A Headpat and a Meeting of Ghosts (OotG)

[Alexandra Feanor]

Alderaan, The Former Temple of the Grey.​

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Two months after the first returned student of the Order​

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Garden of the Grey​

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Alexandra sat alone in the garden she kept clean and orderly, unlike most of the old temple. There were a few reasons for the overgrowth but the chief one was the time she had spent away from her home and as such time itself had claimed the old temple. It had not been longer than six years when she had returned a year ago, but that didn't mean that the place was not special about it. After all the center of the garden housed the very reason she considered this place her home and what she considered to be the greatest achievement of hers.​

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For years there had existed this tree, created by her order a long time ago when she was in her previous body and as far as any would tell she was no longer that person... well except for those that had met her after the change. None the less her hand found the bark of the tree that stood infront of her, following the lines in the side of the living being with a exhale before her eyes closed.​

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That was when the true nature of the tree. It was the center of a nexus created long ago to provide a sense of balance for the Temple, while deep underground there had once been a forge for the darkside... the latter was destroyed long ago and all that stood now was the tree. She could not bring herself to destroy this though, this nexus that had been created not only by herself but by the power of her former students and fellow teachers. Instead she had spent the last year providing her own power and acting as a conduit to grow the nexus that seeped into the area around the tree because of it.​

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Two months back though, a curious young one had appeared at the gates of her home and it had brought a question to her mind, this form of the girl. [member="Tindōmiselde Tokani"] was her name and it was a change that had brought her into the mind of reviving her broken order. Right now the younger one should be asleep, it being the dead of the night but yet she felt like she knew Tokani was not, among other things as she sat there with her hand against the tree. She could feel the forest and as she sat there she could feel more than what was normally there.​

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There had been another though in that time since, a young kid who had left Voss to travel with her and it had left her a bit unprepared concerning things. His name was [member="Karrus Zorathi"] and he was yet another that she could feel outside of Tokani. Two single blips of life inside the old temple, possibly asleep, likely not though if she expected them to be a bit curious as to Alexandra's constant nightly disappearances to the garden above their heads and the Nexus that it sat within. It was intoxicating to be in a place that made you feel like nothing mattered and there was no evil thoughts within after all.​

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Animals were small on the scales of life, something that passed the attention of someone like her easily. But when one was tied to the force so strongly she knew that it was something different, and when there was more than one someone tied to the force so strongly, and heading in the same direction she knew what the destination was. The signatures moving through the force, the new life that introduced itself and grew closer, it was heading for the temple as if it knew what was here. "Hmm..." She was curious and excited. It would seem someone else had come home... who was it.​

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[member="Saran Drast"] [member="Veino Garn"]​

 

[WolfMortum]

This was a place the likes of nothing that Karrus had ever had the wonder of exploring before. Previously all his exploits were taken up by the disgustingly busied city worlds where buildings stretched as far as the eyes could see and blotted out the sky with a layer of smog that the lower levels had to endure; here however he found himself quietly walking the stone corridors lined with moss and overgrowth, barefooted so not to make a sound and disturb anyone or possibly get in trouble for being where he shouldn't, the youth seemed taken by the old temple seemingly embraced by the beautiful sight that nature was around it, the tree's, the grass, the blue sky to offer balance to the amount of green that flowed so nicely alongside the smooth stone works; this place made leaving Voss feel fruitful and worth-while, not only that but he knew he'd made a friend.

[member="Alexandra Feanor"] was somewhere within the Temple though at such a late hour of the night he suspected she would be asleep. Still not accustomed to the new surroundings, Karrus had been unable to find the right comfort of his new sleeping arrangements no matter how nicely accommodating they were, it just wasn't the same without the sounds of the street outside of his window, without the speeders flying by overhead or the shouts of frustrated and angry civilians picking fights like back home on Eriadu. Even after the two years spent in the Academy, he'd had to compete with the conversations the students shared during the nights while he slept or rather tried to, having found it so difficult to make friends there.

