To Ilum we must go…

[Corvus Raaf]

Although the Jedi Order had deliberately banished Ilum from all standard star charts for many centuries, almost everyone in the galaxy knew not only of the planet, but its location.

And still Jedi trainees dreamed of visiting the sacred, secret planet in the Unknown Regions. That was because many generations of Jedi had gathered crystals from Ilum to energize their lightsabers, and some Jedi maintained that Ilum crystals were the finest in the galaxy.

This was a claim Corvus was ambivalent about – but there was one undeniable fact. This was where Obi-Wan crafted his first saber – and if it was good enough for him, well, it was ideal for her newest Padawan.

She knew little of him, the trip here had been unfortunately interrupted by Jedi affairs and she’d spent little time chatting and getting to know him. But she knew of his reputation and his prowess in classes on Ossus. So asking him to work with her as her apprentice was an easy decision.

Constructing a lightsaber on Ilum was not regarded as the most challenging trial for a Jedi apprentice, but to most, it was confirmation that they would one day become a Jedi Knight.

And already a bond had developed between them and Corvus was confident this bond would grow stronger over time.

And so it was that travelling in her Jedi Corvette they were making their pilgrimage to the snow-covered world of Ilum. As Corvus punched in the codes for the landing – the snow travelling past the cockpit window horizontally now – and handed the controls to her astromech, she turned to face [member="Barrien Siegfried"].

“So…why accept my request to have you as a Padawan? And I don’t mean praise me,” she smiled warmly. “I mean what is it about my skill-set that made you say yes.”

 

[Mr. OOC]

Barrien had been somewhat surprised when he'd been selected by the Grandmaster to complete his training under her. It was an honor to have the opportunity. He'd given it only a little thought before he'd accepted the offer of completing his training with her. The one time he'd met his father he'd been told that he should, if he wanted to learn, seek out the strongest of individuals to train him, because that would be the one to push him to his greatest potential. He hadn't expected that individual to be Corvus.

Now, as he sat on the space vessel that would take him to the world of Ilum, he wondered what his father would think of his new Master. The man had never mentioned her, but he was certain that Kamon had known her. He also knew, now, that his father was dead, though he didn't know how. It made him incredibly sad to realize that he would never see his father again. Though he did also know he had siblings out in the galaxy. Perhaps he would meet them someday.

They were moving to land when his Master turned to look at him. His eyes had been glued to the snow planet in front of them, but quickly turned to her out of respect as he listened to her question.

"My father was a powerful Jedi, at one time a Grandmaster himself. He told me to seek the strongest possible trainer because they would push me to reach my greatest potential."

That was the truth, but hadn't fully answered her question, so he smiled and dipped his head.

"I had heard of your skill with a lightsaber. I wanted to be taught the same, as my father was also a skilled duelist. I seek to be like him."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled. It was odd to be referenced for her martial prowess. She was always known as a book-worm from even her earliest days on Ossus. Her forte Jedi Lore and if they weren’t at war, she would probably be a Librarian by now.

But circumstances dictate situations and so she was here. GrandMaster and a veteran of every single Invasion since she arrived at Ossus a dozen years ago. Yet but for the title, many still overlooked her abilities and her duelling prowess.

So it was insightful for Barrien to have singled her out for this reason. So she approved.

“I practice. A lot. I suggest the greatest duellists in history share this one facet. They train and…more importantly…they love to train. I practice for at least two hours every day. For over two decades. And the past twelve I have focused on Soresu. It is a Form that reflects me. But I am competent with all Forms bar the seventh.”

She gave him her undivided attention as the ship finally landed. “Tell me, what Form do you wish to focus predominantly on?”

[member="Barrien Siegfried"]

 

[Mr. OOC]

"My father indicated to me that he spent years simply training. He was much younger than I when he became a student, however. Our circumstances were- different."

That much was true. His father had grown up on Corellia, a world no longer in existence. The extended family he'd had from there was mostly off-world when it happened, but he had yet to meet any of them, and he wasn't sure what would come of it if he did. He was still a bastard child, after all. Though, he believed, only one of his father's children, the youngest, had been born to a married couple. His father was not the epitome of virtue that a good Jedi should be, and, as he understood it, had fallen at the hands of a darkside cult, delving into the darkside himself.

Most unfortunate, but he still regarded his father as a great man. He had vowed to be better than him, though. It was all he could do to honor the man he'd only met once in his life.

"Soresu would be good to learn. I also wish to learn Shii-Cho. A lightsaber is a more dangerous weapon than the blades of my world, though far more efficient and less bloody. I do not wish to kill with it, so it would be best to know how to fight with it in a manner that prevents harm."

He also had another idea that he wanted to run by his Master, but he felt he should save that for later. Acquiring the necessary materials would be a mission unto itself, and he didn't wish to derail the one they were on at the moment. He understood the importance of crafting one's first lightsaber.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

“Your father sounds like a wise man.” Corvus approved of those that trained. She even used some of Darth Bane’s techniques. He was an evil man — but he was also very, very successful.

“Soresu makes a lot of sense for me to train you, and Center of Being too. I can teach you Shii-Cho to a level and if you’d like to take it further, we can find you a master in the Form.”

