Private Free Trial: Padawan Edition

[Mi'la Undari]

Location: Tython, Unknown Ruins.


Mi'la hadn't been to Tython before. She had read about its history, studied some of the architecture, but it was something else entirely to look upon the ruins of a people long since past. The Twi'lek struggled to keep her enthusiasm in check, hoping to not make herself look bad in the presence of Master Sakadi. But it was just so cool! The relics, the story that the grounds might hold, not to mention the history that laid undiscovered at this site! Then again, someone had probably already been here, most likely taken all the good digs, recorded what they could get ahold of, and moved on. But then again, they could always miss something....


She pulled herself back to reality, her mind focusing on the mission they had come here for. Rechecked to ensure she had her lightsabers at her hips, Mi'la looked back to the master, abit amiss as to what their objective here was. "I apologize master, but what are we looking for? Nothing is catch my eye at current." She braced for the voice in her head to give a short lecture about paying attention, but truth be told Mi'la wasn't sure what they were here to retrieve. Sakadi was rather vague about this whole thing now that she thought about it.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

"We're looking for an ancient Jedi Holocron Mi'la." The woman walking slightly ahead of the Twi'lek projected. That wasn't the truth, of course. She was never that blunt and direct with her goals and objectives. They were indeed looking for an ancient, probably damaged Holocron, her true goal here was to test the purple Twi'lek.

With her former Padawan, Cas Tynen, everything had been clear from the start. They had a natural connection, one that gave her a sense of trust when she had first met him. The Force had brought him to her, and she had taught him the best she could. But she lacked that connection with Mi'la. Deep inside, she wanted to take the young woman as her Padawan. But was Mi'la really up for the task? And more importantly, was she able to teach her, like she had taught Cas? The Sephi hoped that this quest would give her the answers she was looking for.

Sakadi glanced behind her, studying the purple Twi'lek who was undoubtedly enthralled by the ruins of the structure. They traversed at a slow pace, keen on not disturbing the wildlife or any other being that had made its home here. "According to the publications of Professor Kastari, the entrance should be located within Hafsa's trench..." The disembodied voice of the Master echo'd, as she held the holoprojector in the shade to better study the holographic map the old Temple complex. The ruins had been charted long ago, but recent efforts to reconstruct the building through simulations had unveiled new possible entrances, secret rooms and possible artifacts waiting to be found. "But we are standing in Hafsa's trench right now, and I don't see it..." The Jedi Master complained with a puzzled look on her face. This was exactly why she preferred to send Knights on these kind of missions. She simply lacked the patience for it.

Mi'la Undari​

 

[Mi'la Undari]

Right. Holocron. It was a tad surprising that no one had already claimed something so valuable, especially from a site this old; but anything was possible. She realized that she was getting nervous, perhaps due to the prospect of being in the presence of a master. She wanted to do well after, delve further into her studies and duties as a Jedi. This would make it or break it for her, or at least it felt that way. "Understood, I know what that looks like." She responded, feeling a bit better about accomplishing her goal now. She felt in her element here, having been to numerous sites that while not as old or cool, certainly were in the category

As Sakadi struggled with the map, Mi'la had an idea. Perhaps they were looking too literally. "Maybe it's right under our feet. I read that these old temples would construct hidden passages under the floors of the grounds." She began looking along the floor for a hint of a crevice, a strange shape within the ground, or perhaps something in the floor that could be turned. If she could say one thing, old building designers loved their elaborate gimmicks. She reached out with the force now, and found a thread to take hold of. Taking hold of the lead given to her, Mi'la mind was opened to a sight. It was like viewing a holovid at high speed, though she only caught snippets of an image.

The temple was no longer in ruins, rather a lush impressive sight to behold; but Mi'la found she was not alone here. Several robe clad figures stood around a strange symbol on the floor, there was a hand motion, the room shook, then the figures were gone. Mi'la's curiosity was piqued, and she tried to push for the snippets, wanting to pry more from it, only to fail. Perhaps she was asking too much, as the thread was pulled from her grasp, shunting the padawan back into the ruins of the present.

