The Eternal Vigilance (The Maw)

[Goodwood]

As Ben'a came back into the room where he and Nahstaa had been practicing before, he took one of the silvery objects from his burlap bag. Hiding the bar in his robes, he walked up to his Padawan, smiling.

 

"Good, you're taking the first steps. But you must do one better if you wish to become adept at the lightsaber."

 

Putting down the large bag, Ben'a extracted a helmet from it. Placing it on his apprentice's head, he flipped down the blast shield.

 

"Your eyes can decieve you, so don't trust them. Trust in the Force, Nahstaa, and you can work wonders..."

 

With his apprentice blinded, Ben'a slipped the silver bar out of his robes and threw it at Nahstaa, aiming for his helmeted head.

[Skye Organa]

"Do you feel ready for this mission?"

 

Skye returned her Master's gaze and thought about his question. Was she ready? It was a good question”¦ she thought she was but until the mission truly got underway she wouldn't know for certain. Whatever happened she was going to do her best. She'd use the skills she had been taught and try and keep herself out of trouble.

 

”œI think I am Master. I've learnt a lot since Hoth and don't intend to make any of the same mistakes again. You've taught me so much, I only hope that I don't disappoint you.”

Edited July 23, 2004 by Guest

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex enjoys the brief time spent with Skye. However, the time ends and she soon leaves.

 

Darex turns back to Ish. "Our friends stay put about as long as a wampa with a way off Tatooine," he chuckled. "I guess that's the life of a Jedi though."

 

He fell silent after saying this, thinking and opening himself up to the Force. It washed over him, and he caught an echo of that icy darkness he had felt earlier. It scared him, and he wondered what was causing the feeling.

 

Darex stood up. "Well, I'd better get some rest. It's been a long day. I'll meet you here tomorrow for breakfast as long as nothing happens," he said with a smile. "See you around."

 

He walked out of the mess hall, stopping only to check on Kamsie. After seeing that the Caamasi was asleep, he turned and headed to his quarters.

 

Upon arriving there, he took of his boots and sat crosslegged on the floor. The light side of the Force whispered to him, but he couldn't understand what it was saying. He continued to meditate over the day.

[Ish Ka Bibl]

Ish felt bad that everyone was leaving. He got a sudden com from Jaina which invited him to go with her. Though he was sarcastic, he felt maybe he was not adept enough to handle whatever Jaina was off to do. He commed back encrypted:

 

I'm sorry, I don't feel it would be proper for me to come, I'd probably get in your way. I will see you when you get back. Have a safe journey. Best!

 

As he was sending his message Darex got up from the table and wished Ish a good day. Ish accepted Darex invitation to meet for breakfast the next day with a resounding nod. He himself thought maybe he should get some rest, as Darex had gone to do.

 

Wearily he made his was to his quarters and decided to grab a shower before he was wisked off to sleep. He needed to meditate and train as well, but that could wait until he woke up. The shower was welcome, but not more so than his bed, which he fell on like a weighted balloon. Soon enough he drifted off to sleep

[BLCKCLONE]

BC kneeled as his mind went blank. He was meditating on the future. Before he would leave with his fellow Jedi he knew he had to relax his mind and body. He saw flashes of the sith and a new leader. He cringed at the thought the Jedi would be helping one sith topple another. Rising quickly he looked to Goodwood.

 

Tell me everything you know about this future mission. Where have your received your information?

[Tares Vortex]

Tares shook his head, "For this mission, the knowledge you have learned will serve you well. I feel like there isn't much more I can teach at this level that may be helpful to you."

 

"Is there anything you wish to learn?"

[Skye Organa]

Skye fingers the lightsaber hanging from her belt. It was a borrowed one, the one that Orrick had given her back on Hoth and while she had practiced with it, she didn't feel a connection to it that she felt she should. She knew she needed more practice with it although that would come with time, but that wasn't what she wanted to ask about. Looking back up at Master Tares she answered him.

 

”œI would like to know how to make my own lightsaber Master”¦”

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

Hou-Jo rose from his seat in the Council Chamber and went to speak with BLCKCLONE.

 

He looked through the cooridors of the Vigilance. He felt different, his heart was somewhere else. Not with the Jedi, he feared.

 

When was the last time I did something for me? When will I stop revising the Jedi and begin my own story? I must speak with Gantoris.

 

Eventually Hou-Jo came up to BLCKCLONE and stood near him. "Hello Master... I want to speak with you about something important. It is somewhat urgent. If you don't mind, I would like to speak somewhere more private."

