Still isolated…frozen…crumbling…

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus sat on the shuttle that drew ever closer to [member="Asmundr Varobalder"]’s Praxeum. She’d flown on it a number of times before and so was less in awe than first time around but still – it was a truly impressive sight.

Had she been more inclined to consider beauty and form, she would have marvelled at the grace and power of the craft – as it sat serenely in space. The fact it was a symbol of the Jedi way was not lost on her but its soft hull that curved and sloped to form great wings were – to her – a means to fly through space. The great balls of glasteel were simply a useful way to glimpse into the void of space.

But its size did impress her. As did its gardens and training rooms. The specifications said there was even an aquatic tank on board. Yes, she’d downloaded the specs onto her datapad just in case she needed them. And she had a plan how she'd spend her time in hyperspace too.

Taking her eyes from the viewing port she focused on that datapad, and thoughts of the ship quickly dissipated. She checked off the equipment she'd requested when they boarded the shuttle. She also glanced the skills that she hoped between them they had in order to complete the mission. If not, she had a back-up plan.

Finally she checked off the names of those that said they’d join in on the mission, the first having volunteered to pilot the shuttle at either end of their journey through hyperspace:

[member="Jack Rand"]

[member="Jannik Morlandt"]

[member="Kian Karr"]

[member="Marakai Al'Orren"]

[member="Marcus"]

[member="Meeristali Peradun"] (déjà vu – surely)

[member="Uri Aureleos"]

Had she missed anyone? She glanced up to check…

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

At first, Gherron wasn't too sure about going on yet another trip to an ice cold planet for crystals. But he heard there'd be an awesome ship, and crystals found only on a few planets, that had a deep connection to the light side of the force. Of course, he changed his mind automatically. Walking back in forth in the shuttle, he kept his eyes glued to the beauty almost the entire time. He wanted to see it up close. Making his way up to the master, he smiled and bowed for a second. "Hey, i'm Gherron. I take it you're the master who called this group session?"

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Avo]

[member="Corvus Raaf"], [member="Gherron Vael"]

She had indeed missed a name. Rather than painting a giant target on himself by crying out and pointing out the minor error, the Green Warden merely shifted his weight and caught her eye with a ripple of his forest-hued cloak. Blue eyes met violet ones for just a fraction of a second. Lan pursed his lips and nodded towards the woman, laying a gentle hand upon the frame of Arfour. The little astromech droid spun his head around towards the front, stirring as if being awakened.

"Weepwew," it chortled.

"Yeah, looks like we're babysitting this time." Lan sighed and plopped down into a chair with a grunt. "Gonna be way different from the jungles, Arfour. I hope you brought tools to get ice out of your circuits."

If droids could've frowned, the astromech would have bore a placid one.

"Don't look at me like that. You know I'm not good with mechanics - you're even the one that keeps the Verde in flight."

Arfour rolled over to his side. "Beep."

"Yes, yes, I'll help you if you need it."

That answer seemed to satisfy the little droid, so he gave another cheerful beep and readied himself for the mission by ejecting all of his tools one by one, checking them for any faults or damages.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Well hardly an auspicious start. Two people unaccounted for. She nodded to both [member="Gherron Vael"] and [member="Lan Graendal"] by way of acknowledging their presence and hastily amended the datapad.

"There will be a little climbing, but I'm sure the little one can manage absolutely fine." She smiled at Arfour as he cleaned his tools. "Have either of you been on any of the Praxeum before?"

She knew both Jedi by sight but the Green Warden she couldn't recall actually meeting before.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

"This would be my first time, actually. It's very impressive." Gherron had seen many ships in his lifetime, but none as impressive as the one he saw outside the window. He imagined himself walking through it over the entire course to their destination, soaking in everything he could. He was somewhat of an engineer himself, though he'd never had the opportunity to work on many vehicles before, and had a certain admiration for anything in regards to any kind of craftsmanship.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Lan Graendal"]

 

[Seamus Valik]

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Gherron Vael"] [member="Lan Graendal"]

"I'm here." He said standing in his gear, "I think I may have forgotten to sign up when we boarded. Apologies, Master."

She was as lovely as ever. Her simple direct manner, those deep beautiful eyes that sat at the fore of her keen mind. He tried not to think of how wonderfully perfect she seemed and usually after a few minutes the thoughts of her beauty and brilliance lessened but in the moment she was all he saw.

