To walk on hallowed ground

[Samka Derith]

Kashyyyk​

Spoiler

​

If there was one thing of value the First Order's plunder of Ossus had achieved, it was access to new information. The raid on the Jedi's Great Library had amassed a substantial amount of knowledge for the agents of the First Order, most of which was only just being decrypted now. Unfortunately for the Imperials, most of the information appeared to be outdated. Secrets long since exposed, theories long since debunked and strongholds long since fallen into ruin. Even the abilities mentioned within the sacred Jedi Texts were too attuned with the Light for any known Knight of Ren to understand. However all is not lost. On Kashyyyk, the location of an ancient Jedi shrine supposedly housing a powerful Jedi Artefact was revealed. Imperial historians could find no record of its existence in the First Order's archives so an elite agent has been dispatched to the Silver Jedi capital to ascertain whether the shrine still exists and claim its riches for the glory of the Supreme Leader.

That elite agent was currently basking in the sunlight. It was a bright day on the Wookiee homeworld, the kind of day Samka Derith wasn't used to. The Bastion of Ren in Virgillia held a tropical environment, it's warm climate was uncomfortably humid. The jungles here were far more pleasant, at least as far as the beaches had gone, with a cool wind giving relief if the heat became too much.

The young woman sat shaded beneath a tree on the sandy beach, taking a swig from a canister of water before reattatching it to her backpack. She wore a practical beige outdoors tunic with plenty of straps and pockets for utility. On her belt, a Lightsaber. But it was not the one she was used to.

Samka grasped the weapon's hilt, bringing it up for another inspection, something she'd already done many times this mission already. Her blade had been left at home, the crystal bled out by the Dark Side to become crimson was a sure identifier to any suspicious Jedi. So instead she held a Jedi's weapon. Robbed from one of the several she'd slain in combat. It was heavier than her own, it made her movements when practising feel more clumsy. That and the blue blade simply felt wrong. Gone too was any physical sign of her dark alignment. For Samka, a master of disguises and appearances, she didn't need artefacts to to hide her true nature and repress her Force signature. Rather, it was an ability which came naturally to her. Her skin a healthy, if still rather pale, blush and her eyes returned to their natural brown. Her hair too was brunette once more, the violet dye being a far too distinctive trait in the enemy's nest.

Speaking of, Samka looked around once more, that enemy was nowhere to be found. Not once had she encountered a Jedi since arrival. It seemed strange to her but the planet did lack modern infrastructure for plenty of its landmass and the recent assault from the Sith Empire may have crippled their security.

Either way she just had to hope it stayed that way and every last Jedi remained far away from her.

It wouldn't work out that way.

[member="Charlie"]

 

[Charlie Nooran]

Kashyyyk had a lot to offer. It was one of the reasons the Silver Jedi had ended up residing there. They refused to change the planet’s surface to make things easier for them, they wanted to keep the place the way they found it. Peace was important and by not disturbing the features of the planet – they retained the natural peace and order. This was something that Charlie had grown to adore about the jungle planet. It very much reminded her of her old home, Tython – but far better since here she had more freedom.

Speaking of freedom, Charlie used the Force to help her balance on the steep rocks leading down into the hidden shrine. She had decided to do some more hands on studying today than just sit in the archives and read. Being out in the fresh air brought a bit more life to her studies which was nice here and there. As per usual, when she left especially after her incident with the Mandalorians and being auctioned off as a date – she left Jyoti a note stating where she would be and for how long. A comm device would also be on her person in case the Master needed to be summoned. Moving through the rocks the padawan moved with a bit of grace. Practice had made perfection in her steps as she moved and finally landed before the entrance.

A small data pad appeared in the small Padawan’s hands as she examined the layout of the shrine. The archives had a rough sketch of the place and Charlie could download it after persuading the archive Master. The padawan practically lived in the archives. If she wasn’t on a mission with Jyoti, then she was there studying. Life was fully of study and practice. Putting the data pad away she wandered into the initial room of the shrine, nothing seemed out of place mostly just the vine growth over everything. Her lips pressed together in a bit of frustration as she stared at the small door that she was supposed to be leaving through.

Crouching down with her feet flat onto the ground the girl examined the mess the vegetation had left. Her hand moved under some of the leaves wondering how she could transport them to another location so that she didn’t have to disturb them too much. Charlie knew if she cut them an odd way, she could kill the entire vegetation. Sighing softly, she mumbled something in Seoulian under her breath. She should have planned for this, but she didn’t. Looking over her shoulder she made note of how oddly quiet it was, not even a bird chirped.


