The Great Gathering | The Je'daii Order

[Cecilia Wissen]

Cecilia nodded at Asha Hex. She had heard about the woman, but never really met her, though she seemed nice enough. Then she turned back to [member="Mariya Fleischer"]. "Alright Mariya, looks like no one else is coming. I have no feeling of where to go, so I see no reason why I shouldn't just go with you for now. So, you lead!"

Cecilia was a bit annoyed that multiple people already had a feeling of where to go or what to do. She very much wanted, and to a degree, very much needed a lightsaber, as a mark of her own improvement, and as a necessary tool and weapon. It was certainly something she considered both a step and a wall to further advancement of her abilities and knowledge. As such she was rather anxious to complete the ordeal, and rather frustrated that no path was in sight.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Everyone seemed to be pairing off, Caedyn's gaze being distracted from the path ahead by the voice of those behind him, some of them growing distant as they all began to wander off. His eyes faltered momentarily, lowering and darting back and fourth briefly as if making little sense of the cave floor before him, doubt coming to sit upon the edge of his mind for the decision he had made and whether or not it was the others disagreement with him that they chose to separate. Though he knew it not, he was not the only one with little sense of direction nor guidance from the Force and thus left only with his own reasoning, juvenile as it were, he turned back to look down the tunnel that he had chosen knowing that [member="Asha Hex"] stood at his side, wanting not to appear stupid by going back on his decision and risk disappointing her.

In order to combat and make amends for his sudden loss of confidence and in the presence of the crystal caverns lack of light, he reached for the Lightsaber upon his belt knowing and having used the tool for a source of light during his adventuring about Commenor with his Twin Sister, [member="Loreena Arenais"]. Holding the hilt away from him carefully, he pressed his thumb against the activation stud and suddenly let loose a sharp snap-hiss, blue energy arcing out with a mechanical scream from the blade emitter and immediately lighting the area around him. Against the churning of precisely controlled energies constructed and refined by his father, his hands vibrated as they grasped the hilt tightly, being ever so sure to keep the blade pointed away from himself and his Master as he turned his attention to pushing on forward and taking control of his own experience upon this gathering of Je'daii.

It hadn't occurred to him that the training lightsaber that he carried already held a focusing crystal within, such being the reason why the others had come. Caedyn was a confident lad back upon Commenor yet here he still lacked the confidence in his relationships with the others, knowing none of them beyond his Master and neither knowing her longer than a couple of weeks; he still had a great deal of questions and time before he would find his feet within the Je'daii, yet that would not keep him from trying.

The Cave system of Aurum, despite all else, fascinated him immensely. They seemingly having been used in the past, judging by the way the walls were smoothed out and the floor held a sort of etching to it, as if there had been a path laid there once, long ago. There too seemed to be the odd supporting beam or strut that stood against the sides and roof of the cavern, a husk of a decrepit mine shaft or some such likeness to the types of places he and his sister would tell each other scary stories about at night when they camped outside in the yard of their families estate. Somewhere out there, Lori had been training to follow in the Mandalorian Culture, part of their Mother's distant life before meeting Veiere Arenais, their father. It wasn't difficult to imagine that she too would find herself in such daunting places and it brought him some warmth in heart to imagine that she might be there beside him, if not in spirit alone.

[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"]​

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

The blonde nodded at [member="Cecilia Wissen"] and decided to move forward. The rest were slowly making their way into the cave via different routes and no one else seemed to have picked theirs. The lightsaber in her hand continued to vibrate as the two of them pressed on, the flashlight from her goggles providing much needed light for them. The cave was decorated with crystals of varying colours, pulsing softly and humming the soft melody again. Mariya was too curious about the crystals, stopping by one of them and touch the coloured crystalline solid gently. Nothing special to the touch. It was afterall, just a solid crystal. She touched another and got no reaction.

Her curiosity satisfied, she moved on. None of the crystals here were meant to be taken. None had called out to her. None had reacted strongly to her presence. If she was to find a suitable crystal, she would need to feel its call. The lightsaber in her hand had stopped vibrating, having done its job of urging her along. So she put it back onto her belt, wondering if it would show any new signs of activity.

