Private Touch It and Find Out

[Tirin Raene]

TAGS: Gem-in-Trash

Tirin had heard tales of a fuzzy student by the name of Gem-in-Trash wreaking havoc in the temple halls. Curiosity piqued, he decided to seek her out during his brief visit to the grounds. He navigated the sprawling temple, his eyes scanning for any signs of mischief amidst the serene beauty of the architecture. In his hands, he carried a simple black box, its lacquered surface catching the light as he moved.

At last, he spotted the little hopeful girl, her untamed hair and mischievous grin confirming she was indeed Gem. "Gem, is it?" Tirin said gently, his tone softening as he approached her.

"I am Jedi Master Tirin, and I have a small mission for you," he continued, kneeling slightly to meet her gaze. "I wish for you to find Knight Zenth and deliver this box to him. Do not open it, and do not give it to anyone else. No matter what you hear or feel from it do not open it. It must be protected. " With careful hands, he offered the box, its basic latch glinting in the light, devoid of any locks, then slipped her a small piece of paper to accompany it.

"I have some pressing debriefing reports I need to finish," he added with a hint of urgency. "I trust you are well and truly capable of fulfilling this task, young one?" His eyes held a mix of sincerity and expectation, hoping to inspire confidence in the young girl as she took on this important responsibility.

 

[Gem-in-Trash]

Gem had a reputation for unruliness and mischief, and she liked to keep up appearances as best she could with strangers. That said, those Knights and Masters who did work with her, or had her as a student, also knew that she was smart, witty, and compassionate.

What she knew of Tirin Raene was that he was a Jedi of rules, and a lot of them. Exactly the sort of person who would give her a long winded lecture about exactly the kind of fun that Gem liked to have. But she also knew he was someone that she wanted to impress. So when he'd approached her in the cafeteria, she sat up straight, and tried to get her haircomb uncaught from her hair.

"Master-Ow!-Master Raene, uh...To what do I owe-" she tugged on the comb, "The pleasure?"

She ran her claws through her hair, helping it part so she was able to untangle the comb. Normally she was good about keeping her hair clean, but she'd just returned from a mission to the Outer Rim, and she hadn't been able to be as fastidious about grooming as she normally was. For all her mischief, she hated her fur getting matted, and she loved her long, curly hair.

When a Jedi knelt to meet her gaze, she knew that they wanted something from her. It was never a matter of asking a favor, they were always looking for something, so she was immediately suspicious. And delivering a box to another Jedi was Droid work, so this was definitely some kind of test.

She was so going to ace this.

"I'd be happy to!" Gem said, taking the box from him. She looked it over and felt the weight in her hands, "I assume I shouldn't shake it or put it in a bag or something. Where, uh...Should I look for Knight Zenth? Do they have more of a name than 'Zenth?'"

 

[Tirin Raene]

TAGS: Gem-in-Trash

Tirin maintained a steady, even tone as he spoke, his heliotrope-colored eyes focused intently on the strands of hair that had begun to stray from thetussled arrangement. "The paper I provided contains the address where I have been told he should be today. He had business in the city, seeking specific parts." His gaze lingered briefly on the hair struggle before returning to her eyes. "His comlink experienced an unfortunate accident recently, making him difficult to contact."

He paused, his expression clinical and devoid of any inflection that might suggest urgency or concern. "It is imperative that the box remains closed and its contents undisturbed," Tirin added lightly, his voice steady, as he smoothed out nonexistent wrinkles in his deep wine-colored robes.
"As for him, he typically makes himself quite at home in the hangars, particularly around the engineering bays. Following the completion of my reports here, I will need to depart, so I will not be able to deliver the box personally. I am entrusting this task soly to your discression young one. " Tirin's eyes, calm and observant, remained fixed on her as he concluded, "I appreciate your willingness and cooperation in this matter."

He paused for a moment or three, his demeanor remaining calm and methodical. "Knight Valin Zenth is a tall and imposing figure, standing at a towering height of approximately two point thirteen meters," he clarified, as if addressing an audience rather than a conversation. "He possesses long white hair and bears fractal electrical scarring across his face. Notably, he has one blind eye and a blue eye, with prosthetics replacing both an arm and a leg."

Tirin continued, his tone detached as he described the knight's attire. "He does not adhere to typical Jedi garb, often opting instead for a drab, shabby-looking trench coat that appears tattered and worn." He maintained a steady gaze, ensuring that every detail was communicated clearly. "It is crucial that you recognize him, should your paths cross. Now then... it shouldn't be too difficult a task for you to find a man such as this... correct?"

