Private Chapter 1: New Beginning

[Taliya Kassell]

Tag: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala
Theme: Awaken
Location Silver Rest

Time was a funny thing, it flew by when you were having fun or slept and it would slow down when you were awake or performed boring tasks. For Taliya, however, time felt to not more at all as she was falling through a neverending sky, filled with thick clouds. For a long time, the girl just screamed for her life, given the fact that she continued to fall for an unending number of hours. After a while, she stopped screaming and began to cry for her father, mother or anyone who could save her from this strange place, yet no one came.

To make matters worse, the clouds didn't even look like the type of clouds she had seen in holomovies or holobooks. Strangely, the clouds on one side, were light blue mixed in with white, while the other side of the clouds had a raging red glow to them mixed in with black. It honestly scared Taliya as she could only watch while falling as both sides twirled and twisted into each other. It almost looked as if each side fought to have Taliya pass through them.

The thunder and lightning cracked with a deafening boom, causing Taliya instinctively to cover her ear, crying out from the shock it produced. The lightning cut right through a large batch of the light blue clouds, to which they seemed to recoil and temporary giving the dominance of the dark red and black cloud over the sky. However, the light blue white clouds retaliated, sending out a blinding white light directly back at the looming red and black clouds.

The light was so intense that it knocked Taliya out of her current trajectory, causing her to spin violently making the girl scream yet again. The clouds paused for a second as if they were deliberating and debating, before chasing after the screaming and panicking Taliya.

Because such a violent blast of light knocked Taliya out of her trajectory, whatever force had kept the girl from reaching the ground, had now been broken through it and heading straight from the ground. Both the white and black clouds raced after Taliya, trying to get to her before she slammed against the very threatening ground approaching fast.

For just a split second, Taliya saw a glimpse of two figures form in the massive clouds in the sky. One was in the shape of a female with pale blueish skin tone, bright, glowing and long white hair. She also wore a long brown robe with dull yellow mixed in. The dark shaped figure was that of a male, with long black hair and dressed in a black robe with bits of red mixed in. Unlike the female, the male had a very thin face, almost malnourished features to it and two piercing black eyes.

Both figures seemed to have the same idea as they reached out their hand to Taliya to grab and Taliya instantly returned the gesture as she didn't want to die, even though she had no idea who these two people were. One thing was for sure, for some reason she felt drawn to them both like they were part of her or a piece of her reaching out to her. Unfortunately, the figures never got to her in time as she blacked out the second before hitting the ground.

In a violent snap, Taliya woke up in a strange room screaming bloody murder, giving the nurse beside the bed a shock for life. The girl, now fully awake scanned the room she was in frantically, scared and afraid she tried to get out of bed and away from, whatever this place was. The nurse was quick to act and managed to throw her arms around the girl and hit the alert buttonn, calling for assistance.

Something dark and powerful lashed out from Taliya, a rage the girl never knew she had, sending the nurse flying off of Taliya and straight into the wall. Medical guards along with nurses and doctors arrived just as Taliya tried to leave the room. A guard and a doctor with hands out tried to reason with the scared and confused girl. "Calm down sweetie, you've been through a lot" attempted the doctor, while the guard tried to flank Taliya in order to get a hold of her. The moment the guard went for the girl, everyone in the room was hit with a blinding bright withering blast of light-side energy, sending those by the door flying out into a hallway of Silver Rest.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

- Silver Rest, Kashyyyk​

The small coaster hastily flew after the Jedi Master on it's single repulsorlift. Sakadi was certain that by the time she reached the medical wing, the cup of coffee resting on the coaster would be lukewarm. But that was the least of her concerns.

With calm but swift strides, she followed after the slightly panicking healer. The Devaronian woman with dark freckles had come looking for her, rudely interrupting her conversation with padawans Mathieu Brion and Yenna. The Sephi would've scolded her for her lack of manners, had the healer not spoken three words. "Taliya is awake"

The Devaronian turned a corner and stopped, pointing at the closed door at the end of the hallway. "She's in there. We closed the door after she injured some of our healers." A sideways glance followed. "On accident I hope?" The healer nodded. "We believe so." She said. "Good. Could you prepare breakfast for her? I imagine she'll be hungry." Sakadi responded. "In any case, I'll go talk to her." She locked eyes with the healer once more. The woman was a bit puzzled, but did not protest. As it stood, the Sephi was still a member of the Silver Assembly. Even if she disagreed with the Master's approach, there was little she could do to stop the petite lavender-colored woman.