Safety and ease of mind was found in the constant possession of the training lightsaber that he'd been offered while at the Academy, though the lightsaber was incapable of any real harm, it did Karrus well to feel the weight of it in his hand or otherwise attached to his belt while he wandered the new world. His attire had thankfully changed since Voss also, harboring a much more casual look about him, a tan/brown pair of pants and a light blue top, short at the sleeves and neck while his feet bore a pair of walking shoes, a cheap purchase before they'd made the trip to where he now found himself. Wherever that was exactly...

Karrus had asked very little of Alexandra during their trip, he hadn't really given their destination much thought after the way she'd treated him prior, so welcoming and kind unlike the majority of others he'd come across, she'd made him feel comfortable enough to join her in her pursuits, trusting her more than he did most people within such a short time frame. To argue for her, the force felt contained around her, not as chaotic and unhinged as it did around those unable to control it or give it any real acknowledgement for what it was, no, Alexandra he knew had some experience behind her and while it hadn't driven him to follow her, he did wonder just what she'd been through in the past and what she knew about the mysterious gift that he shared with so fewer number in the Galaxy.

 

[Tindōmiselde Tokani]

[member="Alexandra Feanor"] was right in thinking Tindōmiselde was not asleep, even though she would look it if someone came in. In fact, she was wide awake, meditating in the room Alexandra had given her, in a tank top, shorts, and a snuggie. Concentrating on the Force was one of the few things she had taught herself on her way to the temple. Opening her eyes, her ears picked up the slow pat of feet on the ground. Wondering who else would be up at night, Twi stood up and walked towards the door. She opened the door and saw the other kid she had seen around lately walking down the hallway. She smiled and closed the door behind her and called out to him quietly.

"Mind if I join you?"

[member="Karrus Zorathi"]

 

[Saran Drast]

Saran was quiet as she stalked towards the temple, adjusting the Taozin amulet on her arm. She hoped to jet close enough to the temple without being noticed by the Order of the Righteous Flame. The group controlled two noble houses, and just getting on planet was hassle enough with being an ex-jedi. The people in control of the planet weren't always friendly to her kind, but having served in two invasions for the Republic, even if they had been six years ago during the Sith Wars. Tensions were still high for the Alderaanian noble houses. She sighed as she entered the clearing, an audible whisper as she looked on the temple for the first time in years.

The temple was in massive disorder, but she could see a few people still inside. She studied the forms for a minute. Alexandra she recognized, but she looked different. Sort of like Vulpsen had. Interesting. Slowly building up force power and pushing it through her legs, she lept to the roof, landing on the edge of the garden. Sliding the Taozin amulet off her arm, she walked carefully towards the center of the garden, each stem near silent. Being on the move for so long and raiding slave ships gave the Miraluka practice in walking silently. Not that it mattered. Everyone in the temple could sense her now.

[member="Alexandra Feanor"] [member="Karrus Zorathi"] [member="Tindōmiselde Tokani"]

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Saran Drast"] [member="Tindōmiselde Tokani"] [member="Karrus Zorathi"] [member="Alexandra Feanor"] [member="Bryce Bantam"]

He had begun his travels once more- slipping from world to world as the Force and circumstances (Perhaps they were the same) guided him. He knew someone else out there as well. Bryce Bantam from the far side of the galaxy. He had stops to make before slipping his way that direction though. Alderaan in now neutral galactic space and vulnerable to One Sith expansion. Strange to think how he had fought two battles on that planet and here it was vulnerable again. Word had it though, that the Mandalorians would aid and assist them due to family ties to the Royal Family. The planet should be safe in that case, even if the Order may not be.

He could see the temple in the distance- rising above the ground and overflowing with plants by the look of it. He frowned and adjusted his pack. That was no good. He'd have to go through and weed everything to get his gardens back where they were meant to be. What had Alexandra been up to, letting the gardens get overgrown like that?

