Private Marks that Maps Forgot

[Meri Vale]

Meri followed close behind him once the wind settled, her satchel held securely against her side while her attention shifted constantly between the surrounding sands and the distant outline of the ship waiting ahead of them. Even after leaving the ruins, part of her thoughts still lingered back within the temple corridors they had just escaped, replaying the shifting mechanisms, hidden chambers, and impossible sensations she still could not fully explain to herself.

At least until Vex mentioned the books again. That immediately reclaimed her attention.

The subtle excitement she tried so hard to contain became visible almost at once, surfacing in the way her pace unconsciously quickened to match his and in the sudden sharpening of her gaze toward the ship ahead.

"You should not promise books to someone before asking if they can be trusted around them," she informed him quietly, though the seriousness of her tone was undermined almost entirely by the faint brightness entering her expression. "That seems strategically irresponsible."

The dry humor was subtle, but unmistakably present now.

As they boarded the ship and the ramp sealed behind them, Meri slowed instinctively near the entrance, her eyes moving carefully across the interior. It wasn't large or luxurious, but she immediately noticed the intentionality behind its design. Compact space usage. Efficient layout. Concealed functionality beneath outward simplicity. The ship felt practical in the same way old archive structures often did, built with purpose rather than ornamentation.

She listened attentively as Vex pointed out the rooms, committing the layout to memory almost automatically. When he showed her the room she could use, her expression softened faintly with surprise before she looked quickly away again, clearly unaccustomed to being offered space somewhere without conditions attached to it.

"Thank you," she said quietly. The gratitude was sincere enough that she didn't seem entirely comfortable saying it aloud.

But the moment he mentioned the collection itself, whatever composure she had managed to recover immediately dissolved beneath pure curiosity.

One of the books I created myself. Her eyes widened slightly. Guide to every lightsaber form. The Aionomica. Data tapes. For a moment, she simply stared at him as though he had casually announced the existence of an entire hidden archive beneath the ship's hull.

"…you have all of that here?" she asked, unable to completely disguise the disbelief in her voice.

By the time he turned to leave for the galley, Meri had already drifted instinctively toward the archive room behind her, stopping only long enough to carefully remove her boots near the doorway without consciously realizing she was doing it. The small wooden box from the ruins remained carefully held against her side as she stepped into the room with visible reverence.

Her eyes moved slowly across the shelves, the books, and the scattered data-tapes with the same awe another person might reserve for priceless treasures. To Meri, they were.

She approached the nearest shelf carefully, almost cautiously, as though worried the collection might somehow vanish if she moved too quickly. Her fingers hovered just above the spine of one of the older books before finally touching it lightly, reverently, tracing the worn edges with unmistakable fascination. "You organized them by subject progression…" she murmured softly, mostly to herself now. "Not chronology."

Even the shelving system interested her. For several seconds, she simply stood there absorbing the existence of the room itself before finally glancing back toward the direction Vex had disappeared. "I may never leave this ship," she informed him quietly, though the statement carried enough sincerity to make it difficult to tell whether she was entirely joking.

Vex Drakkon

 

[Vex Drakkon]

As Master Vex Drakkon returned to the library with a stack of blue milk pancakes, he stopped at the doorway, watching Meri look through the variety of reading material he had stored within. A warm smile swept over his face when he heard Meri say that she was never leaving the ship. It was a bit of reassurance the man needed to hear. "I hope you are hungry, these are my famous blue milk pancakes. A recipe I learned from a good friend of mine." He announced, while walking into the room, and setting the plate down on the table in front of Meri Vale.

With a short glance around the room, Vex noticed that Meri was already interested in some of the content within the books, so he reached to the shelf, shuffling through some of the bigger books, until he found the right one. He pulled the book free and began to examine it for a short moment, before speaking about it. "I think you will like this one the most. It’s a book about the force through the eyes of several different Jedi from a time long ago. There’s even a chapter about someone who reminds me of you. They enjoyed what the galaxy had to offer, especially when it came to history and the objects that are now considered relics." Vex finished speaking, then put the book down on the table next to the freshly made dish, and stepped away to stand at the doorway once more.

Before Vex would leave Meri to eat, he stood at the doorway and spoke once more. "When you are finished here, come meet me at the cockpit. I am sure you have questions, and that is when I will answer them." He stated calmly, before vanishing away without letting Meri say any final words or thoughts to the Jedi. Vex snuck away to the cockpit where he would settle into a deep meditation until the force would reveal to him that the young girl was heading his way.

