Tython

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin checked himself at Elnia's words, realizing that he had just been teaching instead of trying to mold his lesson to his student. It was easy for him to ramble about faith in the Force, about the things that he considered critical to a Jedi. He wanted to instill in her from the beginning some of those things, especially since his conversation with Jedi Alluyen, who had shown him that some in the Order were reaching knighthood without really knowing what it meant to be a Jedi. They were aggressive, emotional, guided by their ambitions rather than by the Force. Elnia, he swore, would not be like Alluyen.

 

But the point was that Elnia was not a well-educated individual from a civilized world with equal opportunity for all to learn and study, though she was certainly intelligent. He couldn't teach her the same way he had taught Aira and Kirana, but needed to treat her more like Sabian... mostly. Onderin still had a few regrets with Devanus, although the man had turned into an astute Jedi and was now the Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance.

 

"Physics is just a name for how the galaxy works around us," he explained, his voice patient like a father's. "Although you may not know much of the theory, you experience physics when you walk, when you pick up an object, or when you eat. As physical beings, understanding the limit of our physical nature is something we learn from an early age.

 

"It is this that you must forget. We're not actually physical beings, but luminous ones. You probably know this because you can see us as such. Now, I need not touch something with my hand in order to lift it, I need not see something with my eyes in order to know it's there, and something doesn't need to happen before I can react to it. These things seem impossible, but the Force has opened my mind to think in a different way," he continued.

 

Finally he offered a smile. "Let's get that break. Think on these things, come to terms with them. I for one could use another meal." They'd been working on telekinesis for a few hours, and he could imagine Elnia in particular would be getting hungry again. She was so thin she was almost transient, and he was worried about working her too hard. That, and he wanted to get her used to the idea that she could eat whenever she wanted here.

 

Without another word he started heading back to the cafeteria.

[Adenna Alluyen]

Adenna was glad that Ariana seemed pleased, though she seemed distracted. She didn't blame the girl as it was easy to be overwhelmed by the general sense of peace even for those who couldn't touch the Force. She was happy to bring her to a place that was safe after so many years of abuse and neglect.

 

The Temple seemed less full than it had when she left. There were not nearly the number of Jedi that were here before. They must have been released into the Galaxy on various missions at last. That could only be a good thing because there was so much evil in the Galaxy that needed to be taken care of.

 

Sandy was playing around enjoying the forest, but they had work to do. "Come on, Sandy," she called out, "we need to get settled into our rooms and help Ariana find a job she likes so we can go and start looking for supplies to build your lightsaber."

[Skye Organa]

((OOC: sorry I've taken so long))

 

It took a little while for Skye to wake up to the sound of someone knocking at her door. She stretched out with the Force, recognising Darla's presence. Her friend didn't seemed panicked so it wasn't the twins but a more social visit instead. She pushed herself up and headed to the door to let Darla in.

 

"Hi, come on in," Skye said, indicating to the lounge chairs. "I'll just put the kettle on and get dressed. I hope you weren't waiting there for long." The Healer moved into the kitchenette area and flicked on the kettle, "I'll be back in a moment."

 

While Darla relaxed, Skye went and changed, taking a quick sonic shower before she dressed in her white tunic and robes. Quickly she plated her long auburn hair then wound it around into a bun, hooking it securely with some pins. A quick look in the mirror showed she was presentable before she turned and headed back into her kitchenette. She had timed it nicely, the kettle whistling as she approached the bench. "Would caffa suit or would you like a tea instead?"

[SithAcolyte]

Darla waited a little while Skye must have been waking up. A little bleary eyed her friend answered the door and welcomed her in. Yesterday had been a long day for Skye too. Without her there to help Darla through the birth she didn't know how she would have managed.

 

Relaxing a little while Skye disappeared it wasn't long before she came back. In the time that it had taken for the kettle to boil Skye came back looking like a different person. Hair braided and dressed in her usual serene, white robes.

 

Darla smiled upon her friends return.

 

"Caff would be great." Darla said when offered the choice of drinks. "You would not believe how much I've missed this the past few months"

 

It had been hard for Darla to give up her favourite drink while pregnant. She took a long sip enjoying the flavour.

 

"Mmm, thank you." She grinned at Skye. "Sorry to come so early, I guess I slept so long after the babies were born I sort of lost all track of time. I've come to ask you if you want to leave Typhon with us. I've been worried that we could get attacked here and there would be no way to escape. I really don't feel safe here with the children. Dares came up with the idea of taking them to the Eternal Vigilance. I really would like you to come along, but I understand if you've got other things to attend to."

 

The thought of leaving Skye now saddened Darla. She knew that she couldn't expect her friend to always go wherever she went. But she worried that she wouldn't be able to cope with motherhood without Skye's aid. She was also worried that Darex would rush off to fight for the Jedi and she'd be left alone.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

"I once thought it impossible that there were more people like me," she remarked thoughtfully as she followed him towards the cafeteria, "but Aryian told me that his wife was half-Miraluka, and you know of them as well." The young girl grew quiet for a moment before continuing.

 

"It always made the others nervous that I could see what they did and knew things that they thought no one else knew, especially when they stole my binding and learned that I didn't have any eyes. I didn't even know what they were until I knew that I didn't have them. I guess that's why I still wear it," she reached up at the tattered bit of black cloth that masked her empty eye sockets an brushed the worn fabric slightly.

