Lost are the Old

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh had not been to a planet with such a strong Force presence in a long time. The last planet had been Korriban and Dromund Kaas. Before then had been Tython and the Jedi Temple of Coruscant. But those places had all been changed. The worlds had been caught and changed by the powers that had come into power since he had last been there. The galaxy had become less controlled than his memories told him it had been. At his time there had only been a few powers vying for control, now there were dozens.

This world had a power to it, the power of the Light, he was glad to see that it had become more steady. It was a feeling that calmed him, it reminded him of the Jedi Temple on Tython, he had trained there a long time ago, in a galaxy so different from this one. He missed it, it saddened him that the Jedi Order had changed along with the galaxy. They no longer stood as staunch protectors of the Light, they allowed others with different teachings to join and that did not stand well with Rafeesh. He wanted to believe that the Jedi would return to the way they had been, but there was no proof to it and in fact Rafeesh got the feeling that it was all lost.

He followed the trail led by the Force all the way to a garden. He had never been here before, it was strange and yet comforting. He knew this place was safe, at least from the corrupting influence of the dark side. He walked about, he could remember fighting on this world, fighting an empire and then fighting for that same empire. It was all gone now, the bodies, the battlefields, everything. There was no sign left of the war that he had fought in on this world. It was good. He had never seen this compound before, thus he wandered seemingly aimlessly.

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Rafeesh"]

Alexandra's eyes found the man as he appeared to her and shown on the world of Alderaan, to the home that she had on the planet. Her form hidden from him for a moment and her aura obscured by the tree's own light side presence. Yet as she drew closer to this intruder and silently brought her form around behind him she knew he was no threat. He seemed so focused on her Garden, or rather the tree at the center of it that provided that lightside aura. Her hand brushed her sabers as she moved behind the man, a phantom with black hair and white robes that drew closer and closer until her body came upon his own with a small smile. "You know, this is technically trespassing."

Her form would drift past Rafeesh, staring at the man and smiling as she passed him. IF he attacked, her saber would be drawn immediately, if he didn't then there would be no trouble at all. It would all be interesting enough to see how it ended, if this man would try to strike at her or simply remain passive to her appearance from behind him. If he were smart he would understand how far their difference in power would be, and yet, her smile warned him further about what would happen if he tried anything.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh had been so intent that when the words seemed to appear out of air the padawan almost did not catch them. At that moment a number of different responses and thoughts played through his mind, all vying for control. He was surprised at hearing another voice. He was caught off guard by the proximity of the words. His initial instinct was to draw his saber, but his hands were stayed by the calm that rolled over him. This was a place of the light. The darkness could not be here, this was no enemy, none that needed to be fought.

He looked to the form that floated by him and stopped in front of him, staring at him. For a moment the young Jedi was unsure as to what to say. It took a few minutes before he remembered the words and had reestablished control of his body enough to respond. "I am terribly sorry. I did not realize that this place... I felt the Force here and wanted to see what it was. Forgive me." He could sense the strength in her and wondered how he had missed it before. The thought occurred to him that she was powerful, she could hide her presence within the Force. That was a feat that astounded him. He had never thought possible, but then he had believed many things impossible at one time or another. This was merely another learning point.

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Rafeesh"]

Her eyes watched him now as he spoke or atleast tried to in such a way that seemed... amusing. He stumbled over his words several times, tried to explain his presence and asked for forgiveness when in truth he really had done nothing wrong in the end. Her hands crossed over her chest as he stood there and reestablished control over himself, turning and continuing her walk to the tree that she treasured with her life, the reason the garden maintained the force aura that it did and in a few moments her hand drifted over the surface of it with a small smile. "Hmm..."

"I have a question, how is it that another Jedi seems to have found my home. IS my tree really that strong of a presence now that it is easy to find this place or is it that you stand here infront of me because of pure chance?" She turned her head to look at him, her voice soft and unaccusing. She had no problem with him being here, but did want to know why he had come out of his way to visit the home of a woman long dead... did he even know about the history of this place and its owner she wondered.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh forced himself to calm, nothing would happen here. He was safe, the Force told him as much. The person before him seemed friendly enough, certainly she did not appear to be hostile, after all she could have killed him without the padawan ever knowing. She seemed to like the tree, was this her garden then? The Force was strong here, strong in the light and it only helped to calm him further. This had to have been a place of strength in the Force, perhaps a Jedi stronghold? It strength aided him in focusing as he listened to her question.

It was a very good question, perhaps one he might have asked himself had the roles been reversed. However, as it was, he replied in a polite tone, "The Force drew me here, it was only when I neared the planet that I felt the presence of the Force here in such strength. What is this place?" He knew nothing of the history of this place, if it had not occurred within the last year or two then he had probably not been awake to learn of it. He was still learning of recent events and it was sometimes and uphill battle to hear of the failings or successes of powers he had worked for or people he had known.

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Rafeesh"]

"A Garden, as well as ruins, yet still a home." She walked towards the Padawan once again and let her eyes stare at his face, peeling away his physical features, or atleast seeming to as she stood there with her face unchanging in its observations. "You know, i really need to find a way to prevent such a thing from occuring anymore if at all possible... you guys really are becoming common guests at this rate, do you know that?" Her hands crossed behind her as she straightened up and turned to walk back to the tree.

