Corellia

[SithAcolyte]

After locking the Starsprite into a safe orbit around Corellia Darla unbuckled herself from her flight chair and stretch out her limbs. After a moment she turned to face her apprentice.

 

"Looks like we'll be alone for a little while, let's try to make the most of it. As you know I like to let you lead me with the training. So let's start with what you feel needs brushing up on or... I could teach you something new altogether."

 

The offer hung there in the air. There were many things Darla knew that she had never shared with her apprentice. The real question was were they things that she should pass on? And more importantly, where they things Nivana even wanted to learn?

 

"It's your choice. I'll let ytou have a little think while I head to my cabin and get washed up. I'll meet you in the cargo hold when your ready, there's plenty of space for us to use it as a training room for now."

 

As Darla showered she wondered if learning the ways of the Darkside had even occured to Nivana. She knew that Nivana was aware that Darla had once been trained as a Sith. Did Nivana realise that Darla was offering to teach her things that other Jedi were forbidden to learn?

 

If that's what she wants to learn she'll ask me and if she doesn't then I won't bring it up.

 

It seemed to make sense to Darla. Either way she would help Nivana to learn all that she wanted to learn. By the time she had finished washing and clothed herself in a snug, black jumpsuit, Darla felt much calmer and ready. She made her way to the cargo hold and awaited Nivana's arrival.

[Niv]

As Nivana cleaned herself up she wondered about what she might need to learn. She closed her eyes in the shower and let the water wash over her as she considered her options.

 

By the time she was finished showering and dressed Niv had decided on what she wanted to learn next. Her footsteps were overly loud and lonely sounding as she made her way to the cargo hold. Before she even got near the area she could sense that Darla was already there. Niv picked up her pace and entered. She greeted Darla with a warm grin.

 

"So good to be on planet again. You think I'd be used to flying by now but it still isn't my favorite thing to do."

 

There was a slight thoughtful pause. "I decided I need to learn how to absorb and possibly assimilate energy. Perhaps learn how to disapate it as well. Could come in very handy in certian situations. Would you be able to teach me this?"

 

She didn't give a reason why she wanted to learn such things and hoped that Darla wouldn't ask.

[SithAcolyte]

"Alright. Thats a useful skill to have and it's something I'm quite experienced with. The force in all its forms and manifestations is just energy when you break it down. You already know how to absorb it bvut you probably dont realise it. So all we really have to do is strecth your perceptions a bit. Try to see the currents of the force, feel them flowing around you. When someone uses the force they are manipulating those currents. Thats what I'm going to do now. I'm going to create a small ball of energy, not much stronger than a force push and throw it at you. Try to concentrate on seeing it as just force energy, which is something you can absorb and assimilate. It won't be very hard if it does hit you, it'll just know you over. Ready?"

 

Darla drew the force to her hand collecting a small amount of its unseen energies in hand and then hurled it at Nivana. The wasn't much push behind it and it travelled lazily at walking persons pace toward Nivana, giving her a good chance to intercept it.

[Niv]

Nivana let out a breath of air and relaxed. She nodded, affirming that she understood what she was to do. Her eyes narrowed a bit as she watched the slowly encroaching ball of energy.

 

She put a hand out, palm facing the energy as it idled along. Nivana let the Force be her eyes and her perception of the surrounding world shifted. The ball of energy was a concentrated area of the mystical current that flowed all about them. The same current that flowed through her. She then beheld and understood that they were all interconnected, they were all one in the same, she, Darla and the energy that now began to press against the palm of her outstretched hand.

 

The power of the energy ball threatened to shove her backward but Nivana steadied herself and instead of trying to fend it off let it seep into her. It spilled into her hand down her arm and felt as if it trickled through her veins to fill her body. She closed her eyes and spread it evenly through her being. She held it in check as best she could and then glanced across at Darla.

 

"I think..." she began then inhaled. Niv let the energy bleed out of herself equally in all directions. It melded back into the the encompassing Force before she finished her sentence, "...I've got it."

[SithAcolyte]

A huge grin spread across Darla's face.

