Faction The Gathering [NJP + Open to All Jedi]

[Pari Sylune]

"so..what do we do? just wonder around or something? i mean, i almost hear..singing, coming from down there" he said point his lower left arm down a tunnel he couldnt see the end of. "is that where i should go?"

Pari smiled a calm and knowing smile. She was only a padawan but she had already done this before, and she was a very spiritual person. To someone like her these were the easy tasks. It was the fighting that got hard for the young girl.

“Close yours eyes. Listen to the Force. Your crystal is calling you. It will direct your steps. I cannot tell you. The answer is buried deep within. If you hear its song you must follow.”

She knew that sounded frustrating but this was part of the ritual. The journey had to be taken from inside.

" A guide ? I have no habit to have a guide, but ok... ? We enter whenever you're ready."

Pari nodded, a little sadly. She knew this must feel like needing a babysitter and she did not mean it that way at all, especially because she was probably not even a match for the Sith who wanted redemption. This was about support and helping someone who had fallen who would have to deal with things the others did not.

“I am here only to help. Your experience may be very unique because of your past. I want to help support you. We want you to feel welcome here.”

She motioned for Lyssara to lead the way, and nodded encouragingly at Novac.

Lyssara Thrynn Novac Lyrikal

 

[Warren of the Narrows]

Warren's ears twitched beneath his hood as Novac approached. Even standing at nearly two meters tall himself, the sheer size of the serpent-like Padawan was intimidating. He was longer than some of the ships Warren had ridden in, and it was safe to say he hadn't seen anyone like him before. Not wanting to appear rude, he pushed the feeling aside and glanced back toward Novac, finally meeting his gaze.

"I'm Warren," he said simply. "And no… not really." His nose tipped upward again out of instinct, even though he already knew it would give him nothing. "The cold is okay. The dryness is…" He paused, searching for the right word before settling on, "wrong." He could handle the cold well enough, but his fur needed moisture to stay healthy. He imagined Novac could relate in his own way, being reptilian, the cold was likely far worse for him.

Their conversation didn't last long before the group was ushered into the cave. Standing at its mouth had been overwhelming on its own, but stepping inside was something else entirely. Warren found himself staring upward as the cavern swallowed them whole, his eyes tracing the immense ceiling overhead as the last of the wind faded behind them. The silence that replaced it was hypnotic in its own sense. The Force thrummed through the space, echoing through the crystals like reflections on mirrors, lighting the cavern with a presence that was impossible to ignore.

His wide brown eyes scanned the cave, searching for any sign of the crystals, his focus narrowing to the task at hand. As Warren walked, the presence of the others began to slip from his awareness, not all at once but gradually, like something being pulled away without him noticing. His thoughts drifted instead to what it would feel like to find his crystal, what it would mean to finally complete this step. For a moment, there was pride in that thought, something warm and steady, and with it came the image of his Master standing beside him, watching.

The feeling caught in his throat before he could fully settle into it. Warren swallowed hard, forcing it down as quickly as it had surfaced, unwilling to let it linger long enough to turn into something heavier. The warmth twisted into something uncertain, and doubt followed close behind, creeping in where confidence should have been.

He lingered in that space longer than he realized. When he finally looked back, the others were gone.

Warren turned, scanning the path behind him, listening for footsteps or voices, but the cave offered nothing in return. Even as he retraced a few careful steps, the surroundings felt unfamiliar, wrong in a way he couldn't fully explain. The more he tried to remember where he had come from, the less certain he became, as if the cave itself had quietly erased the path behind him.

He stood there for a moment, alone in the silence, letting the realization settle without letting it overwhelm him. Beneath the uncertainty, there was something else, something quieter but steady enough to hold onto. A pull. Not strong or demanding, but persistent in a way that was difficult to ignore.

Warren drew in a slow breath, steadying himself, and turned back toward the deeper tunnels. Whatever waited for him further in, whatever this place intended to show him, he would have to face it. It was the only way forward, whether he liked it or not.

TAG: Jayna Ismet-Thio Matsu Ike Kael Venn Novac Lyrikal ​

 

[Lyssara Thrynn]

Nah, it's not her fault, why does she feel sad? I'm just not used to having a guide; among us Sith, on Korriban, we were taught the merit of every man for himself, we were thrown into the lion's den with the only instruction being to survive, kill or be killed. Camaraderie, friendships, all of that didn't exist for us; betrayal was common practice too, so I can't hold it against her.

