Private The Curious Nature of the Force [Ishani Sibwarra]

[Caedyn Arenais]

Location: The Jedi Enclave, Deneba.
Transport: The Repertoire.
Apprentice: Ishani Dinn .

​

It felt like quite a lot of time had passed since Caedyn had last been visited by his Apprentice, Ishani Sibwarra, she of whom had come to him seeking guidance and counsel while also being among members of the Sith back then. A follower of the Sith seemingly conflicted in her role in life and seeking out the Jedi for help in learning of the Lightside of the Force; Caedyn of whom no longer remained within any one particular Jedi organization but had rather returned to his Je'daii roots whilst maintaining his relationships with the Order still.

To say that he was relieved when his Apprentice had reestablished contact would be putting it lightly, very much aware of the likely company she held between their meetings, concerned for her safety and wellbeing. The method of their apprenticeship differing strongly from that in which he had trained his former Padawan, however, Ishani's circumstances had certainly warranted a slightly more unorthodox manner and frequency in which they were to train and live alongside one another. If ever there were a student more fitting for the path of a Je'daii Journeyer, this one would have been it.

Caedyn had met with Ishani Sibwarra at a disclosed location of her choosing and from there he had brought her to the planet Deneba aboard his Starship "The Repertoire". The desert world was the location of an old and now decrepit Jedi Temple, more a ruin today than what it had once been in his father's time as a Jedi, yet it was a place that presented the opportunity for learning for one such as Ishani, both in what the Enclave represented today, as well as the Shrine of Knowledge that Caedyn had placed in honour of those since passed.

Having landed at the base of Mount Meru, the pair still had a bit of a trek to the summit in order to find their first destination, however, the walk would also provide them both with the time to catch up on what Ishani had experienced since their last meeting. "The place I want to show you holds special importance to my family especially, but also to the Jedi of the past. We're heading for the top of Mount Meru, so make sure you've got a bottle of hydro from the ship's pantry before you join me outside" Caedyn advised his Padawan before turning to walk down the landing ramp and wait for her to join him out within the warm Deneba air.

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Following her abrupt emergency departure from Korriban, Ishani had spent some time adrift in space. Meditating in her quarters, reaching out with the Force, all she had wanted in those first few raw days was for Arcturus Dinn to find her. She called to him, over and over again, but there was no response.

When her supplies began to visibly dwindle, and it became clear that she would have to do something other than scream into the void, she cautiously re-established contact with Master Caedyn Arenais.

Things happened quickly from there, for which she was grateful. Caedyn was eager to begin her training at the Jedi Enclave on Denebra, and Ishani was equally enthusiastic about staying busy and keeping her mind off other matters.

For a while, she almost convinced herself she was just taking a vacation. After all, the Repertoire might as well have been a luxury yacht compared to the Vixen. She especially enjoyed the fully automated kitchen and its vast library of cuisines. She was friendly and courteous to Caedyn during the voyage, but by the time they reached their destination, he probably suspected something was up. Her conversation was too inconsequential, stretching the mildest of topics as thin as veneer to avoid going any deeper. She knew he would eventually start asking questions, and she would have to answer them at some point, but she did her best to prolong that looming moment for as long as possible.

Now the journey across the stars had ended. Deneba was a desert world, not unlike Korriban, but without the mutant monsters, tainted tombs, and festering Dark Side corruption. She took two bottles of water with her before heading out to join Caedyn.

“How long is the hike?”

Caedyn Arenais​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"It should only take us a couple of hours" Caedyn replied, turning around to see his Padawan coming down the landing ramp of the Repertoire, a slight smile being encouraged by her company for the day.

For all the potential danger, and the risks that surrounded the training of someone within the position and influence that Ishani Dinn was, Caedyn wanted to believe in the best possible outcome for the young woman. While he could not dismiss the need to be mindful of the numerous ways in which the apprenticeship could result in failure and perhaps even worsening life for the two of them, Caedyn genuinely wished to help her to be guided back to the path of the Lightside. Not only that, but to want to be a student of the Force, one that understood the blessing that they were given in life, and respected the responsibilities that came alongside integral practice, not specifically as a Jedi but as a follower of the Lightside of the Force.

