Silver Tongue (Rasu Gan, open)

[CHANI]

The events which lead to the discovery of the Silver Jedi culminated in a few wags of Chani's silver tongue, coaxing the information out of Neutral Teachers here and there that heard rumors of lightside force users taking action against evil, if she had anything to fight against it was this, having lived most of her life on Nar Shaddaa, evil became a type of benevolent companion, the type of person who may leave you alone in the streets if you had nothing to offer, or may strike you down right there for no reason.

Here on Voss, a planet so green and blue it made her choke up a bit, standing in a meadow overlooking the ocean. She kicked a rock below her and glanced at it, a curious looking mark lead Chani to bend down to inspect it further, there where markings of some unknown language she did not recognize. Looking closer around, mounds and hills seemed to be massive overgrowth over a stone building, or maybe temple of some sort, this place was old which just made her head hurt more, thinking of the vast expanse of space.

Then the spice craving hit her and Chani plucked the little bag from her garments, tasted a bit and hid it away, her head swam with a sudden rush and she sat down, staring across the water.

 

[Rasu Gan]

Rasu had known where to find her. She knew she had felt out of place, having become so accustomed to the busy, streets of Nar Shaddaa and Coruscant. Voss was far from that, having only the small Jedi population inhabiting the planet with whatever fauna remained on the surface. Chani had moved from a planet of over a trillion beings to one with hardly a hundred.

Making her way across the meadow, the Kiffar slowly grew into view, her silhouette casting a large shadow upon the long grass. The green strands rustled as the Shi'ido, in her Mirialan form, made her way through the plain, leaving a trail of bent grass in her wake. Rasu could just make out the woman bringing her hand up to her mouth, watching as her body shuddered slightly as her hand moved back out of view. The woman's Master let out a sigh, slight disappointment forming in her mind.

Rasu had known about Chani's spice problem for a while now, she had expected as much from a child raised among the streets of Nar Shaddaa. However she had hoped that the urge to use the foul substance had passes, she remained incorrect. Finally reaching the woman, she stood beside her, looking out across the glass-like waters, taking in the view as she spoke to her apprentice.

"I thought you had given up on spice Chani." she said, her voice remaining, coldly emotionless. "Give it here." Bringing her hand up, she left her palm open as she waited for the woman to place the spice on it. She had known that the Kiffar wouldn't be like most of her students, but then again Rasu liked a challenge.

[member="CHANI"]

 

[CHANI]

"That's the catch about an addiction, one can live their entire lives out and not realize that their habits control them and some after careful reflection realize they actually have a choice not to pursue the habit,"

The Master stood tall and green like the planet, a type of beauty she was not used to,

" The spice hadn't quite given up on me," producing the little package she handed over the spice, "Is the force like this Master, light and dark, two equally hard habits to kick, or is the dark merely a harder habit to kick and the light one everyone tolerates because they want of nothing else?"

Chani stood up, a bit taller than [member="Rasu Gan"] , "This is what my life used to be like, dirty, hard, it was easy to bounce back and forth between good and bad habits, it was almost a requirement for survival, I have done grotesque things and shameful deeds, I hope I am not too far to realize this Order with you Master, I sense I'm just far enough here, on the brighter side of the force to gain proper guidance,"

Joining her master on a stroll back to the Temple, "Spice is the least of my bad habits..." Her last words had a hint of ominous foreshadowing.

 

[Rasu Gan]

Feeling the light weight of the pouch, Rasu placed it within her inner robe pocket, feeling the cloak stretch under the weight of the powder and material. Having found her student Rasu turned with Chani, heading back to the Temple, the foundations of the structure appearing above the treetops, set upon the large mountain, Voss-Ka. Rasu continued to listen to her Padawan as she spoke, taking in every word as the pair continued at a rather casual pace.

