face wrinkled a touch- and after some banter the two headed to the ship that he originally came in on. They quickly boarded the ship and ran through the lift-off. Chal'lar was visibly nervous- but through the Force, he was excited. He hadn't left Lehon in years, maybe they weren't as culty as The Hand believed.

 

There was a missed opportunity there- he surmised, but options and time were given to them to figure out the puzzle here on Lehon. It was time to leave, and with a nonchalant push on the throttle- they shot from the ground- and with mundane regularity they shot to hyperspace to hit the hyperspace relays to mask their vector.

[Raynuk Montar]

(Logan, if any of this is a problem, let me know. Dont wanna step on toes )

 

Gretchen Halz was, essentially nobody.

 

A young woman in her late twenties, Gretchen was part of the support staff within the Jedi Temple on Lehon. She had been there since she was sixteen, brought to the temple by a jedi who had found her on the streets of the lower level of Coruscant and took a liking to her. Gretchen wasn't gifted with the Force, not even slightly. But still, the Jedi had seen in her a kind soul who had simple goals; get out from the slums that she had been orphaned in, and to feel like she was a part of something bigger and better than herself. So she was brought to Lehon, given a place to call home, and a job in the cafeteria. It wasn't much, but Gretchen took the chance the Jedi had given her, and threw herself into it. The Jedi had been kind to her, and she quickly made it her mission to repay that kindness to all of the Jedi.

 

And after only a few weeks, she felt like this was where she belonged; she enjoyed the job. Working in the cafeteria was hardly a glorious job, but to her it had meaning. She was helping to feed the Jedi; protectors of the galaxy, and the quintessential 'good guys'. In a matter of months, she had become a kind face to the young padawan children, who always greeted her with beaming smiles and words of 'Thank you Miss Gretchen' as she served them their meals every day. It was practically impossible for Gretchen to not grow fond of seeing their bright faces everyday. And the adult Jedi as well began to greet her warmly; if for no other reason than the smiles she brought to their apprentices and padawans. Gretchen of course couldn't help -- especially in those early months -- but to develop silly crushes on some of the padawans that were roughly her age. She knew that the Jedi forbade attachments and relationships, but she was not a Jedi. So while she knew nothing would ever come of her crushing on the cute padawans, she could still look and enjoy their presence.

 

And so became Gretchen's life; working in the Jedi Temple, feeling gratified with the path her life had taken her, finding the bright smiles of the younglings and the respectful nods from the Jedi to be the best parts of her days. But over the past few months, the Jedi and younglings had been slowly moving from the Lehon temple. Rumor among the staff was that the Jedi were consolidating at one of their other temples, a place called Tython. So every day, it seemed as though there was one less bright smile from a youngling to greet her. Eventually there were simply more staff in the Lehon temple than were needed, and it was then that the headmaster, a Bith named Chal'lar decided to relax the strict rules the Jedi had set in place. He began 'gifting' loyal and long serving members of the temple staff with something they had never had.

 

Days off planet.

 

And so it came to be that Gretchen, a bright eyed, dedicated member of the cafeteria staff was given one such vacation. But for a girl who had been orphaned before she was brought to the temple, Gretchen really only knew of one other planet to which she could visit; Corsucant. So she had gone, placed in a simple transport that took her from Lehon to Coruscant, dropping her off on the upper levels with a credit chip with a moderate supply of funds to enjoy her time, and a time and place at which she would be picked up in a week's time to return to Lehon. What Gretchen would never know is that Chal'lar expected half of the staff he sent on these vacations would either wind up dead, or would decide to not return to the temple; and that served his own selfish goals just fine. He had selected the staff who had been within the temple the longest to be the first to be given these vacations; on the surface it simply looked like an acknowledgement of their service, but underneath it was a much more disturbing reason. They were the ones who would notice the changes within the temple that Chal'lar was implementing. They were the ones who would raise the alarm on him.

[Raynuk Montar]

By the time the shuttle carrying Gretchen back to Lehon blinked out of hyperspace and began the approach to the planet, Gretchen had convinced herself that Darren really was everything amazing that he seemed to be; that it had not been a dream, a fantasy she had made up to fill the void she never admitted to feeling from working and living at the temple for so long. It seemed almost cruel to her to have to return to her normal life after such an amazing week on Coruscant.

Once the shuttle landed at the temple, much like when it had landed on Coruscant, Gretchen took off running, feeling a rush of excitement. This time however the young woman ran to the nearest comm board, and keyed in her personal code. She knew better than to think Darren had sent her a message already, but was keeping on the site of optimism; because the truth was, he might not ever message her at all. So while she was a little let down to find no new messages for her, it wasn’t nearly enough to even scratch her emotional high.

 

Her next stop was to go and try and get in to see the headmaster so that she could thank him profusely for giving her the opportunity to visit Coruscant. But in the second of what would eventually become a string of let downs, Chal’lar wasn’t in his office, and as she soon learned, wasn’t even on Lehon anymore. Rumors around the temple were that a green-skinned Nautolan Jedi named Peregrine had come to meet with Chal’lar while Gretchen was gone, and that the pair had departed together just that morning.

