Private The Small Hours

[Lief]

Lost in such a verdant landscape, it was almost impossible to tell that she was sat upon a station deep in space.​

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It had not been long since the Je'daii had first converged here, and yet for Asha it felt as though so much had happened since. Mostly because it had. She had been thrust headfirst into a world of responsibility, and was trying to keep afloat with it all. There was much to be done, a lot she had planned, and the first cogs had only just begun to turn. So she had taken to the gardens, as she often did, meditated on the Force for a way forward...​

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And now she sat there, datapad in hand, working hard on some sort of address. To any passerby it would not be readily obvious what it was she was doing, but she typed away all the same. A pot of tea was being perpetually heated on the ground before her, and every now and then she'd take a sip from a cup which helped to ease her mind and keep her focused.​

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She'd pause here and there, pondering the right word to use. During those moments her eyes would drift upward, to take in the true majesty of the space. It was a wonder to behold, a true gift to all who walked among it. For one such as she, who was so grounded by nature, it was the perfect workspace. And when Cotan wasn't home, it served as a space for her to sleep, too. Though that certainly hadn't been intended.​

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The woman looked different now, and it wasn't just the weight of her responsibilities which brought that about. Her face bore markings that were not previously there, and though they were light enough that one might miss them in passing, they were obvious to any who truly looked upon her. Iridonian in nature, which was strange given that none outside of their culture was permitted such. None save she, it would seem, the adopted Vynea... That still hadn't fully sunk in, of course. Sargon Vynea had welcomed her into the fold, as a daughter no less. It was an honour she couldn't fully comprehend, and each time she caught her reflection and was reminded of it she could not help but smile.​

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It was getting late, at least in so far as her body clock could tell - there wasn't exactly true time in space, after all - and she had to stifle a slight yawn. Still she powered on though. She was so close to being done...​

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Kal​

 

[Kal]

Tribunal Station. A monument to something vaguely resembling justice in the chaotic reaches of the Outer Rim, somewhere for no-doubt-overworked Judges to congregate, to share resources, information, and work - maybe stash a dangerous criminal or two, every once in a while.​

It was quite different from the weathered temples he had previously associated with the Je'daii - newer, more alive.​

Pausing at the precipice of the most literally alive part of all, he was briefly distracted by some of the creative engineering solutions employed by the station's creators. Yes, this segment distinctively resembled the old Hoersch-Kessel designs he'd seen in the archives. Not quite that new, then. Quite satisfied with that observation, he drifted into the gardens proper, seemingly random wandering taking him in more or less the right direction.​

Unseen and unnoticed by the Forceless majority, he soon found himself in Asha's presence once more, quickly noting the changes from when last they had met. Facial markings, once that spoke of subtle meanings, a language of context currently beyond him. Already his curiosity was piqued.​

<Hello again, Asha.> Swirling into view, he manifested as the shadowy figure of lean male almost exactly as tall as Asha herself; Kal had recently heard of the value of eye contact and seen fit to test it out in an overly literal sense. <I believe I was promised the chance to learn of your ways?>​

Reclining backwards into the air in a universal gesture of lazy patience, he shrugged. <Assuming you are not too busy, of course. I'm patient.>

Lief​

 

[Lief]

She was so lost in whatever it was she was writing that she didn't see the shade manifest in front of her until it uttered words.​

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Even so, she was not visibly startled. It took her a moment to look up from the datapad, as she forced herself to finish the thought she'd been typing out, and it wasn't until she did so that she realized it wasn't simply one of the Journeyers asking her something. Her head tilted lightly to the left as she regarded the form it took, and then an easy smile worked over her lips.​

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"Am I to presume this is your typical form?" she inquired, turning off the datapad and setting it aside. "Welcome, Kal of Greystone, to Tribunal Station. I am glad you chose to take me up on my offer, friend. Would you by any chance care for some tea?"​

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It took her a moment after the offer was made, and a tip of her head in the other direction, before a bemused expression fell over her.​

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"Is that something you can even partake in in this form?" Well the offer was there if he could, if not then at least she tried no? She patted the ground in front of herself all the same, should he wish to join her in the grass.​

