Private Guilt and Revelation

[Ara Sheridan]

Silver Rest/Hangars​

Morning/Clear Skies​

The hangars of Silver Rest were buzzing with activity. Vehicles from the various engagements of the SJC were being worked on by their mechanics who were giving it everything to have them ready in time for the next fight. All staff were called in to fix up and ship out the vehicles that were dumped on their laps. All staff except for two. One of the main mechanics... and her daughter.

Ara sat in the pilot's seat of her podracer, with her helmet on her head and pulled low in an attempt to hide her face. She was supposed to meet up with her master for a lesson, though that was overdue by almost an hour. She was a mess, her eyes red from crying and her entire emotional state sunk into the ground. She figured that her master would be very miffed with her leaving him high and dry in the temple, but she didn't want to face him. Not with what happened, and especially not with her in this current state. No lie she could tell would convince him that she was fine, and nothing she told herself could calm her down to the point where she would be able to focus. She didn't want him to see her like this, not after their amazing time in the forest.

Yet she wanted to see him. She couldn't get herself to face him, but in the back of her mind she kept thinking that he would know exactly how to solve this problem. How to fix it all so everything would go back to normal. Perhaps her most naïve hope was that he would come waltzing in and wrap his arms around her, reassuring her that it was all okay. She hated that a kriffing hug was at the top of her list, as if she needed it like some pet dog.

Her hands gripped the steering tillers tightly as she gave another heavy sigh. If the planet wasn't such a death trap for racing around, she would have blasted off already to try and clear her head.

Sol'yan

 

[Sol'yan]

To be honest, Sol'yan wasn't sure how exactly he felt. To use the phrase 'stood up' would have been a bit juvenile, but he couldn't discredit the fullest sense of the phrase in this case. He wasn't angry per se (it had been a while since he could honestly say he was 'angry' about something), he did feel a measure of disappointment. He hadn't known Ara very long, so he couldn't say whether or not this was characteristic of her. He thought they had a rather productive first lesson in the woods, where he helped her to reach out and feel the living force around her for the first time. Given the 'burgers' she had made for him (which were quite tasty, to his surprise), he was of the mindset that she was excited for the next lesson. Did I do something? His mind raced to fixate on something that he may have inadvertently done to make her feel uncomfortable. He did place his hand consolingly on her hand when she was crying. He hardly meant anything more by that act than to simply be there for her as her master. Did she get the wrong idea...?

For the first time in... well, longer than he could remember off-hand, he felt uncertain of himself. He could unequivocally say he held no feelings for her outside of the paternal and compassionate, but did he make her feel as if he felt more than that...? The very thought made him sick to his stomach. He was nearly two centuries old, and she was such a baby by comparison. He would need to set the record straight quickly if that was indeed what happened. He walked briskly down the pathway to the housing block for those who served the temple in administrative and maintenance related capacities, which were neatly kept along the outer ring of the temple grounds. He looked up Ara's address within the temple records, and based on the diagram he memorized, he knew he was close to her block. After a few more minutes, he finally found the correct address and walked up to the front door. He regarded the door a moment before gently wrapping against it. After a few moments of no answer, he wrapped again, with yet another period of silence. A neighbor peered around at him from their yard, and called out: "Excuse me, Master Jedi - are you... lost?"

A Twi'lek woman looked curiously at him, to which Sol'yan straightened his posture slightly and regarded her with a slight smile and a respectful bow: "Yes... I'm looking for my apprentice, Ara Sheridan. Is this not her address?" Mild surprise crossed the Twi'lek's features as her brow furrowed, a shocked tone in her voice:

"Ara is your apprentice...? You're joking." Sol'yan's deadpan expression eventually convinced the woman that he was, in actual fact, as serious as a Gundark. The humorous smile waned from her lips as realization crept upon her of that fact. She cleared her throat, and pointed in the direction of the hanger. "Well, last I recall, she was on her way to the Hanger. And I thought I saw her mom on a stretcher to the temple infirmary..."

"What?!" Sol'yan asked with a start, which alarmed the woman; so much so that she dropped the cup of caff in her hand, which in turn shattered on the pavement. He reached his hand out and winced as he realized the effect he had upon the woman, and offered a brief apology as he briskly made his way to the hanger. If anything, he wondered why she wasn't at the hospital with her mother. Why the hanger of all places? Nothing made sense at the moment, but he hoped they would soon.

