Private Have No Fear

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

​

Ever since her transfer to Commenor, the Sephi had found little time nor reason to visit Kashyyyk. It was a shame, really. Its plethora of wildlife, slithering roots and vibrant flowers made the planet a sight to behold. No matter how many days she had spent here, Kashyyyk would never cease to amaze her.

The recent events on Vjun, Thustra and Voss were the cause of her return. Not only was active duty draining, but she had caught on to her own mistakes. Mistakes that could have been prevented, had she taken the time to pause and reflect. That alone gave her enough reason to take a step back and reassess her current predicament.

But her troubles did not matter. Not today. Despite all that was on her mind, the Sephi still found the time and energy to instruct the next generation. It was great to see the young minds at work, and especially today was going to be interesting. She would be teaching two intriguing students, for both presumably had ties to the Dark side of the Force. It would make for an interesting and perhaps amusing day. Namely because she had prepared some rather... difficult exercises. And the first one had already started.

Sakadi wasn't fond of the Temple's training grounds. Instead, she preferred to host most classes she gave in the jungle itself. If the students could find her first. All she had provided them with was a rough description of her whereabouts. The rest was up to them.

Thus the Sephi waited, sitting in front of the root-covered chasm that would serve as their training grounds today.

Aveline Cuiléin Jorah zos Darnus​

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

The Silver Rest, Kashyyyk​

The spirits in this place were ancient.

Perched on the edge of the Jai temple starport, the ruddy Dathomirian peered out across a landscape that could only be described as a sea of trees. The temperate, humid environment of Kashyyyk's rainforest-like climate appealed to him. It was very much akin to the tepid swamps of his native Talay. More so than the former mining colony of Alaris Prime that the Silver Jai had supplied when his people had come in search of refuge. Even after his adventure with the Jai at Onderon, the young Nightbrother still found himself uncomfortable with space travel or the mechanical conveyances that permitted it.

The durasteel contraptions of modern society were cold. Without life. Without spirit.

Travel aboard such was very disconcerting. Disorienting, even. There was a connection that was absent. A silence that permeated the ship. Which was not to suggest that there wasn't noise. There was no shortage of noise. Mechanical sounds that were as unnatural as any other part of space travel.

Kashyyyk, in contrast, was not silent.

The young boy closed his eyes as he drew in a deep breath. The acrid taint of starfighter fuel and exhaust fumes bit at his senses, though the scent of Kashyyyk's forest was still discernable on the air. "Edalinare azza ama het'ed," the youth uttered softly, the Daothomirian language rolling naturally from off his tongue. The language of Dathomir had continued to be spoken in his village even centuries after they had arrived on Talay, fleeing the massacre of the Clone Wars. Though those raised on Dathomir might not have recognized the dialect it had since taken on. "Edalinare azza ama het'ed."

Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but there seemed a greenish wisp that circled or orbited about the youth as he spoke the language of his ancestors.

Whispers on the winds. A voice so far, yet so clear. He could hear the spirits in this place, but he knew not the language of these Wookies. Their honored dead yet watched over them, but the Nightbrother strained to make out guttural barks and a low growl. Neither of which held any meaning for him. It was disconcerting, to know that the spirits were there and not be able to commune with them.

It made him even more self-conscious of the reality that he was a stranger here.

The young shaman strained to hear the growls of Kashyyyk's dead, and heard even less of the living due to the chaos and cacophony unfolding on the landing pads and docking ports that permeated the Jedi Temple starport.

It seemed that the Jedi he was to meet was a powerful witch of their kind. One who had elected to meet away from the temple, in the wilds of Kashyyyk's untamed wilderness. Perhaps it was a rebuff to the modernist society or perhaps this great witch shared his discomfort for such artificiality as the cities of duracrete and steel. Whatever the case, the Nightbrother would not find her while the sounds of these soulless machines filled his ears.

Pitching himself forward, the boy casually slipped from off the edge of the landing pad. Descending through the air, the youth lapsed into freefall toward the ground that was several hundred meters below.