 

[Sanya Val Lerium]

boarding the ship Sanya bowed to master Corvus "I apologize I didn't sign up for this my data pad kinda fell from a tree I was sat on the other week. I only found out about this trip an hour ago." Sanya had never been to collect crystals before although she already had one. maybe harvesting one for herself might make it more special, even bring some back to make into jewelry for herself and a few others that made her feel welcome at the order. something to show that she appreciates everything they have done for her. the thought of that was enough to make her smile.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian knelt on the soft mat of a meditation room looking out over the vastness of space. He had arrived on the Praxeum ship the day before and had settled in to await the arrival of those enroute to the icy world of Rhen Var. Kian had been away from Ossus when the shuttle had left and had decided it was best to meet the others at the Praxeum. He had enjoyed his day onboard before the others had arrived. Kian hadn't spent a great deal of time on the Praxeum ships and they truly were works of art.

Kian watched as the spec that was the shuttle approached the larger vessel. Rising from the room he had been allowed to stay in, Kian made his way toward the hangar where the shuttle would be docking. Kian had heard of the trip to Rhen Var through [member="Corvus Raaf"] and had leapt at the opportunity to join in. Not only would it provide him a chance to meet several of the newer members of the Order, it would also potentially allow him to acquire a rare Solari crystal.

Kian made it to the hangar fairly quickly, and was ahead of the shuttle full of Jedi. Finding a spot out of the way, he clasped his hands behind his back and waited patiently.

[member="Jack Rand"] | [member="Jannik Morlandt"] | [member="Marakai Al'Orren"] | [member="Marcus"] | [member="Meeristali Peradun"] | [member="Uri Aureleos"] | [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] | [member="Seamus Valik"] | [member="Gherron Vael"] | [member="Lan Graendal"]​

 

[Uri Aureleos]

Uri stayed long enough for his master to check role then he slipped away to his thoughts. He wasn't sure about getting the solari crystal. He planned to still go and retrieved it, but he wasn't a warrior just a boy. A pacifist. A lightsaber seemed like a waste in his hands and yet in his dreams he wielded a beautiful saber with an orange blade. In his dreams, he never struck anyone down but then again he hadn't seen many premonitions where the blade was prominent. He wasn't sure exactly who he was suppose to be or who he was suppose to become. One thing he learned however is that the future simply happens, and it can't be changed. The dreams were still so foreign to him. Over thinking it now didn't save him should he find his way away from the light later.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Marakai Al'Orren]

Bright and reflective, the feline's golden gaze peered out from the softly shadowed corner, taking in the sight and scent of each of her fellow passengers. As well-prepared as the group was, ensuring she was familiar with each member of the party was simply another safeguard to have in place. Her cousin, [member="Meeristali Peradun"], another member of the expedition, was nearby, as was her own Padawan, [member=Marcus].

A Padawan. Her. Somehow, Mara swore she could hear Diana snickering.

By the stars, she missed her mentor something fierce.

Perhaps on the way back to Ossus afterwards, they could take a detour to Cato Neimodia. She'd not been to the Temple since Diana's death, and she very much wanted to see [member="Avalore Eden"]. She could count her close friends on one hand, and it had been a mistake on her part to not seek Avalore out before she went into seclusion on Ansion. One, hopefully, that she could remedy soon enough.

With a rather fierce-looking yawn, she rose and jumped down from her vantage point atop the supply crates. Standing a bit over a meter tall at the shoulders and measuring just over two meters in length, her predatory frame did not bear the spikes of a full-blooded Felacatian, as Stali's did, but she did bear the saber-like fangs. Her sleek auburn fur gleamed in the light as she indulged in a stretch reminiscent of a housecat, and not a predator, complete with purring.

Between one moment and the next, however, Mara shifted back into her human form. She'd overhead that they were approaching the Praxeum ship, and wanted the opportunity to see it for herself as they neared it. She'd not been afforded the opportunity to journey on it before now, and was looking forward to this part of the journey as much as she was the destination.