[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

Almost there now, there's no point in dilly dallying, Samka told herself, reaching down to check her holographic map once more.

It was just a short walk now, a little ways into the forest interior before she'd reach her prize. The temptation to reach out with Force and probe the area was strong but the girl resisted. If the slightest twinge of the Dark Side escaped to be a part of her aura, it could mean the failure of her mission and failure was never an option.

Switching off the holographic map, Samka got to her feet and stepped away from the shade of the tree. She'd spent quite enough time captivated by Kashyyyk's beauty. The petite girl stretched, casting one final look at the passive, shimmering blue waters before turning and setting a determined stride through the forest.

The walk was uneventful. Her readings on Kashyyyk had warned of the planet's wildlife and Samka's fingers rarely strayed far from the hilt of the Jedi weapon on her belt as a result but most of those threats were buried in the deep forests. Here it was quiet and tranquil, even the trees and vines seemed to keep a respectable distance from one another to avoid competing for the sun. The atmosphere as a whole was warm and comforting.

Which meant the Ren was uneasy.

It was all the signs of a place strong with the Light Side of the Force. While that boded well for her objective, it didn't shake the fact that she was unused to this. Her natural bodily impulse was to shun the creeping influence of the Light. It was drilled into her, beaten into her, to fight anything which might give the temptation to leave the Darkness.

Following the winding forest path took her past a decrepit statue of a cloaked male human figure. It matched the sort seen near Jedi Temples across the galaxy, presumably this was a statue of a Jedi Knight. A broad smile lit up Samka's face as she marched further in, tasting success drawing closer with each step. More statues in various states of ruin, occasional pillars appearing among the trees while the soil had her feet had patches of stone pathways.

This had to be it. Their intelligence was correct.

Moving some shrubbery out of the way, the young woman walked into a forest clearing and in the middle stood a stone shrine. It looked mostly abandoned with vines and various other vegetation overgrown across it. Parts of it had fallen over, stones resting on the forest floor but the important bulk of the structure was there, the part which led underground to where the Jedi treasures would lie.

Samka skipped her way over to the stairway, out of genuine joy of her mission's success thus far or a continuation of her persona, even the girl herself may not know the answer to. But as she came to the top of the stone steps, the Ren came to a halt. She wasn't alone. Her fingers twitched to reach for her blade but her hand stayed for the time being.

"Hello?" She called out as she walked gracefully into the shrine's underground. Samka's voice was soft but loud enough to picked up by anyone close by.

There was a brown haired woman crouched on the floor. She looked to be of a similar age to Samka and, judging by her attire, very likely a Jedi. Murder would be a risky option. Jedi were not to be underestimated as opponents, even a Padawan could surprise their enemy with a trick or two to escape and alert the others. How close by her friends were, Samka wasn't sure nor how long they would wait before they went looking for her.

So she smiled. A smile which was bright and innocent but also a little nervous. "Oh hello. I wasn't expecting anyone else to be here." She cleared her throat and offered the other a girl a small bow of her head in greeting. "Not that that's a bad thing, of course!"

[member="Charlie"]

 

[Charlie Nooran]

Charlie adjusted the small protocol droid in her right ear as she could feel something moving around her, but the sound wasn’t picked up quite correctly. A few button presses and she was able to fully hear what was occurring around her. It was a good thing because the girl that was being picked up from the Padawan’s sensing had decided to introduce herself.

Standing Charlie dusted her hands off, she had been playing with the vines that scattered over the mechanism that unlocked the next chamber. Her datapad held the information that they needed to get inside. Tilting her head slightly, the girl tried to place if she had seen the other girl’s face before around the temples. She didn’t get a weird vibe from her, nothing tainted, but Charlie wasn’t really trying.

“Oh.” Charlie gave a shy grin as she rubbed the back of her head, she didn’t expect anyone else either, but company was never a bad thing. “I didn’t expect anyone either. I’m Charlie – I’m a padawan with the Silver Jedi…” The Seoulian girl trailed off as she mostly knew all the padawans there. It meant that this girl wasn’t part of the Silver Jedi – from her knowledge. “You don’t look familiar…are you with another group of Jedi?” Honest question, Charlie herself was from a small secluded enclave hidden on Tython.

