Private A Brief Return

[Jasper Kai'el]

A Brief Return​

---

---

Tags: Aaran Tafo , Valery Noble​

A wave of anxiety flooded Jasper's mind, causing his thoughts to spin. The Jedi temple lay before him, it's familiar steps leading to the place where he had spent his youth, trained, and ultimately failed to take the next step to becoming a Jedi knight. He was alone, even leaving behind the familiarity and comfort of his ship elsewhere on the planet. Still, the exile needed to put this doubt aside. The dreams - no - memories plaguing his sleeping mind were growing in frequency. The face of the old man remained ever present in his mind. Jasper needed to find him. He needed to know where he came from. Unfortunately, that info was held only within the Jedi archives, along with the records of all other Jedi, living and passed on to the force. The exile feared that he wouldn't be welcomed back. It was his own choice to set off on his own, after all. Fortunately, he had found a bit of luck when searching for a guide. Jasper had met a Jedi master on Tython when assisting with the evacuation of refugees from an unexpected Sith attack, Aaran Tafo. To his shock, the master had agreed to take him to the archives, seemingly impressed by his heroics. Jasper didn't think he had achieved much in the way of helping. In fact, he had been rather useless in the face of Darth Carnifex , but he wasn't going to pass on his kindness. Jasper needed the truth.

The exile stood at the steps of the temple awaiting Master Tafo. He felt as if his insides were boiling, ready to explode at any moment. Jasper tried to steady his breath. He may have been an emotional wreck, but he didn't want to burden anyone else with his baggage. All Jasper needed to do was get in, read through his records, and get out. He had fought Sith for god's sake. Why was this so difficult?

"Alright," he muttered to himself. "Just relax"
​

Jasper slowed his breathing, preparing for his meeting.

 

[Aaran Tafo]

It was nice to be back in the old temple again, its hallowed halls held many memories for him. Teaching, learning, strategising. Be it peaceful evenings relaxing with old friends, or fierce debates over the current state of the galaxy and what could be done to improve the lives of those around them. Placing one hand on one of the pillars of the ancient stone temple, Aaran allowed himself to feel very, very old.

And that age had nothing to do with the amount of time he has lived, but rather how he's used said time. Having dedicated the entirety of his adult life to the betterment of others and battling injustice and tyranny. He wondered how much of his efforts would matter in the grand scheme of things? What did his efforts amount to in the end?

He imagined many would jeer and tell him his efforts were fruitless. That he never made an impact, but those would be the same kinds of people who would endlessly try and fail to bring the Galaxy to heel, failing to do every time, their reigns transient and insubstantial in the end.

It was in the nature of living beings to try and shape the world around them, how one shapes the world is how you judge their measure. The issue was that the Galaxy was simply too large for anyone to try and shape on their own, something that many powers in the Galaxy refused to accept.

His muses were drawn away at the sound of the slight beeping of a droid behind him, an indication that his appointment had arrived, giving the droid a slight nod, he made his way towards the entrance, his perception lighting on the new arrival.

A former Padawan, one who in a moment of crisis had shown composure and courage that matched the current Padawans attending this very order, and in some ways surpassing them. Not a small feat to say the least.

"Mister Kai'el, good to see you." He called out as he moved to descend the steps towards the visitor, his face serene as he gave the bartender a curt nod. "I do hope you had no trouble getting here?" His head tilted slightly. "Do you know specifically what it is you're looking for."

Jasper Kai'el Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant | Jedi Temple

With the reconstruction of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant making significant progress, Valery found herself traveling there more often. Recently, she dealt with an infiltration attempt, and every once in a while, she made use of the old Council Chambers for meetings or to receive people needing Jedi Assistance. Today though, she wasn't there for any official business, and only spent the night there before she would travel back home or to her next assignment.

The morning had been for her usual routine of meditation and personal training, and with all of that wrapped up, she was now walking through the halls on her own. It was a quiet day and with everything that was happening in the Galaxy, it was something she could actually appreciate for once. Soon, she'd be out there at the frontlines again, leading Jedi and soldiers through the intense battles to rid the Maw from the Core, and eventually, the Galaxy as a whole.

Today, she could enjoy the brief calm before the storm.

What she didn't know about yet, however, was that others had traveled to the Temple today as well, albeit with more purpose. A Padawan approached the famous entrance to meet another Master, and for him, this day was likely going to be a crucial step into his future. Perhaps it was pure coincidence, or the Force had brought them all to this place today for a reason. She was going to find out soon, one way or another.

Aaran Tafo | Jasper Kai'el ​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Tags: Aaran Tafo , Valery Noble ​

"Mister Kai'el, good to see you."

Jasper turned to see the blindfolded Jedi descend the steps of the temple. The exile quickly composed himself.

“Thanks for meeting me here,” Jasper greeted in response. “I have an idea of what I’m looking for. It’s something in my own records. I’m hoping that whoever brought me to the temple was recorded there. It’s… complicated why.”

Complicated was a generous explanation. Between the dreams, briefly developing new abilities on Tython, and even the tattoos on his left arm, there were a lot of things that Jasper was beginning to question the origin of, mainly himself. He needed that closure.

“I… don’t know where that would be located,” Jasper admitted awkwardly. “I never liked spending time in the archives.”

 

[Aaran Tafo]

A thoughtful hum escaped the older Jedi present, absently stroking their chin as Jasper made their case, nodding slightly before setting off, gesturing for the bartender to follow him. "Well, as it is, I wouldn't worry too much about things being complicated. You're not the first person to come in here with a suitably dramatic or complex background." He mused, hands folding behind as he walked onwards, hoping that Jasper would take the hint and follow.