 

"A lot of things that were 'impossible' when I was a pet. Now everything is opened so there is no 'impossible' any more. It's just a matter of finding how how to do something. Is that what you mean Master?"

 

It was the first time that she'd admitted openly to being a slave, or worse a non-person, though she didn't realize it because she'd grown used to trusting the Jedi and knew that she had nothing to fear from them.

 

((Sorry so short. Have to get back to work now.))

[Darex Trevelian]

They continued to walk--well, rather, Darex walked and the twins rode--through the temple. It was a peaceful place, designed for solitude and attuning oneself to the Force. It was interesting to the Jedi Master how the twins were obviously picking up on it. He could feel them reaching out, tenatively, with the Force, using it just as much as their other senses. It made him wonder how he himself had been when he was a baby. Had his parents not noticed anything? Or had they been Force-sensitives too who could feel him exploring his new senses with pride?

 

He put the thought out his mind when he came across a trio of women ((Adenna, Sandy, and Ariana)). None of them seemed familiar to Darex, but he could tell that the black-haired woman carried the sense of a full-fledged Jedi Knight in the Force. As they drew near, he gave them a Jedi bow, albeit without the clasped hands, as his arms were full.

 

"Greetings," he said. "Welcome to the Tython temple. Is there any way I can help you?" Alana and Jax turned their curious gazes towards the women, one of whom, Darex realized upon further examination, was a Miraluka.

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin smiled, somewhat encouraged. "Exactly, Elnia," he said. "With that understanding, you'll very quickly learn all that I can teach you." He continued to walk as he spoke, and soon the pair were approaching the cafeteria again. The food that the Order served to the Jedi was hardly fine cuisine, but it didn't really need to be in order to satisfy Jedi taking a break from long hours of training--they were typically ravenous before they took such breaks. And Onderin still found it to be better than the military rations he'd been eating with some consistency for the last couple decades.

 

Getting a tray of food and sitting down, Onderin waited for Elnia to sit down across from him before he started eating. Since this was supposed to be a break, he resolved that he wouldn't teach her anything while they ate. Unfortunately, he was barely competent at small talk, most comfortable talking about the Force or other formal matters. During his years of service, he'd learned not to let anyone get too close--for war often took them away. He'd learned a difficult lesson when he'd let his guard down for Sabian. Although that situation had resolved reasonably well, their connection had almost led the boy to the dark side.

 

Now that the war was over, he wondered if it would be safe to invest in Elnia as a friend as well as a student. Unfortunately, it was difficult to ask her about her interests because she never had the freedom to pursue them in the past. Perhaps they could discover them, then. "Tell me a little more about yourself, Elnia," he said. "I know your past has been difficult, but now you have the freedom to pursue your interests. What are some things you think you'll like to do?"

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Elnia didn't bother to hide her smile at her master's praise and encouragement as she moved with him through the serving line while she considered each of the offerings that the support staff at the temple had prepared. There were so many different smells, that she wasn't sure what was coming from each dish, but she selected a few that she had not tried before and placed them on her tray before she joined Master Starlisk at the table.

 

"Tell me a little more about yourself, Elnia. I know your past has been difficult, but now you have the freedom to pursue your interests. What are some things you think you'll like to do?"

 

Elnia took a bite of her food and thought about his question for a moment. She'd never been asked that before, and almost didn't know how to respond because she didn't know what the possibilities were. She felt a gentle nudge in the Force, however, and knew that she did at least have one answer to his question. "I want to learn about the Miraluka."

 

Ever since she'd learned that there were others like her in the galaxy, she'd been fascinated by the prospect. She decided to finally tell Onderin about her past, knowing that it might be the only way to help her learn what she wished. She sat down her eating utensil and began an almost detached recounting of her life up to this point.

 

"My earliest memories are from when I was very young, but I don't think that they are of my...family," she paused as she struggled to find the word, for she had no real frame of reference for what a parent was.

 

"All I can remember is being lost in a big city, then being taken by people that I thought were going to help me.

 

"I remember that there were others there; I can't recall their faces anymore, but they were being held just like I was. Then my Master came and bought me. I remember crying a lot at first, but I wasn't treated badly, at least not by him." She stared down at her plate for a moment before continuing. "The others didn't and would always try to get me in trouble because I was different from them. It think that to Master, I was just something odd to show-off."

 

She shrugged a bit before continuing as though the whole situation had been normal, instead of traumatic for a small child. "I know that he did use me in his business meetings because I could always tell when the other people were lying or holding back information. He said that I made him a lot of money, which is why I didn't have to do nearly the same amount of other work that the rest of his servants had to do. I'm not sure why, but I think that's why they all hated me. I could feel it and it always made me feel sick to my stomach."

 

"Things got really bad when Master died, there was a fight over what was to be done with me, and I wound up being sold to the Hutts. I was packed in a crate with a few provisions and shipped off.

 

"After that, I'm not really sure what happened, all I know is that I was in there for a really long time, longer than I should have been. I thought that they'd sent me to die." Her Force presence drew closer for a moment, as though the memory still scared her greatly.