[ObliviousKnight]

Being abruptly alone--again--doesn't faze Armiena. She just eats her meal in the relative silence. Before they got up she managed to catch another emotion off of them--a sense of purpose. Some sort of mission? She wishes that she could go with them, but in her completely-untrained state... she was a good pilot and decorated soldier , but if this was a battle against the Sith--she feels a surge of hatred at the mere thought of their kind--she would be way out of her league. She would be getting in the way. There were probably a few people like her staying behind.

 

She pushes away her meal, and realizes the time. For it being so late, she wasn't tired at all--though her nap could attribute to that. She gets up and follows the familiar stench of old sweat in the corridors to the training room. Some of the equipment she had no idea of its identity, but some of it is very familiar, like the track.

 

Armiena loses track ((pun intended)) of her laps after a while. She barely notices the sweat trickling down her body.

[Prophet K]

After his rest Camsie rose. Caamasi were early wakers. He could faintly feel that Darex and Ish were in a suspended state. Probably sleeping. He could also smell that Darex had been in the room earlier. Glancing around the room Camsie decided it needed some redecorating. Pulling out several herbs with medicinal values he began planting his own little garden.

 

He remembered that Ish said he was interested in the flora and fauna that had some value to the world of healing. Perhaps he would show him his vast collection. As Camsie walked out of the room it closely resembled a rain forest.

 

Following his nose he arrived at the training center where he saw Armiena who he believed to be the woman that had approached Skye, Ish and Darex. The Caamasi sat down in the stands and watched as she ran laps.

[DaCheat]

After Neo left, Calen went about his own training. As a blind old man, he knew that keeping fit would be required in order to serve best. His plan for the young Neo was just begining, something he personally looked forward to....

[Th3Tru7h]

**Neo awoke, with a start, and literally rolled out of bed to the cold hard interior of his ship. Shaking his head violently, he force jumped to his feet. As he did so he force pushed the bed shut, and walked off back to his Master's training room, bowing to him as he entered. He knew his Master could feel him inside the room, his exact movements, his exact features his thoughts. Neo did as he would and went over to the corner and sat silently.**

[Tares Vortex]

With a smile Tares said, "I hoped you might say that. The art of creating a lightsaber is a skill that tends to be passed on from generation to generation of jedi. The key components of a lightsaber requires three major things, the hilt case, the inner workings, and a gem. Everything which we have onboard."

 

Moving to the otherside of the room, Tares activated a computer interface. On the screen appeared a program, "You will need to find all the different inner components in the supply bay located on deck 2. Before this though, you may design the layout of your hilt. This program will let you design how the hilt will look, creating a personal touch to it. Once you are done, the ship will forge the hilt while you look for the components. Any questions?"

[DaCheat]

Calen smiled, "Ah, Parasite. I hope you had a good rest last night, you will need it. I figure that it's time you learn about harmony in the Jedi sense. I have yet an other surprise for you, but first run with me."

 

Stepping up, Calen walked onto the track and motioned for Neo to follow, "I want you to tell me about your experiences with the Sith...."

[Skye Organa]

Skye follows her Master over to the computer, giving thought in regards to questions for him about the construction of her saber. None come straight to mind but she does get a vision of how she would like the hilt to look. Glancing at her Master first Skye gives him a quick smile before putting her ideas into the program, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she enters her requests.

 

Firstly she wanted it to look very streamline, having small hands she wanted something that she could hold comfortably, something that would fit perfectly in her clenched hand. The lightsaber she had been using was too wide for her palm and she often felt as if she would lose her grip on it.

 

She designs the hilt wide at the top with a slight narrowing down to the base, with a handgrip made for added comfort. It will be silver in colour with black markings along the side. She added that she wanted the symbols for the runes of protection, defense and strength along the top of it, level with the activation plate.

 

She looks back up at her Master, getting the nod to go for the other components. Letting the ship begin the construction for the hilt she uses this as an opportunity to exercise as well, breaking into a sprint on her way down to the supply bay on deck two. Arriving there only slightly out of breath, she takes a moment to refocus before being her search.

 

She wants this saber to be like an extension of herself so wants a connection to every part of it. She stretches out with the Force to locate the first of the inner workings of her saber. She is drawn in the direction of a large cylindrical container along the far wall. Jogging over to it she lets the force surround her as she opens the container. Inside she finds various power cells, letting the force guide her to the right one.

 

Carefully she places it in the bag she had brought with her and stretched out with the force again, this time being drawn over to the right corner of the storage bay. It was not a container that drew her but an item on it's own, lying on the floor”¦ a belt ring. This too was added to the bag and she concentrated through the force for her next item, being drawn to a medium sized crate.