"Mount Meru is a place of history for the Jedi, where once long ago, there was a great conclave called upon Deneba for Jedi to flock to in the hope of reform and future practices by the Order here. The Enclave was once responsible for the training of generations of prospective Jedi Knights..". He considered telling her about the fact that his own father had once been the Grandmaster of the Enclave, but without telling her the full story, it would only serve as a half-truth and prove of no benefit to Ishani's progress.

Passing a wave of his head towards the cockpit of the Repertoire, Caedyn signalled to his droid co-pilot Lexas to raise the landing ramp before their leave. Wrapping his robe around him, Caedyn soon turned to begin their hike towards the summit of the Mountain; It was a walk that he hoped would encourage further conversation between him and his student.

"There are many things that I can teach you along the road before us" he spoke figuratively, speaking of her apprenticeship and not the path that they were currently walking upon Deneba; "You've convinced me that your intent to learn and to distance yourself from the teachings of the Sith is genuine, so I will do all that I can to help you, using what I have been taught and also learned through personal experience" he stated.

The two had been given a good deal of time to consider their shared path between their last visit and today's lesson, and Caedyn did not wish to discourage her by sounding as though he wasn't committed to the task, however...

"I need you to understand that the lessons I offer you, the abilities you may learn require discipline and care. I do not encourage the use of the force to be so frivolous that you would use such things for simple everyday tasks, but in service to others".

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Ishani walked alongside Caedyn to the best of her ability—his legs were longer than hers, and his feet covered more distance with each step, causing her to lag behind a little. She was attentive as he explained the significance of Mount Meru. So far he hadn’t told her just what she would find up there, or what the precise purpose of their journey was besides paying a visit to a mountaintop shrine of some sort.

Putting it that way, so far her Jedi training didn’t seem all that different from her Sith training, at least in terms of tasks and structure. The Sith had her hike through the desert too, venturing into ancient tombs and temples to retrieve artifacts of the distant past. But where Caedyn would have her meditate or something when they reached the peak, a Sith Master would have had her slay a dragon or steal a holocron from a vicious ghost. She wondered if the Jedi were as obsessed with looking back as the Sith seemed to be, eternally poring over their history, trying to unearth the secrets of dead kings. Probably not, or so she hoped—she was sick of rotting dead things and reading texts written in outdated language...

Her master changed the subject to her training and usage of the Force. Ishani’s brow furrowed. She could guess where this was coming from—no doubt Caedyn had presuppositions about what she’d been taught by the Sith. Probably most of what he believed was right on the money, but the insinuation that she had been encouraged to use the Force frivolously made her wrinkle her nose. It brought to mind various instances of bullying by her peers or callous dismissal from instructors who thought alchemy (or at least, her peculiar sphere of the science) was a waste of time.

“You mean like, uh, using the Force to levitate the holoscreen remote right into my hand, so I won’t have to bend over and pick it up?” Her answer was meant to be light-hearted, but her nose was still scrunched up. “I don’t do stuff like that. I mean, using the Force is tiring enough without using it for every little thing. I’ve passed out a few times from sheer exhaustion after healing somebody with the Force…” And twice during the process of creating her first Sithspawn, though he didn’t need to know about that, and to be honest she would rather forget it.

Caedyn Arenais​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

“I don’t do stuff like that. I mean, using the Force is tiring enough without using it for every little thing.
I’ve passed out a few times from sheer exhaustion after healing somebody with the Force…”.
​

This surprised Caedyn. The Je'daii Knight had assumed that Ishani Dinn had grown more accustomed to prolonged Force practice under her training as a prospective Sith Acolyte, yet to hear that she had passed out a number of times due to over-exerting herself was something he hadn't anticipated. It would be a moment to reflect upon later, to note that he does not overestimate his Padawan's abilities in the future, simply because she had come from a background of training within the dark side of the Force.