While he had to force the calmness, wonder about her, she seemed at that state already. Her steps were fluid, careful, and graceful. Her hands remained clasped on in the other, eyes cutting from him to the tree in such a way that showed she feared absolutely nothing about the man. And most of all was the way she carried herself. Her form remained straight yet still relaxed and her smile never faltered, in speech or in quiet contemplation she simply stood and waited for him to pose another question or to stand there quietly.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh listened, more in focus now, he understood her words and found it most interesting. She lived here, in a ruin. It had to have been either a Jedi stronghold or the resting place of a Jedi. Either way, the tree was the center of this focal point. So he was not the only one to have come to visit the place, that hardly surprised him. The strength of the Force here was sure to draw those looking to learn and others with more selfish intent. He found this place to be exquisite, yet at the same time saddening. It was like feeling a ghost of the nexus of Tython or Coruscant in the old days.

"I had not been aware of that. It does not surprise me though. Is it even possible to hide a place like this? The Force is so strong here, it was hard to miss." Rafeesh smiled a little as he replied. The woman, whatever she was, was incredibly graceful. It seemed almost impossible. She seemed to have no fear of him, that was almost a given with the power that radiated from her now. She was so strong in the Force, he was nothing to her. That was probably why he had been given a chance even walking into this place. Whatever the reason he appreciated the ability to have at least felt this place's presence and to have seen the tree that brought so much light here. It was a wonder to behold.

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

She laughed as he spoke and for a few moments she waved him to follow her over through her garden on the roof. It was a bit suddent in her movements and she led him to a tree that stood at the center that indefinitely gave off an aura more potent than Alexandra's, causing her to vanish into its own aura if one tried to find her through the force. "Little Jedi, I am sure you understand the idea of a Force Nexus, welcome to the one that resides in my home and was created by my doing and those of several other beings..." She smiled at the man and drew a hand over the bark of the tree as she walked. "For two years ive fed my energy and directed the force into this tree, crafting something to be a beacon of light and that was only to strengthen it. This Nexus has survived since before the Vong forming and sith occupation of the planet as i helped create it in the years before such with the aid of others." She smiled as her eyes when to @Rafeesh.

"What do you think little Jedi?"

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh followed somewhat tentatively. Somehow, knowing that this place belonged to this person made the young padawan more cautious than he had first intended. There were many places in the galaxy that had no ownership, some of which were like this, strong in the Force. Those places were special and one had to be careful, but if one of those few places is controlled by a person then it should be held in an even higher respect.

As [member="Alexandra Feanor"] explained what this place was. He had heard of a Force Nexus, they were extraordinary places and definitely worth visiting to get a better understanding of the Force. He listened carefully. So this place was of her creation. That was a surprise. He smiled back as he spoke, "It is amazing. There are few places that I have sensed like this before."

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Rafeesh"]

"This is still a young one, no where near as strong as the ancient nexus like those of the Valley of the Jedi or what Tython had once held before the Sith likely corrupted it. One that is born completely from life itself and as such is far harder to simply corrupt yet far easier to simply destroy. The tree could die sure from damage, but what would grow is a new one soon after... but should one tear it from its place and destroy it... that would be a saddening sight if ever there was one and i cant exactly say i would be happy for such an event to occur."

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh was surprised that such an idea would even come across someone's mind. To destroy this tree, there was light here that would push away the darkness. He remembered however once being a Sith, he had once hated the Light. He probably would have destroyed the tree, a long time ago. But he was no longer that man, he had become a Jedi and this new view was more pleasant than that of the Sith he had been.

The young Jedi thought for a moment before responding, "You must be truly powerful to have accomplished this. But, why did you do it?"

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Rafeesh"]

Alexandra let her brow raise as she was called powerful and shook her head. "Because its beautiful, and as for being powerful i can promise you i am not so powerful as many others. I am in truth one of the weaker users of the Force's power." With a short breath her smile broke and she shook her head for a small moment before continuing. "Now then little Jedi, i wonder what it is that you will do now that you have found this place hmm? You may not want to destroy it, and i can see your surprise in that idea through the force, but you compliment me and stand there with a interesting set of words... Yet you are a mystery to me just as i am to you."

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh found this person to be quite humble. The power required to create a Nexus was far beyond anything he had been close to. Her question made him uncertain. He had come to follow a calling from the Force. Now that he had seen what it was, there seemed to be no reason for him to stay, at least as far as the Force had commanded him. Then again, the Force could have brought him here to meet [member="Alexandra Feanor"]. From there, perhaps it was up to him to continue for now.