Confused, she stepped back, her brow furrowed in confusion as to what had just happened. She looked to Sakadi, trying to grapple with what she had just seen. "I....think there's this orb symbol on the floor we need to find, I think it opens up a passage below. It should look like a jedi, with black and white stones behind them. One side all white, another all black." Her words were tinged with doubt, though Mi'la felt she wasn't wrong. She had just seen the images after all, but why? She looked to the master, curious as to what Sakadi would say about this revelation.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi's puzzled remained present after Mi'la's remark. What was she talking about? Right under their feet? That couldn't make any sense. The slabs they were walking on already felt eroded. Any structure underneath would have certainly collapsed. Before she could protest, however, Mi'la was already looking for a clue Sakadi doubted would exist.

Just as her attention returned to the holomap, something odd happened. She could sense it. Feel it in the Force. Before she could fully trace it back, however, it abruptly ended. The sudden surge in Light Side energy diminished, but its origins were clear to her. Even clearer when Mi'la explained what they were looking for.

"Do you know what you've just accessed, Mi'la?" The power itself was rare. She knew only a handful of Jedi who possessed, and had truly mastered the technique. "That was Psychometry, if I'm correct. It's a rare power only few are born with." She began to explain. "It allows you to see glimpses of the past through the Force, merely by touching an object. In case you already knew that, you must know that yours is really powerful. Being able to see such ancient times by a single touch." The girl was promising indeed.


​

 

[Mi'la Undari]

Truth be told, Mi'la hadn't expected the master to respond as she had, then again Mi'la had never truly experienced that sort of vision before. Though she in truth she was a bit flattered by what Sakadi said, unfortunately she had no idea what she had actually done to earn that glimpse into the past. "I didn't feel like I got that much out of it, it was just a bunch of images meshed together. Are...you not able to do that Master?" She felt a tad awkward now, seeing that Sakadi had taken interest in what she had done, though it sounded like a rather nifty trick to have. Maybe she'd have to experiment more with it once they had more free time. Before it was always just an urge she felt, but apparently she had a born gift to tap into. Who would have known? "I guess you brought the right padawan for the job then, huh?" She replied, not sure what else to say, as her Lekku awkwardly rubbed against the back of her head. If nothing else, it would be essential for future expeditions.

She turned her attention to looking for the stone tile she had seen before, but given the state of disrepair for the stone floor it seemed nearly impossible to find. A frown crossed her features, as it was hard to tell one eroded floor stone from the next. The vision wasn't exactly specific as to where they should have been looking for unfortunately, but she had a feeling that Sakadi was just playing coy with her. Maybe this was just a test of her padawan observational skills. In which case, Mi'la was failing rather badly at that. "The vision wasn't clear on where the symbol was, just that it's here. Any suggestion for how we can find it, Master?" Sakadi was probably going to get tired of being called that, or maybe she was used to it. As amusing as calling her Master Kadi was, Mi'la would hold off on it. She didn't want to get the silent treatment from the Sephi, though technically Sakadi gave everyone that treatment. Either way, it would only seek to make her feel more awkward here and now, and she really didn't need that at the moment.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

"With a bit of effort, I can." She truthfully responded. She was gifted with a powerful presence in the Force, but she was not born with abilities of the magnitude Cas or Mi'la possessed. Her former Padawan's revelations were incredible, but could easily misguide him. And now, the young Twi'lek she wanted to take as her second Padawan, showed exceptional strength in Psychometry.

Her own affinty for the technique was low, but present. She could pick up on emotions left in objects, but couldn't access the actual memories, unless they were very strong or emotionally charged. Luckily, she had little need of the ability. It was easier for the Sephi to actually read minds, than scour objects for those same memories. This was, however, one of the few instances where her knowledge wasn't applicable. "I sure did, didn't I?" The Sephi's voice would echo, as she deactivated the holomap.

The remark of the young Jedi made the composed woman smile. "Well, this is where I come in." It was the only clue she would give the Padawan. Yes, most of the stone slabs had eroded to a point beyond recognition. But not all of them. A considerable part of the trench was overgrown with slithering vine-like plants, flowers of all shapes, sizes and colors, and a couple of large and ancient tree roots. It would take days to remove all of it, but the Sephi lacked the patience for that particular undertaking.