As Master Vex drifted away into a trance-like state of mind, he could feel every emotion, every ounce of strain slips away, as if it never existed in the first place. Within this meditation, Vex was able to not only heal any wounds he had beforehand, but he was able to cleanse himself of the darkness that may have attached to him during their travels. Regardless, it was a time of peace that had him mentally and physically recharge for what was to come. Whether it was mere conversation, or a full-on battle, Vex was sure to be ready.

Meri Vale​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri looked up immediately when Vex returned carrying the plate of blue milk pancakes, the warmth and comforting scent filling the small room almost instantly. After hours spent wandering ancient ruins and surviving largely on concentration alone, the sight of actual fresh food drew a very noticeable shift in her expression, even if she tried to conceal most of it beneath her usual composure.

"You have famous pancakes?" she asked with complete seriousness, as though attempting to determine whether this was a documented reputation or simply one he had assigned himself.

Still, she carefully shifted several datapads and books aside to clear space for the plate as he set it down before her. The warm light of the cabin reflected softly against the polished table while the ship hummed quietly around them, and for the first time since boarding, the space felt less like a temporary transport and more like somewhere genuinely lived in.

When Vex selected the larger book and explained its contents, her attention immediately sharpened. Her fingers rested lightly against the cover after he placed it beside the plate, her curiosity fixing onto it almost at once.

Several Jedi perspectives. Different understandings of the Force. A historian and seeker of relics from long ago. The description alone was enough to completely hook her attention.

By the time Vex vanished toward the cockpit, leaving her alone in the small library space, Meri was already opening the book while absently reaching for the pancakes beside it. At first, she intended only to skim a few pages before joining him, but instead, she found herself pulled steadily deeper into the writings.

One passage became another, and then another. The pancakes disappeared gradually beside her without notice, as her attention remained fixed primarily on the text itself. She paused repeatedly to reread certain sections, comparing one Jedi's interpretation of the Force against another's and growing increasingly aware that none of them described it in exactly the same way.

That unsettled her, not because the contradictions made the writings feel false, but because they all somehow still felt sincere.

At several points, she caught herself staring unfocused at the page while questions accumulated faster than she could organize them properly. What exactly was the Force? Why did it seem to interact differently with different people? Why did ancient temples respond to intention instead of simple mechanics? And why had the chamber beneath the ruins felt less like a hidden room and more like something deliberately waiting?

The deeper she drifted into thought, the less aware she became of time passing around her. Eventually, Meri reached absently for another piece of pancake only to discover the plate completely empty.

She blinked once in mild surprise before lowering her gaze toward it. "…that appears to have happened unintentionally," she murmured softly to herself. The pancakes had been extremely good.

Carefully closing the book after another long moment, she gathered the dishes and carried them to the small galley sink. Despite the late hour and the exhaustion beginning to settle into her shoulders, she still washed everything thoroughly and methodically, drying each dish before returning it neatly to its proper place with the same quiet precision she applied to nearly everything else. Only once the small kitchen area had been restored properly did she retrieve the book again and make her way toward the cockpit.

The ship had grown quieter since Vex left earlier. Dim lighting lined the corridor while the steady vibration of the engines thrummed softly beneath the floor, and as Meri approached the cockpit entrance, she slowed slightly. It wasn't from fear, but a quiet thoughtfulness. The questions she carried now no longer felt entirely academic.

Stepping quietly into the doorway, she immediately noticed the stillness surrounding Vex's meditation. The atmosphere itself felt calmer there somehow, as though the tension and exhaustion from the ruins had been carefully set aside while she remained behind reading.

Meri stayed near the entrance at first rather than interrupting immediately, the book resting lightly against her side.

"I finished the pancakes," she informed him quietly after a moment.

The statement sounded oddly formal. Then, after the briefest hesitation, she added, "…and I believe the book may have created considerably more questions than it answered."

Vex Drakkon

 

[Vex Drakkon]

Master Vex Drakkon felt the vibration within the force of Meri making their way towards the cockpit of the ship, which caused the man to pull himself out of the meditative state, and open their eyes to see the young girl standing near the entrance with the book tucked away at their side. When she spoke of the pancakes, Vex smiled once more with pure joy emitting from their expression alone. "The recipe is my mother’s. When I was a child, she would make me blue milk pancakes every morning when I woke up. Something about it was always so refreshing to me." He admitted.