 

"I didn't even need to explain the second part to you. Your understand of the forece runs deep. If you wish to become a Jedi knight, then I think you're ready to take the trials. But after recent events...Do you still wish to become a Jedi? We'd have to take you back to the Council to have you knighted. After Roon, I no longer consider myself a Jedi. Not because I've done anything wrong, but just because I find the lable to limiting. If you ant to become a Jedi, you would make a powerful Jedi indeed. You know I'm very proud of you Nivana."

 

Pausing for a few seconds Darla collected her thoughts.

 

"There are many other things I could show you... But I don't think the Jedi council would approve. If you don't become a Knight, you'll forever be on the outside of the group and some Jedi might even consider you an enemy if I teach you all I know. If you get Knighted, then the other Jedi will have to treat you with the respect you deserve."

 

She didn't want to make up her apprentices mind for her, she wanted to give her choices and let her see all the options available to her.

 

"Do you want to learn about the Darkside? It's a whole other area of the force that you've never tapped into and if you become a Jedi, you never will. I wouldn't want to influence you in any way. If you wish to become knighted, I think we should stop with teaching you anything new and just focus on getting you as ready for the trials as you can be. If you don't want to be Knighted... I you wish to learn of the Darkside... Then I journey will get a little darker from here on out."

 

It was a lot for Nivana to take in, but Darla was glad that she had said it out loud and gotten it off her chest. The future was always uncertain and no-one could ever know if they'd taken the right path until they'd walked a fair distance down it.

 

"I guess you could be knighted and then I could teach you other aspects of the force... That way when you go for your trials they won't sense any darkness in you. If they do they wn't consider you ready to be a Jedi. I still want to help the Rebellion and you're more than welcome to join me, but we need to finish what we've started first."

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

Hou-Jo brought Rajah's ship into one of the docking bays on the planet. He used a mind trick to "waive" the parking fee.

 

"My parents were spies for the Republic, so I'm guessing they had more than decent living quarters somewhere on the planet. I'm not sure if I should try to find their old house here. I would probably recognize their aura there if I found it. You've been around the galaxy, I presume, anywhere here that you'd like to see?"

[Guest]

Passing through the docking bay on a CorSec inspection for contraband with a couple of his fellows, Doppler's eyes raise when he sees a couple walk pass, accompanied by an all too familiar wave of the hand. Though not a force user, Doppler is not an idiot and quickly guesses what just happened.

 

Irritated, he stomps after the two, tapping the force user on the shoulder. Though he did not anticipate any trouble, the policeman's hand strayed to his side, reaching for his blaster. His friends remain aloof, radioing in the report, hoping this doesn't turn ugly and fearing more for their own skins.

 

"Excuse me!" Doppler demands, catching the force user's attention and showing off his badge. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you just used one of your force tricks to dupe that poor guard." With an angry twitch in his mouth his continues. "Heeellooooo, mister force user! Not eveyone's a weak minded plaything for you people! Didn't it also occur to you that we have security cameras that you can't mind trick?"

 

The CorSec officer lets this sink in, figuring he's dealing with some punk kid who happened to pick up a few tricks here and there. "If you don't want to get locked up with an assault and theft by fraud you will go back there right now to pay up, and apologize. And don't even think of trying your tricks on me, boy, or I'll have you in jail faster than you can blink, force tricks or not."

 

Doppler glares at the man, unaware he was a Jedi master, muttering under his breath, then shaking his head. "Every damn 'Eef Eew (F.U.) in this galaxy thinks he can just do whatever the hell he wants... Damn Sith wannabes..."

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

Hou-Jo stopped walking and a piece of rubble fell on the ground in between him and Doppler and he, undoubtedly making him stop as well. The man was doing his job, but if he were try to do any of the things he suggested if Hou-Jo refused to comply he would be biting off more than he could chew. He threw the fee down at Doppler's feet, never facing him, and went on his way.

 

"Well, at least I managed to draw attention to myself as soon as we got here," he told Rajah.

[Niv]

Nivana momentarily revelled in the sense of acomplishment that came from successfully handling the lesson. She then seriously considered Darla's words, her offering.