"How often do you spend time meditating?" he asked in response, walking up the barren slope toward the Mountain Summit. The land was dry desert that looked to have aged to such a degree that the sun had dried up all of what might have once been loose sand, leaving only dead earth, cracked and absent of any plant life within eyes sight.

"Meditation is the gateway to all of our abilities, I'm sure you know..." he continued with a statement, although he couldn't be entirely certain she had been told this, especially given his initial assumption going awry; "Through meditation, we are able to connect with the Force, to distance ourselves from our physical limits and to open ourselves up to greater heights of Force use" he elaborated, offering a reassuring smile to his Padawan in the case that she suddenly found herself embarrassed by the admission.

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“Well, I…” She began in earnest, then trailed off. “Not very much. None, usually.”

She scratched her forehead, using her raised hand to shield her eyes from the sun and to hide her reddening face. The Sith had neither encouraged nor discouraged meditation, though she was aware that others practiced it. Arcturus certainly did—she’d learned that the smell of burning incense in his room usually meant he was in a meditative state, and might not want to be disturbed. Yet Ishani simply didn’t bother, mostly out of laziness, but also due to a deeply rooted suspicion ingrained in her by her upbringing. For a Chaldean, meditation was a pagan frivolity, a waste of time.

Now that she thought about it, the fact that she didn’t bother trying to center herself before using the Force had probably contributed to her blackouts. She had always expected the Force to be there for her when she needed it, and the Sith taught their students that pain was part of the game. If it didn’t hurt, you weren’t doing it right.

“Uh… I should probably start doing that more often, then.”

Caedyn Arenais​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn gave a nod in approval and agreement with her suggestion of further practice, he himself being a big advocate of regular meditation. "I know it's not exactly the most exciting activity compared to training with a lightsaber or making yourself levitate with the Force, but it will empower you in all area's of training if you give it the time and commitment" Caedyn spoke encouragingly.

There was no sense of frustration or disappointment when it came to learning of Ishani Dinn 's past experiences and progress. Truthfully, he preferred to work with someone who was a blank canvass so to speak, but even then, every student was their own person with their own backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses and Caedyn had learned to embrace them for the individuals they were, as opposed to following a certain standard or criteria of training dependant upon their age or class; As was typically the methods of the Jedi institution.

The pair of them were making steady ground on their approach towards the summit and already their objective had come into sight. It was still some way to walk yet, however, the crater of Mount Meru seemed to open up on their side, while a great wall of rock and stone formed a makeshift barrier around a vast clearing that once used to be the Enclave's training ground. The Enclave of Deneba being situated further along the pass, yet that too would come into sight shortly as they continued to move. Caedyn wondered what his Padawan would make of the site, given the establishment was a ruin today.

He had not yet informed her that they were visiting a shadow of the past, a literal gravesite that was once a beacon of the light, representing generations of Jedi before them.

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Caedyn offered some words of encouragement, but didn’t say anything more on the subject. In fact, he didn’t say much at all after that. No insulting her intelligence or belittling her ineptitudes, no insisting that she had to do things his way… yep, definitely not a Sith trainer.

He must really have faith in me, she thought. Even her mother would give her a push or a stern look to cement the responsibility on her shoulders. Then again, Caedyn wasn’t her mother and Jedi training wasn’t like going to school or filling out an application or any other boring activity she did only because she had to. She was here because she wanted to be here, and she would only succeed if she wanted to succeed. Yet Ishani always felt that nagging dread in the back of her mind, a persistent fear that she simply didn’t have what it took to be a Jedi or a Sith...

After a little more walking, some ruins came into view. Big ruins. The architecture was grandiose, but not in the overblown, extravagant way she was used to seeing in the Valley of the Dark Lords. It looked to be some sort of ancient temple or shrine. They were headed straight toward it.

“Uh, Master—what is that place?” she asked, some curiosity finally peeking through the tightly woven cloth of chagrin and heartbreak that had clung to her like a shroud ever since she was forced to flee Korriban.