After a few short seconds of responding to Meri, Vex motioned for her to come sit in the co-pilots seat. "Come, young one. I know you have questions, so hit me with them one at a time." Vex spoke firmly, yet in a calm tone to ensure that his intentions were pure of heart. He truly wanted Meri Vale to learn and understand what it takes to be a Jedi, even if their kind was on a downfall from the overwhelming forces of darkness that surrounded every corner of the galaxy. Yet, the man felt it was a good idea to keep the tradition going, even under such circumstances.

The ship was still grounded on Naboo, but that wouldn’t be the case for long, only if Meri agreed to the next step of things. If she needed more time, then it would be a good idea for a long road trip to possibly give them a firsthand look at what it may be like to be a Jedi. Regardless of that, Vex wanted the best for this girl because she was young, lost, and needed the right guidance to ensure a life that is respectable, one that the girl could look back on and be extremely proud of how things turned out. But for now, the Master Jedi remained focused on Meri’s questions.

Meri Vale​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri listened quietly as Vex spoke about his mother and the blue milk pancakes, her attention lingering unexpectedly on the softness in his expression rather than the story itself. There was something strangely grounding about hearing a Jedi Master speak so casually about childhood memories and ordinary comforts after everything she had witnessed beneath the ruins. It made him feel less like an abstract figure from history and more like a person who had once simply been someone's son.

That realization settled somewhere quietly in the back of her mind as she stepped farther into the cockpit.

The dim lighting reflected softly against the controls while Naboo's night skyline stretched beyond the forward viewport, calm and luminous under the glow of the planet's moons. Meri hesitated only briefly before lowering herself into the co-pilot's seat, the larger book resting carefully against her side before she finally transitioned it to her lap.

For several moments after Vex invited her questions, she remained silent, not because she lacked them, but because she was trying to determine where to begin. There were too many contradictions now between what she thought she understood and what she had actually experienced. Eventually, she folded her hands lightly together over the closed book and looked out toward the shimmering city lights rather than directly at him.

"You said earlier that the Force is not something people experience identically," she began carefully. "The writings in that book seemed to support that idea as well, describing it almost spiritually, mathematically, or emotionally. So what actually is it? Not philosophically. I understand beliefs differ, but fundamentally."

She glanced down briefly at her hands before continuing more quietly, "Is the Force something external people learn to interact with, or is it something already within them?"

The cockpit fell quiet while she listened carefully to whatever answer Vex offered, her attention fixed entirely on understanding rather than arguing. Even when she occasionally frowned or tilted her head slightly in thought, it never carried resistance, only concentration, as she tried to fit the explanation into the growing framework forming in her mind.

When a comfortable silence eventually settled again, Meri drew a slower breath before speaking once more.

"The temple beneath the ruins responded to intention," she said thoughtfully. "Not mechanics, and not force applied physically. It was almost as though the structure recognized what someone was trying to do. How is that possible? I understand technology, engineering, and systems design, but that chamber did not behave like any of them."

Her gray eyes lifted toward him again, carrying an intensity that showed how deeply the discovery had unsettled her.

"Can places actually retain intention, memory, or awareness?"

Again she fell quiet, giving him space to answer fully before speaking herself again. The conversation no longer felt rushed or frantic despite the weight of her curiosity; if anything, Meri seemed increasingly willing to sit with uncertainty now rather than immediately trying to conquer it.

Only after another stretch of thoughtful silence did she ask her final question, her voice softening noticeably beforehand.

"And…" she hesitated, searching for the right words, "…how do you know when to trust what you feel?"

The question carried a different kind of vulnerability entirely. Her gaze drifted briefly back toward the expansive Naboo skyline outside the cockpit, a faint crease appearing between her brows.

"Logic is measurable and can be tested repeatedly. But everything that happened down there felt real before I could explain any of it properly, and I still do not fully understand why I knew where to go."

She lowered her eyes again toward the book in her lap, a quiet pause stretching between them.

"So how do Jedi learn the difference between intuition and simply wanting something to be true?"

Vex Drakkon

 

[Vex Drakkon]

The Master Jedi repositioned himself in the pilot's chair, while remaining eye contact with the young girl. Her first question was obvious, one that Vex was asked hundreds of times during his time as a Jedi. But this time, he wanted to make sure that Meri Vale understood everything, even the bad things that may happen, and why those things happen. As for now, Meri wanted to know what the force was. Not the philosophy behind it, but what it truly was. "Some people see the force as power, but it is so much more than just being able to lift things without using your physical body. The force is in all living things, flowing through one, and on to the next." He paused for a moment, pulling his hand up so that Meri could see what he was about to do.

