Call it Destiny?

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Togoria. Graxin had heard the tales, and seen the man who had caused the stories to be told. Once a pleasant planet in its own right; now barely functioning and forever scarred. The former Sith Emperor had razed the world and committed genocide against the Togorians. Graxin had taken it upon himself to visit this world. It was something he simply needed to do--to see the results of what Vornskr was truly capable of.

His Gulley Jumper drifted down to what had once been a forest. Now, it was only ash and remains. The Empire had truly done a number on the world, and as Graxin's armored boots sunk into the soil, he was taken aback. he wore the usual light armor that he tended to be clad in, only this time, his mother's lightsaber hung from his belt. In his pack lay the pieces for the blade he would build himself.

He had heard stories of a nearby village, but paid it no heed. Instead, he strode out a few meters into the ash, and settled down cross legged. His mind was a raging storm of conflicting emotions. So many things relied on him, and the weight of his decisions was starting to really take its effect. Struggling, the apprentice closed his eyes, set out the metal pieces before him followed by the orange crystal, and took in a deep breath. He did the only thing he truly knew; harnessed his desire to bend the force to his will. His hated for his father and the simultaneous love he held for him and his siblings gave him focus. Soon, the pieces would begin to take shape.

Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.

The words drifted through his mind, and slowly the pieces began to float. The words had been taught to him by his father,

There is no emotion, there is peace.

The pieces clattered to the floor. His concentration broke, and an annoyed sigh escaped Graxin. He knew the voice, it was his mother's. Such a distraction.

[member="Kelios Shara-da"]

 

[Kelios Shara-da]

"This is not the best place to attempt such a complex ritual..." A deep, rumbling voice would boom in front of Graxin. Kelios had watched from the nearby village as the ship had descended, his eyes had followed it to where it currently lay and to where its owner now lay in a meditation stance.

The first thing Graxin would likely note was the fact that he was a feline race. The next thing however, was how very different he was from any image of a Togorian. He was bigger, standing nearly 13 feet of height, he had a more slender build. The most notable features, however, were his deep yellow eyes and a jet black mane that wrapped entirely around his head. The Horansi was clad in different clothing as well... His body was covered in a dark grey robe similar to that of which Sith and Jedi wore and his wrists were covered in two mismatching, makeshift bracers.

"This place is bathed within the pain of those which once lived here. A pain that will never be soothed..." Despite the fact Kelios was a mere Apprentice, he had already come across wisdom. "Follow me... I will bring you some place calm." Upon turning, Graxin would likely note the massive lightsaber which hung at Kelios' belt now. He obviously had some experience in the matter.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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Graxin stirred from his meditation. Something had come; a beacon of the Ashla as some would say. He opened his amber eyes, and did his best not to show any intimidation at the creature's massive size. His lips pursed, and the pieces all fell once more against the ash.

"Who are you?" Graxin demanded. He shifted his gaze down to the dismembered lightsaber on the surface of the ashy ground.

I suppose it wouldn't hurt. A lightsaber is a lightsaber no matter how it's built.

Graxin pushed up to his feet; lifting the pieces with telekinesis. They orbited him similar to the way debris orbited large planets; the orange crystal catching the dull sunlight with each rotation. "Jedi?" He continued, his arms folding over his chest. He took no pleasure in the chaos that clung to this planet, but Krag would want him to use it to create his blade. Though, perhaps a more even approach would result in a stronger weapon.

[member="Kelios Shara-da"]

 

[Kelios Shara-da]

A smirk crossed his board muzzle when the human male asked of his affiliation. He tilted his body just enough to show a faded, tattered Jedi Symbol stitched onto his left shoulder. "I was a Jedi. Now I am purely a student trying to find my path in the Galaxy. The name's Kelios Shara-da." He seemed to have no issue giving his name to this stranger, mainly because at least currently sensed no malicious intent in the human. He did sense Graxin's connection to the Force though and a constant turmoil upon that.

"Who're you?"

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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Graxin pursed his lips in silent confusion. Was a Jedi? Had he left the Order, or was he expelled for some reason? The apprentice shook his head to dispel the thoughts, and held a hand through the rotating metal toward the massive creature. Despite his size; Graxin would still try and shake his hand. "Graxin Rade...apprentice to many and then to none. It's a pleasure, Mister Shara-da."

the human tilted bodily to glance past the massive Jedi, and peered out to see exactly where he meant. "Where do you want me to go, exactly?"

