We'll meet again (Safiriel Bane)

[NightSister]

Location: Aurilia, Dathomir (x)

Mara had hear time and time again that the mysterious Dathomir village of Aurilia was a visit every witch ought to make. A self-proclaimed witch who was very proud of her chosen alignment, the moment Mara had been given a few days to do with as she please she had revved up her speeder and crossed the planet to finally pay a visit. After all, she had already seen the Nightsister fortress and stronghold, the Sith Academy and almost every other notable site her homeplanet had to offer - it was fair enough that she would want to cross off the last item on her list.

Now that she was there however, the supposedly mystical village seemed very small and while pretty, not particularly interesting, so instead Mara decided to make use of her visit by meditating in a small field in the middle of the village. Meditation wasn't her strong suit, but in the hazy red light and the ethereal dark atmosphere made it very easy for her to slip into her subconscious and begin to explore.

[member="Safiriel Bane"]

 

[Tanith Alde]

[member="Mara Sedaya"]

In truth, Safiriel had never liked Dathomir, the dark, brooding atmosphere of the world, as well as it's native flora and fauna did not exactly endear itself to her as a viable vacation spot for her, or even a home. Yet nonetheless, it was certainly a nexus of force energies, and that had it's own advantages.

Noticably, when one sought to mediate in a place strong with the dark side, and so helped to balance her out between the light and the dark. Truly, each had it's advantages, but remaining in the middle, or committing fully to one side, each was a tempting proposal in and of itself. Safiriel, the Blade's Shadow, or, more recently, The Shadow Sage stepped out of the dark alcoves of one of the structures, watching the young witch during her meditation, keeping her presence hidden in the force

 

[NightSister]

After what felt like hours, Mara eased herself back to consciousness and opened her eyes. The crimson sky had deepened in colour by several shades and the sun had very nearly set, so it was most likely time to return home.

Still somewhat drowsy from her meditation, Mara slowly, reluctantly got to her feet and forced herself to put one foot in front of the other, walking out of the meadow and almost directly into a building. Flinching at the impact, she cursed under her breath and stood back, suddenly realising that she had in fact walked into a tall woman with white hair and a distant expression.
"Oh, sorry," she said hastily.

[member="Safiriel Bane"]

 

[Tanith Alde]

[member="Mara Sedaya"]

"There is no need for apologies, as of yet" She said, holding up a hand to stop any nervous apologies the woman might have. "Though caution would serve you well in life, you are a young one yet, you have much to learn" She said softly, letting a cold, appraising gaze roam over the woman before her.

"You are lost young one, you require guidance. That is why you came here is it not? To find yourself?"

She asked, clearly this one was force sensitive, though much of this was assumable by her obvious Dathomiri heritage

 

[NightSister]

"Maybe," Mara replied, eyeing the woman with suspicious curiosity. "Depends who's asking."

As usual, Mara was regarding the woman that was apparently keen on philosophical questions with the cold air of one evaluating someone's worth. Typically when Mara or anybody bumped into a stranger, they would apologize and keep right on going, and this woman's lack of recognition for that fact made her cautious - even she, with no social knowledge whatsoever, understood that piece of etiquette, so it wasn't down to foreign culture. Obviously a fellow Force-sensitive, she decreed - her alignment was either being concealed or was simply too complicated to make sense of in a moment. Either way, it had her on edge.

[member="Safiriel Bane"]

 

[Tanith Alde]

[member="Mara Sedaya"]

While her alignments may have been shifting and complicated, her status and power was not. For she was wearing not just any form of armor, she was, to anyone with a bit of knowledge of ancient Sith Lores, wearing what was quite noticably a restored version of Exar Kun's armor, which still radiated with a cold power. Around that, the outer most layer of her clothing consisted of Natth Cowling, a rare form of force imbued cloth produced in Lake Natth on Ambria. Whomever Safiriel was, she had traveled far and wide to acquire what she now casually displayed.

Where did her true loyalties lie however? With no particular being. They lied with the secrets and lores of old, and whomever at the time could be used to bring them to her.