Footsteps moved through the earth. Mariya had no idea where she was going really. The tunnel was only one direction, forcing them to stick to it. Finally the tunnel widened into a bigger cavern. An mist quickly began to envelop them.

"What... what is this?"

She waved her hand, trying to see if she could disperse the unnatural fog. Nope, nothing of that sort. Her lightsaber was vibrating violently though, reacting to something.

"I told you we will meet again," a familiar voice boomed out. The Force Ghost who had handed Mariya the lightsaber shimmered into existence, glancing at both Je'daii members. Mariya gasped softly in amazement. Was this a dream? The last time she met the ghost, it was on the distant Sulon. And now here he was, in the crystal caves of Aurum? The blonde felt her heart pounding, deciding to greet the old man with a bow.

"We meet again, Master Katarn," she bowed her head respectfully.

"Oh? I did not remember telling you my name, but it seems you have done your research. Perhaps you should also know that I hate titles. I prefer to be called Kyle," the old man smiled, reminding the two living beings of his habit when he was still alive. Kyle Katarn turned towards Cecilia, making a gesture. "I see you have a new friend. What is your name, young lady?'

[member="Caedyn Arenais"] | [member="Josef King"] | [member="Tracyn"] | [member="Onna Sunrider"] | [member="Pravus the Grey"] | [member="Sahna Te"] | [member="Asha Hex"] | [member="Arekk"] | [member="Jyn Sol"] | [member="Ignis Imura"]​

 

[Lief]

By this point all but two of their gathering had chosen their path.

Before continuing along the way with [member='Caedyn Arenais'] she looked back in the direction of both [member='Onna Sunrider'] and [member='Pravus the Grey'] and offered them each a smile that would hopefully set them at ease.

"You are more than welcome to join my Padawan and I, if you would like. Don't be discouraged if you do not yet feel the calling of a crystal, it will come in time."

With the invitation having been placed she looked back to her student and pressed on down the route he had chosen. The caves were natural, even if they had been soiled by beings who had come here to rend the crystals from the walls en mass, and as a result they were winding, twisting tunnels that had no rhyme or reason to their directions. Up for a few feet, down for many more, around a bend... Onward and onward they went, until finally the tunnel opened up into a cavern that was smaller than the one they had come from. Intimate could have been the word for it.

"I know you are apprehensive," she informed Caedyn, when they were alone - even if it was brief, should Onna or Pravus have joined them - "You are still new to this, I do not expect some grand feat where you're suddenly able to do all of these things. No, instead we'll be focusing on awakening you to the Force... And there is no better place to do so, really, than among all of these crystals through which the Force more readily flows. Lower yourself to the ground, if you would, close your eyes and allow your breathing to become more natural than it is. You know how to meditate by now, I'm sure, it's something all Je'daii are encouraged to do many times daily, but meditating and utilizing the technique to truly touch upon the Force are different things entirely."

For now Asha herself merely waited, watching the small cavern for signs of any of the others while Caedyn did - or perhaps didn't - do as suggested.

 

[Card Null]

Off Somewhere but close.....

He had finally reached the planet Aurum, He began entering through the atmosphere, The clouds water droplets falling from his window . Laying in the cockpit of his Starfighter, Hearing only the roaring engines at his back He glanced over to his window Gazing at the uncharted world below him. The thought of learning and meeting people from different backgrounds made him a bit tense but eager to see what the Jed'aii order was made of .

While soaring near the mountain sides . He noticed a swirling of senses in the back of his head coming from a location near to the coordinates [member="Jyn Sol"] had given to him. since he Mastered the basic rules of deduction he now knew where the gathering had been taking place.


Not Knowing how far the orders current adventure had been completed . He began Locating where the source had been emanating from he flipped a switch and his fighter jetted closer to where the rest of the group would be.