There was a glint of light that briefly illuminated the rancor tooth necklace that the boy wore. Its magic activated, a green mist seemed to envelop the boy for a moment, before quickly shrinking and dissipating. In place of the boy, a bat stretched out its leathery wings. An updraft levied it upward, so that the creature seemed to levitate peacefully away from the busy temple.

In his transformed state, the Dathomiri easily slipped inside of the forest canopy. But the branches were dense and the foliage thick across the forest floor. It would make finding this powerful witch of the Jedi an interesting trial, but one that he could appreciate. After all, such trials were part of the Dathomir tradition.

Aveline Cuiléin Sakadi Marathi Sinvala​

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

Kashyyyk was vast. A lifetime could be spent roaming through the jungles and various settlements without discovering everything. The planet kept giving, and there would always be something to experience for those who sought it. Aveline had never felt quite like this. Perhaps was it the close proximity to the Jedi temple, but she felt at ease. Perhaps linking up with the Silver Jedi and being assigned to Kashyyyk was just what she needed.

Skin brushed against bark. She tried to really feel the tree. After all, it too was a living thing. She felt nothing new, however, no grand revelation. Still, it didn't bother her. Aveline had set out early to explore the area and spend time with the trees. Now it would soon be time for her lesson. She set out towards her destination, following instructions that had been vague at best. What was she supposed to make of this?

Time passed, but little progress was made. The risk of running late started looming in the back of her mind. "Okay Aveline, you can do this." Just like you practised. She cleared her mind of any additional weight, allowing herself to open up to her surroundings like a fresh notebook ready for its first taste of ink. "Reach out with your mind." a towering shadow stepped out behind her, draped in heavy robes. "Feel the heartbeat of the jungle. What does the grass tell you?" She started sweating. He was almost next to her now, and a strong hand reached out and held her shoulder.

"No!" Aveline turned as quick as she could, stumbling on a branch and falling backwards. Her heart was racing. The view from the soft bed of grass was clear; she was alone. Once they had stood together like that, but he was dead and that time had passed.

It took her a moment to calm herself. Finally she got up, and headed in a direction she could only hope was right, and pray that the Force guided her through unseen ways. She kept a watchful eye about her, always seeking the shadows and sharp corners behind thick tree trunks. Even here she was not safe. Predators could lurk around every corner.

| Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Jorah zos Darnus |​

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

Na na na na na bat kid!​

He'd picked up an insect for an in-flight meal.

Drifting on the wind, the brown bat-like Dathomir chiroptix float underneath a branch as it flew among the wrorshyr trees. The leathery wings fluttered, as the creature banked into a turn and then beat its wings to stabilize its flight along a new course. The thick jungle made a straight path impossible, turning the Nightbrother's journey into a twisted obstacle course that made for a rather adventurous flight.

It was good practice at being a bat.

This seemed the general area that had been described to him, though he saw no evidence of this powerful Jedi Witch. Already, he'd made a few circles through the trees, overlapping previously covered territory even as he ventured out in new or different directions scouting for the Jai master.

In that sense, it was strange to him that this was a woman. The word Jai was the Dathomirian term for the Jedi, but it was a gendered term. A Jai was a male sorcerer of this arcane and strange magic which they called The Force.

He imagined it was just the same for them. They would expect a shaman of the Nightsisters to be female, yet he was a Nightbrother and not a Sister of the faith.

"No!"

A voice traveled up from the forest floor. Twisting into another banking turn, the bat-like creature circled around a thick tree trunk as it pivoted in the air and changed direction. Orienting himself toward where he'd sensed the sound to have come, the bat kid fluttered its wings as it traveled closer toward the ground.

From the air, he spied a human-looking figure. A young woman perhaps several years his senior. As he'd circled overhead, she seemed to be picking herself up. From a fall?

He would venture a guess that this Sister of the Jai was not the powerful witch that he was seeking. But why was she out here?

Landing on a tree branch, the bat was briefly enveloped by a green mist -- which expanded rapidly before disappearing, and left, in it's place, the form of a young Dathomiri boy.