 

"I do understand that the Force runs deep and through us all. That it is neither light or dark. It is only the Force. It's the intent of the one who uses it that fragments the Force into light and dark side."

 

Her eyes closed for a moment as she thought of Roon. "I won't lie. The darkside is an intriguing subject but it's one that I won't go near just yet. Not after how easily I was angered on Roon." Niv admitted quietly as she recalled how effortlessly Heero had gotten under her skin. "I've still to master my anger. Once I do that I know I will be ready for Jedi knighthood and anything that comes my way there after."

 

She took a deep breath before continuing. "I will finish what I'd set out to do. I will become a Jedi knight. Right now I will focus only on attaining that goal. After knighthood I will make up my mind where to go from there."

[Rajah]

Rajah was about to ask for more info on his parents when she and Hou-Jo were rudely interupted. She bit her lip to refrain from laughing as the interupter confronted Hou-Jo about his mind trickery.

 

When they left the guy behind Rajah finally laughed. She nudged Hou-Jo lightly with her elbow. "He's right you know," she teased, "damned Force users think they can do whatever they want."

 

She wrapped one of her arms around his as they walked along. "You do seem to draw unwanted attention. It's how you ended up with me, remember?"

[Guest]

Doppler picks up the money and stalks away, muttering to himself, despositing the docking fees with the attendant.

 

About two hours later, he makes the news for a major narcotics bust at a local docking station, finding a dead Ewok stuffed with nearly a quarter of a ton of death sticks.

[SithAcolyte]

Darla was kind of glad that Nivana had said no to learning the Darkside and following a non-Jedi path. She didn't want to hold knowledge back from her apprentice but at the same time she din't want to corrupt her either. Just because Darla held knowledge of the Darkside that didn't nessecarily mean that she needed to pass it on. With all the ups and downs that had come Nivana's way over the past year it really was time that the focused on getting her knighted. Adding new knowledge and volatile powers to the mix wouldn't help.

 

This also meant that there would come a day when Darla nd Nivana would part ways. It saddened Darla, but she took some comfort in the knowldge that she would have helped Nivana on her way to becoming a powerful Jedi.

 

"Alright. You shall make a fine Jedi." Darla smiled, taking a little of the seriuosness of the situation away. "We'll spend some time honing your skills then head somewhere where we can find a Master or Council member. Skye or Darex can probably help us out there, I'm a little out of the loop as far as Jedi afairs go."

 

Darla wondered what had been so important the Skye and Darex had had to rush off like they did. She hoped nothing bad had happened to them but quickly pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind so that she could focus soley on Nivana.

 

"So we've been through most things, you're a good combatant, you're control over the force is impressive... Healing. Thats where we left off. I know that it's bnot the most exciting thing to do with the force, but it's helped me to save many lives. I have Skye to thnak for that, she completely shifted my focus. But maybe that's not where you'd like to specialize."

 

Her composure broke a little as she realised that she was babbling.

 

"Some wise teacher I am, huh? I can't even work out what to teach you. This is probably the last time we'll train together before you get knighted and I don't want to teach you anything that's going to be boring or helpless to you in your trials."

 

There was a look of pleading on Darla's face.

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

Hou-Jo lowered his arm closest to Rajah and lifted her up into his arms, carrying her (being taller than her having an arm around him was a little awkward). "Hey, I wasn't doing anything inconspicuous that time, I was just sitting there minding my own business. Besides, to quite the contrary, I was in some need of some attention at the time."

 

He stopped walking and just looked into her eyes.

[Rajah]

She smiled up at Hou-Jo. Rajah fell into the depths of his eyes and it struck her fully then how much she really had missed him.

 

"You may have been minding your own business but your butt was doing otherwise. It was what got my attention first." she said, her smile widening. "That and I just couldn't pass up the chance to sexually harass a Jedi."

 

She broke their gaze and looked around the area. "So where are we headed? And how soon till we get there? The sooner we get there the sooner I can give you some of that attention you so desire."