[member="Kelios Shara-da"]

 

[Kelios Shara-da]

Kelios would reach down and take the man's hand in a firm shake. It seemed he was at least used to human gestures. Upon the next question though, he merely gave a low rumbling noise (which due to his size was rather easy to hear) as they walked onward. "We are heading to the village. Its over the next ridge." His massive arm would motion outwards before his golden gaze fell back down on the human.

"It is calm there, the land is at ease in the village."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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Graxin glanced up as the golden eyed creature directed him. A village in this land of ash and bone? Graxin had a bit of trouble believing that, but it certainly wasn't the most obscure thing he had ever heard. He shoved his leartherbound hands into the pockets on his chest piece. The lightsaber pieces continued to orbit him as if he were trying to practice--which he was. "I'll try not to scare the children." He grunted, a slip of a smile on his face. He wanted to try and seem friendly.

"So what are you doing out here then, friend?" He questioned. "Seems like an odd place to find a teacher if you really are a student."

[member="Kelios Shara-da"]

 

[Kelios Shara-da]

"I came here to teach myself. Looking inward seems to be one of the best ways to learn one's limitations." Kelios rumbled slowly, his voice was deep in its baritone; it was actually almost bass. His strides were massive but he was obviously walking at a pace to allow Graxin to stay with him easily. As they got nearer and nearer to the ridge, more and more life began to appear the ash shifted to soil and small plants were seen here and there along with insects and small mammals.

"I am similar to the locals, so it allows me to stay here in relative peace."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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"You're preaching to the choir there Kelios." Graxin remarked as they continued their walk. He extended his awareness and felt the life slowly encompassing the land. Even in the face of brutal tragedy; life thrived. A lesson could easily be taken from that. "I'm mostly self-taught." He added quietly. The young man picked up his pace to match Kelios and at the same time focused on maintaining the lightsaber pieces. The divergence of concentration was taxing on Graxin, but he welcomed it. It was how one learned.

Graxin would pause as they reached the ridge; his arms folding over his chest. The place was indeed alive--why would Kelios lie about that?-- and his words made sense. "I could be similar. Just give me a fur suit. It'll work." He jested; amber gaze drifting over the landscape.

[member="Kelios Shara-da"]

 

[Kelios Shara-da]

Kelios actually gave a chuckle at the joke pertaining to a suit of fur. It wouldn't be long before they reached the top of the ridge and once they did, Graxin would note that the landscape on the otherside was far different. A good sized village lay beside a grey lake with a stream moving down another elevation decline to the east. Trees had returned to the vale below and there were small patchworks to the west of farmland. Kelios paused for a moment before moving downward.

"You walk a different path than I."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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Well, this was far more pleasant than Graxin had expected. He had thought to see shantytowns and lines of the surviving homeless begging for food. It looked that, in fact, the survivors were thriving. The infiltrator pursed his lips in silent thought at that as he stopped at the ridge for just a moment. "Beautiful." He murmured, and opted to follow after the massive feline.

Graxin almost had to jog to keep up, but he retained his pace. The path downward was a bit steep for his liking, but it worked out. He had no idea where their destination actually was--perhaps the lake or one of the farms--and opted to just enjoy the scenery. "Aye. I'm afraid that I'm no Jedi, Kelios. Nor have I ever been."

[member="Kelios Shara-da"]

 

[Kelios Shara-da]

"Yet you do not carry with you the hate of a Sith." Kelios stated nearly instantly and with precision, as if scoping Graxin out as they moved downwards. The scale down was harder than up, but for the two of them was most certainly possible. "However, the Dark comes in many, many shades." His gaze once more locked upon Graxin, as if warning the man of something before arching back towards the hazy sky.

"I wonder what was going through the Destroyer's mind when they ordered this planet enslaved."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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"I suppose not." Graxin agreed quaintly. The feline was right, of course. Graxin rarely drew power from his hate. While it was true that gaining strength from his serenity had helped in the past; the force was often the most effective when Graxin focused on his desire to help his siblings. He used his passions, yes, but a different source. Privately, he wondered if he even qualified as a Sith. "I carve my own path. I couldn't pick a side, not now."

