A Twelve Day Journey (Solo RP)

[Rasu Gan]

There is no Emotion, there is Peace.​

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There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge.​

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There is no Passion, there is Serenity​

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There is no Chaos, there is Harmony.​

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There is no Death, there is the Force.​

It had been these five lines that had kept Rasu sane up until this point on her pilgrimage. It had been what hadstopped her from breaking down after two of her greatest friends had passed on to the Force. It had been her one saviour when her thoughts drifted back to her daughter, growing up without the presence of her mother. As a Padawan, Rasu would never have believed that five lines would be the saving grace between her sanity and the mental chaos beyond, but now she had grown to appreciate the five tenets of her beloved Order.

It had been hard to tell just how long Rasu had been isolated from her fellow Silver Jedi; her pilgrimage having taken an unexpected turn on quite a few planets, Yavin Four being the primary reason for the deep scar that now ran along her back. Twisting her arm slightly, the Shi'ido ran her hand along the bumpy line. It had shocked her that such a wound could not be hidden through her shapeshifting ability but as she had discovered, this mark was here to stay, a constant reminder of her wonderous journey.

"Exiting hyperspace in five minutes." Rising from her sitting position, the Jedi Master stretched her legs and other limbs before heading to the cockpit, preparing for the next location of her journey. The cool, blue colours of hyperspace greeted her as she took her place in the pilots seat, running her eyes over the data that streamed through on the monitor as they prepared for the exit into real space.

"Greetings to you Master. I hope your meditation has left you at peak efficiency for the descent down onto our next world." Rising from the co-pilots seat, the droid 4V-R9 turned its photoreceptors onto the Shi'ido, its metallic limbs flipping swtiches and turning dials as it made conversation with the Jedi. The droid had been her sole companion during the long trip, and it had been another reason why her sanity remained intact. She had been grateful that the droid had accompanied her, both as a travelling companion, and for the fact that she had to hardly pilot the starship, which fell under one of many 4V's tasks.

"Oh don't you start worrying 4V, I'm more than ready for our next destination." Smiling, Rasu looked back to the final readings on her display before reaching for the hyperdrive lever, pulling it back as her display matched the correct time to exit. The blue clouds of hyperspace disappeared as the long streaks of light came to replace them for but a second. Already the colourful clouds of gas that were the Kathol Rift came into view, and within this nebula was the next stop on her journey.

Aing-Tii.

 

[Rasu Gan]

​

With sweating palms, Rasu turned off the auto-pilot feature and gripped the steering mechanism. It had been years since she had been faced with the Kathol Rift, and still her mind raced back to the previous journey. This time there was only her life on the line and those Padawan's were safely back in their own temples. For all its beauty the Kathol Rift held much danger for those who arrived unprepared or who lacked the ability to touch the Force. The nebula consisted of dense spatial gas and dust that had yet to form stars and as a result make it extremely difficult to pilot through. One might question if the risks were really necessary, but Rasu knew what waited on the other side, and for that she would take on the dangers.

"4V, why don't you go and shutdown for now. I don't need you for this part of the trip and you should conserve what power you have until we reach planetside." she said, not taking her eyes off the evergrowing cloud of colours. Without any response, she could hear the droid leave the cockpit, feeling a small sense of relief ebb over her as the droids mechanical eyes dropped away from her tense exterior. There was no telling how the rift would affect her and since her last experience in the nebula, Rasu was even more concerned for the safety of the ship, however she knew that her droid would oinly get in the way. Every small bit of comfort would help her right now, she wasn't going to underestimate anything.

The craft had entered the rift by now, and Rasu could feel the sweat dripping down from her forehead. Taking a shaky hand off the steering mechanism, the Shi'ido wiped away the beads of liquid before returning it back to the slightly damp device. "Come on!" Disappointed in the apparent anxiety she was showing, Rasu began to focus on her breathing recalling an old training exercise that the Masters on Tython had once shown her. Like a flowing river, her doubts and fears were consumed by the mental current she had formed in her mind, increasing the strength with each concentrated breath. Within moments, her shaking ceased and she could feel her forehead cool. With determined eyes she returned her gaze to the rift, opening herself to the Force to try and latch onto what would be the Aing-Tii monks homeworld.