"Do you require assistance?"

It was not hello, but in Dathomirian custom men were meant to be seen and not heard. He would not intend to offend her by speaking without permission, but merely ask if she needed aid and then move off if she rebuffed him for it.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Aveline Cuiléin​

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

The tall, thick trees had seemed to cast their shadows over her, their branches and roots closing in. Aveline had stopped walking. She just needed time, a moment to breathe. Breathe. Her heartrate was starting to settle, and she was finding it easier to think. Suddenly the woods did not seem so twisted, and its growth gave her space.

It was a good thing she did not observe the transformation from bat to boy, she would have thought she was hallucinating and really losing it. The expanding green mist was a thing hard to miss, however. Poison gas? The young Jedi was ready to bolt, but her curiosity kept her body anchored.

The mist dissipated. The riddle deepened. He was not a Wookie, nor a native. Was he another Jedi? It was a fair guess, right? Given the closest "settlement", if you could call it that, was the temple. He did not speak of traps or deceit, but of assistance. Aveline did not feel fear. In fact, she felt more at ease, tasting gratitude of no longer having to be alone with her mind in this vast wilderness.

"No, I'm alright." She said after her given her perplexed expression time to recover. It was not intended to be dismissive, but rather she was cautious of becoming a burden upon other people's time. "Thanks." She added quickly, having almost forgotten her manners. Her mind had settled, at least she hoped as much.

It was hard to deny, even to herself, that she was indeed lost. It was a long shot, but maybe he could actually help in her task."What are you doing out here? Are you a Jedi too? I'm looking for Master Sinvala. Do you know where she is?"

| Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Jorah zos Darnus |​

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

"No, I'm alright."

The reply he had anticipated, though he'd been obligated to inquire. The young Dathomiri's hand hand been reaching for the rancor tooth pendant around his neck, when she'd added a word of thanks.

The boy paused.

Such an expression of gratitude toward a male was uncommon. Particularly for such a perfunctory exchange. That she was not angered at his having spoken or addressed her without her permission was acknowledgement enough. It made for an awkward pause, after which the boy answered in Dathomirian, "Yat dyfor."

​

Roughly translated, it was as you say.

She was the female. If she wished to express her gratitude to him, then he would not question her wisdom.

When she then posed questions to him, the youth's hand moved away from the rancor pendant. Instead, hooking his legs around the branch he was perched upon, the boy swung himself so that he was dangling upside down as he answered.

"I am a Nightbrother," he remarked, in response to her question about whether or not he was Jedi. "But I also seek this Sinvala master."

​

As he trailed off, the boy glanced around the shadows and the foliage. Even in his Dathomirian form, the magic in the talisman he wore granted him exceptional hearing.

But nothing about this jungle gave indication that this great witch of the Jedi was nearby.

"I was told she was here, but she has remained elusive," the youth noted aloud.

Aveline Cuiléin Sakadi Marathi Sinvala​

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

Aveline had no notion of what 'Yat dyfor' meant. Or was it 'Vat the four'? No that didn't make sense either. He seemed foreign to her, but he felt friendly.

Even if she had not seen him in bat form, he made her think of one now. "A Nightbrother?" she wasn't familiar with the term, nor did she wish to bombard him with potentially offensive or intrusive questions. For now she accepted that he simply was. Perhaps she would get to chat about his background later.

"You too?" she asked, though it was more like she was thinking out loud to herself. Both of them were supposed to meet with Master Sinvala for the lesson. Were there others? Oh Force, what if they would be the last ones there?

"Maybe she doesn't want to be found." But that didn't entirely make sense, given that they definitely were supposed to find her. "It's a test." Obviously. Jedi Masters loved their tests...

"I tried searching for her presence, but I uh... Couldn't find her." she trailed off slightly towards the end. Could she have found her? Perhaps if she tried again. But she was hesitant, given the vision that had interrupted her last time. Maybe she shouldn't be so quick to give up...