 

The only problem with this crate was that it was stacked up high on several others. Not seeing an easy way up to it she takes a run up, using the force to jump three parts of the way up the stack, making herself lighter and climbing up until she reached the top crate.

 

Skye balances herself carefully while she removes the lid, again using the force to locate the right power conduit for her lightsaber. Replacing the lid she sends another force feeler out to locate her next item”¦ it also is up high on another stack of crates but instead of jumping to the floor she looks up to the rafters. She leaps up, catching hold of one of the beams and swinging herself up to a sitting position on top of it.

 

Getting to her feet she carefully makes her way across the beam to the next stack, lightly dropping down onto the center of stack. In this create she finds her emitter matrix, carefully placing it with her other items and looking around again. Stretching out she senses where her next item lies.

 

Dropping lightly down to a lower stack Skye pauses, being drawn in two directions. She decides on the stronger pull first, turning to her left. Right beside her is a small brown box. Opening it she finds several assorted switches. Concentrating further she lets the force guide her to the safety switch. Smiling she turns to the other box that drew her, finding both the blade-length adjuster and the recharge socket within.

 

Now all she needed was her crystal. Stretching out she found that what she wanted was not near, not in the storage bay. Dropping quietly and lightly to the floor, Skye heads in the direction of an inner beacon, finding that she is retracing her previous steps and finding herself back in the computer room with her Master.

Edited August 10, 2004 by Guest

[Darex Trevelian]

The darkness in the room threatened to overcome him. It was cold and made Darex feel that he could never have any hope. He walked through the empty corridor, following a silent call. He came to a large room. Inside, he saw two people clashing lightsabers.

 

He moved closer, though trying to keep out of sight. His heart raced. He tried to make out who was fighting. Ducking down behing a crate, he gasped when he saw what was happening.

 

One person was someone that Darex had never seen before. However, he knew somehow that it was the Dark Lord of the Sith. The other, breathing hard, was Skye. A body lay on the floor, and Darex could tell that it was Tares.

 

He watched the battle, unable to move and help. The Dark Lord spun and slashed horizontally with his blade, catching the tip of Skye's lightsaber and flinging it wide. Skye hurried to bring the blade back around, but the Dark Lord was quick. With a flick of the wrist, Skye's blade went flying towards the spot that Darex was hiding. Skye reached out with the Force and tried to call the lightsaber back to her, but the darkness was overcoming her. The weapon skittered toward her and then stopped.

 

"It's over," came the voice of the Dark Lord. "Surrender to the Dark Side. Give in to your anger!"

 

"No," Skye struggled, her voice barely a whisper. "I won't give in."

 

"Foolish girl. Only by surrendering to your hatred will you save the ones you love."

 

"You already killed my master and my brother."

 

"There is another that will be very...sad...to hear of your death," the man said evilly.

 

Skye gasped. "Don't hurt him. He has no training."

 

"The means of Darex's death has already been set into motion. Your other friend, Ish's, has already been carried out. Give in to the Dark Side and I might be able to spare Darex's life."

 

Darex could see the struggle in Skye's eyes. He tried to yell, to tell her that he'd be fine, but no words came out of his mouth.

 

A look of resolve came over Skye's face. "No. I won't give in."

 

"Then die," the Dark Lord said simply. Arcs of lightning raced out of his fingertips. Skye screamed in pain, writhing on the floor in agony.

 

Darex cried out, his voice finally coming to him. "Skye!!" He tried to stand, but his feet were rooted in place. He had no weapon, no training. There was nothing he could do but stand there and watch her die.

 

Darex woke with a start, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. For a moment, he thought he could still hear Skye's screams. It was just a dream. I was just a dream, he told himself.

 

He went to the 'fresher and splashed some cool water on his face, trying to wash away the memory of the nightmare.

 

I need to do something. I need to train. I can't let that nightmare become reality, he thought. Another voice chastised him.

 

Patience, Darex. A Jedi has patience.

 

"But the mission that all the Jedi are leaving on has something to do with the Sith, he argued with the voice aloud. "What if they're going to confront the Dark Lord? It could happen."

 

Calm down and think, the voice advised him.

 

"Okay, let's see," Darex said, continuing to speak out loud since he was in the privacy of his own room. "Skye and a bunch of other Jedi are leaving on a mysterious mission. It has to be dangerous, or else the council would only send two or three Jedi. I must have been thinking about that when I fell asleep and that's why I dreamed about it."

 

What about Skye? the voice pushed.

 

"I just saw her again after a month or so. That memory was fresh in my mind," Darex said, trying to rationalize all the pieces of the dream.

 

What about what the Dark Lord said?

 

"He said...that he would kill all those who loved Skye. Tares, her brother, Ish, and me. I guess that proves that I still love her," Darex said, surprising himself.

