Private Color Trials

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with:

Zaiya hummed softly, turning over Iris's words in her head. It made sense, Makashi was about finesse, not brute force. It played to strengths that weren't physical, something Zaiya could appreciate. But did that mean a standard lightsaber was her best option? Or should she consider something more specialized?

Maybe a rapier-style saber? That seemed logical, but the idea of a vibroflail lightsaber sent a little thrill through her thoughts. Would that even work with Makashi?

She'd have to ask Braze and Aris. If anyone knew about unconventional weapons, it was them.

Zaiya connected her hilt to her belt and came to sit next to Iris. She had mentioned that she used Makashi because of how scarred up her body was, and while Zaiya didn't mean to pry, she was curious. So after she let the moment settle, the Lovalla Padawan voiced the question that had been gnawing at her. "Iris… all your scars. Were there no healers or medics who could help when you were injured?"

Her bioluminescence dimmed slightly, shifting into a muted glow of curiosity and quiet concern. Did the healer have no other healer that was able to help her? Is that why Iris decided to become a healer?

 

[Iris Arani]

​

Ah. They hadn't actually talked about this before. She didn't fault Zaiya for being curious in the slightest, if anything, Iris should've broached the topic herself. She flexed one of her hands, the one missing it's pinky. "I didn't get all of these at once, thankfully. A lot of them happened while I was out and about, trying to help people. This one," She lifted her arm. It was long faded now, barely noticeable under the burn scars at that, but teeth marks. A bite, and one that would've taken out quite the chunk of her arm.

"The Maw unleashed all manner of Sithspawn on Coruscant, but some of it was changing the people who lived in the lower cities. Undead. It was my first proper outing as a Jedi, and I refused to kill any of them because I thought they could be saved. The reality was they were already dead. It nearly cost me my arm. My body rejects things. Cybernetics, synthskin. Body rejects them, so, can't do much about that."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Zaiya listened, her glow dimming to soft, contemplative blues and ambers as she traced the faded bite marks along Iris's arm with her gaze. The weight of those memories, the choices Iris had made, the pain she'd endured…it all settled heavily in Zaiya's chest.

It made the Lovalla Padawan think of how she had been wondering how to interact with others in such situations. How she had been.

“I would have done the same. Not killed any of the sith spawn thinking they could be saved. I don’t think that’s a bad thing… to believe that there is a way to same someone….” A pause then she mused over what had occurred with Nulgath. “Or is that such a bad thing to believe? I don’t want to hurt anyone if I don’t have to, much less kill them.”

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"That never was, nor will it ever be a bad thing, Zaiya. As Jedi, it's what we do. We save people. We're supposed to want to save people, no matter how bad it might seem, how impossible. I don't want you not to try and save people, that's not why I'm telling you all this." She smiled faintly, watching Zaiya for a moment. Even now, her colors were rippling with empathy and understanding. It was how Jedi were meant to be. How Iris believed they should, anyway.

"What I hope to teach you is that sometimes saving is something different than what you expect. Those undead, if there was any part of them still there, I was making them suffer more. There was no reversing it. They had already died and joined the Force, but were ripped away from that. Understand before you make a choice. What you might think is saving someone might only be making things worse. It's our burden, but it's our gift all the same."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Zaiya's colors shifted, glowing softly in the quiet understanding that settled over her. She hadn't fully realized it before, but Iris's words clicked into place. Saving wasn't always as simple as rescuing someone, as pulling them from the edge. Sometimes, the best way to save someone was to understand when to let go.

Her thoughts tangled, swirling with that weight. It felt heavier than she expected. The Jedi weren't just warriors or healers, they were keepers of balance, of knowing when to intervene and when to step back. Zaiya's brow gave a slight purse, her skin glowing with a soft blend of reflective sorrow and dawning clarity.

"So how do I know where to draw the line?... "Honestly if there was a way to know, Zaiya wasn't sure right now if she could be able to still act. Then again, she had shown in previous instances where she had to make choices that she had been able to make a choice based on what the scenario entailed... perhaps sometimes with more on emotions than she should show.

"How would I know that a different type of saving is needed?" was it perhaps, something akin to triage? To know who one could save on limited resources in the field?

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"You don't, and you never will. Not in every case, not even in most cases. The most we can do is what we believe is right when we have all the information. Your experiences will help you sort them out, but that's why you have a Master. To help show you the experience you lack. Make sense?" Iris reached over, gently patting Zaiya's shoulder. There was no right answer, no solving this perfectly. It was hard, and would always be.