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

"We're going to my parents' old house. I know it was in this general area, but I don't quite remember what it looked like. I'll be able to recognize their aura in the area. I don't know how long it will take, but it shouldn't take too long to --" Hou-Jo stopped and looked around, he felt something familiar in the building to his right. It seemed like Xen-Que's presence was inside. He set Rajah down and walked up to the door. He knocked on the door but it fell down. He pulled out his lightsaber hilt and walked inside, using the Force to create a ball of light in his hand as he walked inside. The inside was a little subpar, but it was livable in the current state. He found a light switch and flipped it on.

 

"All right Rajah, come on in. Looks like nobody has lived here in a while. Everything seems to be fine, but I don't know why the door was like that. What do you think?"

[Rajah]

She strolled in, her dark eyes darting about the place. It was really wretched compared to the suite she'd had on Byss. Rajah smiled. Though it was a bit run down it was more along the lines of what she was used to.

 

"It's not a bad place." she responded thoughtfully. "Not good either but not bad at all. Odd that the door was like that. Better check the place out entirely."

[Niv]

"You're an amazing teacher, Darla." Nivana reassured her master. "I'm sure anything you teach me, even something that seems mundane today, could be a lifesaver tomorrow."

 

She straightened a bit before speaking again. "About the healing, I do need to learn more. I tried to help someone on Roon but I seemed to hurt him more than anything. He was tinged with the darkside. Is there some barrier that the darkside sets in place that prevented me from healing him? I don't understand what went wrong."

[SithAcolyte]

Darla blushed slightly. She had always thought of herself as something of a failure at teaching Nivana. But seeing Nivana growing into the powerful Jedi that she was becoming proved her insecurities wrong. Even if she wasn't a great teacher, Nivana was certainly a good learner.

 

Nivana's question was one that she could answer as she had some experience on the matter herself.

 

"Those consumed with the Darkside and its destructive energies are often hard to heal with lightside energy. Their body rejects it and fights against it. Even somebody who wasn't that powerful in the Darkside but was fully delving into it might be harmed by lightside energy. There are ways around this. I've seen Sith heal."

 

She thought about Kakuto Ryu and Tarrian Skywalker.

 

"My Master Tarrian could heal through the force, but I think it was her open mindedness and the fact that she had once been a Jedi. Some Sith can just grab ahold of the darkside and force it with their will to regenerate their bodies. It dangerous, such energy could just as easily tear someone apart as rebuild them. A darksider who is willing to let you heal them could be healed by the lightside, if they truly wanted you to do. But otherwise you would have to tap into the darkside to heal them. It's the same principal, you'd just have to draw on a very different part of the force to do it."

 

Darla hoped that this made sense to Nivana and answered her question. Now it was time for another lesson. Darla left the room briefly and told Nivana that she would be back soon. When she came back she was holding a sharp knife from the ships galley.

 

"Ok, just trust me on this one." Darla didn't want to alarm Nivana too much with the knife. "The beast way to heal is through experience, it's the only way that you can really feel what's happening. If I remember rightly last time we tried this you were healing me and I know that you've tested your abilities healing someone else. But healing yourself will give you a better understanding of what happening through the force. Plus this ability could actually save your life one day. Open your mind, hold and your arm and trying to stay calm and focused."

 

Using the knife Darla a deep gash into Nivana's bare forearm, thick red blood ran from the wound.

 

Follow me through the force.

 

With those silent words Darla began the process of closing up the wound and then stopped, the bleeding gash was only partially closed.

 

"Ignore the pain and focus. If you do this right, then there shouldn't even be a scar afterwards and I'm right here to help you if you want to stop."

 

Darla hoped that she hadn't freaked Niv out too much but cutting her, but it was a good way to learn and with Darla there it was a safe experiment, if Nivana were to fail she could easily close up the wound for her.

[Niv]

Nivana did everything Darla has asked but the calming took a bit longer than expected. SHe trusted Darla but the sight of the blade slicing into her arm caused Niv to tense for a few seconds before she pushed the pain out of mind.

 

She could feel the warmth of her own blood trickling down either side of her arm as Darla expertly set to work on the wound. When it came her turn to take over, the steady drip, drip, drip of her blood onto the floor served as a mild distraction.

