Enjoy the Silence

[Baalagor]

​

If there ever was a planet that was at the same time beautiful while being inherently dangerous in its own right, it was the ice world of Ilum. With harsh temperatures that contrasted with the otherworldly allure of the numerous crystal caves that dotted the planet, it made a testing trial for even the Jedi. But that was likely the entire purpose of the journey, especially given that Syala had yet to craft her own lightsaber. Despite being a Knight, it was a trip she had yet to take, until now. It was something she had been looking forward to, and the planning had been done, for the most part, on her own, with assistance from her Master. It would be a time for them to simply be, away from their duties as Jedi, at least in the traditional sense. And after all that had happened both between she and Connor, and him and the Order as a whole, it was time they needed, to think and reflect on both of their positions in the galaxy, as Jedi, and the bond that connected them and ran far deeper than blood.

Silently she sat, cross-legged, meditating while there was still ample time left to do so. The Force had always been something she was close to, reminiscent of an old friend. This time it was no different, leading her when she wasn't aware guidance was needed, providing insight into scenarios that would have otherwise been entirely foreign to her. It was how she had come so far as a Jedi in such a short time, and it was how she would continue to flourish within the Order as a defender of the light and, eventually, a mentor to those who wished to aspire to such a title. It wasn't something she had considered yet, her relative value as a teacher. No matter how much she would have liked to assist those learners, she was perfectly aware that she was still classified as such, and had much to work on herself. It began today with the formation of the weapon she would wield for the rest of her life. This was just another part of that learning experience that would, if she was lucky, never end.

As they neared the planet it seemed as if she was becoming closer to the ether, strands reaching out across the depths of space to encompass her, she returning that same sense of peaceful weightlessness. Inherently she knew it was a connection already forming between the crystals and herself. However strange that may have sounded to most, many crystals had their own sort of signature in the Force, their own presence that allowed them to access the energy field. Perhaps not quite like a sentient being, but close enough that it made little difference. It allowed each individual Jedi to form a connection with the crystal that helped to form their lightsaber, connecting weapon and wielder in a way that not many others could claim. It was an intrinsic, complicated thing, yet so simple when one got right to the heart of the matter. It allowed each individual Jedi to know their weapon and thus themselves in a way that went deeper than the physical, sometimes the spiritual as well.

There was faint tremor as the transport finally settled onto the snowy ground in what passed for a landing area on Ilum, and all was quiet for a long moment. Slowly she stood, her mind returning to the physical realm nearly wholly, that part of her always remaining tethered to the Force itself. It was what brought her that aura of unnatural calm, and what allowed her to remain so seemingly peaceful. For the moment she simply stood there, taking in the peace of the planet, not unlike the Silver Temple on Voss. Exhaling slowly, she turned to where she sensed her Master to be, the faintest of smiles on her lips, an always present symbol of her quiet caring and support for everyone, but most importantly [member="Connor Harrison"] himself. "Are you ready, Master?"

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor sat watched Sy meditate. She already looked older and wiser than the day she confidently wandered into his quarters, but she was still young. So full of potential and fire for a Silver Jedi. Of course he could help her make a saber on Voss, but that would detract the point of the whole quest; to seek out a lightsaber crystal from the caves located on Ilum and construct her own blade; her own weapon to use against the forces of evil. A weapon she would call her own.

Linking his fingers, he could see the muted whites and blues looming through the viewport to his side. There was no real plan, no real time limit. They both promised to send time together after recent events, and this would be a fine place to do it – no walk in the park like the grassy plains of Naboo, but it was something.

As Sy came back to reality, standing before him, Connor smiled at her, seemingly ready to take the step forward and probably face untold personal goals and their own questions to find answers to. All he could do was be her strength and her support, and he was full of confidence she would lead the way.

”Ready as ever, Sy.” The engine noise died down, and he stood.