But the girl had not asked her that. What she wanted was far simpler, a Name.

"I am the one who has come to answer your silent call. Though, you wished a name I am certain, and you shall have it. Safiriel "

 

[NightSister]

Mara's eyebrows almost disappeared into the loose strands of her dark brown as the woman introduced herself in such a way that made Mara wonder if she thought herself a prophet of some sort. Whatever 'silent call' it was that she was now answering, it must have been very silent indeed for Mara not to hear it. Still, no matter how many chose not to believe it, names had power and the woman - Safiriel - had chosen to entrust that particular power with Mara. It made her slightly more relaxed.

"Mara," she replied after a pause, reasoning that it was only fair to return the favour. "And I'd love to hear about the silent call that I supposedly made."

[member="Safiriel Bane"]

 

[Tanith Alde]

[member="Mara Sedaya"]

"The Force flows through you, as does it to all things. You can feel it's ebb, and it's flow, I know that much. What else I know, is that you have only taken your first few steps upon this path. Without someone to guide you, you make take a step too far. You've heard the mad preaching I am sure. Of The Light and the Dark. I would propose another path to you, that of one's self. There is no inherently good side to healing, as it may be used to save the life of a murderer, nor is there anything inherently evil to the more violent forms of the force, as killing one man with them may save a thousand more. What you make of your gift is your decision, as freedom of choice is the one thing that ties all sentients together, but I would advise you against making it rashly. The call you have made may not be your own, perhaps you are simply an echo of it, but either way, the call has been made. How shall you respond to your own self?"

 

[NightSister]

"I've made that decision already. There is more to be gained by going freely between both sides of the Force without ever turning fully to either side. That's what I've been doing ever since I could use my Force abilities and I intend to go on that way. I've been responding, as you call it, for years."
It occurred to Mara that if the woman was as powerful as she looked, perhaps to not go on being condescending. Perhaps there was something besides philosophy that she could teach her.
"I follow the path you speak of, as, I presume, do you. If you are answering my call, are you proposing to guide me?"

[member="Safiriel Bane"]

 

[Tanith Alde]

[member="Mara Sedaya"]

"That is indeed why I have come here. You would learn and experience much by travelling with me and mine, I can promise you, you would not be lacking in things to see, do or learn"


She paused for a moment, giving time to a thought that had wandered into focus.

"And yes, as it occurs to me, I shall not force you to bend to my will as an apprentice. I do not believe in the necessity for suffering to bring one into the dark, nor do I believe self sacrifice will bring you closer to the light. You simply are, nothing more, nothing less. And I can guide you on the path to finding yourself"

 

[NightSister]

It was obvious simply from looking at the woman that she wasn't lying when she said that Mara would learn plenty, and the promise that she would be treated with respect and not in the slave-and-master relationship that she had so often seen happen between non-Jedi masters and their apprentices. The notion was certainly appealing.

"In that case, that won't be a difficult choice. I shall pledge myself to your teachings." She refrained from completing the pledge, knowing she would be reproached if she immediately rushed into the training.

[member="Safiriel Bane"]

 

[Tanith Alde]

[member="Mara Sedaya"]

She nodded gently

"Then welcome you, young Mara. I promise I shall help you find what you are searching for. I ask only one thing in return, remain true to yourself at all times"

Safiriel's greatest philosophy was the purity of self, everything else came second. Only through honing one's own body and mind could one achieve true clarity. It would be one of the first lessons she would teach her apprentice.

"Come now, we should return to my ship so that I may introduce you to certain tomes and trainings to start you off. Unless there were places you desired to visit on this planet first"

 

[NightSister]

Mara nodded in response to her request. The philosophy was one she had followed all of her life, and she was grateful to find that her new master lived by the same principle.

"No, I think I've seen all I need to see," she replied, waiting for Safiriel to lead the way so she could at last begin the training that she had been searching for for so long.