 

[Gem-in-Trash]

Gem looked at the paper and quickly studied it. Although she wasn't familiar with this specific place, she knew she could find it easily enough; she'd spent enough time on Coruscant to know her way around.

"Approximately two-point-thirteen meters? I suppose that'll have to be specific enough," she remarked with a smile. She realized, after a beat, that Tirin Raene might not appreciate the humor she intended, "I think this is more than enough to find him. I know a thing or two about being a Jedi that sticks out."

She tugged on the collar of her jacket, which was mostly made of patches and pockets, "I'll bring it right over to him for you, Master. I'm sure he'll appreciate the..."

She pondered the box for a moment. Given that the recipient was allegedly missing his communicator, it was probably a new one for him. That's what she would have put in the box. She would ask when she delivered it. Gem grabbed the last of the hard boiled eggs on her plate and cracked it open with one hand, and then, still with one hand, peeled it and slipped the egg into her mouth. With most of her mouth inhabited by egg, she added, "It'll be there in a jiffy."

Not that any reasonable person could understand what it was that she'd attempted to say. With the box under one arm, she reached for her skimboard, and sighed, remembering that it was still in her room, and she sighed. The one time she had a legitimate reason to use it, she'd promised to keep it stashed in her room.

"I just gotta grab a couple of things first," she added, her mouth still full of egg. Gem balanced her tray on top of the box to go and dispose of it properly before headed back to her room to grab her skimboard and a backpack. She carefully made a few measurements of the box to make sure that she wouldn't tip it or something, and decided that its contents were probably hardy enough to endure being put into the bag. She resisted the urge to shake it, even if to get a feel for the weight and looseness.

After all, if they'd asked Gem-in-Trash to deliver it, they needed it moved fast as fluff!

"Gem? That you?" her mother, Digs, asked as Gem was darting in and out.

"Yeah. I'm just grabbing my board-"

"You know what they told you about boarding in the Temple, this is-"

"I know, I actually need it this time-"

"-Gonna get you into more trouble-"

"I got a job for a Jedi! I need my board, mom! I'll be back by dinner okay I love you byyyyyye!" Gem sang out as she ran out the door. Out of habit, once in front of the entrance to her and her mothers' quarters, Gem threw her board on the ground and almost jumped on it. With a sigh, she recalled that she was, in fact, on watch for causing too much trouble with the board, and she picked it up, smiling at a passing Knight who was used to looking the other way when she boarded in the halls. That didn't stop her from running through the halls, and, the moment she was at the exterior of the temple, threw the board down on the ground and she started skimming down the temple stairs, headed towards the hovertrain station.

 

[Tirin Raene]

TAGS: Gem-in-Trash

The box it's self had heft to it as it was made of wood. But tilting it felt as if nothing moved around with in... like perhaps it might have even been empty... The box would fit nicely enough in to her bag snugly so.

Tirin bowed his head to the girl and offered a polite gentle smile in return. " May the force be with you. " He offered before departing.

The journey would not be a short one. The destination, was buried deep within the heart of the city, and would require hours of foot travel. Public transport wouldn't serve her here, as the location of the speeder repair shop lay just beyond easy access for someone on foot, and little did she know that Tirin had ensured the most convenient routes were closed off in ways subtle enough to go unnoticed.

A Jedi should be able to endure the monotony of a long walk, after all.

Yet the real challenge wasn't the distance.

The box she carried was deliberately plain, almost too plain. No markings, no real weighty presence outside what was presumably it's make to suggest what lay inside. And yet, wasn't that what made it all the more suspicious? A Jedi Knight wouldn't go through the trouble of emphasizing its secrecy without good reason.

The city pulsed around her, vibrant and alive. Streets stretched on, lined with storefronts and vendors, the tantalizing scent of roasted meats and spiced drinks lingering in the air. Occasionally, curious eyes would land on her, staring and watching.... Did they know? Had they been watching?
Time wore on, the monotony settling in like a thick fog. Her feet ached. The weight of the box, slight at first, seemed to press heavier against her arms

With each passing moment, a thought may have even snuck into her mind; Wouldn't it be easier to know what she was carrying? Just a peek. Just enough to satisfy the odd gnawing curiosity curling at the edges of her thoughts.