Fingers coursed through her hair absently, before smoothing out the armorweave body suit she wore. Never one for traditional robes, she preferred a more military style of garb. It was a simple, light sort of armor that would do until she could have something more intricate fashioned on a trip to Mandalore. It was on her last journey there that she'd fashioned the twin hilts that were secured in sheaths attached to each thigh. All they lacked was a pair of amber Solari crystals to complete them.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Jack Rand"] | [member="Jannik Morlandt"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Marcus"] | [member="Meeristali Peradun"]​

[member="Uri Aureleos"] | [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] | [member="Seamus Valik"] | [member="Gherron Vael"] | [member="Lan Graendal"]​

 

[Meeristali Peradun]

He'd not assumed his feline form since his last circumstantial jaunt in the midst of battle on Manaan, where he'd been soundly beaten and nearly left behind - a fact he had no memory of - on account of being mistaken for sithspawn by many on the evacuation vessel he'd planned to board. That was the unfortunate truth of what he was, that so few had ever been granted a sight of the polymorphic feline in his most natural form. It was a fact that most in this galaxy may never have encountered a Felacatian beyond the human face, 'unnatural' eyes, and long, semi-prehensile tail. His was still bandaged at the lower third, fur taking its time to grow back. Vibrant, citrine eyes watched his cousin from where he sat with one leg crossed over another on a single crate.

She was graceful, a far more attractive beast than the utter fright that he presented when in that form, her hybrid heritage freeing her of the large spinal spikes that a full-blooded Felacatian had. Having her around again was a blessing. It was like his Jedi family was incomplete without her, his inner circle diminished with the lack of her presence. Surely, they would have much to learn from one another, and he looked forward to what shape such discussions might take. Her company was a glad thing to have on this his second journey to Rhen Var, not a first for him nor the brunette lexicon that fronted this trip. He might still have gone even if he hadn't lost his lightsaber at Manaan.

This was not his first time aboard a Praxeum ship, though he had not spent nearly so much time on it in the past so as to claim any deep familiarity with its every nook and cranny. Not like the jungles of Ossus that he - they - called home.

"First time?" he asked of his younger cousin, wandering up beside her to peek out the viewport, "There's always a first time."

The slight, telltale grin matched the particular tone his voice had taken, and scrunched the acid-made pockmarks along his right cheekbone and forehead. Of course... the words were hardly needed between them. A look and the fix of his expression would have relayed as much on their own, to her.

​

[member="Gherron Vael"] | [member="Lan Graendal"] | [member="Seamus Valik"] | [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Uri Aureleos"] | [member="Marakai Al'Orren"] | [member="Marcus"] | [member="Jack Rand"] | [member="Jannik Morlandt"] | [member="Corvus Raaf"] (Oh, you and me both!)​

 

[Jannik Morlandt]

How he had made it to becoming a Knight, having gone through years of training and come to this point with not a single lightsaber to his name despite having two forms etched into his psyche was actually not much of a mystery at all. The fact was that his life as a Jedi had been full of other more important things up until this point. There hadn't been much need for a lightsaber, somehow... but the 'civilized weapon' had figured into his unconscious thoughts with an undeniable intensity, such that he couldn't ignore it. After all, the blade had its uses, particularly where use of the Force was best conserved.

So he went along, taking up the opportunity to join Master Raaf and a collection of others he both knew and didn't know in the harvesting of crystals for the primary purpose of constructing a lightsaber. If he were honest, it was the first time in a long lime that he'd felt excitement rather than apprehension, though he wasn't sure what to think of wandering out onto plains of ice. An experience it would be, for certain, in steeling himself. A test of the thicker outer robes he'd brought along for this trip, in the absence of any knowledge on how to use the Force to keep himself warm.

Such a thing would be useful as pre-trip training for places like the one they were headed to... which left him wondering why no-one had thought of it before they'd left. Ah well. Being a Jedi had never been cozy, anyway.

​

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Gherron Vael"] | [member="Lan Graendal"] | [member="Seamus Valik"] | [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Uri Aureleos"] | [member="Marakai Al'Orren"] | [member="Marcus"] | [member="Jack Rand"] | [member="Meeristali Peradun"]​

 

[Avo]

There weren't many faces among the Jedi Order that Lan knew by sight. It had only been in the recent years that he had finally came back to the Order and highly doubted that his reinstatement among their ranks as a master was a truthful and genuine gesture. Sure they were at war and needed all hands on deck, but his past told many a tale of a lingering darkness and eternal overcast. The warden sighed and shifted his weight to pull his Vibrosword from its sheath. Careful fingers slid along its side with an affectionate movement.

Master Raaf's voice cut through his thoughts. Arfour seemed a little surprise at the abruptness of her comment and very nearly dropped a plasma torch onto the hull. He may have been made out of metal - but Lan knew the little bot was blushing in embarrassment.