Pleasantries and manners were things that Jyoti did her best to teach Charlie, so in good spirits, the padawan offered her hand and nodded her head slightly. “It’s n-nice to meet you.” Nerves were obvious, but not only because she didn’t know the girl, in a sense the brown hair reminded her of her friend Faye. Now thinking about Faye, Charlie’s ears began to turn a slight rose.

“What are you doing here?”


[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

Samka cocked her head to the side, regarding [member="Charlie"] with curiosity. So she was indeed a Jedi, as suspected. A pretty thing, slightly taller than Sam but almost everyone was. She seemed nervous but more so out of a basic social anxiety when confronted with a stranger rather than any fear of harm. "Hello, Charlie," Samka continued to smile pleasantly, a reassuring look to put the Jedi at ease. The Padawan was blushing somewhat, embarrassment? Was she doing something she shouldn't be? Samka scanned the room quick. Everything seemed to be as expected.

"I was a Jedi," Samka's hand falling to the Lightsaber on her belt, the weapon which marked her identity. "I'm... not anymore and it was never with the Silvers," she sighed, the smile dwindling as her gaze flickered to the ground in an expression of shame. "It's tough to explain and I don't know you well enough yet," Samka's eyes suddenly darted back to Charlie, large and apologetic, "Oh, er, no offence. It's just personal," The Ren scratched the back of her head in a pose of body language deliberately made to give an awkward impression. "But... it's nice to meet you too. I'm Elizah," the charming smile returned to her face.

"I'm here," taking her eyes off the Padawan, 'Elizah' began to look around the shrine, inspecting the ceiling and walls, "because something spoke to me, something in the Force. I was told that here I might find answers."

She placed a palm on the stone wall, feeling something of the Force flowing within the rock. It soothed and healed but it only made the Dark Sider feel sick. Not that it would show on the surface. The girl remained stoic as she withdrew her touch and focused on Charlie once again.

The poor little Jedi girl. She didn't seem the type who could put up much of a fight. It would probably be easy to catch her off guard and stab her in the gut at any moment. But first, she may as well get some questions answered. "What about you? Are you here as part of your training?" Samka asked. "I don't know much about this place or how the Silver Jedi do things. I don't mean to intrude." Another apologetic bow followed.

 

[Charlie Nooran]

Charlie nodded seeing that the other girl didn’t want to dive into her past with a stranger. She understood that feeling well, but she said she as a Jedi. Relaxing somewhat, Charlie ran her hand through her short dark hair and continued to watch Elizah look around and take in the place around her. As much as Charlie wanted to put her full trust into the girl, something told her to be cautious. Master Jyoti’s voice ran in her mind reminding her of lessons they’ve had especially ones about when Charlie was on her own. The Master knew where she was, so if she was gone for too long – Jyoti would be aware.

“Hi, Elizah. You have a pretty name.” What else could she say? Elizah had mentioned that she didn’t want to talk about her past especially since Charlie was a stranger. Visually, she seemed like a force user student, but when people left the order it was because they wanted to do what they wanted – which sometimes lead to the dark side. Yet, why would something from the light call to someone who followed the dark path? There were too many questions and unanswered variables for the girl in front of her. Charlie would need to stay aware, but it was hard especially since they seemed to be similar age. Friends didn’t come easy to the Seoulian.

Charlie answered the apologetic bow with one of her own. “Its okay, there’s a lot of ruins on Kashyyyk – not everyone can guard them from the Rest so its not intruding. I’m here because of my training yes.” She smiled, the girl knew a little bit about how Jedi worked maybe. “My Master had me doing some research on old Jedi relics. One was said to be housed here, I wanted to study it a little bit – maybe get a sketch since the image in my book aren’t very good.” Seeing this as a small opportunity to impress Elizah, Charlie knelt back down and brushed the vines from the plaque she was investigating. “This temple used to be for healing, the relic that’s hidden is said to be able to boost someone’s force healing – maybe even fix someone’s connection to the force.”

Waving her hand over the plaque she inhaled softly and focused her force energy on it. The rock that Elizah had touched shifted and hidden door opened. Smiling Charlie walked over and pulled out a small light. “You can come with me if you want? We can explore together.” As much as she wanted to leave the other girl to do her own thing, it would be best if she could keep an eye on her. Charlie wanted to trust her and make a friend, but she wanted to get a better grasp of who this Elizah was.