Sakadi's hand moved over the panel, and the white door slid open. She expected Taliya to be confused or scared, which was why she opted for a new approach to breach their 'language' barrier. She waved first and approached with a warm smile, before she would calmly show a series of gestures. Gestures who's meaning she conveyed through the Force. It was a more direct and less invasive way to commune through the Force, because it seemed as if her target audience could naturally comprehend the gestures on their own.

"Hey, you're finally awake. How are you feeling?"

Taliya Kassell

 

[Taliya Kassell]

Tag: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala
Theme: Awaken
Location Silver Rest

The guard who had been sent flying into the wall had managed to get out with everyone else when Sakadi arrived as was receiving medical attention from the broken shoulder. The doctors, nurses and guard's eyes followed Sakadi entering with a nervous glance, not sure if they should stop the Jedi Master from entering. However, in the end, there was a reason for her Jedi Master title, so no one stopped her from entering.

Once the Jedi master entered the room the girl was not on her bed, but crawled into a corner, hugging her legs, trying to make herself as small as possible. Hearing Sakadi enter, Taliya tried to back further away but was just pushing herself against the corner she sat at. She heard the question, but her brain just didn't register it as her eyes scanned Sakadi frantically. Taliya was very much acting like a cage and frightened animal.

"Make the thoughts go away" begged Taliya desperately. "They're hurting me... I-I~ they keep yelling at me. They're so loud" continued the scared girl, holding her head in her hands, squeezing her eyes tightly together to make it stop. Physically she looked fine... well except for the uniquely two different eye colours. With a panicky snap of the head, she locked eyes with Sakadi, giving the Jedi Master a clear view of Taliya's unique coloured eyes. One was brightly blue of the lighter variant, almost a light ocean blue colour. However, her right eye had a deep orange colour much like Sith eyes when the Sith has fully emerged in the Dark Side.

The scared girl suddenly rose from the floor, now standing her full fight with artificial darkness suddenly forming around her and the walls. "Jedi... You will be my first victim of many" spoke Taliya threateningly, or more like her voice did, yet it felt foreign and very out of place from an otherwise scared little girl two seconds ago. Sakadi would also catch The Dark Side of the force radiating from the girl who otherwise showed no dive in the pool of Dark Side energy.

"I will feast on yo~argh!" started Taliya to speak, only to fall down on her knees with her hands on the side of her head, seemingly in pain. "You will do no such thing Sith!" Spoke Taliya in her bent over kneeling position with a commanding voice, with a voice of a Master and a teacher. "Make it stoooop" begged Taliya in pain and with shaking hands, seeming back in her own body again. The Dark Side had subsided almost immediately when the Dark present over Taliya disappeared and the other more commanding voice took over, radiated a much more centred connection to the Light Side of the Force.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi made no attempt to come closer. She wanted to give the girl space, because Taliya had no reason to trust any of them yet. And that went both ways. The Order new little about what had happened to the girl, or who exactly she was. They had interrogated her father, and the Sephi had used her influence to keep his experiments under the radar. In her time on the Assembly, she had learned that the politicians who led the Concord were (except for a couple) not to be trusted.

The Sephi would slightly tilt her head ajar. "The thoughts? What do you mean?" She motioned. Could it be? The telepathic bridge she had created between their minds broke, disappearing with the conscious of Taliya. It made place for a rising darkness, for rage, pain and suffering. Sakadi immediately tried to push beyond it, digging in the clouded mind to pull Taliya back up. But for a moment, all that surrounded her were dark clouds…

And then came the light… But it was not Taliya either.

Her brow furrowed as a third voice came from the small body. Again, the Sephi pushed past it. They had to be the fragments of the holocron's gatekeepers. There was no other explanation she had at the moment.