Electronic navigations would not work in conditions like these, as the Jedi Master had learnt on her last visit, but now she had properly prepared, and as a result she was not startled when the hallucinations began to take effect. It began as a tingle on her left calf, before it worked its way up to her abdomen. She could not help but jump slightly as she felt the fuzzy creature come to rest on her bare arm. Out of the corner of her eye, Rasu could make out the dark creature, but refused to look at it directly, she refused to acknowledge its existence. The arachnid continued its climb up her arm till it rested on her shoulder tickling the skin with its furry exterior. Focusing on her breathing and the search for the distant planet, the presence of the spider soon passed. Letting her body relax, Rasu stretched her legs and found that she brushed past multiple furry objects. Refusing to look down at the horde of spiders that now littered the cockpit floor, Rasu fought the urge to shudder and continued her search.

She did not jump as some of the unwanted passengers scaled up her legs, nor did she cry out in pain as she felt the creatures 'bite' her. She knew that these were hallucinations created by the rift itself and they would pass. Patience was key. However doubt began to creep its way in.

"How long can I last like this?!?!"

 

[Rasu Gan]

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"Where am I...?"

Pure white light filled Rasu's being, cleansing her of the fear and doubt that had once filled her. Opening her eyes, she brought a hand up to shield herself from the rays that consumed the room. Her memory seemed to fail her as she stood up, pondering how she had come to be in such a place of serene beauty. She could not grasp what had transpired before her arrival, only fragments remained, but fragments was all she needed. She was a Jedi. A Master of the Silver Jedi Order. She served the beings of the galaxy as their protector... but then why was she here? She had left the Order to gain greater knowledge, a pilgrimage. Piece by piece the memories came back; the worlds she had visited, the friends she had made and the family she had left behind and with one word all that progress melted away.

"Master."

The Shi'ido froze. She knew that voice, a voice that brought her considerable pain, and yet she still was unsure whose presence she sensed behind her. Shifting her body so that she turned to face the speaker. She could not help but smile as her eyes fell upon Asaak Tey, her old Padawan. She had grown so fast since their meeting on Coruscant. Jedi were not meant to feel pride, but in the case of Assak Tey, she had made the exception. The Togruta had been the Shi'ido's best student and she had even formed a close maternal bond with the young Jedi. Rasu's smile beamed as bright as the room itself, and this only increased as the next two figures seemed to float in.

"Rasu."

Before her, standing either side of Asaak Tey was Sochi Ru and Iella E'ron, two of Rasu's closest friends. Both were Jedi Master's and all three of them had experienced much together. "All we need is Aika and then its a party." she found herself saying, unsure who this Aika person was, hopwever the statement seemed to be amusing, drawing a hearty laugh from the Shi'ido. As the laughing continued, she felt an ebbing sadness rise within her. Before she knew it had happened, she found herself crying, tears seeping down her cheeks. Confused, Rasu raised a hand to her cheeks, wondering whether these were real tears. As her hands brushed against the salty liquid, she recoiled in shock. Why would the presence of her dearest friends cause such a response out of her?

"Rasu."

She jumped back in fright as the three figures uttered her name. Confusion riddled her system now. What had happened? What had she failed to remember?

"Rasu. Rasu. Rasu."

She looked up at the three Jedi again. Analysing each face as if the answer was written on their features. All displayed no sense of emotion, as if each were dead. Revelation hit her like a rocket tram. They were dead, all of them. She hadn't been there to save them, to mourn them. She had been absent, she had left during their final moments before the Force took them. Guilt and overwhelming sadness gripped her. They had come to remind her, to torture her with the fact that she had left them.

"Rasu. Master. Rasu. Master."

This wasn't serene anymore, this wasn't beauty embodified. This was Hell. This was the Dark Side. She had let her feelings create attachments and this was the consequence. Her mind raced back to her time as a Padawan in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, watching the holo-recording of Master Yoda. You must learn to let go, he had said. She had thought attachment had been a positive tool for a Jedi and had disregarded Yoda's words for an older view on a modernised Order of Jedi. She now realised the truth. Attachment was a path that would lead to only pain and suffering.

"Rasu"
"Master"
"Rasu"
"Master Rasu"
"Master Rasu"
"Master Rasu"
"Mistress Rasu"
"Mistress Rasu"

"Mistress Rasu?" The Shi'ido's eyes opened with a start. Her head pounded and her ears rang as a siren echoed in the distant. "Mistress Rasu? Are you conscious?" the artificial voice of her droid companion brought her back to her senses. Sitting upright, a tremor of pain worked its way up her spine, alerting her to the danger that faced them. "I was reactivated once the primary sensor alarm had gone off Mistress. We have arrived at Aing-Tii." Looking out the viewport, Rasu's face was tinted with the heat rising along the extreior of the craft as the plummeted into Aing-Tii's atmospshere. Adrenaline began to enter her system as she pushed the thoughts of the previous hallucination to the back of her mind. Determination filled her very being as she pulled hard on the steering mechanism. As the grey surface grew ever closer, one last thought entered her mind.