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

"Oh," a smile poked at the corners of Samka's lips. Charlie's compliment could sort of be taken on board for herself since her identity of the day had a similar name to her own true middle name. A strenuous link perhaps, but she was vain enough to take them where she could find them. "Thank you, that's kind of you to say."

The Ren regarded [member="Charlie"] as she read the plague. "Healing," she murmured beneath her breath, the gears in the young woman's head turning as she attempted to find use for it.

Before she could say any more, a passage next to her opened, causing the young girl to flinch back slightly. She glanced back at Charlie with a light blush on her face, apparently embarrassed that the Jedi may have noticed. An intentional movement to make her more innocent. She cleared her throat, avoiding eye contact with the other woman for a moment.

What was interesting, however, was that Samka hadn't sensed anything she could've used. The Force hadn't told her a thing. It finally dawned on her that she was in a stronghold of the Light, a place which may not want her there at all.

"You can come with me if you want? We can explore together."

Samka beamed at the girl's offer. The Padawan had been the one to open the passage, not her. Samka wasn't even sure if she could. In a location like this, perhaps a servant of the Dark would be unable to progress. The Padawan could be very useful indeed.

"I'd love to explore with you, Charlie!" Suddenly filled with a bold excitement, she grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her through to the next room and eagerly began to babble. "If this is for healing, maybe that's why I'm here! Why it called me here! You can help me, maybe this is how it was meant to be! Oh thank you, thank you!" She paused breathlessly, realising she was still holding onto the Jedi's arm. "Er, sorry." She relinquished her grasp and cleared her throat. "I just mean, I've been alone for a while."

She glanced around the second level of the shrine. There were doors leading in multiple directions now, each glowing in energy. "May I see your book?" Samka asked. "Maybe there's some clues in there or something?"

 

[Charlie Nooran]

The question was accepted with such enthusiasm it threw Charlie off. Her arm was grabbed and she was dragged down into the passage way and through to the next room. It was a good thing the place wasn’t booby trapped like some temples were. It seemed that Elizah was more excited about this place than Charlie first had assumed, maybe the girl was telling the truth about everything. Her arm was returned and she watched as the other girl recoiled slightly and mentioned that she had been alone for a while.

The comment struck the Jedi in a sore spot. Charlie knew what it was like to be alone, to be alone for such a long time and finally have someone to confide in. Her mind wandered to her Master, the woman pulled her off Tython and introduced her to the Silver Jedi. Charlie now had friends and companions which was something that Elizah didn’t have. Suspicions began to fade as Charlie smiled softly towards the girl.

“You’re not alone anymore, I’m here.” The smile didn’t fade as they wandered into the second level of the shrine. The energy that glowed, Charlie felt whole heartedly. The light side was so strong here and she could feel a sense of peace wash over her. Looking back towards Elizah she blinked when the girl mentioned her book. Suspicions rose again and Charlie tried to push them down. The girl was like her and she held on to that. “Yeah sure, just don’t get it wet or anything my Master would be kind of upset.”

Pulling out the book, she held it to the page and walked towards Elizah. Charlie held onto the book and handed a small flashlight to the other girl. “Hold the light and we can read it together.”

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

"Hm?" Samka blinked at @Charlie. "That... really is kind of you," she repeated, this time softer and avoiding eye contact but catching a glimpse of her smile. The girl's earnest nature may have made this harder if Samka hadn't already been exposed to plenty of her ilk in the past.

Jedi were nice so long as they agreed with you about everything. Were the Ren's true nature revealed at the start, this sweet little Jedi girl would have sliced her to bits. That thought buried in the back of her mind, brought an odd comfort lest they grow too familiar. Charlie was the enemy and later it would be kill or be killed.

"Right," Samka nodded as she took the light from the other girl's hands and held it above the book. Immediately she struggled to decipher the text. It was an old language format used by Jedi in the past. There was a map which showed at least one more level before their destination.

In the middle of examination, however, Samka's brow suddenly furrowed. "Wait," she paused and turned to look at the Jedi by her side. "How would I get it wet?" Samka used Charlie's light to briefly illuminate every corner of the room. There was no sign of damp or water leakage. It was bone dry. "I'm not going to drool on it, you know," she told the Jedi, a smirk creeping onto the corner's of the Ren's mouth to clue the other girl in that she was joking.

"Let's see," her attention returning to the book. "That," the pointed to the furthest door, "is a dead end. To progress, the person with... cleanest? Cleanest blood must declare themselves." Samka looked up again to meet Charlie's eyes. "Cleanest blood... would that be pure of heart? Which could be you? I don't think a Jedi Shrine is asking for a medical but you probably know more about them than me, what do you think?"