The metal pieces shook slightly as they made their way downward. It was the sudden lapse of concentration that did it, and it took Graxin a long moment to recompose himself. "He wanted to be remembered for something. I've seen the man on multiple occasions. He seems insane.

[member="Kelios Shara-da"]

 

[Kelios Shara-da]

"Mmm... Anyone that could do this is beyond saving, the deaths of millions are upon their hands." There was no anger in what Kelios had stated, no hate. It was a simple fact that had little emotion behind it to the Horansi. Kelios in most cases was a pacifist. He would only defend himself in combat, and he would only kill if entirely necessary and even then he would have to push himself into it. "I fought on Manaan during the Sith Imperial War... I saw how tragic war was and I was nearly slain by a Sith Warrior when I lost myself to my own rage."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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"I don't see why anyone would want to try he's too dangerous." Graxin said simply. He reached out and snatched the sliver of a crystal from its orbit, and twirled the orange jewel between his fingers. "Manaan?"


Graxin paused and turned partway toward the lake. His gaze drifted from the shimmering water back toward his companion. "I'm not very knowledgeable about the old Sith war. Wasn't around for it."


[member="Kelios Shara-da"]

 

[Kelios Shara-da]

"The Sith attacked Manaan suddenly when I was on the world to train. They took down Manaan's defenses from inside and then ravaged the city with Tulak-Hord Class Star Destroyers. However, the Republic pressed Ossus at the same time and defeated Zambrano there and with the arrival of the now dead Fel Imperium, headed by Ronin Fel, the Sith were forced into a retreat. The Sith did not make it home to Kaas in time though." It was a brief anthropology to a bloody war that still echoed in the deep recesses of the Galaxy.

The two were getting nearer and nearer to the lake. The soft waves of the water from the breeze in the vale would soon dance upon their ears.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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"You certainly couldn't tell that from looking here. The world has certainly started to recover..." Graxin stared out at the soft ripple of the waves. The whole land was seemingly at peace; a stark contrast to the rest of the planet's current state. He took in a deep breath and cracked a small grin at the fresh scent.

"So you came here to get away from all of it, or to help the survivors?" Graxin pressed as his boots sunk into damp mud--not ash-- and they arrived at the bank.


[member="Kelios Shara-da"]

 

[Kelios Shara-da]

"A mix of both in all reality. The Jedi Order is broken, a shell of what it used to be, none of its current Orders are able to do what they said they would. So I left to do what I could and to come somewhere peaceful." The Horansi spoke before turning towards Graxin. The thirteen foot being then moved to sit. He assumed the typical meditation stance.

"Sit and try to calm yourself. Focus inward and push all thought and emotion aside, embrace serenity and then at that moment you need to think about what you want your lightsaber to become."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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Calm. You can do that. This isn't built for murder. It's a tool of retribution.

Graxin settled down and crossed his legs. The pieces settled their orbit and clattered gently against he damp soil. The infiltrator squeezed his eyes shut, and took a deep breath. Peace and serenity; he supposed he could do that.

"I'll try." He mumbled. The crystal rose up into the center, and the metal parts slowly lifted up into the air; taking the positions that they needed. Graxin absentmindedly removed a long leather strap and allowed it to flow upwards.

For Bain.

Slowly, Graxin began to lift off the ground. A mere four inches, but enough for one to notice. Floating meditation helped one grasp the greatest epicenter of peace, and it was a skill Graxin was still working to master.

Carefully, the metal began to encase the crystal.



[member="Kelios Shara-da"]

 

[Kelios Shara-da]

Kelios watched as Graxin slowly built the Lightsaber. Each metallic piece falling into where it belonged, the circuits shifting and becoming whole. To a Jedi this was one of the most beautiful things in the know Galaxy; it was when a young wielder of the gift completed their first step into life itself. Anyone could be give a lightsaber, but, one that was created through meditation and focus was truly your own. It was something that the Sith and other Force Orders had forgot in the long past.

He remained intensely silent as to let the man focus. His golden eyes shifting at each piece of metal.

[member="Graxin Rade"]