" I'm gonna be late for sure "

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Accompanied by his Master, she of whom soon gave him some further instruction upon their entering into the wider underground clearing, Caedyn turned his attention upon [member="Asha Hex"], his training issue Lightsaber deactivated by his thumb against the activation stud, soon dispersed the energy back into the emitter of his hilt with a sharp mechanical hiss and the sudden absence of blue light that had followed in his every step moments prior. Here however, there seemed to be a natural luminescence due to the crystal formations within the cavernous walls and formed upon the surface of the cave floor around them. Some of them differed from others in shade and color though they all seemed to give off a warming sort of a glow that really encouraged a sense of comfort in a place that was so otherwise dark and cold.

Asha was correct in that Caedyn had learned the practice of meditation; both his father and mother had practiced the art of inner calm back home on Commenor and from what little Veiere had been willing to share with his Son, this particular practice was one that was studied by peoples of many different walks of life, not simply those able within the Force. Returning his lightsaber to his right side, clipping it to his belt, Caedyn moved to lower himself upon the cave floor, crossing his legs and adopting a position most common for those whom were familiar with Meditation.

Truthfully, he was relieved that his Master understood his inability compared to his peers, most of which were all far more advanced and further along in their dedicated paths. While it was true that he was the Son of a former Jedi Grandmaster, Caedyn had been taught little to nothing of the Jedi way out of his parents wish to keep his mind and learning separate from the bias that followed in the society of Force Practitioners. Such was the reason that Asha Hex had been trusted with the boys care after all, the wholesome outlook of the Force and the respect and peaceful practices of such without the instability and fear driven into the minds of the youth that they might decline in life further down the path.

"I've meditated quite a bit before" Caedyn replied somewhat out of youthful ignorance, his head slightly tilted in both intrigue and a little nervousness, the fear of failure most often in the back of his mind since having left his home and family; a burden that he would come to conquer over time, yet. "I don't think I've ever felt the Force while doing it though...-Atleast, when I try, most of the time it just feels like I'm sitting there doing nothing".

 

[Valgærd]

One step.

That was where this journey began. That was where all journeys began. As she listened to the words from her teacher and friend, Sahna glance down at her feet. Her boots were a little dirty from the cave floor. Behind her, footprints lead back away to the mouth of the cave, and out beyond that. Before her, however, the dirt was undisturbed, pristine, even. She had no steps to follow, no one to go ahead of her. This, she had to do on her own. Ignis was right, as usual. She was the master of her fate, be that for better or worse.

The togruta drew in a deep breath, and let it out again.

She raised her chin, squared her jaw, and took a step forwards. Then another. Closing her eyes, she reached out with the force, letting it guide her. Although this was her trial, one she had to complete on her own strength and her own connection to the force, she did not have to be alone while doing it. While they may not be taking the same path as she, Sahna had friends here. Then there was Ignis, one of the first friends she'd made, now her teacher. She was not going to lie to herself, she was glad he was accompanying her. He could not help her in her task, for if there was a crystal in her for Sahna, it would call to her and her alone. But to have him by her side, someone to walk with her, it gave her more strength than perhaps he knew.

"Thank you, Ignis." She murmured, keeping her eyes closed and her face to the path ahead of her, "it's this way."

Where this tunnel would lead she had no idea. What lay along this path she could not know. What challenges she might face ahead were obscured.

But on she walked.

 

[Cecilia Wissen]

Cecilia was more than a bit surprised by the sudden appearance of the force ghost. "Kyle? Katarn? Kyle Katarn?" She had heard of the force user, but knew nothing about them. "Uhh, nevermind. Uh, anyways, I'm Wissen, Cecilia Wissen." She said, giving a bow. Someone had at some point cleared up that that wasn't actually something the Je'daii did, but it was already a habit."Je'daii Journeyer. Seeker of a saber. Well, just the crystals for one right now." Her composure regained, she continued after laughing for a second. "You've met [member="Mariya Fleischer"]?" As she did this, she swiped her right hand to the right, with her pointer and middle fingers pressed together down by her waist. A pressure wave expanded around them, blowing back the fog, though it immediately collapsed back into place.