 

[Charlie Nooran]

Charlie smirked as Elizah seemed confused as to why Charlie had mentioned to not get it wet. It seemed to be the normal type of warning to give people, so Charlie did so. A shrug and she chuckled at the comment of drooling. “You look like someone who would drool.” The smirk was returned and Charlie focused back onto the book. She could read most of the script, one of the few things she enjoyed about being stuck on a backwater planet in a secluded temple. “Yeah you’re right.”

There was a type of sacrifice that was needed. It bothered Charlie, but she figured it was some sort of test. Looking back towards the girl with her, something told her there wasn’t much pure about her. The necessary blood was something or someone that was still bathed in the light. While Elizah didn’t look like she had fallen, she did seem to have seen much more of the Force than Charlie. Seemed Elizah felt the same. “I think…yeah out of the two of us I should be the one to do it.”

The book returned to Charlie’s small bag and she walked towards the door where the dead end was pointed out to be. Looking around she didn’t see anything where she could put whatever blood she needed to offer in. Turning around a few times in a circle, she found the huge growth of vines. Once again, she began to clear them and saw a small podium with a place for her to put her hand. Charlie put her hand on the podium and waited for the prick or something to happen.

Nothing and she removed her hand, then placed it again. Once more nothing happened. Standing, she walked towards Elizah. “I think I either need to cut my hand…or I’m not the one.” Frowning with disappointment she pulled a small virodagger from her boot and held it over her hand. She shook slightly, Charlie wasn’t a fan of this part. If she got hurt during combat or something it would be fine – but to do it free of choice, something held her back.

Flipping the blade, Charlie held out the handle to Elizah. A part of her told her this was a bad idea, but the girl had been honest for the most part. Charlie kept her wits about her, she was handing a blade to someone that could kill her, she paused and waited. “Just a small cut in my palm.” The request was given and Charlie prepared for the worst.

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

Samka nodded. The shrine didn't want her here, she could feel that through the Force. It was a place built by Jedi for Jedi. She couldn't sense the specifics and she didn't dare try, the situation may get complicated if [member="Charlie"] felt how strong she was in the Force, or worse, her true alignment. So it would be wise to let Charlie be the one to experiment instead.

Unfortunately there was no response as the Padawan placed her hand on the podium, although Samka did notice how Charlie carefully removed the vines first apparently unwilling to damage them. Was she so sensitive to life?

As she took out the Vibroknife from her boot, the Ren knew what was to happen. "Ah," Samka's gaze flickered upwards to meet Charlie's, checking the confidence of the Padawan. She seemed afraid yet determined. Gently, Samka took the blade by the handle in her right hand and held the Jedi's wrist firmly with her left to keep the woman steady. With her thumb, Samka could feel the other woman's pulse running slightly quicker than normal.

"This is the part you regret saying I drool," she joked, hoping to put the Padawan at ease. At the same time, she smiled up at the woman with a doe eyed expression she'd perfected over the years. A look of reassurance and comfort. "Keep looking at me," a soft but firm order as Samka brought the blade to Charlie's palm, never breaking eye contact so as to keep the Jedi's attention. If she looked, it would likely be more discomforting. "You're very brave," as she spoke, Samka brought the knife across swiftly, nicking the Padawan's skin.

Relinquishing her grip, Samka made to pass the blade back to her Jedi companion. "Let's hope this works," she murmured, "I never knew Jedi were the types for blood rituals, that seems more like something that the Si... well... The other side would do, you know?" The questioning had it's own reasoning, manoeuvring the conversation onto the Dark Side would test Charlie's feelings on the topic which could be useful knowledge later.

 

[Charlie Nooran]

The blade pierced her skin, Charlie had been looking at Elizah. Not moving for a moment, Charlie stared trying to figure the girl out. Her hand pulled away after it was released, the feeling of the touch lingered for a moment, but Charlie pushed it out of her mind. Taking the blade back, she cleaned it on the hem of her tunic and sighed softly. Elizah called her brave and it forced the blood to rush to her cheeks, it was an odd reaction to what was happening. How was this brave? The embarrassed padawan shrugged and did her best to hide the way she reacted.