Sakadi was quick to reach out when the girl finally resurfaced. "Taliya? Are you okay?" It was a rhetoric question. "I can't make it stop, only you can. All I can do for you, is teach you how."

Taliya Kassell

 

[Taliya Kassell]

Tag: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala
Theme: Awaken
Location Silver Rest

Taliya shook and sat in a bend, holding her head in her hands, "They're screaming... It hurt so much" whimpered Taliya opening her eyes once again, showing the split of her eye colours. Squeezing her eyes shut again, he tried to think of something else, think of anything but the pain. She tried to think back to her mother, her father, her only friend when she lived under Mr Calafry's care.

Not only did it get even crazier inside her mind at she felt a pain that wasn't her own and weirdly made her own pain go away. Slowly but surely, the screaming and conflicting thoughts and feelings disappear, leaving only silence behind. Whatever had caused her thoughts and mind to go crazy was no longer there, whether it was completely gone or locked away, did Taliya not know.

Like she had just run a marathon, Taliya just fell exhausted and took small but quick breaths. Unless Sakadi helped Taliya up to a sitting position, she laid for a bit, before finally had the strength to sit back up again. Hugging her knees into her chest, Taliya just sat there, unsure what to do or where she even was. That was when it hit her, now that she didn't have a mind trying to break her, where were her father? "Where's dad? Where am I? Who are you? Why am I here?" Started Taliya to ask one question after the other without a chance for Sakadi to answer before Taliya was done asking.

"I want my father," said Taliya, showing increasing fear growing within the young girl with a hint of confusion in the force. It was obvious she had no idea what her father had just placed Taliya through or the fact that he's the reason for her "condition".

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

"Easy. Take it one step at the time." She motioned, taking a couple of light and cautious steps further into the room. "I am Master Sakadi Sinvala of the Jedi Order. I've brought you to Kashyyyk with your father's permission." It was not the truth, but no true lie either. What it was, was necessary. Taliya's state of mind was worse than she had initially thought. It was her sole priority to mend that first.

That, and her father's situation was a rather poor one. She did not doubt for a second that the man was unsound of mind. The experiments he had performed on his own daughter, the other man he had shot just to complete his research... All of his actions were for a so called 'greater good', as they often were. But that 'greater good' brought more harm in the world than he could have ever intended. Although her intuition told her that this was all still well within his calculations. And if that were the case, Sakadi truly felt bad for the suffering girl.

Gently, Sakadi sat down on the edge of the bed. "We can talk more after we have sorted this conflict in your mind out. Once that is done, I will bring you back to your father." She lied on occasion. But she never made false promises. "Now, will you let me guide you through this?" She asked, as politely as one could with sign language. "If so, please lay down. I won't hurt you, I promise." Whether the girl had suspicions or not mattered little. It was clear that she wanted help, and anything seemed to be welcome.

Taliya Kassell

 

[Taliya Kassell]

Tag: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala
Theme: Awaken
Location Silver Rest

The Jedi's intention and "voice" did calm the scared girl down a bit, as knowing that she will see her dad again helped. What also helped, was the fact that Sakadi told her that she could help Taliya. Now, Taliya was what one would call very naive, but when taking into account that she hadn't been outside of her home in her whole life, spoke volume.

Trusting Sakadi, Taliya slowly left her corner and shyly rose from her position. "Will it hurt?" Asked the double-coloured girl as she stopped in front of the Jedi Master and climbed up on the bed to sit beside Sakadi. Looking down at her hands in her lap, still shy about herself and her situation. However, she didn't weave away or fear the woman beside her, because she offered help and Taliya didn't want to go through the pain again.

Looking up at the purple-skinned woman, Taliya's normal eye colour came off as rather innocent, pure and very naive to the world around her. With that said, the bright orange colour in the other eye, sent an aura of hatred and anger. Like a Sith who had fully submerged themselves in the Dark Side of the Force~ and yet, no ripples in the flow of the Force to warn Sakadi of any ill intent from Taliya. It was a very strange situation to be sure and whatever internal darkness that was hidden away in the girl, was nowhere to find on the girl.