After narrowly avoiding barreling into pedestrians along the way, he returned to a speed appropriate for a Jedi Master (rather than a fledgling padawan) and entered into the hanger bay. He reached out through the force, which guided him to a familiar presence near the far corner where he thought he recalled Ara's podracer being kept. Sure enough, the young Zabraki woman sat in her racer with her helmet over her head, her demeanor crestfallen to the extent that it hardly took a force user to sense it.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. Sol'yan intoned as he took in a deep breath, closed his eyes as he let it out, and walked over to his apprentice. Something was going on, and he needed to figure out what exactly it was. As he neared her perch, he issued a careful, slightly hesitant greeting: "Ara... are you... ok?"

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Hearing her master’s voice next to her, she glanced in his direction while keeping her head low. She didn’t want him to see her in this state... yet she also did. ”Hey, master.” she muttered, barely loud enough to hear over the noise of the hangars. ”I’m... I’m skipping today’s lesson. It’s not a good time right now.” she continued as her grip tightened even further on the tillers. She glanced at him again, this time high enough to see his face. ”I’m okay, master.” she lied with another sniff. She knew it wouldn’t help to lie to him.

She let go of the tillers and wiped at her aching eyes. Her head sunk low as she hugged herself. ”I understand it all now, master. she admitted. ”Everything you said yesterday. It all makes sense now.” She finally removed her helmet and looked up to him, her puffy eyes still flowing with tears.

”My mom’s in the hospital because of me. There’s a chance that she won’t make it... because of me.” With a cough she looked down again, her hands pinching herself in an attempt to replace the pain. ”I understand it all now, master.” she sobbed as she sank deeper into the seat.

@Sol’yan

 

[Sol'yan]

A floury of emotions flashed across Sol'yan in an instant - relief that this wasn't some misunderstanding between himself and Ara, yet sorrow over the intense emotions radiating from her. He could sense a weight upon her heart that had not been there before; the weight of guilt. He knew that feeling all too well, for it had threatened to consume him years prior. To see her deep in its grips was something that almost motivated him to tears.


He did not give way to them, however. His face remained stoic, particular when the words spilled out of her explaining why she was so despondent. It was then that his fears were realized. There was a reason Sol'yan chose their expedition to the Origin Tree as their first lesson. He wanted her to begin her journey along this path with a sense of gravitas and responsibility. This was no casual past time to be engaged in lightly. She held the power of life and death itself in her hands. Sadly, it appeared that she did not fully grasp the lesson, otherwise they would not be here.


Sol'yan remained silent for a few moments, considering what he'd say and how he would say it. He could offer little help without knowing the facts, so he decided that was the best course to follow for now. He pulled over the same stool he sat in when they first met, slid it over to position himself at her side, and said: "Tell me what happened." He kept his voice calm, and reached out with the force to try and exude a calming presence In the hopes that she would feel less despondent; at least enough so to explain the situation to him.

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Just like their first meeting, he pulled the comically small chair closer and carefully sat down on it. And just like their first meeting, she felt like he was on her side. One of them, someone who understood her.

Still hugging herself, she listened to his plea. She glanced at him and then turned her head away again as she struggled to find the words and courage necessary to face this challenge. ”It was an accident. I-I didn’t mean to do it, I would never hurt her on purpose. I love my mom.” she admitted with a sob.

She peeked at him again. ”We had an argument. It’s nothing weird, we argue all the time. But this time... it was bad. The Boonta Eve is coming up and I wanted to sign up for it. But I didn’t have the creds so I asked my mom to help me out. She said no. When I asked why, she said that she worried about my safety. The Boonta Eve is notorious for its casualties on the track. She... she was trying to keep me safe and I didn’t realise it. I got angry and said stuff to her. I was angry at her and she tried to hug me. I-It happend so fast. I tried to push her away and the next moment... she was flying. She flew back and hit her head on the counter’s corner.” Her voice was frail and drowned in guilt as she told him the story.