"I'll be with you soon my friends."

 

[Rasu Gan]

​

A dry wind passed over what remained of the craft Rasu had called home. Shattered in large chunks, Rasu remembered being pulled from the cockpit as the gravitational pull of the planet ripped the metal section from the main body of the ship. Surrounded by what remained of the craft, Rasu slowly rose into a sitting position, checking that she hadn't suffered any considerable wounds in the descent down. Thanking the stars, the Force and whatever greater being existed in the galaxy, Rasu stood up to get a better view of the wreckage.

The majority of the remains lay only a few hundred meters from where Rasu stood now. Chunks of durasteel and other wires and mechanics littered the path between the Shi'ido and ship. Taking care where she stepped, the Jedi began to make her way over to the craft, hoping to find salvagable material that would aid her in the search for the AIng-Tii monks. A large crunch drew her attention below her as she caught sight of what remained of 4V-R9, its cranial socket appearing to be the only part not entirely wrecked.

"Come on my friend, you're not giving up on me just yet." she said with a small smile. The socket would be able to be repaired and in time could be attached to a new chassis and exterior. She had grown fond of the droid, and would not leave it to rust and decay on this barren world. The pair would end their journey together, in pieces if need be, but they would return to galactic civilisation as they had left it.

Once she had reached the craft, Rasu retrieved what pieces she could before leaving her home behind, wandering off towards what could be an Aing-Tii civilisation.

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One could not distinguish between night and day on Aing-Tii, with the surrounding nebula distorting any sense of time on the planet. During her last visit, Rasu could not help but gaze in wonder at the multi-coloured sky, the gas within the Kathol Rift lighting up the drab barren world. Now however, it did not hold the same sort of amazement that had her fixed as a Jedi Knight. She was here for one reason only, that goal had cost her a ship, a droid and nearly her sanity. It was time to receive some rewards rather than a punishment.

Deciding to take a break, Rasu sat herself down on the harsh surface, placing her back against one of the various rocks that inhabited the area. Reaching out with the force, the Jedi Master continued her search for any sign of the Aing-Tii. She knew that the species weren't exactly the most talkative, in fact they hardly ever revealed themselves to strangers, but she had hoped that for once the galaxy would be on her side for once and let her have her way. Large clumps and auras littered her mind, clouding her sense of direction and making it almost impossible to continue her search. The auras ebbed and faded in size with each passing second, making her search all the more frustrating, but Rasu refused to give in. As the minutes turned into hours, the Jedi began to lose all hope until one much more prominent aura reached out and poked at her mind. Excitement suddenly turned into fear and shock as the being immediately consumed her mind, trapping her within the Shi'ido's own mental vessel.

As the beings mental grip tightened around the woman, Rasu could feel herself losing consciousness. As she attempted one last breath, she felt the earth shift from under her as the rock she had been leaning on, moved and changed its form. Great black eyes looked down on her as her vision grew dark. A powerful voice being all she could remember as the darkness engulfed her.

"You have found us Rasu Gan."

 

[Rasu Gan]

​

"She is awake."

As Rasu regained consciousness, she became aware of the immense pain that ravaged her body. Unable to move, the Shi'ido took a moment to control her breathing and calm the fierce beating of her heart. Within seconds the pain had diminished to a dull ache, leaving only an echo of what had previously plagued her. With nothing left to distract her, the Jedi Master slowly opened her eyes, extending a small tendril of Force energy to search the area for danger. Whatever had overpowered her before would still be present somewhere and the Shi'ido wasn't ready for another aggressive encounter with such a being.

Realising that the area was empty, Rasu rose from her seated position, stretching her stiff limbs as she came to terms with the small room. The four-walled space had been left relatively bare with only a small sleeping mat and chair filling up what was ultimately empty. Her gaze shifted to the narrow archway, the only source of light for the cramped space, and wondered whether it would be best to wait in the room for her apparent captors or to flee and explore what settlement awaited her outside. However all thought of escape vanished as she felt a familiar presence press down on her mind. Frozen, unable to move due to the tremendous power that this being displayed, Rasu showed no reaction as two creatures entered her room, floating several centimeters off the ground.