"What do you think we should do?" He seemed to know his way around a tree branch, maybe the same held true for the rest of the jungle too.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Jorah zos Darnus​

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

"It's a test."

The upside-down Dathomiri made no comment, though agreed.

This Jai seemed to be coming to this conclusion now, rationalizing aloud as she spoke, "I tried searching for her presence, but I uh... Couldn't find her."

It was the same for him. He did not discern the presence of anyone in these woods, aside from the older teenager here.

"What do you think we should do?"

The Dathomirian looked over at the older girl. An odd question. Or, at least, an odd way of phrasing her request. In his culture, women commanded men. This pretext of asking was unusual.

Flexing his hips, the boy reached up and grabbed the branch with his arms. Then, swung his legs and torso so that he vaulted off the tree to land on his feet near where the young woman stood. Brushing his hands off on his trousers, the youth noted, "We have been searching for her presence, but perhaps there is a different way," the youth noted.

The Witches of Dathomir believed that everything living had a spirit. The planet had a spirit. The grass had a spirit. The trees had a spirit. And all of these spirits were connected through the union of the Winged Goddess and Franged God. It bound everything together and was what made harmony so important to maintaining the balance of nature.

Did the Jedi have any similar beliefs?

"The spirits know where she is. Perhaps we are meant to seek guidance from the forest."

Aveline Cuiléin Sakadi Marathi Sinvala​

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

Aveline's left eyebrow arched slightly upwards. He was an athletic boy, quite comfortable in and around a tree branch. She was all ears as he proposed an alternative path, although after hearing it she was not quite sure she fully understood it.

"How... How do we talk to the spirits? The forest?" She didn't dismiss his idea, she simply did not know how to execute it. But perhaps he was right? The Force connected through all things. It was everywhere and in everyone while at the same time being its own entity. It both was and wasn't. Perhaps instead of looking specifically for Master Sinvala, it was possible to simply listen? What did the Force tell her? What did the forest? Were there any anomalies?

It was all well and good in theory, but could she execute it? Last time she had tried to reach out it had not gone so well. Though last time she had been rash, too eager to land straight at B before ever walking the pathway set out from point A. Before ever seeking Sinvala, she needed to commune with the Force, and be comfortable in her own skin. Perhaps not alone, but together...

Aveline sat down on the grass bed, folding her legs. She took a deep breath. She did not know this boy, in fact, it dawned on her she did not even know his name. But she had to face her fears, and it was always harder to do that when she was alone. "I'm scared." she confessed. Scared to look where spirits of the past came alive so vividly. "Will you hold my hand?" Kark kark kark kark. How stupid and embarrassing. She could feel her cheeks flair up in the rare moment of naked honesty. She could only hope he would not judge or laugh at her.

"I'm Aveline by the way. What's your name?" she asked, trying to force a smile as she held out her hand.

Then she closed her eyes. Emptied her mind. She focused on her breathing, which slowly steadied. Then her moving through her body, out to her legs and finally the tip of her toes, she extended her being to flow over the grassy plains of the small clearing. She started small, very small, not concerning herself with anything but the flow and movements of the grass in the gentle wind, becoming like an open book to the jungles of Kashyyyk.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Jorah zos Darnus​

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

"How... How do we talk to the spirits? The forest?

A simple question.

With a complicated answer. Dathomirians grew up steeped in the mysticism of the spirits. But the Jai did not believe in the spirits. They called upon a magic which they referred to as the Force. Jerek Zenduu had spoken of this magic, and yet Jorah did not understand.

So how to supply an answer to that question? The boy recalled someone that one of the elder women of his village had said. "The spirits are always trying to speak to us," the youth recalled aloud, as his amber eyes looked back up at the older teen. "We need only be quiet, so that we might listen."

It was also possible that Dathomirian grandmothers would say these things so that their grandchildren would be quiet. But, it was more less accurate.

The answer seemed to connect with something in the young woman's mind, as she seated herself on the ground.