The temptation only grew as she neared her destination; a building housing one of the city's most renowned speeder repair shops.

 

[Gem-in-Trash]

Convenient routes were of little concern to Gem-in-Trash. Nor were closed off ones. If anything, they provided obstacles for her to try tricks on. She was just about to start jumping over warning signs when she thought about the nature of this task.

It was clearly some kind of test. Probably a prank-test. Whatever was in the box, if there was anything in it at all, was not the point. The point was that the box would be delivered and preferably in tact. If she took a shortcut through construction zones or something, she risked damaging the box...And failing the test. The address was too close for public transportation, but frustratingly deep in the city itself. Gem took a moment and re-examined the address, picturing it in her mind.

Gem-in-Trash did not have a map on her. But she did have the Force. It was her guide. She reached out, feeling the hustle and bustle of the city. She was looking for a Speeder shop. There was a certain noise that speeders made. Whatever that smell was, it was fantastic.

Box delivery first. Spicy meats later. She was looking for a strange Jedi. Over two feet tall. Blind in one eye. White hair.

Well, maybe the vendor might know the best way there?

No. Delivery.

Gem sat at the booth, keeping the bag with the box between her legs, and her board leaned up against it, and she tapped her fingers happily on the counter, keeping her eyes firmly affixed on the trompos, whose aroma had overridden every piece of training she'd had.

"Hi! Whatever that is, I would like as much as you can reasonably give me in whatever combination you most recommend," she requested. As the meat monger started making her plate, she fished out the piece of paper with the address, "Also, do you know the fastest way to this speeder store? Or at least the neighborhood it's in? There seems to be a lot of construction. Oh, and can I get another one of these plates to go? For my mom."

Gem was sure Knight Valin Zenth would be at the store for a while. Besides, she was a growing girl! Should she get him something while she was here?

Nah.

She had the box for him.

 

[Tirin Raene]

TAGS: Gem-in-Trash

The meat monger glanced up from his work as Gem-in-Trash placed her order, a smile spreading across his face. "You've got good taste! That'll be a mix of our best cuts," he said, expertly layering the fragrant meat onto her plate. As he handed it over, he added, "As for the speeder shop, you'll want to head straight down this street and take a left at the second intersection. It's about two blocks down, right next to the construction site. Can't miss it!"

Before she knew it, several minutes had passed, the plate nearly empty. The sky outside was telling tales of the time, the sun inching lower and casting long shadows across the bustling street. The shopkeeper, noticing her half-finished meal, quickly prepared a carry-out package, carefully wrapping the remaining food with practiced ease.

"There you go!" he said, sliding the neatly packaged meal across the counter to her. "Safe travels to the speeder shop!"

 

[Gem-in-Trash]

Gem patted her belly, noticing that twilight was coming upon her. She accepted the to-go box, and repeated the instructions to the speeder shop to herself. She also made sure to memorize the location of this place, she and her mom were definitely coming back here.

"Thank you, Mister Meat Man!" Gem said, taking the bag with the box and stuffing the leftovers into it, on top of the box. Whatever temptations Gem might have had to look in the box, they would be far too eclipsed by the temptations of the shawarma plate that was surely leaking juice all over the box.

Whatever. That would just make it smell nice as well as look nice!

Gem hopped onto her Skimboard after leaving a few credits with him, waving good-bye to the vendor as she followed the instructions to the speeder store. She might pull some grindage through the construction zone, if it wasn't too dark on the return. Then again, she'd just eaten a bunch. She kind of wanted to curl up on the couch and sleep after the delivery. Maybe Valin Zenth would give her a ride back to the temple in whatever speeder he was buying?

"Left at the intersection...Two blocks...There's the construction site!" Gem chirped to herself, pushing her board to go faster as she weaved between pedestrians, pulling up to the shop and poking her head in and scanning for any sign of large, white-haired Jedi Knights. She remembered that the Force was with her, and she reached out as she entered, hoping he would sense her arrival as she searched for him both with her eyes and with her feelings.

"Hello? I'm looking for someone who should be here, tall guy with white hair? Uh, human-ish, by the name of Valin Zenth?" she called out, partly to the nearest worker, but also to the store in general.

 

[Tirin Raene]

TAGS: Gem-in-Trash

Unfortunately for Gem, the shop was devoid of any towering, starlight-haired Jedi. No bright-white mane stood out among the dull metals and hanging repulsorlift parts. Her Force-sense didn't catch his presence either, not even a flicker of recognition or warmth that usually hummed at the edge of her awareness when another force sensitive was nearby.