Caedyn Arenais​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

When his Apprentice spoke to him, Caedyn couldn't help but notice that Ishani Dinn had directly called him 'Master', a title that might not have seemed as significant at the moment to her as it did to the Je'daii Knight himself. Caedyn was not one to enforce such things upon students, and in the past with his first Apprentice, he had always been referred to by the first name basis unless in front of other Mentors or groups of students.

For Ishani to have spoken the words, however, at that moment, Caedyn couldn't help but feel that they had been spoken with a sense of...-Not only acceptance but perhaps comfort in her placement alongside him? It was a gesture that did him proud to be acknowledged as her guide along the Jedi Path, as he only wished to be a positive influence towards a life better catered to her interests and well-being.

"That is the Enclave that we are here to visit" Caedyn answered her, the two of them gradually getting closer to the decrepit establishment until they were eventually standing on the outskirts of the facilities grounds itself; "We are the only ones here. The state of the Enclave has been known to me for some time now" he elaborated so that his Padawan understood that this was expected and part of his intention in bringing her to Deneba.

Nearby, placed between the pair and the fallen Enclave itself was a peculiar looking tome that stood like a tall stone, embedded within the earth itself and seemingly encased around the base by permacrete for safe and secure keeping. This wasn't an ordinary stone of course. It was a Jedi Shrine of Knowledge that Caedyn himself had brought to Deneba in respect to those that had passed away there, as well as to educate others who might seek to follow the path long after he had passed on into the next life.

"I wished to bring you here so that you could see a very real example of what can happen when a Jedi Master loses his way and becomes a victim of the Darkside" Caedyn turned to look to Ishani as he spoke, bearing only a neutral tone and speaking only for her awareness that the Jedi were not without their own flaws and vulnerabilities.

"What you're seeing here is not the work of the Sith, but the former Grandmaster of this very Enclave".

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Ishani’s gaze shifted from the enclave to Caedyn, then to the duracrete pedestal which constituted the shrine. It was situated in such a way that it seemed both part of the ruinous enclave complex, and yet apart from it. What was it? What did it all mean?

"I wished to bring you here so that you could see a very real example of what can happen when a Jedi Master loses his way and becomes a victim of the Darkside. What you're seeing here is not the work of the Sith, but the former Grandmaster of this very Enclave".

“What, you mean the ruins?” She looked around again, shrugging. “And here I thought it was just really old and rundown.”

Still, she was beginning to feel something strange about this place, a sensation that only seemed to intensify the closer they got to their destination. Her unease, born of uncertainty, showed in her fidgeting movements, like she couldn’t sit still. Caedyn might be well-meaning, but as Jedi were often accused, he had a tendency to be too cryptic for his own good. The mystery of it all was beginning to agitate her.

Caedyn Arenais​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"No. Once it was beautiful and full of Jedi who lived and learned within the Enclave. Men, Women and Children" Caedyn replied as they reached the Enclave exterior, looking upon the entrance which had been caved in by clear force from the outside.

"It was the duty of the Grandmaster to ensure the wellbeing of all who lived within the Enclave, to ensure that they were safe and learned well as future Jedi" he continued, though something in his voice had taken a noticeable shift, a mix of apprehension and sadness. "He was lured to the Darkside. He left for a time and when he returned, he brought soldiers, ordering the Enclave and all of its inhabitants to be destroyed" Caedyn turned to look back to his Padawan, gauging her reaction over the story.

Perhaps as a student of the Sith, stories like these were the norm. For Jedi, it wasn't so and Caedyn hoped that she hadn't been so desensitized to the violence and brutality of the Sith to fail to capture the point of the story and why he was telling it to her.

"The man I'm talking about was a Jedi Master. Powerful and considered to be wise in his knowledge. An accomplished Jedi" Caedyn spoke after a pause, "It goes to serve as an example that no matter how far we come, or how much we achieve, we must always pay attention to our words, actions and intentions. Never to let our success or strength in the Force go to our heads and become overconfident in ourselves".

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“Oh.”

