Private Hold Back the River

[Pari Sylune]

The air smelled of rain and flowers. Naboo's skies, painted in soft golds and greens, stretched wide above Pari Sylune as the transport descended through the morning mist. Her heart felt lighter than it had in months. After so long drifting between safehouses, refugee camps, and backwater ports, the sight of those rolling meadows stirred something deep inside her, peace. Familiarity. Hope.

She stepped down onto the landing platform, her boots touching the polished stone, and for a moment she just stood there, breathing it in. The gentle hum of the city, the sound of distant waterfalls, the laughter of children echoing from the streets, it all felt impossibly alive compared to the haunted silence of Coruscant's ruins.

The Jedi Sanctuary awaited her just beyond the plaza, its marble arches gleaming in the sun. As she crossed its threshold, she felt a warmth ripple through her like the Force itself was welcoming her home. The air inside shimmered faintly, steeped in calm energy and memory.

Pari closed her eyes and smiled.

For the first time in what felt like forever, she wasn't running.


Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine

 

[Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine]

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Tags: Pari Sylune


The morning sun lay warm across the Temple courtyard, reflecting off the rippling lake beyond. Young Padawans moved through their drills, careful and eager, while Anneliese Kaohal moved among them, correcting grips, adjusting stances, guiding each motion with precision.

"Relax your shoulders, Nari," she said, her voice calm, yet firm. "Feel the Force carry the motion… not just your arm, your intention." Her green eyes glinted with warmth, a rare, gentle curve of her mouth revealing the hint of sharp canines. "Yes! That's it. Better. That's the flow."

She crouched to meet a youngling's stumble, laughter soft and inviting. "Careful… every step is a lesson. Even I fell more times than I can count. But each fall brings a rise. Keep moving."

The students finished their drills, and she gave a final nod. "Excellent work today. Take time to center yourselves and reflect on your movements. Strength is nothing without focus." She watched them leave, the quiet of the courtyard settling around her.

Anneliese peeled off her robes, revealing the black mid-cut tank top clinging to bronzed, freckled skin, muscles honed and taut. Tribal tattoos ran up her left side and thigh, and the crescent moon on her lower back caught the sunlight, a subtle gleam marking her story.

She ignited her saber. The yellow blade, bright as the sun, hummed to life. The morning light caught in the weapon and danced across her skin.

She moved, fast and fluid, a rhythm of Ataru spins and precise Soresu stances. Each strike, each pivot, unleashed a primal energy, a wolf within her stretching, running, free. In this solitude, she was her truest self: fierce, untamed, untouchable. Yet beneath the strength, a stirring unsettled her.

Why was she chosen?

Her thoughts flickered to the newcomer — Pari. She didn't presume to know the girl, and she didn't yet claim the title of mentor. Could she be of help? Was she the right one to meet her? The Masters had made their decision; Anneliese never questioned their wisdom, new to the order or not, Anneliese was here to serve and fulfill her duty as a Knight, and today, this was how she served. And yet… butterflies flared unexpectedly in her stomach, a restless excitement, a tangle of nerves she couldn't name.

She felt it in the Force, subtle and weaving — an undercurrent moving unseen. Something stirring, a presence approaching, delicate but insistent. She was unsure of what was to come, and perhaps that made the anticipation sharper, sweeter.

Her movements didn't falter; her saber flowed with grace and ferocity, cutting arcs through the morning light, each strike a meditation, each turn a grounding. The rhythm of her forms kept her centered, the physicality of her practice channeling the tension, the doubt, the anticipation.

Here, alone with the Force and her blade, she could be herself: strong, commanding, beautiful, human. And here she would wait, ready to meet whatever arrived — ready to see what the Masters had sent her to encounter.

 

[Pari Sylune]

As a nomad, Pari was used to traveling light. Possessions had always been fleeting such as a change of clothes, a few rations, a small satchel for essentials. When she arrived at the dormitories of the Shiraya Sanctuary, the young girl carried little more than that same worn bag slung over her shoulder. Inside were only the necessities of a wandering life and one treasured object in the form of a simple necklace, the only thing left with her when she had been abandoned at the Temple of Illumination.

The pendant was a kyber crystal, smooth and faintly luminous, wrapped in threads of woven cord. Though it had never been attuned to a lightsaber, Pari believed — no, hoped — that one day it would hum with the living light of her own blade. Until then, it rested against her collarbone as a silent reminder of her beginnings, and of the destiny she still chased among the stars.

The dormitory had not changed much since her last stay. The same soft light filtered through the high windows, gilding the wood with Naboo's serene golden hue. Her bunk was untouched though judging by the new garments folded on the opposite bed and a half-unpacked trunk nearby, it seemed she might finally have a roommate. The thought brought a flicker of curiosity to her lips, but there was no time to linger. The Council had summoned her, and even the calm of Naboo's air could not steady the flutter of nerves in her chest.