She gave a wry smile, more impressed with the attempt than the result. She was surprised that Mariya had not tried using the force, given her recent errant use of the ability. Anyways, the ghost was talking again. Cecilia turned to him and listened.

"Je'daii, hmm? That would be you both, I presume? An interesting reincarnation of the order from thousands of years ago. Well suited for those who wish to learn," he said, nodding at Mariya. "Nice to meet you Cecilia"

"So!" He exclaimed clapping his hands together. "Two wide eyed Je'dii looking for sabers to call their own." He glanced at his saber in Mariya's hand. "Hopefully that ancient thing has served you well, though a saber to call your own would be certainly better." Smiling a bit, he said, "Perhaps I can give you a bit of assistance on the whole crystal thing. First you're going to want to reach out with the Force, yada yada, you know the drill. Make it a bit different though. Try to find the force energy that surrounds you, then, like a tuning fork, try to find a crystal that resonates with your energy."

To Cecilia, Kyle seemed a bit unprofessional for a Jedi master, but she attempted to do what he instructed. "a tuning fork" he said...

 

[Lief]

Unbeknownst to her the path she had taken into the cave took her down a different trail to the ones the others had. It was an easy mistake, the cave broke off into three routes almost immediately and it just so happened to be that she and [member='Tracyn'] were on the leftmost path. The others had strayed to the right. As such when [member='Arekk'] made his way through into the network of sprawling tunnels and caverns she did not see him, did not even hear him, though she did feel yet another tug through the Force.

Her attention for the time being was wholly focused on this man though, so while she heard what easily could have been someone calling out to her she took it as one of the larger group talking to their peers. Nothing more, nothing less, didn't even give it a second thought.

Tracyn's question struck her somewhere deep inside, the same way her own questioning of Josh had. That small glimmer of hope she had clung to during her journey to Kashyyyk, that somehow the woman was really alive, dashed against the rocks. She could sense the same in him, that momentary excitement at the thought of having walked in on Asha Seren alive and well.

"I don't know what she looked like," Jyn confessed, nobody who had known Asha had ever told her that much before. She had heard plenty from Miss Hex, she who had walked through the memories of many who had passed including - no doubt - the man now before her, but Jyn had never had the heart to ask her to show her what it was she saw. To be told, by the one who knew her the closest, the one who spent so much time with her, that she looked like her... It was simultaneously a punch in the gut and utter elation.

She could feel her skin begin to prickle. It took all of her willpower to keep the fire from coursing through her veins.

"I never met her. I don't think she ever really met me... Maybe a day or two, those first few days, but no... She had no part in my life."

Her composure broke ever so slightly then, a mere slither of glass in the form of a single tear which she hastily brushed away. She was just as quick to avert her gaze from him for a moment or so.

"I take it she never mentioned me, then?"

How could she? Asha had told her all she needed to know about the why of it. About her Father and the monster he became, about how she'd been forced to put herself into hiding - and their child - to keep him from them. About how she'd made herself forget... Jyn couldn't imagine having to see all of that come about, even if it was in visions of the past. She was grateful that she'd never been made to see it.

 

[Ignatius]

There was an awakening. A change within my student. One that I found inspiring for myself. I had seen as a shy little togruta girl was almost afraid of those around here. Scared of the darkside. Afraid of the darkness and what it carried in it's depths. Slowly, I had seen her grow just a little more every time. Now knowing that she wore the pendant that she had made with my aid, as well as the lessons she had learn through myself, or through our adventures to get holocrons, She was changing. Growing from a scared child unsure of herself, into a woman who was learning how to lead, and how to take the first step in the direction she wanted.

I faintly smiled for a second as she thanked me for coming with her. She was nervous. As anyone else would be. I do not think ill of her for being so. Nor would I ever. Even speaking about it being in one specific direction. Following after her smaller strides with my own larger ones, She stayed silent as she searched through the force. I too did the same. Searching for my own crystal. As much as I may not need it, there was no reason not to have another. Including the fact that this lightsaber was likely going to be used in the creation of a lightsaber later in my life. However first, I needed to find myself. I too had a path to walk. While I took a few steps off said path to aid Sahna, I found that every day I was still making my way forward with her as an ally and a friend.