[member="Safiriel Bane"]

 

[Tanith Alde]

[member="Mara Sedaya"]

The trek was not a long one to her ship. Roughly 15 minute away, The Nemesis had been hidden small valley clearing between some of Dathomir's vast mountains. The ship was of a medium size, capable of housing up to six people comfortable, it provided more than enough room for both Safiriel and Mara to have privacy.

"You may select any of the quarters here as your own, besides I you will be the first person to call this place home. I would like to give you an hour to settle in and find yourself, and then meet me inside of the common area. There is something I wish to give you"

After watching her new apprentice go, she wandered into the ship's cockpit, and only a soft rumbling would announce their departure as the Nemesis entered into space. She no longer had access to Yavin's temples for her training, so instead she chose a place she knew was strong with the force, as well as tranquil, Ambria.

 

[NightSister]

Looking appreciatively at the large and well-equipped ship that was to be her new home, Mara took a reasonably-sized room and entering, sat down on the bed. She allowed herself a smile at having finally properly begun on her quest towards - well, whatever it was. Power, greatness, finding herself, all of that would surely follow but for now, she could settle with having a chance to hone her talents and being. That was the first step, anyway.

After just under an hour, Mara had finished settling in and then drifted over to the common area. By then her heavy jacket had been hung up, her weapons save the lightsaber at her belt stowed away and what other possessions she owned - which were very few - had been stored. Unsure how to announce her presence, she simply hoped Safiriel would have sensed her arrival.

[member="Safiriel Bane"]

 

[Tanith Alde]

The ship wasn't terribly large, about 200 meters from engine to tip. Though of course the saying 'bigger on the inside' still held true. So from the cockpit some twenty meters down it was possible to hear her footsteps. Turning she walked into the common area, there was a holoterminal and table in the middle, which was where she wanted to go.

"Come dear, have a seat"


She said, as she pulled a packet out from her robe's. It turned out to be a very neatly pressed and folded robe, of a similarly dark color to her own

" A bit of a uniform if you were intersted. We travel now to Lake Natth, to soak this in the waters of it in Ambria, imbuing it with force powers"

 

[NightSister]

At her new master's request, Mara took a seat beside her. She took the robe, which looked appropriately dark as well as extremely comfortable. Putting the folded garment in her lap to change into at a later interval, Mara listened with keen interest as Safiriel explained their next destination.

"Thank you," she said. "I've never been to Ambria, but I do know of its history, and of its association with Sith and the Dark Side of the Force." To be honest, that was more or less all she actually knew about the desert planet. Her research into the Ambria system hadn't gone that far, but she knew enough to understand the reasoning behind the quest at least.

[member="Safiriel Bane"]

 

[Tanith Alde]

[member="Mara Sedaya"]

"I think it will also be a valuable lesson in other regards. Ambria is an inhospitable, but not hazardous world. And with the calm such a thing can bring, it might be a good place to center yourself and do some training"

She began to explain, bringing up Ambria on the holo terminal. They would be landing approximately an hour from the lake, at the base of some mountains.

"For now though and until we arrive, I would like to perform a few simple exercises with you. A sort of meditative process"

She explained as she stood up, and lead her to a free-ish area a few steps away

 

[NightSister]

Nodding and making a vague sound of agreement as she listened to the explanation offered on why Ambria was their chosen destination, Mara stood up and sorted out the skirts of her robe before following Safiriel as she led the way to what would be Mara's first phase of training. As she walked, she took in her surroundings, trying to memorise what she could of the ship's layout for later use - getting lost was high on the list of things she hated other people seeing her do if not right at the top.

[member="Safiriel Bane"]

 

[Tanith Alde]

[member="Mara Sedaya"]

Once they had reached their destination, Safiriel turned back to her young student. Was it really fair to call her that? Safiriel wasn't that much older than she herself was.

"These are meditative forms, passed on through various martial forms. Some find inner tranquility in stillness, others in motions. Let us find what you require"

She said as she began to lead her through the introductory form. The motions were simple yet graceful and refined, repetitive, yet artistic. Perfect for a beginner to spend time with