From behind a stack of hoverboard parts, a young Twi'lek man emerged, wiping his hands on a shop rag. His olive-green skin glistened faintly under the overhead lights, and his lekku twitched once before settling against his shoulders. He offered her a polite, somewhat sheepish smile.

"Hey there, Kid..." he said, voice a little winded like he'd just come from the back. "You looking for that tall guy with the white hair?"

The Twi'lek nodded. "Sorry, he left about half an hour ago. Said he had to take care of something at the Temple. I can give him a call if ya like. We have his number on record. "

The mysterious box nestled in her pack was still closed, and still absolutely off-limits.

Not that she was thinking about opening it.

She absolutely wasn't.

But if she were thinking about it, it would only be to make sure it hadn't... shifted or anything. Totally responsible.

It was definitely still there. And definitely still closed. She could be trusted.

But what could possibly be with in it?

Was it a comlink?

He gave a small shrug and gestured toward the front.

"We're closing up in fifteen, just so you know," he said, voice casual. "You're welcome to hang out till then, but I figured I'd give you the heads-up."

 

[Gem-in-Trash]

Gem let out a sigh, letting her arms hang loosely at the news she'd just missed him. If it had been fifteen minutes, then she might have been able to catch up with him on her Skimboard. But a half an hour? He'd be back at the Temple by now. Maybe if he'd taken some kind of detour? And Master Tirin Raene had mentioned that Master Zenth's communicator was on the fritz. Sure, she still had the box. She hadn't opened it. She hadn't given it much thought beyond wondering if getting meat juice all over it somehow violated the terms of the request.

No, Gem accepted the fact that she'd messed up and simply needed to own up to her mistake.

"Thank you, I think I just have to take the loss on this one," she sighed. Gem glanced at the hoverboard parts; it made sense that a place like this dabble in skimboards. Well, she'd already missed him. Might as well look at parts while the store was open before headed back to the temple.

 

[Gem-in-Trash]

Just as Gem started looking at the Skimboards the place had, she turned to face the Twi'Lek, something occurring to her, "Wait, you said you had his number on record. Did he just give it to you? Was this his first time here? Can you call him now?"

It never occurred to her that Tirin might have either been wrong or straight up lied about the communicator. If this wasn't his number on file, then Zenth might be within reach after all! She could arrange to meet him somewhere at the temple. While the worker tried the communicator, she paced, her mind rushing, "What about a specific mail box at the temple? Did he give you an address?"

If he'd given them his post box number, she could either leave the box for him as mail, or even use his box number as a means to track down where his quarters were. She could simply ask, but tracking him down like an investigation might make her look good. And also it made the whole test a sort of game, a chase, that got her heart pumping. She calmed down a bit when she reminded herself that the important part was that the box be delivered. Unopened. And that she be honest about it.

But this was suddenly a mystery, and that needed to be solved.

 

[Tirin Raene]

TAGS: Gem-in-Trash

The Twi'lek gave a little shrug and turned toward the wall-mounted comm console. "Alright, let's give it a try."

One ring.
Two.
Three.
Four—!

"We're sorry. The owner of this number does not have a voicemail box set up. Please try your call again later."

The console chirped, then the line went dead.

The Twi'lek leaned back, one brow raised, hands splayed. "Welp. Guess that's that. No Delivery address on file but the number is the most up to date in our system.... Looks like it was updated earlier today. Could be turned off. Could be temporary. Jedi change their comms all the time—Right? Missions, encryption cycles, Temple admin stuff, who knows."

Maybe he had changed his number.
And what better way to deliver a secure line than through someone who wasn't supposed to open it?

The box she carried with her was ... Still sealed. Still closed. Still silent.

 

[Gem-in-Trash]

Gem drummed her hands on the counter and pushed off, letting out a breath of frustration. Okay. That hadn't worked. But it was a good thought. She still had options to track him down - she could just ask someone at the temple - though it was getting late. She considered asking the Twi'Lek to call the Temple and ask them. Gem had dawdled too much, and the mail room was likely closing soon, or already closed.

