The First Act

[Ozan Yavessk]

• Ossus, the Jedi Temple •​

Ossus. Its storied past rung through his mind as boot made contact with the lush flora below, the surface no longer such a far cry from its original iteration. But it seemed irregardless of the time that sped by its history of destruction would stain its surface. Turning briefly to the large ship behind him, three hard smacks to its exterior signalling them that he was ready to leave, the ramp he had stepped off hissed and slowly shut and he began one of the shorter journeys of his life. To the Jedi Temple. He had already contacted them, explaining he was seeking further training after discovering his own force potential, a sufficient story so that he may leave out the fact he had in fact received training from reclusive space monks. And so they had sent him here, to find his Master, likely figuring that one of their most storied and knowledge filled temples would be a good place for a professor. Or perhaps they saw something different for him that he could not realize so early in his life.

In either case he still had a small walk ahead of him and with a hand raised to push through the flora that cast the shadow on his path, Ozan pushed through yet another bit of forestry before the temple revealed itself. It stood tall, vines embracing pillars and stretching across temple walls, statues dedicated to the oldest and founding members of the temple sprinkled throughout the courtyard that seemingly circled the entirety of the temple. The entire planet a garden that simply allowed the temple to take root. He smiled softly as he stared out at it, an open path ahead of him. The ship he had left behind, that he had paid to gain access upon, hummed and then roared behind him as it lifted off into the sky and quickly after the atmosphere itself - the gate to the rest of the galaxy.

Making his way forward once more, a bag wrapped across his torso carrying what little he had, at this point mostly his research as a xenoarchaeologist. Draped in the robes of the Jedi, a means of being recognized as one of them, he quickly planted himself on the direct walk way to the entrance of the temple. The bubble of joy, anxiety, and pressure that resides within his chest only increasing as he now stepped directly into the temple. At a loss for what to do with himself he simply stood in place at the very breach of the temple. He needed a Master. And a room.

[member="Phylis Alince"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Ozan Yavessk"]
“Ah, but how is it that he appears here and later? Could Lord Scourge be a title rather than a person? Hmmph, no, no, no! There has to be some form of stopping decay. As the Emperor’s Wrath he would have…” Phylis trailed off.
She had an idea that there was something going on that she’d missed or forgotten. What could it be?

An earnest frown crossed her face as she tried to remember. Finally she shrugged and was about to go back to discussions of the ancient past (with herself), when her commlink buzzed.
She reached for it, knocking over a stack of datacards in the process.
“Oh…fibula,” she muttered as she scrabbled for the device. “Phylis here!” she finally managed to say.
“Master Alince, there’s a man at the Temple entrance. I believe the Council assigned you to meet him,” the doorkeeper said.
“Did we?” Phylis asked, frowning. Treacherous memories were coming back about a message she’d received about a Padawan. They hadn’t wanted her to teach him, had they?
“Yes, Master. Are you coming?” the doorkeeper asked patiently.
“Oh yes, yes of course! I’ll be right there.”
Casting a last despairing look around the messy room she headed for the exit.

At the gate she approached, full Jedi robes and her lightsabre at her side. There was a young man there, presumably the student.
“Ah…so you’re the prospect, are you? Jedi Master Phylis Alince,” she said, extending a hand politely.

 

[Ozan Yavessk]

"Ah... sir?" Hm, he peered to his right and there without him even noticing stood a young robed man, likely sixteen at best, a braid in his hair and puzzled expression on his face. "Are you waiting for someone? Or, do you need directions?" Realizing his standing here probably looked a little odd he quickly collected himself in his moment of awe. He had heard of the Jedi, everyone had, but never did he assume his future would include them in it. He was a researcher. A professor. And... he was still waiting.

"Oh, no, I'm waiting for someone."

"Oh! Very well. I could fetch them for you. Who are you waiting for?"

"I'm not sur- ah, her." The human woman approached, full garb and lightsabers on hand, and the young man quickly noting her spoke a quick 'Hello Master' before walking away. Ozan briefly shaking her hand. An odd custom he thought, but nevertheless. "Ozan Yavessk. I was directed to come here for my Master."

[member="Phylis Alince"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Ozan Yavessk"]
Phylis peered at him. “Oh…good,” she commented vaguely. “Well it seems as though I’ve been assigned to be your Master. So, let’s walk and talk, shall we?”

They walked through the Temple and back towards the Jedi Master’s room.
“So, have you had previous training? When did you discover that you had the Force? Why do you want to be a Jedi? Can you read ancient Sith? What is your favourite colour? Oh and…hmm…are you human?”
This barrage of questions gave no chance to answer until she was finished. Then she stopped suddenly and turned on the prospective Padawan.
“Also, and this is very important, what are your views on redemption, the Dark Side, and the Jedi?”

