Faction Shackle Your Enthusiasm [Silver Jedi Concord]

[Aveline Cuiléin]

The Jedi Enclave of Deneba had seen better days. Most certainly, however, it had seen worse. What had once been a thriving outpost for Jedi young and old to learn and share their knowledge, was now little more than a ghost of the past. If you were being generous, you might refer to it as a monument rising out of their rich past. Just as easily it could be dismissed as a ruin. Today, and in the coming days, the Padawans of the Silver Jedi Order would be permitted to make up their own minds. It was a great opportunity to explore the past, and learn about whatever secrets the Enclave still held.

Padawans from all over the Silver Jedi Concord's territory had been notified and given the opportunity to sign up and participate on this excursion via the Jedi Comport. A transport from Kashyyyk was expected to land any moment. More were likely to follow. Some had already arrived. Jedi Knight Cecikh Haq would guide them on this journey, and be their host for the duration of their stay. He had his own reasons for seeking out Deneba when he did, but he welcomed the chance to bring bright and hopeful Padawans with him in the field. They had been given leave to extend their visit to a full week if they wished to, but it was not mandatory. He knew some would only stay this night, and leave tomorrow evening.

The program on day 1 had them getting stuck in straight away. First, after a brief welcome, the Padawans would join Knight Haq for a lesson in stealth. Afterwards they would be given a tour of the Enclave, shown to their quarters, and after that they would have the rest of the evening off. The day after would have a more extensive introduction to the significance of the Deneba Enclave and its history, as well as a practical exercise to allow them to demonstrate the lessons learned the day before.

Cecikh Haq was a Jedi Shadow, which explained why the classes had a focus on stealth. It was naturally born out of his own expertise. Secretly, he was hoping to scope out the fresh recruits and see if there were any among them who might have an interest in joining the Shadows in the future. He had hoped to stage a little investigation mystery, where they had to work together and uncover clues, leading to a golden egg. He had thought of prizes and everything. In the end, he hadn't quite had the time to set it up. It was a shame, but he hoped they would enjoy their stay nonetheless, and not leave Deneba disappointed. He remembered all too well how stressful this time of their lives could be, and he wanted to mix learning with fun and games.

The Padawans would in their own time arrive at the Enclave's hangars. From there they would walk down to the dry and rocky plains below, with a view of the Enclave structure above them and in the background. Any luggage would be taken care of by droids at their landing zone. Cecikh awaited them below, hands clasped behind his back and a friendly smile hoping to welcome the first guests. He wore the traditional Jedi robes, dark brown over lighter beige tunics and undertunics. Cecikh was a Devaronian, red skin, horns and all. He knew many had reservations about the appearance of his kind, many claiming they had an evil look about them, but Cecikh's relaxed and friendly demeanour had a way of making the ones around him feel at ease. As he waited, he brushed the slight hint of nervousness in him away. Long stay or short, he really hoped they would enjoy what he had planned for them.

Ura Iolar | Takui | Irridia Solensis | Milla Caranthyr | Desbre Gensan | Caomhi Linn-Duvheesa | Jorah zos Darnus​

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

This place used to be state of the art… if these walls could talk...

Caltin was not planning on being on Denebe, but the thought of Padawans going to the old Conclave on a learning expedition was something that he needed to be a part of. This was not necessarily a teaching moment for him as while the big guy was a self-motivated student of Jedi History(he LOVES it), that was well in hand. No, he was not here to teach, the big guy was here to watch over the students and ensure their safety, an “Overwatch” so to speak, or a bodyguard. Teaching was well handled and he would not interfere.

Of course, that meant that he walked the halls and watched from afar. This should be easy, in fact, a boring past time but various flora/fauna/overgrowth/indigenous aggressive life tended to get in the way here and there. He did not want to hurt anything or anyone, but what if the Padawans walked down here? There was also the paths that they would walk through and around the mountains, those needed to be possibly cleared ahead of time, remember this place is almost four millennia old.

The old Council Chamber was an interesting room to stand in, this was clearly not often used from the looks of it but the view was amazing. Caltin stood and watched one of the Jedi transports not only enter the atmosphere but approach and land. That was a cool experience, and while he had seen this many times, it was something to watch how the pilots approached this, he himself always came in like a “hawk-bat out of Mustafar” but that was just him.

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

The young Dathomirian had caught the shuttle from Kashyyyk.

Through the window of the transport, the boy could see a red planet.

He had been warned to expect an arid climate. The view from above seemed to confirm this, even before the transport had dropped beneath the clouds and the youth got his first glimpse of the rocky sands that awaited them.

As he exited the transport, a blast of hot, dry air greeted him. Being from a tepid, humid planet, it had been challenging to conceive of how to prepare himself. The boy wore traditional Mistwalker dress, a poncho-like garment made of barkcloth hung loosely from his shoulders, open at the sides, and leaving his arms bare. It was cinched at the waist by a simple belt, from which hung the traditional medicinal pouch of a Mistwalker shaman, along with a ceremonial Nightsister dagger. Under the loose top, he wore a kilt-like grass skirt woven of Talay plants. Similarly, the sandals that he wore were just soles of cork with leather bindings that wrapped the foot, ankle, and calf.

The move from Talay to Alaris Prime had already challenged the traditional textiles of the Mistwalkers, who had generations before had to adapt their Dathomirian customs to Talay. Already, silk farmers had started re-establishing Dathomiri spider-silk colonies, but those would take time to bear out. In the meantime, the Clan adjusted as one of its favored textiles became rarer.

In either case, it was not elaborate but it would shield his body from the sun while hopefully allowing his body to perspire and cool.

