Location: Ossus | Training grounds
Valery watched quietly as Briana moved to grab herself a training lightsaber, but tilted her head at how long it was taking. Most students would just grab one so they could quickly jump into training, but it seemed a bit more of a process with her Padawan. Whether it was a good or bad thing remained to be seen, but it certainly piqued the Master's interest.
What stood out even more, however, was the way she responded to the first hilt she took from the rack. She seemed to recoil after touching it and dropped it back down as quickly as she picked it up. For a moment, Valery sensed something strange, but she decided against mentioning it for now. She simply took a mental note of it and offered Briana a nod as she stepped in front of her inside the training area.
She began to transition into a similar stance... only to pause a moment later so she could ask a question. In response, Valery stepped out of her stance and held the blade low at her side, her gaze focused on the Padawan. While Briana seemed nervous about the question she asked, Valery seemed to appreciate it.
"We use lightsabers because there are people in this Galaxy who will oppress, enslave and hurt others whether they defend themselves or not. This Galaxy, in many ways, is a cruel place to be, and our place as Jedi is about protecting life and peace the best we can. Not just against forces of the Dark Side, but anything that seeks to disturb the balance of the Force." Valery explained, her tone rather void of emotion, as she felt she was stating simple facts.
"Since this reality isn't always easy to accept, I'll give you two examples. There are many more, but these are ones to remember," she stressed.
"Many Jedi these days are not as knowledgeable about the history of the Sith and their conflict against the Jedi, but there are some important details to be aware of. Their history begins with something we now call the Second Great Schism, an event where Jedi were found to be experimenting with the Dark Side and exiled. More specifically, they were using the Force to manipulate life in unnatural ways through alchemy, twisting animals and other living beings and bending them to their will."
"These exiled, fallen Jedi then started a war against the Jedi we call the Hundred Years Darkness. Eventually, they were defeated at the battle of Corbos, and the survivors were rounded up by the Republic, who wanted to execute them all and thereby end the threat. However, the Jedi convinced the Republic to show them mercy, and instead exile them into the unknown with the hope that these fallen Jedi would see the error in their ways."
"Instead, the exiled formed the Sith Empire and returned thousands of years later for revenge in a war we call the Great Hyperspace War. Again, they would be defeated, and again mercy was shown to the survivors, who were exiled."
She paused.
"And again, they returned thousands of years later to seek revenge. To attempt to break the peace, and force hundreds of worlds into submission or death once again."
Valery then took a small breath, "But not all danger comes from the Sith or followers of the Dark Side. Have you ever heard about Boz Pity?" Valery asked. "A long time ago, a species lived there called the Gargantelles. They were incredibly tall and strong, but sadly, they were discovered by the Hutts, who attempted to enslave the species."
"The Gargantelle managed to repel seven Hutt invasions, after which the Hutts convinced an army of war droids from a neighboring system to exterminate the Gargantelles. After about a decade of fighting, the entire Gargantelle species was extinct, but they left behind massive gravestones to honor their fallen."
"This is why the planet is now called the Graveyard Planet."
Valery then drew her blade back up, and assumed her stance once again, "We train with a lightsaber so we can protect ourselves, and so we can defend people who can't defend themselves against the many things out there willing to kill or enslave them. Does this answer your question?"
Briana Sal-Soren