 

"The next thing that I remember is that I wound up on a Jedi station and Aryian was standing over me in the medical bay. I don't know how, but I think that my container wound up with supplies for the Jedi during the war," She paused, taking a drink of blue milk and allowing the liquid to soothe her drying throat.

 

"After that, Aryian took myself and another...Mandalorian, named Cade, as his students. His wife was in danger and so we went to help. I wound up caring for their son as his wife's Padawan, Arlann, got the three of us to safety." She lowered her head for a moment, remembering how Cade had looked after her, her first real friend. The band around her eyes began to moisten as she wiped tears away, "He didn't make it since he stayed to help Aryian."

 

Finally she grew quiet, and returned to eating her meal as she continued to wipe the tears away until finally they stopped.

[Adenna Alluyen]

They didn't even manage to get into the Temple itself before they were greeted by a fellow Jedi. Adenna's attention was immediately drawn to a pair of rather young looking infants in his arms. She couldn't help but admire their innocence and general cuteness.

 

As he welcomed them to the Temple, Adenna brought her focus back onto the man and returned the bow. "I am Jedi Adenna Alluyen. With me is my Padawan, Sandy, and Ariana, a young woman in need who crossed my path a few weeks ago. We have returned here after some harrowing experiences to recover, regenerate, and to complete training. I was hoping that Ariana would be able to find some sort of work here among the staff so that she wouldn't be left out on the streets."

[Ariana La'vohn]

Ariana was startled slightly at the appearance of not one, but three people attuned to the force's sapphire glow; a blue ethereal glow that seemed so common within the temple grounds. It seemed obvious to her why the glow was so prolific and the strong presence of the force made sense to her as a whole, but Ariana wasn't used to seeing so many force users in one place. In fact, if it weren't for the mental restraints she put on her wild attention span as they approached the temple, she would have quite the headache. It wasn't until one of the people spoke up though that she realized they were looking in her direction.

 

Ariana's head shifted to get a better look at the trio and even though the movement was pointless, she liked to patronize people with actual eyes and pretend like she was making eye contact. It was a form of courtesy and she really hoped it didn't come across as creepy with her blindfold on.

 

From first glance Ariana could tell that they all had force capabilities, so this much was certain. However, she couldn't really gauge who in particular they were looking at. She initially guessed that their attention was focused on Adenna because she was not only higher ranked, but she was the adult in the party. However, one of the smaller individuals seemed to scrutinize her more closely. She could feel the push of the person's gaze upon her as if the observation was a corporeal presence. It was weird a sensation and yet somehow more intriguing than the static glow around her.

 

Ariana tried to do the same to the little one and drove a soft glance toward it, but she couldn't decipher whether or not it worked because the little one didn't respond and instead resolved to continue with something else. The observation seemed more a passing query to the little one's mind than a prolonged investigation and in the end, both of the smaller individuals seemed engaged in their own exploration. The one altercation, although meaningful to Ariana, seemed meaningless to them and they continued their business, ignoring Ariana and shifting their gaze to other parts of the temple. Initially Ariana found this nuance puzzling. She didn't understand why their attentions strayed prematurely, but when she listened to them; when she really listened to them and heard not only their heart beats, but the monosyllabic sounds they made, she was able to come to the conclusion that their young minds weren't as focused as adult ones. Not that that was necessarily bad or anything, but it was slightly frustrating to use newly discovered sensations and abilities on those who couldn't talk back to her.

 

It was a common frustration that Ariana could sympathize with, because she often suffered from similar problems, but while their problems came from a lack of knowledge and young age. Ariana's problems stemmed a little more from insecurity and things attributed to her rough history on the streets and in the alleys of Coruscant. After your whole world is taken from you and your body is threatened, you begin to see things differently.

 

Still, she waited for a time to talk and felt like she should do something to introduce herself even though Adenna had already introduced her. So, thinking quickly, but with an incredibly timid hand, Ariana waved toward the Jedi master and smiled.

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex nodded at each of them as they were introduced by Alluyen. He had long ago ceased to be surprised that he didn't know every Jedi in the Order personally, but it was always nice to meet new ones. He smiled as the Miraluka waved at him.

 

"You are all more than welcome here. Tython was designed as a place of refuge and healing, and I'm sure your stay will be exactly what you need after your difficult times." He could speak from experience on that; it was, after all, part of the reason he and Darla had come here. He suddenly realized he hadn't introduced himself. "Forgive me for not introducing myself. I'm Master Darex Trevelian, and these are my children, Alana and Jax."

 

He turned his gaze on the Miraluka when Alluyen mentioned she wanted a job. He found the request quite curious. "You are strong in the Force," he said, addressing Ariana directly. "Do you not wish to be trained in the Jedi ways?"

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin listened quietly and ate while keeping his attention on his apprentice while she told her tale. He decided that it was probably a good thing that she got it out in the open--while he hadn't thought it critical from his perspective for him to know it, it was probably important for her that there was nothing hanging between them, left unsaid. He understood that telling him was probably a cathartic experience, and often confession of something hidden was the best thing for the one who had been hiding it. All in all, he decided it was a good thing that she had shared.