”I know you feel you are too young to be a Knight, but this quest for your crystal will test your resolve, your state of mind and your sheer determination to progress through the Order to become, one day, a Master. It will be a tricky journey, don’t get me wrong, but what happens today will be a crucial step forward for you. And I know you will do far better than you think. At this rate you’ll be Master in two weeks.”

Connor chuckled and unhooked his lightsaber hilt form his belt and held it.

”This weapon is your life. It will defend yours and, regrettably, take others. But it is an extension of your devotion to the Silver Jedi in seeking out darkness and being that beacon of light to cut through it. Once you have constructed your lightsaber, you too will be serving the light to battle the dark forces out there.”

Without looking, he clipped it back to his belt and offered a reassuring smile.

”The Crystal Caves will call you – you don’t need to worry, you will feel them in the Force. Anything you don’t need, you leave here. The most important tool you need really is your mind and your awareness of the Force around you. Ready when you are.”

[member="Syala Daivik"]

 

[Baalagor]

The confidence he held in her was present, as it always seemed to be, unwavering even in the face of the greatest dangers. This time, however, was different. There was no doubt that he was still certain in her ability, but instead of burning brightly as a flame in the endless darkness it was subdued and quiet, content to allow her to move along her own path at her own pace, unobstructive and unassuming. And she appreciated it in a similar manner, as she always did, quietly acknowledging it while returning her own in kind. It was just another facet of the bond between them, unwavering and never to be broken, no matter what he might think. It was simply how things were, how they had to be and should remain. And how they would, if she could help it. No matter what transpired, that would remain as simple truth. It was as if things had always been that way, before they had crossed paths.

Now those paths they walked were interconnected in a twisting, spinning web that spanned months yet felt like many a peaceful century. And the road had eventually led here, to Ilum. It had come in a vision, however cliche that likely sounded, in a manner similar to how she had been meditating before. Not in images, as they often chanced to be, but rather in fleeting feelings and flashing snapshots of what she'd learned to be the Crystal Caves. A sense of purpose had accomapnied the pictures, a knowledge that conveyed to her that it was time to continue down the path that would lead her to becoming not only a Jedi, but the best one she could be. The first step in doing so, it seemed, was venturing here in search of a crystal for the lightsaber she would go on to craft. However much she would rather avoid violence, that precognition had warned her that sometimes it was a necessary thing.

And once again, in reality, Connor had made her aware of the same. It would defend her life, that much was true, and she was certain of it. The weapon would be an extension of her own devotion to the light, a tangible symbol of the service of others that she had henceforth dedicated her life to. It really was that simple, but as another tremor once more rang out through the Force, Syala knew it wasn't. Now wasn't quite the time to consider such complex topics. Now was the time to act. "I can feel them already, through the Force. This is far more peaceful than I would have imagined." What she had imagined, however, she couldn't quite say. But she trusted in the ethereal and her Master both, knowing that the two combined would be more than enough to get her through this journey and out the other side stronger and wiser than she had been before. Whatever knowledge she would find here, it would be impactful, that much she could feel.

A far more lighthearted smile grew on her lips, the one thus far reserved for his presence only. "I wouldn't go so far as to say two weeks. I still need to grow into being a Knight, first." And grow she would, that was already certain. After all, she had one of the best teachers she could have asked for. Slowly she removed the Krayt dragon pearl he had given her from a pocket. It was something she always had on her person, from the day he'd bestowed it on her until this very moment. Even slower it levitated, mere inches above her palm, hovering there tentatively as if held in place by an invisible string. Telekinesis was one of the first abilities she had learned to call upon consciously, and it was something she had practiced since childhood. The pearl lowered itself gently, and she tucked it away once more, still wearing that same smile. "I would say this is necessary." It was stated not as an inquiry but a fact, as if she were merely commenting on the current weather conditions.