Ishani was well-acquainted with the destruction wrought by practitioners of the Dark Side. In the past she had been naïve, believing her academy instructors when they said it was just a tool like any other, a source of power over one’s environment—but her view of it had changed since then. She couldn’t point to any one moment where reality had finally hit her. Maybe it had been more than one incident that gradually revealed the truth. But she knew it well.

She could imagine the day Caedyn described and what the Grandmaster must have been thinking as he ordered the Enclave’s destruction. He probably thought he was doing the right thing, exacting justice or preventing some greater evil. She’d had similar feelings and ideas, and had seen the same sort of motivations behind the cruelty of her fellow acolytes and their masters.

“Who was he?” she asked. “What was his name?” It might have seemed like a pointless question in light of what he had done, but some part of her couldn’t help wondering if the Grandmaster had gone on to become one of the historical Sith Lords she had been taught to revere.

Caedyn Arenais​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"His name was Veiere Arenais; My Father" Caedyn answered her honestly.

Turning to face her, Caedyn did not seek to hide anything from Ishani Dinn . In the past, he may have kept such things to himself, however over time he had learned that details such as this had a way of coming out in the end and he did not wish his Apprentice to ever feel as though her confidence and trust in him had been betrayed.

"Veiere joined the Jedi Order from the age of five years old and he was in his fifties during the time of his fall to the Dark Side of the Force" Caedyn explained further, his voice soft and quiet as they stood within the shadow of the Enclave.

"It was not a sense of loss or the Sith that drove him to succumb to the Darkness, but his growing doubts in the state of the Order in the Galaxy, as well as what he believed were significant failures, ultimately developing into instability. His mental health declined and he turned to the Enclave of Deneba in what he perceived to be evidence of his former weakness. In removing the Enclave he sought to remove his own faults from being evident in the Galaxy" The Je'daii Knight shook his head slowly, conveying both his disagreement with his father's former views as well as his regret that such a tragedy had ever had to occur. It was a time that would plague Veiere's every night in the years to follow, his every act to be one seeking redemption and forgiveness, right up until the day he gave his life in the battle of Bimmisaari.

"The Enclave of Deneba is one of many sites that have witnessed such tragedies...-As Jedi, your calling will attract all kinds of attention, whether you like it or not. The best that you can do, for yourself and those you care about, is ensure that every day you have presented a genuine, compassionate and integral front to the Galaxy. Mind yourself and how you treat others, always be honest and accountable for your mistakes and most importantly, be aware of your emotions and how they can influence you".

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Ishani’s eyebrows rose halfway to her hairline. Caedyn’s father did this?

Well, she supposed that explained why he had brought her here, then. The place had a personal connection to him, tragic as it was. Despite the revelation, her sense of unease remained—although now she was beginning to suspect it was coming from her, not the Deneba Enclave.

She listened to the rest of his explanation, providing some background on Veiere Arenais—a name which she was not familiar with, despite his apparent exploits. The way he spoke of his father was odd. It was as if he were writing the biography of a figure from the distant past. He’d done his research and showed a clear understanding of Veiere’s motives—but his words lacked the emotional intimacy afforded a close family member.

It reminded her of her own father. She could describe what Toloth Threepwood was, what he believed in, and even predict how he would act in any given situation, but she never felt like she really knew him. It was one of many issues which plagued their relationship.

She could imagine him doing a thing like this, too. In fact, she was quite certain he had done it in the past, before she was born. During the Chaldean Civil War...

“You said Veiere’s mental health declined—do you mean he went crazy?” she asked. If the Grandmaster had gone mad, then surely he couldn’t be held completely accountable for his actions.

Caedyn Arenais​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"It was a dark depression, according to what he described, though I suppose the change in his previously gentle nature would've made some people think as much. I was very young at the time, around twelve years and studying with the Je'daii Order when I heard of what was happening. Much of my knowledge comes from what my Mother told us, as well as Veiere's later reflections documented within his Holocron" Caedyn explained in response.

