An Object Lesson

[Dune Rhur]

The Silver Jedi Temple, Voss


A new day had dawned on the world of Voss. Birds sang raucously and the smell of fresh dew was on the breeze. Among all of this sat a Bith in a simple brown robe. The gentle warmth of the sun felt good on his skin.

He was waiting but it wouldn't seem that way. There was no hint of impatience in the way that he sat. Passersby would think he was merely enjoying the morning. But he was waiting on a newcomer.

[member="Thema Csapla"] was a Chiss and he knew little more. He'd asked her to meet him here before the Temple. The Bith wanted to learn by experience. A profile could only state cold fact.

He smiled imperceptibly as a butterfly landed on his upturned palm....

 

[Thema Csapla]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

In a world of politics, standoffs, and deception, first impressions were everything. Even if the Jedi Order was slightly less hostile, Thema had come prepared. The Chiss, against her preference, was cloaked in her standard Jedi robes. It looked rather well on her blue frame, but in a way, she felt awkward in it. As if though the robes were just a bit too heavy, a bit too loose.

'Nevermind.' The woman thought, making her ways into the natural gardens the Bith Master had chosen as their meeting site. In a few hours, she'd be learning all sorts of aspects of the Force. Master Rhur had quite a reputation as a Consular- Perhaps he'd be the one to sharpen her knowledge.

Squinting as she stepped from the inside of the bike terminal into the sun, Thema's head swiveled around, red eyes searching for the Master she'd been ordered to find. In a few seconds, she honed in on the pale-skinned alien, meditating in the middle of the gardens. "Well then-" She said, preparing herself as she paced over towards the Jedi Master.

"Good morning, Master Rhur." Thema announced herself, stepping over a patch of flowers to stand in front of Dune. Following his example, she sat on the ground, taking in the sleepy tranquility of Voss' sunrise.

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Thema Csapla"]

The butterfly's wings twitched in irritation as the woman drew closer. It could feel her energy and it flitted away as she stepped over the flowerbed.

"Hello, Thema."

He turned his attention from the fleeing insect to the young woman before him. The Bith said nothing for a long moment. He instead studied her for a long moment. Thema's posture spoke of confidence and certainty.

The Chiss' aura in the Force was less certain. That didn't surprise the Jedi because it happened with every apprentice. Even he was the very same way not so long ago. No doubt she was eager to begin.

But still he sat in silence without breaking eye contact. His goal was not intimidation but to see how she would react. This was something a profile couldn't account for. Sitting across from her was real.

 

[Thema Csapla]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

For a moment, she was equally silent, looking at her with a forcefully rigid expression. Slowly, that politeness turned into confusion. Then, boredom. Five minutes in, and she'd decided to occupy herself by drumming her hands on her thighs, as if waiting for the master to reply. She didn't expect him to. All she wanted to know was what the Master was getting at.

"Is..." She spun around, to inspect her surroundings. "Is this a test, Master?" She asked, jerking her head off the other side. Thema had always known the Jedi were awfully cryptic, she just hadn't expected something this head on. "Do you not speak much Basic?" She guessed, turning back at her. "Because I can find us a translator droid. Unless if you know how to speak Shyriiwook. It's a pain on the throat, but the growling is pretty poetic once you understand it."

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Thema Csapla"]

The Jedi had to stifle a laugh at her reaction.

"My Basic is adequate, for the purpose," he said but then switched briefly to Bith "We could, however, converse in my native language."

"No, Basic will be fine," he switched back to the almost universally spoken tongue.

She was absolutely correct that it was a test. He was pleased that she was so perceptive. The lack of patience could be worked on. Experience would certainly help more than anything.

They would be underway soon. He did have some questions for her first.

"What do you hope to gain today?"

 

[Thema Csapla]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

It was now certain to her that if that had been a test, she'd had failed. At least she could predict the Jedi's actions with some ease.

"Well..." She had to scrunch up her nose at the realization that, she didn't really know. What did she hope to gain from Master Rhur? Knowledge? Experience? A friend? Lightsaber training?

"As you know, I'm a Consular." She said slowly, elaborating upon her ideas as they came out. "And as consulars go, you're experienced, whereas I..." She frowned, clearly uncertain. "Sometimes, I wonder why my kyber crystal is green." She expressed, gesturing with her hands. "I want to learn about the Force! I do! But... I'd rather travel the galaxy, like a Guardian." She explained, recalling the countless times she'd been placed on the field along with more militarized, expansive Jedi. "I come to you for guidance, Master." She summarized, finally collecting her ideas.

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Thema Csapla"]

"The idea of a Consular or a Guardian is a relative thing, I believe," he said "I'm a Consular insofar as I act in diplomatic roles."

He patted his lightsaber hilt without removing his gaze.

"My crystal is blue because the Force guided me to this crystal on Illum. Beyond that, I'm not really certain why."

"Travel throughout the known galaxy and perhaps even beyond is certainly something you can do," he said with a nod.

He also found travel quite exciting. Old ruins, natural wonders, libraries, cities and countryside all presented new chances to learn. The Force was in everything. Understanding more about everything was to understand the Force.

That was his view on the subject. He would perhaps speak on this later.

"Today, we will travel here on Voss. The Old Paths contain thousands of years of history and much can be learned."

He stood and adjusted his robes.

"If you're ready, we can proceed."

 

[Thema Csapla]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Thema glanced at her own saber, confirming the crossguarded weapon was still there. The sight of the thing was reassuring enough to make her stand alongside with the Bith, braving herself. "Well, you'll have to be my guide. I'm new to this system." She confessed, sighing, and readjusting her belt. "Besides-" She added, with a charming smile, "I'm just the student." With no further remarks to add, the Chiss stood behind Dune, waiting for her instructor to start in whatever direction. She knew the planet was brimming with Jedi history- She just didn't know where. She'd never really expressed an interest in Voss, aside from the fact the Silver Sanctum held it's capital there.

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Thema Csapla"]

"That's why I'm here," he said.

He motioned for her to follow. It was time to head out and they'd have plenty of daylight. They'd be taking a land speeder there from Voss-ka proper. Dune would take them there for the sake of simplicity.

He'd been on the Old Paths several times in his life. It was still as beautiful and fascinating as it'd ever been for him. Dangerous, too, if you weren't careful. The Bith knew what to look out for and anticipated no trouble.

It was a short trip via the craft and their course was an almost straight line. Dune carefully set the speeder down on the grass about 100 meters away. He stepped out and gestured to the towering trees ahead. "The Flamewood," he said as an introduction "Almost as old as Voss itself."

They covered the distance and stood in the shade of the woods' edge. One only had to see the thickness of the trunks to understand how truly ancient this place was. A hard-packed dirt trail began under their feet here. Dune could only imagine what these trees had lived through.

"Do you see these trees on the edge, thicker than two humanoids side-by-side?," he asked "These are mere saplings compared to those futher in."

"Even those have supplanted trees far older. To these trees, a thousand years is nothing."

He began to tread the packed dirt and he motioned to the trail ahead of them.

"Consider that countless beings have walked here even before the time of Revan."

He could hear the sounds of life all around them now. The patter of squirrels and the songs of birds. Leaves rustled gently as creatures moved about deeper within. The light dimmed a little as the foliage began blocking it a few hundreds meters on.