Private The Newcomer

[The Silver Scribe]

The Silver Rest, Kashyyyk

Casaana | Takui | Aveline Cuiléin | Valen Arenais | Kaia Vullen

​

Over the recent weeks the borders of Silver Space had been strictly guarded in the aftermath of the Bryn'adul invasion, as well as a number of terrorist activities and attacks upon seemingly random worlds under the jurisdiction and safe-guarding of the Silver Concord and the Order of the Silver Jedi.

As was fairly common among the Padawan, young teenagers growing up in their journey to becoming a prospective Jedi Knight one day, gossip was often heard within the halls of the Silver Rest and for the last two or three weeks one particularly interesting tale had been circulating about a new arrival who had been brought in during a mission, yet seemingly isolated from the rest of the Order.

Unlike most gossip however, this story was in fact true, give or take some details of which the Padawan couldn't have known.

This newcomer was in fact a young man who had been rescued from a group of rogue Darksiders by Caedyn Arenais and Kyra Perl . In the report forward to the Grandmaster, this young man had been found bloodied and broken, receiving emergency medical treatment following the incident on Arcadia and soon being discovered as a Force Sensitive shrouded in the Dark Side of the Force.

In the weeks that followed, Jedi Master Amaly Naetre had been designated the responsibility of overseeing the young man's recovery and gradual return to the Light.

Valen was the boy's name, not yet to have been identified by a surname at all, however his residence unlike most Student Dorms was situated closer to the old Assembly Chambers where the Master's of the Order could keep an eye on him, there comfortably isolated within one of the meditation chambers the Padawan had been barred from entering.

Like any typical teenager however; telling them not to do something only seemed to encourage foul play and mischief.

 

[Takui]

His plan was simple.

The rumor was insubstantial. No one had so much as confirmed it, and whenever a Padawan asked about something like that they got the same answer. 'Mind your training, not what you hear in the yard.' It was always an answer that never quite seemed like an answer. For Taku, it was not enough.

He had heard just a whisper about the darkness, about the guile of the Sith, and he needed something to slake his thirst for understanding. This was the same overwhelming, hunger inducing evil that had ripped his family to pieces. If there was even a chance to learn something, to glimpse an iota of what had robbed him of a Father, Taku wanted to understand.

He needed to know what his mother had died for. He needed to know what she wanted him to fight against, and if he had the strength to live up to those expectations. Taku had never been the strongest of her sons. He had never been given great expectations like his Brothers, or doted on like his Sisters. He was the singular child that did not stand out. He was ordinary.

Taku had never wanted anything. He never wanted to be anything, or to have anything before the darkness took his Father away. It was that moment where everything shifted and the balance was destroyed.

Beyond his lack of enthusiasm and his bleak work ethic, there was a drive not unlike madness. He felt anger toward his father, and toward everything he had shunned their quiet, boring life to become. Taku knew half stories of the Sith, the sort of stories parents told their children about monsters under the bed.

The time had come to learn about his enemy. Even the Jedi Masters couldn't keep him from seizing it. At least, not in his mind. He knew the area well enough from his daily movements around Silver Rest. It was an area sectioned off from the rest of the campus, a place where clearance requirements had to be met or consequences would be levied.

It'd be just like sneaking out after bedtime to play with his friends back home.

Probably.

Casaana | Aveline Cuiléin | Valen Arenais | Kaia Vullen​

 

[Darth Ahriman]

What he could remember was a blur, a combination of pain and despondency, something caught between a nightmare and a semi-conscious state of unease and emptiness. Valen had been brought to this new place, although he hadn't the mind to ask or recall any of the explanations he was offered once having reached the Temple of the Silver Jedi.

There were questions far greater of concern than simply where he had been taken; the boy had learned to resign himself to the demands of his captors and the occult had never taken no for an answer, not without the encouragement of a beating to change his attitude and remind him of just how futile any sort of rebellious idea's truly were. Even now among the Jedi, Valen didn't have the notion that they were any different nor were he to fare any better here than he did on whatever dark world he had been found upon.