 

He remained mindful, however, of the fine line such things would cause him to walk. If he became the father figure that Elnia never had, she would become emotionally dependent on him, something that was dangerous for a Jedi. As he had spent more and more time with Sabian, the boy had grown to rely on him so heavily that simple things like hiding from him in the Force in a simple hide and seek exercise or passing him off to another Jedi Master for some specific lightsaber training had caused the boy to feel despair and neglect so deeply that he had brushed the dark side. Attachment wasn't forbidden now as it had been in much of the Order's past, but there was a lesson to be taken from those times.

 

That was a topic for another time, however.

 

"It's over now," he told her gently. "But to deny your past would be a crime against yourself. Now that you are comfortable with touching the Force, I recommend that you find a quiet place and meditate in the Force on these things. It can heal all wounds and deliver purpose out of what seems like chaos or chance."

 

He finished the last few bites of his meal. "Actually, perhaps now is a good time to do that. Explore your connection to the Force and what it means to you, as well as your past, and when you feel like you've made progress, come find me. I'll be in the Masters' quarters."

 

Onderin didn't say anything else, but got up and headed off. It was an important lesson for Elnia to learn--while he was her instructor, it was through the Force that she would learn the most. He could not know her well enough to always know which step she needed to take the most; only she could discover that for herself.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

"There is no emotion, only peace, and there is no death, only the Force," she repeated, more to remind herself than for the benefit of showing her Master that she still remembered the code that he'd taught to her earlier that morning. "I will meditate on this more Master Starlisk. Cade was the first friend I ever had, and I guess I just miss him sometimes."

 

She rose as he did to leave, parting ways with him at the door as he headed elsewhere in the temple to allow her the freedom to self-discover and let the Force impart what wisdom it would the young Miraluka.

 

Her allowed her steps to take her where they would, giving her body over to the Force and it's will to help select the best environment to receive it's teachings. It wasn't soon after that she found herself wandering the gardens and found a quiet spot near a secluded fountain where she was less likely to be disturbed.

 

She sat upon the cool grass, and felt connected through the soft blades along the bottoms of her bare feet. The Force was here and she could feel her connection to it growing ever-stronger. It seemed to almost literally be all around her in every fragrant flower, the sound of the flowing fountain, the feel of the cool breeze against her skin and the solid feeling of the earth beneath her feet.

 

Elnia...why are you upset? a voice asked, quiet and distant.

 

She initially wasn't sure what to do, she'd never quite experienced something like this through the Force before, but she decided to set her own mind aside and follow her instincts, as Onderin had instructed.

 

"Because I was thinking about a friend I was missing. He died," she whispered back quietly.

 

There is no Death, there is only the Force. Don't you remember? What do you think that means, Vaar'ika? the voice continued, it's tone and pattern growing gradually more familiar.

 

The young Miraluka turned towards the voice now that there seemed to be a directional element to it, and was surprised to see the armor-clad figure of her friend, Cade. Elnia took a step back because she didn't expect to see him, but at the same time realized that from the way he was showing, that he wasn't really there. "How are you -?"

 

Cade's form raised a hand, breaking off her question, "Curious as always," he smiled before continuing. "I'm not sure either to be honest with you though. The Force is quite mysterious, you know."

 

Elnia nodded, accepting that perhaps she wasn't supposed to question the gift that the Force was giving her, but merely learn what she was supposed to in order to find comfort and be at peace with her past and those that went with it. "I do. I miss you a lot sometimes, especially when something interesting happens and I want to tell you about it, but then I remember that our ways parted a while back."

 

Cade nodded, as though he were familiar with the concept. "Aay'han, happiness that becomes bittersweet because you remember those that you wish were there to experience it with you."

 

The blonde teen nodded, "Aay'han, is that the name for what I feel? But I thought that there is 'no emotion, only peace'," she asked as she tried to process where this was going.

 

"What do you think that the code means by that?" he replied.

 

Elnia grew quiet for a moment as she thought. Then a revelation hit her, "It's okay to be happy, sad, or aay'han, as long as you don't let your emotions consume you? It's in finding that balance that brings peace?"

 

Cade smiled, "There is no Death, there is only the Force." His form slowly began to fade away until it had disappeared.

 

"It's okay to miss you, but you're not really gone because you've gone back to the Force." The certainty of the code was slowly beginning to cement itself within Elnia, and she began to feel that this is what her master had meant by leaving her to her own discoveries within the Force.

 

She remained in the garden, reflecting more on the lessons of the day, until finally it began to grow dark and the night chill began to nip at her skin. She hadn't realized how much time had gone by so she quickly rose and made for the temple, allowing the Force to guide her to Master Onderin.

[Ariana La'vohn]

Ariana wavered for a moment, because no one had ever really asked her that before. No one had ever really noticed her potential in the force either, until now. It was one of the reasons she oft felt nothing special about herself, because force users used to pass her by on the streets without much thought. Looking back on that now, she thought it might have been because of her physical appearance and their assumption of her powers being based off her race and not her actual potential, but she didn't really know for certain. Having her force potential affirmed though, was a great feeling for her. Ariana felt special, significant. It was almost as if her heart embraced the idea before her mind could fully process it.

 

She turned to look at Darex and smiled once more, her ivory teeth peaking out in a brilliant expression of happiness. "You know, I have never really thought of that before. Is there anyone here available to teach me to be a jedi?" Ariana asked softly, not wanting to push the question too much for fear of reprisal.

