Faction Answers, for those who Seek (Jedi!)

[Coren Starchaser]

Word had reached the Jedi Coalition. Word from Wayseeker Jedi Master Coren Starchaser. A long time paladin of the Jedi Order, he balanced himself between the various Branches of the Orders, serving as the closest the Jedi Order had to an active Barsen’thor, but wearing the moniker of Wayseeker. During his time away from the war front, and able to come and go when the Force called him to such a front, he had been working on exploration of the past of the Jedi. So much was left still to be re-discovered since the Great Purge of the Galactic Civil War. Utilizing a Jedi Compass, he had found himself hopping between worlds in the Unknown Regions. And this time, he found something new. But something that required even more than his own gifts.

An encoded message was sent out to the various Jedi Order, no one in particular, but not omitting any group aside from the ones actively needed on the war front:

Meet at Coordinates. Seven Cycles.

A traveled and researched Jedi would see the world not terribly far from Ahch-To, Rakata Prime, and Jedha. Coren himself was already on site, operating out of the Tachyon Rising on this unnamed world. The Force was strong here.

The message was encoded with best hyperspace lanes from the world of Jedha, and the remains of Csilla.

As the Jedi would arrive into the system, they would be greeted with a view of a blue-green world, surrounded by faint rings. The world seemed to teem with life and the Force, but it wasn’t all peaceful. The balance was found, life, death, birth, decay, warmth, and chill, reminded the Jedi what they were here for. To learn of the Force.

As they entered the planet’s atmosphere, the coordinates would adjust, flying them low to the coast of the main continent, over craggy shores. What would really grab their attention was the seemingly carved rocks visible from where they would see a very familiar YT-2000 freighter, and whatever ships arrived in the previous days. When the Jedi landed, they were greeted by a pair of Protector War Droids and an orange and white R7 unit. Flanked by a few different BD units.

The droid, Porter, would greet the Jedi as they readied themselves, projecting a holo of Master Starchaser. “Welcome to UR-9463. I really need to come up with a better name. Maybe in time we all will. Porter here is providing you with the location of what I believe to be a Jedi Temple, however ancient, I am still not aware. It should not be more than half a day’s trek to my location, through the Gate before you. I have taken the liberty of providing several ropes and ziplines to assist your trek. I shall see you when you arrive. Be mindful of your training, there appears to be an anomaly that is working to cloud the mind of those coming for the wrong reasons. I shall see you when you arrive.”

Welcome to this thread. Watching Rebels, figure we could do a good old fashioned Temple dive. Partly a DM’d thread, partly a writer-led. I’ll be doing my best to post twice a week to keep everyone updated. This is open to all Jedi, and intended to be a thread to help characters interact with the Force and the meaning of being a Jedi, but maybe not the type of Jedi you suspect. If you have any ideas on what you would like your character to find/accomplish in the temple, send me a message.

For now, arrive at the planet, land, and make your way through a craggy, damp cliffside, down the river and through the Gate. Be aware of flying wildlife, and Force anomalies that may cause you to get lost or tripped up.

 

[Dair Cotarin <inactive>]

The Starlit Hope leaped into the system from hyperspace only a few parsecs from the planet. Dair angled his ship towards the planet, towards the coordinates provided in the message. A blue-green orb like so many out in the void of space, but this one had a presence in the Force.

Dair had met Coren long ago, in the early days of his knighthood after the fall of the Republic. In a way, it had turned out that Coren Starchaser was something of what Dair wanted to become. He had spent so many years in the Republic and after its fall at war. Armor had become a second skin, and his hand felt amiss without the hilt of a lightsaber in it. Whether it was frontal assaults on One Sith fortress worlds or Shadow missions behind the lines of a previous incarnation of the First Order to gain intelligence on the nascent Ren force organization, the Valkyri had spent a lifetime at war. It had even gone to a point where Dair had secluded himself on the Valkyri homeworld of Midvinter to try to reconnect to his center in the Force, by reconnecting with the people from which he had been taken at such a young age. During his time secluded, his old friend and part time mentor had risen to lead some Republic exiles, and then vanished, vanquished on the Sith world Korriban. His death had brought Dair back from seclusion seeking a deeper understanding of the Force, and to try to utilize his skills from a lifetime of war to help others in a way that felt at least as meaningful to him. That goal had brought him to find the Jedi Pilgrims out in the rim and the Circle of the Light Hand, those his training in the ways of those Jedi sects was still early, he felt it was the right road to walk.

The first tremors as his ship hit the atmosphere brought Dair back to the present, and he guided his ship through the fiery shield and down towards the coast. His coordinates shifted slightly, and he found himself angling up a coastline before spotting a Corellian freighter that could only be Coren's ship. Dair banked and brought his ship down next to it before powering down all systems and preparing to depart the ship.