 

She stared, with what looked like extreme boredom, at her half healed arm. She gently forced together the severed fibers of her flesh and nudged the cells to bond back together. She took much longer than Darla. After several minutes of silence and only the upppermost layer of flesh to fully heal, Nivana glanced up at Darla.

 

"I never thought to practice on myself." She said with a tense little grin as she turned her full attention back to healing the remnants of her wound.

 

She pressed her finger over the exact spot where the cut had been and dragged it along the irritated tissue. As she did this the last of what would have been a scar vanished. But she didn't erase the whole thing. Niv left about a half inch of the scar on her fore arm.

 

"Think I'll keep that. As a reminder, a souvenier," She said quietly to Darla, "Of a lesson learned."

[SithAcolyte]

"A lesson learnt indeed." Darla said with a gentle smile. "I knew you could do it. You've got it nailed Nivana. healing anything bigger is exactly the same it just might take a little longer or a little more focus, but as a wise old master once said 'size matters not.'"

 

Darla grinned knowing that Nivana would know who she was talking about. They had been in orbit around Corellia for some time and there was no sign of Skye nor had they had a comm message from her. She had left them abruptly and not told them where she was going. Perhaps she had gotten wrapped up in something else. Darla was a little worries but also didn't want to waste time waiting on Corellia when they could be getting Nivana's trials under way. She was certainly ready to take them.

 

"I'm going to send Skye a message and find out where she is. We should probably find a Master as soon as we can. I think that you're more than ready to take your trials."

 

With that she head4ed to the cockpit to send her transmission to Skye.

[Skye Organa]

~ Return Comm for Darla, encrypted and secure line ~

 

I'm sorry I haven't gotten there as yet. Darex and I went to a meeting with the Jedi and have gone from one meeting to another. That is why I've been delayed from heading to Corellia.

 

I have some concerns about your ship being tracked. After having gone through all that time with the Destiny's Dream being able to be tracked, I'd hate to have the Jedi's locations found out by our enemies. I don't trust the biotech, especially when you told me who had done it, especially with him in league with the Sith. He was one after all. I think the Jedi need to be protected. After what happened with Helix Station, and his part in it along with the Sith and Empire, I think you should take every precaution to prevent being tracked to any location where the Jedi might be.

 

That is why I didn't tell you where we were going, so that if he did have bugs and trackers it would protect the locations. On Corellia, you will find that there are many shipyards. I'll wire you though a line of credit you could use to purchase a new ship. Once you have it, contact me again and I'll send you the co-ordinates to where you can find us.

 

Love Skye

 

~ end comm ~

[Niv]

Niv couldn't and didn't want to rein in the smile that spread across her face. She felt she was ready for trials too. To hear that Darla agreed with her own appraisal only solidified Niv's belief.

 

"If it's the will of the Force that I be knighted I'm sure we'll meet a master Jedi sooner or later who will administer the trials." She mentioned in a purely conversational tone of voice. "Speaking of trials, who administered yours? Anyone I might have met?"

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

His eyes were closed when she inquired about checking it thoroughly. "I don't sense anyone inside the house, although I feel a familiar presence within the range of my senses, alongside someone I've never met before. I wonder if she's picked a side, yet."

 

He opened his eyes and faced Rajah. "Anything you want to do?"

[Rajah]

Rajah crossed her arms when Hou-Jo mentioned some other female. She felt a slight jab of jealousy. She took in the view of the room for a bit before she responded to his question.

 

"Actually there is something I want you to do." she said with a little smile. "Would you... possibly could you... tuck away your Jedi-ness for a while. I know it's a great part of who you are and it'd be impossible to shut it completely off but could you switch off as much as possible?"

 

She moved to Hou-Jo and slipped her arms around him. "The Jedi Hou-Jo belongs to the Jedi. He'll never be completely mine. I want to spend some time with man Hou-Jo. He's the one I want and I want him all to myself. Just because I'm greedy like that."

 

Rajah moved up and barely pressed her lips against his and pulled away. "Just for a little while?"

[SithAcolyte]

"Talon,do you know him? It was quite informal we duelled with bamboo sticks and all I had to do was strike him in a place that would have been a kill hit with a lightsaber. It wasn't easy though, but I did it in the end. Everyone's trials are different, soo be ready for anything."