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex smiled, trying to draw the timid girl out of her shell a bit. He had dealt with enough Miraluka to know that they tended to be shy, although why, he didn't know. This young woman seemed to be no exception.

 

"Yes indeed," he replied. "I know of several Jedi, including myself, who do not have apprentices at the moment." He studied her for a moment. "If you'd like to train, I can assign you to a master." The Force didn't seem to be telling him to take her, but the face of a Jedi Knight seemed to swim before his eyes. "Yes, I believe I know the perfect match for you. The Jedi's name is Aira Cadan. I know she's been thinking about taking on an apprentice, and I think you two would be a good match." He smiled again warmly. "If you'd like, I'll arrange for her to come meet you."

 

Perhaps, he thought amusedly, being grandmaster didn't mean always making tough decisions that had an impact on the galaxy as a whole. Sometimes it was as simple as pointing others in the direction they should go to further their own careers as Jedi.

[Ariana La'vohn]

"That would be nice," Ariana said softly, turning her head toward Adenna and Sandy. "It seems my journeying with Adenna has come to a close anyway, so any guidance you could provide, would be most welcome master Jedi. I do have one other question for you though." Ariana looked a little confused. Her brow furrowed trying to find the words for her question, but she couldn't really come up with a better way to say it. So she figured she would just put it out there without any real invitation.

 

"Do you know anything about Force echoes? Or force spirits?" Ariana's nose wrinkled a little as if she was a little ashamed of asking, but her curiosity had led her unbidden into this particular mess and she wanted to know if she could find answers.

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin also meditated during the time he and his padawan were separate. He didn't have all the internal demons of a youth with a troubled past, too young to make sense of it all, too young to really know who they were. No, he had the internal demons of a man who had fought in hundreds of battles, seen millions die, and yet now was trying to embrace compassion and forgiveness of one's enemies; the internal demons of an old man, one who knew who he had been his whole life and now questioned if he could change. One who wasn't entirely sure how much he needed to.

 

In the Force, however, he saw everything. When he meditated, he peeled away layers of himself like he would take apart a planet's defenses in a battle against the Empire. He peeled away his experience, his prejudices, he predilictions. He made it so that he didn't exist, but was merely a vessel of the Force. He could feel the heat of the galaxy, pockets of uneasiness that were Sith-controlled worlds, the brightness and comfort that was Tython. He could feel Jedi going through daily struggles on Gala, the world where he had spent so much of his life.

 

When he didn't exist, he didn't have to be anything. There were no expectations. And yet, when in this state he turned his mind back to look at his past, when he could see it clearly, he was relieved. There were trials he had been through over the years, times when his decisions hadn't always been perfect, and mistakes he had made, certainly. But through it all there was his striving toward doing good, his staunch opposition of the dark forces arrayed against him, and, brightest of all, the peace summit that had brought the war to a close. Everything that had made Onderin Starlisk what he was, while not perfect, had been absolutely, unequivocally, indisputably necessary.

 

Onderin didn't need to deny who he had always been in order to be a Jedi. What he did need to do was be mindful of the Force, act when at peace, and yet continue to stand against the evil and injustice that continued to plague the galaxy... evils that had been greatly reduced by the conclusion of the war in which he had fought so hard.

 

He opened his eyes just as Elnia approached, and with a touch of the Force he opened the door for her. Getting up, he looked into her eyes and saw that she had arrived at some greater level of peace. Some hours had passed, but Onderin was barely aware of such things these days. He gave her a knowing smile. "What you saw is between you and the Force. Are you ready to learn some more?"

[Adenna Alluyen]

When the Jedi told the three of them his name, Adenna thought it sounded familiar. She was trying to remember where she had heard the name before when he mentioned something about Ariana being strong in the Force.

 

That was quite the surprise to Adenna. She hadn't sensed anything out of the normal beyond the girl's natural oddities due to her race. She knew that Miraluka could see with a basic usage of the Force, but that didn't mean they were all Force sensitive.

 

Looking back on things, it definitely fit. Since leaving Tython, Adenna had run across an abnormally high number of Force sensitives. It figured that Ariana would be one of them. The Force, or perhaps some higher power, seemed to constantly be bringing various Force sensitives together.

 

It wasn't that she was unhappy with the revelation, quite the contrary. She was more than happy that Ariana would have a place to call her own, even if it meant taking on risks and a lot of hard work in training. Perhaps one day, the girl would grow into a woman that would actively fight the evil permeating the Galaxy. Force knew that there were plenty of evils out there to fight.

 

Adenna suddenly remembered where she had heard Trevelian's name before. It had been him who had so foolishly allowed the Sith to leave the Corellian hospital when they could have brought them to justice then and there. To stare such evil in the eyes and let them walk away was something Adenna didn't think any Jedi could do, yet he had. That move had cost hundreds of lives and made the Jedi look weak and stupid.

 

To see the same man who had all but caused the deaths of hundreds of innocents with his poor choice walking around happily with his children when the victims of his mistake were not able to was. . . . disappointing. Adenna knew of the cloning tanks and clearly this man had used one to escape death. He had a benefit that none of his victims did and it seemed wrong to her. This man wasn't out fighting evil on the front lines to atone for his mistake, he was relaxing with his children.