Sitting upon one of the cushions within the meditation chamber, his was sat forward with his elbows pressed against his knees, his head hung low as he seemed to stare endlessly into the floor, totally oblivious to anything outside of the room. He had no training in the Force, no knowledge of his abilities or potential. The Jedi Master had taken some blood samples and run some tests, however she had also been tight lipped and Valen got the impression she was reporting to someone else.

On the bright side, he had been supplied with a fresh pair of clothes and the pleasure of a sanisteam for the first time in what may well have been a few months. Whatever he had looked like before his capture, however he had wound up with the cult, he was certainly underweight today and looking rather starved of every essential need and comfort of life until now.

In the peace and quiet, he knew not what to do with himself.

Casaana | Aveline Cuiléin | Kaia Vullen | Takui ​

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

Aveline sighed deeply. The cool air that came with a gust of wind was refreshing. The stars would be out bright tonight. Even if it was not yet late in the evening, she could tell as darkness fell over their valley. She enjoyed these walks. They came with some much needed clarity. There was something dangerous somehow, with sitting alone with her own thoughts in her quarters, that seemed completely negated while out in the open. Maybe she was just an outside kind of girl? Peace once more came back to her.

And then there was that rumour... Aveline wasn't sure what to make of it. From what she gathered, a Padawan had been rescued during a mission. Surely that would be cause for celebration? Instead it was talked about in hushed whispers, and brushed under the carpet. Why hadn't the rescued joined them then? Was he that badly injured? She didn't understand, mostly because no one would tell her the slightest thing. It only gave cause to more questions, only answered by her own assumptions which took her on a path away from facts and truths, based on fears and suspicions.

Aveline had chosen a different route today. Normally she would travel closer to the river and the treeline on the opposite side of campus, but tonight was different. Tonight she found herself rather close to the old Assembly Chambers... It was totally a coincidence, and had absolutely nothing to do with the rumours that the rescued Padawan was being kept around here... Totally absolutely.

Her eyes watching the walls, seeking windows that might bring some clarity, she forgot to pay attention to her feet. After rounding a corner, she subsequently walked straight into Takui , bumping into the poor guy. She let out a startled gasp as she proceeded to stumble backwards for a few steps, in hopes of regaining her balance. She didn't.

Valen Arenais | Kaia Vullen | Takui | Casaana​

 

[Takui]

Taku knew nothing about the Force or people sensing others, and so his plan never thought to account for the possibility someone might sniff him out. Because of that, he was confident in his stealth as he crept closer to the old Council chambers. Curiosity over why they had not repurposed that area of the compound filled his thoughts as he surveyed the area, eyes keen to find his destination.

Without warning, he felt something collide with him behind and blurted out a yelp of surprise and confusion. He almost jumped out of his skin as he bolted upright and twisted round, ready to stammer out a pitiful excuse for why he had strayed so close to out of bounds. When he saw the girl, he did not recognize her as any Knight or Master he was yet acquainted with.

But he didn't have the luxury of relaxing with that realization.

Without thinking, his hand darted outward toward her wrist in hopes of halting her fall. His body staggered forward with the sudden motion, and he wasn't sure he would make it in time or that he would be able to catch her in time- or that his hand wouldn't overshoot her wrist entirely.

He just had faith he would catch her, and let his body move completely on instinct.

Which was highly irregular for him.

"Woah, are you okay?" he asked, breathless.

Valen Arenais | Aveline Cuiléin | Casaana | Kaia Vullen​

 

[Darth Ahriman]

As lost as the young man felt, he couldn't help but be pulled back to the present due to a noise sounding outside in the corridor of the place he had been staying since the incident on Arcadia. It certainly hadn't been the usual quiet grace that seemed to accompany Master Amaly Naetre's visits each day...

Valen's life had been anything but ordinary or simple, at least what little he could recall. Having been brought to wherever 'here' was now had given him respite from the violence and ill-treatment, however he seemed to be spending most of his time talking to a select few people about who he was and what had happened to him before.