He caught the thought on the tail end and gave a half smile. Such thoughts. What were their purpose? Nothing, truly. Just idle thoughts. He paused for a moment to take deep breaths, letting his essence diffuse into the Force. Not as deeply as he once could, but enough that his presence and his identity would be barely too fuzzy to identify. It would be quite the surprise when he showed up. Back from the dead and all. That didn't happen too often. Well, it had before with Krest. But not often. That was the difference.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Tindōmiselde Tokani"] [member="Karrus Zorathi"]

Alexandra's eyes shot to the side almost the instant that Saran revealed her presence and stopped trying to keep her approach a silent one. Then there was the other spike in the force from the other direction, this one still keeping it's true presence hidden from her and she sighed as she stood slowly and drew her hand away from the tree. In the first two seconds after letting her hand leave the trunk, bright light would push out of the seams in the bark and the valleys of her palm, veils of light that were silver and pure. She had grown to providing her connection to the force as a lifesource for this tree past its own, something that she had tied herself too much in the same way Daeda was tied to her.

It was interesting feeling the two signatures, and her hand drew out those veils with a swift strike of her hand through the air before letting it take hold on the plants around her and feeding it into them with a smile on her face. She sent out then in the force a inviting wave of thought, a message for those two newcomers to come closer and enter the gardens on the roof of her home. Whoever these two were, it was about to become very interesting when they showed up... what she would do we these impromptu guests, was another story.

[member="Veino Garn"] [member="Saran Drast"]

 

[Saran Drast]

Saran stepped around a corner, walking to the bright light in the center. She liked it up here. The brightness could hurt, but she could see up here. She had no idea what was in the basement, but she was afraid of it. Whatever it was, she couldn't see. A churning, tangible blackness. Not something she liked the idea of. The closer she was to the heart of the Light Side Nexus, the harder it got to focus on anything else. It was so... beautiful. This was what she loved about this temple. The blinding beauty of the Light side Nexus. Most Force users could feel it. The Miraluka could see it.

She's stand there for a minute, her legs sore from jumping up, just on the edge of Alex's vision. She had forgotten how it had looked. Transfixed, she stared, head pointed to the tree.

 

[WolfMortum]

[member="Tindōmiselde Tokani"] surprised him, so much that he jumped a little when the door behind him and a little on the right closed and he turned sharply to see the other, a girl a fair bit older than him. Karrus hadn't really spoken to any of the others yet, he'd seen only a couple figures briefly in passing and this seemed to be the first time someone was actually talking to him. "Uhm, yeah sure..." He sort of murmured in a slight daze not having expected anyone else to be up so late; added with the element of surprise on her side of things, he fumbled a little with his hands at his front, cocking his head a little to the left as he looked back at her questioningly, "I thought I was the only one still awake..." He said with a little more confidence, clearing his head some, enough so to concentrate on what he was saying, "Kinda still getting used to this place, I'm a little new here" He offered a brief yet polite smile before turning to glance back in the direction where he was headed now wondering what to do with the added company.

As he continued to walk, albeit slower at first so that she could catch up with him if she so wanted, his eyes wandered the halls, as if trying to take in the little details of the place. Having spent so much of his time alone, Karrus had gotten used to the idea of taking in as much information from the places around him in case he ever got lost and needed to find his way back but this Temple was different, here he had been told that he'd be safe, safer than he was out in the streets. Safety wasn't exactly an aspect of life that he knew all too well, he had never been safe before, perhaps at the Silver Academy on Voss though even then with knowing and growing comfortable around so few of them, only Ryn'Dhal at ever really earned his friendship so it was 'Safe' to say that even in this new place, this new home of his, Karrus wasn't entirely prepared to let go of his old habits; nor open himself up so quickly to the others. Not that he didn't want friends, he'd simply never really had them and lost more people than he'd ever really gained in life.

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Karrus Zorathi"] [member="Saran Drast"] [member="Alexandra Feanor"]

Veino paused and knelt at the entrance way, running his fingers through the overgrown vegetation. It had been trampled lately. More than once, so people were still coming in and out. Alexandra, no doubt and these new students he could sense. Not distinctly. They felt young and excited and certainly not near their full strength, although neither was he, in all honesty. But that was the point of learning after all. To grow in wisdom and connection. Not power, per se, although knowledge was power. So perhaps that was not quite true. He stood again and strode into the main area and felt the surge of Light from the Tree. So that was still there. Excellent, he could still remember helping create that nexus.