The revelation that she was uncertain of herself was odd, coming from a female. A Nightsister commanded confidence. They were trained from birth to be power, to be strong, to be leaders. In contrast, this Aveline reminded him of a boy. Though he imagined that she might not appreciate the thought.

Seating himself across from her, the Dathomirian youth took the older teen's hand. "I am Jorah, son of Darnus," the boy supplied, supplying a more formal introduction than he had for Jerek.

As he closed his eyes, he could feel the spirit move. It moved through Aveline. It moved through the forest. It moved through the planet.

Aveline was a witch of the Jai. That was certain. As certain as it was impressive. He had not heard her speak or make any manner of spell casting, yet the spirit responded to her. It was uncanny, as with Jerek.

Holding onto her hand, his eyes shut, the Dathomirian uttered a low whisper -- hopefully quiet enough not to disrupt Aveline's magic. "Nuin, ama, aek shureen," the boy uttered, the Dathomirian rolled from his tongue. "Nuin, ama, aek shureen," he repeated, a mantra as his head rolled forward and he started to slip into something akin to a trance. "Nuin, ama, aek shureen."

The talisman around his neck lifted away from his body slightly. Perhaps it was nothing more than a trick of the light, but a green mist seemed to hover faintly around the boy's frame.

As the spell was repeated a third time, the boy felt the spirit move. And so made his request to them.

"Sakadi shureen tailzo res tȃlzaratat."
Friends, spirits, hear us. We seek the witch Sakadi.

Aveline Cuiléin Sakadi Marathi Sinvala​

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

He spoke like they came from different worlds. They did, of course, but the meaning he communicated resonated with her. Even though she didn't understand, it made sense to her. Aveline fell quiet, letting the only sound be that of a voiceless Force.

Did grasping his hand into hers do anything? Even if it did little to bolster her connection to the Force, it was a valuable aid to her mind. She was not alone in this.

Aveline had not expected his chanting. At first it had seemed peculiar, but she allowed it to fade to the background. It did not throw her off. Instead she tried to use it, as a steady hum to anchor herself.

Once more she was blind to the green mist emanating from the boy. She felt him however. Like a bright candle rising from the shade. The shadows slowly withdrew, and her surroundings felt clearer to her now than they had ever been before. Even the trees seemed to speak, in their own unique way. She thought she could feel their heartbeat. It wasn't exactly that per say, but she had no other word to describe it.

Master Sinvala... If this was a test, surely she did not wish to remain hidden. She was out there for them to find. No doubt if the Master wished to remain anonymous she would, with little effort. Master Sinvala... She whispered to her mind's eye, as if it would remind it of its purpose.

There was something out there. Someone. Fleeting, she could not tell if they were floating thoughts or actual life forms. Birds? Yet none of them felt any bit like Jorah, son of Darnus. Except... There was another Jorah, off in the distance. Or, it wasn't Jorah, but it was vaguely similar... Aveline drew her attention, which had been left to pour aimlessly around her, to focus in on that beacon of light underneath a canopy of grey.

"Do you... Do you feel that?" If only she could communicate what she saw. Would his eyes see the same? It was her, wasn't it? "North West... I think" She had to concentrate harder, as if speaking made it become more of a blur. But the sensations were growing stronger.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Jorah zos Darnus​

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

A smile washed over the features of the Sephi when she felt the seeking minds briefly touch her presence. She was open to the Living Force, taking in the movement and activity of all that surrounded her with every breath. A Jedi had to be able to remain calm, patient and listen to the Force even in the most dire of situations. It was a guide, ally and friend in one's times of hardship, should you be open to its welcoming embrace. It was the very foundation of her own prowess in the Force, and one she hoped to pass on to the next generation of Jedi. That was why she opened her lessons, no matter how small they were, with exercises like these.

The Jedi Master made no attempt to reach out herself, nor did she move from her seated position near the chasm. It would be unfair of her to create obstacles this early on, but she did not want to guide them either. They had made the first successful steps in locating her, through collaboration no less, and now it was up to their combined efforts to finally reach their destination. Something she assumed wouldn't be that difficult despite the unpredictability and dangers of the jungle. She just hoped that it wouldn't take them too long, for the true lesson had yet to begin.