Gathering her own bravery, Taliya crawled a bit more in on the bed and proceeded to lay down on the bed as instructed by Sakadi.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi shook her head. "It won't." Well, that was her assumption. Interfering with the minds of sentient beings was a delicate process. One that, despite her experience and expertise, never got any easier.

She continued when Taliya rested her head on the bed's soft cushion. "I'll take it from here. Just try to relax." She gently placed her hands against the girls temple and reached deep in the Force. She was greeted by the presence of the other Jedi. Their collective strength in the Force enhanced her own abilities to a point where she genuinely believed that this effort would succeed.

Sakadi closed her eyes and began to focus, letting her conscious flow toward the girl, and briefly flooding her with memories. Memories that were her own. The nervosity as she entered the stage, with thousands of faces watching her. The soreness of her body, drenched in sweat as the Jedi Master, her master, told the Sephi to rise and go again. And finally, the dumbstruck face of a young Kiffar, who stared at her from the other side of a bacta-tank. The memories came accompanied with names too. Maya, Master Odara, Cas, Mi'la, Yenna, Romi, Kiara… But it was the the chant that followed, that truly came just as naturally as seeing color.

"I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me."

"I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me."

"I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me."

When Taliya would open her eyes again, she would find herself back in a familiar place.

Back in the dream. But this time, she wasn't falling. She stood on the clouds, watching the sky stretch endlessly into the distance. And she wasn't alone. Sakadi, looking slightly strained, held her hand. "It's beautiful, don't you think?"

Taliya Kassell

 

[Taliya Kassell]

Tag: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala
Theme: Awaken
Location Silver Rest

For some strange reason, even though the woman spoke without moving her lips, Taliya didn't found it strange or off-putting~ she trusted her. Upon laying on the bed's soft cushion, the young girl took a deep breath and held it for a second or two, before releasing it. Feeling the girl relaxing Sakadi met no real opposition at the beginning, entering Taliya's consciousness with her.

However, the Jedi Master had only touched the surface and as she started to chant letting the Force guide the her, Taliya started to moan a bit, distorting her face in discomfort. The discomfort soon turned to annoyance, which then twisted to pain as Sakadi went deeper and deeper inside the mind of Taliya.

The Jedi Master would feel the darkness and light, the two beings hidden deep in Taliya's subconscious as they both actually fought actively against Sakadi. While the Darkness straight out tried to corrupt and taint the Jedi Master with Rage and Death, the Light being tried to in a way, through logic and reason, demanded Sakadi to let go of her growing control over the girl.

But, as soon as Master Sinvala finished her chant, she would only feel clarity and as a subconscious barrier were formed through Sakadi and kept the beings locked away. While successful for now, it's unknown for how long that barrier would hold with time.

When Taliya opened her eyes again, seeing herself in the familiar place, she for a brief moment thought she was falling. In her moment of panic, she hugged Sakadi's arm for safety without even knowing it. When she realized she wasn't falling and hearing the lavender-skinned Jedi Master speak with a comforting voice, the girl looked up at Sakadi.

At that moment, when the young twin-eyed girl looked up at Sakadi, she was awestruck by the faint light surrounding the woman. This was the first time Taliya had truly seen Sakadi with a clear mind and the lavender-coloured skinned woman was the most beautiful being Taliya had ever seen in her life. Only in her holobooks about fairytales had Taliya read of beings of light. Beings with beauty beyond understanding, beings so full of light and hope that they would light up the night by their presence alone.

Looking around them, Taliya remembered this place and she remembered the pain, the deep-seated pain of struggle, and yet it felt like calm clarity. Looking back up at the Being of Light, holding her hand, "is this your home?" Asked Taliya curiously, still holding Sakadi's hand as if they were a mother and daughter while looking out into the vast open space of sky that seemed neverending.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

She had to suppress a silent chuckle. "I don't. This is all you. Your mind, your feelings and your consciousness." She explained. "I used the Living Force to get us here. It's an energy field that connects every living being, although only a select few are able to interact with it." Perhaps she had gained it through non-natural means. But the truth of the matter was that Taliya had obtained it. "Through you father's work, you have received that gift too." Her father's actions were sacrilege. But none of them could really judge the girl for it. Several of the Knights and medical experts had come to her with strong opinions. And all posed the same question. What now? As if she had the answer.