There was a sigh of relief as the Nightbrother's feet touched down on a planet's soil. The talisman he wore beneath the poncho and the dagger at his hip helped to keep him centered during the space flight, but space always felt disconnected from the spirits. As he disembarked, the boy slung an energy bow across his back, fastening it so that the quiver and retaining strap ran diagonal across his body.

The Jedi had their lightsabers, which Jorah had opportunity to familiarize himself with earlier. For a trip such as this, however, the boy preferred something more... not Jedi, to be frank.

As he started down to where the Jai were gathering, a certain aura or premonition seemed to be gnawing at the boy's subconscious.

Pain? Anger? Surprise?

One hand raise, with palm facing out. The other rested atop the rancor tooth pendant concealed beneath his cloak. "Slarkal meni su'ku chu," the Dathomiri uttered, rotating the outstretched hand so that the palm was flat.

He offered them peace.

He was not certain that they wanted it. What had happened here? What was the history of this mountain?

Perhaps the Jedi would share the tale. Or perhaps they would prefer to keep it.

 

[Takui]

He disembarked and immediately disliked the climate. His homeworld was a temperate place covered with lush green flora and vast oceans, full of life and the calculated pollutants of industry. Compared to that, and to both Commenor and Kashyyyk which were veritable bastions of good health, cleanliness, and rampant with life, Deneba was a hellscape.

That was before he even accounted for the dryness. The air itself was harsh, hot, and made his mouth water. He felt like his skin might dry out if he stopped sweating, which thankfully would not be a problem due to his weak constitution. He didn't even have to take more than a few steps into the desert to gush from every pore.

If he had known to expect something so intolerable, he might have tried harder to get out of it. The problem was, all of the others were so adamant that they would have a great time. They were friends. Until he had arrived on Kashyyyk, he'd only ever had one or two friends. None of them were quite as fun and supportive as the other Jedi learners were.

Maybe it was because they were all in it together.

He was thankful the hangar bay was still able to receive ships, because he had never needed to learn how to move on uneven, shifting sands. This was going to drive him absolutely insane. The HoloNet article he pulled up on his datapad explained at length how it created extra resistance and dragged a person down as they tried to move. There were phenomena where a person could even get sucked under and be lost forever.

His eyes got wide when he read that last bit.

"You know, I've been giving it a lot of thought," Taku began to speak from behind the others, "there are jobs for Jedi who act as moral support, right? I think I'd be great at that job. I should start training right now. You know. On the ship."

He neglected to add, 'where the artificial environment will keep me cool.' That bit didn't seem relevant.

Aveline Cuiléin | Caltin Vanagor | Jorah zos Darnus​

 

[Desbre Gensan]

​

Location: Jedi Temple of Deneva landing platform​

Equipment: Simple jedi robes in the colors of snow, inherited lightsaber, Cooling cloak, backpack, cooling gear, change or two of clothes, earbuds, comlink, light filtering lenses/shades​

Tag: Takui | Caltin Vanagor | Jorah zos Darnus | Aveline Cuiléin​

​

Des sat on the transport feeling the small bumps and shifts as they came down through the atmosphere, dropping like an aerodynamic stone. The shields kept them from experiencing the friction of reentry. That would have made the transport's smooth flight into its own smoothie shaker. Her hands itched to be at the controls. Not that they couldn't handle the machine, she just hadn't flown since Jedi Master Lepri had picked her up off Anse Baenshaol 's little rock.

Instead, she sat, one leg crossed over the other, foot bouncing lightly as she rested. Her eyes were closed and her silver-haired head rested against the bulkhead. In each ear was a small device piping music straight into the inner canal of her pointed ears. She hummed along rather pleasantly with the tune, shifting side to side just a little each direction. It was the most weightless and carefree she'd been in quite a long time. The last month had been almost transformative.

From the saber class on Kashyyyk to the conversation on Commenor. It was a measure of her old self showing through as she allowed herself the simple pleasure of enjoying some music she liked. She could use the time to meditate and reflect on what might be to come. But all she could really do is just be in the moment. Trying to plan and guess every moment of the future was futile and just lead to more stress. Better to take everything in stride. She could handle whatever came. She always had, and she was better at it now than she had ever been.

A mild thump and clang rang through the hull as the ship hauling a number of the students settled its great weight on the sand and stone of the desert. Standing easily, almost bouncing to her feet, she began making her way to the main hatch as it unsealed. Hot dry air hit them full-on as they stepped out, and the Arkanian female immediately regretted her life choices.

It was like walking into a blast furnace for her. Well. Sort of. Her homeworld was a frigid ball of frozen tundra and ice caves. Cold was her natural state, so much so that besides the adaptation for the mines, she saw the normal visible light spectrum but down deep into infrared as well. The landscape around her fairly glowed, even in daytime with a lurid red. Reaching up to the top of her head she pulled on a set of filtration lenses, mostly to cut down on the overall harshness. The rest of her outfit consisted of a cloak and cowl pure white that seemed to almost sparkle in the light. Indeed, it did. Close inspection would reveal a bi-weave of reflective threads that gave the very white material a sheen. It was designed to reflect as much light away from her as well.

The rest of the fibers were a mix designed to keep her chilled with evaporative cooling but thick enough to fend off harsh sunlight. As a precaution, she had brought some gear to keep her cool in her backpack that would go around her neck and wrists, but for now, she settled on simple articles of clothing and a touch of the Force to push heat away from her and vent it from her surfaces. When outside, at least for now, it would be an exercise in continual concentration at least on a mild level.

Spying Takui she shook her head. "I don't think that's an elective you can take," she said with a wry smile while taking out one earbud. Making her way down the ramp she inhaled the dry air. Dirt, rock, dust. Dead dreams. All came to her as she felt the change in gravity. The air here was devoid of pollution though, and quite clean. It was nice. If it wasn't so confounded hot it would have been pleasant. She pondered changing into something that would allow her to vent heat better, but for now, she kept to what she had.