Aveline Cuiléin Jorah zos Darnus​

​

​

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

"North West... I think"

Basic. He had to be conscious of his words, as it was an adjustment to shift to his second language. "The spirits speak of a presence there," the boy affirmed. "They believe it is she that we seek."

Rising up from where he had been seated on the forest floor, the red-skinned youth held a hand out toward the thick trunk of the tree that overshadowed the two of them. "Derar hai res m'soslah Ameena azza res tozu het res m'soslah Ameena," the Mistwalker uttered, pulling his hand back even as he spoke. A green flicker, almost like the will o' the wisp, seemed to pop out from the tree.

Then, slowly extending his arm outward, the green wisp of light drifted toward where the pair had felt the presence. "The spirits have agreed to guide us," the boy remarked, looking back over at the older girl. Reaching a hand out, he offered her a hand up if she wanted it.

The path would not be straight. There were far too many trees and the foliage would be difficult to traverse in parts. The wisp would keep them in the right direction, without getting turned around.

Unless the spirit were pulling a trick on them. Which, some spirits were known to do.

There were malevolent ones on every planet. This one didn't seem that type, however. But, Jorah had been wrong before.

Never trust a fire lichen spirit.

But, this was Kashyyyk and there was no fire lichen here. So, Jorah was content to trust in the spirit of the tree. With that in mind, the boy started off into the woods. Traveling in his bat form would have been faster, but he assumed from his interactions with Jerek Zenduu that such magic was likely unknown to Sister Aveline Cuiléin . This was not a race and the Jai were their hosts.

Jorah was content to find this Sister Sakadi Marathi Sinvala in however much time it would take for them both to arrive.

The spirits were with them. All would be as it would be, when it was meant to be.

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

Aveline looked up at Jorah zos Darnus as he stood. "You don't... Actually speak to the spirits, right? Like the dead. It's just your way of saying the Force, right?" She made a silent prayer that that didn't come off offensive. She was genuinely curious. At first she had assumed it was a figure of speech, but the way he phrased himself... Thinking that he communed with the dead made her a little uneasy. She wasn't ready to confront herself on whether or not she believed in ghosts, truly.

He easily silenced her with the green mist that he seemed to produce. That was new. For once she didn't miss it. "That... That doesn't happen when I use the Force" she said, almost more to herself than to him. His presence definitely felt friendly though. She liked his vibe, even if she couldn't figure him out.

She grabbed the hand that was offered, and pulled herself up. Aveline was starting to loosen up a little around him, and there was a good chance that however long was left of their journey to find Sakadi Marathi Sinvala , it would be peppered with questions.

The road twisted and turned. Aveline was glad they weren't being chased or anything like that, she wasn't sure if she would have been able to keep up. "Sorry if I'm bothering you with my questions, by the way. I don't mean to. I just haven't seen anything like this before."

Soon, very soon, they would breach through the clearing and finally come upon the very patient Master Sinvala. She had lost track of time, but she assumed they had missed the agreed upon time. But they had made it. Her hair was messier than when she had set out, it even had a couple of thin branches in it. Aveline bowed and said "Master Sinvala. Sorry we're late"

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

"You don't... Actually speak to the spirits, right? Like the dead. It's just your way of saying the Force, right?"

The question took the youth by surprise for a moment, but then he reflected on it some more.

It was not unlike some of the questions he had gotten from Jerek Zenduu "Yes and... no," the boy supplied in answer, addressing the questions in turn. "My people are the Witches of Dathomir," the youth added, explaining, "A Jedi Knight named Allya is said to have been the one who wrote our most sacred text, but we do not believe in the Force. Instead, we have a faith in the gods, the spirits, an essence of life which we do not claim to understand. It merely is, and we use to cast spells in the name of the gods and spirits."

Did that make sense?