Knowing that Asha as well as Jyn were both doing the same, and searching for their own path, It made me feel less... out of the loop. I felt like I actually belonged. For the first time in my life, I had a place to call home. I opened my eyes and shook my head to remove that thought as we were moving further and further into the tunnels. The light was slowly fading. Smiling as now it was my job to support her, I was prepared this time. Taking out a small sheet of cloth, I balled it up and tied it with twine. Igniting it with the abilities of pyrokinesis to allow a slow burn as I then handed it to Sahna.

She would feel no heat, nor burn. However, the blue flaming light would brighten the way for her. Once more, I gave her the tools, Now it was for her to do with it as she wished.

"Just watch your feet. Even the greatest of kings can perish from a fall."

[member="Sahna Te"], [member="Jyn Sol"], [member="Asha Hex"], [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"]​

No response.

As he ventured further into the cave, the temperature dropped drastically and the sensation of humidity made him feel uncomfortable. It was something expected once you entered places like these, specially caves that date to a few milennia.

His voice echoed throughout the deep walls but nobody answered in the other end. The Force tugged him and his instinct told him to continue moving forward, no matter what. Perhaps he would find someone familiar inside who was also trying to collect crystals for their weapons.

The rocky path made it difficult for the young Knight to navigate through the cave easily but that wasn't something that would stop him from moving along the road. From afar, sapphire lights from a crystal formation were visible and a strange figure that was laying his back against the wall stood out specially for the man.

Slowly stepping towards the source of this light, Ar'ekk stumbled against a sleeping man. His energy was completely drained since he could feel it through the Force. Planting his torch against the muddy ground and reaching for a bottle of cold water, he tried to wake up Josef from his exhausted state.

"Hey, are you okay? Wake up."

Hopefully, he was still alive.

---

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[Josef King]

Josef King

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Aurum, Meissa System, the Outer Rim Territories.
Personal objective: Investigate the caverns.
Interacting with: [member="Arekk"]

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The temple haunted Josef's dreams, a golden structure silhouetted under an angry orange sky. He knew this place, this planet, despite having never stepping foot upon it's soil. Yutan. A flood of memories followed the realization; faces he's never seen, friends he never had, experiences that were not his own. For a few seconds; Josef felt the pride, the joy, of training at such a place- and he eventually felt the grief of seeing the temple burn.

---

Josef awoke with a start, gasping and clutching at his right arm. For a moment; the exile was still dreaming, phantom pains shot up from his elbow and face was twisted into a grimace of sheer agony. Eventually the pain eased into confusion, and was soon replaced entirety by the realization. Dreams were a funny thing, real up till the dreamer simply realizes otherwise. "Yutan.." The exile smiled, shifting his amber colored eyes towards Arekk. He greeted the new arrival like an old comrade, extending a hand out for support.

"Help an old man onto his feet would you?"

 

[Card Null]

And He's here

The force had led him to a Mountain cave system, When descending to an empty area outside the cave , He had noticed the entrance to be empty . He did not visibly see anyone but had sensed multiple things coming from within the inner parts of the cave.

Opening the latch to his starfighter he finally began to get out , satisfied to finally have touched solid ground again, he felt stiff beginning to stretch while also observing the entrance to the mountain. He only saw the darkness coming from the cave .

He then reached back into his cockpit to grab his sword , finally ready to venture into the cave walking closer to it. Unsure of how far each person had traveled into the mountain He then screamed "Hey!!!" to make those inside slightly aware of his presence , but he was pretty sure everyone was way ahead of him.

When he walked inside he was astonished by how massive the interior of the cave was , At first unable to decide on which of the various paths to go down he finally followed his gut feeling and began to follow the left tunnel

His left hand sticking out using it to guide the force to detect any others that are apart of the gathering party.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

Mariya had been practicing her meditation ever since she joined the Order. She had a restless mind, never someone who could sit still for long. There were too many interesting things to do, thoughts to ponder about and conversations to talk about. But she also learnt the importance of clearing her thoughts. If she could stick to her exercise and gym regime dutifully, she could do the same for her mind. Meditation was the exercise to clear her thoughts, to improve her concentration and clarity of thought.