"Addiction is an overrated word Padawan, with it only being used to hide the weak will of the person. One chooses whether to become attached to something, and it is like this with the Force. One may choose whether to use the power it grants us, or to shy away from it. The dark and light are two separate aspects altogether, with the selfishness and selflessness drawing on light or dark, you choose what to follow, like you choose whether to draw out the bag of spice." she said, allowing the Kiffar to absorb the information she had given her. Rasu was emphasising the point that if Chani truly believed that the way of the Jedi was not hers to follow then she alone had the choice to leave or remain. No one was forcing this upon her, just like the Light side or the Dark side forced itself upon a Force-user, they chose to walk the path, and them alone. Rasu continued to listen as her student spoke again, voicing her doubts towards her Master. In an attempt to reassure her, Rasu answered again.

"Let me make a point here" she said, turning to face the cliff again, "Here is where you will forget your past. All the deeds you have performed are insignificant, you have put that part of yourself behind you by joining the Jedi and that should be enough to dissolve your doubts. You are strong in the Force Chani, and as long as you put in the effort, and are willing to learn, then your doubts will subside and you will find a sense of acceptance, both within yourself and the new you, the Jedi Chani."

Turning again towards the Temple she resumed her pace, not waiting for the woman to catch up. Placing her hands clasped, behind her back she spoke again, "Accept the Force, don't fight it. You must find some form of faith in yourself if you are to excel, don't let anything hold back your potential. Do you understand?" she asked, hoping the woman had grasped what the Shi'ido was implying. Doubts would only hold her back, she would need to let go of her fear of the unknown and accept this if she was to grow as a Jedi.

[member="CHANI"]

 

[CHANI]

She thought for a moment and realized she had faith all her life, it was what brought her this far. Feeling the force flow through her, like the trickle of a reservoir, Chani sped up like she was suddenly caught in a vortex of space-time, one point to another in an instant, this tapping of ability finished off any doubt inside her, at this moment the remaining, flailing questions faded away into the darkness and the brightness of the lightside washed over her face like the Sun, a warm feeling which encouraged and insisted.

She smiled and strode forward with her Master, the beginning of a Jedi. "May the force be with you Master," where did she hear these words from? nowhere? they felt natural and came from a point in time, far off in a flash of insight, "I feel it, I almost want to cry I am so happy right now, here on this planet, expanding my consciousness and developing my connection." She glanced at [member="Rasu Gan"] and laughed for the first time, in earnest.

 

[Rasu Gan]

Rasu smiled as she felt Chani open herself to the Force. Like opening the floodgates to a dam, the Force rushed through her, at such a strength that her Master could even sense her progress. It brought joy to her heart to see her student revel in the power of the Force, she was one with it, and it brought back memories to when she too was young and had only discovered the mystical that was the Force. She had acted much like Chani had now, astonished and lost for words, having been oblivious to something that she could now see was a part of everything around her. The Force was life itself.

"I'm proud of you Chani. You've taken your first step towards a great cause. Tell me what do you see? Use the Force, see through its eyes and not your own." she asked, curious as to how the Kiffar would interpret the scene around them.

[member="CHANI"]

 

[CHANI]

[member="Rasu Gan"] Spoke and she felt so empowered to be taught by a Master, it was like learning how to ride her first speeder after such a long time. Chani was a Kiffar, she could see the history of any living object and unexpectedly as she reached out with the force she felt a presence, the planet itself! And like a blind person stuck out her hand, walked a few feet and touched the ground, it was like the force added boosters to her child-like speeder, her novice experience with the force juggled image after scene bursting through her mind.

" whoa- this is neat..."

She removed her- tried to remove her hands from the living planet but found herself unable, her Psychometry entered warp drive and her consciousness shot throughout space and time, days, months, decades, thousands of years passed before her, overwhelming Chani's senses, sending her into a catatonic, blind stare. During her fit she had fallen on the ground, rolled over a few times and stopped as her consciousness continued without her body, her gaze was like a haunting ghost, unresponsive to outside stimuli.

 

[Rasu Gan]

"CHANI?!?! What's wrong?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly as she saw the woman's face drop its cheerful expression, replaced with a rather frightening blank visage. Taking a step towards her student, Rasu broke into a sprint as she watched, horrified, as Chani collapsed to the ground, her body shaking in violent throbs. Placing her hands under the Kiffar's head, she softened the blow of the Padawan's skull upon the hard ground, while quickly reaching into the woman's consciousness, melding with her own. Latching onto Chani's aura, she wrenched the woman from her link, disconnecting her awareness to the planet core. The dark heart.

