Faction The Gathering [NJP + Open to All Jedi]

[Kitter Bitters]

The Gathering

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The winds of Ilum howled low across the frozen expanse, carrying with them whispers of something ancient, and something waiting. Beneath the endless fields of snow and ice, the crystal caves stirred with quiet resonance, their hidden kyber veins humming in anticipation of those who had come.


The Jedi arrived together. The ship cut briefly through the pale sky before settling onto the frost-bitten surface, their silhouettes stark against the horizon. Cloaked figures emerged, breaths visible in the biting cold, boots crunching softly as they gathered near the cavern entrance. Some stood in silent reflection, others exchanged measured greetings, but all felt the pull. The call that had brought them here.

This was no ordinary mission.

This was The Gathering.

Masters and Knights lingered at the edges, watchful but distant, allowing the initiates space to confront what awaited them within. The entrance to the caves loomed ahead, dark and unwelcoming, yet alive with a quiet energy that pressed against the senses. It was not fear that filled the air but something deeper. Expectation. Destiny. Each Jedi present carried their own story, their own path that had led them to this frozen world. Some were steady and composed, others restless, their thoughts racing beneath calm exteriors. For many, this would be the moment that defined them as the first true step in understanding not only the Force, but themselves.

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[Katarine Ryiah]

"This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster; an elegant weapon for a more civilized age"
-Obiwan Kenobi

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The wind quieted as Katarine Ryiah stepped forward, her presence steady against the cold expanse of Ilum. Snow gathered lightly at the edges of her robes, but she seemed unmoved by the chill as she was grounded, centered, and listening to something far deeper than the storm. For a moment, she said nothing. Her gaze moved across the assembled Jedi, lingering, reading, understanding.

When she finally spoke, her voice was calm, measured, and carried effortlessly across the frozen plain. "The path that has brought you here is not linear. Each of you has been guided, by the Force, by your choices, and by something within you that is still becoming."

She turned slightly, gesturing toward the darkened mouth of the crystal caves. "This is The Gathering. A rite of passage undertaken by all Jedi who seek to take the next step in their journey." Her expression remained composed, but there was a weight beneath her words. "Many believe this is a quest to build a lightsaber. That is only a part of the truth."

She paused, and held each of their gazes in turn with her deep green eyes.

"What awaits you inside is not simply a crystal but a connection. A bond forged through the Force itself. The kyber you find will not be chosen by skill, or strength, or ambition… but by resonance. It will answer something within you."

Her eyes lifted toward the cavern entrance, distant for just a breath. "The caves will test that." A subtle shift in the air seemed to follow her words. "The crystal caves are not passive. They listen. They see. They will draw upon your fears, your doubts, your memories, touching threads you may not yet fully understand. They will challenge your resolve and, in doing so, reveal who you are… and who you may yet become."

Her gaze returned to the group, sharper now.

"Once you cross that threshold, your journey will become your own. No two paths within the caves are ever the same. What you encounter and what you face will be deeply personal."

A quiet intensity settled in her tone.

"There is a powerful vergence in the Force within these caves. It will not judge you by perfection… but it will respond to truth. To honesty. To your willingness to face what lies within."

The wind stirred again, though softer now. Katarine stepped closer, her voice lowering slightly, not weaker, but more intimate. "Listen to the Force. Not just when it is clear… but when it is uncertain. When it is quiet." She looked across them once more, and something gentler surfaced beneath her composure.

"You are not alone in this. Though your journeys will differ, you walk this path together. If you can offer guidance, do so. If you can show compassion, do so. Strength in the Force is not found in isolation but in connection. Trust in yourselves. Trust in each other."

Her hand lifted slightly toward the cavern, an unspoken invitation. "When the time comes… trust in what calls to you."

The entrance to the caves seemed darker now, yet somehow more alive.

"Go," she said softly, "and may the Force guide you."

