Private Links from the Past

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Tag: Oriadne Hallas

Hearing that there was another Jedi from the CIS/Ascendancy days in the New Jedi Order was surprising to Dreidi, she had not really seen many in the CIS or Ascendancy that would freely or accurately call themselves a Jedi, first arriving in the NJO, her actions and attitudes were considered non-Jedi like and it made her feel on edge and like an outsider. However, it also stoke a fire underneath her and gave her the determination to demonstrate her skills, her emotional training and put her foot down as a worthy Jedi. It hadn't been easy and Dreidi sometimes questioned why she hung around since her Master was not a member of the NJO, but the friendships and positive growth in her skills made her realise it was working. She knew it not be long till she was a Jedi Knight, she could feel it in herself and she was eager to demonstrate to Asaraa that she was ready to progress as a Jedi Knight.

Focusing on the Jedi Master that supposedly came from Ascendancy, Dreidi was curious to meet and ask some questions, wondering if coming to this Jedi Order had been a big change in her life as it had been for Dreidi. If she struggled to adjust to the strict views here on what is and isn't a Jedi. If perhaps to hear another outsider's view point that came from a similar background as Dreidi. The last person that Dreidi had sought out advise like this was Kahlil and that ended poorly, it felt more an attack on her character and since then, there had been a reluctance from Dreidi to seek out advice or help from the Jedi Masters around the NJO, she would rather struggle and suffer on her own if they were all going to treat her as he did.

Wearing her usual Jedi Outfit, Dreidi sighed as she felt no confidence in how meeting this new person would go. There was just hope that she would be judged by her recent actions and not one misguided judgement call she made years ago. The best way she would rid herself of the nervous energy, she was fiddling with the Magick energy between her fingers slowly as she waited. Dreidi wasn't too sure what she was going to be doing with the Jedi Master Oriadne Hallas, if it would be a mission, sparring, or just a conversation over some caf. Dreidi was just eager to see how the meeting would go.

 

[Oriadne Hallas]

Though Oriadne’s tenure with the Ascendancy was by chance, and rather short compared to most that called the Expanse home, she no less once had a presence amongst them, largely as the guest and ally of one of their Exarchs, and as an acquaintance of a Shinobi.

In truth, these were the first Sith which she had ever met. After all, in her time, their kind had not revealed themselves to still exist until they were in the process of turning her Order to ash. That those of the Expanse sought not to destroy her in this era, that they had sought to avert a catastrophic end to known life rather than yoke themselves to that deplorable cause and accept her assistance had flown in the face of everything she had been taught to know of them.

That wasn’t to say that the majority of Sith didn’t fit what Oriadne had been led to understand about their ilk. Her first conflict outside of the Expanse had done much to prove this, and the machinations to the south of the Alliance’s territories seemed to fit the bill as well, but those realities were enough to dissuade her from sharing that relatively small facet of her overall existence and the identities of the those that peopled it. Opinions about Sith were just as varied as the Jedi themselves, but there was one relatively predominant stance that didn’t need to be voiced to be known.

That said, when she learned that another from that sliver of space was within the ‘new’ Order and walked the halls of the temple… well, her eyebrows piqued a little. There had been an absolute dearth of Jedi in the Expanse, or at the very least, none that would willingly call themselves as such that she might have had the opportunity to meet. But really, it wasn’t like she hadn’t had her own misgivings about the Jedi that she needed to parse through at the time. Misgivings that had made her stay, almost as much as the state of her body in those days had made it necessary to.

And it wasn’t like she had forgotten about that. That little had changed in those nine centuries… nay, longer, still held its own problems, but she kept those views to herself, too.

“Dreidi Xeraic?” Oriadne questioned as she approached the young woman that fit the description she had been given, just within the entrance to the Temple, “I’d say it’s nice to meet you --” her lips assumed a mildly cordial smile, “-- but that gets old after a while.”

She gestured to the exit with a thumb, and altogether sticking out maybe like a sore one in the midst of a Temple, not decked out in the classic garb of an Order. It was old habit to not broadcast what she was.

“Let’s take a walk, yeah?”

Dreidi Xeraic​

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Tag: Oriadne Hallas

When Master Hallas appeared before her, Dreidi gave a quick polite bow to the Jedi Master. Dreidi was determined to make a first good, solid impression as she looked up to the Jedi Master, Dreidi offered a warm smile. "I am glad you accepted my invitation to meet Master Hallas." Dreidi took a step closer, "I wasn't sure what you would want to explore? A conversation, or grabbing a caf, or spar?"

Dreidi could have made plenty of suggestions but she was working hard to restrain herself from leaping into the numerous activities that were available to them. She knew that Master Hallas would know what was available but not knowing much about the Jedi Master, Dreidi wasn't sure what would interest her.