Narrowing her eyes, Sakadi fell back deep in the Force, allowing it to wash over her like the first rays of sunlight in the morning. The warm and familiar sensation of the Living Force spread through her body, as she welcomed and shaped its energy.

The Force coiled around her as the seemingly frail Sephi raised her arms. With great care, control and experience, she released the energy that had build within her and as she did, the wild forest came to life. Roots retracted and vines slithered away, unveiling the preserved carved stone slabs underneath. They had seen their best years, much like the other parts of the Temple, but the imagery they once depicted could still be discerned from what remained.

Once the trench was truly swept clean, the lavender figure lowered her arms again. "Well then. Let's find this passageway you mentioned, shall we?"

Mi'la Undari​

 

[Mi'la Undari]

It was going to take time to get used to hearing voices in her head, but Mi'la wasn't put off by it. If nothing else, it let them have private discussions when in the presence of others, and was a good way for Mi'la to practice with her telepathy. Having been flattered by the master, Mi'la stepped aside as Sakadi offered to assist in the clean up. She watched the Sephi with curiosity, as she felt the force gathering within the woman, then it suddenly released all at once. Mi'la had heard of what some masters could do, but seeing it up close was remarkable to her young eyes. Plants and vines recoiled, seemingly moved of their own will, freeing much of the obstructed stone in the process. Could she get to that level of power some day? Watching in awe, Mi'la was only snapped out of it by Sakadi speaking to her mind once again, as the padawan gave a quick nod. "Right, one passageway coming right up." She muttered, as she would look to uncover the stone she had seen in her vision.

Reaching out, Mi'la took in a breath, and decided to try and pull on that connection she had found her last time. Closing her eyes, she reached out with the force, and found several threads reaching out to her from the newly freed stone. She hesitated, unsure which one to pick, as they all seemed to be of the same length and shape. Her brow furrowed, and suddenly she found the threads had weaved themselves together, forming a line instead. The line streaked forward, as if being traced out on a map, but a knowledge seemed to come to Mi'la head. She didn't know where the stone was, but she could almost...feel it. Then the sensation abruptly stopped. A sense of light headedness over came the padawan, a sign that she had pushed herself too far that time. Rubbing the side of her head, Mi'la shook it off, she'd be nursing a small headache for the rest of the day most likely, but at least she knew what she was looking for. "Should be right in front of us." Mi'la remarked, carefully stepping forward as her eyes looked for one stone in particular. It didn't take long to find it, as the black and white tiles stood out among the rest of it's kind. "Found it." Looking down at the stone, she initially thought she had to step on it to activate it, but when doing so didn't work, she found herself a tad stumped. "Hm, I wonder....." Taking a step back, Mi'la drew back her arm, and mustered up what she could into a force push, aiming it right at the stone. To her surprise, the stone sunk into the ground, and a low rumble shook the trench, prompting the padawan to leap back. The tiles retreated backwards, twisting open to reveal an old spiral staircase that descended into the darkness. Dim blue lights soon flickered on, one at a time as they would vanquish the darkness that stretched further down, though as the passage way opened, the natural light of the sun was doing it's fair share as well.

Unfortunately, for Mi'la, she had found herself on a section that opened up, and had plummeted into the new opening, her body smacking against the old stairs. A low groan would echo from the stairwell, somewhere in the darkness, as the padawan laid against the floor in a bit of pain. "I'm okay...." A defeated voice would echo from within, though a scream would soon sound out as she felt something crawling across her Lekkus. She leapt up in the air, struggling against her unseen attackers in the the dimly lit stairwell. Several large spiders had been caught up in her head-tails as she had fallen. When Sakadi would enter the stairs, she would find the padawan covered in webs, frantically battling against both the webbing and several hand sized spiders that had rudely been awakened.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

"You're unfocused young Padawan. Follow your instincts and let the Force dictate your actions, lest you want to fall again." the white-haired woman thoughtfully reminded her, while descending the stairs herself. A small wave of the Sephi's hand was enough to send vibrations through the Force, and the swiftly dispersed, scurrying back to the nooks and crannies of the imposing stairway. "But at least you found it. Good job." She'd add, offering Mi'la a hand to help her up. "The path leads further down. But be wary of any traps. This part of the Temple predates any galactic records. There's no telling what's down there."