Well, to him it made sense. But to her? He again thought back to his conversations with Jerek. "I have a friend who is Jedi, so I know that my magic is as strange to you as your Force is to me."

Strange indeed.

As the wisp guided them on the path, the floating orb briefly illuminated a woman before it faded from sight. As was his custom, Jorah stayed a step behind Aveline Cuiléin as she addressed the elder woman.

It was not his place to speak. Courtesy, however, demanded certain respects. Bowing, his hands together in front of him, the boy bowed toward the one that the Jai addressed as master. As he straightened up, he opened his palms outstretched toward her as he offered the customary, "Tashi dalek."

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala​

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Finally. They were here. She had sensed the combined presence of the two Padawans building in their approach. Had they summoned unusual aid from the Force to find her? The Sephi couldn't tell. All she knew, was that it had guided them to her. For the Sephi, that would be more than enough.

The Jedi Master would reach out through the Force soon after their arrival. It came as a gentle wave, a ripple through the Force who's message could easily be deciphered by any open-minded Force Sensitive. "Welcome. I presume you must be Padawans Aveline and Jorah?" The disembodied voice slightly echoed as she 'spoke'. "How do you like the jungle?" The Jedi Master asked, her attention drawn to a colorful bird in the foliage above them.

She remained seated on the small patch of grass, appearing as tranquil as ever. She wore the standard Jedi garments; a brown cloak draped over a clean white tunic that contrasted with her lavender complexion. Her hairstyle was one reminiscent of upper-class Thustrans, well-kempt and tied in several small buns, but lacking in decoration. She would've normally stood out in a place like this, but it was her serene presence that made the Jedi fit right in.

With a small gesture, Sakadi would beckon them over. "Please sit. We have much to discuss."

Aveline Cuiléin Jorah zos Darnus​

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

Jorah had answered many questions. For once it didn't create two new ones in its stead. They were different, that much was clear. Different background, different upbringings. The Witches of Dathomir she had heard of, but not in detail. She made a mental note to study them once she returned to the temple premises. Though not today.

She got the sense they were speaking of the same thing, the Force, yet in different shapes and manifestations. The Force was a higher entity, something one could study but perhaps never truly understand to its full extent. The Force manifested itself to the Jedi, perhaps because they approached it in their own specific way. Yet who was to say that if it was addressed, or even prayed to, with completely different methods and intents it would not manifest in an equally different way? Did the Force not aid Aveline jump far and high if she asked? Perhaps it was all about the heart that asked, and the way the questions were phrased.

"That's very interesting." She said thoughtfully, as these ideas brushed against her mind. "Well, if you follow sacred texts inspired by a Jedi Knight... Then it sounds like we should find much common ground." And in time, perhaps both would understand the other more easily.

The woman, the voice, or even the wind; Aveline couldn't tell, but whatever it was it bid her pay attention. "Yes, I am Aveline Cuiléin." she rose out of her little dipping bow. "It's growing on me" Aveline said with an almost nervous smile. She did not know what to expect, and this Jedi Master was a stranger to her. The way she had addressed them had caught her off guard. Did they both hear the same thing? She didn't ask, it felt rude.

It felt like the Master had much planned, and much in mind. Aveline moved to take a seat as gestured, almost worried to interrupt her if she spoke up. She did not know when to expect the voice, given it was not given from moving lips but rather the mind. Seated, her eyes turned to Jorah, hoping perhaps to read what she could from his reaction, and learn in silence.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Jorah zos Darnus​

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

The Dathomirian tween's head cocked to one side.

She spoke, but not with her voice. It was similar to how the spirits communicated, and yet also different. At first it was jarring. Unexpected. The youth seemed to shift, as though looking for some other source of the message. Then, as realization began to seep in, he found it... beautiful.

Dropping onto the ground, the boy tucked his legs into a cross-legged posture. Resting one hand against his chest, the boy said, "I am Jorah, son of Darnus."

He was from a matriarchal society. Family names belonged to the Nightsister.