Wanting to place a compassionate hand on her shoulder she doesn't have to feel bad about my physical and mental condition; this path is what forged me into who I am today, unfortunately for better and for worse. I learned to rely only on myself, that's why.

"Come now, the advice you just gave me about the crystal's song, it's the key I was missing. Thank you."

And I mean it sincerely; we were taught to make the crystal bleed, to impose our will upon it. If I had gone in there with that will to dominate, to pass the trial through force, I would have lost, and Ilum would have returned all that violence to me a hundredfold. I give her a kind smile, and I begin to head into the ice caves.

"Thank you, without you, I would have been lost. Let's do this together! "

Ready to face the caves with this new piece of information, I walk forward with my hands in my pockets, careful not to slip. I deactivate my private comlink so I don't have to hear Nyva talking through the speaker like she's been doing this whole time. It will help me concentrate.

As I do, here I am pacing through the ice caves of Ilum. She said the crystal sang; for now, I don't notice anything. My mind is still too angry to hear anything at all; I imagine I have to get on the same wavelength as it or some bullshit like that, but how... I look at my reflection in the ice wall of the cave. Hmm... I'm perplexed. That's why, i have no find the crystal, at the first force scan... I need to concentrate my mind and myself, but the risk, is he broken if i take it, when i'm angry.

Pari Sylune

 

[Solene Beroya]

SOLENE BEROYA

Location: Ilum
Objective: help lead the jedi
Tags: Pari Sylune Lyssara Thrynn
​

Solene felt the interloper before she saw her. The dark presence of Lyssara Thrynn made her body begin to ready itself for confrontation. Solene was a peaceful woman, but she conditioned like any other warrior to be ready and she turned to focus on the new person. She was ready to ignite her blade when she heard Katarine Ryiah introduce her. Solene trusted the other master so her body relaxed just enough allow a polite nod of welcome. But the distrust was there.

Pari Sylune was nominated as the guide for this woman and began chatting to her within the cave. She was pleased with Pari's knowledge, she was smart and had a serene quality about her, but perhaps she needed a little more self assuredness, maybe.

Solene quickly followed and placed her hand on the padawan's shoulder to ger her attention. "Padawan Sylune, I will accompany you and our guest here. Feel free to lead as I do not wish to detract from the faith that Master Ryiah has placed in you.

but..." and she grinned at the sith.

"I hope our guest will not find it rude if I do not immediately feel comfortable sending out padawan into a force concentrating cave with an unknown quantity."

For Solene, there was very very few people she would consider beyond redemption, so her tone towards Lyssara was friendly enough. But her words made clear that she wasnt going to let her guard down and be led into a trick. And if Lyssara's intentions were truly peaceful she would no doubt understand the caution and perhaps even welcome the attention of one of the New Praxeum council members.

​

 

[Lyssara Thrynn]

I can feel the animosity, but it doesn't truly bother me; I'm used to it—among the Sith, there is nothing else. She's actually announcing her intention to accompany us? Fine by me. At least I'll have a personal escort toward that green Kyber crystal! I return her polite nod and extend my hands in a gesture of peace and redemption.

"Know that I am not here to fight, but to find a green Kyber crystal and follow the path of the Jedi. If you wish to join us, so be it; I personally have nothing to hide."

With that said, I turn toward the ice cave I had intended to enter with Pari. It's time to go. I am more preoccupied by the horrors I am about to witness than by the fact that she is troubled by my presence how could I blame her? If I were in her shoes, I probably would have reacted the same way. Distrust is to be expected, but given what I'm about to experience, this isn't going to be a walk in the park for me. The Padawan's advice makes sense: if the crystal reacts to a certain harmony, then I must be aligned with it to find it.

"Relax, take it easy.... Take my lightsaber, if it makes you feel safer."

