The bubble of security was gone...

[Corvus Raaf]

It was peaceful out here, surrounded by the vacuum of space and with only the continual hum of the hyperdrive breaking the silence.

While she loved these moments of peace, Corvus also viewed them as an emotional trap, for she had been around long enough to understand the turmoil she would find at the end of this ride.

Like the end of every ride, lately.

She paused a moment before she entered the bridge of the Raven, her Jedi class Corvette. In the meditation room was her latest Apprentice, who would no doubt be joining her in the cockpit very soon. She’d had a significant volume of paperwork to catch up on, so asking her Padawan to meditate was a win-win situation. Too few Jedi took the Ability seriously and this one? He was strong with the Force but he was also head-strong. It would be good for his development.

So she sat at the controls, the Corellian designed and built ship so familiar to her. When he joined her, he would take the co-pilot’s seat logically.

Corvus’ traditional robes draped around the chair as she sat and her violet eyes scanned the controls before glancing at the streaking lights and change of engine pitch that told her they were exiting hyperspace. Suddenly stars were dots and the planet of Lothal was in front of them.

She smiled when she thought of her Padawan. He was focused and narrow in his focus. A twinge of sadness caught her as considered that was once how she was. Her only aim was to become a Librarian. Her life now? A diplomat, a bureaucrat, a mediator, always trying to calm things down, always working for the peace of the Republic. And a warrior too. She had the scars to prove it.

Did she miss the days when the most common noise around her had been the turning of a page or the removal of a datacron from a shelf? Was she sorry that those tranquil times had been replaced by the droning of the ion drives and the sound of blaster-fire?

Perhaps, she had to admit, but she was a Jedi. She served. It was her duty – pure and simple.

And she sensed Ben exiting his mediation and travelling towards her. Her eyes stared straight ahead, at the planet looming ever larger, and she smiled.

“Welcome to Lothal…” she said as he arrived.

[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Meditation and a road trip.

Ben's first assignment with the Jedi he most admires in the galaxy, and it's meditation on a long trip through space. If there were two things the young Jedi couldn't stand, those were them. For the first several minutes after [member="Corvus Raaf"] had left him in the meditation room aboard her ship, the Raven, Ben found it exceedingly difficult to focus. A good guess as to why would be simply that Ben didn't like space, and he didn't like to sit still with nothing to do, but that guess would be--maybe for the first time--incorrect.

Ben was simply overwhelmed with excitement.

This was a time in his training which he had longed for since his move to Lothal following the construction of the new Temple and Academy--he had been assigned to a full-time master. At 18 years old, Ben had seen many Jedi his age advance more quickly than he. Jedi who deserved it less, who wanted it less. This was the step Ben needed in order to move forward in his training and become a contributing member of the Order. And it seemed that Ben's patience had paid off, for he had been assigned to Corvus Raaf, the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. It had been no secret that Ben felt he should be trained by Master Raaf. The thought never occurred to him that perhaps she had taken him on because he was arrogant and troubled. That thought simply never occurred to Ben.

Clearly my master knows potential when she sees it. Ben smiled at this thought, and at his ability to use the words "my master."

Ben was used to faking it in meditation. Not that he had given up trying altogether, but he had long ago begun to hold himself to a lower standard of peace as he sat alone with his thoughts. Ben always knew what to say to his teachers to make it seem as though he had been doing the work for which no physical evidence could be marshaled against him. However, onboard the Raven, Ben's particularly sagacious mind revealed something to him which he had not considered--Raaf could probably tell if he were lying to her.

So, for the first time in a while, Ben actually made an attempt to clear his mind for the remainder of the space flight. Nothing better to do in hyperspace, anyway, right? His brain was hyperactive, and he had trouble allowing strains of thought to enter and exit without conscious fixation or repulsion. After some time, however, Ben did find clarity for a brief time. Then the thought entered his mind that the Raven had reached its destination, and he opened his eyes.

So that's what that feels like, Ben mused.

Ben approached the cockpit of the corvette with fresh eyes, and he was struck by the beauty of the planet which had been his home for some time now. Ben was rarely in the cockpit of the ship while making an approach on Lothal, but he was sure he had never actually stopped to really look at the planet. His master had said "Welcome," as if Ben had not been on Lothal for as long as the New Temple and Academy had existed. Normally, Ben would quip something sarcastically about her error. The problem for the snarky part of Ben's brain, however, was that Master Raaf was right.