None of which he understood or could explain why these people were so interested in him, yet apparently they believed that he was being cared for in his new found home there. If it was his home now? He had so many questions yet no specific direction. The boys thoughts were fleeting and his questions were rarely backed up with reason as he struggled to follow and make sense of the last six months...

It took a moment to find the motivation to actually stand to his feet, half suspecting that whatever was happening outside was out of his control and so feeling like going out of his way to investigate seemed like an entirely pointless endeavor; However, he had been encouraged to step outside the room and stretch his legs from time to time...-The entrance to the room having been recently left unlocked as Master Naetre had been convinced that he wasn't a threat or about to run off in any hurry...

Reaching the door leading out to the Corridor however, Valen paused. Did he really want to go out there? What if it wasn't the blind Master he'd grown a little used to speaking with by now, but someone else. What would they think of him. Heck, he didn't even know what to think of himself. Every decision required effort to make and yet he'd never actually been given a choice or a sense of control until being brought to this place and treated...-Right.

He didn't know what to make of it all. Of anything.

Takui | Aveline Cuiléin | Casaana | Kaia Vullen ​

 

[Kaia Vullen]

There was a spot near the meditation chambers and the old Council Chambers where, it is said, one could always hear the shifting rustling of wind through the enormous worshyyr trees, in part due to strange acoustics and metrological factors. Kaia had found what she believed to be that spot and there she meditated upon the concept of falling leaf, its application and extensions into lightsabre combat and the art of movement.

With every gust of wind, and the subsequent cascade of sounds from the leaves caught in the gale, she reflected upon the leaf in movement.

Leaves in movement, the turn of the body and fall of the sabre, like the stem of a leaf cutting through the wind when it it caught. There was more to the movement than the simple turn and cut; there was an idea of how the Jedi should move. A Jedi should be light on their feet, open and ready to take any change in stride, and yet they must be decisive and swift. In her mind, she ran through velocities, sequences of combat intended to teach specific lessons. In each, she made use of the falling leaf, either as an opening, a transition, or a decisive blow. She also switched between action and reaction, between giving and receiving the falling leaf motion.

She pulled in a breath and began to exhale, leaning into the wind when-

Her concentration was disturbed by the sound of a crash and words said quietly between people. She also picked up intent, feeling, doubt.

Shaking her head Kaia returned to her physical presence. She looked at the leaf in her hand and the stick across her lap, and she could still hear the wind, but it was neither as near or as impressive at it had been mere moments before. With a sigh, she let go of the leaf and all she had hoped to accomplish this evening, and jumped off the meditation pillow. Calming herself, Kaia let the Force speak to her as she looked around.

To her, all solid matter appeared as glass, filled with colours if intent, feeling, and life. She tucked her stick under her arm and followed the wall until, around the corner, she felt the closeness of one, two, three individuals.

Two having collided, one lingering in doubt near a door. A smile spread over her lips, reminded of her younger days on Ossus as she put on her stearnest voice.

"Who goes there?"

Aveline Cuiléin Valen Arenais Takui

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

Aveline was in free fall. Only the sharp reflexes of the one she had crashed into kept her from meeting the cold floor. A firm grip wrapped around her lower arm, and she in turn gripped his. Both pulled, and were able to halt her descent. The move was sudden and had her recoil back into him. This time the collision was cushioned.

He was tall, taller than her. Her left still clutched onto his arm, her right had been raised to protect herself and now rested against his chest. "I'm okay" why was she whispering?

Her neck strained slightly to look up at him. His eyes were red. Curious... There was an awkward pause. She let go and quickly took a step back. Her face grew red. "Thanks"

Who goes there?

Aveline had definitely not noticed the Miraluka creeping up on them. It startled her to no end. She definitely felt like she had been caught, though doing what exactly she did not even know. It all happened so fast. She tensed up, her back against the wall, facing the Jedi... Master? Knight?

"I'm uhh I'm here" ... what?

Valen Arenais | Kaia Vullen | Takui​

 

[Takui]

How had he done that?