The spiraling staircase made minutes feel like ages. The same pattern repeated itself over and over again, with seemingly no end to their descend. She disliked dark places like this. Tombs, temples, caverns, no, she wasn't fond of them. Not one bit. It was the direct opposite of the comfortable furniture and luxurious rooms she was used to, that it still felt foreign to her. Even after all these years.

Eventually, the stairway ended, giving way to a moderately large room. The stone walls were carved with symbols and insignias, words scribbled under them in a language she could not comprehend. She did, however, recognize the two words displayed on the wall opposite of them, right above the singular object in the room. Ashla and Bogan. Ancient terminology for the two sides of the Force.

The singular object that stood in the room was nothing to write home about. It was a large, flat piece of obsidian, as smooth and reflective as a mirror. But through the Force, she could detect that it was more than a piece of stone.

"So what happens now, Miss Archeologist?" her words would echo, as Sakadi held her head tilted to the side in a questioning manner. It was the first test of her new Padawan, and hopefully one she could overcome.​

 

[Mi'la Undari]

Mi'la took a great deal of comfort as her master vanquished the crawling critters that were terrorizing her. Aside from the embarrassment of falling down a stairwell, she felt a degree of shame at having lost her composure as she had just shown. Taking the woman's hand, the Twi'lek remarked the to the woman's words. "Yes master, sorry master." Making room for Sakadi to slide past her, Mi'la followed behind her mentor, listening to the warnings she gave. There were likely to be traps, and force knows what else might have lurked within the dark confines. Unlike Sakadi, Mi'la felt right at home; so long as she wasn't covered in spiders and webs. "I should have brought a holorecorder. So much history was buried here, I can hardly believe it."

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, this seemingly empty room held little that Mi'la could make sense of Ashla and Bogan, familiar with the words to know the meaning. Though several characters that seemed undescipered caught her interest, prompting the Twi'lek to carefully position herself to get a better look at the wording. She wasn't exactly sure, but the wording for one section was similar to the High Galatic term for reflect. Looking to the mirrored surface of the strange stone object in the room, the young archeologist had an idea as her mentor inquired as to what she was going to do. "I think it's a test of sorts. The original jedi believed in study of the light and dark, before it fragmented their order. I think this was a test to see where a recruit might seat within the order." Being the history nerd that she was, Mi'la awkwardly rubbed her head, her Lekkus retreating behind her shoulders as she was clearly embarrassed by her knowledge.


Taking a moment to appreciate the room, Mi'la noticed scratch marks on the floor, something akin to symbols were laid out seemingly at random at her feet. The iconography was unknown to her for the most part, but she could make out a star and a sword as some of the symbols, as well as a skull and cross bones; which caused her a degree of concern to be honest. Still, Sakadi was expecting something, so the Twi'lek would give it to her. Stepping towards the strange stone structure, Mi'la felt a force presence around the object, and even more curious was that the presence seemed to mimic her own power. Was this....some sort of force mirror? There was only one way to find out.

Setting herself down, Mi'la took in a breath, closed her eyes, and focused on herself. Drawing upon the force, the Twi'lek felt a link form, between herself and the mirror before her. Light shone from the flat surface, which then spread to the sides of its flat surface, and continued onto the ground. Mi'la was entirely unaware of what was unfolding, her mind entering a sense of peace she hadn't known before, feeling as if she was starting to delve into her true self now.

The light grew, as it traced across the symbols littered in the ground, allowing several to lite up as it did so. Sword, scroll, star, heart, and finally the skull and cross bones. These were not seen by the padawan, but the master, whose translations would be up to her to interpret.

The words 'Ashla' were consumed by the growing light as well, with the darkness of the chamber being suppressed for the time being. As if by command, the glowing suddenly stopped, and a passageway opened from where the word had been etched. Before it, laid a long path, stone with over growth fauna, but no obvious hint of traps that laid ahead. Studying the path would reveal several oddities within the hall, along the wall and the floor to name a few, but nothing obvious.