"Everyone's lookin' out for you," he said. "Not just me."

Arfour whirred about and softly beeped something about manliness.

Lan turned his attention back to Master Raaf. "I haven't had the, er, pleasure of visiting the Praxeum. I oft prefer to have earth beneath my feet rather than steel. Nature has its way of attuning me to the Force rather than electronics." Still, he smiled at the master Jedi and actually hoped this Praxeum ship was more than just steel and circuitry.

[member="Corvus Raaf"], [member="Gherron Vael"], [member="Seamus Valik"], [member="Sanya Val Lerium"], [member="Kian Karr"], [member="Uri Aureleos"], [member="Marakai Al'Orren"], [member="Meeristali Peradun"], [member="Jannik Morlandt"]

 

[Jack Rand]

Jack was glad when he got assigned to this mission, he had heard the news about the new Jedi ship and how luxurious it was. The first place that Jack went to when he arrived on the ship was the gardens, it was one of the few things he had never seen. Sure most starship pilots had the odd plant to keep them company, but nothing as stunning as a garden such as this. It must've been for the whole Jedi "zen" thing, he didn't care though it was still a sight to behold.

Jack searched the rest of the ships and found some meditation chambers that looked pretty and some training rooms, but he was annoyed at the mysteriously illusive aquatic tank that he had heard about. He searched most of the ship, save for the engine and shield generator rooms and couldn't find it. Jack just shrugged and went back to the bridge of the ship and made himself a cup of stimcaf. From where his pilot seat was located he could see a significant portion of the ship's hull, it was luxurious to say the least. The ship was probably the nicest ship he had ever seen, which confused him to no end why the Jedi owned it instead of some Hutt ganglord out on Nar Shadaa.

Jack took a sip of his stimcaf as he saw the shuttle that was supposedly coming to drop off a group of Jedi, but it burned his tongue. He turned to the rest of his crew, with his coat making a little flourish. "Alright everybody, the Jedi are coming. I want everyone to get into their positions, this ship is meant for Jedi after all. May the senior officers meet me at the Docking bay to greet the jedi." Jack took another sip of his stimcaf, but was disappointed when it was still too hot. Maybe one of the jedi can cool it down with force stimcaf or something. Jack shrugged and went down to greet the Jedi.

[member="Jannik Morlandt"] [member="Meeristali Peradun"] [member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Gherron Vael"] [member="Seamus Valik"] [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] [member="Kian Karr"] [member="Uri Aureleos"] [member="Marakai Al'Orren"]

 

[Seamus Valik]

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Gherron Vael"] [member="Lan Graendal"] [member="Lan Graendal"] [member="Gherron Vael"] [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] [member="Kian Karr"] [member="Uri Aureleos"] [member="Marakai Al'Orren"] [member="Meeristali Peradun"] [member="Jack Rand"] [member="Jannik Morlandt"]

Seamus had not a clue what he was doing here really. He had not asked his master [member="Kana Truden"] if he was ready to move on from his training saber, which he took everywhere...like a blanky. In fact his writer had forgot to post to said awesome master for like a whole week and inly remembered while writing prose for Seamus in this very moment. Seamus was quite disappointed in his writer for that.

Seamus checked his gear and decided to try to practice his Tapas while here and only packed his snow clothes in his bag. Smart kid ain't he.

 

[Sanya Val Lerium]

Sanya took five minutes to look for somewhere she could relax before been driven into harsh colds. the garden seemed like a better place than any, it was quite and calming. before settling down she went to find Corvus or kian who ever shown up first for some quick cold weather training or tips of how to stay warm.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] Ξ [member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Jake Cabur Tor]

"Master Raaf, I was Wondering if I could come along on this trip. I havent been to these caves yet and would like an opportunity to explore the new suroundings." he asked rather timidly. "I was also wanting a chance to get to know more jedi knights and masters, to hopefully be chosen by a new master soon." He hoped she would understand his reasoning for wanting a new master. He had wanted a new master for a couple months now, seeing as how Master Rein had died. He never stopped his studies though, he learned to honor her. He was always lookingfor a chance to prove himself for his master's memory. he patiently waited for an answer.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

You glance at your data pad for what feels like a couple of seconds and suddenly you look up and see a lot more faces than you expected. Missions like this were always this way.