 

[Ozan Yavessk]

Nodding he readjusted the bag slung over his shoulder and quickly followed the woman, the Jedi, Phylis. Then without any pause he was abruptly bombarded with more questions than even the initial Jedi he met had asked, including those that saw fit to send him here. So much so his steps slowed though her stopping masked such on his part. And for a moment he struggled on whether or not he should lie to her. It was a question that lasted all of a few seconds. Though the galaxy may not have been prepared for his true appearance, the Jedi would surely understand strangeness.

"I have, yes. And I discovered the Force when the Aing-Tii monks that housed me sensed it within me. They trained me to a degree. I would have remained with them but I received a vision of suffering - which has led me here. The Jedi help people, they are symbols of such, and I too wish to help people. So I seek to be a Jedi." He was forced to take a breath, and yet he was not even halfway through her questions. "I cannot read ancient Sith. But I can learn. Brown. And no, I am not. I am a Shi'ido, a shapeshifting species." Her next set of questions however begged a moment of consideration.

"I believe redemption should be fostered and those that truly wish to, can succeed. As far the Dark Side and the Jedi... I suppose I can quote you what I was taught. That there is neither a light or a dark inherently - only what we use our gifts for. But I have not yet learned enough to offer a real opinion, so I remain open. As for the Jedi, I believe them to be heroes and scholars ideally."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Ozan Yavessk"]
“A Shi’ido trained by the Aing-Tii, hmm? Very curious. Well, I know a little about your people, indeed I know [member="Erinyes Draclau"], the Princess of there. Or at least, she says she is. Hmm…well, brown is a good colour. Just so long as you don’t say pink or yellow. Never been a proponent of yellow.”

“So you believe that the Dark Side is merely based on the decisions we make, hmm? Interesting. We shall see if this is what you still believe after a while. However as scholars and heroes we should be. Reality is always a little more…opaque.”

With that, she seemed satisfied and led the student to her room. Quickly shifting things aside, she unearthed a chair for him to sit on.
“Right, so Ozan, was that your name? Yes, can I call you Ozan? Good. You can call me Master Alince, or Master. Hmm…or Phylis, I suppose. Don’t do that too often though.”

 

[Ozan Yavessk]

"It was coincidence I found them. I was actually chasing a lead for my research," he did not recognize this 'princess' of his people but then he never was in a position for such to impact his life "A princess? Well, unfortunately, I would not be able to confirm for you. I left my world long ago to become a Xenoarchaeologist." That and he came from a family of hunters situated in a village so remote that it necessitated hunters. Following her, it would seem as that little to nothing was mentioned regarding him, perhaps not even that she was to teach him.

"Keeping up appearances?" the questioned followed her statement about not addressing her simply by her name, but however she responded, he had a question to follow significantly more important to him. "May I ask you what it is that you think of the Dark and Light sides of the Force?" Ozan set his bag down.

[member="Phylis Alince"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Ozan Yavessk"]

“Xenoarchaeologist, hmm? Well it turns out I am the leading archaeologist, Master of First Knowledge and Archivist of the Jedi Order! I think our interests converge. Hmm, this is very pleasing. We can discuss your interests and discoveries later.”

He asked about the title. “Hmmph, it is far more than vanity or aggrandisement, Padawan,” she said severely. “Despite the efforts of many other groups of breakaway Jedi, we are an Order where rules, codes and discipline pervades. Often in spite of the Jedi in it, I fear. Regardless, calling me Master is not so I can feel a sense of power, it is an acknowledgement that I am the teacher, and that the Force is not something we can all control and master in a day.”

It was into this that he asked the alignment question. Well, Phylis Alince didn’t want to scare off the boy with a full lecture, so the Cliff Notes edition would have to do.
“What do I think of them? Hmm, well despite the efforts of some to grey the issue out, or to advance the cause of relativism, the Dark and Light sides exist. That is self-evident. Do I believe that either is a sentient entity on par with a deity, no. However, the Force is an energy field which binds the galaxy together. Actions committed by one effects not just their surrounds, but elsewhere too. The Force has an enabling, a…magnifying…property which empowers one to a higher level of power and control than ever possible to one without it. However, one’s alignment is also affected by this. The more negative emotions, the more anger, hate and evil one is using the Force, the more it magnifies itself. The same is also true of the Light Side. The capacity of one to use the Force benevolently increases one’s power also. This is not to say that one trying to hold a middle ground cannot be powerful, but they would be more powerful still if they embraced the Light or Dark Sides of the Force. So naturally it follows that I view the Dark Side as anathema, to be avoided, but also to be understood.”
She realised she had in fact lectured, despite her best intentions. She frowned. “Hmm, that wasn’t a very short answer, but the reason is that it’s one of the most difficult questions in all of Force Theology.”