Moving towards the podium, Charlie hovered over it again and brushed aside the vines that fell back over it. She didn’t want to disturb too much here, it seemed something wasn’t right within the temple. The surge of the light side was odd especially since her notes never said anything about this. Heavy was the force here and Charlie paused and looked around. If she had to describe it, Charlie felt the Force like a cloud. It was thick and heavy around her and the other girl.

Looking back over her shoulder, she stared at Elizah. Why would the Force shift like this? Deciding not to voice her concern, Charlie continued to play stupid when it came to the way the Force felt. Placing her hand onto the podium, she felt the small opening on the stone suck slightly seemingly activated by her blood. Cringing at the pain, she closed her eyes and did her best to keep her head space calm. The sensation stopped and the room shook for a moment and the dead end now became an opening. Standing, Charlie held her hand which still dripped with her blood. Flexing her hand, she could already feel some of the healing properties of her species get to work.

Her uncut hand hovered over her injured one and began to force the flow of healing with the Force. It was a novice attempt, but the bleeding stopped and the skin looked as if it was glued back together. Stopping, Charlie smiled softly at her traveling companion. “You ready for the next part?”

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

"It... worked?" Samka blinked in surprise as the door opened. The confusion gave way to a grin as she skipped up to @Charlie. "It worked! Fantastic!"

"Let's move! No time to waste!" Samka led her companion into the next room. She was a shy one, soft smiles, light comments. The perfect little tool for a case like this.

However the next room gave her pause. A silver stream of water ran through the middle of the stone room, it made no sound as it travelled nor did Samka see a source from outside. It was odd. Aside from that, there was a pedestal on the far side of the room with a chalice resting on top of it. As far as the Ren could see, there were no doors asides from the one they came through.

Marching up to the stream's edge, Samka knelt besides it, still regarding the liquid with curiosity. It was thicker than water, slightly wispy in appearance. Taking a moment, Samka hesitantly dipped two fingers into the stream. It was sticky and slightly warm but a fairly pleasant sensation.

Samka glanced back over at Charlie, "I hate to ask but.. perhaps that book has some more ideas."

Samka wasn't an idiot, the pair had barely met. They had barely interacted and she was asking a lot from the Padawan so... it was time to give her the story. "I'm sorry to be ask so much of you," she said softly, flashing that sympathetic smile as she returned to the Jedi's side. "But this is really important to me. To see you go so far," the Ren gestured with her head to Charlie's healed yet still damaged palm, "with such little knowledge of me isn't fair. So before we do anything in this room, you should know what's happened to me."

Samka breathed in and out nervously, avoiding eye contact with the Jedi for a second until her gaze settled back on her. "I was a Jedi but... I ran away. I was with the Galactic Alliance, the New Jedi Order, but they... took me to war. I wasn't ready, Charlie, so when it started, when the Sith burned Thyferra, I ran. I couldn't fight." Her gaze kept flickering around the room. Samka's eyes were drawn to Charlie but steering clear out of apparent shame. "I lost a lot of my connection to the Force afterwards, I can still do somethings but the Light doesn't speak to me like it used to. So, er, yeah. That's why this is important to me. For the first time in months the Force cried out again and it led me here, to a place of healing. Maybe I can give it another shot, be a Jedi again. I've just got to prove my worth, right?"

 

[Charlie Nooran]

Charlie wanted to jump for joy seeing that their plan had worked. Elizah was smart and Charlie soon wanted to bring her back to the Rest. Maybe there she could be something other than alone. They walked through the door and Charlie glanced about at the new room. It was very different from the one they had just come from. It was silly for the padawan to assume that every room that needed to be unlocked needed her blood. Quite foolish indeed. Brown eyes followed Elizah as she wandered towards the water’s edge. The small hairs on the back of her neck stood up in worry for her new friend, what if the water was a trap laid in expectation that someone would wander over?

Nothing happened, but the ‘water’ didn’t seem like water. At least here her joke about getting the journal wet would work. Her hand still hurt, but she used her other to rummage through her satchel t o bring out the journal. Elizah’s demeanor changed and Charlie held onto the journal for a moment to let the girl speak. She seemed in need to share her story – maybe Charlie was her first and only human contact in some time. Sympathy began to bubble up in the Padawan, knowing what it was like to be somewhere she didn’t want to be. Charlie held the journal and as Elizah finished her story, she stood close and had a smile on her face.