Caedyn's own relationship with Veiere had been greatly flawed, and it hadn't improved any until long after his death when Caedyn had learned from the wise Master Thurion Heavenshield how to communicate with those who had passed on into the afterlife. The story of which he had been telling his Padawan was largely a part of why he had resented and refused to forgive his father for such a long time, and while he had forgiven and moved past such a strained relationship, he still felt there was learning to be found in the tragic example.

"My father was able to come back from the dark side eventually, but not before going into exile for a long time. Naturally, his actions enraged many and he himself knew what he had done, having to live with the fact afterwards when he had regained some sense of himself and who he had been before" Caedyn added. He didn't wish to undersell the fact that his fathers' actions were grave and nigh unforgivable for most. It had been a test for Caedyn himself to have to overcome one day, though it had pained him and taken a great number of years to move past.

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

The subtle difference between Jedi and Je’daii in his speech went unnoticed by Ishani, whose ears weren’t particularly discerning. But it sounded like she’d been right about Caedyn’s feelings toward his father.

On the other hand, what did all this mean for her? Did Caedyn expect her to go into exile, like Veiere had, or else she couldn’t move on? Did he think she needed to do penance, after having barely been a Sith? Was that really enough to taint her?

She thought about the things she had done in her short time with the Sith. Fighting and killing other acolytes and masters, or the filthy Graug in battle. Participating in the subjugation of Ossus. Dueling with Jedi. Seeking more power for Arcturus and herself. Creating Sithspawn that could turn sentient beings into rabid thralls…

The sense of unease that had plagued her abruptly morphed into a physical sensation. She felt nauseous.

“I… Is there…” she stammered, before finally blurting out, “Excuse me for a minute.” She hurried away to find somewhere private.

Caedyn Arenais​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn's head lifted slightly, offering her a brief look of uncertainty before nodding once and gesturing with his left hand for Ishani Dinn to step away. His Padawan's reaction wasn't what he had expected, however that didn't mean it wasn't a healthy moment for the young woman given her past experiences under the influence of the Sith. Depending on how far she had succumbed to the teachings of the Sith, Ishani would have to come to terms with the time she had spent with them, and whatever actions had been committed in the bid to impress them.

Part of being a good Jedi meant having to live with the mistakes of the past, to keep yourselves poised in the present and to avoid dwelling on things that could not be changed or taken back. The whole point about his father however was that no matter how bad the past was, there was always a chance for redemption as long as one was willing and humble.

Turning back to look to the ruined former Enclave of the Jedi, Caedyn sighed to himself quietly. Veiere spent years hating himself for how low he had fallen, yet Caedyn had never known the guilt that had followed his father right up until the day he gave his life for the protection of others. They had lost nearly twenty years of what otherwise could have been a loving father-son relationship. Caedyn's hate for his father had been one of those past mistakes that he'd had to eventually accept and forgive himself for. At some point, everyone needed to come to a point of accepting themselves, flaws and all, and not burning themselves for the things they couldn't do, or failed at. Even acts as horrible as those influenced by the Sith.

 

[Ishani Dinn]

A good distance away from Caedyn and the ruins, Ishani knelt in the dust. Hot sand bit into her palms as she leaned forward, her chest steadily rising and falling with controlled, deliberate breaths.

It didn’t take long for her to realize the nausea twisting her guts wasn’t just stress, but a sign of a real ailment. The fact that she was being hit by this while they were out in the middle of nowhere wasn’t exactly comforting. If it got any worse, and she had to go to the hospital or see a doctor… Well, let’s not be too hasty. It could be nothing. Just an upset stomach.

There were methods the Sith employed to help with this sort of problem. Detoxify Poison, for instance. With the Force she examined her body, seeking to find the cause of the ailment.

There—a cluster of foreign cells dividing and multiplying somewhere in her… her uterus? Oh chit, what was it? A tumor? The hereditary disease she suffered from made her more prone to certain cancers, and while she was still young and healthy, there was always a chance something could go wrong.