"Okay, thank you anyway! I'll be back sometime and we can talk Skimboards!" she promised, throwing hers on the ground and riding out the front door and back the way she came. With a free hand, she pulled out her own communicator, and called the Temple, bypassing the automated systems by remembering the codes for each directory. She'd left enough joke voicemails over the years that she knew them pretty well.

Would they have blocked her number?

No, she'd always swiped someone else's communicator to do that sort of thing. It would go to Voicemail if they were closed, but maybe, just maybe, she could get ahold of someone. If this didn't work, she would just have to either find Tirin Raene and admit she'd failed, or just try again in the morning.

 

[Tirin Raene]

TAGS: Gem-in-Trash

The Temple's main line had switched over to its after-hours mode not long ago. The automated directory still worked—technically. It could connect to specific quarters or workstations, but only if someone knew the exact room code or extension.
Without that, it was a dead end.

Tirin had mentioned that Valin often worked near the hangar maintenance bay, but that wasn't enough to direct the system to his personal quarters or comm line. The directory didn't accept guesses.

So unless she found someone who did know his room number, the Temple wouldn't be any help tonight.

Tirin had very likely already left the planet. He'd been clear—the box was to be handed to Valin directly. No shortcuts. No substitutions.

And for now, there was no way to reach him except the old-fashioned kind: go look.


Valin was probably still at the Temple. Maybe he'd already turned in for the night. Maybe he was working late in one of the maintenance bays; hard to say without checking in person.

Barring that, she might catch him in the cafeteria come morning… assuming he was the kind of man who actually ate cafeteria food.

 

[Gem-in-Trash]

Gem was kicking herself, metaphorically, having forgotten that Tirin Raene had mentioned that he was going to be offworld. That meant there wouldn't be any giving up on the task and admitting failure.

Okay. That was fine. He would eventually be back, and Gem would just keep trying to find Valin in the meantime. Determination and dedication, that was the name of the game. Gem would try the hangars, and even if he wasn't there, she would simply ask where his quarters were.

And another thought occurred to her. Gem wasn't alone. She had her mom, other Padawans, other Knights and Masters who did like her and knew when she was being serious about something. Should she ask her mom? She knew a lot of Knights and Masters. It seemed kind of silly, getting her mom to do her homework, and Gem hadn't told her what was going on when she'd left.

And also she still had the street meat for her mom in her bag.

"It's okay. The only person rushing me is me," Gem said to herself, and she called the Hangars while on her way to the Temple. Unlike other departments, the Hangar always had someone there because Jedi arrived on Coruscant at all hours of the day.

While the com rang, Gem started to run a list of pranks she'd pulled in the Hangar, and all the times she'd been caught Skimboarding in there. Who liked her, who didn't. Had she told them any lies? Lying wasn't really all that much fun because it meant you couldn't prank someone twice, and they stopped trusting you. Plus it was kind of mean.

"Hey, this is Padawan Gem-in-Trash. I'm looking for Knight Valin Zenth, is he there, or do you know where he is? Or at least where his quarters are? Tall humanoid with long white hair? I have a package for him, and I'm hoping to catch up with him as soon as I can," she explained to whoever it was that picked up.

'Padawan Gem-in-Trash has a package for a particular Jedi' is absolutely a suspicious opener, Gem thought.

"Uh, the package is from his friend, Master Tirin Raene," Gem added, hoping name-dropping Master Raene would make them less suspicious of her request.

 

[Valin Zenth]

TAGS: Gem-in-Trash

In the dim glow of the hangar's maintenance bay, Knight Valin Zenth was elbow-deep in diagnostics on an aging shuttle engine. Tools clattered softly as he re calibrated a stubborn sensor array, his long white hair catching the intermittent light from overhead fixtures.

A sharp chime cut through the ambient noise, a call coming in through the station's archaic but reliable communicator. Valin paused, setting down his spanner. He glanced at the display; the incoming line had no room extension, just the automated hangar channel. With a light breath, he toggled open the comm link.

"Maintence," The connection crackled briefly, then the caller's voice emerged.


On the other end, Padawan Gem-in-Trash's words spilled out: a request for his quarters, a description of him as the tall humanoid with long white hair, and a mention of a package, courtesy of his old friend, Master Tirin Raene. The reference stirred a mild curiosity. He was aware that Tirin's instructions were rarely arbitrary, and if Gem was reaching out, it meant the delivery was important.

"I'm here, in the hangar maintenance bay," he said. "I've been working on the shuttle's sensor array. If you're calling about the package, come find me here."