“Welcome to UR-9463. I really need to come up with a better name. Maybe in time we all will. Porter here is providing you with the location of what I believe to be a Jedi Temple, however ancient, I am still not aware. It should not be more than half a day’s trek to my location, through the Gate before you. I have taken the liberty of providing several ropes and ziplines to assist your trek. I shall see you when you arrive. Be mindful of your training, there appears to be an anomaly that is working to cloud the mind of those coming for the wrong reasons. I shall see you when you arrive.”

"Thank you," Dair spoke directly to the droid with a nod, then looked out towards the Gate through which he would soon be walking. He reached out with the Force to try to sense what might be coming, but the future was ever-shifting to his vision.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

The Repertoire shot down through the clouds of the new world, having come from the Outer Rim planet of Svivren and carrying not only Caedyn Arenais but also Mathieu Brion , the pair had both been on the receiving end of Coren Starchaser 's invitation and with the assistance of Caedyn's droid co-pilot "Lexas", had made a rather timely arrival to the designated rendezvous, landing only a short distance from the YT-2000 freighter as well as Dair Cotarin <inactive> 's Starlit Hope.

“Welcome to UR-9463. I really need to come up with a better name. Maybe in time we all will. Porter here is providing you with the location of what I believe to be a Jedi Temple, however ancient, I am still not aware. It should not be more than half a day’s trek to my location, through the Gate before you. I have taken the liberty of providing several ropes and ziplines to assist your trek. I shall see you when you arrive. Be mindful of your training, there appears to be an anomaly that is working to cloud the mind of those coming for the wrong reasons. I shall see you when you arrive”.

The droid was an unfamiliar presence, however, upon seeing the holo-image of Master Starchaser himself, Caedyn couldn't help but grin faintly to himself. The two had met some time ago now whilst the Jedi Knight still served within the Order of the Silver Jedi, in the early days of his training Kyra Perl , Coren's own daughter. Master Starchaser had also been a close friend of Veiere Arenais, Caedyn's father and so between the two, there was a wealth of history and mutual interests worth investing in.

"A half-day's trek after being seated so long on the voyage here sounds perfectly fine to me" Caedyn responded lightly, turning to spare a glance to Mathieu Brion who had not come from Svivren as Caedyn had but been picked up along the way, a member of the Silver Jedi himself and having known Caedyn from those times in the not so distant past. "It will be good to see the old man again after so long" Caedyn added with a soft chuckle, soon moving on ahead, searching for the owner of the Starlit Hope in the case that they might stumble upon Dair Cotarin en route to this ancient Temple where their host awaited them.

 

[Adonis Angelis IV]

Breaking out of hyperspace above the unknown planet, Adonis felt a bit of imposter’s syndrome. He had been trained for a few months before the Jedi in charge of his training sent him on this quest as a liaison from the Galactic Alliance. His current mentor, Jedi Master Zash, told him that given his battle abilities he would be able to best the challenges this planet faced and if he could do that, his life as a Jedi would be all the better for it. The six-foot-tall man, semi-tall for his species, still felt the sense of being so small when faced with new celestial bodies. The beautiful rings of the planet wrapped the colorful planet perfectly.

Unlike most of the other Jedi that would be traveling to this new planet, Adonis was sent in a craft provided by the Alliance. He had not been given his own ship yet and he did not have nearly enough credits to afford to buy one for himself. Luckily, he was technically inclined enough that he knew how to pilot the ship. The coordinates were simple enough to navigate and he felt the tug of the ship change the closer he got to the planet. The view was breathtaking, the crashing waves matched up against tall rock formations were enough to take his breath away if he didn’t remind himself he was here on official business. While the ship landed, Adonis could feel the Force breathing on the planet, pulses of energy coming in and out over his body. Whatever the mission here was it was going to be out of his league, but the corporal was never afraid of a challenge.

The docking bridge opened with a hiss as the soldier stepped down. He could tell he wasn’t the first to arrive as a few other ships scattered the horizon. Donned in typical Alliance garb, and a blaster on one side and his lightsaber on the other, he took his first few steps down the ramp. With a deep inhale, he took in the beautiful smells of the beach- the salt in the air, and the flora surrounding them all. There was buzzing in the background, likely caused by the native bugs that inhabited this planet long before any of these Jedi stepped foot here, even the Jedi Master who sent the message out. Whatever this planet was, it had an exceptionally long history, and Adonis couldn’t help but feel he was going to be a part of its future.