"I... I am unsure. I believe the Force guided me here, maybe to meet so that we may speak. My name is Rafeesh and I am a Jedi. Does that help?" He was as curious about her as she was apparently about him. He wondered how long she had been here and what she had planned.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Rafeesh"]

"Guided you? Right that is how you Jedi see the force i guess... hmm." She looked the student over again and thought to herself while she moved her hands to her lap. "Lets see... maybe your purpose was to find something like this place and you used that yearning to look through the force rather than let it simply lead you? I don't mean to challenge your order's teachings and am just giving you a new view on how it might be that the force aided you in your own path rather than you following a path it gave you. Tell me though now that i am curious. What is it that you want to be a Jedi for, why did you join the Jedi or have you been one of those that were with the Order as long as you can remember?"

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh thought about the suggestion that he had not been led here. Certainly there was the possibility that his wish to find a place like this could have influenced the Force into leading him to this exact location. But there had to have been a reason for the Force to have lead him here. He discarded the assumption that the Force would not have guided him, it had a will as much as he had one. But its will was stronger and the very guiding force of the galaxy. It had a plan and he was but a pawn, but a pawn for the light and therefore the most valuable. He did not take offense at the insinuation of questioning his beliefs, he knew that many did not see the same way as him. He was fine with that.

The question of why he had become a Jedi was a different matter, it brought a frown to his face as he thought about it. He had not put much deep though into it since he had joined. "I am not certain as to the deepest reason I have remained a Jedi, however I know the most evident reasons. I was not always a Jedi, I have been a Sith for longer," If only for all the years in stasis, Rafeesh thought to himself. "I think when I was brought back to the Order after being a Sith I realized what had happened and decided that I should be a Jedi again. I decided that the Force had a will and that it was guiding me to be a Jedi once more and to fight against the darkness I had brought." There had been no small amount of guilt involved. If asked he would never have denied the nights spent awake from the wracking guilt of his deeds as a Sith. It had been a nightmare those first few months, often times having spent more time meditating than in rest. He had come over it now, and learned to become more in tune with the Force. And with it, he had felt himself become a better person.

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Rafeesh"]

She looked at the man for a few long seconds before wondering to herself on his reason for being in such the state he was. Sith were not exactly known for keeping the weak around and the fact that he had not been tossed to the side meant he was semi useful. But she knew how the sith thought and were, forgiving is not one thing but perhaps she was wrong about whoever this one had run away from. It was curious none the less considering she was as far as she was concerned still sith herself.

Infact...

"You know i am still a Sith right... sorry if you really think that your choice was right but perhaps you are wrong. I live in peace and in this place without a single problem, yet i still support the idea of order and the usage of one's emotions in order to attain that order. While the actions of the current breed are less than what i would prefer, my point remains in that i am still one of them and you are admitting your desertion to me... i just want that to be clear before you continue talking." How he responded was up to him, whether it be violent or not she could care less as his response was data to her at this point.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh withdrew in his mind at that. How was that possible? This was a place of the Light, how could a Sith be here? But then if she lived in peace and followed the basic idea of the Light then how could she be Sith? From what Rafeesh understood she must simply follow the doctrine of the Sith. But how could the Light allow such? This was a place of power for the Light and no darkness could stay, how could it allow one who did not obey its will to remain?

However, he remembered something that he had heard a long time ago. An old master had told him of this. That the Force was not one to directly control a person, but every person made their own decisions, whether that be to follow the will of the Force or to carve their own path. In the end death would come to all and it was then that they would meet the fate that they had spun for themselves. If they failed to do the will of the Force then they would pay for their mistake. There would always be justice in the Force, using the Force to create an order other than that which the Force was wrong.

He did not know what to do, but he did know what not to do. He was here, but he was not here to fight. "Interesting. I do not believe you would care for my desertion. My leaving was begun a long time ago." Before the Sith of this age in fact. He had properly left the Sith in this time, but it had begun a long long time ago. He wondered how this person would respond to him. He had not told any Sith of his history, that he could recall anyways. He thought of telling her at least part of his history, it would give him some idea of how Sith might react to such a tale. He doubted that many would believe it.

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Rafeesh"]

"You are correct. Your desertion of the Sith does not bother me in the slightest as i ave no reason to kill you anymore than following an ideal none of the Sith share anymore. Order through control, of your emotions and your surroundings. They turned this into their malformed understanding of the world having to bend itself to their will as if they were gods, which i am sure you know is nothing but false words that are meant to stroke their own ego for the fact that they are just narcissistic and pompous fools." Her breath came out, a huff that followed with a shake of her head. "Morons..."

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh was comforted by the fact that while [member="Alexandra Feanor"] claimed to follow the basics of Sith doctrine she seemed to be very much against the corruption that had occurred within the Sith. It was strange to the young Jedi to see a light sider with such a belief. He did understand that some saw grey areas instead of pure black and white, but Rafeesh chose to see that wrong was wrong and right was right, no middle ground. He did not see himself as exempt from the rule, believing that he two would one day pay for his transgressions.

He accepted what he believed to be his fate, he hoped that he would hold strong in the face of the adversity. "Have you ever been a Sith? One of those fools that you speak of?" He was not trying to insult his host, but he did want to learn more about her past, after all he had told her a basic idea of his past, minus a few key details. It was telling the truth, but not the whole truth. He did not want it to sound like he was looking for sympathy about what had actually happened, he feared falling again into the traps that he had given into as a Sith.