”I know head wounds bleed like crazy... but this was different. She wasn’t moving and the blood was getting bad. The worst thing is... I just stood there. For probably a couple seconds I stood there, staring at her and my hand pointed at her. I finally called the medics and they got her out of there quickly. But...” Her voice cut out with another sob. With a quivering lip she looked at her master as tears welled up again. ”She did the right thing, throwing me away. I don’t deserve her, master. For years she has tried to make things right between us and given me everything I could hope for... and then I kill her like this. My own mom. She never should have taken me back!” The tears flowed once more as she covered her face, sniffing and sobbing away. ”What do I do? She can die in that hospital and it will be my fault! I can’t do anything to help. To make up for what I did. I put her in this mess and now I can’t fix it!” Her helmet flew through the air as she hurled it away from them. With her legs tucked in, she tried to hide away from it all. The pain, the guilt, the shame... all she wanted was for her master to do that thing where he said some super wise stuff and she knew exactly what to do.

 

[Sol'yan]

Sol'yan listened intently as Ara related the events that had transpired at home with her mother. His face was an impassive mask, as if wrought of stone. While his facial features were hard to read on the best of days, he found it necessary to do so when dealing with emotionally charged or sensitive topics. He'd rather come across as impassive rather than judgmental, as a general rule. Internally, Sol'yan felt guilty over the events surrounding her mother's hospitalization. Granted, this was only day two of their master/apprentice relationship. and they had only just begun exploring the need to keep one's emotions in check. Sol'yan had gravely underestimated his apprentice's connection to the force; usually, an apprentice of equivalent level in their learning would not have such power to marshal when provoked. It made it far easier to manage the outbursts of youth, so that when they grew in both power and stature to the age of Ara, they already had a foundation of restraint to check their growing power. He couldn't help but feel that Ara would have a far more difficult road to travel to manage both her power and her emotions. Some masters may well believe the effort to great, but that was not Sol'yan's mindset. In his opinion, to leave such an individual untrained was far more dangerous than walking the path with them. And if that person were found by the Sith instead of the Jedi, the danger could be multiplied ten-fold...

He focused himself on what he would say in reply. What could he say that was not already said? The one positive thing of this ordeal was that, if Ara could be believed, she felt she finally understood the lessons he was trying to impart to her yesterday. Normally it would be fantastic for a student to only take a day to understand, but Sol'yan would much prefer avoiding predicaments like this. In truth, he was uncertain what the outcome of this event would be, as it solely rested on the fate of her mother. He closed his eyes and reached out with the force to see if he could feel her presence. It was harder to do so, given that he had yet to meet her personally - but as he reached out, he touched a presence that felt familiar to Ara's. He could sense her pain, as well as the love she still felt for her daughter deep within her. He could sense a selflessness within her that only a mother could feel towards their child. He sensed life, and that was what was important. He opened his eyes, and reached out with his hand to Ara's tear-stained eyes, wiping away beads streaming down her cheek. He then nudged her chin upward so that he could look into her eyes. He then intensified the calming influences he was previously projecting through the force. He needed her to listen and to be calm: "You cannot go back in time to change the past. You can only focus on what you can do now, and how you can prepare yourself for the future."

His voice carried the same deep, insightful tone it always did. Chastising his apprentice would carry no value - she clearly was racked with feelings of guilt and worthlessness on her own accord. It was his job now to ease the pain, and help her to move forward: "Your mother is still alive. While your sadness is natural, and there is no wrong in it - do not give in to despair quite yet. But, now more than ever - I need you to focus on what I will say next." He removed his hand from her chin, and grasped one of her hands with both of his hands. He stroked the top of her hand gingerly: "It is in moments like this that, unfortunately, the bitterest of lessons can be learned. Mentally prepare yourself for the worst, but do not give up hope. There still is hope, as the healers within the temple are very skilled at their craft, even with the most grievous of wounds." He gave her a reassuring smile, but it was short lived as he said his next words. He did not want her to minimize what he was going to say next.

"Remember the final line of the code. 'There is no death, there is the force.' Should the... worst befall your mother, there is no wrong in mourning the loved. But you are not in control of your abilities yet. You did not act out of cold and calculating malice. You acted out of the normal emotions of frustration common to youth, but that can be controlled. Whatever happens as a result of this, do not believe yourself beyond redemption or forgiveness. I can feel the love your mother has for you even now; that love will not fade because of this, and she will always be with you - either in life, or in death, whenever that happens." He rose up from his perch atop the stool, still holding her hand. He transitioned his grasp of it to a gentle clasp, as if a father leading their child by the hand. He then said: "We must go now. Your place is not here. It is with your mother."