She dropped her belongings at the foot of the bed, took one final glance around, and hurried through the stone corridors toward the Council chambers. The doors themselves were grand tall slabs of carved wood inlaid with the symbols of the Living Force. Pari paused a moment before them, brushing her thumb over the kyber crystal at her neck, drawing strength from its familiar coolness.

When the doors opened and the attendant beckoned her inside, the vast circular chamber seemed to swallow her whole. The air shimmered faintly with the presence of so many masters, their serenity pressing around her like a tide. She bowed low, her heart racing.

"Pari Sylune," one of the masters said. "You've returned to us."

"Yes, Masters," she answered, voice softer than she intended. "I… I apologize for my absence. I was on Coruscant when—when it happened."

Her words caught. The smell of burning metal and ozone came back to her, the echo of terrified screams. For a heartbeat, she was back in the chaos. She clenched her fists and steadied her breath, refusing to let the tremor in her voice betray her.

The masters exchanged measured looks. Their gazes were not unkind, yet carried the weight of decision and a gravity she could feel through the Force.

"Pari," said another voice, warmer this time, "your wanderlust and your curiosity are strong. Left unguided, such traits can lead even a good heart astray. We believe it is time you learned under the mentorship of a Jedi Knight."

Her breath caught. "A Knight? You mean…"

"Yes," the senior master said, smiling faintly. "We have decided to raise you to the rank of Padawan."

For a moment, all sound seemed to fade such as the crackle of torches, the hum of the chamber, even the slow rhythm of her own heart. Then realization dawned, and joy burst through her like sunlight. The dream she had clung to since leaving the Chalactan Adepts was finally real. She bowed deeply, words tumbling out in a rush.

"Th-thank you, Masters. I will serve my new teacher with everything I have."

"See that you do, Padawan Sylune," one replied with a knowing smile.

As she left the chamber, she had to resist the urge to sprint through the halls. Padawan. The word echoed in her mind like a song. Her datapad chimed, and she pulled it free, skimming the transmission with eager eyes. The name of her new master leapt from the text Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine and her pulse quickened again.

By the time she found the Knight, standing in the sunlit courtyard with her flame-red hair catching the light, Pari's earlier confidence had fled. The woman's presence was commanding, her aura bright and steady. Pari hesitated a few paces away, clutching her satchel strap like an anchor.

"M–Master Kaohal-Delaine?" she stammered, voice barely above a whisper. "My name is Pari Sylune… I'm not sure if you've received the message from the Council yet, but… I believe I'm to be your new Padawan."

Her words hung in the air, trembling slightly with a mixture of awe, nerves, and raw hope.

 

[Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine]

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Tags: Pari Sylune


The yellow blade flared one last time, casting a brief halo across Anneliese's bronzed, freckled skin as she completed her final form. The hum died as she deactivated the saber, the morning air settling around her like a sigh. She wiped a gentle roll of sweat from her brow and took a deep breath, shoulders relaxing into a stance that was both commanding and open.

She had expected the arrival, but now that it had come to this — a small, uncertain figure hesitating at the edge of the courtyard — she felt the same quiet stirring she always did when she met anyone new. She allowed herself a moment to absorb the sight: Pari, nervous, clutching a satchel strap, eyes wide with anticipation and awe.

Anneliese stepped forward, each motion deliberate but unhurried. There was grace in her stride, the subtle ferocity of the wolf still simmering beneath her calm exterior. As she approached, her green eyes softened, and her lips curved into a warm, genuine smile — the kind that revealed sharp canines in a flash, fierce yet nurturing.

"Pari," she said, voice steady and welcoming. "It's good to meet you."

She extended a hand, not as a test of obedience, but as an invitation — a gesture of connection, trust, and patience. She could feel the Force humming faintly around the girl, the same undercurrent she had felt in herself so long ago.

"Come," she continued gently, gesturing toward a quiet patch of courtyard where the sunlight pooled on the stone. "There's no rush. Let's start by just… getting to know each other. I want to hear about you — about your journey, your hopes, your questions."

Anneliese studied Pari for a moment longer, her own heartbeat steady, her mind turning over the weight of the Council's trust. This is not a moment to rush. Not yet. She had been shaped by mentors, by trials, by the patience of those who had cared enough to guide her. Now, the same mantle had been laid at her feet, and she would carry it with the same fierce love.

Her posture remained poised but relaxed, the lingering glow of sunlight and her saber forms giving her an aura of quiet strength. To Pari, she may have seemed larger than life — a force of fire and discipline — but inside, Anneliese carried her own humanity: the memory of uncertainty, the grace of patience, and the quiet joy of being trusted to shape another's path.