 

[Sergeant Omen]

As the Mynock Class drifted through Ilum's dense cloud cover, Omen turned to smile at his young ward. "Looking forward to this? It should be fun to see. Maybe they'll even let you participate somehow. But be careful, they might make you put those robes on, and after that, you're theirs forever. It's part of a contract you have to sign to get them." At least if the clearance codes Braze gave him were right and they didn't get blasted out of the sky. But thankfully, no turbolaser blasts came into the sky as they came in to land, and they were able to find a cleared landing pad without flying into a snow bank

After they had landed, Omen walked down the ramp, looking to see if their contact was around anywhere before turning to smile at Jett as his ward plodded after him. "Look, whatever you think about the Jedi, they are good people. A lot lack a sense of humor, but still, they are good people. Even the ones that sound like they are robots made to do good. And I'm sure they'll answer any questions about their religion or practices that you want to know." Now all that was left was to say hello.

Jett Vox

( Braze or Jasper Kai'el to greet them)

 

[Jayna Ismet-Thio]

Objective: Find a lightsaber crystal
Location: Ice Caves of Ilum
Outfit: Warm clothes
Tags: Katarine Ryiah | Sergeant Omen | OPEN

The cold didn’t bother her. Not really. Jayna Ismet-Thio stood just at the edge of the gathered group, boots half-buried in fresh Ilum snow, her attention fixed entirely on the woman speaking. The wind tugged at loose strands of her hair, but she barely noticed. There was something about the way Katarine Ryiah carried herself—steady, certain—that made it hard to look anywhere else.

Jayna shifted her weight, hands clasped loosely behind her back, trying—failing—to keep still. Not about building a lightsaber. That part stuck.

Her gaze flicked briefly toward the dark mouth of the caves, then back again as Katarine spoke of resonance… of truth… of being seen. The excitement bubbling in her chest didn’t go away—but it changed. Sharpened. Took on an edge she hadn’t quite expected.

This wasn’t just finally getting to do the thing. It was something else entirely. “…right,” Jayna murmured under her breath, more to herself than anyone else. “No pressure.”

A quick exhale, almost a laugh—but quieter than usual. She rolled her shoulders once, trying to shake out the tension that had crept in without permission. Tests. Fears. Memories. That part—yeah, that part she could’ve done without.

Still…Her eyes drifted back to the cave entrance. Dark. Waiting. Alive.

“Okay,” she said, a little more firmly this time, like committing to the idea made it easier to step into. “Guess we’re doing this for real.”

Movement to her side caught her attention, and she glanced over just in time to spot a late arrival—ship just down, figures stepping out into the snow. One older, relaxed in a way that didn’t quite match the setting. The other younger, trailing just behind.

Jayna angled slightly in their direction, curiosity kicking back in full force.

“Hey—” she called lightly, raising a hand in greeting as they approached. “You two here for this too? Or just… sightseeing on one of the coldest planets imaginable?”

There was a flicker of a grin there—easy, a little teasing, but not unfriendly.

“I’m Jayna,” she added, gesturing briefly toward herself before hooking a thumb back toward the caves. “Apparently we’re about to go in there and get emotionally evaluated by glowing rocks.”

A beat. “…which I’m choosing to take as a good sign.” Her gaze shifted between them, open and expectant, before she glanced once more toward Katarine Ryiah and the others beginning to move.

The moment was here. Excitement surged again—stronger than the nerves this time. “Come on,” Jayna said, stepping forward a pace toward the cavern entrance, energy returning in full. “If something’s supposed to ‘call’ us, I’d rather not keep it waiting.”

 

[Solene Beroya]

SOLENE BEROYA

Location: Ilum
Objective: help lead the jedi
Tags:
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Solene remembered her own first trip to Ilum to search for a lightsaber crystal. It was a right of passage for jedi and yet something about this icy world seemed off, perhaps it was just the shadows cast from the destruction of the planet and the death that it was forced to be a part of, perhaps it was just her imagining things on a world covered with force resonant crystal. She had meditated on it when she arrived and felt peace, that was what was important. Dwelling on the shadows of the past was a route to join them.