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara flinched slightly as she felt his hand brush away her tears and lift her chin. Her eyes were glued on him, filled with hope that he had something to say or do that would make all of this right. Looking at him, it was like the sadness slowly diminished. She didn't know how he was doing it or how he had so much influence over her, but the grief and guilt slowly gave way and she could think straight to a degree once more.

He reassured her that her mother would quite likely be alright. She had heard of healers in the temple, how they could fix pretty much any injury, though the fear of losing her mother was still present. He took her hand in his and she grasped hold, looking for some sort of comfort in this moment. He went on to recite the last line of the Jedi code and, for a moment, Ara was ready to explode. To her it sounded like he was trying to tell her that her mother dying was no big deal. But he continued to talk and she calmed down significantly. She didn't understand the code yet. She didn't understand his words yet, not completely. To throw attitude at him because she didn't understand would not help this situation. His reassurance did earn a small smile, however.

Before she could get a word in, she was pulled out of her pod by him and onto her feet. Anxiety grew at the mention of seeing her mother. But it was necessary. She couldn't hide from her mother and turn her back on her, not after what she did. "Wait... one sec." she muttered as she jogged over to where she hurled her helmet. Picking it up from the floor, she cradled it as she walked back to the podracer and placed it in the seat and pulled a tarp over it to cover it up. "Okay... we can go now." she said with a small grin as she looked up at her master.

She walked with him through the temple, wiping her eyes and brushing her hair back every so often to try and look a little better than she felt. When they reached the infirmary, she was hesitant to enter her mother's room. Slowly she walked over to her mother's side. She was still passed out, but a little green Jedi drew her attention as the alien hopped onto the bed and looked at them with a warm smile. Ara had met her before, she knew the little Jedi was a healer. "Okay, she's going to be." she reassured Ara and Sol'yan. "Resting, she is. A day or two, we'll be holding her, for monitoring." she continued, giving them both a bow before hopping off the bed. "Myself, I'll excuse." she muttered as she made her way out of the room.

Ara's gaze shifted from the healer to her mother as she took hold of her hand and gave a gentle squeeze.

Sol'yan

 

[Sol'yan]

TAG: Ara Sheridan

Relief flooded over Sol'yan as they entered the room and the healer, Jedi Knight Yenna, informed them both that Ara's mother would be ok. He could feel the relief flooding over Ara as she grasped her mother's hand. Sol'yan truly hoped that Ara had learned her lesson, but only time would tell on that front. Hopefully she could gain the mastery over her emotions; hopefully she would begin to understand the teachings he was imparting to her. Perhaps she would - for hope was all he had right now. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as she looked over her mother, then retreated to the window of the room. It held a breathtaking view of the Kashyyyk tree line - truly a vista without equal to promote health and wellness. He pondered the best way to proceed from here. On one hand, it was clear that Ara needed to take their lessons more seriously. And on the other, he couldn't necessarily fault her for her lapse, given their very brief relationship thus far. In the end, Sol'yan opted to say nothing more, but instead to turn around and give Ara a comforting smile. "See? I told you it was too early to give in to despair. Your mother has the same strength you seem to have."

 

[Sam Sheridan]

As the minutes ticked by towards an hour, Sam started to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and a hand came up to massage her head as she let out a long groan. "Where the kriff am I?" she grumbled as she sat up. Only then did she notice the two figures standing by her. Her eyes locked onto Ara for a moment as a small smile formed. "Hey twerp." she greeted her, earning a sad smile from her daughter.

Her gaze then turned to the absolute unit beside Ara as she stared up at him for a long moment. "Heh, how's the weather up there, big guy?" she quipped with a smirk. This seemed to break the troubled mindset of Ara as the girl burst out in a fit of laughter. She adjusted in her hospital bed and looked around them. "The hell happened? I remember... I remember we were still talking... the next moment I'm here." she asked the two of them with a confused look on her face. She took hold of Ara's hand and gave a gentle squeeze as she glanced between them. Ara's smile disappeared as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her mother without a word. It didn't help Sam to understand what happened, but she didn't hesitate to pull her daughter onto the bed and hold her close.

"Who's your friend, twerp?" she asked softly as she looked up at the Jedi. "The name's Sam. Do we know each other?" she asked him calmly as she gently caressed Ara's back. A soft sniff escaped her daughter, but she still said nothing as she held onto her mother with no intent on letting go.