A beat passed, and she stepped up to what was the entrance and exit both, contemplating silently for a moment before keying the button that opened the hatch, landing ramp slowly extending to gently drop to the powdered snow without so much as a whisper. Clad in their winter gear, she had no doubt that the cold and wind would prove little issue. They were both a part of the challenge, but only a small facet. The rest of it lay in finding the crystal and assembling the blade. This was a trial of spirit as much as it was a physical one. Without a word she stepped from the relative safety of the ship and into that blistering cold, as easily as if they were walking beside the lake on Voss. Just as silently she entered the caves, willingly allowing the Force to blanket her and permeate every pore. And she knew that, second to the Silver Temple on Voss, this was as close to home as she would ever get.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor followed Sy out into the frosty temperatures of Ilum. While not as biting as Hoth or dangerous as Rhen Var, currently, the planet still had its share of dangers and secrets that had been hidden by the wild weather over centuries and even now forged by travellers and settlers and who knew what else. As past experience had proved on the planet Lok, you could never guarantee who or what was hiding away to take their piece of glory from the galaxy.

He stood behind his former Padawan, still young but so wise in many ways, and one he truly cared for and wanted to protect and guide to cover up his own failings in his previous years. The fact she had instigated coming to Illum for his saber crystal showed great willing, and Connor felt she was certainly on the right path.

Reaching the cave, he pulled his cowl back from his head and brushed flakes of snow from the brow of his head, breath condensing in the air as he looked into the darkness. The Force around the two Jedi was peaceful and calm – which meant nothing, to one who knew the perils of such places.

”So, Sy, what do you feel right now. Do you think your crystal is here, calling you?”

He took a couple of steps forward and glanced around their surroundings. Turning to Sy, he smiled at her, feeling nothing but pride in their shared bond and how they could simply be each other and there would be nothing but understanding. Her face was naturally pretty, and etched with a steely determination of fabled warriors from myths told eons ago – young, but strong of heart and mind and who would one day lead people, or Jedi, to greatness.

[member="Syala Daivik"]

 

[Baalagor]

"Everything." Or so it felt. It seemed as if the cave itself was alive and humming with energy just beneath the surface. Inwardly Syala knew it was the Force itself reaching out to her as she so often did, gently guiding her on the correct path that would bring her one step closer to becoming the best Jedi altogether possible. It was an ironic thing, really, that the ethereal she so often relied on was calling to her in turn, making it difficult to discern any one presence but also allowing every individual sensation to be felt with a renewed clarity. It was a paradox of feelings, and one that was disorientingly pleasant to experience. "This place is alive." Her breath fogged in the air as she spoke, one hand stretching out to rest on the wall, its texture rough yet strangely smooth at the same time, that same energy buzzing on her fingertips.

Slowly she stepped forward, gaining her bearings, pushing past the initial shock and awe and gaining her own firm foothold in reality once more. There was a wealth of information presenting itself to her through the ether, and in order to remain focused she unfortunately had to turn much of it away to be processed another time, when she wasn't here with an express task in mind. For the moment her concentration narrowed, central to the crystals themselves, then only to those that were opening to her in return. That still left too much to pick through, but she welcomed it all with open arms this time, allowing it to wash through her and clear her mind. It was reminiscent of a cold splash of water, and once it was done she was able to look upon her surroundings with a renewed clarity. Such was the intrinsic beauty and complexity of this thing called the Force.

It seemed as if she was hardly registering Connor's presence, but she was inherently aware of his exact location in relation to her as well as the aura that he emanated, one she was perfectly adapted to both sensing and harboring as her own. He was proud, not just of her but the bond they shared, beaming inwardly at the thought that the two of them could forge something so strong that it would last for eternity. But there was a guarded caution there as well, not of her but their surroundings, and what dangers might be concealing themselves in the shadows, unbeknownst to the two Jedi. That same worry was something she shared, but only vaguely, trusting both in him and the Force to warn her of any imminent danger. Should she be shown cause to be concerned she would be, but until then she was quietly at peace with her environment.