As for her second question, "This world is how I envision Dathomir. It is wild, yet serene. Unassuming, yet there is a danger to it." He imagined that his mother would find it most pleasing. Perhaps he would convince her to voyage here for the hunt. "The Wookiees have a long history on this world. Some of the spirits in this place are truly ancient."

Talay had been largely uninhabited before the Mistwalkers had come. Little more than a shadowport in those days. The ghosts and spirits he had spent his childhood could only recall the years after the Galactic Civil War. Some of the forces on this planet seemed older. "Yet, not all of its ghosts are Wookiees," the youth noted, as he looked back over at the venerable Jedi Master. "I sense that this place has seen many battles."

Aveline Cuiléin Sakadi Marathi Sinvala​

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

The Jedi Master nodded in response to there replies. "It is as you say. The forests of Kashyyyk are, and have been, a home to a great many lifeforms." Places like these, so intricately connected to the Living Force, often held wisdom and secrets comparable to the old Jedi libraries if you knew where and how to look.

"You claim that this place has seen many battles, Jorah." The boy was not wrong. The planet of Kashyyyk held many important resources. The kinds that could be used to create weapons of war, should the planet fall into the wrong hands. "But what do you consider a battle?" The Jedi Master tilted her head to the side, pointing toward a nearby tree. "Do you consider the conflict between those two warring ant colonies a battle?" The leaves and branches were covered in small red and black dots, each insectoid attempting to throw the other out of what they considered to be their domain. "Or are you perhaps referring to the flocks of Daubirds high above us, who do not wish to share the treetops with each other?" The Sephi pointed up as she spoke, her lavender hand bathing in the small rays of sunlight for a moment, before she lowered her arm again. "The outcome of small conflicts like these can affect the ecosystem as a whole. To the forest, these are just as important as our galactic wars." The young Nightbrother had sparked her curiosity now. "The forest won't discriminate between these battles and our own. So please, elaborate, Jorah. Delve deeper into the Force and tell me what battles you speak of." It was a difficult task, but the young boy had an uncanny connection to nature itself. She had felt it through the Force when the two Padawans had summoned the aid of the forest to find her. Perhaps, with the right training, he would be able to develop a connection to the Living Force unlike that of any other Jedi. It made the future look promising.

Her eyes shifted to Aveline. The Sephi knew very little about both students, apart from what information the Jedi archives had on its members. It made her wonder whether all this made sense to the Vahla. Could she sense what Jorah spoke of? Or was this all relatively new to her? The Sephi had made this mistake before, with a Padawan named Mathieu Brion . She had been under the assumption that his Force Sense was well-developed, but to her surprise, that hadn't been the case. "Can you sense it too, Aveline? The many beings that surround us? Or perhaps even these battles Jorah speaks of?"

Aveline Cuiléin Jorah zos Darnus​

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

Jorah zos Darnus's words made her try to picture Dathomir. She had never been, but perhaps one day she might. If it was anything like Kashyyyk, and the people there anything like Jorah she thought she'd come to like it.

The dialogue between Sakadi Marathi Sinvala and Jorah was fascinating, although she could not quite follow it. She did not know of any battle he had spoken of, and she had never considered the ones Sakadi brought to his attention. She was curious to how he might respond.

... Of course, now the Jedi Master wanted something from Aveline too... An observation, or inner knowledge in some form to prove that she wasn't completely blind to the world around her. She considered lying, but decided against it. It was not a good look. "I, uh... Well..." she stalled for time, allowing herself to think. "I don't know of any battles. But when I, uh, we were trying to find you I could feel something. The jungle. Flickering lights going about their days. I don't know what they were, but I think birds and other... Life forms. In and around the trees." She wasn't familiar enough with their names, nor were her senses so attuned that she could identify the species exactly. But the Force did flow all around them, and flowed through and around various creatures, big or small.

"Am I supposed to be always aware of these things, Master? It took me a great bit of focus and calm to sense them." She dared to ask the question, unsure whether all Jedi inherently knew this. Was she behind the curve in that she had to stop and channel her focus towards that task and nothing else in search of her answers?