"I describe it as a gift…" She continued. "But as you've no doubt felt, it can also be a curse." She pitied the young girl. No one should have to suffer mentally like she did. "I am a Jedi, Taliya. Someone who uses the Force to heal, guide, and protect." She simplified it. By a lot. "We can teach you to harness the Force too, so those 'voices' will never harm you again. Would you like that, Taliya?"

Taliya Kassell ​

 

[Taliya Kassell]

Tag: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala
Location Silver Rest

It took a second for the young twin-coloured eyed girl to understand what Lavender skinned woman had said, but her eyes widened as she looked back to the ever-expanding sky. This was her consciousness, she was actually witnessing her own calm mind. A sense of tranquillity and serenity caressed her, like a small cool forest river minding its own business.

Taliya continued to listen to the very nice lady Sinvala explain things and she was completely taken aback by it all. However, the idea of some special force that connected every living being, was a very tough thought to wrap her mind around, which funnily enough, caused the endless white sky and clouds to react.

While it wasn't anything violent, far from it, but singular clouds started to gather into clusters and had a dark colour to them, representing her thinking. "An... energy field? Like those used for a generator?" Asked Taliya a bit confused with a naive thought process. For the second time, Taliya's eyes widen when she was told that her father had made it possible for her to use this Living Force thing, which only made her have a million more questions to ask. However, the girl didn't get much time to ask questions, when Sakadi offered to teach her to use this special gift as Sakadi described it.

The thought, in the beginning, was exciting and it showed on her face and the expansive consciousness of her mind. The sky and clouds moved faster, representing eagerness and joy ready to jump. "Really?! I can be like you?" Asked Taliya with a-gape mouth and excitement shining in her eyes.

Though, her excitement quickly turned into confusion, which caused the clouds to move slower causing it to look as if moving in slow motion. "But why?" Asked Taliya confused, looking up at Sakadi with her bright twin-coloured eyes, following her question up with another. "Did papa not love me as I was?" Asked Taliya remembering how much deep seeded raging pain she had felt in. The clouds would darken again, rumbling like thunder as Taliya's brows furrowed in doubt and confusion. Growing insecurity started to show on the girl's face, which only caused the sky and clouds to react, growing more and more unruly.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi shook her head after the girl's first question. "It's difficult to understand. Think of it more as the holonet, although accessible by only a select few beings." It was way off from what the Force really was, but she hoped it was put into terms the girl understood. "And yes. You could be like me, if you wish. Perhaps even better." The desire of all masters of the Force, no matter their alignment, was to see the next generation surpass them. For her, it was no different.

The next questions that were fired in rapid succession by the girl, were a lot more difficult to answer properly. Judging based on what little she had interacted with the man, the truth seemed to be cruel and heart-breaking. It was an act of hate, powerlessness and a desire to watch the world burn. The man hated the Jedi; so why place their relics in his daughter's mind? Why did he even experiment on his own daughter to begin with? How heartless could a parent truly be?

"On the contrary." She had to protect the girl from the truth somehow. Even if their bond had to be build on a foundation of lies. "He loved you so much that he wanted to give you everything the world had to offer." Sakadi avoided eye-contact, gazing directly into the darkened clouds instead. "Hence he gave you the unattainable. The Force."

Taliya Kassell​

​

 

[Taliya Kassell]

Tag: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala
Location Silver Rest

The clouds went dangerously close to cracking lightning as the rumbling thunder surrounded them. However, Sakadi's calm voice and emotions started to take an effect on Taliya. With a small sniff and drying her close to watery eyes with the palm of her hand, the young girl looked up at the woman with an angelic aura of light. "Really?" Asked Taliya full of hope and naivete. The clouds quickly reverted back to their peaceful and calm light bluish sky and white clouds.