 

He continued to think for fifteen minutes when the grumbling of his stomach interrupted him. He grabbed a quick shower and headed to the mess hall to meet Ish.

[Prophet K]

Realizing the time of day it was, Camsie stood from the stands and walked out of the training room. A hand trailed along the side of the hall as he wandered aimlessly.

 

He stopped at many spots before giving into his stomach and heading to the mess hall. As he entered he spotted Darex. He looked a bit... disturbed, but he was also waiting for someone. Presumably Ish.

 

Walking slowly towards Darex, Camsie took a seat at his table.

 

"Mornin', Sorry for disappearing before."

[Th3Tru7h]

**Neo began a slight jog that turned into a run. As he caught up to his Master, he started talking.**

 

"I was trained under the Master Kakuto Ryu, a very vile creature. He taught me everything I know now, he taught me how to kill, how do manipulate. Everything."

 

**With that final word, flashbacks of the Hutt Palace broke in through his mind like a bull in a china shop. He saw him fighting Jareth that he took to the Sith Academy. He saw when he came back killing Mike, stabbing him, as he inflicted very little damage to Neo.**

 

"I was a true Sith, I completed my trails almost killing my foe. I was a great Sith until my second apprentice came, he was horrible, not knowing anything. I despised of him, so I promoted him to a Lord and vanished from my order. Then I became a Jedi, which I will stay until I pass away."

 

**He started to speed up, there was nothing else to tell, that was his life as it ended up today.**

[BLCKCLONE]

BC looked to Hou Jo. He placed his hand on his shoulder as he spoke.

 

What bothers you my brother? What do you need to discuss with me?

[ObliviousKnight]

Armiena completely loses track of time while running. She could hve been jogging for hours for all she cared. She hears 2 people enter the training room, but she ignores it.

 

Behind her, he hears Neo talking about his experiences with the Sith. Ex-Sith? Can you really say that about anyone? Perhaps ex-scum, ex-murderer? She feels a surge of hatred coming.

 

In her anger, she steps foot in a puddle of sweat, and slips. She falls unceremoniously onto her stomach, banging her head on the ground. Embarrassment makes her anger all but forgotten.

 

"Ouch," she says to no one. "I'm alright." At least she turned her head in time to save her nose from being broken. She pushes herself back up, her hands almost slipping again.

 

She wasn't hungry, but after showering off she heads to the mess hall.

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

Hou-Jo looked at BLCKCLONE in the eyes and was hard at saying what it is he wanted to say.

 

"Gantoris, I want to... retire my seat on the Council."

[Keiran]

A sith infiltrator popped out of hyperspace over the planet of Manaan. Keiran, at the controls, guided the Strife IV into the hangar of the Eternal Vigilance and walked down the boarding ramp.

 

Keiran looked around at the activity in the hangar and waived it off.

"Two of my students are now productive members of the order... I feel like a grandfather of sorts..."

 

Keiran began walking around the ship, letting his feet wander, before long he saw HJP speaking to BC in a hushed voice, Keiran couldn't pick up what they were speaking of but he knew it was important. Keiran simply stood at the side, waiting for the pair to finish.

[Ish Ka Bibl]

Ish woke up refreshed from his slumber. He decided to go resume some of his exercises that he had neglected since he first arrived on Manaan. I put on his sparing robes which fit rather snug and over them he put his green robes.

 

As he made his way to the gym, he passed the atrium, which he longed as well as his training to return to. He entered the training area, he found it relatively deserted. A fact which he reveled in. He shed his green robes, and sprung instantly from the floor towards the opposite wall taking huge strides. He let the force envelope him. He was like the wind on the plains of his home planet. Moving in what would have looked like a blur to someone standing still he rebounded off the wall, and attempted to jump up towards the ceiling. As he began to jump though, he lost control within his mind. He was about three meters off the ground as this happened, and he fell towards the floor his own displeasure.

 

Making his reaquaintance with the floor he chuckled and rubbed his head. He got back up from his sitting position to repeat the exercise. He had a long road to go, but he promised that he would work more often and hard from now on at the few simple exercises he had learned on Hoth.

[Prophet K]

Taking Darex's silence as a sign of wanting to be alone the Caamasi stood up with a sigh. He grabbed a slice of bread from the counter before he went on a brief stroll through Eternal Vigilance's corridors.

 

He stopped briefly in his room where he tended to his medical herbs, before drifting towards one of the computers.

 

Smiling Camsie let his fingers glide over the keypad accesing several things before finding something that interested him. The journals of a Caamasi who was once a Jedi. Unfortunately he was on Camas at the time of it's destruction. The logs were interesting and it seemed as though this Caamasi and Camsie thought almost exactly alike.