 

She had felt sick when hearing of the reports before the Thalassian mission and had covered some of the aftermath while on Ryloth. What happened was horrible, and it was all the more so because those that caused it were able to walk away without even being challenged. For once, Jedi were on the scene of a major crime and could have shown the Galaxy that they weren't merely going to stand back and allow evil to flourish. Instead of being a beacon of light in the Galaxy, the Jedi were shown to be complete, impotent, ignorant fools.

 

All of her happiness at Ariana's positive future faded to nothing. In its place, she felt indignation. She held back what she wanted to say to this man out of propriety and clamped down on what she was feeling so Sandy wouldn't pick up on it. As far as she was concerned, this man should be held responsible for the murders of all the people on Coruscant and every future murder committed by the Sith that he allowed to go free.

 

Instead of saying anything, she just stood there with outward passiveness and waited for the man to take Ariana away. The sooner he left, the better. She would need to talk to Grandmaster Kitt about this because she didn't think she could stay in the same area as this man without eventually succumbing to dark emotions and temptations. He would know what to do and might be able to help her rationalize her feelings toward him and the Corellian incident.

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex paused, thinking. He wondered what had brought up this question. "I have some experience with them," he replied. "Generally a Force spirit is a remnant of someone who lived long ago. Some of the more powerful Jedi and Sith of old used to know a trick that allowed them to bind their spirit to the galaxy. It was usually a temporary thing, lasting about ten to twenty years, but sometimes the spirits could linger almost indefinitely. The closer the Force user was to a Force nexus, the stronger the binding in most cases. That is why Sith spirits on Korriban," he said, naming the Sith homeworld, "are often millenia old."

 

As he spoke, he thought he felt a wave of disgruntled feelings from Alluyen, but they were gone as soon as they came, and so he dismissed them. It was likely that she wasn't happy that this girl would stop journeying with her. But he could have been imagining it. His focus, nevertheless, remained on Ariana.

 

"Does that begin to answer your question?" he asked. "May I ask why you bring them up?"

[Sandy Sarna]

Sandy glanced to her master when they stumbled across this fellow Jedi Master. Though Sandy couldn't put her finger on it specifically, she could tell that her master carried no love or like for this man. That meant he was a danger, and Sandy didn't feel like getting into a fight again, so she sighed loudly and let her mind tune out the boring conversation. So instead she concentrated upon drawing a small stick figure with the toe of her black, polished boot. They, like her clothes, still were not fitting properly as she still hadn't gained the weight she lost back. No matter how much she liked to eat. She ignored the other girl and her master and glanced behind the Master. Those children Alana and Jax seemed pretty nice, but the idea of Jedi fostering kids and remaining unpolluted by the darkside seemed rather hard to her. Heaven knew, just like her mum had always said, 'you'll always be alone Sandy'

 

Sandy decided that her mum was an idiot. Even if a relatively completely non remarkable jedi such as this had found happiness or love, she could too. Sandy scuffed the head off her drawing and grinned, she ran a thin hand through her blonde locks and watched the children. She saw no mother and no ring on his finger. Another one of her mum's phrases popped suddenly to her head. 'If you have kids and aren't married, you'll go straight to the hells.' Sandy glanced at the kids, then back at the master, took a step back, and fled to her room.

[Trushaun]

{Hi Gang. =) }

 

The sun shone through the curtains onto the fragile Fosh that lay in the infirmary. Months had passed since the one known as Trushaun was awake or responsive to any form of stimulant. But today...it was different. Something happened out in the world of Tython to spark this inside the young girl. A Jedi nurse walked over, checking vital signs and such.

 

Inside the Fosh's mind, she was dreaming. Jumping through the trees of Foshe'. Pure bliss, she missed it. Pausing at one of the trees, she squaked and squabbled in her native tongue to one of her friends. A boy name Alyeo was flirting with her. He was chasing her through the trees all day. Small talk ensued, and Trushaun reciprocated. But then something horrid happened. The branch broke, sending Alyeo to his death. Trushaun managed to catch a branch. Her friends looked on in horror.

 

The elder's came and observed Trushaun over Alyeo's body. They examined the branch and found that it was diseased.

 

A year later, it was found that most of the trees and fauna were sick and poisoned. Trushaun volunteered to go out on the mission to seek a cure. Away she went.

 

The memories flew by, it was insane how crazy her life had been. Kidnapped by people in White, learning the FORCE. It somehow clicked in her subconscious mind.

 

Meanwhile in the infirmary, the nurse noticed a spike in Trushauns pulse, and blood pressure. Breathing increased, she called for a crash cart, and some other nurses. They were ready to bring her back, should she die.

 

Her mission was not complete, she needed to finish. Time had been lost.

 

Rep Til, Xae-Lin, Roene all had taught her well. There was no time for failure. She was going to escape the dream.

 

Inside her mind still, she managed to find her self in the garden of Gala. The one she made, it was different than the one she made at Tython, distinctly. There it was, two black figures, robed. The duo ignited lightsabers and rushed her.

 

Confidence was struck into the Fosh's mind. She summoned her blue lightsaber from her belt, and with the other hand summoned some roots to tangle one of the attacker's feet. The figure fell, and she got into a defensive pose to counter the other one that rushing her. He swung, she connected her saber with his. The noise echoed off the Temple.