 

[Ozan Yavessk]

"Very well, and yours as well, Master." Humour was something he still had to work on it seemed, as she responded seriously to his question regarding the title. But it mattered little to him overall. What did however was the question she followed up with and he listened intently. He had arrived with two opinions regarding the Force. That it was something absent light or darkness - and that he did not know. Now he had three. That while both exist it is ones connection to one or the other that determines the ripple one will create through the use and the power they wield. It was an interesting debate one way or another, but it was one that spoke to him. But time would decide a philosophy.

"Yes, so I would imagine. In any case, I've been getting the feeling you were unaware of my arriving and assignment to you," well, probably, he wasn't actually sure who his intended master was suppose to be. If there even was one "and so I now ask you - Master [member="Phylis Alince"] would you take me as your padawan?"

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Ozan Yavessk"]
Phylis rooted around in her stack of papers, files and data cards and produced one at last, slotting it into a datapad.
“Hmm, well, I was told a prospect would be coming by and that the Council wanted me to investigate and see if they were worthy. Well, I’m on the Council, you know. But hmm, yes, I rather got distracted by my work on the Middle Sith Empire, and lost track of time. You know how it is,” she said with a vague wave of the hand to indicate her study.

She paused, and seemed to actually look at him properly for the first time. It was as though she was actually concentrating on Ozan. Finally she nodded.
“Hmm, yes. I think I shall take you on as a Padawan. At the least you’ll be able to learn something with your mind, if not in the Force too. Welcome to the Jedi Order, Ozan.”

 

[Ozan Yavessk]

"Ah, excellent." though so often his tone did not differ from one fluctuation to the next, it seemed irregardless of his inability to detect his own emotion, excitement at the prospect of learning something always broke through his otherwise neutral expression - now a broad smile. But something she mentioned did stand out to him, as one probably could have guessed, but curiosity overcoming him he nevertheless spoke.

"I know very little of the Sith, other than they are a religion the Jedi clash with repeatedly. What exactly are they?"

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Ozan Yavessk"]
“Hmm, well, yes. That’s one facet of reality, for sure. See, what a Sith is rather depends on who, when and where you ask. The Sith were once an actual race of red-skinned humanoids who came from Korriban and later spread over the galaxy, provoked to conflict by accident by the Republic. However, even then it was the arrival of renegade Dark Side humans which allowed the Sith to flourish. So very early on the Sith became, hmm, more of a political and social construct than just the race. Later on, in the Middle Empire, the Sith became very much a despotic monarchy, but one which had evolved much. Later still when the Sith species became extinct the term Sith became a term for a form of political, social, racial and Force based beliefs which allowed it to survive with amazing tenacity. The Emperor Palpatine for instance was a Sith, but he was human, and his beliefs were in key ways different from the ancient Sith, yet he believed himself to be one. Hmm, and now? Well, there are so many self-proclaimed Sith around that even the term ‘Sith’ is rather porous.”

She’d lectured again. It was a bad habit. “Uhh, well, in basic; it’s a term given to a broad tradition of Dark Side users.”
She beamed.

 

[Ozan Yavessk]

During her lecture he finally accepted the chair she had pulled for him earlier, focusing on her explanation, "An actual species," the words quietly spilled from his lips subsequent her lecture, the idea fascinating, and as if reflex he leaned over and reached into his bag before removing from it a datapad. One he received subsequent the earning of his doctorate - special, for both its representation and what it could do. Connected to the servers of the University of Timb he knew precisely what he was looking for. A specific piece of information regarding this Sith species and what they would become. Swiping through various files and documents, eyes trained to the screen of the datapad he was for now lost in the information. No, no, no... yes! "I found it! 6900 BBY." Grabbing the necessary additional information, the screen shut down with another few presses, and the datapad found itself back into his bag.

Turning back to his more than likely curious Master, he nevertheless spoke. "Master, where we are going, you must remember that physically you have not moved and that you truly are here. On Ossus. In the Jedi Temple. Within your room. Repeat it to yourself throughout the experience. Now, are you ready?"

The Force flowed through him without warning and yet did not explode from him like an ability such as the pushing of an object forwards, instead it resonated within him, and then expanding out like a bubble that entrapped them both within. The world beyond it almost shaking by sensation and quickly began speeding away, quick and without warning, moving faster and faster until it was all but a blur until within moments there they were. Korriban. A planet of red and dust and stepping from a distant ship a group of eleven, the original Jedi exiles that launched a war of darkness and found themselves exiled here. Replacing their seats and furniture a set of rocks and boulders but what brought him to his feet, to a momentary daze and exhaustion as he fell to a knee catching his breath after the use of the ability the Aing-Tii had taught him, was the crimson skinned aliens that approached the group of Dark Jedi from afar. A receiving party most likely. In any case neither he or [member="Phylis Alince"] were visible to them. He had never brought another with him - and to his surprise, it was a lot harder.

 

[Ozan Yavessk]

Thread voided.