So it was no surprise when Kyle Katarn asked the two young Je'daii members to start off with meditation, the most basic exercise any Je'daii or Jedi would learn. The blonde was now capable of focusing her thoughts for a short period without drifting off to more interesting topics, but she was unsure if she could successfully locate the right crystal within her limited time frame. She sat down on a piece of rock, making herself comfortable in the usual meditation posture. There was another rock nearby, suitable for [member="Cecilia Wissen"] to meditate as well. Before she could close her eyes, Kyle was already onto her, shaking his head.

"What is the posture that you usually find the most comfortable and focused with?"

The mercenary was startled. Was Kyle telling her to...

"Yes, I'm asking you to meditate in your favourite position."

She looked at the Jedi Master cynically, getting off the rock and adopted a prone position instead just a few meters away. Her rifle butt rested against her cheek, the barrel pointing at an imaginary target. Slow deep breathing, like how she was taught years ago in the sniping course. She continued her improvisation, closing her eyes and scanned the rest of the body mentally with her mind, telling her muscles to relax. The Force Ghost nodded his head in approval. An unorthodox method, but since when did Kyle Katarn ever follow traditional Jedi teachings?

1... 2... 3... 4...

Counting of breaths. Her consciousness expanded outwards, scanning her surroundings for that elusive crystal. The crystals hummed loudly now, singing a lullaby, telling her to rest.

I don't feel any crystal that fits my bill. All I can feel is...

The mist grew thicker, concealing the mercenary completely.

******​

Velusia.

She recognised those waves anytime. The last time she was here, she was at a beach party. So were the pirates. The infamous Captain Marcus Gray and his first mate, Saede Taggart. The pirate captain was standing there with his hat and golden capped teeth, hugging two trashy looking girls.

Marcus might have been blind, or had been drinking too much, but Mariya certainly noticed the captain when he stepped in with two other girls. She said nothing since her mouth was occupied with her harmonica and her mind was mostly spent on getting the right notes. Her emerald eyes merely narrowed to give Marcus a slight look of disapproval. She kept up with Yalin for Saede's next request, before finally giving in and let him carry on with the rest of the songs. Playing a harmonica was different from strumming a mandoviol, and her mouth was getting pretty tired from all the blowing of notes.

"Been enjoying yourself much, Captain? I see that you have got yourself some company..."

"Now now," Marcus said with a grin, catching Mariya's chin for one moment between his thumb and forefinger, "This shade of green be unflatterin' fer ya. And I been enjoying meself jus' fine, love! Though of course better for your company." he amended with a small bow, "What's your poison tonight?"

For a moment, Marcus wondered if Mariya was scented like Velusia because the planet rubbed off on her. Does that actually happen? He eyed her somewhat as he tried to guess.

"And, um, you play the harmonica?!"

The blonde leapt into the pirate's arms.

******​

Where am I?​

​

The mercenary found herself staring at a skirmish. Gamorrean thugs engaged in battle against a private security force. Screams in the air. Babies crying from inside the convoy. A bounty hunter, presumably the leader of the thugs, cut down the guard protecting the babies and grabbed the nearest wailing infant. The masked hunter gave a triumphant laugh and tried to take the second baby, but he was beaten by the renewed efforts of the security forces.​

​

Mariya gave a shout, but no voice came out of her throat.​

​

She leapt forward. Knuckle plate vibro blade out of her right fist, smashing its way through the visor. The leader screamed, collapsing onto the floor while she grabbed the infant from his arm. Triumphant, she turned her attention back to the convoy and picked up the other baby. Two pairs of tiny emerald eyes stared back at her. The babies had stopped crying.​

​

Twins.​

​

She gasped in surprise and blinked.​

​

******
​

 

[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"]​

"Yutan? I haven't heard about that place in a while."