It was as if Ben were coming into Lothal's orbit for the first time in his life.

And then Ben's meditative clarity was gone.

Ben took the co-pilot seat logically. He smiled at Master Raaf, "It sure looks nice from this far away." Ben immediately considered every way in which his new master could take that incorrectly, and decide that she did not want him for a Padawan any longer. He couldn't screw this up. He added, "Not that it isn't nice up close! The council did a really great job with the new Temple after we lost Ossus." Ben knew that that, too, was a sore subject for Master Raaf. "Not that Ossus was the Council's fault! Uh...Good flight in?"

Smooth.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was attuned to the Force like any Master. But her Mastery of so many forms of Meditation and the fact that her Padawan was using the Meditation chamber on the ship meant she could tell if he was faking it.

In truth he was trying. Which in Jedi-speak meant he was failing. Do or do not, the mantra went. So in his mind, he was doing the best he could. But trying did mean he wanted to succeed. What he needed to learn was that belief led success — not the other way around. If you don’t have faith you’ll be able to do something, you fail. That’s pretty much how the Force worked.

So she knew that was an area she’d have to work on. Yet his confidence was generally high, if a little specific to certain aspects of his Abilities.

And Meditation was a core Jedi skill that too many overlooked. When he learned of the potential of Force Valor, and the link to meditation, he’d change his tune. But she wasn’t one to dangle carrots. He would learn meditation for its own sake. Then learn of the benefits.

And she failed to suppress a smile as he spoke. “It was once a beautiful planet. Before it was over-farmed and industrialised. But it will be returned to its former glory. I have faith.”

And to put him at ease, she added, “Ossus was, or rather is, just bricks and mortar. Replaceable. Knowledge, that’s the key. There are all the same facilities here, just a different setting. Do I miss running in the jungle? Yes. Those flash storms at night were part of my training regime. But we adapt. And we grow. And we endure.”

She faced him now. “Do you know Ben, I know little of you. Before we land, let’s rectify that. So, we can each ask a question in turn. I’ll start. Tell me of your early years. Family? Home planet? That sort of stuff.”

[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Master [member="Corvus Raaf"] was nothing if not intimidating. It wasn't that she had an aggressive energy, but simply that her presence in the Force was so naturally strong that even Ben could not fail to feel her. She considered his statements with such ease and responded with a calm wisdom that Ben admired. Maybe it was just him being excited to have such a capable master, but he smiled broadly. He was inspired.

It was funny that Master Raaf had asked Ben about his family. Not because she would have any reason to know, but simply because Ben did not realize that she would be interested in such things. After all, letting go of his life before the Order seemed to go hand in hand with the general denial of attachment that Jedi were meant to adopt. Also, Master Raaf's question came at a time when Ben was having particular difficulty with this task. Prior to his trip to Ilum with Knight Roberts to search for power crystals, Ben thought little of his family and his childhood on Coruscant. However, in the Crystal Caverns Ben had had a Force Vision in which it was revealed to him that Coruscant had since fallen to the Sith. Ben had no idea what his parents' fate had been, and--for the first time in quite a while--he had to make a conscious effort to eschew worry.

"I grew up with merchants on Coruscant," Ben began, struggling to remember more specific details of those early years. "My family wasn't particularly wealthy, but we never really wanted for anything. No siblings; just my mother and father and me. Uh, I think I was a pretty good kid--I had a lot of friends. People my age seemed drawn to me. I would start clubs in my district, and I was always the leader."

Ben smiled, but wondered in the back of his mind what the fate of those childhood friends had been. Not that he had thought on them much as he grew up and left Coruscant and began his training, but learning the fate of his homeworld on Ilum had opened wounds Ben did not know he had. Ben again tried let those feelings pass, careful not to grasp onto them or push them away in the presence of his Master.

"I wasn't discovered by the Order until I was ten years old. I guess my parents never checked to see if I was sensitive to the Force. My parents agreed to let me go train to be a Jedi, and I've been with the Order ever since."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded. Every story was unique and often shaped the Jedi the child became. Not always, but often.