“So, do you have a saber design in mind? And the necessary parts with you?”

Corvus was a traditionalist. The student did most of the work, and her role was to recite the crystal code at the appropriate moment - just as Master Jinn did all those many years ago.

[member="Barrien Siegfried"]

 

[Mr. OOC]

"From the one time I got to meet him I could see that he was both wise and haunted, Master Raaf. The latter, I believe, consumed him in the end."

Consumed because he knew his father was dead. He hadn't felt it, per se, but he was certain that it had happened all the same. Something had felt differently, one day, for no explainable reason. It had hurt, but at the same time he had seen the pain in his father's eyes that day on Oaken Dawn, and had known that the man was not going to be able to withstand his demons for much longer. He hoped to never have to deal with the horrors his father had faced from a personal level, but he also hoped to be better than he was.

"That sounds like an excellent plan, and yes, I have a design in mind and the necessary parts."

He motioned to a small crate beside him. When he'd found out they were going to Ilum, he'd made himself prepared to do so. That was as it should be.

"Would you like to know who my father was?"

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened and realised her Padawan was sharing more than she expected. So she gave full attention and respected the disclosure.

“I’m glad you’re prepared,” she said, smiling. From the size of the crate, he was possibly making two sabers.

"Would you like to know who my father was?"

Corvus paused for a moment.

“The question is…would you like me to know? If the answer is yes, then yes, I would very much like to know.” Her voice was calm and reassuring, barely above a whisper but every word clearly audible over the sound of the ship touching down.

[member="Barrien Siegfried"]

 

[Mr. OOC]

More than one was a good guess, but he had variations in mind based on his research and on the weapons he knew from home. Comforts were small, and few in number, but he still sought them out when he could find them in this strange galaxy that his world was a part of. Even now it felt odd to be flying through space on a vessel made of metal parts that could be blasted apart or break up in mid-flight. That was rather frightening, really. He was glad he wasn't a pilot.

His question was returned with a question, and an answer. Curious, that, but he understood. She wouldn't pry, but if he wished to speak then she would listen. Corvus was a good Master.

"As I mentioned, my father was a Rogue Jedi Grandmaster. I only met him once, as he only visited Oaken Dawn twice in his lifetime, though he professed his love of our culture and simplicity. He was a warrior, and I think that was why he was a Rogue in the first place, and why he was haunted by his past. He'd done things that we would not."

That was an understatement, but Barrien didn't quite know that yet. He'd yet to find his father's holocron so that he could learn from it, and he wasn't certain when, or if, he would be able to do so. His searching still hadn't revealed where his father had died.

"My father was Corellian, but only half. The other half was Echani. It was on Eshan that he helped bring the Rogue Jedi Order, short lived as it was, into being. Rogue's are unruly, though, and few would come to listen to his teachings of cohesion and focus. The result was that evil continued to grow more powerful in the galaxy, and he was forced to seek other means to deal with it. That's why he came to Oaken Dawn when I met him. He was seeking a means to end the war that plagues this galaxy. I know he was not able to do so, but I will try in his stead.

"My father was a good man, and I hope that you will not judge him for the evil that was forced upon him by the darkside and its cultists. He never wished for that, nor did he wish for anyone to ever be harmed by his blade, but he made sacrifices that I find I will not be able to make. I will be a different Jedi than my father, Kamon Vondiranach, was. And I will honor him by doing so."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened. Clearly the Padawan thought a great deal of his father. “I do not judge,” Corvus offered finally. “I listen and comment and sometimes ask questions. It is for individuals to judge themselves.”

“And do not get me wrong, I know the difference between right and wrong. Good and evil, but it is for us all to walk our own paths. Vader was the single reason that Luke Skywalker lived. How should I therefore judge him, even if I wanted to?”

“And thank you for sharing what you have. I am Corellian by the way – for what it’s worth.”

She led them to the landing ramp and they weathered the icy winds. She stared up at the mountain cliff and marvelled at how many Jedi must have trodden the same path over the years. But first they had to enter and pass through the ancient and now unused Jedi Temple. Selected because of its isolation, it was still a pilgrimage for many Jedi of various Orders. And quite rightly so.

"Be wary of the footing," she reminded her Padawan. "Don't forget Master Seta-Le fell through the ice here." She made it sound so matter of fact, as if every Jedi knew the story. They were now in the temple, it was snow covered and bare. Large transparisteel windows allowed pale light in from the snow-swept world.

The entrance to the caves was covered in ice, so Corvus used the Force to open the circular windows high in the chamber. These allowed light to enter and refract through a series of massive crystals that were suspended in the chamber. Using the Force to focus them, the ice soon melted and they were able to enter the caves themselves.

Corvus bowed. "From this point on you're on your own until you need me." And she entered White Current. To all intents and purposes, she simply vanished before his eyes. It would allow her to track him without appearing at his shoulder all the time. When he needed her, all he had to do was ask.