Shading her eyes with one hand, she peered at the rock formation and mountain that housed the temple. Her other hand rested on her hip near her saber. "Doesn't look like much," she noted. Though at the same time a feeling washed over her slowly, an insidious little thing that had no rational bearing. There was hidden danger here. This was not a place to relax or let down her guard.

Looking to her fellow classmates, the paddie pack she whistled to get their attention. "Let's not wander off too much. Don't move around too much without a buddy at least when straying from the temple proper."

With that, she turned and began making her way toward the aforementioned temple.

​

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

Aveline also found herself on that transport coming out of Kashyyyk. It didn't feel as empty as it had when she had gone to Commenor. The main reason for that was that this time around she actually recognised some faces. Although she did not know them all equally well, she was at least familiar with most of them at this point. There was Desbre Gensan , she seemed to be taking a lot of the same classes as Aveline. Jorah zos Darnus, who she'd had a little jungle adventure with and who seemed to fill her with fascination and questions in equal measure. And of course Takui . The two of them had gotten caught sneaking around the temple campus by a Jedi Knight, Kaia Vullen . He had been willing to take the hit for her then. Luckily, rather than a lashing they had instead been served tea.

Aveline listened in on conversation Desbre and Takui were having. "I don't know" she chimed in, inserting herself into the chat. "If it's not, maybe check out lessons on Force Empathy? That should help. Or just like, sign up for anything Force Sense related." There were plenty of tools he could add to his own box that would help him become the Jedi he was meant to be. "There's definitely options. Like Master Amaly said she kept away from all things violence. And I've even heard of Jedi who don't even carry a lightsaber. Maybe you can be a master diplomat" She smiled, throwing out ideas and brainstorming out loud. There were many ways to help the Order. Although she wasn't sure exactly what she would end up doing, she knew her Jedi path lay elsewhere.

"What?" she turned to Desbre with a gentle laugh as they were exiting the transport. "It's Jedi temple, not Nal Hutta" Whatever it was that put Desbre off, Aveline had not picked up on it. Maybe she thought it had to do with the foreign and rough climate. The chance to experience another planet was exciting to her, although she was not quite as hyped as she had been for Commenor. As far as she could tell, Deneba could offer only rock and sand. Though she had spotted a forest or something not too far away as they'd been coming down. "But I'm happy to walk with you all the same" She was teasing, but it was all friendly.

Aveline walked down the ramp, and started moving through the halls and heading in the direction leading away from the temple, and down towards that open plain below where their introduction & stealth lesson was scheduled to take place. If she had known Caltin Vanagor was up there in the council chambers, she might've swung by to say hi first. Or actually, no she probably wouldn't. He was much too scary. Regardless of size, the thought of just walking over to a freaking Jedi Master and asking what's up terrified her a little. They were on a level far away and elevated from her.

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

Stealth Class is first on the docket.

With the Padawans landed safely, Caltin decided not to be too far away. The old order of his time was one where it was a bit more formal, but clearly, this was not that way. The big guy could get used to that, and while he did cling to a lot of the old ways and traditions of the Jedi, Caltin was not always one for formality. Walking down the stairs. He could sense the thoughts of Padawam Aveline Cuiléin and her fear of him. While he thought it “cute” and did not take offense in any way, he regretted sometimes how he looked.

This regret was never one that truly bothered him, but it was something that he believed, that there was more to him than his size. Surely it serves him well in combative situations, and he took advantage of but he loved history and was a huge foodie(heh, no kidding, right?). Maybe that was what was pushing him to make more of an effort to be approachable than he used to be. This way though some may call him “Arnold Swollenator”, like Zak Dymo in good fun, they knew he would be happy to converse.

This @PaddiePack was a good one, and the massive Jedi Master wanted to let the Jedi Knight Kaia Vullen do her thing, he just wanted to watch while unnoticed. Of course, he was in a place where they would really have to look hard to find him. The Paddies also would need more than the Force as he masked his aura. The fun part was deciding whether or not to appear out of nowhere, their reactions might be a fun site but could lend more to his scary appearance. This was a large group of students, the big guy was glad to see Jorah zos Darnus there, he was trying to walk his own path, and while that may one day lead him back to Dathomir, it did not at the moment. @Takul was a welcome sight as well, he did not know the individual well but the Jedi was benefited by Padawan’s presence.

Of course, Desbre Gensan was there, she was everywhere it sometimes seemed, the Arkanian would and should be knighted soon and that was a ceremony that he would not miss. In fact, if Master Coren Starchaser was okay with it, he would conduct the ceremony himself.

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

A new planet. A new adventure. Bare feet carried the small teen through the ship as she ran for the boarding ramp. Milla was driven by adventure and the chance at a new discovery, to a point that it was almost insatiable at times. When the chance to explore an abandoned Jedi temple on the planet Deneba, she lept at the chance.

The teen sprinted down the ramp to greet the new adventure that waited her on this new....other desert planet. Warm temperatures and dry air greeted her as she reached the bottom of the boarding ramp. Milla almost cringed at the realization of what kind of planet it was. She had just about her fill of dessert planet for a while, especially after being orphaned on Nar-Kreeta for some time. Regardless, she wasn't going to let a little sun and sand ruin her trip.

Her sharp blue eyes took in every detail of the hangar. For being as old as it was, it was in surprisingly good shape. She the turned to those left in the hangar, many she didn't recognize and only a few she knew just by appearance alone. This revelation was nothing new to her, since she really only knew a few padawans to start with. Pulling her gaze from the group, she began to head through the halls towards where they were supposed to meet for stealth training.