 

I’m sure he will be back within a week or so… I’ll just have to thank him when he comes back! Gretchen thought with a small sigh before she, just a tad bit grumpily, told herself she needed to get back into the swing of her routine within the temple.

 

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

 

The very next day, Gretchen received a comm from Darren, just as he had told her he would. It had come in during the afternoon meal while she was working in the cafeteria, leaving Gretchen clueless to its existence until several hours later when she returned to her own room. She recognized the voice immediately.

 

My dearest Gretchen, I hope your return to the temple was without incident and that you were not delayed in arriving. You have been on my mind almost constantly since you departed, with thoughts of you, there on that secretive planet, permeating into my usually dull work. I intend to keep my promise of seeing you again, and to surprise you beyond your wildest expectations. I know for a fact; we were destined to meet on Coruscant, and I am overjoyed at that fact, as though it was sole purpose in life to meet you and show you the wonders of the upper levels. I can only hope that your time with me was equally as rewarding, and that those memories sustain you until I look upon your face once more, and get the chance to release you from the shackles of the life you have been living. Until then my dear. –Darren

 

Gretchen must have listened to that message seven times back to back that night, her smile growing and her heart filling more and more each time until her face hurt and her heart felt like it was going to explode. Sleep was pushed away by giddiness and the warmth of love she was feeling, a price she knew she would pay the next day; but she didn’t even care. She was still so blown away that such a storybook romance had happened to her. It wasn’t until the early morning hours that she realized she had been so swept away that she didn’t even respond to Darren! Practically springing off of her bed, she set about setting that right.

 

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

 

Over the course of the next three days, Gretchen and Darren exchanged messages back and forth six more times. She was hanging on every word he sent her, and the normally bubbly Gretchen was suddenly over-the-moon every time another message came in for her, and it showed.

 

“You look really happy Ms Gretchen,” one of the younglings, a girl named Noj said to her one morning, “Im glad you’re happy,” and ran off smiling.

 

She had once looked forward to seeing the younglings, considering that to be the best part of her day, but now, that distinction was pushed to number two by returning to her room and finding another message from Darren. As she returned to her small room following the evening meal service, she once again found the light on her small comm panel blinking, and could hardly punch in her code fast enough. In his last message, Darren had said he had something he wanted to show her, and to expect a file along with his next message. She had spent the whole day wondering if it was going to be a picture of a beautiful waterfall on some exotic location, or maybe a vast sand dune from somewhere like Tattooine, or maybe even a full hologram of some kind.

 

The message came through, displayed as text on the small screen as Darren’s voice spoke.

 

Gretchen; attached is what I wanted to show you. I hope you find it to your likings. I had my friend craft it himself, especially for you. –Darren

 

The message was shorter than usual, but Gretchen assumed that just meant the rest of the data was taken up by whatever the file was. She attempted to open it, but was met with an error message.

 

 

Gretchen pouted only a little, disappointed she couldn’t open it here in her room. But the master terminal wasn’t that far away from her room, and her excitement was enough to push the concern for privacy out of her mind. So off she went down the hall to the master comm terminal. Once there, she input her personal code once more, and skipped over the message itself, to open the file.

 

 

 

The error message didn’t even finish typing across the screen on the master comm panel before the screen flashed, and the panel seemed to restart. Gretchen knew almost nothing about the technology that was at work within the comm panel, and had no basis on which to be concerned with the error message. To her, it was just another glitch; the panel had simply rebooted, so everything must be fine right? If anything, the woman was only annoyed that it had rebooted right as she was opening the file Darren had sent her. So she once again punched in her code to access her messages, and after the screen blinked once found the message again.

 

 

That’s strange… She thought. And then the annoyance of before and confusion at there being no file combined into truth; the reboot had somehow wiped away the file from the message. That usually happens right? You download the file and then it gets deleted to save space for more messages. It made sense to Gretchen, but she didn’t have to like it. By the time she returned to her room, she was in tears. She had built herself up all day for the release of getting a file from Darren, that at the letdown of having lost the file, she couldn't handle it, and plopped down face first onto her bed, burying her tears into her pillow until sleep took her.

 

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

 

What Gretchen Halz would never know and never find out, was that the file Darren had sent her was not a pretty picture or loving hologram. It was a perfectly designed bit of software designed to infect the systems of the Lehon Temple. But the infection was not aggressive, oh no; it was merely intended to open doors, copy information, and piggyback on the communications systems. Almost immediately, the internal and external maps, communications logs, duty rosters, personnel information, repair logs and navigational data were all pulled from the systems, condensed, and then attached to numerous outbound comm messages; ones that had been sent from the account of Gretchen Halz, who had foolishly entered her personal code again after the system had been infected.

 

Gretchen, who by the time she woke up for her morning duty, had ‘sent’ four hundred and sixteen messages to the man she only knew as Darren.

 

If anyone bothered looking up the messages, they were all variations along the same theme, in which it appeared Gretchen was pleading with this “Darren”, professing her love to him, and struggling through bouts of rage and jealousy because he was not answering her comms immediately.