Interesting to say the least, this person had a relation with the planet where he took his first steps as a Jedi under Tugoro Taidarious, Jedi Master with the Galactic Republic. It had been years since he set foot or spoke about that place, specifically the Jedi Enclave. When the One Sith came to ravage the place, the two of them were long gone by then on different paths.

By janking the stranger with his free hand and dusting off his clothes, Ar'ekk chimed in deeper on his "senseless" rambling. His speech sounded slurry to the young Knight but that didn't seem to bother him, having already seen a bunch of odd people in his lifetime.

"Why are you sleeping here?"

This person intrigued him which is why he showed the more "humane" side of his personality instead of the cold and reserved one for strangers. Something was familiar about him but couldn't quite grasp what it was exactly.

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[Cecilia Wissen]

Cecilia did not see Mariya assume a sniping position because she was already meditating. It was something that she had become very comfortable doing during her time at the Je'daii order, and was able to enter a state of meditation right away. Like a rock, her consciousness fell down a tunnel descending deeper and deeper into meditation. A crystal, that's what she was looking for. Something that was compatible with her? She spread her consciousness around the caves, trying to find something that felt right. Yet despite her efforts the cave remained a cave. Dark and empty.

Just when she was about to give up hope, she heard a drop of water fall into a puddle far below, startling her. The first sound she had heard since she started meditating. She focused on the origin of the sound, hoping that perhaps-- Suddenly she saw yellow, and then she opened her eyes. Her crystal was below.

Mariya was on a rock nearby, in a sniping position. Cecilia looked at Kyle inquisitively.
"I told her to meditate in the position she found the most comfortable. She's a sniper right? So don't look at me like that. Anyways, you should wait."

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

She stood there, twins in her arms. The sound of blaster fire reminded her that she needed to get them to safety. Angry shouts followed behind her as she raced off in the opposite direction to avoid the fighting. Shots rang out, pebbling the ground as she dived behind a collapsed building. She looked down the babies, who stared back at her again with those lovely greens. One of them was smiling at her, while the other began to cry.

"Oh hush hush... don't cry..."

******​

Where's the babies? I'm back at the beach again?

True enough, she was back in Velusia. Captain Marcus Gray had lost the swimming challenge and owed her a favour. Mariya remembered this scene very well. The captain had asked her to bring a nice bathing suit to join him in his new yacht next time, because she had been wearing her military swimwear.

"Well, luv, I got nothin' against military issued gear." he teased with a grin and a twinkle, "Just figured you'd enjoy some civvies?"

He stood and stretched like a runner before a race. A few groans of protest as he touched his toes from various angles but he actually seemed to be in deceptively better shape than his appearance would suggest.

"Of course," he said, rotating his torso back and fourth, "Skyclad works too."

And with that, he took a running start toward the end of the dock, launching himself up and off, pulling off a swan dive before plunging back into the warm water. His ragged pants were on the dock.

Mariya blinked. And blinked again in total disbelief, with her jaws dropping.

I didn't jump in. Why didn't I? Because I was too shy?

The last moments with Marcus had just unfolded in front of her eyes. How many times did this memory replay itself in her mind? She had no idea. All she knew was that she would not make the same mistake again. She stood up and leaped into the waters. As she swam next to the pirate, she smiled shyly...

******​

"Looks like our little friend here is lost in her memories."

Kyle Katarn looked concerned at the mercenary who had been lying on the ground. He closed his eyes, sensing the pain and regret coming from her thoughts and shook his head. "Poor girl. She has been keeping everything to herself for such a long time. This... is going to take a while. As for you, young lady," he gestured to [member="Cecilia Wissen"], "You have found your crystal. Good. Now you need to retrieve and tune it to follow your energies. Should be easy right?"

 

[Valgærd]

Ignis's words stayed in Sahna's mind.