 

[Takui]

First off the ship behind him came the unfortunate tidings from Desbre Gensan , which prompted a soft sigh of defeat from Takui. He almost certainly understood how being on that ship had locked him into the coming lesson, but he found himself spending several hours during the flight trying to think of ways he might get out of it when word came that they were bound for a desert planet. With none of the luxuries of modern civilization and the only people around you being the ones who traveled alongside you, it made for an experience.

Taku had never been great at dealing with people for lengthy periods of time. He didn't have that same boundless charisma of a merchant that his elder brothers inherited. The wit, perhaps, but that was just as likely to have the other Padawans stringing him up by his toes before the day let out.

To her credit, Aveline Cuiléin made a very real effort to connect his lamentations with things he might learn as a Jedi. He did listen, and it registered that she thought he might benefit from classes in empathy. He'd heard about politicians getting such classes, helping them to better show compassion or deal with the common people. The very idea of becoming a diplomat, though, ilicited a small chuckle from him.

"I'm not brave enough for politics," he told her with a smile. "But, those are really good ideas! I'll have to look into it more," he added so that she would know he was genuinely interested, and thankful for her feedback..

He watched her move to walk beside the Arkanian girl and smiled a bit wistfully. They were both naturally good at conversation and easily made friends. It was like Jedi understood the value of bonds and facilitated many opportunities for people to forge them and strengthen them.

I'm happy to walk with you...

That sounded like a subtle reminder. You're not alone. That sentiment was enough for many people, it helped to stave off fear and made even darkness seem a bit less ominous. Taku envied people who shared that kind of bond.

He glanced toward the Nightbrother, Jorah zos Darnus and though he hadn't understood the boy's words he was at least thankfully he wasn't the only guy on this field trip. Of course, he had not seen or noticed Caltin Vanagor , so he was also blissfully unaware that they were being watched.

They were well on their way by now, bound for the area where they would have a class in "stealth."

That sounded like fun.

 

[Desbre Gensan]

​

Location: On the plains below the temple, next to Aveline​

Equipment: Light filtering lenses/shades, Simple Jedi Robes, Inherited Lightsaber​

Tag: Aveline Cuiléin​

​

Des looked over to Taku then Aveline. She could feel his turmoil and his utter lack of 'place.' It was a struggle she knew all too well. After a moment she concentrated a little and reached out with the Force. Telepathy was one of the first abilities she'd learned and it came to her fairly easily now. Bridging the space between them, her mind brushed against his gently. ~If it means anything, you'll figure it out. Remember Commenor. Maybe you could develop a game for the Order to help young learners.~ It might not translate as a voice and words, but a feeling and set of images so well defined they might as well have been language, as though she was speaking into his ear as she walked away, heading down toward the plain where Caltin Vanagor waited.

It was a class on Stealth, which she had already trained at The Silver Rest under the watchful and skilled eye of Master Jairdain . Glancing over at Aveline, she gently bumped the girl, albeit playfully. "For a temple, it looks more like a cave than a building. I guess I just expected more, that's all," she said, casting her gaze back up the hill. "It's not like Commenor or The Rest. Or even where I did my initial training."

Desbre let a mischievous, if not wicked, smile play over her face. She stepped away from Aveline a bit. Then the girl seemed to vanish right next to Aveline as they walked. She vanished from sight, and her presence in the Force disappeared.

The training at the Rest had been good, and she'd pushed the technique far even then. But over the months since, she'd practiced it often, seeing how long she could hold it, and how perfect she could make it. She'd had trouble hiding her heat signature at the time, but she'd since learned the trick was to spread it out. After Tapas training on Klatooine she had gained a much better ability to manipulate local heat, allowing her to not only bend and distort visible light but to distort infrared and mask her thermal signature into the environment. Even the sound of her footsteps was muffled now to the point of virtual silence.

She held it for ten, maybe fifteen seconds, before dropping the technique with a laugh. "Sorry, I had to see the look on your face. I've already had this class, but maybe I can help Master Caltin with it a bit. At the Rest, we trained against Akk dogs. They hunt with the Force. Also learned a couple other things at that class."

Then why did she come? "I figure this class will help me fix any imperfections. Sharpen me further. But I'm really here for the rest of the trip. And there was something that just told me I need to be here. The Force... really." She shrugged, seeming to just accept the instinct as fact.

​

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

"Have any of you ever been to the Shadowlands?" The question popped into her mind and she blurted it out. Aveline never had, but increasingly she had felt the urge to go explore it. Almost as if it was calling to her. Another voice told her she was not ready. But what a challenge and adventure it might be!

Aveline looked puzzled while smiling at Desbre as she was trying to decode what she was plotting. There was some kind of scheme developing underneath that mischievous smile. Never in a million years had she predicted what would come next. Her legs planted themselves firmly into the ground, her eyes went wide. She even audibly gasped, her mouth hanging open after the fact.

"What the feth" her eyes turned and searched, but there was no Desbre. "I didn't even know you could do that" she muttered. Wait, was she still there? Had she teleported somewhere else? "Des?" she probed the air.

When she appeared again with a laugh, Aveline jumped back startled. She laughed, shaking her head as she settled. "That's really cool. I wonder if I'll ever be able to do that." She was visibly impressed still.