Sol'yan

 

[Sol'yan]

TAG: Sam Sheridan Ara Sheridan

Sol'yan kept to himself for the hour that came and went, occasionally turning to make sure Ara was ok as she sat by her mother's side. He sat in a chair by the window, his eyes closed in meditation per his daily routine. Eventually, the woman stirred from her comatose state, and turned to address her waiting daughter. Sol'yan slowly rose from his seat and walked over to Ara's side as they embraced, which drew the attention of the woman, which resulted in a joke about his height. Indeed, there was no way Ara could claim this was not her mother. As the woman introduced herself, he bowed slightly and folded his hands inside his sleeves - presenting a composure she may not have been accustomed to. "I am Jedi Master Sol'yan - your daughter's master. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Sol'yan had assumed that Ara had told her mother that she was undergoing training in the ways of the Jedi, but perhaps not.

He would not, however, be the one to have that conversation with Sam unless she asked it of him. That was not what was important at present. What was, was the question she asked about 'what had happened.' Sol'yan remained silent, and instead glanced at Ara with a look in his eyes, as if silently indicating to Ara that this was 'one of those moments' he had referred to yesterday; the type of moments that presented a crossroads in life, where the choice could define the type of person one could become. Or the type of Jedi one molded themselves into.

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Sam blinked a few times as she held her daughter, her eyes glued to the absolute unit beside her. "Hot damn, I think she's in good hands." She snickered as she looked at Ara. The girl was silent as the grave as she held her mother. Apart from shaky breathing, no other sounds escaped her. Sam glanced back to Sol'yan before she decided that she would address the bantha in the room.

"Ara... what happened? I remember us talking about your race... then what?" she asked her softly, hoping that her daughter would bring her up to speed on why she couldn't remember anything from that moment until now. To her dismay, Ara simply shook her head and let go of her, vacating herself from the room as fast as possible. Sam looked utterly confused by what had just happened, merely turning her gaze to Sol'yan. "Um... okay then." She muttered. "I'm starting to get worried now. I can't remember anything and she doesn't wanna talk... did she tell you what happened or am I gonna have to drag it out of one of you?" she asked with a rising frustration in her voice. She fussed with her sheets before swinging her legs over the side of the bed to face the Jedi master directly.

With a sigh she scratched her head and stared down at the ground. "Okay, for real. What happened between us?" she asked him calmly.

Sol'yan

 

[Sol'yan]

TAG: Sam Sheridan Ara Sheridan

When Ara left the room, Sol'yan stared at the empty door way she left through with a combination of surprise, disappointment, and empathy. In an ideal world, Sol'yan would have cherished the significance of Ara seizing the moment herself and owning up to her actions. The fact that she failed to live up to that ideal in his mind disappointed him greatly, and to a certain degree surprised him. It was clear that she had potential, and she was a strong person deep inside. But clearly, she was not strong enough. Not yet. That is when his empathy kicked in, as there were few things in life as traumatic or impossible to deal with as the death of a loved one; particularly when you were the cause of such an event. Even though Sam survived the confrontation, the guilt within Ara's heart had overwhelmed her to the point of fleeing. Had she chosen to stay, she would have gained much inner strength that would do her credit in the years to come. Sol'yan couldn't help but feel that this was a step back for her - something she would have to work doubly hard to overcome. The Jedi Master did not intend to give up on her - no, they were far from that possibility from occurring. But it did give him a wider picture as to the road ahead. It would not be easy, but it had to be done nonetheless.

He was roused from his internal monologue by Sam's voice, who at this point was sitting off the side of the bed, her legs dangling down to the ground. He let out a mild sigh as he walked over to the chair placed opposite of her, and slowly eased himself down into it. It was moderately more comfortable than Ara's stool by her podracer, at least there was that. He regarded the woman with an even, nigh-indiscernible expression before he eventually broke the silence: "I must admit I don't have all the facts either, as I was not there. But she told me enough to illuminate you, I believe." Sol'yan placed a finger on his chin pensively as he searched for the words to best frame the situation without being deceptive. "From what I understand... both you and her were having an argument over her participation in a pod-racing tournament. According to her, you tried to hug her, and she acted rashly and... pushed you with the force."