"Always ask me to help, if and when you need it. I'll be there. I promise."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Iris's reassuring pat on her shoulder, the warmth of her words, it all settled deep within Zaiya. Each affirmation, each shared moment with Iris and Domxite, strengthened the bond between them, thread by thread, weaving a growing tapestry woven with the Force.

"I'm glad you're my Master, Iris." The words slipped out, quiet but certain, carrying the full weight of Zaiya's gratitude. She meant it. More than anything, she was thankful to have found not just one, but two Masters who didn't try to force her into doubt or reshape her into something she wasn't. Iris and Shan believed in her, trusted her to find her own path as a Jedi, one that didn't rush into violence but sought understanding first.

Zaiya knew she wasn't naïve. She understood that not everything could be solved with words. She would fight to defend and protect when needed, and she would save who she could. But there had to be balance. Learning how to help without compromising what it meant to be a Jedi… that was what truly mattered.

Her thoughts drifted to her previous Master -- one she hadn't spoken much about lately.

"Oh! You know what?" A flicker of excitement pulsed in her voice, reflected in the warm glow rippling over her skin. "After Shan's class, I heard he's been spending more time at the Temple again!"

A small smile tugged at her lips. "I'm glad he did what he needed to become a doctor. Seeing him again was nice. He looked a lot more confident too."

 

[Iris Arani]

​

There was a long pause as Iris listened to Zaiya before a much more vulnerable kind of smile took over. She hadn't thought herself a good master. Zaiya wasn't her first padawan, and just like with Zaiya she wasn't around as much as she wish she could've been. The need to bathe in bacta and rest left her away for far too much. It was a weight she didn't like. That fleeting bit of emotion didn't last too much longer though, a grin took over as she ruffled Zaiya's hair.

"I know, I talked to him. He's agreed to also be your master and help me. Given my disabilities, I don't want you to end up alone or somewhere without him or I close by. I want you to have someone who supports you before anyone else there. If you want, I mean. It's still your choice, but I trust Shan and I know you do too."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Zaiya's skin flared with an excited burst of shifting golds and blues, her bioluminescence practically singing with emotion.

"Wait, really?" Her eyes widened, the thought of having Shan back as a Master sending a thrill through her. She had missed him, missed his steady presence, the way he always encouraged her to think things through, to trust herself. And now, he was back, and he was going to teach her again? Maybe even share some of what he learned at the university?

But even through that excitement, a small flicker of uncertainty curled at the edges of her glow. She tilted her head up at Iris, searching her expression.

"But... this doesn't mean you're leaving or anything, right?" Her fingers curled slightly at her sides. "I mean, I still... I still want you to be my Master too. I don't want less time with you."

The warmth of Iris's reassurance lingered in the air between them, but Zaiya needed to hear it outright. Needed to know that this didn't mean losing one bond just to regain another.

 

[Iris Arani]

​

Iris smiled softly as she continued to rustle Zaiya's hair gently. Even now, she could see the different colors shifting around. Reassurance. "You're stuck with me, Zaiya." Iris pulled her hand away, putting it back in her lap as her gaze shifted towards their destination. A.. Block. A large cube, of clearly alien design but still, a cube. For all accounts, it was interesting, but given how her focus had shifted, there was something going on here that was pulling her focus quite a bit. The Force, the colors here, they were different. Shifting in colors that changed quite a bit as if they were being pulled and guided.

Fascinating.

"Shall we check out what we've been brought here for?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani


"Ok good"

Relief rippled across Zaiya's skin in waves of soft gold, her mottled spots shifting with the quiet glow of reassurance. But even as that warmth settled in her chest, her gaze followed Iris's gesture, her focus sharpening on the unseen shift in the Force. She tilted her head slightly, watching the hues twist and pulse.

"You feel that too, right?" she murmured, her eyes narrowing with curiosity. It wasn't just the Force stirring; something in the environment was shifting with it. The colors surrounding them were changing, and Zaiya could see them, too, now, rippling in unpredictable ways, like light refracting through water, bending and twisting.

Domxite brought the speeder to a slow halt, its engine humming before powering down. With an effortless hop, they landed on Zaiya's shoulder, settling in as she reached up instinctively to steady them as she took a slow step forward.

"When I was here with Aris, there were bits of metal and ore that seemed to respond to it too." She adjusted the strap of her satchel, rolling her shoulders before glancing at Iris.