In return she had a quiet confidence and pride in his abilities, knowing even when he didn't that he was capable not only as a friend and mentor, but a Jedi as well, the Master he was and would continue to be. He was strong, stronger than he knew or would ever believe. Perhaps not physically, through it was certainly true as well, but mentally he would never be broken. That had been proven in the trials he had endured in years past and would undoubtedly continue to in the future. Such was the life of a Jedi, and so it would continue to be for generations onward not just in his life, but those that succeeded him, inevitably including her. That strength would continue to protect him and all those he cared about, whether he was fully aware of such or not. And it was because of that she admired him.

"I know it's here," That confidence extended, to a small degree, her own talents as well, "I can feel it. There's a number of them, but I know mine is here, somewhere." She returned his smile. "All that's left to do is find it." Once that was complete the next stage would begin, one she wasn't entirely sure of just yet. Falling silent she continued walking once more, her steps more certain of their destination, though there was still much to deliberate over before she could honestly say that she had found the crystal that would fit her lightsaber and guard her life and the lives of others from this day forward. The weight of such a thing, and the ability to bear it, was the true test of whether one was capable of becoming a Jedi. And one she willingly undertook not just because she had to eventually, but because it was her want. Her will, and that of the Force.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Standing back a few steps and watching her, Connor was here purely to watch her progress. Not to lead, not to lecture and not to interfere. The way Sy evaluated each moment, broke down every flicker in the Force could be seen as some as an obstacle she’d had to overcome in order to not rely on her strong Force aura, but Connor saw it more as a gift.

Many used the Force as a safeguard, and a reason for why they did things. Others used it as a tool. Sy used it as something more, and it was wonderful to see her master it. Walking gently forward as she moved on, Connor looked around at their pretty surroundings.

”Yours is here, that’s right. Don’t rush – take your time. You want to connect to your crystal as you connected with your Master,” he smiled a little, ”because you’ll be stuck with it for life when you make your choice.”

The icy rock crunched under his boots and his breath was visible before him.

”Tell me Sy, how did you come to the Silver Jedi? I don’t think I’ve ever asked you, and I’d like to know you more as the real you, if that’s alright?”

He hopped over a small crack, and moved beside her.

[member="Syala Daivik"]

 

[Baalagor]

How had she come to the Silver Jedi? It was a question Syala had never had to answer, her presence within the Order simply accepted as everything else had been, quietly and in turn. After all, the first memories she could recall were of the Temple on Voss, and the Masters that resided there. When she spoke of knowing no other life besides that of a Jedi, she wasn't exaggerating in the least. "I'm not sure if I could tell you that exactly. The first place I remember ever calling home is the Silver Temple, and the first people I remember taking care of me are the Jedi that lived there. My life before is something I've never considered. This is the one I was born into, and to me it's the only one that matters. Who I may have been before is a secondary thing. Right now I'm a Knight of the Silver Jedi, and I'm going to do my best to live up to that title."

Allowing that information to weigh on his mind she continued walking, her pace slow. It was as if she was on the cusp of discovery, the feeling reminiscent of an unspoken word at the tip of her tongue. But she was carrying on a conversation as well, and she had to ground herself somehow. It wouldn't do well to become too distracted. "One of my parents was Echani, the other Human. I couldn't tell you who was which. I also couldn't say whether they're still alive or not, either. I suppose it's because I've never devoted much thought to that side of things. The family I have here are my fellow Jedi, and you most of all. The rest of it doesn't matter near as much, in my eyes." Her feelings may have been misplaced to some, but it was difficult to have an altered mindset when she hadn't known anything different.

Take her time with it all she would, allowing the Force to guide her, instead of the other way around. It came naturally to her in a way, as it was something she did nearly on a daily basis with the visions she received. This took perhaps a more direct approach rather than leaving her to interpret the rest, but she did her best to leave her senses open. The crystal had nearly singled itself out, but that connection he spoke of still needed to be formed, enough so crystal and Jedi would know each other intrinsically and without thought, allowing her to locate her weapon in a sea of others with no difficulty. There was still an uncertainty there, a tremor across the still forging bond that didn't hold quite the same confidence as the rest of it did. It was this that would be remedied over time, more than just a few hours needed to patch over things.

