Private The Corellian and the Naboo

[Gil Horn]

Location: Naboo | Shiraya Temple
Tags: Briana Sal-Soren

Gil had never been to Naboo before. He had grown up in the streets of Corellia, living in gutters and surviving off scraps from a starport that was never quiet. He had been trained as a Jedi on Coruscant, a planet that was covered by a city that never slept. In both places, nature was a foreign concept. Rare, and coveted by the rich for their personal enjoyment. Gil had never even seen trees until his fifteenth birthday when his old Master had taken him to visit her homeworld of Kashyyyk. To consider that trip a whiplash experience would be an understatement.

Gil had thought he had seen it all, but then he came to Naboo.

Soaring mountains, roaring waterfalls and verdant forests. They were not just the exception on Naboo from what Gil could see, but the normal. Naboo had achieved what so few planets in the galaxy could. True harmony between civilization and nature. It was a welcome relief to Gil. He had made the journey to the world with a freighter from Coruscant. After arriving on the world, he had made his way towards the temple. It was not public knowledge, but enough people were able to point Gil in the right direction. Once he had gotten to the mountains, he had let his senses guide him, following the path that many Jedi had followed before him.

The journey through the mountains was a somber one for Gil. The beauty of this world helped soothe the aches he felt in his body, but they did not wash them away completely. The stub of his right arm held close to his chest, while he used his left to steady himself on the narrow path. The physical reminder of his sorrow that would never fade. How does one deal with the betrayal of a brother? Not a biological brother, but the man that had looked after Gil, helped him settle into the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and had saved his life. It was a question Gil had been trying to figure out for weeks now. His view of being a Jedi had fractured when his role model had fallen, and carved both Gil's hand, and his sense of right and wrong from him. Gil hoped to find some answers here. Coruscant had not had any.

Finally, after who knows how long on the winding paths, Gil finally caught sight of the temple proper. He stopped in his tracks, his robe catching in the breeze as he stood at the edge of the path. It whipped around him as he looked up at the temple, taking in the details. It was a breathtaking sight. The natural beauty of nature, and the aesthetic blend of Naboo architecture. He stood there for a while, simply looking at the Temple of Shiraya. He felt eyes on him, and he turned to look up, wind blasting against him as he saw the retreating form of a surveillance droid disappear around the rocks.

Well, his visit was not going to be a surprise anymore.

Pulling his robe close, Gil set out again, approaching the entrance to the temple.

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Outfit: XoXo | Equipment: Lightsaber, Echo Stone | Tag: Gil Horn ​

Briana Sal-Soren stood at the grand entrance of Shiraya's Sanctuary, the gentle breeze tugging at the loose strands of her hair that escaped her otherwise neatly pinned up style. Crystal blue eyes scanned the winding path leading up the mountainside, flanked by towering trees that seemed to lean in with curiosity, framing a lone figure making his way towards the temple.

Briana's gaze narrowed slightly as she fixed her eyes on him, her focus sharpening. She'd personally overseen the security of the Temple herself and was alerted of the strangers arrival only moments after he'd first been spotted by one of her many surveillance droids. Not many typically came up this way without some sort of prior warning, so Briana had come prepared, letting her hand drop to rest against the comforting hilt of the lightsaber at her side.

Yet, as the figure drew closer, Briana was able to make out more about the unknown man. She noted his presence in the Force and the tinge of a familiar sorrow that clung to him. She noted the way he cradled his right arm, the way the sleeve of his robe hung empty. There was a weight to his gait as he continued his climb up, one that reminded her of Lossa Aureus after her rescue from the New Way, a heaviness of burdens carried.

Briana's brows drew together, her stance quickly shifting from stiff and focused, to something that was warmer and more approachable as she descended the steps that led up to the temple doors, her boots softly tapping against the warm-honey stone.

When he finally reached the entrance, Briana offered a subtle nod of greeting and put on her best smile.

"Welcome to Shiraya's Sanctuary," Briana said, her voice carrying with it that trade-marked Sal-Soren confidence she was known for. "I am Briana Sal-Soren, head of this Order. You must have traveled a long way to find us, I hope the journey wasn't too strenuous? Had I'd known you were coming, I would have arranged for transportation. What brings you to our temple?"

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[Gil Horn]

Location: Naboo | Shiraya Temple
Tags: Briana Sal-Soren

Gil sensed the individual through the Force before he saw them. It was difficult to pick up the one from the many in this place. On Coruscant, it was easy to sense living being when you were surrounded by dead, metal buildings. Here though, on Naboo, the sheer abundance of life put Gil off guard, though he was slowly learning to differentiate the different beings. It was more difficult this close to the temple. The sheer amount of Light Side energy flowed over everything and everyone.

When he caught sight of the woman coming down the steps towards him, it all became crystal clear, and Gil's mind began to clear.

Gil bowed his head to Briana, unkept hair falling around his face as he did so. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Briana Sal-Soren. Your reputation precedes you." A small smile played across his lips as he looked back up, blue eyes narrowed. "I apologize for the lack of forewarning, but I seem to have lost my communicator," Gil said, holding up his bandaged right hand. It was easier to manage if he made a joke of it.

Gil turned his head away from her for a moment, looking out once more across the landscape surrounding the Shiraya Temple. "In truth, Knight Sal-Soren, I did not know myself that I was coming here. I felt...an urge I suppose. A calling to board a ship and it just so happened to bring me here to Naboo. I did not know the destination when the ship took off, but I feel like I was guided here. Be it the Will of the Force or a particularly odd turn of events, I do not know."