They were up the stairs a ways and while some people were fine with Force jumping all over the place, he found nothing wrong with walking. Sure it took longer and was difficult at times, but it was worth it. He paused at the top near where others had gathered. He knew them both, surprisingly. Now was the reveal. He half-grinned at the thought of their reactions. He dropped his Force cloak and swept the great-hat away from his head.

"Alexandra. Saran. Nice to see you two up here again."

Veino looked different now. Stranger, as a heavier load seemed to carry itself on his face and shoulders, but physically, he appeared young again. Except for the scars of course. All the old lightsaber scars were still there and now they all were tinged with silver. Especially the ones from Togoria that followed his cheekbones. In the darkness of the night, they seemed to shine with their own light. Or perhaps reflect the star and moonlight. And his eyes too, still green, now carried a misty gray to them.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Saran Drast"] [member="Veino Garn"]

Was a sight that she could do nothing but smile at. She had always been a face that Alex had come to appreciate seeing from time to time, and now was ever the best time to see an old friend like her. It was a hug that she had to give the woman first, reaching out as she approached and wrapping her hands around the woman without hesitation. It had been long since she had seen the friend and as she hugged the woman her head fell forward against her.

"Saran Drast... i hope that you are doing good." Her voice sounded and as different as her body. Instead of the woman who had spoken with a true confidence to her words, she seemed soft and almost fragile in the way she spoke. Alexandra after all was no longer that woman, that woman had been torn apart along with her body.

Then that sparked a difference, a change that caught her eyes as the other presence revealed himself and his face. The voice shot through her and as she let go of Saran, her head turned to look at another of her friends, one who she had heard died. Her hands curled up into fists as she stared at the man, unmoving for a few seconds.

Then her body broke into long strides as she stared directly at him, heading in a beeline as she still managed to avoid stepping on any flowered plants in the still tended to portion of the garden. "Veino, you god damned..." She brought a hand up as she pushed within a meter of the man but instead of punching him like she had Krest so long ago, her body fell forward and she started crying instead against him. "Both of you... It's so good to see you..."

 

[Saran Drast]

Caught off guard by the hug, Saran just sat there stunned for a moment before holding Alex. "I've had my ups and downs." She seemed uncomfortable. She wasn't used to hugs, not even from family. It was weird to her, and yet, she didn't pull away. Alex seemed different, the strong, proud woman she had known more shaken than anyone she had met. Maybe more than Saran had been when Jacobs died. She wondered what had happened to put the woman she had looked up to as an inspiration in such a state. Before the words to ask could form, though, she heard Venio's voice. She let go of Alex wordlessly as the woman pulled away, taking a half step forward as she started to swing at him, only to watch her collapse onto him. "Alex....." The knight's voice trailed off for a second as it quivered. "What happened to you?"

[member="Alexandra Feanor"] [member="Veino Garn"]

 

[Tindōmiselde Tokani]

"Yea, I'm still getting acquainted with the area as well. In fact, I think we haven't properly met, which I find silly considering we're the only ones here other than Master Feanor." Twili smiled brighter as she and [member="Karrus Zorathi"] continued on down the hallway.

"I'm Tindōmiselde, but I insist you call me either Tinúviel or Twili. And you?" Once they were acquainted, the two students would come to the stairway leading to the rooftop. Staring up the large spiral, Twi felt the presence of her master, [member="Alexandra Feanor"], and the almost overwhelming presence if the light side. Strangely though, she also felt the presence of more people.

"Have you ever wondered where Master goes at night? I think we should find out."

[member="Saran Drast"] [member="Veino Garn"]

 

[WolfMortum]

[member="Tindōmiselde Tokani"] confirmed that there'd really only been the three of them around recently, Karrus had wondered why it was so quiet when the Lady Feanor had spoken formerly of the friends that she'd had, sparing a glance back over his shoulder, he turned to let Twili catch up while he spoke out in open question, "So this whole place is for us then? I've hardly explored much of it yet, it's really quite big...-I like all the tree's and plants though, they make the walls look really cool..." The forest life spreading out across the stone clearly wasn't an intentional decoration to the Temple when it had originally been built but Karrus didn't much think about what it might've been, he liked how overgrown everything was, it reminded him that there was still a world outside of those walls.