"If you have any questions you'd like to ask, don't feel as if you have to withhold anything. I'll do my best to answer anything. We should know each other just as easily as we know ourselves." A smile crept across her face. "And you know I wouldn't change anything about the bond that we've formed. I would say that I've made the best choice possible in having you as my Master. There isn't any other Silver Jedi I would have wanted to guide me. I've learned more in these years with you than I would have given a lifetime of studying under anyone else. Don't you dare sell yourself short, because you know you're worth so much more to me than a teacher. You're my Master, certainly, but you're also a friend and a brother." As she spoke that last sentence she looked to him, awaiting his response.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor walked quietly beside her, listening intently and racking his brains at the same time to think about a young Syala Daivik he may have crossed paths with without knowing it, but he couldn't. He didn't even know who her parents may have been.

”I really can't recall you - saying that, you would have been there before I ever came along so you would have been just another face to me. Ironic, how many times we may have crossed paths in and around the Temple and thought nothing of it, but now look. I'm accompanying you on your path to forging your own saber.”

He reached over and put his arm around Sy's shoulder.

”I used to say that the Silver Jedi were my family - but to me, they're not. Not in a bad way, I mean, I've come to see those I were close to form their own families and bonds that differentiate that of what I may have felt. Now they are allies in serving the Force. I have one, Coci, who I would call my sister in the Force, as I have known her for a long time and been through so much. But you, you are what it must feel like to truly have a sister from blood.”

Smiling, he helped her on through the cave, lights from the crystals dancing over them as they passed.

”I've never been angry at anything you've ever said, any opinion you say or difference in opinion. I have been angry at others when I shouldn't have been, but with you, I just understand and accept your views and choices and want to help you find them. I don't want anything bad to happen to you, and I will always look out for you even when you have a Padawan of your own. I love you like I haven't loved another - I somehow feel, that, you're my link to reality and what I am inside, and vice versa. You're a good person Sy, a true Jedi; kind of heart and spirit and you are not my Padawan anymore, not in the eyes of the Order, but you are my sister. Truly, my family. The only one I feel I have. I can't let anything happen to you as it did me.”

Swallowing a rising threat of emotion, Connor shook his hand gently on her shoulder. He didn't like to let his heart speak for him as it often got him in trouble with others, but sometimes, as he had learnt recently, it sometimes was best to speak it and be human, not a robot.

[member="Syala Daivik"]

 

[Baalagor]

Life often did have a funny way with things, that was something the two of them knew better than most. How ironic that they may have greeted each other in passing a time or two and not regarded it as anything special, only to have them come so far as a pair now. Some may have called it destiny, and Syala certainly wouldn't overlook the possibility, but her belief ran deeper than that to the Force itself. It had drawn them together for reasons perhaps yet unexplored, but it was clear that they had both helped the other determine who they really were, in some way. It was just one more example of how many took the bond that formed between Master and Padawan for granted, when really it had the potential to grow into so much more than it seemed at first glance.

As he put his arm around her shoulders she smiled, becoming more relaxed than she already had been in that moment. It was a close bond they shared, one that she found solace in when it seemed like there was nothing else. Something she had held on to, through thick and thin, persistently sticking by him even when he saw himself as unfit for being a Jedi. In a similar manner he always reassured her that she was fit to be a Knight no matter what she may think otherwise, that her promotion hadn't been something decided merely on a whim, but premeditated by him. That mutual encouragement was one of the many reasons that it was she who had been the one to break his routine of not taking on an apprentice of his own. From the beginning she had assured that he had been made a Master for a very good reason. And so it had continued.

"That means more to me than you'll ever know." She stepped closer to him as they walked, her own quiet confidence in his speaking his thoughts as they came to him from his heart, rather than suppressing them and forcing logic to take over. Sometimes the purest thoughts came when one thought less about what they were saying and simply let the words flow. "You know, I always imagined that I had a brother somehow." Here she looked to him. "I suppose I wasn't entirely wrong, then. I couldn't have chosen someone better myself." Nor would she have wanted to. Connor had a funny way of always minimizing his own accomplishments, but she made sure to bring them out so he could see them clearly. "You're the only family I could have asked for. That I know for certain." Her voice was hushed yet full of emotion, as if she didn't want to disturb the crystals about them.