The woman's shaking ceased, and her limp form relaxed atop of Rasu's hands. Gently placing her head on the ground, Rasu, breathing heavily from the sudden change of events, she circled the girl, making sure there was nothing wrong with her before picking her up through the Force, making sure to keep her body as rigid as possible. Breaking off into a brisk jog, Rasu, sweat starting to form on her brow, mentally carried her Padawan towards the Temple where she would seek medical aid until Chani was in a more stable condition. She had not expected such an event occurring, not realising how quickly the planets dark heart could corrupt those that brushed past it. Something would have to be done if the Silver Jedi were to remain here, but first the condition of her student would remain her top priority.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

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Sitting in a rather uncomfortable steel chair, Rasu watched as Chani's chest rose and fell, her breathing now stable. Searching the girls mind again, she received the same result as before. Her mind remain closed off. She had been told by the healers that such a thing was common after dealing with such a shock, but Rasu couldn't help but worry. The violent shakes that had erupted across the Kiffar's body was now burnt into her brain, a painful reminder of the dangers of the planet they were trying to recolonise. Rising from the chair, Rasu made her way over to the window, looking out upon what from the exterior looked like such a beautiful world, which she now realised had an evil heart on the interior. One that will stop at nothing to control the entire planet, she thought, looking back down at the limp body of her Padawan, and will attack any that get in its way.

[member="CHANI"]

 

[CHANI]

A feeling of weightlessness washed over her, but the surroundings seemed unfamiliar, unable to quite put a finer on what was missing, Chani floated amongst an entity, brilliant in its light but the aura was encased in a sickly cage, it noticed her!

She screamed out loud before waking and suddenly conscious, taking a desperate breath like she had held her breathe underwater and just now was able to breach the surface. Her eyes slowly moved around the room as she crawled over the cot and onto the floor, touching everything in sight as her eyes adjusted to the light, a figure fell under her exploring hands and Chani touched it, desperate to make contact with someone, she sat on the ground and half hugged [member="Rasu Gan"] before she could see again, letting go, standing, she looked at her Master and sat down next to her, exhausted.

She smiled and in a belayed reaction said, "OH my GOSH!... that was...insane..." laughing hysterically that almost broke into crying, "I saw i saw i saw i saw." Chani stuttered, "I'm hungry," holding her belly, she threw up on the floor, all over herself, "I'm so sorry Master-" she tried and failed to breathe slowly, but as her masters presence continued, acting as an anchor, her feelings leveled out and she felt like she had been involved in some accident and was in shock, but still and calm.

"I don't think my Kiffar sight should be used here Master..." was what she decided after everything, a somewhat underwhelming conclusion.

 

[Rasu Gan]

Rasu turned as she felt a tug on her robe. "Chani, what are you doing out of bed? Are you feeling..." she was about to say, but was stopped by the Kiffar's laughter. Rasu was unsure whether to feel relieved or slightly concerned at the woman's current condition. The dark heart of the planet had done something to her and Rasu was still uncertain if traces of the corruption still remained latched onto her students conscious.

"Chani slow down for a second, I'll grab a nurse." she said, reaching down towards the Kiffar's arm, before flinching as her lower arm and waist down was covered in hot vomit, the smell of the bile causing her stomach to wrench. Freezing in mid-motion, Rasu allowed the shock to wear off before offering a smile to the woman.

"It's fine. Let's just get you back onto the bed okay?" Flinging chunks of the vomit off her robe, Rasu helped her Padawan up, calling on the Force to take majority of the Kiffar's weight. Once the woman was securely back on the bunk, Rasu made her way to a sink, dampening a cloth and bowl, before making her way back to Chani, setting beside her and wiping the remains of her last meal off the Kiffar's face and clothing.