"This seems a little different from before though," she added, voice quieter now, as if speaking too loudly might disturb whatever unseen current was weaving through the air. Zaiya exhaled softly, shifting her stance as Domxite settled more comfortably on her shoulder.

"You ever wonder how many lost Jedi temples or ruins are still out there?" she mused, casting a glance at Iris. "Like… how much of our history is just buried under time, waiting to be found again?"

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"Depends on when they were lost, really. There's lots of ruins, but those who made them ruins tend to make sure there's nothing left. The Sith in particular like to erase the Jedi as much as possible." While hoarding hat they wanted for themselves. It was a very selfish version of archeology in truth, but Iris did understand it in some ways. Her work as a Shadow often involved finding and destroying Sith artifacts that could and would bring harm just existing.

There were a lot of those, unfortunately.

"The Force is strong here, though. This metal you're talking about that seems to react to the Force, do you mean-" She paused. The cube itself seemed to react to them, opening a side much like a door to reveal what was a lift within. Iris raised a brow, but stepped forward regardless. "- that its controlled by the Force more easily? There is something here that's channeling a lot downwards. It's- like power lines, almost."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Zaiya's bioluminescence flickered with bright curiosity as she followed Iris, the pull of the Force tugging at her like an unseen thread. When the cube of metal reacted to Iris's touch, she shot her friend an I told you so grin, her markings rippling with excited amusement.

"Yeah, that's exactly how it reacted… but I didn't expect it to open a door!" she said, eyes widening as the hidden entrance revealed itself. Oh, this was definitely going to be a story to tell Aris Noble later.

Her gaze snapped to the newly revealed lift, then to Iris as she spoke about power lines.

"Okay, that's weirdly interesting," Zaiya muttered, her tech-brained excitement kicking in full force. "Power lines… but through the Force? That's kind of amazing.. I wonder if i can replicate it.. I'l need to gather some of this matieral." She patted the satchel at her side. "Good thing I brought some rope, just in case."

Even as she spoke, she stretched out with her senses, feeling the currents of the Force shifting around them. It was guiding them down, that much was clear. But why?

As they stepped cautiously through the door, Zaiya kept her voice low but couldn't hold back her thoughts.

"Why do the Sith want to erase as much of the Jedi as possible?" she mused, thinking of Nulgath and the Sith she'd encountered before.

"I mean… isn't the Dark Side also part of the Force? Life and death, balance, the whole cycle. Why can't we just interact instead of --" she gestured vaguely, her bioluminescence flickering a frustrated indigo, " -- instead of all the war and destruction?"

She wasn't naïve. She knew what Sith were capable of. But she couldn't help but wonder if they were all connected by the same Force, why did it have to be this way?

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"It would be useful, certainly. We could set up something with it- and I already see where your thoughts are going on this." Iris let herself smirk a bit as she glanced to Zaiya, watching the gears turning in her head. How the colors shifted and turned, physically and in the Force. It was good to see her mind working like this. At least, until she started speaking about the Sith. Her expression softened.

"It's not a part of the Force. It's a virus, a cancer. When someone decides to abuse the Force, that's what the Dark Side is. For me, I see greying colors in those who use the Dark, but the Sith are a void, devouring the colors that are the natural flow. It feeds selfishness, and further pushes those mentalities. Warps good intentions. It's dangerous and unnatural, is the short of it."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Zaiya's glow flickered uncertainly, shifting between thoughtful citrine and something dimmer, a more subdued burnished amber.

A cancer? A void? The way Iris described it, the Dark Side wasn't just something dangerous -- it was something that hollowed people out, erased what made them them. That was... unnerving.

She bit her lip, glancing at the metal cube still humming faintly in her hands. The Force pulsed through it, neither Light nor Dark, just there.

"But… if the Force is supposed to be everything then how can one part of it be unnatural?" She looked up, her expression scrunched in thought. "I mean, I get that it's dangerous. I've seen what Sith can do -- I've felt what they could do, "Thinkking about how the Darkside made her skin crawl and feel nauseated," But I've also read of Jedi doing terrible things too in the archives..." Zaiya asked, wondering aloud. "What if it's not the Dark Side itself, but the way people use it?"

Her bioluminescence rippled again, this time with confusion. "And if the Sith are just... empty voids, then why do they keep winning? Why do they keep coming back?" Thinking about recent battles against the Sith Order and the Dark Empire.