She introduced herself and offered the few abbreviations, Twili sounded like the easiest one to remember so he chose that quietly and nodded in acknowledgement, offering a faint yet somewhat shy smile in greeting before soon introducing himself, "My name's Karrus Zorathi...-I'm from Eriadu but I spent some time on Voss with the Jedi before I ran into Alexandra, she seemed nice and I really liked Daeda too so I guess coming along with them seemed like a good thing to do.." He made it sound as though he were there on a whim, the decision itself hadn't been one that had taken a great lot of thought, that was true, he'd very much made it on the moment but at the time, it had seemed so right, so sure that it was the decision that he needed to make; he didn't know why but Karrus was still happy that he'd come, even if it was quiet.

"Mm...-Sure, okay..." He soon added as Twili suggested they go and find [member="Alexandra Feanor"].

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Alexandra Feanor"] [member="Saran Drast"]

Veino stopped in surprise as Alexandra fell against him, crying. She looked like she had been about to punch him, which he had braced himself against. But instead, she was leaning against him and crying. He wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair and making soft quiet noises. Her emotions and feelings were reverberating around him- confused, relived, conflicted, and more stuff than he could work out. Once it was stronger, it would be better, but not yet.

"It's okay, Alex," He said softly, "I'm back. Really back."

For the most part, anyways, as far as he could tell. He certainly didn't think he was a true and proper ghost. Not in the traditional sense anyways. But he was certainly back and he was different. Although he wasn't entirely sure how he changed. Having lost a portion of himself certainly didn't help. Even now that Bryce had given it back to him, he felt differently.

"How have you been?" He asked, looking up to Saran.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Veino Garn"] [member="Saran Drast"]

Alexandra had stood there for a few more seconds, staring at the back of her lids. The two she had once trusted in were back, after years of betrayal, or solitude, or lies, or torture inside. She cried for the fact that they were back, that they were here before her and that she was standing here crying infront of them. She could feel veino's hand and Saran's voice as she tried to take ahold of her consciousness again. Her lips soon formed a smile as she leaned her head against Veino still, only turning it finally to look at Saran in the face, her entire being was in a different shape both mentally and physically now, and as she looked at Saran with tears still staining her face, she spoke.

"What happened is that i am no longer the person that had been crafted from before. Instead i am someone far different. I have a Second chance after all, and this time i don't plan to squander it." Her eyes focused in on Saran, still watering as she spoke and smiling lightly. Her hands reached up while she stood there, trying to wipe clear her face before turning back to the tree and walking to it, waving for them to follow her. "I need to sit down... both of you, come here."

 

[Saran Drast]

Saran stood there for a moment, head tilted, thinking about what Alex had said. Second chances were one of Ashla's rarer gifts, and she was glad Alex was that lucky. But to the Knight, there seemed to be something more. She had seen Vulpesen recently, as he tried to make a shield between the criminal world and the innocent. The problem was, Saran was a soldier in the GLC, and she knew all too well that subduing an enemy was rarely effective in most combat scenarios. And she had the scars to prove it. Still, she had expected him and Alex to both be there. Hadn't they been together? Wasn't his fiery tongue the reason they were kicked off Yavin IV? What had happened between them?

How long had she neglected her friend?

She followed Alex to the tree, a few paces out of punching range. "Are you alright?" She asked, her hesitation clear in her voice. "You seem...." Her voice trailed off as she looked for the right word, "Broken"

[member="Alexandra Feanor"] [member="Veino Garn"]

 

[Tindōmiselde Tokani]

Twili looked around and shrugged affirmatively. SHe hadn't thought of it before, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. I mean, they did come to learn here, so they should explore and know their surroundings, right? Yea.

"Nice to meet you, Karrus, and I'm pretty sure you're right."