“Adonis Angelis IV.” He said as he stood at attention and saluted the Jedi before him. “Jedi Learner and Alliance Corporal sent here by Master Zash from Coruscant.” He let go of his salute and grabbed the backpack with his rations and extra equipment and placed it over his broad shoulders. The soldier was feeling braver with every step he took toward them. It was quite alarming to him though, that he was only in the beginning stages of his training when he could feel the raw power the Jedi before him were exuding. ‘Never a trainee, only a Jedi in training.’ He repeated to himself in his head. He would not let his fear of failure get in the way of his mission. “Are we ready for a group hike?” Adonis asked sheepishly.

Caedyn Arenais Dair Cotarin <inactive> Coren Starchaser

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

The planet was a pleasant sight to see after exiting hyperspace.

Clicking a few buttons on the control panel, he activated the ship's auto-landing sequence. It was one of the newer pieces of tech he installed on the Thunderstruck, and so far it was working well. Plus, it gave the young knight even more time to gaze upon the colorful planet in front of him.

After a few minutes the X-Wing had broken through the cloud layer and was heading from the other landed ships. It looks like some others had arrived before him, landing their vessels next to Master Starchaser's. It had been quite a while sine he had seen the Jedi. Hopefully the two could get the chance to catch up a little bit.

Once landed, he hopped out of his ship and onto the grass. Immediately he could feel the strong presence this planet had in the force. Maybe that is why they were told to meet here. What secrets did this planet hold?

Turning to his right he noticed the group of droids standing around. Walking over to them, he was greeted with a message from Master Starchaser. Watching the holo he noted that there was something interesting about this planet: a Jedi Temple. That would be something very much worth exploring.

Up ahead he heard the faint sound of people talking. After thanking the droids, he walked forward to see who it was.

"Hey y'all, wait up!"

After recognizing them to be Jedi, he went down to say hello. He wondered how many groups of Jedi the message got sent out to. It would only make a difference if it was going to be a small expedition to the temple, or a large one.

"Mind if I tag along?"

Coren Starchaser | Caedyn Arenais | Dair Cotarin <inactive> | Adonis Angelis IV | Mathieu Brion

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Only a short time after they had begun their journey towards the ancient temple where Master Starchaser awaited them, Caedyn and Dair Cotarin <inactive> would soon be joined by Adonis Angelis IV and Okkeus Dainlei making their group a more significant answer to Coren Starchaser 's summons. Among them, Okkeus was the only one that Caedyn could recall from his service within the Silver Jedi Order, waving a hand in welcoming motion for them both to accompany them on their way; "The more the merrier" Caedyn replied with a smile.

Their hike would be a half day's journey, not overly long for Jedi with their training, yet not an overly simple trek either. Fortunately, with Coren having left behind climbing gear along his way there before the group's arrival, the added equipment would make for a somewhat easier climb when facing the higher plateaus of the land.

What was it they said about nothing worthwhile coming easily?

Along the way, Caedyn would make an effort not to use the Force where he could help it, instead of relying on his physical strength and stamina. In the past he may have resorted to the abilities he'd been trained to use, however over time, there'd been a shift in his views and the frivolous use of the Force was among those changes. Especially since having come into contact with Ishani Dinn and the mindfulness in that everything he did would either work for or against her in the long run, just as it had done in Kyra's training and subsequent decision to step down from the Jedi Path.

As the suns rose high in the sky, the group of Jedi would arrive at their designated location, Master Starchaser sure to sense the presence of the four Jedi closing in on the ancient Temple grounds. What knowledge and beauty awaited them within, Caedyn could only smile at the thought. Once, long ago, this had been a place of faith and duty, service to the Galaxy, and the Force itself. Such things were an honour to come upon, an ode to those of the past long since passed over to the Force where they would find peace and guide the generations of Jedi to come.

Coren Starchaser | Okkeus Dainlei | Dair Cotarin <inactive> | Adonis Angelis IV​

 

[Coren Starchaser]

For the Jedi, as much could be learned from a history text or holocron, as it could from actual practice. If the Jedi who arrived on this unnamed world knew anything about the person they were meeting, Coren Starchaser has infamously throw Padawans into the heat of the conflict with several lessons on the theory of what it takes to be a Jedi and how to connect to the Light Side.

Compared to that circumstance, this was easy for the arrivals. The planet wasn’t decidedly hostile, but it was natural, and overrun. The Force was balanced, not tipping to either the light or the dark, the ashla or the bogan, but sitting somewhere in that middle ground, the bendu, some called it. Many more called it Balanced.