"Ohh, is it Master Caltin's class? I didn't know that" she sounded a little surprised, but not displeased. "I never had him figured for the stealthy type, you know? More like a kick the door down, here I am type of guy" she chuckled. There were very few doors that would be able to resist him, she imagined, what with his powerful, muscular frame, broad shoulders, and big, firm hands... Okay, down girl

While Aveline checked herself, Knight Cecikh Haq held his arms up in greeting as they steadily approached the clearing. "Ah, Padawans, welcome!" he stepped towards them, a devilish Devaronian smile on his lips. "Welcome to Deneba. I take it your travel went well?" he didn't really wait around for an answer, and continued with his introduction. "You probably all know each other, but I don't, so can everyone introduce themselves? My name is Cecikh Haq. Jedi Knight, and Jedi Shadow" he paused for a little bit after that last part, searching to see if any sparks flared up at the mention of the Shadows. No? No matter. "I'll give you a little tour and show you to your quarters after. But first things first! Your names, and as a follow up question, are you familiar with how to identify and locate the presence of others through the Force? Do you sense me now, for example?" If he knew that Master Caltin was lurking about, he did not reveal it.

Takui | Milla Caranthyr | Desbre Gensan | Jorah zos Darnus | Caltin Vanagor​

 

[Takui]

He paused for a moment as a sensation trickled down his spine. It wasn't frigid and cold, the way a blizzard might feel; instead, it was cool and gentle like a breeze on a hot day. It was a welcome sensation against the dryness of Deneba at any rate. Taku looked around, confused. There was no sign of wind, and no hint that the air pressure had changed at all. Had it been the heat messing with his mind?

The more time he spent around the Jedi, the more he felt like something supernatural might actually be going on. He had never believed in ghosts before moving to Kashyyyk. Now, he wasn't so sure. Something pricking at the back of his mind felt familiar, slowly seeping out like water through cracks.

It wasn't quite a voice, but it felt oddly like the Arkanian woman had turned around and smiled at him. His eyes were fixated on her as he formed a thought. Commenor.

He started to remember that day, where they had spoken at length about what a Jedi was, and what they had the potential to be. Various ways he might help, and...

Wait, why was he remembering that now of all times? Certainly it was more welcome than the nagging feeling that he didn't belong, but he was almost certain that day had been a minor footnote in his experience.

Or maybe, it had been much more important than that. Taku was at war with this seemingly insignificant thought simply because it seemed out of place. Wait, no way, that's-

Desbre had already focused her attention elsewhere, so he didn't bother to follow his hunch through to conclusion. If that pretty lady could see his thoughts, he'd be up the creek without a paddle anyway. What young man didn't see a cute girl and let his mind wander?

The kind with self-control, probably.

"Shadowlands?" he broke the spell on his thoughts as the name of a place he had been strictly told never to go without permission entered the conversation. "No, not me," he shook his head. Maybe the day would come he'd see that part of Kashyyyk. He'd learned his lesson about going out of bounds to places the Jedi told him not to go. If there was actual danger involved, he would not do so again.

The girls were talking and for a moment, the light must have shined in his eyes because he thought the Arkanian disappeared from view entirely. When Aveline called out in bewilderment though, he suddenly realized he hadn't been the only one to notice. He felt his heart stop for a moment.

People don't just... disappear randomly. Right? That's not a thing that happens.

He took a gulp of fresh, dry, hot air and shook his head. Nope. Not gonna piss myself. Not gonna-

That was about the time Knight Haq made himself known. Taku snapped to attention at the sound of his voice and turned to face where the Jedi stood. He listened along and tilted his head slightly, curious.

Wait, did we discuss Shadows? What was a Jedi Shadow again...?

"Takui," he gave his name when prompted. "Or just Taku, whatever you prefer." He didn't quite understand the second question, though. Identify and locate people... with the Force?

Everyone kept talking about it as though it was something people could actually do. Moreso, they made it sound so simple, like he was an idiot for not knowing. Taku blinked.

From what he knew, there were five senses. Sight- he could absolutely see this man, hearing- he definitely heard him. Smell- well, he suspected the man showered well enough, because he couldn't smell him, and taste was just not going to happen. He doubted that Knight Haq would be thrilled if he randomly tried to touch him, either.

But for all of that simple knowledge, somehow Taku found himself doubtful that any of those things were what the Devaronian meant. He frowned slightly.

"Ah, well- no," he said. "To be honest, I can't."

Aveline Cuiléin | Desbre Gensan | Jorah zos Darnus | Caltin Vanagor | Milla Caranthyr ​

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

REDEMPTION IS NEVER OUT OF REACH...​

Location: Jedi Enclave at Deneba​

Equipment: Conservator(Lightsaber)​

Companion: Astromech R01R - "Roller"​

Tag: Aveline Cuiléin , Takui , Milla Caranthyr , Jorah zos Darnus, Desbre Gensan​

​

Oh, he was about.

He was closer to the Padawans thought he was, but Caltin would not reveal himself, not yet anyway. Truth be told Caltin was interested in seeing how the class would go and how attentive the class would be to it. The big guy made a point of telling his students before each class that what he would teach them might one day save their life, that always seemed to keep their attention. It was true in his time, as well as necessary, was it now? He did not know yet, the big guy was still learning the galaxy.

As the Paddie Pack gathered, Caltin noticed that @Takul was reticent to learn more, he was almost frightened. This bothered the massive Jedi Master as he pictured one such as Takul to be more and more interested in learning. Aveline Cuiléin seemed to be doing her best to comfort him while Desbre Gensan was doing her thing as well. @Jorah Zos Darnos seemed to be almost entranced with his surroundings. Milla Caranthyr 's enthusiasm almost made him laugh out loud, it was great to see, and while he could appreciate it, he felt she should be a little more tempered out here, they might be giving away their position.

Deciding against his better judgment, Caltin emanated an aura of calm across the plain to give the young Jedi a more relaxed feel and allow them to follow along more pleasantly.