Taku was entranced as he helped the girl back to her feet, almost like his spirit was watching his body. The disbelief had stricken him completely dumb. He recovered quickly as she pulled herself close, and he figured that she probably needed to steady herself after all that adrenaline pumped through her. He had been scared before, and the all too familiar helplessness was something he could easily empathize with.

When she looked up and confirmed that she was alright, he smiled. "That's good, I'm glad to hear it-" he started to speak, but cut short when he heard the sharp, stern voice of someone he did not know. The inflection bespoke authority, and Taku immediately knew he had been caught doing something he should not have been.

His gaze shifted from the girl toward the woman, who appeared to have her eyes covered. Some type of Jedi sense deprivation training, perhaps? He had heard they did some strange things to sharpen their reflexes, and also, that incident had been pretty loud. Small wonder that this person caught on.

Well, any hope he had of going unnoticed had blown out the window like a leaf on the wind.

Strangely, it wasn't the feeling of doing something wrong that had crawled up his spine but the sensation of disappointment that he might not get the answers that he sought. The idea of disciplinary action did cross his mind for a moment, briefly. The girl backed off and stood rigidly against the wall behind him, and Taku put up a hand.

"My name is Takui Mihzu," he introduced himself, "I came to Kashyyyk recently to seek training as a Jedi. I had heard some rumors and I wanted to look into them out of curiousity." Honesty was the move here, because if he lied and got caught, he would get in much greater trouble. He'd learned that early on.

"Needless to say, it was all my idea," he added for the other girl's sake. She didn't seem like she wanted to face any kind of punishment. "So please be lenient with my friend. I shouldn't have convinced her to follow me. I'll accept full responsibility," he said with a respectful bow.

While it was true that he didn't know the girl at all, he had just helped her- it would be a real jerk move to throw her under a freighter right afterward.

Valen Arenais | Aveline Cuiléin | Casaana | Kaia Vullen​

 

[Darth Ahriman]

"Uh. Hey there...".

The voice came from behind the group as Valen stood outside of the Meditation Chamber dressed in the tan tunic and leggings known to the Jedi style of apparel. He lacked the need for the gloves of course, however the brown leather boots and the belt matching them had made the getup quite possibly the nicest set of clothes that the boy had ever worn. However, despite the seemingly perfect attire, the lad's body language and rather unnerved expression seemed to completely contradict the placid nature of the Jedi garments.

While having no control over the Force nor experience in the guarding of his emotions, it would be plainly evident to any of them with even an ounce of experience in training to be able to pick up on not only his anxiety but so to the faint presence of darkness still attached to him. An ethereal affliction in which his body and soul were still in the process of a spiritual battle between the Light and the Dark Side, all of which the progress he had made so far could be accredited to the Jedi Master Amaly Naetre.

Being completely ignorant to the above fact, Valen also found himself entirely unprepared for the company of so many unfamiliar people. His mind began to race with questions like: How was he supposed to behave around others like Master Naetre, how did they perceive him and did he look as stupid as he felt.

He didn't bother to even consider whether or not the group should have been there in the late evening hours, but rather became more consumed by the sudden onset of anxiety and fear that he might not be fit to be accepted in such a clean and warm place. The Facility holding so many simple pleasures and creature comforts that Valen had been neglected and deprived of.

Takui | Aveline Cuiléin | Kaia Vullen ​

 

[Kaia Vullen]

A boy and girl walking the halls one late evening huh? Kaia's smile became a mischievous one.

She inspected them both closely as they, in her opinion, clumsily tried to explain their presence there. The girl had seemingly rolled over and given up without a fight, while the boy tried to take the blame- or was it credit? To Kaia, their thoughts did not quite synch up. He was too rigid and formal, she too nervous.

There was something curious about this gathering, as if the strings of the Force had simultaneously gathered their attentions here, to this place and time.

Kaia touched her chin in thought.

"And what was your idea all along, I wonder?" "What rumours do you want to investigate, learner Mihzu and learner..." She gestured to Aveline, but someone else answered.

Kaia spun around to face Valen.

"Hello." "Would you like some tea?"