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"I'm not too busy for one such as yourself. I would be happy to aid you in learning whatever it is you wish to know."​

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How serious he was about this she wasn't sure. Did he wish to join their roster as a true member, or simply glide through their lessons and see what he made of it? She supposed that was important to find out.​

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"Tell me, Kal... Are you hoping to join our ranks as a true student, or would you prefer to be more of an observant outsider? Either is fine, but I can provide you with much more of my time if I took you on as a formal student. Not that I wouldn't make time for you either way, of course..." Life had simply gotten hectic as of late. She didn't mind either way, of course, it would simply be helpful to know.​

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Kal ​

 

[Kal]

<Something like it, at least. The details are... malleable.> As if to illustrate his point, Kal's form briefly grew taller, bulkier, and more menacing before it shifted back into its previous state. Relaying the telepathic equivalent of a chuckle, he glided forward and passed a single shadowy hand through her kettle. <I'm afraid I will have to pass on that, for now. Hard to enjoy something without tastebuds or even a physical mouth.>​

Following her lead, he slid down onto the ground, "taking a seat" next to her as indicated. Not that he needed the physical support, in this form.​

<Good question,> he responded, giving her query the thought and attention it deserved. He could not claim to know enough of the ways of the Je'daii to make a permanent commitment, but then that was not being asked of him either. What was the point of agelessness if he did not take what time he needed to learn - and what better place to learn than among those dedicated to balance and knowledge, not victory and endless strife.​

<I think I would like that, being your student. Your ways are fascinating to me, I would like to experience them in depth.> Only time would tell whether he would take to them or not, but he was willing to make the attempt. It seemed only fair to give it a chance.​

Lief​

 

[Lief]

"I understand," she said with a smile, having anticipated as much yet felt it within her duties to at least offer. One of these days she'd be able to share a pot with him, she knew, but in truth she much preferred the idea of speaking to him on these terms than inside the body of another. As different as it was, it was much less strange to her than the other options.​

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He drifted to the ground and took up a seated position, with far more grace than any mere mortal could conjure up. The very act appeared effortless, as though he were a feather floating on the wind that chose to settle. There was no rush for an answer, she did not try to hurry him along, she simply sat and waited as he pondered his answer.​

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And answer he did.​

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Her smile grew as he accepted a position as her student, one she knew which could change at any moment should his whims and plans change. She nodded her head slowly. "Excellent, then consider it so friend. You're welcome to come and go here as you see fit, and though I'm unsure of whether or not you'd make use of such I'll have a room sorted for you all the same. What is it you know so far of the Je'daii, Kal?"​

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It was always good to figure out the foundation, before one could truly build upon it.​

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Kal ​

 

[Kal]

As he had expected, she was quick to assure him of his freedom to come and go as he wished. The Je'daii had their ideals and ideologies, certainly, but they seemed much less pushy than the more expansionistic Orders. The ones who wished nothing more than to paint the Galaxy red or blue.​

<Lovely, I will be sure to do just that. A room of my own could be useful in that capacity, in fact,> he said, in that odd telepathic way of his. What he opted not to focus on was exactly how it would be useful, which would very likely involve stashing some kind of body long-term, most likely a clone in stasis (to prevent independent cognitive development, which might make it a person) or even an alchemical golem of some kind.​

<As for what I know already...> Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he nodded to himself, the bobbing motion quite odd on a spirit. A quirk he had picked up from watching organics, most likely. <... your Order is an ancient one, the progenitor of the Jedi and the Sith both. I know of the focus on balance and understanding over dogma and conquest, but I know less about how said teachings might have shifted with the aeons.>​

Much of what he knew was from truly ancient sources, some found only in the Nether. It was hard to say how representative that was.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

What he did with his room, she had already decided, would be entirely up to him. So long as he didn't break any laws that might bring people poking their noses into their business, of course. That thought gave her temporary pause, before she shook it off.​

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"Good, then consider it so. If there's anything specific you'd like for us to acquire for your space, let me know. I'm sure we can accommodate any necessities you might have."​