Seconds passed by, but Vex’s eyes remained on Meri’s, making sure that she was paying attention. The Master Jedi reached out with the force, sensing everything that surrounded them. The buzzing of the comms that could only be heard if one was to use the force, along with the subtle roar of the ship’s engine, as well as the heartbeat of Meri, who was sitting next to him. But what he wanted from her was something physical, so in the blink of an eye, Vex managed to reach out with the force, and pull the book free from the young girl’s hands, while bringing it to his own. "It is not something you can physically see, but it is something you feel. An invisible mass that binds all living things. It is in everyone, but only a select few have genes that allow the force to develop within, giving them certain abilities, like when you were able to move the stone slabs in the ruins. That is what the jedi call Force Push, or Force Pull. The longer you work on using the force, the more you will learn about it, and what it can offer. For now, we work on the basics, then grow with time, and eventually understand more." He finished, while laying the book upon an open space near the ship’s control console.

The vibe within the room never changed, but the next question was still up in the air. So, Vex continued to smile before giving Meri a single nod of approval. "Those are two very good questions that I can answer all at once. The ruins that we were in was not just some place of business, it was a place of solitude, where the force settled strongly. How, you ask? Well, this place was built by Jedi long ago, with the sole purpose of testing young children on just how much potential they had because of the force that flowed through them strongly. Just like you, Meri. You were tested by the ancient Jedi of yesterday and passed with ease. These tests do not exist in the Jedi training today, which means that you excelled in a test that is much harder that the one’s given today." He paused once more to let everything sink in, then cleared his throat, and began to speak once more. "Being that the Jedi built this place where the force is stronger than normal, yes, memories and many other things will remain here forever. Much like the box you have, it was meant given and built with the help of the force, which is something we will go over when the time is right." He added with hopes of Meri understanding how things will fall in place with time.

Master Vex could see the curiosity pouring from Meri’s eyes and expression. Some would fear such feelings, but Vex knew that these emotions were needed to build character, and to grow within the force itself. What he would teach Meri, is how to act upon those feelings in such situations where emotions run rampant. But her last question was the most asked of all. Vex chuckled lightly before beginning to respond to the question. "Ah, that feeling we spoke so much about during our time in the ruins. You seemed to know where you were going the whole time. Did that not come to mind at all, young one? No, that’s because it was the force guiding you to something you either needed or wanted. Regardless, you got what you came for without even knowing it. But when that feeling is noticeable, that is when you trust it, follow it, allow it to show you what it wants. It is a feeling that will also grow with time, allowing you to even sense danger moments before it reveals itself. Jedi learn to distinguish intuition from desire by achieving a state of inner peace, or clearing the mind of every thought, every emotion. Because wanting something to be true stems from personal attachment, which creates the noise of fear, greed, or ego. Jedi must detach from their own biases to perceive the Force entirely." He responded happily to Meri’s questions, knowing damn well that she would ask more because of how curious she is with this new world introduced to her.

The Master Jedi continued to smile warmly, while folding each arm against his chest comfortably. "Before you ask any more questions, I want you to close your eyes, breathe deeply. Inhale slowly, exhale the same. In that moment, you will feel the force. Tell me, what do you see?" He asked in a curious tone of voice, hoping that Meri was able to explain to him how she portrays the force. Some say it’s a peaceful water source, waves slowly pushing back and forth, while others have described it as a burning fire that engulfs everything in its path. This was no test for the young girl, only a small observation of how Vex might need to train them in the future.

Meri Vale​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri listened with complete concentration as Vex answered her questions, her attention fixed so intently on his explanations that she barely seemed aware of the ship around them anymore. When he drew the book from her hands without touching it, however, she visibly startled; it wasn't a reaction of fear, but rather one of sharp recognition as that same impossible, resonant sensation from the temple rippled through the air between them. Her eyes carefully followed the flight of the tome as it crossed the cockpit and settled near the control console. For several seconds afterward, she remained entirely silent while mentally reconstructing the moment piece by piece, desperately trying to identify a hidden mechanism or physical wire she must have missed. Except there wasn't one, and that lack of a rational explanation unsettled her analytical mind far more than she wanted to admit.

As Vex continued explaining the Force and the deliberate purpose of the ruins beneath the temple, Meri gradually folded her hands together in her lap to ground herself in the familiar, comforting rhythm of observation and analysis. The revelation that the structure itself had been intentionally engineered as a test lingered in her thoughts, especially when paired with his explanation that memory and intention could remain deeply embedded in places strongly affected by this strange energy.