 

Reaching the bottom of the first log a smile reached his lips. He recognized the name of the Jedi. Why? Because the jedi was his great grandfather, Iesie the Healer, as his clan called him during his days on Camas.

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex saw Camsie sit down at the table, but get up and leave quickly. Darex had been about to say something, but he shrugged it off. Obviously the Caamasi wasn't in the mood to talk.

 

He sighed. Ish was...in the training room, he discovered through the Force. Actually, that sounds good right now. I need to practice.

 

Darex stood up, leaving his untouched breakfast on the table, and headed to the training room. Seeing Ish springing off the walls, Darex smiled and gave a great Force-leap, flipping in mid-air. The moment his feet touched the ground, he spun and Force-sped across the room towards Ish. To an outsider's eye, it would appear that Darex was going to run smack into Ish, but the Force told Darex at the last possible second when to jump. He flipped over Ish and landed with a broad grin.

 

"I thought you might enjoy some company," he said.

[Nahstaa]

The helmet slipped over nahstaa's head, and everything went dark... The dark, the cold, sweeping tearing... Wrenching his thoughts away from that death trap, he closed his eyes, and forgot about the helmet...

 

As he was centering himself, he had lost his awareness of the room, and only saw the bar at the last second... he managed to dodge the full blow of it, but it still glanced off of his helmet... Within a second of this happening, he had restored his awareness, and reactivated his lightsabre, feeling himself once again flow through it, becoming a part of it, and making it a part of him...

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

Hou-Jo looked down at the ground as not to look at BLCKCLONE, he didn't even hush his voice, he spoke a normal tone, "What's more, I plan on leaving Manaan. I need to take a break, ever since I became involved with the Order, that is where my devotion lied. I haven't had time for myself ever since, there's nothing more to me then being a Jedi. I want to learn more... I want to be more. If you would want to allow me to stay a Council member in my absence, then that is your decision. If not, maybe the seat will be waiting for me," Hou-Jo gives his two lightsabers to BLCKCLONE, "because I'm coming back for these."

 

Hou-Jo stepped back from BLCKCLONE, "If you feel it is best, give my lightsabers to the Blademaster Xen-Que, but you should decide on that. I have encountered him several times that I was in trouble and such, I might see him during this leave. Until next time Master, farewell."

 

Hou-Jo turned away from him and walked away. He passed Keiran, shocked. Hou-Jo looked back down to the ground as he walked and went to his hangar. "Velhart, if you want, find another Master... or seek me out. If you are meant to find me... you will."

 

He activated his starfighter and took it from the hangar on Manaan. He left the atmosphere and left Manaan.

[Goodwood]

"Concentrate, Nahstaa!"

 

Ben'a watched with some concern as the silvery metal bar glanced off of his apprentice's helmet. Though he had tried hard not to admit it to himself, training someone who was used to the abuse the Sith routinely put their new members through was a lot harder then teaching one who has been untainted by the darkness. But even as he recognized this, Ben'a knew that the both of them would be stronger for the effort; his apprentice for willfully embracing the light, and himself for taking the time to help. As his Padawan ignited his black lightsaber, Ben'a called the bar back to himself with a flick of his hand.

 

"You must unlearn what you have learned, my apprentice. The absence of light is not evil, therefore it is nothing to fear. A Jedi knows not fear, when the Force is their ally."

 

With the helmet still on Nahstaa, Ben'a began to recite the Jedi Code to him, his voice soft, almost ethereal, making the words wrap about his apprentice as warm blankets on a cold day...

 

"There is no emotion, there is peace...

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge...

There is no passion, there is serenity...

There is no chaos, there is harmony...

There is no death, there is the Force..."

 

As he spoke, Ben'a silently extracted two more objects from his bag...

[Tares Vortex]

As Skye returned, Tares smiled at the sight of the components she had collected. Waiting in his hand was her brand new hilt, simply an empty shell. He sat the hilt on the table then made his way over to a wall.

 

From a hidden panel slid out several different gems of different colors and properties, "You now must select your gem. From there we will begin construction."

 

Once she had selected, he began to guide her through the process of building the saber....

[DaCheat]

Picking up his own speed, Calen laughed, "I wouldn't be too sure if you are to stay here until the day you die. That still remains to be seen if you really belong back with the Jedi. Until that is determined, you still are a parasite."

 

Stopping in his tracks, Calen motioned to a large arena to the side of the track. In the arena lay a vast array of boxes, poles, and other force testing equipment, "Lets see how well your force powers have developed. Please use each of them now...."