"Why don't we start with you," she said finally, crouching slightly to meet Pari's gaze. "Tell me about the journey that brought you here. No judgment. No expectations — just you, and me, and the Force to guide us."

And in that moment, the courtyard felt suspended, the only motion the faint rustle of the lake's reflection and the slow, steady draw of the morning breeze.

 

[Pari Sylune]

Pari shook the tall woman’s hand and smiled timidly. Her heart was still beating very fast from excitement as she watched her new master. The woman seemed poised and confident and awe inspiring to the young girl.

“I was raised on Chalacta by the Chalactan Adepts. They taught me quiet discipline and the nomad lifestyle. A few months ago they brought me here and told me that my Force sensitivity was strong enough that I could train as a Jedi. It was an honor. I’ve heard so many amazing things about the Jedi.”

She smiled at her master, a star struck look in her teal colored eyes. Pari wanted to know more about the fiery spirit she could feel from the other woman, but she also wanted to make a good impression.

“I’ve attended some classes and have been practicing.”



Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine

 

[Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine]

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Tags: Pari Sylune


Anneliese clasped the young girl's hand firmly, her grip warm but measured — an anchor more than a greeting. She could feel the faint tremor of nerves beneath Pari's skin, the rapid heartbeat of one standing at the threshold of something greater. It drew a small, knowing smile to her lips.

"Chalacta," she murmured, her voice soft yet carrying that grounded strength that came from long discipline. "A good place to begin. The Adepts there understand stillness — the kind that can hear the Force even when it whispers."

She released the girl's hand and folded her arms loosely across her chest, studying her for a moment before her gaze drifted toward the courtyard beyond — Naboo's light glinting against her fiery, untamed curls and the gentle sheen of sweat still resting along her bronzed skin.

"Quiet discipline will serve you well," she said after a moment. "Many try to control the Force as if it's a creature to be tamed. But the truth is, it isn't something we master. It's something we surrender to — and in that surrender, we find strength."

Her words were steady, deliberate — less instruction, more reflection shared aloud. Then, with a small exhale, she looked back toward the Padawan and let her tone soften. "It's only fair," she said gently with a playful smile, "that you know a little of me as well."

She began to pace slowly, her hands clasped loosely behind her back — the motion unhurried, graceful, almost feline in rhythm. "I began my training with the Silver Jedi Order on Kashyyyk. They taught me the sanctity of life, the rhythm of breath and branch. Later, I joined the Galactic Alliance Jedi. There, under GrandMaster Valery Noble, I learned balance — between heart and blade, mercy and resolve."

A faint glimmer of memory passed behind her eyes, followed by a quiet breath that seemed almost like release. "After my knighthood, I took leave. The Force called me home — to walk among my own people, to remember who I was before I was anyone's student. A year became more…. and the lessons there…" her voice dimmed, introspective, "were written in blood and bone. But they steadied me."

She lifted her chin slightly, the sunlight catching her features — the curve of her jaw, the freckles scattered across her shoulders, and the rich green of her eyes that seemed to hold both fire and calm.

"Now I'm here," she said simply, "and the work continues. The Force never stops shaping us — not until we stop listening."

Her voice softened then, carrying something gentler — a tone that felt both teaching and confessional.

"The Jedi path," she began, "isn't meant to be one of perfection, Pari. It's not about suppressing what makes us human — our grief, our joy, our fire. It's about learning to carry those things rightly. We are not meant to be above others, but among them — hands that heal, voices that guide, hearts that stay steady even when the world turns dark."

She stepped closer, her expression thoughtful. "The Code isn't a chain. It's a compass. And the Force… it isn't light or dark alone — it's the breath between them. The current that moves through all living things. To walk the Jedi path is to walk in awareness — to see the world as it is, and still choose grace."

For a moment, she grew quiet again, the sun outlining her in molten gold. "That is what I believe," she said softly. "That the Force isn't asking for perfection — only presence."

Her verdant eyes lifted to meet the young girl's teal gaze — searching, warm, and steady. "Tell me, Pari," she asked at last, "when you imagine your path… what do you see?"

 

[Pari Sylune]

"Many try to control the Force as if it's a creature to be tamed. But the truth is, it isn't something we master. It's something we surrender to — and in that surrender, we find strength."

Pari listened with her mouth slightly open, unable to help the expression of wonder that crept onto her face as her new Master spoke. The older woman's voice carried the weight of history, a history Pari had only ever glimpsed in dusty holobooks and archived mission logs. The Silver Jedi Order. A legendary era, spoken of in reverent tones by scholars and idealists alike. And now one of them stood before her in the flesh, her presence crackling with a fierce inner fire.