Mi'la snapped out of her trace after a moment, looking back to Sakadi with a look of excitement. The glowing had stopped, leaving the room much the same as it was before the pair arrived; save for the new path that was laid ahead. "Well, that was certainly something." The Twi'lek said, turning to face the new path that had been laid ahead. Hopefully that was as difficult as these trials would be.


Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi remained near the entrance of the square room while her lilac eyes followed the Twi'lek. Her knowledge of ancient structures like this was nothing to write home about. All she could provide the Padawan with, was a source of power and a keen, observant eye. The latter proved to be the most essential as Mi'la began to draw in the Force.

Her ears shot up in a mix of surprise and curiosity as the carved lines that made up the symbols began to glow. Provided with this new source of light, the Sephi managed to discern a few noteworthy symbols. She recognized a sword, a star and a skull; the others were unclear to her. They were undoubtedly warnings, information that could prepare them for what was to come. But then again, they could figure it out on the fly as well.

The ground shook as the old gears of the temple complex shifted to move the reflective black slab of stone to the side. A deep, booming voice echoed through the room shortly after. "Daughters of Ashla. Thou hast chosen thine path. The light of stars shall guide thee." The words lingered in the room for a while, before slowly dying away. "Well that is awfully cryptic, wasn't it? Let's hope the rest of this complex is less of a mystery." Sakadi made her way to the newly opened entrance with grace. "When you opened the pathway, some of the carved symbols were highlighted. I recognized a sword, something in the shape of a star and a sk-" Her concentration was abruptly cut off by the ethereal scream of the Force in the back of her head. She felt something shift as she placed her foot down, followed by the unmistakable sound of projectiles zinging through the air. Instinctively she raised a Force barrier with the unnatural speed only a Jedi could have. And Sakadi was glad that she did.

Dozens of small, sharp metal darts hung motionless in the air, held by the telekinetic grip of her barrier. The shrapnel would've been enough to bleed her out, should it have made contact. "And a skull." she reiterated. "Likely to represent these deathtraps..."

Mi'la Undari​

 

[Mi'la Undari]

In all the temples that Mi'la had been in, none had ever talked to her. As the voice began to speak, her attention was diverted from her mentor and towards the sound of the voice. Rising to her feet, Sakadi began to speak of symbols she had seen. Something that was unknown to Mi'la, thought the Twi'lek listened to the voice in her head all the same. Before she could give her input, a trap was triggered.

The quick reflexes of Sakadi averted disaster, though it still startled the hell out of the padawan. The 'ping' of a dozen needles echoed through the passage, and Mi'la could only wonder how the builders had designed something of this magnitude. "Amazing! The traps still work." She commented, moving a bit closer to Sakadi as she studied the floor. "Nice save by the way, Master." It seemed Sakadi had stepped on a pressure plate of some sort, but looking to other stones in the area, there was no telling which were safe and which where not. But there had to be a trick to this; that's how all old temples worked after all. "Those symbols you saw, it might have been a warning. Maybe an exercise of trust between student and mentor?" She suggested, not entirely sure.

Recalling what Sakadi had said, the sword and star parallels didn't strike to anything, but the voice had said let the stars light guide them. "I GOT IT!" Taking her extra saber, Mi'la sat back on the ground, and did the unthinkable; she began to take apart her lightsaber. "Let the stars light guide you. It's a riddle. The old weapons of jedi were once swords powered by the force, but then they moved on to the proto-sabers that used old energy packs and-" Realising she was going on a history tangent, Mi'la shook her head, opting to get to the point. Sakadi probably already knew all this anyways. "Anyways, that's not important. What is important, is that kyber crystals shine with the reflect of their welders force presence. Let the light of stars guide thee. It was a hint to safey move forward, but only a followers of Ashla can follow." Taking the kyber crystal of her lightsaber out, Mi'la put the rest of the saber together first before rising to her feet. Holding the crystal in her hand, she looked to the darkness stretched beyond and tapped into the power of the crystal.