Another flash of light sparked through the Force, rendering her momentarily silent as she processed what was being communicated through the ether. "This way. It's close." Still she didn't distance herself from him, finding comfort simply in his close presence. This was a plane she hadn't opened herself up to before, a deeper form of the energy field that she had only glimpsed previously in her life. The very caves hummed with latent Force energy, whether it was that of the crystals themselves, or merely residual from those others that had visited beforehand in the same state of an almost unnatural calm. It transmitted to her a sense of serene knowing, a feeling of having already been to the caves in years past; that this was a return visit after centuries had passed. It was as if this was where she belonged.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor squeezed her shoulder gently; one of reassurance and understanding. Pulling back his arm after her awareness in the Force told them they were close, he stood behind her, letting her lead as he said he would.

The strong Force aura around him was at times unidentifiable between Sy and the crystals, and he glanced at her, watching her feel with her senses to the energy beyond. Connor felt nothing out of the ordinary, no immediate threat, but to be fair he wasn’t seeking it. He was busy watching the progress of Sy.

”Take your time. Don’t worry about me or what I’m feeling – this is your time, and I’m right here.”

He folded his arms and held his chin in the cup of his fingers as he watched, a small curl on his lip forming as he wondered what was going through he wonderfully complex mind.

[member="Syala Daivik"]

 

[Baalagor]

There was a moment where her hold on the Force became tremulous, wavering on that thin line that separated a higher awareness from none at all. Without warning that same focus suddenly doubled itself, expanding in a rush that was soon recognizable as another vision, one likely brought on from simply being within the caves themselves. It didn't reveal anything monumental, no untold secrets, but it brought forth another feeling of simple knowledge that left her at peace once more. Images of Jedi from centuries past on the same quest as she, some of them far younger, a few years older in contrast. All were at peace with both themselves and the galaxy around them, content in their being here among the crystals. It cumulated to a final image of an ignited saber of no particular design, the only feeling accompanying it being that this was certainly the weapon of a Jedi.

With no warning it all faded back to the walls of crystals about her and nothing more, that final picture still drifting beyond the very fringes of her conscious sight. Taking a breath to help clear her head Syala blinked and looked to Connor with a small smile, silently assuring that everything was just as it had been previously. "I saw them all. The ones that have been here before us. Centuries of Jedi, all of them here for the same purpose. It was amazing." Her voice was slightly breathless as she spoke, but despite this she continued walking, her pace still just as measured as it had been. The vision had made itself known without warning, as was common, but she knew Connor had never experienced them firsthand alongside her. "I'm fine, don't worry. That's one of the visions I spoke of when we first met."

Kneeling she worked at a patch of ice that lay nestled in a small crook at a bend, gently and carefully cracking it with the Force, it splitting open almost gingerly. Pushing away the pieces she lifted the crystal that had found itself frozen there, its surface still cold in her palm, another point of clarity in the tangled web that made up the energy of their surroundings. It glittered hundreds of shades of blue, from something nearly as dark as the midnight sky to the color of the ice itself. But the predominant color was turquoise, clear and standing out, seeming to almost glow in the light of the cave. Turning it over in her hands it was small enough to fit in her palm, but would require careful shaping before it was fit for any sort of lightsaber. It was natural, the Force in its purest form, unaltered and entirely itself in every aspect.