By way of a response, Corvus spoke. “I was born on Corellia. I left my home aged four and went to the Academy at Coronet City. Then, aged fourteen, I left. I was lost for a short while but the Force guided me to Ossus and a life with the Jedi Order.”

“As a girl, I wanted to be a Librarian, but I grew up in times of constant strife and so I became what I am today. I still study every moment I can, but duties and missions mean I have less time than I would like. But I have seen every holocron you’d ever wish to see, so my knowledge is pretty good.”

“Now tell me, what do you need to learn and what do you want to learn?”

[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

A Librarian, huh? Maybe there was something to this whole idea of a Jedi's strength coming first from knowledge. Ben wondered what Corvus meant about being lost for a time. Ben, for whatever reason, tended to assume that powerful Jedi had always been powerful. He couldn't imagine a Grandmaster Raaf who, like him, struggled with questions. It would help Ben to have a master with a flair for the academic-- Ben was smart; he had no trouble with studying except for the fact that he rarely actually did it. He had always assumed he could get away with it.

Maybe there was nothing wrong with being young and making mistakes, even if ever perfectionist pore in Ben's body shivered at the thought.

Master Raaf clearly was a devoted woman, but Ben could sense in the way that she spoke that her position dominated every moment of her life. Ben wondered if anyone could be truly satisfied being a servant to a cause other than oneself at all times. Ben suggested, "Well, once you think I'm ready, I would be happy to take some of those duties off of your plate, Master. The smaller ones, obviously."

This interjection served two purposes in the moment: to establish that Ben had interest in being assigned duties and missions, and to give him a second to consider his Master's other question. To Ben, it sounded philosophical. It was a trap, maybe, so Ben began with the most philosophical verity he could produce in response, "I want to learn how to take my training as a process and not as a result, and I need to learn how to want what I want for the sake of learning and not for the sake of my ego."

But that wasn't it, and Ben knew that Corvus would be able to tell, so he admitted, "And I want to defend the galaxy against the Sith and the Dark Side. I want to continue my training in Lightsaber Forms I, III, and V, and I want to learn about the Forms I haven't seen. I want to learn how to use the Force as an ally in battle."


[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled. Rarely did Padawan’s offer to help her — or any of the Knights and Masters. It was a welcome change. “Ben. Once you become a Knight, I would ask you to train your own Padawan. Share your knowledge until they become a Knight. And then do it all again. That is all I ask. But then, it is a big ask. To be selfless and devote so much of your time to someone else’s development.”

“But…” she looked thoughtful for a while. “You can help me straight away. Teach me. This relationship is a two-way thing. Never assume I know it all.”

His answer was well considered but initially not enlightening. But as he continued she had a measure of his wants and needs.

It was clear his training was to be combat focused — which she was entirely capable of. “So, Ben. Given what you’ve told me, what should our first lesson be?”

[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

"Once you become a Knight," she had said. Not "if," but "once." Ben couldn't hide the spark of excitement that the phrase had created in the pit of his stomach. It meant a lot to Ben that Master Raaf had faith in him; although maybe she just had faith in herself as a teacher. Or maybe it could be both. As she had said, it was a two way relationship.

Ben smiled at his teacher and bowed his head in acknowledgement as she explained to him how he may be of service. The idea of one day taking on a Padawan was exciting to him. He had always had a zest for leadership, and something about the personal relationship of a student and teacher appealed greatly to him. He already felt an immense deal of attachment to Corvus, and their first lesson had not even begun. Ben was never sure what the Code said about this sense of intimacy between a padawan and his or her master, but he did not have any desire to look it up. He was afraid his feeling of kinship would be deemed incorrect.

But now Ben had the chance to ask for anything he wanted in his first lesson. His mind raced with the possibilities immediately, working rapidly with his options. Master Raaf was so clearly skilled in many of the Jedi arts; there was little that Ben desired to know which the woman could not teach him. Ben was unprepared for such an open-ended decision. He looked thoughtfully at Corvus, trying not to appear indecisive, "Hmm...let me think, Master..."