When he finally finished speaking, a quiet silence settled through the cockpit for several moments before her natural academic curiosity took over, prompting her to speak again.

"That is the part I am struggling to reconcile," she admitted thoughtfully, her gaze drifting toward the book now resting near the console. "I can logically understand how living things might interact through something shared biologically or spiritually, but the book is not alive, and neither were the heavy stone doors beneath the ruins or the ancient mechanisms sealing the inner chamber. Yet they still responded to intention somehow, acting not merely through a mechanical activation, but through a genuine recognition."

She frowned faintly, her fingers tightening slightly together as her fascination pulled her deeper into the puzzle.

"I do not think the temple was alive in the conventional sense, but it certainly did not feel entirely inanimate either; it felt… aware." The word lingered between them softly as she lowered her eyes, driven by a profound need to understand the underlying mechanics of the universe. "I suppose what I am truly asking is whether objects and places can retain enough of this Force to behave almost like extensions of the people who originally shaped them."

Unlike her earlier questions, this one lacked any trace of defensive skepticism, sounding instead like an archivist who cautiously yet eagerly accepted a groundbreaking conclusion she would previously have dismissed outright.

When Vex instructed her to close her eyes, it caused another brief hesitation born of pure uncertainty rather than resistance, but after a few quiet seconds, her desire to learn won out, and she slowly obeyed. Leaning back slightly into the co-pilot's seat, she drew in a slow, careful breath and attempted to follow his instructions precisely, tracking the shift in her own perception. At first, all she noticed were the obvious physical sensations surrounding her, the subtle vibration humming beneath the floor, the steady rhythm of her own breathing, and the distant mechanical pulse of the engines, but the longer she remained still, the more those separate details seemed to blur together into something vast, interconnected, and impossible to isolate cleanly.

The realization that the silence no longer felt empty gradually settled over her, causing a faint crease to form between her brows as she concentrated harder, trying to find language to describe a phenomenon that defied ordinary words.

"It does not look like anything exactly," she admitted softly, her voice dropping to a murmur not out of fear, but because speaking too loudly felt like a disruption to the immense stillness gathering around her. "It feels layered, like standing in a crowded room where everyone is whispering simultaneously, except none of the voices are fully separate from each other."

As she focused more deeply, her academic caution melted away into pure wonder as the sensation expanded rather than clarified. The ship no longer felt like a hollow metal shell carrying two solitary passengers through the vacuum of space; instead, it seemed entirely threaded together by countless small movements and currents she had spent her whole life completely ignoring.

"The ship does not feel empty anymore," she murmured thoughtfully, her breathing slowing further as she leaned into the experience. "I can feel movement through it somehow, the pulse of the engines, the vibrations in the walls, and you."

The final word emerged with a quiet reverence, her brow tightening as the awareness continued to unfold around her, a sensation that was entirely strange and unfamiliar, but no longer frightening.

"And underneath all of that noise, there is something profoundly calmer," she whispered, a trace of genuine surprise and delight breaking through her professional composure. "It is not a simple silence, but more like an incredible depth."

For someone whose analytical thoughts rarely slowed long enough to simply exist in a moment without dissecting it, the sensation felt entirely alien, yet, driven by her boundless curiosity, she did not open her eyes or pull away from the connection.


Vex Drakkon

 

[Vex Drakkon]

As Meri Vale did as she was instructed to do from Master Drakkon, the spacecraft grew silent, and the only thing that could be heard with their ear’s, was the slight buzzing and vibrations from the dulled engines. But that wasn’t the best thing. Meri could finally feel the force surrounding her, fluttering within, like a butterfly escaping its cocoon. Vex cracked a grin, knowing that Meri was finally getting a grasp at what she truly was. Special. But most importantly, Meri had the potential to shift the balance of things, only if she would embrace the force, and learn to use it for what is right.

"That is the force, Meri. It is reaching out to you, trying to let you see, and feel things in a whole new light. Very impressive, kid." He paused for a short second, not forgetting to respond to Meri’s question before she began to recognize just the tip of what the force was. "Some places are powered by the force, memories of the past, present, even future hold some of the greatest knowledge Jedi can obtain. Some are used for training, like the place we just came from. Those who possess the ability to wield the force are able to unlock certain things only we are aware of. It’s a very mysterious component, but it is one that you will learn to adapt to with training. But yes, the force is an extension of yourself, much like those who created the ruins." He finished speaking, shifting his focus to the mini-map on the navigator screen in front of them both.