"It'll be easy enough to find out the details. Cross-reference your name and the date in which you decided to leave, we'll have all your details brought up." Provided the records were part of what was recovered from the attack on the temple, it wouldn't be an overly difficult task. The only real obstacle for Jasper would have been getting the initial access. The archives were not something that people could access casually after all. And woe befall anyone who decided to try and take something without Aeris' permission.

That woman was not to be crossed when it came to protecting her books, that much was certain.

"Of course, I hope you don't mind me asking Mister Kai'el." He began, turning his head to give one Valery Noble a brief nod in greeting before continuing.

"What was it that made you decide to leave the Order?" His tone was polite, merely curious about their reasoning, and more than willing to drop the subject if it was too much of a personal line of questioning, he was fine dropping it.



Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Tags: Aaran Tafo , Valery Noble ​

As Jasper began to follow Master Tafo, the question of his departure from the order came up.
He waited for him to greet a nearby Valery Noble before answering the Jedi’s question.

“I wouldn’t exactly call it leaving,” Jasper explained. “More like a self-imposed exile. I needed time to discover myself away from the order… At least that was my plan. I’m not sure if I’ll be accepted back once I get to the end of the road I’m on. I… didn’t exactly make it clear what my intentions were to anyone when I set off.”

Jasper sighed, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. He didn’t exactly feel comfortable talking about his situation just yet, but he wanted to be as upfront with the Jedi master as possible. A show of good faith.

“Why I left is… maybe a bit childish,” the exile admitted as they continued to walk. “I was passed up for advanced training. After my trials, no masters came forward. I’m not exactly the most naturally gifted individual. A hassle to train, probably. A few reasoned that my reliance on dueling would leave me more vulnerable to aggression. I thought that if I spent some time away to figure everything out, maybe I’d come back… I dunno, stronger? My thought process was kind of in the moment.” Jasper smiled awkwardly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to rant to you like that. I’m not good at these sorts of things.”

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant | Jedi Temple

Having noticed the pair of Jedi talking, Valery dipped her head respectfully in return but moved closer to offer a better greeting as well. When she approached, she could overhear the conversation a little, and focused on the younger of the two, "A lot of Jedi take long meditative retreats to learn more about themselves or their path forward," Valery said, hoping she wasn't intruding too much into their conversation.

There was a reason for it.

"While I wouldn't call it a self-exile, I've been through a time where I was distanced from the Jedi as well to focus on myself. Now I stand here again today, helping the Jedi with whatever we need to do," she said before she briefly glanced at Aaran, waiting to see if he wanted to add something at this point into the conversation.

"There is almost always a way back if you desire it, but what is most important is what you've learned during your time away."

Aaran Tafo Jasper Kai'el ​

 

[Aaran Tafo]

His head twitched slightly in the direction of Valery, another nod of acknowledgement to the holder of his old position, turning to face her fully as she spoke, observing her not through physical sight, but with the force.

As this was the first meeting he had with them, despite having heard much. And initial observations did not reveal anything that was a cause for concern.

"As Master Noble said." He began, figuring he might as well introduce the newcomer who had not done so. Figuring that it was unlikely that Jasper would know their name. "People come and go, if you disagree with things, then you are free to leave. The Force has a plan for all of us, so perhaps you did become stronger in your own way. Or simply gained a new perspective, both can aid in the growth of the self." He said, nodding slightly. "And free to rejoin if you believe that to be your path."

The choice of course, was ultimately up to Jasper. No one here would attempt to steer him in any direction. They were just here to offer choices and information, nothing more. There was no point in trying to control the actions of others, all one could do was let them know what they faced and hope for the best.

"Now come." He said, breaking off and moving down an adjacent hallway towards the archives, but allowing enough space for Valery to join if she so desired. "I believe you came here for answers, and it would be a poor showing for us to not help you find them."


Entering the archives proper, he held out his hand in a grand sweeping gesture. "Now, do not bring in any food, wipe your hands before touching anything and if you value your fingers, make sure you check out anything you take." He smiled, baring perhaps a little too much teeth. "Otherwise Aeris might actually eat you alive." He wiggled his eyebrows slightly to show that he was only mostly joking.

"I can call a droid to help you out. But I'm afraid when it comes to looking through records I am at a bit of a disadvantage."

Jasper Kai'el Valery Noble

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Tags: Aaran Tafo , Valery Noble ​

Hearing the words of both masters put the young exile at ease, enough for him to muster a faint smile.

"I wish someone had told me that sooner," Jasper told the Jedi. "It might have spared me some anxiety... I do hope to come back eventually. I'm just not ready yet. There's still something out there I need to find."

As the three entered the archives, Master Tafo gestured to what seemed to be an endless catalogue of knowledge. Jasper had forgotten how expansive they were. He mustered up a laugh when the master jokingly brought up the current librarian.

"I can call a droid to help you out. But I'm afraid when it comes to looking through records I am at a bit of a disadvantage."

"That would be nice," Jasper replied. "I have no idea where to start."

After giving Aaran the okay to hail a droid to assist them, his attention turned to Master Noble. Her presence was certainly a conflicting one. Confident and composed, yet soft spoken. Her scars seemed to indicate a history of front line combat, yet her aura was a calming one. Had they met in different circumstances, Jasper may have found himself too intimidated to approach her as to not embarrass himself. The exile wasn't the most socially adept individual. He had no excuse not to introduce himself now.

"I don't think I gave you my name. I'm Jasper Kai'el."