Let's see: I got a taste of Soresu with Knight Siegfried and a touch of Shien with that Silver Sanctum Jedi. I could ask Master Raaf for more training in either of those--she's a Soresu expert after all, and she knows Form V...Form V! We could do Djem So! There was always the dueling variant of Shien. Ben so longed to be a skilled saber duelist. His foundation in Soresu and Shien would certainly aid in picking up the basics of Djem So. But Ben had to pause a moment. Maybe he should ask Master Raaf for training in something that Ben would certainly have trouble learning. Meditation, perhaps. Force Sense. Something along those lines.

Ugh, no. Not today.

"Master, how do you feel about teaching me some basic Djem So exercises and sequences?" Ben was unsure if Corvus would decide another lesson would be of more use, so he phrased his preference as a question. Usually he had an issue with deference like this, but he truly wanted to impress his master.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus suppressed a smile. Given the keys to the candy-store was a daunting thing. With so many to choose from, how do you decide what to try first. It was a typical reaction from a Padawan. The key, they soon learned, was that all would be made available in time. So patience was the key.

Corvus could almost hear the thought processes going on in his mind. “Djem So it is,” she said, firmly. “As soon as you unpack and get your bearings, I’ll send for you to begin. And from time to time I’ll recommend lessons, but generally speaking, you decide. It’s your path after all, not mine.”

“Now tell me, have you crafted your own saber? Found your own crystal?” It was common for some Jedi to have a training saber right up until becoming a Knight — Corvus was one such Padawan. Others inherited sabers and couldn’t wait to craft their own. They were all different.

[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

That had been easier than Ben realized. Still, Ben reminded himself of the necessity for balance in his training. Corvus was right, she couldn't force him to seek training in aspects of the Force which he may need. Eventually, Ben would have to bite the bullet and seek training in his weaker disciplines. After all, he wouldn't have Master Raaf to personally train him forever.

Ben was glad she had asked about a lightsaber. This was actually something that Ben had meant to have a conversation with his master about. Having his own lightsaber was high on his list of desires, since saber combat was his greatest strength and favorite aspect of his training.

"I've been using a training saber for quite a long while, but I actually just recently finished a mission with Knight Roberts on Ilum where I managed to obtain a real lightsaber crystal. I have been wondering who I ought to turn to for guidance in constructing my own saber. I don't know how it's done, and I don't know if there is a right time to do it."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded. "You'll soon find there are few definitive answers. I waited until I was about to be a Knight before I crafted my saber. Some of my Padawans made it their first priority. So you go at a pace that suits you. You'll need to be competent at Telekinesis to be able to craft one. But the design and the location of the crafting are down to you."

"Have you a design in mind, and is there somewhere special you'd like to build it? I can give suggestions if you're stuck of course."

[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Ben laughed a little. "Well, I guess the first step is improving my Telekinesis skills...

"I have the crystal, and I feel it resonating with me when I meditate with it. Aside from using that crystal, all I know is that I want to build a saber that can be used for both single and double-hand saber forms. I think maybe I would want to construct it on Lothal...It was here that I began a new chapter in my training, and I think it's the right place for the creation of something that will be so important to me as I go forward.

"Perhaps you could assist me sometime in the near future, Master." Ben suggested deferentially.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded. "Telekinesis it is. That shall be our second lesson then. When you say double handed, do you mean two hands on the hilt. All Forms bar Makashi utilise two hands as a rule, so a standard saber hilt works well. Or did you mean a saber staff? With two blades?"

"And Lothal is as good a place as any, and I have the perfect setting in mind." She smiled. Yes, it would do perfectly.

Looking up, the planet was growing ever larger through the screen and soon they would be able to make out details as they headed towards the Temple.

[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

It was all so exciting, to finally have a master, and one who was so knowledgeable, powerful, and communicative at that. Plus, she was tall and pretty. Not that Ben had any sort of intentions on his master, but Ben always associated attractiveness as a sort of power, as well. He smiled at the prospect of constructing his own lightsaber, and how simple it seemed the steps toward its completion would be. Corvus herself had waited until she was a knight to build her own, but Ben was one of the other variety--he wanted to have his personal weapon in his hands as soon as possible.

​"Sounds like a standard hilt is fine, in that case. I don't intend to use a saberstaff; too much spinning around. I think I'd get dizzy." He chuckled at his own joke, middling as it was in quality. He was not used to not knowing things, or making incorrect statements, and when he did, he always tried to recover quickly, as if everyone was waiting for him to mess something up. In reality, the only person who ever noticed was Ben.