For a moment it was quiet because Vex was looking for a place on the map that would suit their needs best. Then it hit him all at once. The lightsaber hilt within the small, wooden box that Meri Vale obtained during their time in the ruins. "Ever been to planet Ilum, young one? Ever wondered what was in the box you’re holding?" He asked, while looking over to Meri with a faint smiling beginning to form. If she wanted to continue their journey, Vex wanted to help the young girl understand the force even more, but also the weapon the Jedi use to defend those in need, and themselves when it was necessary. A lightsaber, something Meri would come very familiar with over time and experience.

Meri Vale​

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[Meri Vale]

Meri remained still in the co-pilot's seat while the quiet hum of the ship settled around them, her attention drifting somewhere between the physical world and the strange awareness unfolding gently beneath it. The sensation Vex described as the Force no longer felt entirely abstract now that she had stopped resisting it long enough to notice it properly; it moved through the silence around her in faint currents, difficult to isolate individually yet impossible to fully ignore once acknowledged. For someone who had spent most of her life trusting only things that could be measured and verified directly, the experience should have been deeply unsettling, but it felt strangely familiar instead. Not comfortable exactly, but familiar in the way forgotten memories sometimes resurfaced unexpectedly after years hidden beneath the surface.

When Vex explained that certain ruins responded specifically to those capable of touching the Force, Meri's gaze drifted briefly toward the small wooden box resting carefully in her lap. The memory of the concealed chamber beneath the temple returned immediately afterward, along with the strange certainty that the place had been waiting for someone to find it properly rather than merely stumble upon it. Her fingers rested lightly against the lid of the box while she listened, processing the idea of the Force as an extension of the people who built those places. Though it shouldn't have made sense to her, somehow it did.

When Vex suddenly mentioned Ilum, however, her attention lifted from the box immediately.

"I have never been to Ilum," she admitted quietly after a moment, her brows knitting slightly in thought. "I have never really traveled that far north before."

The name itself sounded familiar in the distant way many historical locations did to her, half-remembered from fragmented Jedi records and damaged archival references, but she could not immediately place why Vex had connected it to the box now sitting in her hands. That realization drew her gaze downward again as the small container suddenly seemed heavier.

"What is there?" she asked softly, though part of her already suspected the answer mattered far more than a simple geographical explanation.

For several long seconds, she simply studied the box itself. Despite carrying it since leaving the ruins, she had not yet opened it once, a hesitation that had initially come from caution but had since evolved into something stranger—almost as though opening it would transform the entire experience from theoretical discovery into something undeniably real. Her fingers curled slightly tighter around the edges of the wood.

"I only just obtained this," she admitted more quietly. "I have not even opened it yet."

The confession sounded faintly ridiculous once spoken aloud, especially considering the amount of time she had already spent mentally dissecting every detail surrounding the chamber where it had been hidden. Still, she had waited, partly out of caution and partly because some instinct deeper than logic kept insisting the moment mattered. Slowly, Meri glanced back toward Vex again, uncertainty and curiosity mixing openly across her expression now in a way she rarely allowed other people to see.

"Should I?" she asked softly.

Vex Drakkon

 

[Vex Drakkon]

After Meri asked about planet Ilum, Vex leaned forward and began to punch in the coordinates for that very planet, then he sat back in the pilot’s seat, and looked over at the young girl with a faint smile. "There is something on Ilum that we need to find. It’s the final component needed to complete what is inside that box. For now, it stays sealed and under your safety, young one. When the time is right, you will learn exactly what it is, and why it was given to you." He responded calmly, while leaning back in the seat to get more comfortable.

Once the questions were out of the way and both Meri and Vex were ready, he looked over at the young girl once more to speak. "Buckle up, kid, we got a long ride ahead of us." He added, while reaching forward to grab the thrusters, and pulled the lever back slowly. The engines roared to life and the spacecraft began to levitate, pushing the sand in all directions, while ascending higher in the sky, then it took off towards the atmosphere of planet Naboo, and was aiming to reach planet Ilum in the matter of just a few days.

As the ship entered space itself, Vex pressed the auto-pilot button to allow the ship to maneuver through space on its own in a safe manner. "During this time waiting, I can teach you how to properly meditate and help you hone your ability to control the force." He mentioned with a thoughtful tone. There was still so much that Meri Vale had to learn about the force, the Jedi, and even the Sith. All of which had their own way with things, such as codes, philosophy, and training. He didn’t want her to fear the dark side of the force but understand it in a way that would help in future endeavors.

(We can end this thread here if you want.)

Meri Vale​

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