He paused, as if to appraise the woman's facial expressions before continuing. "You hit your head and passed out. When she missed her training session with me, I came looking for her. She was almost inconsolable, but we worked through the initial shock of what had happened, and came here to check up on you." Sol'yan wasn't sure what else he could say after relating the experience to Sam. On one hand, he felt a deep shame wash over him. Although he tried to help Ara to understand how powerful her emotions could be given her connection to the force, what was the result of his efforts? An innocent woman hospitalized. Although he couldn't immediately think of how better he could have handled the situation, surely there was something that could have been done. Had Sam died from her wounds, such a tragedy would fall ultimately on his hands, regardless of his apprentice's inexperience. But what could be done about it?

A simple apology felt hollow, but it also could not go unsaid. "I apologize for my failings in helping your daughter to fully understand the power she carries. She has a long path to walk, and I hope to prove up to the challenge in guiding her down it."

 

[Sam Sheridan]

As Sol'yan told the story, a sigh escaped Sam and her head lowered into her hands. None of it rang a bell at all, but she could imagine a situation like this which was the sad part. She lifted her head to look at the Jedi master as he continued to speak, trying to figure out what to do or how to fix the situation. She didn't feel guilty or anything, in fact it was likely fair to say that Ara deserved a slap over the head for it. But she didn't feel like punishing her, not after the reaction she got when she woke up.

Her mind pieced together somewhat when Sol'yan apologized. Sam blinked in surprise as she stared at him, not understanding where he was coming from. "Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong, her lessons barely started. I'm not surprised that this happened." She reassured him with a shake of her head. "Karking hell..." She sat back and stared up at the roof. "That damned race. I know exactly how much it means to her... but have you ever seen that race? People die in it. It's as normal as breathing in that race. I don't want to watch that race and see my kid get flung into a wall and engulfed in flames." She rationalized to him as if expecting him to have the answers. "I want to let her go... but kark me, I'm scared for her part." She looked away in deep thought. "Will you be willing to go with? I'll definitely be tagging along, but I feel like it'll help if you came too. The way she talked about you, I could tell she's got a soft spot for you" She asked him softly.

Looking to the door, she was quiet for a moment. "She's a good kid, man. We came from a hard place, me likely more than her. We had to grow up quick or die. But there's something to her. Just... be patient with her. Please. I think she's got it in her to make a decent Jedi, but it's not gonna be easy. I'll help in any way I can... but you'll be teaching her the more important stuff." She looked back to him with a sincere smile. She could tell he was a good Jedi... the question was simply if he had it in him to be stuck with a girl like Ara.

Sol'yan

 

[Sol'yan]

TAG: Sam Sheridan Ara Sheridan

Sol'yan's mood turned somber as he listened to Sam express her feelings about what happened between her and Ara. He couldn't fault the woman for her stance on the issue, but he also didn't envy her for getting in between Ara and her passion for podracing. Sol'yan only knew the child for a few days, and already knew that if it weren't for his imposing figure, she would likely be a handful for him should he get crossways between her and what she wanted to do. So far he had not witnessed it first hand, but he was certain that once she grew more comfortable with him, it would happen nonetheless. Sam's revelations also had the effect of granting the Jedi Master a window into her soul. Despite her bad choices early on in her life, she clearly had learned from them. She was a woman he could respect, for he knew more than most what it meant to overcome bad choices in life. The fact that she was here, trying to make amends with her daughter while forging a new life for them both, spoke volumes about Sam's strength of character.

If Ara grew up to be anything like her mother (minus the aforementioned bad choices) then perhaps she would even out as she grew older. Navigating the years between now and then would be tough, but Sol'yan also suspected that there were few other masters outside of himself with the patience to do so in the manner that Ara needed. Part of that, would be in going to this... Boonta Eve? Was that sorry excuse for a race still around? It was considered to be a hazard to one's livelihood to merely attend the event when he was young, let alone participate within it. The mere proposition made Sol'yan consider covering the concept of 'soundness of mind' with Ara at his next opportunity. But, that's not what was needed now. He could sense that this was an intrinsic aspect of Ara's personality. To quash such a thing could turn her down the wrong path, nearly as irreversibly as if she lost her life in said race. "Rest assured, Ms. Sheridan - I do not plan on giving up on your daughter so easily." Sol'yan finally responded. "And if you think it will help the situation... I don't suppose I object to accompanying you both to this race. Perhaps it can prove to be significant enough to further teach her the values necessary to walk the path of the Jedi. Even in some... infinitesimal way that i cannot fathom at this moment."

He gave a weak smile as he regarded the woman. "I think I see now where your daughter got her strength of will."