Twili led [member="Karrus Zorathi"] up the stairway softly and quietly, hoping to not disturb anyone that was up there unnecessarily. As they came up to the exit, Tindōmiselde's ears picked up a soft sobbing along with seemingly more voices. Motioning to Karrus to be quiet, Twili tiptoed over to the already slightly opened entrance to the garden and peeked through to see if anyone was there, but it looked as if they were deeper in the forest that had accumulated over the years. The two padawans would continue silently down the worn down path until they almost reached the clearing where the other Grey had gathered.

"Huh? There are more people up here?" Twili was genuinely confused about this and she stood there, stopping to wonder hiw these could have possibly gotten there.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Saran Drast"]

(Veino had to go do RL stuff for the next month or two if im not wrong, so we will just say hes sitting down with us or weeding.)

Alexandra was busy brushing out the silvered robes she wore, her eyes closed as tears still stained her face lightly. Only when the words hit hear ears did she stop moving almost immediately, her hands shaking a small amount as she had to clasp them together to stop it. For a few seconds she said nothing before turning her eyes in the direction that [member="Tindōmiselde Tokani"] and [member="Karrus Zorathi"] were coming from. They weren't here yet but she could feel them coming closer.

Only after noticing them did she turn her eyes back on Saran and Veino, hands leaving her lap to touch the roots of the tree she so loved and was connected too. Additionally Daeda moved from her robes, sitting on her lap and watching Saran with the same eyes that had ever watched over his companion in the time the two knew eachother, though his fur was pure white at this point. It was a reflection of Alexandra's position in the force as it were but one would probably be unable to tell considering her current emotional state.

"Saran, you were always too concerned in others. Tell me about whats been happening in your life while the Order has been separated. Her hand tightened on the root as she fed the tree with her own energy like normal. She avoided the question, avoided talking about all the pain, distrust, worry, and betrayal she felt because she knew it was all wrong. It was the fact she felt it which tore her up. She knew that she hated the past and what the others had done to her in the past, but she would not act on that hate. She taught control and understanding of one's emotions, and that meant all of them. Otherwise she would lose the power she treasured so much, the only thing she still had.

 

[WolfMortum]

Karrus followed [member="Tindōmiselde Tokani"] as they neared the others, not realizing they were the only ones within the grounds and expecting the temple to have been more lively like the Academy back on Voss, it didn't come as much of a surprise to him that they would see [member="Alexandra Feanor"] talking to someone else. Twili seemed to pause and Karrus' eyes moved to take in the reluctant and older girl with a hint of curiosity not really understanding why. Then, without a great deal of warning, the boy left her side and stepped out into the open view of the area smiling to himself as he neared Alexandra. [member="Veino Garn"] was the intriguing player of the game of life in the area, Karrus looking to the male and offering a slight wave, "Hiya" he announced himself to the both of them, slowing to a standstill just a meter or two from them and waiting politely to see if he wasn't interrupting the pair. If they were to welcome him closer then he'd oblige but otherwise, he turned to look back for Twili to see where she was and if she'd come with him or not.

In all honesty it was nice to see movement in the place, grateful to have the new company, Karrus was getting too well acquainted with being alone of late. He was starting to become rather eager to discover what this group did for a living, what they were all about and where they were tied in with all the other Force Users in the Galaxy. It was always entertaining meeting new people and learning how they lived, how they acted compared to the others he'd met or come to know.

 

[Saran Drast]

Saran frowned. She had dodged the question. Hmm. She sighed as she sat near her friend. "I wandered, mostly. I tried to keep the GLC going, but that fell through." She paused, thinking about what else to say. "I worked as a shockboxer on Zeltros for a while." She gave a little smile there, she had enjoyed that. There was a period of quiet for a moment, before [member="Karrus Zorathi"] and [member="Tindōmiselde Tokani"] approached. "We pick up new students?" she asked. Then she went silent, staring into the tree. Quietly, she pulled out a small crystal. The simple purple gem was her tool for calming herself. Simple kinesthetics, really. after a few moments, Saran probed again. "What happened with Vulpesen?"

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]