A flicker of a smile started to form followed by embracing the Jedi Master as a show of gratitude. When she let go of the Sephi, she finally looked around herself with a renewed energy and a determined look in her eyes. "I want to learn what you can do then" expressed Taliya with a sweet youthful smile, looking back up at Sakadi.

"But... How do we get out of here? Is there a door or do we use that Force to get us back?" Asked Taliya, showing a clear lack of understanding of how the Force works.

Taliya wanted to see her father at some point later as she had a lot of questions for him, but after hearing the nice lady beside her explain the gift her father had given her, she wouldn't want to disappoint him. Despite Sakadi's little white lie, it had the effect on Taliya and the Jedi Master had managed to turn what could easily have made Taliya shut off again or worse, break the barrier to the Force entities in her mind.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

"I want to learn what you can do then"

Sakadi nodded. "Good. Then I will do what I can to teach you the ways of the Jedi." Every time she had made that promise, it had felt different. Two decades ago she would've never even considered taking a Padawan. But then Cas came along. The upbeat, jovial and slightly awkward boy who helped her grew into a mentor. Letting go of him had been difficult, and to this day she still didn't agree with the Council's decision to knight him as early as they did. With Mi'la, however, that had been different. Whereas Cas had a natural affinity and talent, Mi'la had the necessary maturity and knowledge required of a Jedi. Her fatal flow, however, was her lack of confidence.

But the reoccurring theme of her Padawans was overconfidence. Both had tried to punch above their weight. And both now had cybernetics to make up for missing body parts. She couldn't let that happen to Taliya.​

"If you want there to be a door, you could probably make one. After all, it's your mind we're in." She explained calmly. "But for now, I'll take care of it."

Returning to your body always felt surreal. It reminded her a bit of falling while you were safely in bed. As if your incorporeal being broke through the sky and landed on your body.

Sakadi opened her eyes, and slowly retracted her hands from Taliya's temples. "How are you feeling? Any better?"

Taliya Kassell

 

[Taliya Kassell]

Tag: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala
Location Silver Rest

Taliya hadn't really thought that as she could make her own exit out of her mind, but she guessed it was a bit silly, now that she thought about it. Watching Sakadi make the portal to getting out of her mind, made her quite excited start learning that when she opened her eyes again, she gave Sakadi the first real sweet smile. The girl had completely pushed her father on the back burner in her mind for the time being and not because she wanted to, but the traumatic event that Sakadi helped Taliya suppress, made her think of becoming a Jedi instead.

"I feel... calm, I think" explained Taliya. She felt at peace, at least for now, she felt happy, or as happy as one could be, after what she went through.

A knock was heard on the door, "Master SInvala, is everything alright?" Asked one of the doctors that had taken care of Taliya when she arrived. Sitting up again, Taliya leaned to the side to look past Sakadi towards the door and then lean back to look at the Sephi. "What now?" Asked the young girl nervously, though hopeful for learning from Sakadi.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Again, Sakadi gave a nod of approval. "The first step to any of the Jedi teachings is feeling, and most importantly, staying calm." She explained, granting the girl a warm smile. "In due time you'll learn how to stay level-headed in even the most extreme of circumstances." It took years of practice. Even the few who solely focused on their connection to the Force often found it disrupted in times of strife or hardship. Largely because their teaching simply weren't meant for what the galaxy nowadays had in store for them. But that didn't mean their teachings were obsolete. "Oh and don't worry." She added. "You're not expected to master it overnight."

A knock on the door made the Master turn her head. "Of course." She couldn't help but grin as she continued. "Did you expect anything less of me, Selvas?" Sakadi teased, fully aware that the healer couldn't see her expression nor catch on to her joviality. "Well Master Sinvala, let's return to that another time." The healer sighed as he spoke. Whenever the medical wing of Silver Rest was understaffed, Sakadi had volunteered to help. Her knowledge of the Force and its healing abilities were of use to the healers, although her methods and headstrong approach were sometimes frowned upon. It made her presence in the medical wing, especially before she ascended to the council, a conflicting thing.

"I'm kidding Selvas. But please, do ask Master Highstar to prepare another bed in the Padawan's quarters. Someone new will be joining them soon."

Taliya Kassell
//End Thread//​