 

[Gem-in-Trash]

"Wizard, stay right there I'm gonna be there as soon as I can, I'm coming up the Temple steps now," Gem reported. She considered, briefly, breaking her word to the Grandmaster about not Skimboarding in the temple, but decided against it. Gem valued being trusted, and this request was not more important than her promise to the Grandmaster. Just as she was about to Skimboard into the temple from the top entrance, the security guard, who was well acquainted with Gem's shenanigans over the years, was about to stop her and remind her of the rules. Gem, however, at the last second, kick-flipped her board off the ground and into her arms. She gave the guard a wink as she ran into the temple. No Skimboarding in the temple. She'd promised.

That said, she was more than willing to run as fast as she could down the halls at nearly comparable speeds anyway. She hadn't been banned from running.

Although that was probably against the rules somewhere, too.

Still, she ran straight to the hangar, relieved that this ordeal did have an end in sight. She was starting to wonder if this quest would go on forever. Upon arriving at the internal entrance to the hangar maintenance bays, she slid across the floor a bit as she came to a complete stop and rushed in, forgetting her own words that she was the only person rushing her.

"Is Master Valin Zenth still here?" she called out as she entered, digging into her backpack. First she removed the container full of street meat. It hadn't leaked as much as she thought it would have, with all the rushing and jostling. Her bag and the box would only have a slight scene of spiced meat for a while. With her bag between her knees, and her board resting on the ground, Gem produced the box, stuffed the meats back into the bag, and generally reassembled her situation as she entered the bay, "I have a package for you."

The thought to shake the box to check its contents didn't even occur to Gem.

 

[Valin Zenth]

TAGS: Gem-in-Trash

A rather tall man was present,, and true enough, his face bore fractal scars that laced across his skin like shattered glass, and one eye that looked as though it had seen far better days. He stepped toward the small Cathar and looked down at her with a curious tilt of his head.

"Aye... I am," he said, voice rough but not unkind.

He reached to take the box from her hands, inspecting it briefly before setting it aside on a nearby table.

"It's from Tirin, correct?" he asked, glancing back at her. "Thank you, Padawan. You've done an excellent job."

Turning away, he reached up to a high shelf and retrieved a soft, pale gray bag—felt, velvet-lined, its drawstrings looped loosely around his fingers. He held it out to her.

"I reward you with this."

Should she look inside, she would find a small, cut and polished Meditation Crystal.

He however made no motion to open the box.

 

[Gem-in-Trash]

"I did? I mean...I allowed myself to get distracted. I ate a lot of street meat before I went to the speeder place," Gem admitted, taking the bag and immediately inspecting the contents. She quickly found herself enamored with the gemstone, and held it close to her chest. There was something electric, something pulling her towards it. That and it was very pretty and shiny.

"Thank you, Master Valin Zenth for your patience and understanding. I will treasure this," she vowed. Her eyes flicked to the box, "Do you mind if I ask what's in the box? I just thought this was some odd test at first. I was starting to get worried that I would never find you, and never be rid of the box until I gave in and opened it, but now that I say it out...Loud...That sounds...Ridiculous...I guess it's not important. I'm just curious. If it's classified or something, I understand."

 

[Valin Zenth]

Gem-in-Trash


Valin glanced at the box, then to her, and smirked. A knowing smirk.
"You carried it all this way. You resisted temptation. And now, now you ask?"

Valin Zenth offered a small smile, the kind that hinted at knowing far more than he would ever say. His voice was warm, but carried that infuriating stillness only a Jedi could master.

"The box served its purpose, didn’t it?" he said mildly. "It brought you here. It made you wonder. It made you choose to keep wondering, instead of tearing it open the moment you could."

He glanced at it again, then back at her.

"And as for what’s inside..." He leaned in, just enough to lower his voice half a notch. "Well. Isn’t not knowing half the magic?"

He leaned back, clasping his hands behind his back like a teacher withholding the answer to a test.

"Perhaps the mystery was the test all along. Or maybe..." He looked her straight in the eye. "...you’re not ready to want the answer yet."

"Some boxes are meant to be opened. Others are meant to be carried—until the weight teaches something more valuable than what’s inside."

"You’ve already learned more from the question than the answer could give you. It is only for Knights and Masters to know—not nosey little Padawans."

He turned, his coat sweeping behind him as he headed to the back, leaving the box on the desk.

"That’s enough—for now," he called from out of sight.