​

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[Desbre Gensan]

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Location: Plains below the temple, Deneba​

Equipment: Light filtering lenses/shades, Simple Jedi Robes, Inherited Lightsaber ​

Tag: Aveline Cuiléin | Caltin Vanagor | Milla Caranthyr​

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As Des opened herself back up to the Force, she beamed a bright, dazzling smile. It was an expression that hadn't been seen in almost four years, save maybe by Anse Baenshaol . It lit her face in all kinds of ways. But then it waned slowly. She picked up a measure of fright from Takui and turned toward him. Then the Devaronian Cecikh Haq interrupted. She turned, giving him a small bow in greeting.

A Shadow? That was something she'd not heard of. However, it sounded interesting.

"Desbre Gensan," she supplied her name in a more subdued, calm fashion. She could feel a wave of cooling, gentling energy roll over her from outside. She would have thought it came from herself years ago. But much experience with Empathy, Telepathy, and struggling with her own emotional problems and pains had taught her the line of demarcation between self and outside. Someone was trying to influence her. All of them. Not in an overt way. The intent was to be helpful, and it served as a gentle reminder.

She needed to stop showing off. That much was true, and... she was. She was absolutely showing off.

She bowed her head. Message received. By this time her expression had dropped, and what light there had been seemed to wink out almost completely. But she didn't close herself off. Instead, she sampled that energy. It definitely felt male, masculine. But it wasn't from Cecikh Haq. It put her in mind of Master Vanagor. She cast her gaze about for him, but... he was nowhere to be seen immediately. He was probably practically breathing down her neck.

Turning her attention back to Master Haq, she nodded. "One of the first things my original Master taught me. Force Sense and Sight," she reported. Her mind went back to her first teacher. They'd been almost the same age, but his time in the Order had been years. Those early days he had taught her so much in such a little time. But it was all in an organic, interconnected way. It was only later she realized that they were classified as separate abilities. She didn't' see it that way. They were all aspects of the Force and experience. They blended together in one cohesive whole. Something she could wield with as much artistry as she could science. But more than that, it never seemed to fail her. Not truly, and she always learned something from the Force and it's usage.

She suspected that Master Vanagor was playing his own object lesson in this exercise. She'd already had this kind of training, but this would serve to improve her skills, she hoped. In that regard, with the way Caltin disappeared, and Master Haq's opening question, she suspected they would gear the lesson toward Sense or Sight. In the interest of locating things, but also trying to pierce through Stealth., but also while learning to conceal one's self with and in the Force.

Des suspected that a Master like Caltin had spent much time in the field, and had to live and die by their ability. His manipulation of light around him would likely be seamless. And she knew from experience he would be harder to hear if done right. And she was sure he would execute it to perfection. She doubted he had the thought to hide his heat signature. She could natively see that, but in this desert, with the oppressive heat swirling around her, he would've been invisible or nigh invisible without any sort of tech or force technique. Outside, in the heat of the day, she was blind when it came to seeing heat. That was a bust.

But... There were two things he could not easily hide. Every movement disturbed the air. Even breathing. And though she might have been able to enhance her hearing to listen to everyone's heartbeat, the stealth techniques she'd learned could mask that. So no good. But one could still feel the movement of air and microcurrents. Harder outside, of course, but doable. But he would have to move. And he could probably hold his breath for minutes. It wasn't a good manner of detection.

The second thing was vibration and tremors. Seismographs could pick up a person's footsteps from a kilometer away. Every impact with the ground caused vibration. Every movement, a subtle giveaway. And while she couldn't necessarily feel such things unless she went barefoot, at least by direct means. She could study the changes in patterns of life in the soil, the way the rocks and ground vibrated. Displacement patterns. That could be detected. But only ... if he moved.

This was going to be very frustrating, she presumed, once they actually started trying to find the Jedi Master.

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[Jorah zos Darnus]

Like Takui , the red-skinned youth was also relieved to not be the only male on this trip.

While he understood that the Jai did not share the Dathomirian custom of female superiority, it was... difficult to separate himself from the cultural norms that were ingrained in him as a Nightbrother.

"Have any of you ever been to the Shadowlands?"

Immediately, as Aveline Cuiléin spoke, the boy blurted out, "Oh, I love the Shadowlands!"

It was a bit more of an outburst and animated than the typically reserved Dathomiri carried himself. Men were meant to be seen and not heard. Embarrassed by his own display, the youth immediately shut up again. It was true, however. Something about the Shadowlands reminded him of home, even though Kashyyyk was nothing like Talay. For some reason, the Shadowlands were more or less how he envisioned his ancestral homeworld of Dathomir. It was very comfortable for him there.

Their instructor was a Devaronian. While some of the humans might have been intimidated by the appearance, Jorah was put at ease. Being red-skinned and crowned with a series of horns, Jorah understood that his appearance was seen as something malevolent. It was somewhat relaxing to interact with another possessed of such familiar features.

One of the females seemed to possess some familiar traits as well, though Jorah was not acquainted with her ( Milla Caranthyr ).

"But first things first! Your names, and as a follow up question, are you familiar with how to identify and locate the presence of others through the Force? Do you sense me now, for example?"

The young Dathomiri clasped his hands, palms flat and fingers steepled, as he bowed toward the Devaronian. As the boy straightened back upright, he opened his hands as though they were two sides of a book. "Tashi dalek," the youth intoned in his native tongue.

"I am Jorah, son of Darnus, one of the Witches of Dathomir. My people do not believe in the Force as you do, but I am aware of your spirit and the spirits that move in this place."

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

Aveline introduced herself, and told their tutor while she was familiar with the concept and had done so on a few occasions, the process was by no means swift or effortless. At best she operated on the cues offered up to her by her natural instincts.