The world was teeming with the Force, and as the gathered would prepare themselves, they would hear the sounds of animals nearby, and the flora itself seemed to be almost Force enhanced. Depending how they approached it, there were some plans more akin to carnivorous vegetation from other worlds, and even more was hardened, almost as if it were naturally Force enhanced, with leaves that were rigidly shaped to collect water and to defend against predtation.

As the group would make their way through the forest, the path would lean them to a ravine, the remnants of a zipline present, clearly severed, most likely by an avian. Below them was the expected slick walls and rapid river moving through, carving through the stone, and opposite, where the next trail beacon was, seemed to attract a number canine creatures that were apparently in a fight for leadership of the pack.

All the while, Coren Starchaser sat in meditation at the temple, awaiting the arrival of more Jedi.

The question was, when the group arrived, how would they handle the crossing and getting on the trail?


Dair Cotarin <inactive> Okkeus Dainlei Adonis Angelis IV Caedyn Arenais

 

[Dair Cotarin <inactive>]

Dair greeted each of the newcomers with a warm smile, introducing himself as simply a Jedi named Dair. He did not give an affiliation to one specific order or another, did not ascribe to himself a rank or any prestige over the others. He continued with the group, doing much as Caedyn Arenais did and utilized his own physical capabilities rather than augmenting them with the Force as much as possible. He did not block himself off from the Force, he let it flow through him like a wind through an open window, but did not seek to utilize any of it, merely remaining attuned to it.

The forest finally opened up, and they came to a ravine. Dair stepped to the edge and looked over to gauge the distance down.

He couldn't help but to smile as he turned to the others.

"As far as obstacles on our paths go, this one is fairly conspicuous." He chuckled and looked over to the other side of the ravine and the canids there. After a moment he turned back and looked over those assembled, folding his hands into the sleeves of his robe. "How shall we proceed?" He asked the question simply, with no inflection to his words. Some could likely leap the ravine, but Dair was sure others couldn't. Would some of them choose to make that attempt and leave the others behind or propose another solution? Dair was curious to find out even as his own mind turned the problems over.

Coren Starchaser | Caedyn Arenais | Adonis Angelis IV | Okkeus Dainlei​

 

[Adonis Angelis IV]

The group trekked through the forest, further and further they went until at some points the sun was blacked out by the tall trees and their intertwining leaves. There was a stillness on the planet, despite the thunderous sounds of insects and water in the distance, it still seemed peaceful, serene even, and Adonis could feel the natural beauty. The lack of manmade interference helped this tremendously. Even though he was by far the least trained among the group, he could easily feel the Force flowing freely through all four of the Jedi. It was amplifying their connections to the lightside and the Force itself.

Unlike the other Jedi present, Adonis didn’t have a lot of Force powers to rely on. He had been taught the basics like push and pull, but beyond that he was still a novice in all fields. Hell, if he weren’t already proficient in single blade melee, he would likely have cut his own leg off with a lightsaber by now. Thankfully, though, his soldier training was a major plus. He had natural muscle that had only been finetuned by the Alliance. He would be able to climb and claw his way through the jungle without the Force…or so he thought.

The padawan would take mental notes and pictures of the beauty as they made their way. This was a place that the soldier would want to return to on his adventures. Perhaps his scope of beauty was a little limited, however, considering he had only been to a handful of planets. He had figured the others had probably seen beauty spanning the entire galaxy, though this planet would be considered gorgeous to anyone. Soon, though, Adonis would be pulled from his daydream as they approached the sharp cliff face leading down to the rapid river.

Adonis stopped with the rest of the group, taking the sight in. If he wasn’t here to cross the river, he would have figured this would be a perfect place to make camp. However, he was not here for pleasure, but to prove himself in the eyes of his fellow Jedi. Clearing the gorge with the Force would be impossible, he wouldn’t make it halfway without plummeting to his untimely death. Instead he would have to think of a different solution around this. He was unable to use his sheer muscle for it, and he couldn’t entirely rely on the help of the Force either. He would have to combine both of these things if he were going to be able to cross this river.

In his consideration toward crossing, he hadn’t even considered the canids on the other side. However, a pack of dogs would be way easier to survive than an embarrassing fall into the jagged rocks below. “Well, I for one, can’t levitate myself over the ravine.” He said bluntly, turning the the Jedi around him. He would take a deep breath before he started to back up. “But what I can do is jump far enough that I can use the Force to bring the rope to me and shimmy myself up.” He realized what he was saying still sounded crazy, but unless someone offered another solution he was about to be a guinea pig in his own experiment on whether he could actually pull something like that off or not. He just needed a long enough running start.

Dair Cotarin <inactive> Coren Starchaser Caedyn Arenais Okkeus Dainlei