The cube pulsed in her hands again, almost as if it were reacting to her emotions. Zaiya exhaled sharply and shook her head. "Sorry. I just... I don't like not understanding things."

As they continued their careful movement, they came across an area that seemed akin to a turbo lift. Perhaps a way to get down?

Or will they really need to use that rope she packed?

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"How you use the Force is how it can become the Dark Side. It's not a separate thing. Sith aside, when you abuse the flow of the Force, that's what the Dark Side is. When you make the colors change to what you want, regardless of it, when you don't even care about the colors there and enforce your will on it all, that's when you get the void. That's where the Dark Side comes from. It's not natural. It's breaking the Force and leaving a wound that similarly wounds others."

It was how Iris understood it, how she saw it even. She glanced to the turbo lift before stepping on, humming as she bounced a bit to test on if it would break or not. It didn't, and the machinery seemed to still be active and usable.

"As for why they keep coming back? People have selfish desires. There are always going to be bad, even evil people, in this galaxy and beyond. With our without the Force, they'll do terrible things. The Sith are just a group of people who've learned how to use the Force to achieve those selfish wishes. There are more, others who will abuse what they can to get what they want."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Zaiya stepped onto the lift beside Iris, her spots flickering in thoughtful shades of deep blue and amber. The way Iris described the Dark Side as a corruption that twisted the natural flow of the FOrce made sense. But it also made her uneasy.

"So then... it's like… forcing a river to flow in the wrong direction," she murmured, rolling the thought over in her mind. "Eventually, the river fights back. It overflows, or carves out new paths, and everything around it gets wrecked in the process."

Her fingers traced over the metal railing, feeling the faint hum of the machinery beneath her palms. The Force was strong here, even in something as ordinary as a lift. If someone had used the Force to shape this place, had they done it naturally? Or had they forced their will upon it?

She exhaled, a little overwhelmed by the weight of it all. "So… if the Dark Side is just the Force being hurt, then is it ever possible to heal it?" Her gaze flicked to Iris, glowing softly now with curiosity and something more -- hope.

Again she thought of Nulgath Zardai and how he was doing his best to find his place now.

The lift shuddered, then began its descent. Wherever they were going, the answers wouldn't be simple. But that didn't mean she'd stop asking.

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"What do you think we do when we give people back the colors they lost?" Of all the questions Zaiya had asked, that was the first that brought a smirk to Iris's expression. She reached up, really up considering Zaiya was taller than her now, to ruffle the girl's hair. "Like anything that gets hurt, there's going to be a mark that remains. The worse the wound, the more of a mark that will be left. The longer it would take to heal. But it can be healed. So long as people like you and me try, anything can be healed so long as it hasn't died."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Iris Arani

Zaiya's skin shimmered, her usually rosy blue flecked golden mottled spots softening into a gentle turquoise of relief, before giving a quick trace of warm amber.

A mark that remains… She'd never really thought about it that way before.

Iris's words settled deep, wrapping around Zaiya's head. Her stripes flickered between contemplation and hope. Although a small amused huff escaped when Iris ruffled her hair, but she didn't pull away. After all, Iris had to reach up to ruffle her head.

"So you're saying we're like healers, just with colors within the Force instead of bacta?" she mused, tilting her head. Her bioluminescence pulsed faintly, an unconscious response to the warmth in Iris's presence.

Anything can be healed… It was a nice thought. One she wanted to wholly believe.

"Then... is there a possibility for me to be able to heal someone of the Darkside then?"

A pause.

"And if so... does that mean they have to be willing to be healed or can I do it if it is necessary -- like when I have to triage a severe injury whether or not the person wants me to?"

Consent was such a big thing for Zaiya, so now she was curious on what that looked like here?

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"You've already done so, haven't you?" She read the report on Nulgath Zardai , on what Zaiya had done. Force Light. Even if it wasn't her alone, i was still her who guided it. Saw the results. Felt them, even. To cut someone from the Force was what the Light could do to right the wounds pushed onto it. It was a brutal thing, though. Iris didn't have that ability herself, but it was one that could lead to a peaceful resolution.

A Jedi would have to fight at some point, but to remove the opponents weapon was the fastest way towards peace.

"It's not a power to use lightly." There was a pause. Iris groaned. Really groaned as she reached up to touch her forehead. The un. that wasn't her intention, but the pun.

".. You get what I mean."

Zaiya Ceti