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

Takui Mihzu. At least she had the name of the guy she had embarrassed herself in front of. Unlike her he seemed calm and collected in his thoughts. It gave her time compose herself as well. "My name is Aveline Cuiléin." she looked to him as he covered for her. Her expression would've given her away under normal circumstances, but perhaps not with the Blind One. In any case, as nice a noble of a gesture it was, she could not stand by and let him take the fall for her.

"Thank you Takui, but no. I came here on my own accord. Just going for a walk, I thought I'd try somewhere new" she lied. Well, partially lied. The best one were always dipped in half-truths, were they not? "He's not to blame." She gave Takui a smile, as if to say thanks for trying. Everything before had happened so fast that only now did she feel like she was catching her breath.

Once more this evening, Aveline was caught off guard. This time by a voice behind. She turned quick to gaze upon... The Lost Padawan? Could it be? It must have seemed rather impolite, the way she just stared at him. She could tell he would have been handsome, though it was overshadowed by the malnourishment and general scars of his mistreatment. In him, for the briefest of moments, she thought she could see that same twisted shadow that looked upon her from within. It was as if her body was washed over by a sudden jolt of ice, a sensation that was over in an instant. What she saw was all too relatable, and in a strange ways it almost felt as if their inner demons touched during that split second.

"Hi" she said, ending the awkward pause that thankfully was cut short again by Kaia offering tea. Aveline sure could go for something warm right about now.

Valen Arenais | Takui | Kaia Vullen​

 

[Takui]

Unlike how things may have looked, Taku was extremely anxious. His quick responses under duress came from a Merchant Father's poker faced upbringing. Never let someone see that you're weak. If you seem weak, they'll eat you alive.

Naturally, almost, he'd learned to wear a smile even when he felt like he was sinking. This was an exceptional example of one of those moments. When Aveline- her name was Aveline, how pretty- accepted responsibility for her own actions, he held up his hands in a shrug accepting his defeat. Taku closed his eyes, and continued to smile. As he let out a cleansing breath, he placed both hands on the back of his head and glanced over at the young man who had joined them.

Valen Arenais looked worse for wear, but on the mend. He wasn't aware of any presence or mystical energy surrounding the man if he should have been, but he felt a certain uneasiness once he got a good look. "Is he the guy?" Taku asked, suddenly.

He looked to the Miraluka, not attempting to hide his interest. "The Padawan that was rescued, I mean."

Taku looked to Valen with a certain fire smoldering in his eyes. There were many questions, but none of them would pass from his lips. It was as though he got here and stage fright hit him, hard.

Faced with the reality of someone in Valen's situation, empathy seemed to win out. Taku did not want to rehash any horrible memories with the man. At least, not now.

"...tea would be nice, I think," he answered, finally.

Kaia Vullen | Aveline Cuiléin​

 

[Darth Ahriman]

"Is that the guy? The Padawan that was rescued, I mean".
​

Takui 's question distracted Valen from the offer of Tea, the boy's gaze landing upon the other Padawan and suddenly wondering just how many other people around here had heard of, or knew about him being brought there, and what he and Amaly Naetre had been discussing lately.

Valen had come from a place in life where he was so accustomed to being mistreated when eyes were on him that he found the sudden attention nauseating, as if being of interest to these new people would suddenly reawaken the demons that had burdened him so. It wasn't their fault of course, these people didn't know anything of what he had experienced, although Valen wasn't the most stable of states to recognize this truth.

"I guess?" He answered, knowing not what else to say; "That might be me". He hadn't expected that there'd be others interested in meeting him, or coming to find out more about him. Master Naetre had been one of the very few to visit over the recent couple of weeks and Valen had been slowly growing comfortable with having just met a couple of new faces, yet here were three others who had unknowingly set the boys anxiety into overdrive and left him a little speechless.

"I'm sorry..." He looked up at Kaia Vullen , "I'm not sure I've ever had tea before?".

Every last word seemed to be posed like a question, as if providing the wrong answers might see him ridiculed or reprimanded somehow.

Kaia Vullen | Aveline Cuiléin | Takui ​