Slowly she stood, still holding the crystal carefully in her hand, as if it would shatter if she wasn't careful. "This is it, what the Force showed me. What you've helped me obtain." Once again she smiled, letting it roll between her fingers, feeling the Force as it wove its way from that fragile natural creation back to her, forming a bond that was subconscious in nature, not an entirely self-aware decision on her part, something that seemed to be just as innate as her ability to perceive that same energy field. It was at this point she was lost with what to do; beyond obtaining the crystal she had only a basic knowledge of how the weapon itself would be formed. The Force would guide her with what was to be done, that much she knew, as would Connor himself. "It's quieter now. Far more peaceful. The Force is calm."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor stopped walking gradually and let Sy venture forward alone. He folded his arms across his chest and leant his chin on his chest, feeling her in the Force but not getting involved in the final steps for her finding the crystal that would effectively be part of the weapon to save her life. He rose his eyes gently to watch her move; cautious and careful, but with purpose. Respectful of her surroundings but determined to take her prize.

”That’s it – trust yourself. Trust the Force,” he said quietly.

Sy moved to being the process of finding and unearthing her crystal. He couldn’t help smile at the thrill of watching one on the cusp of their future eager to succeed and all because of guidance that he tried to provide. Connor stepped sideways to watch her, and within moments she had a crystal in her hand – and it was beautiful.

He nodded and stepped forward.

”If that has called you; then you have found your crystal.”

Connor went to stand in front of her and looked at it glistening in her hand, as if forming a bond with her Force aura straight away. He looked at her with expectant eyes.

”Now comes the time for you to construct your hilt and administer the crystal. Are you happy to do this alone or do you want my help? Come, let us go back to the ship where it’s warmer and think how you want to proceed.”

The gaze Sy was giving the crystal was sweet, as if she had found a personal pet and was in awe of it. Taking her arm, Connor coaxed her on back through the glistening cave as the chill picked up around them both.

[member="Syala Daivik"]

 

[Baalagor]

The touch on her arm drew her back from the cusp of the ethereal, helping to remind her of her place in reality, grounding her in some sense to the physical realm. It was all too easy to become lost in the breathless whirlwind that was the formation of her bond with the crystal. The Light had its own sort of pull, a careful and calm lull that left her with a strange sort of peace brewing in her middle, one that allowed her to regard most every situation with a quietly rational eye. In this situation, however, that peace had been stirred, intrinsically woven with a sense of purpose, a knowledge that this was where she was meant to be in this moment. Her relationship with the Force had always been an odd one, connected firmly on some planes but less so in others. Combat had never been her area of prowess, but times like these were where she thrived.

Once they entered the decidedly warmer confines of the ship her senses returned entirely to the present, a bond still lingering, but not as overwhelming as it had once been. Now she was allowed to think clearly, her awareness of her surroundings flooding back. Suddenly she felt the weight of the crystal in her palm, the gentle touch of Connor's hand on her arm as he guided her, the warmth of the vessel's interior as it washed over them, reminiscent of a blanket. In comparison to all that she had witnessed in the caves the world around her seemed dull, less vibrant, devoid of the spark that had blossomed previously. But the tethers that bound her to the Force still remained, reminding her that such an experience was only a minuscule breadth away. All it would take was her own will and concentration.

Slowly she adopted the same cross-legged position she had remained in for their journey to the ice-covered planet, her grasp on the crystal loosening as she held it in two hands, taking a breath. Only then did it seem as if she completely acknowledged the question that had been asked of her, her gaze lifting to meet Connor's, the barest trace of a smile on her lips once more. "You say that as if it needs to be asked. This is a journey we embarked on together, and now a new stage of it has only just begun. This blade marks the beginning of my life as a Knight of the Silver Jedi. Your assistance is the only thing I could ask for, in the end." Regardless of whether she was a teacher in her own right when it came to certain aspects, she would always remain close to the man that made it all possible in the first place.

That same smile took on more of a lighthearted edge. "This should make any future lessons in combat rather interesting. Someday I might even manage to hold my own against you." While any sort of talent when it came to the more dangerous side of things would never be her central focus, it was necessary that she learn to defend herself in the event of an attack on the Silver Jedi themselves. "Of course, that day will likely be slow in coming." Another smile at that.

[member="Connor Harrison"]