 

Darla read Skye's reply and turned back to Nivana.

 

"Looks like we won't have to wait around here much longer. Skye's worried about the bio-tech on the ship and shes thinks that Trowa might be tracking us. I've felt very unsafe myself after having that creature onboard. So she's wired us some credits for her account on Corelli so that we can buy a new ship. Gets your things packed and we'll leave this ship somewhere and head into one of the cities."

 

It didn't take long for Darla and Nivana to find a new ship with the generous credits thatb Skye offered. Darla chose a YT-2000, having always admired the sleek design. She settled in easily and send Skye a another message as soon as she had taken off.

 

This ship she decided would be her own, no tampering, no bio-tech, no leaving it behond or crashing it...For at least a while.

[Skye Organa]

A return comm comes in for Darla on a secure, encrypted line.

 

We're on Gala at the moment for a meeting. Can't wait to see you.

 

Skye

 

end comm

 

The co-ordinates were given on her Jedi communicator, untraceable and encrypted.

[SithAcolyte]

Darla was pleased to hear back from Skye and quickly set in the co-ordinates that she had been given. She plotted several other short jumps first so that she wouldn't be traced and the she'd head to Gala to meet Skye.

 

"Skye and possibly some others are on Gala base. It's a rebel base, so I gues I could ask about joining there, as well as maybe finding someone to help getting you knighted."

 

As Darla spoke to Nivana she 6thought about the tow of them parting. It saddened her, but there was still a lot of hope for both of their futures. She just didn't want her time with Nivana to be over yet but she also didn't want to hold her back.

 

"Well hear goes nothing." she said piloting the ship away and making the jump to lightspeed.

[Kal]

The small ship with a man and a droid apeared.

 

Upon landing the two made way to a place where he was told what he wanted minus a ship would be waiting for him. Upon entering the KVC buliding Kal was asked for his reciept and he showed it to the employee. With a smile and a hand clap he was showed to a operation room. With a quick shot Kal was out like a light.

 

When he awoke he was given a data pad showing the neural uplink was inplanted in the back of his skull underneath the brain. He would now be able to communicate with all of his driods and ships as long as they carried a certin chip on his fequency. Kal was handed a box of these chips and the showed to where his guanlets were wating.

 

Even though these gaunlets had more than a fair share of power and abilites once on it looked simply as if he wore long gloves with two wrist bands underneath his almost always one coat. He was also given back some credits that were not taken but kindly thanked for.

 

Kal looked over in the mirror and liked what he saw. The system was also activted to his brain system. If Kal wanted the buckler to turn on it did with out touching a thing. He was now what he needed to be.

 

Kal returned to his ship and made way back to his home.

[Reagan McGreggor]

Reagan brought the ship down and headed out over the city to the outskirts where her estate lied... bringing it close to the ground, to Adi Wan, it looked as if she was going to crash into the ground... when at the last second, the ground opened up and the ship entered into a hidden entrance to the tunnels...

 

She landed the ship in the docking area and turned to Adi wan... "Okay... we have to take a speeder from here. Come on"

 

She took Adi-Wan and headed to the speeder that was just past the docking area and they started on their 30 minute journey to the estate itself... never leaving the tunnels... the speeder finally stopped and to the naked eye there was nothing there but a dirt wall... but with a touch of her palm the wall opened up to a stairway and the two headed up. Finally, Reagan opened a door and they entered into her home.

 

Putting her things down on the counter, she looked over at Adi-Wan to see the look of shock on his face.

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

"I handed Council control over for a reason. Any ways, that presence is gone, I sense Master Adi-Wan is here now, but he shouldn't be a problem. Little things like that are part of who I am, I can't readily ignore them. You do have me, though, and I'm here."

 

He put his hand on her cheek and put his lips to hers. He brushed her hair back and didn't pull away as he got lost in her sweetness. He lifter her up into his arms and put her down on a couch in the room. The legs broke and it fell a few inches when he got on the couch, but it was barely noticeable. "Let me know if this is too much time with the man."

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