Cecikh nodded, listening to them all. Quite the varied group he had before him. Desbre on one end seemed very experienced, while Takui on the other felt completely fresh. The Jedi Knight thought it would be best then if he began with a general overview and set them to their tasks. After they got started he would have to walk around and give more personalized instruction and feedback as was necessary.

"Alright! Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now, let's start together with the basics before I pair you off." Cecikh held his arms out forwards and shut his eyes. "I want you to close your eyes. Reach out with the Force. Take however long you need" he added for Takui's sake, not wanting the boy to feel pressured. "Can you feel me? Feel my presence?" He made a point to light himself up, like a small signal becon within the Force. "Good... How about... Now?" And in that next moment any trace of his presence completely vanished. The Devaronian smirked.

"Sometimes you need to hide in plain sight, and don't want prying Force-Sensitive eyes to know that there's a Jedi about. Sometimes you need to track someone who doesn't want to be found. Knowing how to hide your own presence is the first step to understanding how to break down the veil of someone else." Cecikh, perhaps completely coincidentally, looked in the general direction of Caltin in that moment.

"There are those who know how to vanish from sight completely, but that's more advanced. Learn to master this first, you need all building blocks to be solid before attempting something like that." his attention shifted towards the fair-haired Arkanian. "However I think you are ready for this, Desbre. I will help-" He froze.

The hilt of his lightsaber found Cecikh's hand, suddenly pulled out from his belt underneath his robes. The blue blade flared into action. A burst of red blaster bolts shot out from across the field. He parried the first two, the third missed his body entirely. The fourth exited on the opposite side of his skull. The Devaronian's arms grew limp before he fell to the ground. Cecikh Haq was dead. Aveline screamed.

From under the canopy of the tries, off to the edge of the field opposite side of the temple, they attacked. A group charged on ahead, armed with various melee weapons, predominantly vibroswords. There were perhaps twenty or twenty-five of them. Some were wearing basic armour, some ran forwards with torsos bare. There was no uniform, aside from the fact that all of these soldiers had a shock collar around their necks. Behind the charge, taking cover behind trees and dry bushes roughly ten blaster rifles were firing upon the group of Padawans. One of the shots accidentally grabbed one of the soldiers charging, and he tumbled to the ground.

Takui | Milla Caranthyr | Desbre Gensan | Jorah zos Darnus | Caltin Vanagor​

 

[Desbre Gensan]

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Location: On the plains below the Temple​

Equipment: Simple Jedi Robes, inherited lightsaber, light-filtering lenses​

Tag: Takui | Caltin Vanagor | Aveline Cuiléin | Jorah zos Darnus | Milla Caranthyr​

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Desbre smiled just a little as he mentioned the advanced ability to disappear. This was something she'd also learned from Master Jairdain and had practiced. As she'd already demonstrated. As he settled about the beginnings of the lesson, Des opened up her senses. This came naturally and easily after years of practice, and as she did, this once, her head drifted backward and her arms began to raise by her side. She embraced the Force, letting it fill her up like ten kilos of life in a five-kilo box. Her awareness, her sense in the Force spread out, taking in the surrounding area. Starting at her feet she cataloged the insects, each of her classmates, their instructor. Oh, he was quite easy to find. On and on she went, expanding and stretching out. Her record was a couple of kilometers at least in radius. Large enough to cover a battlefield or a portion of a space battle. But at that resolution it was fuzzy. She worked still to expand and also to gain greater Sense. But for now, she did not reach quite so far. No. Maybe a few hundred meters. This wasn't about pushing limits. This was about just getting the details.

She felt Master Cecikh freeze, his change in the Force. His emotional state. Danger rose with it both from him and echoed through the Force. She was still searching it out when his saber leaped into his fist and the first shots rang out. By then her own had joined to her hand. Cecikh went down the contents of his head, vapor. The smell of charred meat and brains filled the air. He was falling. There was no time. Most of her classmates were not well defended. She could respond but doubted she could hold out against concentrated fire.

Stretching out one hand, she called for Cecikh's saber, sending it flying toward her, where she caught the unlit weapon. Holding each weapon with a thumb, middle and ring finger, she called on as much power as she could muster, putting it into a telekinetic shove, striking the ground. Immediately a wall of sand and dust crashed into the air in a hemisphere a couple dozen meters across, creating... effectively an instant smokescreen.

"Fall back to the temple," she shouted. "GO!" Igniting both sabers she caught a stray bolt, then another, trying to shield her companions. The brilliant bars of energy though made her a target, glimmering faintly through the disturbance she created.

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[Takui]

The world around him was hazy, most likely due to the lack of humidity paired with the desert heat that he still hadn't acclimated to. He was dimly aware of himself and the others, but his mind was scattered and erratic. He listened as carefully he could and tried to follow along, and he somewhat comprehended what was being said.

Knight Haq wanted him to close his eyes. He did. Around him, the buzz of the other Padawans talking became his only immediate surroundings. Coupled with the senior Jedi, the people became abstract concepts, shapes, sounds, but nothing more. It was his imagination filling in the blanks for his lack of sight.

So, what the Jedi wanted him to do was to imagine him there? Was he supposed to feel something..? He strained, trying to understand, trying to reach out for something he could not see, touch, hear, taste, or smell.

For a moment, something shifted. His eyes shot open as it screamed in his ears. The Jedi was there, and then he wasn't-

-and then, nothing at all.

Where the Devaronian stood, he had gone from a brilliant light to a corpse. Blaster fire resounded all around them. Taku shuddered as his mind reeled from everything that had just washed over him. He had gut feelings all the time, but the creeping chill, the sudden snuffing out of a bright light, the crawling of his skin as the world around him went from whispering in his ears to literally screaming DANGER.