She turned to him and nodded, acknowledging that she understood, before turning back towards the path. It was dark ahead, the blackness seeming to close in on her path. But just as she noticed, the togruta found something placed in her hands. Ignis handed her a small ball of cloth, flames spewing enough light to illuminate their path. She gasped, flinching as she expected to feel the searing burn from the fire. But the pain never came. The fire provided light, but no heat or pain whatsoever. She held it out in front of her, above her head, to light their way.

"Thank you--" She murmured, but was suddenly cut off.

They'd taken only a few steps into the tunnel, but already the rest of the group felt so far behind them. Sahna stopped in her tracks, the small flaming torch held aloft. Her montrals hung down from her head as she leaned forward, peering into the darkness. It had been so faint at first, so tiny, she'd barely even registered it as a sound. Had she even heard anything? Or had it been her imagination? The togruta bit her lower lip. She could feel Ignis behind her. She knew exactly what he'd say if she asked him. Doubt your doubts before you doubt yourself. It was something he'd taught her before.

She drew in a deep breath, and focused.

Then she heard it again.

It was ever so slightly louder this time, echoing through the tunnel, drawing her further in. A cry for help. Sahna gasped. She recognised that voice. her feet carried her a few steps in before she even realised she was moving. Her attention was focused solely on whatever was in front of her. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Her mind was thrown into turmoil.

"A... Aranias?" She called out into the darkness beyond their circle of light, "is... that you? I'm coming!"

Her pace quickened. There was no way she was letting him die a second time. This time she was not run from the cloaked man, from her friend. This time, she was running towards them.

 

[Ignatius]

I smirked a little as I handed Sahna the cloth that was ignited with flame. It would light the path for her enough. However, she stopped. Looking around even though there was only the path ahead of us. No where else to go but back. I was confused for a moment if she heard something. Togruta had much better sensory and hearing abilities than that of humans, so I trusted her judgement. However, she started to take steps forward. Almost... scared of what was going on. She then began to run after calling out someone's name. Saying she was coming.

I knew what was happening. She was experiencing a vision or some kind of force intuition caused by the cave. I allowed her to run off after whatever was causing this memory within her, but I followed. Making sure to keep up with her and not injure herself. While I had just said to make sure she keep track of her feet and to not slip, she started to run. Foolish in my thoughts, but the sound of her voice, how she seemed to almost... yearn for this person, it made me think that this was a memory of someone she had once cared about.

She had some emotional tie to this person. This wouldn't end very well for Sahna.

Even when I knew that much.

I followed.

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

Aranias

The name was all that was in Sahna's mind. She could hear him, calling to her. He was crying out for help, his desperate, panicked please echoing throughout the darkened tunnel before her. She moved one hand to clutch the small amulet around her neck to keep it from bouncing around as she she ran. Her other hand held the torch above her head, lighting her immediate path as she moved further inwards.

She was technically aware that Ignis was behind her. She still technically knew that she was in a cave on a distant planet, and that Aranias had died long ago. But... there was something about hearing his voice, being confronted with the choice she so desperately wished she could make again, something that drove her on.

Sahna, help me! Please!

The voice seemed to echo from every wall, bounce off every surface. It struck her deep in her core, ricocheting around from all sides, yet she knew it was coming from ahead of her.

"I'm coming, Aranias! Hold on!"

She cried out in response, her own voice echoing into the darkness. Her eyes strained as she kept them on the shrinking circle of black that receded from her as she ran. She had to go faster, she had to reach him. She had to change the decision she'd made all those years ago. The passage twisted and turned, carrying her further in.

Suddenly, everything was thrown into the air, the ball of flame flying from her hands. The moment later Sahna let out a sharp cry as she landed with a hard thud on the ground, pain lancing through her entire body. It took a few moments for her to catch her breath. Gritting her teeth, she grimaced, glancing around. The small ball of fire had landed a few feet away, illuminating in a circle of light the ravine she'd fallen into. It wasn't deep, maybe five feet at most.

The girl pulled herself into a sitting position, a hiss of pain slipping through her teeth as jolts of agony lanced through her leg and back. She didn't yet know if she'd been hurt badly, only that she was disoriented and frustrated.

[member="Ignis Imura"]