 

KLAK KLAK! The fight raged on. The other figure had joined in the fight.

 

Whispers came into Trushaun's ear. "Don't give up! We're not going to lose you too!" Little did she know, the nurses were fighting to keep her alive. The exertion of the fight was a little much for her dormant body to handle.

 

Confidently she countered every lightsaber strike from the figures. Even following one up with a push that sent the figure flying backwards, his knees connecting with the fence. He tumbled into the garden, where roots and plants grew around him, pinning him to the ground.

 

Then she went on the offensive. Using her backwards hand attacks, she pinned the other figure against a tree. Following a rapid flurry, she cut off the figure's weapon hand. He let out a roar that knocked Trushaun back. Collecting herself she deactivated her saber, and flipped backwards.

 

In the ward, IV's popped out from her skin. Her skin melted the tips as they left. The nurses were going a little bonkers, they had never seen anything like that.

 

Trushaun landed onto her feet. The figure was still under the tree, taunting her. She smiled, still confident, she reached out with both hands and with the aid of the Force, she ripped the tree down to silence the dark figure. Trushaun walked over to her other attacker. They were still struggling against the roots. With a swipe from her saber, she cut off the figure's head. Clipping the lightsaber back to her belt, she took a deep breath. A second later, she screamed. Veins swelled, muscles flexed, and her skin became quite vibrant with light. Her feather's changed colors on her headdress.

 

The nurses were too busy trying to re-insert the IV's to notice the change in colors from her feathers.

 

Still shouting, the world around her shook. It started to fall apart. A white light came down, she continued to scream. Then she was ripped from the ground and flung towards the sky.

 

The ward got eerily quiet for a moment, then without any warning the Fosh's body sat up, and she was screaming. It took ten people to pin her to the bed, just so she wouldn't hurt herself. The scream was terrible, it hurt, but the nurses pushed through it. Then Trushaun's eyes opened. Blinking several times, she had stopped screaming. She was back. Her veins and muscles still swelled. It was a little insane what just happened.

 

"TRUSHAUN, Relax! Your safe, calm down. Your safe!" A nurse talked to her, trying to push her down onto the bed. The Fosh still was breathing heavily, and her pupils were reacting too the light. It was another minute for her to relax. Afterwards she looked around, everyone was staring at her. Embarrassed, she pulled the blanket up to cover most of her face, curling up and she took a few minutes to collect her thoughts.

 

What had just happened?! Raced through her mind. One minute she was fighting to figures, now she was in the Jedi Ward....Was it a dream, or had they really attacked?

[Ariana La'vohn]

"It does somewhat Master Trevelian." Ariana said, still a little puzzled, but slightly enamored by the aspect of seeing spirits. She was distracted by her wandering thoughts however and almost missed Darex's next question.

 

Before she could muster a response after regaining her faculties though, an anomaly pushed its way into Ariana's 'view.' She took a step back in response to this anomaly, which was what seemed to be a crackle of darkness emanating from Adenna when she looked aver toward Darex, but her step meant nothing. She didn't really understand why it was there or how it got there, but as quickly as it came, the energy quickly subsided, as if reined in, so Ariana couldn't interrogate the energy to find what it was.

 

"Well... Uh. Oh!" Ariana said, bringing her focus back to her conversation. "I saw spirits, or echoes walking the paths of the forest. I saw a big hairy man, a large man with a cone head and a spirit that looked actually... Very much like you." Ariana was confused. She thought back to the incident in question, trying to diffuse her confusion, but Darex was indeed one of the spirits, plain as day.

 

"I saw others too, walking, stopping, talking and doing other things in the forest as we walked here. It was mesmerizing and I couldn't quite decipher exactly what I was seeing."

[Darex Trevelian]

Her response was not what he had expected. "I've never heard of anything like that happening," he replied honestly. "It could be a result of the natural Force vision inherent in your race. I'm sure if you'd like you can find more information on it. There is much information stored in the archives and holocrons we have here."

 

The conversation had reached it's end, and so Darex nodded to the two women--the youngest blond girl had run off suddenly. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" he asked politely. "I will send Knight Cadan your way, Ariana."

[Trushaun]

A few days had passed since the alien had re-awoken from her slumber. It was a scary day, two days ago. Many of the patience in the ward were still glaring at Trushaun. But today was the day she would be leaving the hospital room. She was all too happy. Over her stint in the coma she had lost several pounds, and alot of muscle mass. It was time to regain the poundage, and to get outside.

 

After a private checkup, where the Healer had no godly idea about Fosh anatomy, he let her go.

 

Immediately she returned outside. She took a minute to stretch out her limbs in her new robes, and soak in the sun. If she could smile, it would have been ear to ear.

[Adenna Alluyen]

Adenna was surprised to see Sandy run off, but assumed that the girl was eager to get settled in so she could start collecting parts for her lightsaber. She had a question to offer to Darex before she left the group and entered the Temple. "Master Trevelian, do you know where Grandmaster Kitt is? I need to report to him of my goings on since he sent me out into the Galaxy."