Pari felt small under that intensity, but not diminished, more like warmed by a sun she had never known she needed.

Her Master spoke of lessons written in blood and bone, of the Force as a compass rather than a chain, of choices carved by intuition and conviction. Pari could practically feel her mouth forming a comical little "o" of disbelief as she tried to absorb it all. These weren't lectures from the Adept halls or neat philosophies etched in Temple datacrons. This was the Force spoken of by someone who had lived it and stumbled through it, survived it.

When her Master finally paused and turned the question back upon her, What path should you walk, Pari's breath caught. She wasn't ready for that. How could she be?

Uncertainty flickered openly across her features. Her teak-colored eyes, normally bright and quick, seemed to search the air for an answer, as though it might be written somewhere just beyond her reach. She was only at the very beginning of her journey. A novice stepping onto a road she didn't yet understand. How could she possibly know which direction to walk?


The Force is like a compass…


The phrase echoed in her mind.

Pari closed her eyes. The world sharpened around her. She felt the sunlight resting warmly on her dark hair, soaking gently into her tan skin. A soft breeze brushed along her arm, raising goosebumps in its wake. She inhaled deeply, trying to imagine a compass and trying to listen for some subtle pull within her.


When she finally spoke, her eyes remained closed, as though she might lose the fragile image of her future if she opened them too soon.

"I… I'm not certain, Master," she admitted softly. "When I was among the Adepts, I learned to heal. I worked in the healing center there for many cycles, and I've traveled the stars to tend to refugees and the wounded. The Force blessed me with that gift, and I want to grow it I truly I do. But…"

Almost without thinking, her fingers rose to the crystal that hung around her neck, brushing over its familiar edges. A small anchor in a vast, unknown sea.

"But I wonder where I came from," she continued, voice quieter now. "Who I am. Why I was left on Chalacta. And whether the Force meant for me to be more than a healer."


Her eyes opened at last, shining and uncertain, yet with an ember of possibility.


"I want to learn a new kind of strength. To learn what I might become… if I follow that compass wherever it points."


Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine

 

[Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine]

​

Tags: Pari Sylune


Anneliese's lips curved into a soft, approving smile, the kind that lifted her fiery curls and brightened the verdant depths of her eyes. She stepped closer, her hands falling to rest lightly at her sides, the subtle weight of her presence both grounding and radiant.

"Pari…" she began, her voice low and steady, carrying warmth like the sun spilling across the courtyard. "That… that was thoughtful. Honest. Brave." She reached out, brushing a strand of hair from the girl's face with a careful, almost tender motion, her fingers lingering in that small gesture of care.

Anneliese felt the tug of recognition deep in her chest — that same ache of wondering where one comes from, the yearning to understand roots and purpose. She had carried it herself once, and the memory made her pulse thrum with quiet determination. I will help you find that… she vowed silently. Whatever you need, we will walk it together.

Her smile deepened, exposing a flash of sharp canines, but her eyes softened into pure maternal warmth. "You don't need to have all the answers right now, Pari. You're standing at the beginning of your path, and that's enough. Curiosity, courage, and honesty — that is more than enough."

She lifted her hand, gesturing to the quiet courtyard around them, letting the sunlight glint off the faint sheen of sweat along her bronze skin. Her voice took on a ceremonial cadence, deliberate and strong.

"I, Anneliese Kaohal, Knight of the Jedi Order," she said, her words rolling across the courtyard with the weight of commitment, "take you, Pari Sylune, as my Padawan Learner. I vow to share with you all that I know, to guide you through the trials and truths of the Force, and to walk beside you as you discover your own path. I will not shield you from hardship — the Jedi path is not always easy — but I have full faith that you will rise to meet its challenges, and that you will become all that the Force has meant for you to be."

She stepped closer, letting her hand hover briefly over the kyber crystal at Pari's collarbone, careful not to touch it without permission, a quiet acknowledgment of the girl's own connection to the Force. Her voice softened, maternal and unwavering.

"And Pari… know this," she added, her emerald eyes locking onto the girl's teal ones. "I see much of myself in you. The fire, the heart, the questions that cut deeper than any saber. You are not alone in this journey. We will find the answers together. And I promise, whatever comes, I will be here to guide you, always."

Anneliese stepped back, letting the words sink between them, her posture relaxed but radiating quiet strength. Her gaze lingered on Pari, proud, protective, and fiercely determined to nurture this spark she now held in her care.

For a heartbeat, the courtyard was still — only the wind moving through her hair and the distant hum of Naboo's temple grounds. Then, the first real smile of shared understanding passed between them, a silent acknowledgment that this bond had begun, sacred, unbroken, and alive.