[member="Barrien Siegfried"]

 

[Mr. OOC]

So she was Corellian? Then she, like his father, had lost her homeworld. That was an interesting tidbit of information to have. Still, they weren't related, and though he was part Echani and part Corellian, he was mostly Dawnite, which usually showed through very heavily considering the fact that he acted very antiquated and chivalrous by comparison to most. Not a bad thing, just different considering the state of affairs that the galaxy was in.

She informed him to be wary of his footing and he nodded. Don't fall in. That much he was certain he could avoid. He didn't want to end up dead before he'd even managed to make one of the sabers that he had in mind. That would be rather horrible.

Then she said he was on his own. And then she was gone. Just like that she'd disappeared into thin air. Most people would be caught horribly off guard by this, and he was still left a bit stunned, but he quickly shook it off because this was something he'd seen before. It was, he was certain the same technique that his father had learned to use many years ago. He'd seen the man use it on Oaken Dawn the one time they'd met, when he went to hide his presence from Barrien's grandfather.

"I would like to learn that sometime," he said into the air. "It is only fitting that someone in my family still knows it since my father is gone."

She wasn't going to answer, he knew, but at least he had voiced his request. That done, he turned and walked down into the caves. While he was exceptionally careful with his footing, he wasn't walking as if he were on thin ice. Instead, he relied on the Force and his instincts to determine the safest path for himself. Deeper and deeper he went, searching for the crystals that he would need. And of course he carried his tote of supplies with him. No sense in leaving them behind.

Eventually he found the crystal caverns. Here he stood in the center of the room and searched around him with his eyes first, taking it in. Many Jedi had been to this place before him, so he took a moment to honor those that came before. Then he searched with his feelings, closing his eyes as he did so. Eventually he started moving, eyes closed, and approached a crystal, which he delicately took from its resting place before pocketing. Then he moved again to another, and repeated this another two times. In the end he had four crystals, an unusual number to be sure.

Moving to the center of the room, he selected a spot with sure footing, knelt down, and opened his tote. From within he began selecting pre-arranged pieces. Barrien was not overly skilled with electronics. In fact, he knew next to nothing about them and had asked for help to get the pieces this far. Each piece was placed together around a single crystal until he had a simple, standard lightsaber. He didn't yet thumb the ignition switch.

Instead, he reached for more parts and began assembling a second blade. This one had a much longer hilt and two emitters. The result was a double-bladed lightsaber, using two of the other crystals that he had taken. Only when he had completed this one as well did he stand and lift both blades simultaneously. The fourth crystal remained in his pocket as he thumbed the activation switched and three blades sprang forth. The single blade was green, the double blades were yellow. He was pleasantly surprised that both had worked, and a smile touched his lips. He had two of his three intended blades.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus had been ever present. Observing but allowing her Padawan to work on his sabers all by himself.

Once he had completed them, she exited the White Current, allowing herself to appear once more near him. Stepping forward, she gazed at the blades, a broad smile on her face.

"The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the Force. The Force is the blade of the heart. All are intertwined: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi. You.... are one."

"Come now, let us see the result of your handiwork, this blade you have created by the will of the Force. Let’s see a few practice swings."

[member="Barrien Siegfried"]

 

[Mr. OOC]

Though he'd known she was there, one had to know that their master wasn't going to leave them, he was still slightly startled when she came out of the current. She approached and spoke words that at first confused him, but then the meaning dawned on him. This wasn't a weapon. It wasn't an external tool. The blades that he made were a part of his very fiber of being. They were a part of who he was, and he should take great care when using them, just as he should take care of his own body.

When she asked him to swing the blades, he nodded, but deactivated the dual bladed saber. Each of his blades was meant to be wielded individually, just as he had intended. Clipping the blade to his belt, he hefted the single blade in both hands, and twirled it in a forward slash, brought it back up to his side, thrust it forward, and then finished with a spinning slash that ended with the blade held in a single hand. These were simple shortsword moves, but would be equally effective as lightsaber combat options, he was certain.

"The sound it makes as it whirrs through the air is very pleasing."

Not in the sense that it meant danger, but he genuinely liked the sound.

"I saved a crystal for another reason, Master Raaf. I hope that is alright."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled. It was one thing to use a training saber - but your own blade, one that was attuned to you? There was nothing like it. It was part of you, an extension of you. It was, quite simply, unique.

"By all means," she said, "I kept a crystal for quite a while that I found on Rhen Var. It finally made its way into my shoto."

At that point her, communicator buzzed. She glanced at it. "It seems we have a mission. Are you all done here?"

[member="Barrien Siegfried"]

 

[Mr. OOC]

Good. He wasn't breaking any rules by keeping one of the crystals for a future project. What he had in mind was going to take quite a bit of preparation, not to mention materials that were hard to come by. It wasn't something that he was going to get done in the immediate future. They would have to work on it together.

When she mentioned a mission he nodded and returned all of his blades to their rightful place, on his belt, and reached to grab his kit box. There were a few extra parts. He'd been prepared just in case the more intricate things hadn't worked. With his clumsiness with technology, even though he'd had help, he hadn't been certain that things were going to go as planned. Now that he knew they were going to be in good working order, he could keep the parts in case he needed them in the future.

"I am ready for whatever mission we are called for."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]