“Of course!” Charlie not being one to be overly affectionate, felt this was one of those moments in the holoflicks were comforting affection was granted. She pulled the other girl into a tight hug and gave her some reassurance. “I think you’re worth it, the Force will too.” Pulling away, she flipped open the notebook and stayed close to her traveling partner. “What did the water feel when you touched it? Anything happen, you feel anything?” Charlie wondered if the water had some healing qualities, but she would have to see for herself after getting some information from her partner.

Pausing for a moment she gave a soft smile to Elizah, “After this you should go with me to the Rest, we can meet my Master and see what the Jedi could do for you.”


[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

"Ha?" Samka's body tensed as the Padawan hugged her but after a moment she relaxed, falling into the hug with a soft sigh. Yes, it had been a long while since she'd been treated like that. "You're... very sweet to say that," a blush creeping onto the shorter woman's face. "I'm glad I'm not here alone, the Force must have brought us together," she smiled admiringly back at the young Jedi.

"Yes." Her attention returning to the liquid. Samka rubbed her fingers together. "They tingle. It feels warm and slightly numb but... not in a bad way," the pleasant sensation was difficult to explain to the Jedi. "It was sticky as well but that's gone now."

She was dragged from her thoughts by Charlie's next statement. "Go back with you?" Samka blinked in surprise. "Do you think they'd accept me? I heard the Jedi have an age limit or something. I mean... I wouldn't complain..." She sighed again. "I just want to do good," the Ren said truthfully. "Whatever that takes."

She paused, taking a moment to think things over. "Your Master, are they a good person?"

[member="Charlie"]

 

[Charlie Nooran]

It was nice to hear that for once the Force was working in a way that Charlie favored. THough the more she thought about it, she did meet Master Nooran because of the Force bringing the woman to investigate something on Tython. There was an odd tint of red along Elizah’s face and concern found its way to Charlie’s young features. Was the woman getting sick? If she was than it meant they needed to find what they needed to find and fast.

The flushness of Elizah’s face was probably tied to the blue substance that she had touched. Charlie watched as the woman moved her fingers, oddly Charlie admired the the movement and soon wrinkled her nose wondering why it felt mesmerizing. Running her hand through her dark hair, the padawan paused and tried to think of some possible answers. “I wonder if it has a healing agent to it.” She looked at her cut hand feeling some of the soreness and seeing some of the blood that seeped through her joke of a healing ability. “Could try-” Charlie let herself be cut off.

The questions came about the Rest and Charlie smiled softly, a smile she reserved for time with her Master when they weren’t busy doing Jedi things - but being friends for the most part. “The Force has no age limit silly. You said you were a Jedi before this, so there’s no reason why they would turn you away.” Patting Elizah on the shoulder, the small girl wandered towards the rushing blue river and knelt down. Her body returning to the squat position Elizah had found her in originally.

“Master Nooran, she’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Charlie didn’t look up, but slowly started to unravel the bandage she had on her hand. “She shows me new things that I’ve never experienced before and she looks after me. She’s a hard teacher to impress, but when I do impress her it makes me feel happy. Jyoti - Ah I mean Master Nooran, she a good person. The best person I know!” Pausing as Charlie leaned forward and ran her hand into the cooling and tingly liquid.

“I want to be a Jedi just like her.”

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

Samka's eyes followed [member="Charlie"] with a faint sigh from her lips. She watched the girl settle beside the 'water' and walked over to join her. Unlike the Jedi's position, Samka sat flatly upon the ground next to her, spreading her knees out to the side. She continued to watch her companion who spoke with such enthusiasm on the topic of her Master.

The Ren smirked.

She couldn't help it. The Jedi was awestruck with her own master. That much was clear by everything from the way she spoke to the tone of her voice. Like a giddy schoolgirl.

"I'm sure you'll be like her," Samka smiled kindly at Charlie.

Hopefully both dead before they became problimatic.

"My Masters, well, they weren't so kind to me," she explained. She talked quietly, letting her soft words be the only sound in the shrine as she gently rocked to and fro beside Charlie. Memories came back to her. Memories of being trapped in darkened rooms, gruelling training, psychological mind games and being forced to kill. "But I'm grateful for all that they did," she continued, pressing the past from her mind. "They made me what I am, after all, and now I'm wise enough to understand why."

Yes, the people who trained her, Samka had learned from them and now had surpassed them all. Their methods, harsh as they may be, must have had their merits.

"It doesn't stop me wishing that I had some more kindly tutors from time to time though," the Ren sighed wistfully, absentmindedly reaching up to stroke a long since passed bruise on her shoulder.