I hold out my own corrupted saber with a nonchalant gesture. I have no intention of attacking anyone here; in fact, the only person I'm likely to destroy in this place is myself. The visions of Ilum are notorious for that. And given my past as a scientist, I'm likely to see some true horrors. I just hope my mental health can keep up with the pace, because there is a lot of darkness left to purify.
Solene Beroya Pari Sylune

 

[Jett Vox]

​

She shot a look at Omen when he implied that she'd have to be 'social' and then another that included an unseen pout <bzzt> "I finished all my chores. I can't help it that I have to clean up after you too." There was no bitterness, just a pointedness that as a teenager, barely seventeen, she felt like she had better things to do with her time. She then glanced back at the hatchet. "Oh that? No... not yet anyway. It was a gift from the Mandalore, so I figured I should keep it close until I can figure out what it's for." <bzzt> She shrugged.

Jett had never seen so many unusual creatures gathered in one place at one time. She gave respectful nods to those who acknowledged her like Katarine Ryiah , and otherwise looked like a sentry on guard. This place felt... mythical. Like something out of a dream, or out of a very over-dramatic nightmare. It was cold too, but Jett couldn't feel that. Inside her suit it was a balmy 68 degrees. The perks of being Mandalorian she supposed. Her boots crunched as she turned to scan the others here. Nobody else was armed, which made her feel a little self-conscious, but then again, a Mandalorian's weapons were their religion, so she didn't feel too bad about it.

Omen was making friends and chatting up the various Jedi, but there was a sinister aura that Jett couldn't shake. Maybe she was a little sensitive to the energy around here, but she certainly wasn't attuned to it like the Masters and Students were. Still, she felt like you could die here and the Masters wouldn't do anything aside from clean up the bodies.

She eyed Jayna Ismet-Thio cautiously and then split off to see what the girl was doing. Ilum had many caves, and a lot of dangers. <bzzt> "You know, I don't think I'm here for this..." <bzzt>



Sergeant Omen Katarine Ryiah Jayna Ismet-Thio

 

[Jayna Ismet-Thio]

Objective: Find a lightsaber crystal
Location: Ice Caves of Ilum
Outfit: Warm clothes
Tags: Katarine Ryiah | Sergeant Omen | Jett Vox | Kael Venn | Matsu Ike | Lyssara Thrynn

Jayna Ismet-Thio didn’t rush forward with the others. She lingered at the threshold just long enough to feel the shift. The wind died behind her like a door closing on the galaxy itself. What replaced it wasn’t peace—it was attention. The cave was aware in a way that prickled across her skin, brushing along her senses like unseen fingers testing her presence. And Jayna… smiled.


Her attention caught on a voice—on agreement. Jayna turned, eyes lighting as she found Solene Beroya among the others. They didn’t know each other, not yet—but that didn’t matter. What mattered was the sentiment.

“That—yeah,” Jayna said, an easy grin spreading as she stepped a little closer, gesturing loosely between them. “Exactly that.” there was a spark of delight in her expression, like she’d just discovered someone else thinking along the same strange wavelength.

“Nice to know I’m not the only one hearing it that way.” No introduction yet. No need to force it. Just a shared moment of understanding before everything got… weird.

But Jayna’s attention never stayed in one place for long. It shifted again—and this time, it lit up. Her gaze landed on Novac Lyrikal and Warren of the Narrows , and the reaction was immediate, unmistakable. “Oh—” Not quiet. Not subtle. Her eyes widened just a fraction, head tilting as if trying to take in more of them at once—not just visually, but through the Force, through presence, through every sense she had.

There was no caution in it. No hesitation. Just fascination. The kind that bordered on childlike wonder, barely restrained by social awareness. Her gaze flicked between them, tracking differences in movement, in energy, in the way they felt in the Force compared to everyone else. Different rhythms. Different signatures.

Alive in entirely different ways. A grin tugged at the corner of her mouth, bright and irrepressible. Jayna knew that if she took the Zorren trials she too would be different. Until that day any being who was not closely related to humans were of extreme interest to the girl. “Okay, that’s—really cool,” she murmured under her breath, more to herself than anyone else, but not quietly enough to be missed if they were listening.

Jayna hoped that her fascination never was taken as rudeness. That was not her intention. If anything, their presence made this whole thing better. More interesting. Though those who didn’t jump out to Jayna were quite interesting as well.

A small nod followed toward Omen—simple, respectful, acknowledging presence without intruding on it. Then movement caught her attention again. Jasper Kai'el arriving, retrieving the clone with quiet authority. Jayna tilted her head slightly, watching the interaction play out. Another small nod, this one sharper, more knowing. Pieces moving on the board. She didn’t need to understand it fully. Not yet. For that matter she didn’t know that she was supposed to be part of everything going on. She let the older attendees handle their own business without getting involved.

And then—“Hey.” Her tone softened again as her eyes landed on Jett Vox. The smile that followed was easy, a little playful, but not without invitation.

“You don’t have to be here for it.” A beat. Then she extended a hand—not insistently, just… offering. “Come on. Walk with me anyway.” There was no pressure in it. If Jett refused, Jayna would simply go on. But she hoped she wouldn’t. ”I’m pretty sure you won’t be allowed into the cave with me, but I always like meeting new friends. If you’re still here when I’ve got my crystal we should hang out.”

The cave loomed ahead, dim and whispering. Jayna turned before the moment could settle too long, stepping forward into the glow of embedded kyber. The light caught in her eyes as she crossed the threshold, her presence shifting as the Force pressed closer, deeper.

Listening. Testing. Her smile didn’t fade—but it changed. Less outward. More… curious. “Alright,” she murmured under her breath, more to the cave than anyone else. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

And with that, Jayna Ismet-Thio moved deeper into the crystal caves—not cautious, not reckless—but open.

 

[Novac Lyrikal]

"hmm i see. on my own then huh," he says turning to look down a tunnel leading to the left. before he left he noticed a small girl looking at him..well most people where smaller then him. in more ways then one, both height and length, most people didnt really have "length" anyway. well, at least not really, definitely not in the same way as him. anyway, she was looking at him and warren. he didnt believe he'd seen her until they all gathered here. novac was use to being looked at, he stuck out in a crowd to say the least. but she was looking at them differently, with what seemed like curiosity. that was a different reaction then most have...'hm thats nice' he thought.
he slithered up to the opening of the left most tunnel. the one he heard the singing from. the one he couldnt see the end of. to be honest, it was a little intimidating. knowing that something is going to happen down this tunnel. something that probably wont be good. he stood there for a minute or two thinking. thinking of what might happen. it shouldnt matter what he sees right? it wont be real anyway. but still, it will seem real.
"well...its now or never," he said to himself as he started down the tunnel alone.


Jayna Ismet-Thio

 

[Pari Sylune]

Pari had a certain dreamlike quality to her, as if she had floated to this place by accident and was completely unfazed by her surroundings. It was part of the spiritual nature she had learned while growing up with the Chalactan Adepts.

“I am honored to have you accompany us Master Solene.”

The trio moved into the cave and immediately Pari heard the wind quiet and the soft pull of the Force. When Lyssara offered her blade Pari took it in her small hands, now out of mistrust but out of curiosity.

She frowned when she felt it. “This crystal feels… different.. almost as if it’s a wound...” Her eyes roamed over the saber, attempting to understand. She was afterall still a padawan and unfamiliar with how the Sith treated their crystals, but she was a healer and she understood pain and that was what she felt radiating from this crystal.

She handed the weapon back to the woman as they reached a chamber with five different tunnel entrances. “Which way do you feel your green crystal calling from?”


Lyssara Thrynn Solene Beroya

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Ilum
Tags: Sergeant Omen , Katarine Ryiah

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"So what is this about some "Blackwall" thats been giving you hell?"

"The blackwall is one of many things giving people hell right now," Jasper resolved to admit. "It's like that concept of grey matter that endlessly expands... a wall that grows as the Sith behind it gain power. Sort of a strange concept... it's hard to imagine how anything like that could work given that Space isn't linear. I imagine Braze knows more about it than me by now... That has been his pet project while I've focused on the Sith Covenant in the Core."

"Master Kai'el," she greeted, offering a respectful bow. "We haven't had the chance to meet, but Master Noble has spoken highly of you." She gestured slightly to her companion. "I am Katarine Ryiah, and this is Master Solene Beroya."

Jasper tilted his head towards the two other Jedi who had approached and offered a half-wave. Master Noble... A name he'd like to say he hadn't thought of in a while. That would have been misleading. Her disappearance was something that occupied a small part of the back of his mind.

"A pleasure," he finally responded. "I'm here on business I'm afraid, but since I am here I'd like to offer you my services. Ilum can be unpredictable. If anything arises, I'll make it my top priority."

That seemed fair enough. After all, padawans were the future. Their safety was the highest concern. From there he turned back to Sergeant Omen.

"Seems like you had a lengthy conversation with my student," he noted with some amusement. "Not that it's difficult for discussions with him to get lengthy. If you want in, I'd say I'm not in a position to be extremely picky with allies. But, I do wanna at least be on a familiar basis. Tell me about yourself, Sergeant."

 

[Solene Beroya]

SOLENE BEROYA

Location: Ilum
Objective: help lead the jedi
Tags: Pari Sylune Lyssara Thrynn
​

“This crystal feels… different.. almost as if it’s a wound...”

She nodded "Very perceptive, and your wording is appropriate.

The process is called bleeding, like anything in the force, crystals are most at peace in balance. When a dark sider pushes out of balance by attemting to impose their will on them, it changes them. Eventually they will turn red like this, often at a pivotal moment that is symbolic of its user's fall."

She smiled at Lyssara Thrynn thinking about how apt the comparison was.

"It can be fixed, its history cannot be undone exactly. But you can purify them."

She hopped oved a fallen stalagtite that glistened with mineral inclusions. Solene was feeling the force flowed though her here and it was an amazing feeling. She felt like the boundary between her physical form and the world around her was blurring as she experienced the force more strongly the further they proceeded.

She turned around walking backwards to face the pair, confident that she would know her footing before she tripped.

"And you... you need to stop thinking like a sith... find a green kyber crystal. You dont come here thinking im getting one of that colour because thats what I want. Maybe you will get a green one, maybe you wont, who knows, but you need to embrace the fact that it is the force that decides.

This isnt a candy shop." she laughed. She was still intensely suspicious of this woman, but if she allowed her mood and her behaviour to be dictated by that single negative emotion, then she wouldn't be the jedi she claimed to be.

​

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

Outside the Cave
​

“Thank you.” She bowed again and smiled, happy that other Jedi shared her view on the importance of helping padawans.

“I will return to my students and leave you with your Mandalorian contact and his ward. It was nice seeing you all.”

She smiled again and then began the trek back to the cave. The Force certainly worked in mysterious ways to hold these two unrelated events at the same time. It made her chuckle. Even she was still learning the mysteries of the Force!

Hopefully their meeting would go well and would not interfere with the sacred tradition the students were partaking in.

She made it back to the entrance of the cave and stretched out her senses… searching for each point of light within and wondering how they were faring.

​

Jasper Kai'el Jett Vox Sergeant Omen Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Open​

she handed the weapon back to the woman as they reached a chamber with five different tunnel entrances.

"I'll take that, thank you," Braze said simply, accepting the corrupted blade from Lyssara Thrynn with a gloved hand before tucking it away from sight.

The Temple Guard side of him did not like leaving such a thing exposed here. A weapon like that carried too much weight, and too much sickness in the heart of it. Perhaps, with the proper purification ritual, the crystal within could still be brought back from the dark.

He offered Lyssara a small dip of his head in passing, then turned and made his way toward the entrance.

Outside, Ilum's cold air pressed sharp against the world, turning every breath pale. Braze moved through it in his long black wraparound cloak, heated robes, and thermal body glove, the layered warmth keeping the frost from sinking its teeth too deep. Snow packed beneath his boots as he padded across the white ground toward Jasper Kai'el .

 

[Pari Sylune]

Pari listened about how the Sith made their crystals hurt and she understood better why it had felt wounded. It made sense now to the young healer as everything in the Force could be hurt.

When Braze showed up and bluntly took the woman’s blade the young girl couldn’t help but frown. She supposed it made sense to take precaution but he wasn’t exactly setting an atmosphere of trust and support, which is what she was trying to emphasize. She wanted Lyssara to feel supported here, and find trust and companionship because she knew these were key elements of the light. Still it was not her place to question a senior Jedi so she did not say anything. Instead she smiled at Lyssara.

“Don’t mind him. He must be a man of few words. You can hold onto one of my blades if it makes you feel more comfortable. Nobody here will harm you.”

Master Solene joked about candy and Pari laughed. “Actually I do have candy with me.” She pulled out a bag and offered it to each. Yes she was extremely spiritual but she was also still young and playful.


Solene Beroya Lyssara Thrynn

 

[Lyssara Thrynn]

Sweets? Why not if it can help warm the hearts of stone some people have. I watch him walk away with my lightsaber as if nothing had happened, then I listen to Pari's speech about Brase. It confirms a few small things that make me smile discreetly. What they forget is that I am a Nightsister; I can, to my greatest delight, conjure a blade of Dathomirian metal capable of parrying lightsabers, or a bow, or whatever weapon I want, really. Giving up the saber is, above all, an act of faith and sincere redemption. But if I need to defend myself, I always have something close at hand...

That being said, I reach my hand out toward Pari when she tosses me a sweet. I eat it right away; it would be a shame for it to freeze given the temperature on Ilum this place is basically a giant fridge. I should have thought about settling on a frozen planet to store my test tubes; at least I wouldn't have had to worry about a cold room.

"Thanks for the candy, Pari. It wasn't bad."

I think back to the healing potion Nyva made; that one actually had a nice strawberry taste. Probably because Nyva likes that kind of flavor, who knows.

Patting my cheeks, I venture deeper into the ice galleries, ready to receive whatever Ilum is going to throw in my face. Given my past, I think things are about to get worse for me. We laugh and joke, but I'm only delaying the inevitable. The Padawans are lucky they'll face doubts, fears of failure, a way of getting to know themselves, essentially.

Me... considering everything I've done, I'm very likely to find myself in the shoes of one of my former victims, and I am not going to like what I see at all.

I walk through the corridors, focusing on the Force—not to crush, but to listen this time. Accepting whatever might or might not come. This is going to hurt. It's going to hurt a lot...

"stop thinking like a sith, is so hard, it's all of my life. My mother, and my father, there are sith, and nightsister, you know ?

Solene Beroya
Pari Sylune

 

[Solene Beroya]

SOLENE BEROYA

Location: Ilum
Objective: help lead the jedi
Tags: Pari Sylune Lyssara Thrynn
​

You can hold onto one of my blades if it makes you feel more comfortable.

Her eyebrow raises at the suggestion, to voluntarily arm her, just to make her more comfortable. "That is probably unnecessary, you can probably keep hold of that." She was a darksider, there was many more ways she could cause hard without a plasma blade. She shrugged at Pari's assessment of Braze . She knew his face as a noted Jedi but she wasn't personally familiar with him.

The songs of the cave were lovely on the air, she felt like she could stay here forever. "Thank you." she said to Pari Sylune as she took the candy, taking it from her hand with the force just for a few inches. She unwrapped it and placed it into her mouth, it was a nice treat. "Remind me to keep you around, padawan"

The cave wound deeped and Solene picked up something that looked like kyber, but on further inspection it was just particuarly clear quartz.

stop thinking like a sith, is so hard, it's all of my life

She nodded. "That actually says a lot. It is hard to be a jedi. To accept that something will be a challenge is shows humility.

Solene wasnt enamoured with the idea of working with an ex-nightsister, if someone was to be up to more tricks than a sith, it was likely a nightsister.
​

 

[Sergeant Omen]

With a title like the Blackwall, he would have thought it was some cyberware program the Sith had invented to infect the Republic's systems and wreak havoc. Guess he was wrong. He could at least use Aren's experience for the first thing. With this gray matter thing, he had no idea what to think. Hell, Jasper would probably see him go crosseyed just thinking about it. "Well, I can't shoot that..." He then paused, seeing the other Jedi wanting come up and speak, fading into the background, trying to recover his brain.

Having recovered slightly, he managed a half smile when the Blonde Jedi Master came back into the conversation. "I'm just an old fogey like yourself. Fought for the Silvers, the GA, and the Enclave back in the day. I also have some unique skills I've learned over the years. I also have a fiance who wonders why she is so in love with me and I wonder it too on occasion." It was then he saw the figure with snow white hair in black robes coming up towards them. The Clone knew who that was... Quickly, he threw himself down into the snow and tried to cover himself with it, hissing to Jasper. "Don't just stand there! Hide before he comes and jabbers us all to death!"