She walked along with Katarine Ryiah she respected the woman, what she was creating was a thing of harmony, a good thing in this galaxy. She listened to her guiding words and added her own. "These caves will know who you truly are, perhaps better than yourself. Be ready to learn and be ready to face challenges from angles you never expected."

Solene remembered hers, it forced her to confront what it meant to feel dar'manda. It was not even an expression she registered before, despite her knowing that is what she was and being called it to her face. She had not realised that she even had guilt to feel. But the caves showed her it and helped the then seventeen year old accept who she really was. She felt her sigil necklace against her neck and she gave a content smile.

“Apparently we’re about to go in there and get emotionally evaluated by glowing rocks.”

She laughed softly, "A very useful description padawan Jayna, and one that I might borrow for the future."

She too crossed into the threshold of the caves.

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[Jett Vox]

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Aboard the Mynock - Ilum

"I'm not the monkish type," she said, her lips thinning in mild distaste. "I don't even know what a Jebri does, other than master--meditate... or maybe shoot lightning out of their fingers," she added with her trademark mispronunciation of a word she'd never tried. "...and I'm not signin' not contract I can't get out of." She smugly looked out of the viewport at the planet they were landing on. Rocky. Good. Sparsely populated. Better. Then she saw the Temple come into view as they settled onto the landing pad, rolling her eyes before she put her helmet on. <bzzt> "Here we go, I guess." <bzzt>

She listened to Omen like a student would her teacher, but also a young student with a taste of the rebelliousness. On her back was strapped a blaster-rifle that was older but in pristine condition, and on her hip her trusty DL-44 pistol. Across the small of her back set a Mandalorian hatchet - a gift, from the Mandalore Isley Verd. The rest of her was pretty typical, though she had repainted her Beskar with the crimson of her Father's original armor. Something made her wary of where she was. Something instinctual, that rose up from her gut and infested her nerves.

<bzzt> "I've got a baaaad feeling about these guys," <bzzt> she said under her breath.

The young Mandalorian kept close to Omen, knowing better than to put any hands near any of her weapons, but feeling tense and wary nonetheless. Something about the place felt like walking into enemy territory and though she only had animosity towards the Chistori specifically, Jett still felt something wrong about all this calm and tranquility. Not that she'd ever cause trouble intentionally, and even accidentally, as she'd been training on the functions of her armor for a lot longer now. Anyway, at least she knew better than that. It just felt like walking over her own grave.

Sergeant Omen

 

[Novac Lyrikal]

looking at the mouth of cave, novac couldn't help but think 1 single thought over and over and over again.

'i am so cold.'

his reptilian nature made the cold really, REALLY suck. it has hard to keep himself warm. his long serpentine body was hard to fully cover so he was more or less stuck being cold.

"so...think it will be any warmer in there?" he jokingly said to no one in particular while shivering. he had to say something. partly to try and not think, 'cold, cold, cold, cold,' but also because in truth, he was nervous. he shouldnt be so nervous but he couldn't help it. what if he messed up, did something wrong. he has no clue what could happen. what if he fails some how. what if...no. cant keep thinking about that. got to think about whats coming. get himself mental ready. they said the cave will kinda "test" us. well, hopefully passing with flying colors in this case means taking a kyber crystal.

glancing at the others gathered with him he was a little worried. they wont be able to travel together, or at least thats how it sounded to him. hopefully that wont be to bad. he'd much prefer to stay by someones side, but would that be possible he wondered.

 

[Matsu Ike]

The gathering was a pivotal and important part of a padawans journey within the jedi. A time for them to learn and reflect upon themselves and what they would do within the jedi. Which was why she had come to see and on the trip over had encouraged the few brought to relax, focus their minds and to channel the force to themselves with a game of push-feather. The small padawans and younglings game was for practice and training only a feather was small in the ship.

The jedi padawans who had been there as they were moving towards the smaller group were practicing the force user and their own stamina within as they launched the grandmaster of the silver jedi into the air. Her body weight reduced at the molecule level with art of the small to shift it and they were using her like the feather as she bounced up into the air and listened to Katarine Ryiah as she was speaking and giving them the information so that they would be able to complete the trial.