"I think that would be wise for now Chani. at least until we can solve this dark heart problem." Rasu said, squeezing the cloth into the bowl. "Can you remember anything, it might help us narrow down our search?" she asked, wondering if her Padawan could provide her with any clues.

[member="CHANI"]

 

[CHANI]

Sober she answered, "I remember darkness surrounding a warm welcoming aura," the recall made her shudder, like something ancient had cast a shadow over her, Chani's eyes squinted as she pulled fragments from the insane experience, "Crystal, my reflection appeared when I saw it, but not my reflection, my...self perception?" The entire scene took on an amusing happenstance, a few cleaning droids whirling around them, a Jedi Master proving patience, an apprentices eclectic behavior, almost funny if it were not for the very real scene Chani witnessed, the very real affect through the force.

"That's all I am able to remember Master, I'm sorry for making such a mess," But the droids had cleaned most of it save the pieces of clothes that ruined their outfits. "Does any of this make sense to you? Sometimes I see the past, a few times I may have been aware of the future, what i saw felt like the present. Whatever it is, its hiding from everything, hiding and keeping something captive, is all i can make of all this." Chani calmed and half meditated, closing her eyes, becoming aware of the living force that surrounded them.

 

[Rasu Gan]

Rasu sat silent, only moving to wipe the woman's skin with her cloth as she listened intently to Chani's retelling. What the girl had experienced was common, something many young Jedi went through when open to the Force for the first time. However it was how the Kiffar had physically responded to the ordeal the concerned the Jedi Master. Rasu had never seen someone react so violently when opening oneself to the Force, in fact she didn't recall anything like this happening during her time as a Jedi. Something was amiss on the planet, and if something was not done soon, all the young students would be at risk, perhaps fairing worse than her own student.

"Not to worry. What you have experienced is completely normal. However it is how your body responded that has me concerned." she said to the Kiffar, placing the cloth and bowl on the floor as the cleaning droids continued their run of the sleek stone floor. "I have sensed this presence here on Voss, since the Order's arrival. It remains hidden but is always present in the planets aura. Like hiding in plain sight. I fear that if nothing is done soon, more will face what you have experienced, and we may have to abandon Voss."

She stopped, looking down and seeing Chani's eyes closed. Smiling, Rasu rose from the bed, not wanting to disturb or interrupt the Kiffar's light meditation. "I'll give you some time to rest Chani." she said, making her way to the med bay entrance. "I'll meet you in the training hall for some saber practise when you feel up to it." she said before leaving, making her way to her room to change, the smell of fresh vomit still lingering on her clothes.

[member="CHANI"]

 

[CHANI]

A week flowed by after the entire incident and Chani felt brave enough to shake the shadow from her thoughts, mindful of her feelings she sat in the comfort of this beautiful temple, training saber in hand, meditating until her Master [member="Rasu Gan"] arrived. She started to make a habit of being early for everything so she'd have time to still her usual rapid emotions, however since the darkness confronted her the Kiffar felt her second-sight matured, able now to control it better.

Never had she been attacked so in her psychometry state, the experience supported something inside her, one that she was capable of such a thing, two she reacted adversely to the boosted sight, both of which Chani was glad she learned now and not later at some inopportune time.

 

[Rasu Gan]

Now a week later, Rasu's concern for the young Chani, had only grown. Just as she sensed the planet's heart had grown, its darkness spreading further across the surface of Voss. Unbeknownst to Chani, during her period of unconsciousness a week ago, Rasu had taken a small blood sample, much like she had done with Asaak. It was an experiment she had begun to conduct, determining whether one's midichlorian count increases as one enhances their affinity for the Force. Rasu would later on compare this as her students enhanced their abilities through their training, and in due time she would reveal the results. However for now it was the women's training that was her top priority, not her secondary experiments.

Making her way to one of the few training chambers built within the temple, Rasu entered the large room, finding her student sitting upon the stone floor. Slowing her pace, the Shi'ido came to a halt beside the Kiffar, allowing a green hand to gently nudge the woman from her meditation. "Chani? Are you ready for the training?" she said, softly speaking close to her students ear.