Clearing her throat slightly, she nodded back at the young Jedi and the liquid she was experimenting with. "Any... luck?"

 

[Charlie Nooran]

Charlie raised an eyebrow as she played with the water substance in the room. Elizah had mentioned she had left the Jedi way when she was with the Alliance. How did those teachers and masters claim to be Jedi if they were treating her like that. Looking over towards her companion, a soft sympathetic smile spread across Charlie’s face. She watched as Elizah rocked herself trying to comfort her memories.

Her free hand reached out to find Elizah’s. Charlie remembered feeling the dark memories of her past even if they were chopped and not something that she could understand. They still were horrible. Closing her eyes, Charlie felt the warmth of the liquid washing over her wound. It seemed there was healing properties if you waited long enough. Pulling her hand out of the water, Charlie looked at her hand and wiped it on her robes. The hand that was holding Elizah’s squeezed it tightly.

“You don’t have to talk about it anymore, it's an experience and you’re not with them anymore. You have to come back now to the Rest...My master works with the GA and if there’s a Sith hiding among them - we should know.” Nodding, Charlie didn’t want to have anything like that to happen to anyone ever again. She continued to hold Elizah’s hand for the most part, unless the girl pulled away.

“We should look at the journal and keep moving forward. The water can heal it seems...maybe it has to do with something in the room’s puzzle”

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

Samka flinched out of instinct at the Jedi's touch but settled her hand back down with a sigh, letting [member="Charlie"] hold it there.

She looked back at Charlie's reassuring smile - the girl was disgustingly pure. Had she been around a Jedi like this before? She'd worked with one or two Jedi on occasion but they had been independents, none who lived as a part of the First Order's designated enemies. The only other times she'd been around Silver Jedi had them overcome with bloodlust. If she had met Charlie in the field of battle, how different would she be? The memory of the Jedi who attempted to kill Samka as the Ren had tried to negotiate a temporary truce crossed her mind - it was the interaction which coloured her view of the Jedi so negatively.

Would she be the same?

Of course she would. They all were in some sense or another.

Feeling Charlie squeeze her hand, Samka shook her head slightly. "I don't think they were... Sith. But, Charlie, I don't think all Jedi are as kind as you think they are," a soft warning to challenge the girl's views of the galaxy.

The Ren nodded gently, "Right, we press on." Glancing at the book, she evaluated the text. It was just as difficult to read as ever but spoke of using the stream to purify from within. "Any who want door... want to pass must be healed inside... Eat medicine." She paused to glance at Charlie again. "Eat medicine." She repeated the final words from the book's broken ancient language. "I think we're supposed to drink."

Separating their hands at last, Samka reached for the flask she'd been carrying in her backpack and poured the rest of the water on the shrine's floor. Next she dipped the flask into the silver stream letting it fill up halfway. Bringing the flask back up to her face, she sniffed it. It didn't smell unpleasant at the least. "Bottoms up," she murmured to the Jedi before taking a large swig of the mysterious liquid and passing the flask over to her companion.

 

[Charlie Nooran]

[SIZE=10pt]Charlie thought quietly about what Elizah said about the Jedi not all being as kind as she assumed they were. The Padawan knew this quite well. The radical Jedi she was raised by weren’t the kindest. Pleasure and happiness were things they forwent to pursue true purity within the Force. Charlie hated it. She didn’t realize how much she had been missing out on until Master Nooran had wandered to Tython. Now wasn’t the time to argue philosophies, especially since both didn’t have the best initial experience with the Jedi. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“I don’t disagree with you, but I like to give people the benefit of doubt. We don’t always know their stories or where they came from.” Shrugging, she watched as Elizah took a sip of the healing water. “I think everyone has some light inside of them, just like everyone has some sort of darkness. One cannot live without the other.” It was a lesson she had learned herself recently. Upon arriving at the Silver Rest, she had an undying desire for revenge – it set her on a one-way path to the dark side. Strike one down another will rise, Charlie repeated mentally to herself. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Eat Medicine, I should have translated this better.” Chuckling, Charlie took the flask after Elizah had taken her sip and looked at it. “Well hopefully it doesn’t hurt.” Putting the flask to her lips she downed the rest of what was inside and coughed. “Ew, I wonder how long this stuff has been down here…” Looking towards the dead end she wandered over. “So, what now?” [/SIZE]

[member="Samka Derith"]