At the mention of a walk, Dreidi nodded her head and rushed forward to walk in step with the Jedi Master. "How are you finding your time at the Jedi Order?" Dreidi asked, curious to know Oriadne's experiences and get to know her a bit more. Dreidi rolled her shoulders and felt the fingertips caressing one of her tattoos on her left arm idly as attempted to keep nerves at bay.

 

[Oriadne Hallas]

The first question from the blonde Jedi went without an answer, for it was answered in part by the suggested walk. The rest of Oriadne’s answer would be given soon after they exited the temple, and began descending its many steps… or at least that had been the plan, until the young woman asked another question. The faintest of lines etched into the flame-haired sentinel's forehead as her eyebrows pushed towards the middle - she was quite used to being the one asking all the questions. If necessary.

And it had been deca - no, centuries since Oriadne last had a student; back then, they had learned to mind themselves as younglings. Now younglings were the exception, rather than the rule. Infant conscription was a thing of the past, and those that became Jedi in most cases had backgrounds and dispositions not fostered by the Order. Conversely, Oriadne had always been a Jedi, minded, and raised within a different Jedi temple that used to stand where the one behind them did now.

“I’m finding it excruciatingly familiar, mostly, and thankfully different at the same time,” she said, keeping her eyes forward, minding her descent. The Medjai temple, by comparison, had been starkly different, and she’d been able to glean that from what scarcely little time she had spent within its confines before departing Verun for the tasks that had taken up the vast majority of her time in the Expanse. Turning her head just enough to catch a glimpse of Dreidi, she asked a question of her own:

“Where would you go to get the best caf?” Then, before the younger Jedi could answer, she followed this up with a her intentions: “We’ll get caf, then we’ll talk.”

Dreidi Xeraic
​

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Tag: Oriadne Hallas

The walk was the way that the Jedi Master wished to start and Dreidi was happy to follow suit. Unlike a number of other Jedi, Dreidi had been raised from birth by Jedi, her parents were Jedi Masters when they had her and she had been trained from a young age to control and keep her abilities in check until she was old enough to be trained as a Jedi. For her, she saw little difference in the way that she had been raised in the traditions of Jedi from centuries ago, though they were a lot more extreme in their view and strict on emotions than her parents had ever been. However, she had been following the Jedi path, or at least a Force using path, since she was old enough to be able to learn and understand.

"I have been adjusting to the differences here a lot more than I anticipated that I would have to." Dreidi commented as she looked around, curious to think of what her father, even her mother, would think of the path that she was on now. Dreidi was a very different person to the child they had last seen and she was always worried they would never be able to accept the woman she was now.

Tilting her head, Dreidi thought for several moments on where the best caf might be located. "Depends on how you like your caf. I enjoy mine black and strong so I know of a place not terribly fair from here that does it perfectly for my taste. However, there is a place a bit further along that does more exotic or variety of different styles of caf that others enjoy to a much higher standard. We could explore there if you do prefer something other than pure caf," Dreidi answered.

 

[Oriadne Hallas]

Oriadne gave a small nod as they reached the bottom of the steps - she could appreciate the more ‘exotic’ or espresso-based caffeinated drinks, but day to day she was like countless others that consumed caf, to some extent. No-one would constantly drink swill for two centuries unless that was truly what they preferred for some unfathomable reason, or were a masochist.

“I take my caf in the same way - I just like it brewed with freshly ground beans,” she replied, “and I only drink the stuff that might as well be engine oil, out in the field,” she remarked with amusement; gesturing out ahead, Oriadne turned her head to the blonde, “Lead on.”

Of course, she would drink however many cups it would take to find the right one in this era… just not all in one day.

Dreidi Xeraic​

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Tag: Oriadne Hallas

Fresh ground beans, that was a good requirement. Much of the Temple stuff, Dreidi doubted was freshly grounded, mostly due to the fact that they would be serving many, many Jedi throughout the day, everyday, doing a few shortcuts would save costs and time. Important things for people who weren't necessarily able to pay for more premium experiences. Dreidi nodded, as she looked in the direction of her preferred caf store.

It wasn't a far walk and allowed Dreidi time to reflect on the things she wanted to ask, the experiences that they might have shared and how she might learn to move forward in this new environment for herself. She was atypical style of Jedi, since she was also a Witch of Dathomir and proud to be one but she was not sure that others would always accept that.

There was a reason why she was an oddity as a Jedi and not the standard. Magick did not always fall under the doctrine of the Jedi way.

Walking into the small caf shop, it was cosy with a warm air, booths lined the wall and had a style similar to many diners but most of what they offered were cafs and small meals for breakfast and lunch. Dreidi wandered up to the counter, ordering two large black cafs since Master Oriadne had already mentioned that was her preferred way of drinking it, Dreidi assumed that would be what she would order. Paying with her own credits and a small tip for the service from the droids.

"I think the booth at the back is free if you wished to sit here to talk?" Dreidi suggested.