A white glow exploded outwards, giving off the light of a spotlight before dimming down to that of a small glow torch. Where the white light touched, silver glyphs appeared upon the stones before the pair, with the impression of footsteps being left upon them. It seemed a path was laid out for the pair, with a glimpse of a massive stone slab could be seen up ahead. Taking the lead, Mi'la began the trek, careful to step 8n the correct stones that came to life before her and Sakadi.

After the meticulous tiptoeing, the pair stood before a large circle shapped stone door. Glypths of some sort of battle seemed to be depicted, showing large hammer head looking aliens and strange ships doing battle with early jedi. A name came to Mi'la's mind for the aliens; Rakata. The language carved on the door seemed faded beyond what the pair could read. What both master and apprentice would notice though, were two stone slabs positioned opposite each other near the base of the door. There seemed to be worn routes worked into the stone near where the slabs sat. Perhaps it was a puzzle that required two force users to open. Or a trap for fool hearty padawans to try and exert themselves.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi opened her closed fist, the shrapnel harmlessly dropping to the ground as gravity took a hold over it again. "Thank you. Let's hope the other traps do not work, because this is not exactly what I signed up for." she'd mentally state. The Jedi Master studied the hallway ahead of them, deciding not to step forward until they had figured out this puzzle.

Mi'la found the solution faster than the Sephi could even come up with a theory. An energetic shout followed by an explanation brought the Jedi Master on the same page as the Padawan. "I suppose that makes sense... But what about the symbols I couldn't discern?" There was always a chance that they were missing some details. But as her Padawan held up the crystal, the Sephi took back her words. "Mi'la, has anyone ever told you you were a genius?"

The silvery road took them to the end of the hallway. To a place she presumed was supposed to have a clear entrance, gate or well... anything, instead of a circular piece of stone, really. But there was nothing here. Except for more delicate carvings. Sakadi released a sigh as she tried to comprehend what the decorations were about. A part of her wanted to brute force through here; but that would likely lead to even more trouble. Then, her eyes settled on the two stone slabs protruding from the wall. "An obvious trap, but one we have to walk into nevertheless if we wish to open this door." She commented, placing her slender lavender hand against one of the two slabs. "Well then. Let's see what else this place has in store for us."

​

Mi'la Undari

 

[Mi'la Undari]

Mi'la didn't really have an awnser to Sakadi's first question, symbols weren't the most clear cut thing to interpret. "We can just call it a working theory, and go from there. If I'm wrong you can pull an 'I told you so'." The praise she earned from the Sephi was not something Mi'la had expected, as her face turned a bright lavender color that clearly stood out against her paler complexion. No one had ever told her that before, and needless to say she found it rather flattering. "T-Thank you master. I believe you're the first to tell me this." She mumbled before taking hold of her crystal and guiding the pair forward.

Reaching the door, Sakadi felt the door was an obvious trap, though to Mi'la she felt it more of a test; then again, Sakadi was far more experienced than herself in such situations. Putting her hand on the other slab, Mi'la's face twitched as she felt something familiar about this door. It reminded her of that tomb on Panatha, except it seemed like no blood was needed to open the way ahead; least not that she could tell. "Well as the saying goes, 'spring the trap'. Or something." Mi'la said, bumbling whatever meaning she had attempted to put onto the words. Reaching out with the force, Mi'la would command the slab to move, leading it through the path at the same pace as Sakadi, until it reached the end of its route. As the two slabs would click in place, the door would push inward, revealing the next chamber of this temple.

Unlike the other room, this chamber seemed to be a meditation garden of some sort. Several pillars laid about the room, with two large pools of water at either end of the chamber. At the bottom of one pools, old worn tiles had been laid out to display the image of a full moon beneath the still waters, while the other pool displayed a blacked out moon. Upon inspection, Sakadi would notice that the water levels of the two pools were not equal, and what seemed like a small canal currently linked the two pools together. At the side opposite of the pair, another stone door stood, yet another obstacle laying before the two. Mi'la gave a glace at the tile for traps, even shining her crystal towards the tiles for an indication of such a thing, and found nothing. "Well, it looks clear." She commented, not entirely sure if she trusted what she was saying.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala