The Great Gathering | The Je'daii Order

[Lief]

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Deep within the Mountains of Ahn a network of crystal caves remain hidden, untouched since the blight of the Vong desecrated the planet and tried to tear these Force-radiant fragments from the very core of the land. Remnants of this time lay scattered all around, tiny flecks of crystal shimmer in the water, and great chunks of rock are obviously missing from the surroundings. Even for so natural a structure, something definitely looks ransacked about it.

And yet, despite this, the song of the crystals can be heard throughout to any who seeks to listen for it. A very subtle murmuring hum which echoes through the cavernous chambers and calls to those more sensitive to the Force, the mere sight of them a wondrous majesty to behold. After all that had happened to this healing world, after all they had witnessed, still the crystals of Ahn remain hopeful... Still they long to be plucked from their lodgings to become attuned with a wayward Force User.

Or so it would seem from the way that they'd broadcast themselves.

It is here that the Je'daii have ventured, to seek out a piece of the land through which to channel the Force.

Excitement ran rampant within her.

Though Asha was no stranger to the thrill that was crystal hunting, the mere fact that they would be treading through ancient caverns - some of which likely had never been touched by the presence of sentient life before - left her in high spirits. She could not wait to see the look on the eyes of those among the group who had never looked upon a crystal, much less one in its natural habitat, and so as they came upon one of many entrances nestled into the mountainside the young Hex whistled a happy tune and glanced to her side.

Truth be told it was [member='Sahna Te'] she was most excited for; the small Togruta had come far since being brought to Aurum by Jyn, she learned more each day, grew mentally and physically, and had already begun her Great Journey. She had noticed how close she and [member='Ignis Imura'] had become, and was grateful that the girl had found herself a friend, a mentor, in him.

Darkness enveloped her senses as they breached the mountain, just a few steps able to banish the light of Aurum, and without much thought Asha reached out one hand and summoned into existence a ball of white light which floated toward the rocky ceiling where it narrowly avoided a few low hanging stalactites.

"Much better" she hummed, beaming a large smile as she glanced back at the others. Nobody was really taking the lead so to speak, this was an adventure they all had an equal claim to.

She gestured [member='Caedyn Arenais'] closer, and pointed toward the various routes up ahead. So many options, like the branches of a tree the paths snaked out in every which direction. The question was, which way did they choose?

"Why don't you make the first choice?" she inquired, giving the young lad more of a say in what was happening around them. He was, after all, still frightfully new to this whole thing, and likely homesick. It was the least she could do to take his mind off it.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

The Crystal Caves of Ahn
Aurum

​

This was to be his first real outing among the others of the Je'daii. For the most part since his leave of Commenor and his families estate, he had stuck rather close by his Master [member="Asha Hex"], both shy and a little uncertain about the new sights and faces he was being met with each passing day. For a boy who'd spent all fourteen years of his life on a single world, mostly within the capital City for his mothers fear of what might come of her son born of noble birth, Caedyn's life alongside his Twin Sister [member="Loreena Arenais"] had been nothing if not sheltered. Now, these days he had more freedom than he was accustomed to and with that, came a lot of anxiety for where his life seemed to be taking him.

Dressed tidily in his formal Tunic, he had followed Asha and the others on into the cave system, the gaping mouth drowning out the sunlight behind them for a dull lit surrounding and a slightly more evident chill to the fresh underground air, the currents of wind from the surface calmly passing them all by as the air tore throughout the system silent and undeterred. Upon his belt, his training lightsaber for which alike the clothes, had been prepared for him by his father set before his entrance into the Order; a weapon of value and hospitable threat without going the distance to be considered a killing tool given it's frequency level being altered to the bare minimum.

Caedyn had been glancing over his shoulder when his Master spoke to him, his gaze had been on [member="Ignis Imura"] and [member="Sahna Te"] trying to figure the pair out, wondering in the safety of his own mind, whether or not he would eventually make friends in this Order of the Je'daii, of if he would forever be the awkward quiet one that he seemed to have become since their arrival upon Aurum. "Huh?..." he quickly glanced back in front of him a moment before darting to catch Asha's gaze with a questioning look of his own. From what he'd gathered thus far between them all talking among themselves, Crystals powered lightsabers, he hadn't been brave enough to ask but he had quickly realized one could learn a great deal just by listening to the chatter of those around them. His Master asking for his decision on the direction they should take however gave him something of a start, and looking ahead, he bit on the inside of his cheek a little and lifted his left hand to point down the central-left passage.

"That way?" He asked, partially rhetorical while at the same time looking to Asha for her approval and reassurance.

[member="Asha Hex"] | [member="Ignis Imura"] | [member="Sahna Te"]​

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

The blonde walked behind [member="Asha Hex"] silently. This was her first gathering ever since she had joined the Je'daii Order. She was still new to this Force sensitivity concept, but the signatures radiating from the crystals deep within the tunnels were strong. Strong enough for any Force sensitive being to hear them singing. The humming, a melodious tune that was sung by the crystals in harmony like a choir. Mariya had never felt or heard anything like that in her life. She was glad that Asha had lit up the area, which had saved her the trouble of turning on the flashlight from her googles. She was still wearing her armour, coupled with a long brownish flowing cloak taken from one of the Je'daii robes that she had been issued. Her new fashion style, sort of.

"This place is amazing. I have never seen anything like this. Never ever."

Mariya beamed in delight, clearly excited by the sight in front of her. Visually, the crystal caves were beautiful to behold, but the humming of crystals added an additional dimension to her sensory experience. Emerald eyes glanced at [member="Caedyn Arenais"], who had been asked to pick a route and had chosen the central-left passage. A sideways glance at the others, wondering which path [member="Ignis Imura"] and [member="Sahna Te"] would take.

She had no idea which path to pick as well. All the tunnels certainly looked just as inviting. Or uninviting, depending on how you would looked at them. She pulled down her googles, activating the powerful sensors to scan the tunnels in front of her. There were certainly no creatures in the near vicinity, but that could change if they ventured deeper. The Force worked in mysterious ways, she had known it for herself ever since she had met a Force Ghost in the shape of an old man. Speaking of the old man, the very lightsaber which she had been given started to hum in a tune that complimented the crystal sounds.

Fingers grabbed the ancient lightsaber and raised it at her chest, sweeping an arc in front of her. The lightsaber once owned by Master Kyle Katarn vibrated gently at the middle right corridor, tugging her arm. That was where she was told to go.

"I... I think my lightsaber is asking me to go this way."

It sounded ridiculous, but Mariya was certain of what she felt. She would trust her instincts and believe in the Force.

 

[Valgærd]

Crystal gathering.

Sahna's heart had been racing full-speed in her chest from the moment Asha had mentioned the idea. Now, standing in the mouth of a massive cave network, the young togruta could hardly believe that she'd actually made it here. Truth be told, her chest had begun to ache a little by now. She had kept her large blue eyes on her feet most of the way, her hands constantly stroking her montrals as if it were a comforting gesture to do so. However, the nearer they drew to the mountain, and the more time they spent close to one another, the more she seemed to gradually open up.

She was under no illusions about her confidence, were it not for the Ignis and Asha being around, she may very well have tucked herself into a corner and hidden away. But just as Jyn had made sure she was fed and taken care of, Asha, her first friend on Aurum, had begun to show her, indirectly perhaps, that it was okay to make and have friends. So now, looking a little less scrawny than perhaps she once had, Sahna glanced around the group, offering the humblest of smiles to any who caught her eye.

She glanced first to Asha, who offered the choice of which path they should take to a boy she hadn't met yet. He seemed... like her; shy and gentle. She turned her eyes to Caedyn directly, wondering which path he would choose and how he would choose it. He picked one, but seemed... unsure of himself at first, looking to Asha for the same reassurance Sahna herself often sought from Jyn and Ignis.

Mariya, another from their party, then spoke, mentioning that her lightsaber wanted her to go a particular way. At this, the togruta's hand drifted from her montrals to the pendant that hung around her neck. While she had been force sensitive from a young age, she'd only truly begun to meditate on it once arriving on Aurum, under the guidance of first Jyn, and now Ignis. Mariya seemed already highly attuned to it, trusting her feelings straight away. Sahna watched her, hoping that perhaps one day she'd be that confident in the force and her ability to hear it.

Two directions, two possibilities.

Sahna chewed her bottom lip, glancing between the two earthy corridors. Were they going to split up? If they did, which way should she go? What if her crystal was... elsewhere? Truth be told, the togruta was deliberately not reaching out with the force right now because she feared that it would take her down a different path from the others. She would, eventually, but for now she preferred to stick with the group.

She said nothing for now, not that it mattered. If she did manage to squeak out any words, they'd likely be too soft to hear. Instead, she looked towards Asha, waiting to see where they would end up heading.

[member="Mariya Fleischer"] | [member="Caedyn Arenais"] | [member="Asha Hex"] | [member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[DarthPravusthe2nd]

Just joining the new order Pravus felt at home. Amongst his own type of people for once, he was joyed to see a balance in the force. He met many members and made new allies and friends. Hoping to build a better future in the order.

 

[Alana Sunrider]

[member="Asha Hex"] [member="Pravus the Grey"] [member="Sahna Te"] [member="Mariya Fleischer"] [member="Caedyn Arenais"]
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The woman trailed along behind the others with a slight frown etched across her features. They were talking about lightsabers wanting them to go this way or that and of crystals humming along with them. Not to mention the rest were wearing weird looking pajama robes and armor. She was in her usual spacer's garb, with her sword slung across her back and her beskad at her calf, while the pistol hung at her hip.

Not that they really expected all that much fighting, from what she understood. This was supposed to be more of a spiritual exercise to learn more about the Force and bond with a crystal somewhere in these caverns.

She had to admit, they were certainly beautiful. Nothing like it that she had seen in her homeworld.

 

[Cecilia Wissen]

Cecilia had been informed of the gathering by Ar'ekk, her lightsaber instructor, who had followed it with a poke about how she knew how to use a lightsaber, but had yet to create one. She hadn't minded, and he was right. Now was the time to take this next step in her journey. Recent events, which involved briefly borrowing a lightsaber from a certain [member="Milo Ren"] had proved that much. So now she was here, and if all went well, she would soon leave here with a crystal she could use to make a lightsaber.

Many of the people here she had never met, with she was familiar with being [member="Onna Sunrider"] and [member="Mariya Fleischer"] and [member="Ignis Imura"] . Other than that, there was a rather cutely nervous looking togrutta, which made Cecilia smile, a young male with a similar demeanor, and another man noticeably older than her. Then there was their readheaded leader, Asha Hex, who everyone was looking to for guidance.

Mariya said she felt she needed to go down a different path, but seemed a but uncertain. Cecilia offered to go with her, as she rather liked the woman "Mariya, I'll go with you if you want. I have no idea where to go."

[ [member="Pravus the Grey"] ][ [member="Sahna Te"] ][ [member="Asha Hex"] ][ [member="Caedyn Arenais"] ]

 

[Alan]

The Solari crystal was calling him to the caves.


Tracyn stood outside, an oddity in the force. Not quite in the dark, but hardly in the light. It was getting hard to wield the Solari crystal. Perhaps the force was telling him not to seek balance- but to find redemption.

And for some reason, it lay in the cave.

Gray eyes wandered upwards, to the cave wall. He lit a torch, and began a solitary, lonely journey inside. Perhaps he would meet more. Perhaps he would see none of them. Only time would tell.


[member="Asha Hex"] l [member="Cecilia Wissen"] l [member="Sahna Te"] l [member="Caedyn Arenais"] l @Pravis the Grey

 

[Lief]

Separate from the main group...​

​

She had not intended on visiting the caves alongside the others.

With preparations being made for splinter groups of the Je'daii to journey out to their various Temples, she had her work cut out for her. While she was not a member of the Je'daii Council her opinion was highly valued and it seemed as though she had more of a voice than she felt deserving of. She knew why, of course, the work she had done on Teth to unify their Order was at the heart of it, and while she did not lament the extra work and duties it did make her feel somewhat awkward to be the only non-Council member sitting in on their meetings.

Throughout it, as arrangements were finalized for the exodus to Ceto, Midvinter, and Svivren, Jyn could not shake a distinct feeling in the Force. One she had long since forbade herself from ignoring, lest there be a repeat of Arthos and all which had followed. The moment that discussions ended she rose from her seat and ventured out from the Silent Archive's gathering hall, allowing her feet and the sensations she was receiving through the Force to guide her.

Imagine her surprise, then, when it was toward the very same mountains her fellow Je'daii had set off to that very morning that she wandered, journey shortened by Tranquility who made quick work of the distance. Snow capped the peaks, a rare sight in an otherwise humid and tropical climate, but it was not the towering feature which drew her attention but the network of caves beneath it...

... And the man who had just begun to enter.

[member="Tracyn"]

 

[Josef King]

Josef King

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Aurum, Meissa System, the Outer Rim Territories.
Personal objective: Investigate the caverns.
Interacting with: Asha Hex l Cecilia Wissen l Sahna Te l Caedyn Arenais l @Pravis the Grey

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Farsight - 'In wake of the Horde'

Fires light the horizon.
Monsters stalks city ruins, towering over the gilded spires upon stilt appendices
All that is left of the defenders are the crosses hoisted upon the hills

---

The echo came again, rippling though the force like a rock tossed into a still pond. It washed over Josef King, breaking apart against his mind like the tide against the shore. Screams rebounded within his thoughts, invisible claws tore at his flesh, and he saw the ceaseless brutality of the Vong's rampage. For a brief moment, the empath experienced the invasion in it's entirety. He was a young father trying desperately to pull his family from the chaos, only to lose a child in a blast of magma. He was a general, watching helplessly as the coralcraft tore though orbital defenses. He was a Je'daii padawan, screaming as he was nailed to onto a cross. The memories of a dying world continued to echo throughout the force, and threatened to drown King in their intensity.

"There is no emotion"

The echo vanished, as abruptly as it came, and King realized he was holding his breath. He exhaled with a choking gasp and keeled over from his sitting position, rolling his back onto the cavern floor. The exile lay there, under the sapphire light of a crystal formation. Long enough for him to process what he just experienced. This had been the third echo in as many days, each one growing in length and intensity. It was his visions that brought him to this world, and it was these echos that had led him to these caverns. The force flowed through these crystal tunnels like blood though a vein, and it wasn't terribly difficult for King to find his way here. In fact, it was almost as if the tunnels were calling to him- subconsciously though the force itself.

While the invasion of Aurum was long ago; the memory lingers like a sickness. If such a wound was allowed to fester? King could only muse on the potential consequences. The exile propped himself up to rest his back against the tunnel's wall, and sprayed his feet out before him. Josef still had a long walk ahead of him, and echo took much out of the jedi's stamina. Exhaustion began to set in and despite his best efforts, King found himself struggling to keep his eyelids open. The jedi was only able to give a feeble yawn in protest, before lulling off to sleep under the crystal's faint light.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

The crystal cave was getting a little crowded with the new joiners. Mariya had not met most of them, so she decided to see who else wanted to follow her. She recognised the voice of [member="Cecilia Wissen"], one of the first Je'daii who had greeted her in the library. It appeared the brunette had offered to come along, which the blonde accepted. "Hey Cecilia, sure. Would be glad to have a companion. To be honest, I have no idea why my lightsaber is reacting this way."

As she spoke, the metallic hilt in her hand vibrated again. The mercenary stared at her weapon curiously, trying to figure out why her weapon was behaving in such a manner. The lightsaber might had been ancient, but it worked perfectly when she last ignited it yesterday for her swordsmanship training. She took a step towards the direction where she had picked and the vibration felt slightly stronger. Driven by curiosity, she took a few steps away from the original direction and found her weapon vibrating less.

Huh. Strange phenomenon.

She pondered in her mind, walking back to the middle right corridor. The rest seemed uncertain about their paths to take. Somehow they would need to figure out their own preferred path. Mariya was certain that the exploration of the crystal cave was not a mere walk in the park. Why? She had no idea but her newfound sense told her so.

"Alright, Cecilia. Let's wait for a moment to see if anyone else is interested to follow us. Else you can take the lead. Afterall, you are the more senior member," she grinned at her friend.

---

[member="Asha Hex"] l [member="Sahna Te"] l [member="Caedyn Arenais"] l @Pravis the Grey | [member="Onna Sunrider"] | [member="Tracyn"] | [member="Josef King"]

 

[Lief]

It seemed as though their merry little gathering was planning on splitting up, with Mariya and Cecilia being the first to broker a new route to that which her student had selected.

Asha could not help but smile at this fact, the sight of those within their Order finding their feet, their own way, confidence to break away from the main herd to follow the calling of the Force, was encouraging. They were not hapless, mindless individuals who followed blindly without question. Such was not the way of the Je'daii, yet to see it in action was something else all together.

Caedyn seemed to have been elsewhere mentally, yet he was quick to grasp what it was she was asking of him. Settling an encouraging hand upon his shoulder as he considered his options, Asha waited patiently and when the time came for him to choose his path she merely smiled and nodded to confirm his decision.

Turning her head she glanced over the rest of the group, faces she was not innately familiar with past a brief dossier she had been provided when this was set up, yet truth be told names gave little in the way of insight, stood around among others she had come to know and care dearly for.

"Two paths it seems we have to take. Or perhaps it will be a third which you seek out. Trust in the Force, my friends, let it guide you through these winding caves. Take as much time as you need, remember that this is something you will be forging a connection with and haste is not a necessary factor."

With that said she began to venture along the route Caedyn had selected, curious to see who - if anyone - followed the two of them.

[member='Mariya Fleischer'] | [member='Josef King'] | [member='Tracyn'] | [member='Cecilia Wissen'] | [member='Onna Sunrider'] | [member='Pravus the Grey'] | [member='Sahna Te'] | [member='Caedyn Arenais']

 

[Arekk]

AURUM​

THE CRYSTAL CAVES OF AHN, AZAR CITY​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Asha Hex"], [member="Mariya Fleischer"], [member="Tracyn"], [member="Pravus The Grey"], [member="Jyn Sol"], [member="Caedyn Arenais"], [member="Onna Sunrider"], [member="Josef King"]​

Crystal hunting.

An always exciting and powerful experience as an apprentice, Ar'ekk had gone through mud and dirt to find his much precious crystal for the first lightsaber he ever had. Dantari crystals were native to the region of Dantooine and its caves full of Kinrath were more than a challenge for the young Padawan back then.

His morning started like any other with the sun shinning brightly against his face and noticing that Jyn wasn't sleeping at his side, in fact Ar'ekk had become a very heavy sleeper since they got to Aurum a few weeks ago.

It didn't matter to him at all, she had to attend to her people and he wouldn't like to interrupt such noble deed, doing what she has to do for the people of Aurum.

Reaching out through the Force, the Knight could sense her every step and movement but the imagery was blurry although a clear sensation invaded his mind. A place of power and attunement, strong with the gift that was awake within them.

A crystal cave somewhere in the mountains.

Rushing out of bed and changing into a much more appropiate outfit for the occasion, Ar'ekk stepped out of their suite within the Je'daii Academy towards the street where he tried to get some directions for the crystal caves through one of the locals. Helpful as ever, the man was pointed in the right direction towards one of the shuttles that flew towards the Mountains of Ahn.

It wouldn't take him long to get on the good path, a solid twenty minutes of flying would lead him near the entrance of the cave where he'd see two familiar figures from afar after making a little walking towards the location, a little path showing him the way upwards.

Could that be her?

Maybe.

---

---

 

[Alan]

The descent into the caves was marked by only a singular item: the ever lasting, eerie silence. Perhaps it was not silent, and Tracyn's ears were tuning out the excess noise. He let the flame from his torch flicker and bounce off of the cavern walls, the crystals within them glinting. Some would be fit for a lightsaber. Some would not be.

The force, almost tugged on his shoulder to turn. There was not a figure, but it was as if someone was telling him go this-a-way. So, Tracyn went. He was learning to trust the Force, towards whatever it was leading him to.

Her face was cast in shadow in the dim light, his in the dim light of the torch. Her face. Her eyes. Her cheekbones. The way she stood.

It was impossible.

It was a ruse.

He blinked at [member="Jyn Sol"] and stared solemnly. His gray eyes softened. Almost to the point of tearing up. A flood of emotion and happy memories came at once, only to be replaced with confusion.

He dropped the torch to his side, and his face was cast in a slight shadow.

"Asha?"

 

[Lief]

Forcing herself not to hurry her pace, Jyn followed [member='Tracyn'] down into the network of caves inside the mountain and watched him from afar.

She remembered seeing him on Aurum, though Asha had been quick to pull the man away before she could say so much as one word to him and since that time he hadn't been around again. Unknowing of the reason why, she felt herself drawn to him. It wasn't as if she knew the man, he was just one face among many who had landed on Aurum during the rejuvenation period. And yet the Force tugged her on regardless, even when she sensed [member='Arekk'] at the mouth of the cave.

The torch illuminated just a small amount of the cave, enough for her to make out his features for a split second when he turned to face her. Up until the moment that he lowered it and cast his face in shadow she had seen his confusion, the apprehensiveness, and felt the pure emotion pooling forth from him.

He recognized her...

And then he spoke.

Asha? Why would he think she was Asha? The pair didn't even look the---....

"Oh..."

It was all beginning to piece itself together. The conversation she'd had with [member='Josh Dragonsflame'] came to mind, and she realized immediately who it was.

"You're him, aren't you? You're her husband... Tracyn?"

After a moment she shook her head. She remembered reading something from Asha's own hand, tomes she had discovered on Teth before the refounding of the Je'daii, and then she spoke again. "Kobe... I'm not Asha, Sir. I'm her daughter, Jyn..."

Did he even know she existed?

She remained somewhat wary for the moment, unsure of how the man would react. To be so close to someone who had been intimate with her mother, though, that was a strange sensation, and Jyn herself wanted nothing more than to rush toward him. In another life he could have been her father, had Jyn not been sent away, and had Asha Seren not died at the hands of a Sith.

 

[Alan]

"Yes. I was."

Nothing needed to be said of what happened to Asha. With her gone, his world proved empty- and that fact would remain until he joined her in the ether.

"You look so much like her."

Like the child he could've had. He approached her, his physicality coming into the light. Even at his older age, he was still a very physically imposing man. He wore the facade of a man who was doing fine with his loss- but the raw emotion coming from him told a different story, a truth.

"Did you know her? Did she...know you?"

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

The Aurum Crystal Caves of Ahn,​

The Central-Left Tunnel.​

​

​

Their numbers had quickly grown since the start of their adventure into the underground caves etched into the rock wall of the mountainous rise above; in a haze of anxiety and so many fresh and new faces, Caedyn hadn't truly realized how many of them there were rather than focusing purely on putting one foot in-front of the other if not simply to avoid stumbling and making a fool of himself around his Master and her friends.

From what he could tell, there really only seemed to be one other among the group of them even possibly close to his age though [member="Sahna Te"] being a Togruta made it difficult to tell, still. She was however quiet and less intimidating than the rest of them, thus Caedyn was able to make eye contact with her a little more than the others and offered a wary smile in their exchange before his gaze once again returned to look up to [member="Asha Hex"] as she spoke to them all encouragingly.

While he was the Son of a prominent Force User, Caedyn hadn't found his comfort and trust within the Je'daii to be able to be his typical fun-loving and light-hearted self just yet. The exploration of these caves was a sight similar to those that he and his Sister [member="Loreena Arenais"] had explored beneath their home within the Eldritch Mountains and yet unlike then, here he felt very much alone and uncertain. Some of his peers had even spoken about feelings of the Force, being led by something he still hadn't grasped where as the boy himself seemed to be wandering more as a guessing game than having any real clue as to what they were up to down there.

To be honest, he was more or less just looking out for the first glowing rock that stuck out to him, not knowing any better.

[member="Mariya Fleischer"] | [member="Josef King"] | [member="Tracyn"] | [member="Cecilia Wissen"] | [member="Onna Sunrider"] | [member="Pravus the Grey"] | [member="Sahna Te"] | [member="Asha Hex"] | [member="Arekk"] | [member="Jyn Sol"]​

 

[Arekk]

AURUM​

THE CRYSTAL CAVES OF AHN, AZAR CITY​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Asha Hex"], [member="Mariya Fleischer"], [member="Tracyn"], [member="Pravus The Grey"], [member="Jyn Sol"], [member="Caedyn Arenais"], [member="Onna Sunrider"], [member="Josef King"]​

In a few moments, a distinct beeping emanated from a beacon he brought, marking the road back from inside the cave. With his location now on record, Ar'ekk could continue the expedition, knowing that he or anyone would not be forgotten should something go wrong. Turning to begin his search for Jyn, he concealed the geolocation device inside his leather jacket and began his "hunt".

Walking at a casual pace, Ar'ekk ran his hand across the rough surface of a crumbling wall. Ancient glyphs had been etched onto the surface, with the language having been long-forgotten. It was well-known now that this cave had significance to ancient Je'daii. With this fact many expeditions had been led by the Je'daii Order to discover more of their history.

The crystal caves were discovered and became the hotspot to gather and extract the precious material to construct lightsabers, that's what he knew or thought at that time.

Artificial re-modelling (although just slightly, for preservation purposes) could be seen on the walls of the cave, as it began to form a tunnel. Unsure of how deep the network ran, he extended his Force awareness, sending tendrils of his consciousness ahead of his in search of the girl.

"Jyn?" he shouted. His voice was carried in every direction, bouncing off the walls as it echoed throughout the cave system.

Voices could be heard in the distance but faintly, he kept moving forward by trusting his instinct.

Surely she had not gone far.

---

---

 

[Valgærd]

Trust in the force.

That was what Asha had told them to do. Sahna let out a sigh. She had been purposely avoiding doing just that because she feared where it would lead her. Would she be taken away from the group? Would the force test her before it showed her where her crystal was? What would she be expected to do? The young togruta frowned, pulling her hands away from her montrals to wring them together in front of her. A few of those gathered had spoken, others remained silent. Mariya and Cecilia seemed to be ready to move off on their own, but waited to see if they were to be accompanied.

The girl let out a sigh. Time to bite the blaster bolt, then.

Sahna closed her eyes. She drew in a deep breath, then released it. As she did so, she imagined with her inhale all of her fears and doubts being gathered in her chest. She held them there for just a moment. Then she let out her breath, imagining all these reservations and trepidation leave her, flowing out with her breath. She did this once more, for good measure.

Then, she reached out with the force.

There was something vulnerable about doing so. She had to open her mind to reach out this way, she could not hide away. But her training and meditation had already helped immensely, and she had come so far. As she stood with eyes closed, she could feel the force from the beings around her. She reached out further, past them, searching.

No.

She was not to follow Mariya and Cecilia.

It was the most subtle of tugs that she felt. At first, she had not even believed it was there. But Ignis's constant reminder not to doubt herself or discount her feelings caused her to focus on that tiny pull, let it carry her. In truth, she was a little disappointed. She would have liked a chance to get to know the women a little better. But this was not a social outing, this was a journey in the force.

"I think... I think I'm meant to go through here." She murmured, opening her eyes. She wasn't necessarily talking to anyone in particular as she spoke, taking a few steps towards one of the pathways that had not yet been decided upon.

She reached the mouth of the tunnel, before turning back to the group. Her next words were hopeful, her large blue eyes wide with hope,

"Is anyone else coming this way?"

 

[Ignatius]

There are always different paths to tread. A step in a direction that is not paved, nor created for you. Thus you need to create your own path. Staying silent as everyone started to go off into their own ways and to get crystals of their own. Asha had stated that everyone needed to find their own crystal. The one the called out to them. I could only agree more with this statement. Even if the road ahead was treacherous, it needed to be traveled in order for that person to learn what they could overcome. Sahna was a little nervous about this venture.

Walking over to her as she asked if anyone was going with her, I nodded my head once and spoke very easily and low.

"I will come with you for a ways. However, you need to do this on your own. I will support you, but that is all."

True to our lessons, I was to provide her with the tools necessary to complete her tasks and trials. What she did with them, and how well she performed, was completely up to her. All of her life decisions she would have to make. She is not a child. She is not handicapped, nor afflicted with an illness of any kind. Thus she is more than able to do so. What prevented her from moving one step further, was her mind and her mental capacity to do this on her own.

"Lead the way Apprentice. You are the master of your fate now."

[member="Sahna Te"],