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As he spoke of the Order of Old she nodded her head slowly, to confirm what he said, and then smiled. "Yes, all of this is true and very much remains our way to this day. We exist more to observe and experiment with the Force than we do to gain dominion through it. Aid those who exist within the Galaxy, rather than ruling them. Neither light, nor dark..." She shrugged a loose shrug, to her it was a simple concept as she'd been raised with it, but she knew that for many who were used to the Jedi vs Sith mentality it was harder to grasp.​

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For one such as Kal, though? Would it be a simpler thing to conceptualize?​

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Well she'd find out soon enough.​

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Kal ​

 

[Kal]

Bobbing his head in understanding, he seemed to sense her momentary hesitation and so moved to assuage it. Maybe, sort of. <Excellent, thank you. I imagine my needs are somewhat arcane, however - a beacon to help me find my way here with ease and a repository of some sort for a physical form.>

Relaying the telepathic equivalent of a chuckle, he shook his head. <A manufacturer form, not a person, mind you - I don't just go abducting people.>

Nevermind the fact that he'd possessed a decidedly unwilling individual when first they met; the man had been despicable and the act relatively short term. Even if they deserved it he had little interest driving about a struggling puppet. It was somewhat uncomfortable, in his opinion, like a too tight sock or a bed that's just a bit too short.

<Neither light nor dark, but treating the Force as an at-times-fractures but nonetheless meaningful whole?> That was how he treated it, at least. It was hard to say who was right and who was wrong, even for one such as him.

<Shirking the extreme and fanatical for more moderate methods?>

Lief​

 

[Lief]

She looked ponderous for a moment after he spoke. For one who had been raised so entrenched in these philosophies it was sometimes hard to truly categorize and define them. How did one express what came across more as feeling than as tangible fact? In truth no one in this Galaxy really understood the Force in totality, all were guessing, poking and prodding to figure it out. How many sects had their own notion of the way it worked? A stark white current, a deity, a rainbow... Multifaceted. Perhaps it manifested itself however the one utilizing it wished it to be seen.​

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She'd never know for sure.​

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"We acknowledge the light, we acknowledge the dark. Our ancestors would banish into meditation any who would stray too close to the other, for they knew the dangers of fanaticism and extremities. The terms Ashla and Bogan come from the moons of Tython... Those who strayed would be sent to the respective moon, so that they might sit and reflect upon the other. We don't do such these days, the worlds we tread upon do not respond in so volatile a fashion as our homeworld once did, but it is a good reminder of where those beliefs first formed."​

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She glanced upward at the manifestation of a sky, which was in truth not a sky at all but a projection put in place by the maker of the garden, and a soft smile settled upon her lips.​

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"Did you know that the term Je'daii literally means Mystic Center? It's right there, in our name... To be balanced and moderate and centralized in the Force. How is it that you view the Force, Kal? What is this great, mystical energy to you?"​

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Kal ​

 

[Kal]

Listening to her explanation without interruption, Kal found it a mixture of novelty and reaffirmation; his impression of the Je'daii and the way they viewed the world had been reasonably accurate, but he had missed a detail here and there. Some trivial, others quite important. There would be far more still to learn once they got down to the nuances and uncertainties, no doubt. The thought was... oddly appealing.

<I see, that expands quite nicely on what I already knew, thank you.> That said, Kal drifted into a brief but thoughtful silence.

<The Force... is life, purpose, and power all wrapped into one. It is what connects us all, what elevates most forms of life above what they would otherwise be. It is a complicated thing, full of possibilities and contradictions; much like those it connects, really. I do not think that a coincidence.>

There was a cause and effect relationship there, surely, or at the very least correlation. That said, it was quite impossible to say for sure which came first, at least in his opinion. Was the Force innately, intrinsically turbulent or was its differences a result of those that drew on and were nurtured by it? Was the Force what permitted life like they knew it to exist, or had that development brought about the Force as some kind of great gestalt? ​

He would likely never know for sure, but that did not make it any less interesting.

Lief​