Braze , Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jett Vox]

​

<bzzt> "Yeah, lots of... interesting people," <bzzt> she remarked in agreement as she hurried her step to follow the girl. They walked along the icy surface towards a cave entrance. She also had the same interest in aliens. Just a myriad of different shapes and forms, and almost all of them with the same motivations, wants and needs, with a distribution of different cultural norms than others. Mandalorians were no different in how different they were.

Jayna led her to the mouth of the Kyber caves and with a tiny bit of trepidation, she followed the girl inside. Her eyes lit up immediately as her heads-up display fuzzed and distorted. With a sweep of her arm, she pulled her helmet off, orange-red hair spilling down her shoulders, hazel eyes sparkling from the dazzling lights they beheld.

"Well, I guess no one stopped me," she said in awe, following closely behind. The Galaxy had many beautiful and spectral places, but this was one exclusively for Jedi, and it had been for centuries. She realized what she was seeing, most outsiders had never even glimpsed, let alone knew about. This was the testing ground for new Jedi, and like all testing grounds was as deadly as it was lovely.

Her helmet clanged as it snapped to her thigh where it stayed as if held by a powerful magnet, and she strode forward, her gloves - not crushgaunts - touching the walls wherever they were close enough, bracing herself when the floors became too slick (though her beskar soled boots could cling easily to slick surfaces) or too inclined. "So what's the job of a Jebbi anyway? No one seems to have a good answer for me when I ask. It's always like - peacekeepers or diplomats or warriors, but nobody is all three, and at least two of those contradict, so I was thinking maybe you guys had different jobs, or switched off when things got boring or something. Is that about right?"

Jett was busy touching one of the shards of Kyber, and snatched her hand back as if it were electric. Then she touched it again when it didn't bite. "And these crystal things. This is what you're looking for right? What exactly do they do? Are they what make you magical?"

Jayna Ismet-Thio Sergeant Omen Katarine Ryiah

 

[Matsu Ike]

Kael Venn Novac Lyrikal and Jayna Ismet-Thio

The gathering had begun and Matsu looked at the ones who had come with her as she remained there suspended in the air. "Go off and see to it." She offered a small smile though promising she would be right there when they came back or if they needed her. Some of the padawans that she knew were here. She was watching them head off while listening to some of the others were talking. She glided through the area towards one of the walls and had a small grin on her face while she looked over parts of it. The caves rarely changed, offering to her something interesting as she moved her hands at the air and walls. Solidifying the moisture in the air enough while she shaped it with discernment. "Ah Katarine Ryiah do you want to build a snowman?"

 

[Lyssara Thrynn]

As I catch sight of my reflection in the ice caves and begin to venture deep into them, I stop for a moment. I look at my reflection; I see myself, but not as I should. I see myself wearing Jedi robes. It's not the first time I've had these kinds of visions—my light-sided double wandering through nature. I wonder if things would ever reverse? If I were to become light, and she were to become dark? After all, the Force loves balance, so who knows... I watch this reflection as it begins to detach itself from me, ceasing to be a mirror. I hear a voice in my head, mocking me.

"Well, what are you doing here? Are you lost? You're usually the 'evil Lyssara,' so why the sudden crisis of conscience?"

It irritates me. I punch the wall, cracking it slightly. She disappears, but as I turn my head, I see my reflection on the opposite wall. Ignoring the blood on my hand from the impact, I watch her mock me again.

"Your friend, the Padawan... you should listen to her. However, before you pretend to know the Light, would you agree to dive in and discover what you're hiding deep inside? Hmmm...? You cannot claim to find peace if you refuse to look at this truth."

"What truth are you talking about, exactly?"

"The one your heart is trying to bury. You have killed so many people, taken so many lives; you know how to destroy, that is a fact, Lyssara. But do you know what it feels like to be in your victims' shoes? Empathy. If you want a calm mind, you must follow the advice of that other Jedi Master they aren't wrong. You must accept it."

"I don't particularly want to..."

"I never said it would be easy, but it's the only way if you want to resonate with your crystal. A sound mind in a sound body. You? You aren't sound. Not yet."

I sigh, realizing I've been talking to thin air this whole time, facing a wall. They only hear my spoken words, but they can't hear this inner voice. They're going to think I'm crazy. But at this point, what does it matter? I shake my head slightly at the frost-covered wall and start walking again, healing my hand with the Force as if it were nothing. I really need to stop doing things like that.