So Corvus updated her records and bowed and nodded to all of the newcomers. They were approaching the Praxeum now and soon the notification of impending docking was broadcast over the shuttle's tannoy.

Some were here just for a crystal, others seemed keep to build a new saber (or a replacement one) and yet others seemed to be coming along for the camaraderie that Jedi together seemed to engender. And for Jake, the likelihood of meeting their new Master on the journey.

As they boarded the Jedi ship, Corvus suggested they made themselves comfortable - try not to set off any alarm systems (at least [member="Kana Truden"] wasn't here this time) - or like her, take advantage of the extensive training facilities. For Corvus was going to consult the Great Holocron and Tionne's Holocron with a conundrum that the GrandMaster had set her.

But above all, she hoped they'd chat and get to know each other better. Once at Rhen Var she would be able to brief them on where they were headed and no doubt bore them on how she'd found it in the first place!

[member="Jake cabur tor"] | [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] | [member="Seamus Valik"] | [member="Jack Rand"] | [member="Lan Graendal"] | [member="Jannik Morlandt"] | [member="Meeristali Peradun"] | [member="Marakai Al'Orren"] | [member="Uri Aureleos"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Uri Aureleos]

Uri bowed to Master Raaf then excused himself from her presences. He was still confused by his real reason for coming along on this... Mission? Trip? He didn't know a lightsaber form yet so he wouldn't know how to use a lightsaber if he made one, but then again maybe Master Raaf would wisely not allow him to make one until he had received that training. Retrieving the crystal for his saber would be out of the way at least. Still in his heart, he believed the main reason he decided to come was because his master was leading the expedition.

He looked a board the ship in awe at it size. Uri thought the last ship he was on was huge but this one was enormous. He call such man-made things unnatural beauties. It was not that he did not find it beautiful but that how it was not the natural beauty of a planet formed by the force. The ship reminded him of the jedi academy in this way. Massive and extensive in a unnatural yet beautiful way. In his life as a monk on Agamar, the buildings meant little to nothing. They spent most of their time outside and yet in his new life with the order he spent a quite a bit of time inside. In order to fully make the transition from monk to jedi he would have to let go of his life with them and stop comparing the two, but his heart hurt at the thought of it. He didn't wish to forget about them. The monks were his family long before he even knew what a jedi was.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus had spoken to the GrandMaster about her experiences on Prakith. How she faced one foe but her experience suggested she faced another - albeit one unseen.

Something attacked her mind and it was’t the Sith she fought in combat. The GrandMaster suggested there were many ways to hide either in or from the Force over and above Force Stealth - which Corvus was a practitioner of herself. Nor was Force Sense and Sight enough that she'd used with the Voxyn to detect null points in the Force. And the advice was simple - albeit sparse. Consult the Great Holocron and Tionne’s Holocron other sources of knowledge on the Praxeum.

So using her ‘library card’ Corvus spent the hyperspace journey doing what she does best - researching. Through interaction with Sar Agorn’s gatekeeper, who was a Jedi expert on manipulating the Force she had a few possibilities but none were definite.

The most likely was White Current. Apparently it was an aspect of the Force studied by the Fallanassi, and was often used in the creation of illusions and concealment. It seems the key was to immerse ones whole self in the actual flows and ripples within the Force itself, rather than the Force as a whole.

It seems the Fallanassi had no desire to physically affect their surroundings; instead, they desired to focus solely on the mind, spirit and body, and how these three entities formed a single individual. These studies and explorations eventually gave way to the discovery that these three aspects flowed and formed eddies and whorls within the Force, which they named the White Current.

The White Current, they quickly found, was an aspect within the Force, created by the mind, body, and spirit. Manipulation of, and immersion within, the current allowed for extreme manipulation of these three aspects.

However, Fallanassi techniques allowed for little to no manipulation of other aspects of the Force - and this was potentially its undoing. Practitioners of the White Current gained the ability to sense the White Current around them, and Full Force Immersion in the White Current could shield skilled practitioners from vision and electronics, and therefore undetectable by any means, organic, artificial, Force-based or otherwise. Yet after hours of study she found out that careful scrutiny could pierce the immersion technique. This was made easier if the user in question interacted with those seeking the hidden user.

It was of course still only speculation but forewarned was potentially forearmed. And even if she was correct in her assumptions, theory and practice were often poles apart.

[member="Darth Carach"]