The geography of Lothal was now visible, and Ben looked out over the rolling mountains with a sense of pride. He did love the Order very much, and this was their home.

"What is your favorite place on Lothal, Master Raaf?"

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled, reminiscing on her favourite spots on Ossus. "Favourite? Not sure I have one yet. I like the outdoors. Odd, given my love of study. But if I'm not in the archives, I like to be in the open air. I utilise the area around the Temple for training as much as I can. Although I have one room inside the Temple that I am rather fond of. It's a homage to Ossus in fact. Where we'll learn Telekinesis."

"Have you visited many planets?"

[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

That was an easy one.

"Just Coruscant, then Ossus, then Lothal. But there seem to be many more opportunities opening up for me. I'm gaining more independence and I do want to serve across the galaxy."

Ben did not have much intrinsic desire for travel, but he did know that the galaxy was vast. Across the stars there would be evils and allies to meet. Serving the Republic and the Order would require more than a monastic life on Lothal. Hopefully his training and his career as a Jedi would bring him to many far-off and strange places.

"Where I am needed, I will go, Master."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

As they chatted, they touched down in the hangar. It was shielded from aerial views - and even scanners could not pick up its presence. And approach and exit vectors were changed every few minutes to avoid any common pattern of traffic.

As they disembarked, they walked through the newly planted woods and towards what appeared to be a large rock - or small mountain, depending on your perspective.

Corvus momentarily closed her eyes and an entrance opened up for the,. "Only works for Light-siders and initially you may need to work with someone else to open it. But you'll grow and learn to do it all by yourself."

"So...welcome to the Lothal Temple. It's underground, obviously." And she proceeded to take them on a tour, posting out the Padawan's dormitories and key things like classrooms, the canteen, the gym. Finally they reached a small corridor with only one door - at its end.

"Here's where you'll learn Telekinesis. Ready?"

[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Corvus seemed right at home in the new temple, despite her avowed sadness over the loss of the Ossus temple. As she opened the stone door to the Academy, Ben felt as if there was a greater entrance taking place than simply the physical. Striding into the underground place of learning with his statuesque, serene master, Ben felt as though a new era in his life were dawning. He could feel the light side of the Force all around him; he breathed in the hope of it all.

The temple was a splendid place, as far as Ben could tell. It had been renovated in a project made possible by a generous gift form a benefactor with whom Ben was not familiar. There were facilities for all of Ben's wants and needs. He was especially glad to see a gym with state-of-the-art equipment. While Ben prized his sharp wit, he also felt always the desire to maintain a strong and capable body.

Ben smiled as Master Raaf led him to a closed door at the end of a corridor. He could feel himself standing on a threshold, his guide and guardian before him. There was a new excitement buzzing in the air all around him. Ben bowed his head; not a compulsive, empty gesture of decorum, but an honest show of devotion and respect that filled his whole being.

"Yes, Master, I am ready. Where the Force leads, I will follow."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

She opened the door onto a relatively small (at least for the Temple) meditation room.

But the size was not the reason she chose it. The room was covered in mossy floors and several trees stood around them. There was a sense of life and vitality in the room, and if one listened enough you could hear animals playing amongst the trees. In the center of the room there was a small, gentle waterfall falling into a pond. Corvus knew from experience that there were fish swimming in the water.

"This is one of my favorite places," she said as they entered the room, "I find it a very peaceful place. One where you can reach a calmness needed to begin the journey into any ability."

From her pockets she brought out a variety of objects and, sitting cross legged on the moss, placed them in front of her. There were sponge balls, ball-bearings, candles and a couple of data pads.

[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Ben shared Corvus's affinity for the place. When one spends so much time underground, it is particularly nice to be in a space that feels so alive. The Force was so strong in this room, flowing through the plant and animal life. Ben felt himself vibrating with the life energy of everything in the space. As time had gone on, Ben had learned to appreciate opening himself to such things. In years past, he never would have enjoyed this feeling, but now he could not resist it: The sensation that he was but a small part of a grand galaxy.

Ben took a seat, cross-legged, in front of his master. He studied the objects that she had laid out, wondering how they would be used.

I guess I'm probably going to lift them up and put them down, he conjectured internally with a small smile.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]