He turned back to look at Briana, his mouth pursed for a moment. "I hope to find answers to that very question, and many others that plague my mind of late."

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Outfit: XoXo | Equipment: Lightsaber, Echo Stone | Tag: Gil Horn ​

Gil bowed his head to Briana, unkept hair falling around his face as he did so. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Briana Sal-Soren. Your reputation precedes you."

Which reputation would that be? She wondered silently. The one as a Jedi Knight who'd stood her ground at Exegol, trained under legendary leaders like Valery and Romi, and founded this place? Or the one as the daughter of a once-great man who'd so wholly lost his way that he nearly destroyed his entire family on his spiral down? Briana chose not to dwell too much on it. "Thank you, a pleasure to meet you as well."

When he lifted his bandaged right arm in a wry gesture about losing his communicator, her eyes went wide before the reaction was snuffed out with a smile, hoping it wouldn't be noted. It was sadly more common than not for her to meet Jedi who'd been maimed and scarred in some way, whether because of the various wars that seemed to so often plague the Galaxy, or for other reasons. It was one of the hazards of being a Jedi.

"In truth, Knight Sal-Soren, I did not know myself that I was coming here. I felt...an urge I suppose. A calling to board a ship and it just so happened to bring me here to Naboo. I did not know the destination when the ship took off, but I feel like I was guided here. Be it the Will of the Force or a particularly odd turn of events, I do not know. I hope to find answers to that very question, and many others that plague my mind of late."

"I see." Briana said softly, studying him for a moment. "Well... you're not the first to find your way here unannounced, and I suspect you won't be the last. Shiraya's Sanctuary has a habit of calling to those who need it most." Briana being one of them. After her mother and Romi's deaths, Zeriana's disappearance, and SID-10S "Sid" 's destruction, she'd found some semblance of healing and peace by pouring herself into something she could fix. Knowing her efforts might ultimately make a difference, was what made all the difference.

Gesturing gracefully toward the temple's grand entrance, she added. "Why don't we head inside. It's not an easy trek up here and I'm sure you're tired, we can grab something at the refectory if you're hungry or thirsty. You can tell me more about what it is that's been bothering you and I'll see if there's a way that I can help, Knight...?" her voice trailed off, giving him the chance to properly introduce himself.

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[Gil Horn]

Location: Naboo | Shiraya Temple
Tags: Briana Sal-Soren

Gil bowed his head once more. “Apologies, Knight Sal-Soren, my name is Gil Horn, Knight of the Jedi Order.” He turned to look up at the temple sprawling behind Briana, the elegant lines and rounded tops that he was coming to realize was the staple of Naboo architecture. It was a far cry from the blocky, industrial buildings that sprawled across much of Corellia.

He did not miss that world.

“It is not a simple journey,” Gil agreed, taking a few steps up to follow Briana as she led them back towards the temple, “but I figure that is point. Seclusion for our kind is sometimes for the best. Worldly pleasures can be a or distraction from learning, especially for the younglings. I find that to be one of the more difficult things for new Jedi on Coruscant. It is far too easy to get lost in the new world they are in, especially for those coming from Outer Rim worlds.”

They passed a few other Jedi in the temple, though Gil noted that, compared to some of the other Jedi bastions he had seen across the galaxy, the Shiraya Temple seemed to have a rather low head count. He made a note to ask about that later, but for now, some refreshments did sound appealing.

“As for what is bothering me…” Gil began, his words drifting off as his eyes glazed over for a moment, flashes of memory going across his mind. “Well, some things are best left as they are.”

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[Briana Sal-Soren]

Outfit: XoXo | Equipment: Lightsaber, Echo Stone | Tag: Gil Horn ​

"Fair enough, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Briana nodded, taking stride beside Gil, her hands clasped loosely behind her back. "I'm not so great when it comes to talking about my own problems. Sometimes it just feels simpler to let things be and hope the issues resolve themselves over time." Every now and again her eyes would drift over to him, gauging Gil's expression and mannerisms. It wasn't uncommon for Jedi to be burdened or scarred, physically or mentally. Nearly every Jedi she'd ever met had either a difficult past, or faced some other such problem. Like Gil, most did not care to share, and Briana, for her part, did not typically pry unless there were obvious signs of danger, or dark paths being taken. Otherwise, boundaries were something to respected, always. "That said," she continued, "I've found in most circumstances, that it becomes easier to bear those troubles when you share them with a friend or someone you trust. If you have someone like that, I'd encourage you to talk to them."

As they reached the arching doorway of the refectory, sunlight streaming through the stained glass and painting colorful patterns across the stone floor, Briana gestured toward a modest table near the window. "You're right, though," she said, pivoting the subject. "Seclusion does have its merits. This place, before I fixed it up and repurposed it, was originally built centuries ago by the Brotherhood of Cognizance. They believed that true wisdom and peace came from introspection and communion with the goddess Shiraya, which was achievable through removing themselves from the distractions of the Galaxy, without being fully removed from society. I think there is something to be said for that and part of what I wanted to create here. A place where Jedi could step back, without fully stepping away. Where we could maintain our connection to the rest of the Galaxy, while having the space to process what that connection means."

Taking a seat, Briana signaled over one of the many serving droids. "I'll take a caf, black."

"And you, sir?" The droid turned towards Gil, its optic sensors flickering towards him with a sort of polite readiness.

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