[Roene Givrah]

___++++ Communication to Trushaun ++++___

 

((the message is in text, so there is a translation in Fosh as well, just in case))

 

It has come to my attention that you, my Padawan, are awake. If you are reading this, then that means the medical droids have released you from the Tython medical ward.

 

Now, I know you have questions and I know you may want to see me, but I feel you have all of the answers you need. I think you have waited long enough and any lessons you need to learn or any lessons I have to teach you will either find their way to you or you will learn in time.

 

So, it is my honor to bestow upon you, your first trial for the rank of Jedi Knight. These trials will be difficult and they will challenge you, but you must do them alone. I cannot come with you. I will meet up with you at the end of all of your trials, but it will take time.

 

Anyway, your first trial.

 

In some of my fairly recent travels I have come across a fairly unique planet named Kashyyyk. You may or may not have heard of it, but your knowledge of it matters not. Kashyyk is a natural wonder, but at the same time an extremely dangerous place. The trees grow into towering monuments that the Wookiees live in. There are hordes of resources that the Wookiees utilize everyday, but due to an increasing number of conflicts going on on their world, the Wookiees have, in some of their villages began to shun outsiders.

 

This is especially distressing considering the value that the Jedi place on their alliance with the planet, considering one of the grandmasters is one of my former teachers, Kirlocca. Your first trial will consist of several tasks. You are to go to the planet of Kashyyyk, warm the hearts of the Kashyyykian officials and earn their trust. Then, you must adventure to one of the lowest parts of the Kashyykian forest and bring back an exotic flower that can only be found there. The flower is around half a man's height, with sapphire petals and glowing white filaments.

 

On the way to the lower levels of the forest, you may find a formerly corrupted tree with bark missing from it. I want you to visit this tree, as I did and remove some bark, as I did, because it will be useful to you later.

 

When you are done with that, leave Kashyyyk and report back to me through your comm device.

 

Good luck on your trial and may the force be with you.

 

___++++ Communication to Trushaun ++++___

[Trushaun]

Trushaun was in the middle of a backflip through the garden when she heard an odd beep. Landing on her feet, she realized- the thing called a "Datapad" was going off. The healers must have put her's back into her new robes. She opened it, delighted to see it was from her old master- Roene. A naturalist. A mental smile from ear to ear, she opened what she had received.

 

Reading over some of the words was difficult. Her basic was still very rusty.

 

Re-reading the message, it seems as if Roene wanted her to go to a planet- Kashyyyk. Chill out with the officials, and get them to call every Jedi in the Galaxy "Bro." She got it, and find a flower, and find a corrupt tree with some bark missing.

 

Her first task- finding her lightsaber. Second, get a shuttle to take her to Kashyyyk. Third, find out what a Wookiee looks like. Awesome, didn't sound too bad to start off. A new adventure, and right off the bat from her coma, luck was on her side indeed. She precceded to set the Datapad down, and preform some yoga. Trushaun needed to be nimble enough for the coming days, no hurry. But she did put in her request for a shuttle ride to Kashyyyk.

[Darex Trevelian]

He was a bit surprised when she mentioned reporting to Kitt, but he dismissed it immediately. Clearly, she had been out of contact with the Order. "Fitt was murdered by a group of Sith, and has since left the Order, feeling that his path lay somewhere else. Master Kirlocca and I were named co-Grandmasters by the Council about a month ago."

 

He left it at that. If she wished to report on her dealings, he was willing to listen.

 

(OOC: Sorry so short; in a rush)

[Aira Cadan]

Landing on Tython brought back some memories. There was certainly a peacefulness to this planet in the Force that I had never felt anywhere else. Perhaps it was the result of the Force nexus, or perhaps it was because little violence had touched this planet through the eons of galactic history.

 

Regardless, as the canopy of my fighter popped open, I sat for a moment, simply breathing deep of the peacefulness of the place. It had been a hard month and a half. I had gone out in the galaxy to do some good, and it had been done. I had mediated disputes, saved innocents, and put a stop to those preying on the weak. The Force had been my guide, leading me to situations in which I could make a stand for good. I would not have stopped, but I had felt the Force calling me back to Tython. Trusting in it's wisdom, I had obeyed.

 

I jumped down and began the long walk through the jungle towards the Jedi Temple.

[Trushaun]

The datapad beeped once again. Investigating it, Trushaun looked to see who it was. Her request was unsusal, but since it was her trials, some other Jedi were willing to help her out. Someone had a ship, and was willing to take her to Kashyyyk. Examining the text further, this man who offered her a ride, wasn't even a Jedi. At least he was willing to help. What harm could come of that?

 

A new beep and she saw that her stuff had been pulled from the Archives. Her old robes, her necklace, and her lightsaber. She rushed inside with excitement. Gathering the items, Trushaun left the Temple to walk towards the city.

 

An hour or so passed, and the pilot met up with the Fosh outside the city. He introduced himself as a Robert McNamara.

 

Robert was kind and overall, very pleasant. The two started to converse immediately. Trushaun counted herself lucky to obtain someone this nice, to go out of their way for her. She would have to repay him sometime. Setting her stuff aside, she tucked her saber inside her robes.

 

The man didn't notice, and invited her to the cockpit. Trushaun had never watched a ship take off, so this was most interesting to her. Soon afterwards, they left Tython and were headed to Kashyyyk.