She had the power to stop this, whatever it was. Doing so now would certainly give her peace of mind. But as she went deeper, preparing to destroy the cells before they could become too deeply entrenched, she sensed Arcturus. Well, not Arcturus exactly, but the essence of him, woven into the new cells as they grew and expanded and sought purchase in her womb.

Oh.

Ishani’s fingers curled, gathering grit underneath her fingernails. How was this possible? They had taken every precaution—well, except maybe when—but this was crazy! She was supposed to be infertile, and Arcturus had been gone for over a month, and—and this might be all that she had left of him—

All her thoughts ground to a halt as her nausea reached its peak, and she was sick in the bushes. Once she had emptied her stomach, trembling hands reached for her bottle of water to wash out the taste of bile.

“Arcturus,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Arcturus, where are you? You have to come back. Please. Please…”

Force, what chit timing. Maybe if she had known earlier, she could’ve told him, and maybe… maybe he would’ve stayed...

She had to get a grip. Put on a mask for Caedyn, at least. Pretend nothing was wrong and nothing was happening, because if she tried to think about this, address the fact that she was going to have a baby, she would go insane. So she practiced benign excuses. Maybe lie as little as possible—admit she was “sick” but chalk it up to just a stomach bug. She wondered if he could sense her emotions and already knew something was up… damn the natural intimacy between Force Users. Damn it!

Dragging herself to her feet, she paused, taking another drink of water and brushing herself off. She touched the back of her hand to her eyes, and found them dry. No tears. At least she didn’t look shocked and distraught. She took a deep breath and sighed, then headed back toward where her master stood.

Caedyn hadn’t moved from the spot where she’d left him. Approaching at an almost brisk pace, Ishani said, “Sorry, I uh—needed to use the ‘fresher.” It was a catch-all excuse, and one that would deter him from prying, she hoped. “Um, besides the history of the ruins, is there anything else here we need to see… ?”

Caedyn Arenais​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

“Um, besides the history of the ruins, is there anything else here we need to see… ?”

Caedyn turned to look back to his Apprentice as she apologized for her abrupt request to be dismissed, waving his left hand in a reassuring gesture to give the indication that it was of no concern nor worry to him whatsoever. Her following question would be answered, though only in the form of another question placing their next movements upon the shoulders of his younger Apprentice to decide.

He had indeed sensed a shift in her emotional state during her absence, the Force fluctuating around one's feelings so easily, especially for those who were influenced so heavily by their passions as encouraged by the Sith. Caedyn however would not intrude, he respected Ishani Dinn 's right to privacy and would hope that were she ever to need his advice and counsel, then perhaps she would come to him seeking it just as she did their first meeting.

"That depends on what would you like to do?" Caedyn smiled faintly before further speaking, "I was going to help you in the way of your skills in the Force as well. One such lesson on my list for the immediate future being on how to decrease your presence in the force to such a state that you become undetectable to other Force Users for example"...-But this would be a lesson that would likely require Ishani to practice some resilience in the way of her emotions and personal fragility that Caedyn could sense at the present time.

"Or we can look at the Tome of Knowledge over there" he gestured towards the Jedi Shrine; "Otherwise we can return to the ship and take a break for a while...-There's a number of locations I was planning on taking us to".

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Hiding her presence with the Force? Ishani remembered what had happened the last time she tried to use the Force to make herself invisible. She’d been caught and wounded in the leg. Arcturus came running to her rescue—

Don’t.

“Okay,” she mumbled, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible. “Is it, uh, Art of the Small? Is that what it’s called?” She thought she might have read about the technique somewhere, in one of the dusty old tomes in the Royal Academy’s library.

“I mean, just leaving now seems like a waste of a trip.” Glancing at the Shrine, she felt a slight tug toward it, drawn in. “How does this thing work, anyway?” she asked. “I don’t see any buttons to press… is it like a holocron? Do I have to use the Force to get it to cough up the goods?”

Waving her hands around the Shrine like a cheap fortune teller will gesticulate theatrically over a crystal ball, she muttered, “Give me the knowledge… please.”

Caedyn Arenais​