Both Aing-Tii, for what else would have such power on this planet, looked down on her with their massive black eyes, seeming to analyse every bit of her being. Had the Shi'ido not been forcibly held down by the Aing-Tii's will, her posture would have remained the same. She was awe-struck by these powerful creatures. Each carried a artful pattern of pure white shells that covered the weaker parts of their body. They may have shared a similar appearance to most crustaceans, but through the Force their aura could not be any different. An average Jedi appeared as a bright spark in the massive energy field that was the Force, but these beings compared more to that of a furnace, making even the strongest Force-user appear childish and weak. These were the thoughts that entered the Jedi Master's head as their consciousness came to rest on her.

"We hope you have healed Rasu Gan, for there is much to be done before you are ready to leave the Kathol Rift." the words of the Aing-Tii bounced through her mind as the telepathic conversation continued. "You have come to us for a reason, one that remains unknown to you but we have been expecting your arrival." The words trailed off leaving only an echo of the deep voice. As if this trip couldn't get more insane, now Rasu was left completely dumbstruck. Moments ago she would have been grateful to have even lay eyes upon an Aing-Tii monk and now it seems that they had been waiting for her this entire time. Realising that she had the ability to speak, Rasu responded, wetting her mouth before allowing the words freedom.

"What do you have in store for me?" she began, finding the situation entirely confusing. "I must admit, I'm a tad shocked that you all have been waiting for me this whole time. Why not call for me sooner?" The beings seemed to ponder this idea for a while, if the action could even be considered contemplation. Thin, slimy tendrils slipped out of their mouth, flicking about in the air as the pair turned to face each other. Rasu could not help but stare at the thin tongues as they slowly withdrew back into their owners mouth.

"We have not the time, nor do you have the lifetime to explain the entire situation. Let us be clear, that we do not pass on this gift lightly and only a small number of outsiders have ever been able to leave the Rift with this knowledge. We are placing much trust in you Rasu Gan of the Silver Jedi. We are placing the future of our species in your hands." Without saying another word, the Aing-Tii turned towards the exit and left, floating through the archway, leaving Rasu to ponder on what they had said.

 

[Rasu Gan]

6 months later......

"My ally is the Force."

Six months had passed since the Jedi Master's arrival on Aing-Tii and already the aging Shi'ido had learned a great deal. She had journeyed into the deadly Kathol Rift in search of great knowledge to bring back to her beloved Order and that was exactly what she had achieved. The strange inhabitants of the isolated world were strong in the Force yet they perceived the great energy in ways that the Jedi had never thought possible if not even logical. To them, the Force was not as splintered as the Jedi and Sith believed. The Force was not just a light and a dark side, but a multitude of shades ranging from the light through to the dark. Through this, the Shi'ido had learned to manipulate the energy fields through techniques known only to the Aing-Tii. Time and space were no longer unreachable limitations, yet her abilities were nothing compared to the centuries of dedicated training that the Aing-Tii presented.

The species had been difficult and emotionless instructors, but Rasu was able to achieve results and the Aing-Tii seemed to have been pleased with her progress. All the while they continued to speak of some unknown threat, one that not only place the inhabitants of the RIft in peril but the entire galaxy. The anxious group had been sparse with information and as a result the older woman was unsure whether this threat would even arise in her life time yet her instructors had emphasized the importance of learning and passing on their techniques. Rasu was not going to argue with those who had a greater understanding of future events than any known species. Therefore here she found herself, packed and ready to depart, her back to her instructors as she gave her farewells.

As the engines ignited, Rasu gazed at the small fighter craft. The Aing-Tii had scavenged this craft for unknown reasons and thankfully had imparted it to her in the hope she would return to the known galaxy and aid her brethren in whatever from of conflict had erupted. Climbing into the cockpit, Rasu began the warm-up procedures, taking a moment to gaze at the position where the Aing-Tii had stood; now empty space. The Shi'ido felt no regret or sadness as the craft began its ascent into the colourful atmosphere. She had not particularly liked her teachers nor had they been fond of her. Their relationship had been of necessity rather than choice. She was grateful for the knowledge that they had imparted but that was where her kindness would end. This would be her last visit to the Kathol RIft.

It was time for her attention to turn away from her inner conflicts and skirmishes to the greater galaxy. She had been in hiding too long and it was time to let the universe know that Rasu Gan had returned.