Taku had never been so vulnerable as he had made himself in that moment, and so, his eyes were dilated and open wide. Shell-shocked, he fumbled backward, streaks of plasma staining the sand black all around. I'm being shot at, he realized.

Am I going to die?

He could see everything now, all of it moving in vivid, slow motion. His horror-stricken expression moved from one Padawan to the next, aware of Aveline screaming. He saw Desbre snap into motion, and in the midst of a storm, she managed to create cover.

His gaze moved to Jorah, then toward the ones firing. Chaos had swallowed the world whole, and they were caught in the turbulence. There was only one thing to do when the words registered. "Back to the Temple! GO!"

Running was something he knew how to do. Running was the only instinct he had in this situation. His body moved on instinct, placing a hand on Aveline's shoulder before he began to sprint as quickly as he could through the shifting sands.

He gave her the small nudge to shake her out of the same disbelief that had gripped him.

Watching someone... no, not watching. He had felt the man die. That shook him to his core. How could someone feel something like that? How did someone begin to process it?

The only thing he knew or understood now was that if he didn't move, he was going to join the man in death. That was more than enough motivation. "Run!" was the only word that left his lips.

Aveline Cuiléin | Desbre Gensan | Jorah zos Darnus | Caltin Vanagor | Milla Caranthyr ​

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

REDEMPTION IS NEVER OUT OF REACH...​

Location: Deneba​

Equipment: Conservator(Lightsaber)​

Companion: Astromech R01R - "Roller"​

Tag: Aveline Cuiléin , Takui , Jorah zos Darnus​

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Caltin had wondered how Cecikh Haq would approach this class. Watching the first few minutes in a small crevasse behind the Jedi Knight, the big guy could see where he was taking the class. It was not his approach, but it was going to work and the Padawans seemed to be engaged. He could remain quiet and hidden so he could maybe sneak off and joke that he was never there.

Why would I do that?

… not important. Anyway, he was in the middle of watching when he noticed the Jedi Knight pulling his lightsaber and blaster bolts flying in. The Devaronian was showing his proficiency in Soresu, something he could probably demonstrate further when teaching it to these Padawans one day. Then he fell… Caltin could no longer feel the Knights aura as he lay there. This was real, the danger was not only present but closing in.

Their mistake.

Pulling and engaging “Conservator”, the massive Jedi Master leaped with the assistance of the Force at the first wave of attackers, giving the Padawans a chance to center themselves. He was a mass of speed, strength, and the protective nature of a parent defending their young. Desbre was taking charge and pulling the “Paddie Pack” as they like to call themselves back to the Temple. This gave Caltin the chance to hold the position and keep them from being followed. He could handle himself and was sure that some of them could as well, but he did not see all of them carrying a lightsaber, why take a chance?

Soon, he would be the only figure any one of them would see walking towards the Temple.

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[Jorah zos Darnus]

It was a fascinating opportunity to see the Jai teaching their Force.

"I want you to close your eyes. Reach out with the Force. Take however long you need."

Did the Jai believe that the Force was something in them. A magic inside? The concept was so familiar, recognizing the spirit that dwelled in every living thing. Yet, the Jedi seemed to arrive at the same conclusion as the Witches of Dathomir through an entirely different perspective.

Strange, too, that these Jedi seemed able to attune to the spirits of one another -- all had said that they could feel the spirit of this master -- and, yet, Jorah's experiences with Aveline Cuiléin and Jerek Zenduu left him with the belief that they were not able to discern other spirits. The spirits of the land. The spirits of the dead.

How was it that the Jedi saw with only one eye open?

Or did the Dathomirians see with eyes wide shut?

Perplexing questions about a mystery far older than any he knew, and one that was far above his station as a Nightbrother. Instead, Jorah tried to push the questions from his mind and, instead, focus back on observing the interaction. It was a rare honor for one of the Witches of Dathomir to able to observe these traditions of the Jai. Jorah owed it to his Clan to be able to report back on what he had learned of these strange magics. And it was an opportunity as well to learn more of this boy named Takui

"Can you feel me? Feel my presence?"

The world was dry and hot. So, the boy hadn't expected it when a chill wind seemed to send gooseflesh creeping up his body.

That was when he'd first become aware of it. A hissing sound. A kind of hollow gittering. Distracted, the boy's amber eyes flickered away from where Takui was interacting with the master. The Dathomirian's gaze briefly rested on Milla Caranthyr before something made him turn his head a different direction.

There was a bush in the shadow of a crag.

It was a desperate, scraggly looking thing. But, as the boy's eyes narrowed, his mouth fell open as it dawned on him that it wasn't a bush at all. It was a predator. And the malevolent spirit within whispered to say, the Fanged God comes.

Death.

The red-skinned boy snapped his head up, but the word of warning on his lips was drowned out by the sound of blaster fire. Rolling his shoulder, the Dathomirian hunter dropped low, even as he unslung the energy bow. An outstretched hand reached toward Master Haq, but he felt the man's spirit leave his body.

The Devaronian hit the sand at the same time that the familiar weight of the energy bow smacked into his waiting palm. Bringing the weapon around from his back, the boy notched back a plasma arrow right as Desbre Gensan supplied them with some cover.

"Fall back to the temple. GO!"

Dropped into a three-point crouch, the boy leveled the bow parallel to the ground as he loosed a shot back at the attackers. Then, notching back a second arrow, shuffled over near enough to the Arkanian woman for her to have heard him say, "After you, Sister."

Master Caltin Vanagor had just appeared. And the Arkanian seemed ready to fight herself.

A Nightbrother did not retreat when his brethren still fought. The boy loosed a second arrow, preparing a third as he waited to see if the Arkantian was joining the retreat or the fight.

Jorah would follow whichever lead she provided him.