Private "Your First Step in a Larger World"

[Sol'yan]

Ara Sheridan

Origin Tree, Kashyyyk​

Kashyyyk had more to it than met the eye than simply trees, and a dark surface world known as the "Shadow lands". The Origin Tree was a sacred site to the Wookiee population, serving as a 'rite of passage' for young warriors who attempt to climb the tree to the summit. With it being such an important site to the native population, the Jedi naturally treated the site with the respect it deserved. While Sol'yan was planning an excursion to the site for his newfound apprentice, he did not intend on attempting to scale the massive landmark. He did not, however, clarify this to his apprentice.

The shuttle they rode in descended to a landing bad near a clearing at the edge of the dense forest canopy that enveloped the vast majority of the planet. It brought them near the base of the tree, where a well worn trail was lined with fencing and torches set by tribesmen from bygone years that would make the Feeorin appear as a babe. The crew of the shuttle allowed its passengers to exit, with roughly half a dozen others accompanying Sol'yan and Ana on the short flight - coming to the Tree for their own reasons.

"According to Wookiee legend, it is said that this is the oldest of all the trees of the planet, and that its seedlings spawned the forest that now spans the entire planet." Sol'yan explained as they emerged from the craft, standing under the shadow of the immense tree. He glanced down at his apprentice after drawing his hood back. "The force is strong here. While this place is not nearly as deadly as the Shadowlands, we are not far away from its edge either. Stay close to me, and we should have little to fear. I want to show you one place in particular for your first lesson. You brought the Vibrosword I gave you...right?"

 

[Ara Sheridan]

For the entire trip, Ara was quiet as her face was stuck against a viewport of the shuttle. Her exposure to other planets was very limited. Coruscant, Malastare, and the temple on Kashyyyk was her only exposure that she got. Even then, she barely ever ventured out of the temple at all. To see this much life in one place was an entirely new experience. She felt small as they flew over the giant forests towards the biggest tree she had ever seen in her life. The only time she moved was to scratch, fidget or pull at the new robes she was wearing.

Eventually they found a clearing to land and she followed her master out of the shuttle. She stared up at the tree as Sol'yan spoke to her about the tree. She wanted to make some kind of witty remark, but she couldn't find the words. "It's old. It feels... hard. Like this tree has seen some stuff in it's time." she muttered with wide eyes. She had this constant feeling as she neared it. It was likely one of those force instincts she got every now and then. She finally pried her eyes off the tree and looked up to her master as he asked about her vibrosword. "Y-yeah. Got it right here." she muttered, tapping the blade strapped to her belt. It was awkward and heavy. She would have preferred to bring her knife and blaster along, but sadly she didn't have a say in this department.

A thought finally crossed her mind that made her heart sank. "Wait, master! Are we going to climb that thing?" she asked with anxiety rising in her voice as she pointed at the tree. Her emotions were painfully obvious. She was overwhelmed, afraid and anxious about this new area they were in. The sensation of so much life around them was felt clearly by her and it didn't help her out at all. "Couldn't we have done this at the temple or something?" she asked him as she stared up at him.

Sol'yan

 

[Sol'yan]

Briefly, Sol'yan entertained the idea of leading Ara on in thinking they were actually going to climb the tree. In reality, there was a hidden glade not far from their current position he planned to take her. As he sensed her rising anxiety at his prolonged silence, he decided to break it (after a few moments), a light tone of amusement laced with his words: "No, we won't be climbing it. That will be reserved for a later lesson." He couldn't let her go without a little bit of teasing. When she brought up the question of whether they could have done this at the temple, Sol'yan peered down at her with a slightly more serious expression. He turned to face her, and looked in her eyes: "Could we have? Yes. But, consider this your first lesson - the force surrounds and penetrates all living things. The closer you draw yourself to the natural world, the stronger you will be able to attune with the force around you. Once you strengthen your connection to the force, and heighten your sensitivity to its call, you will be able to center yourself adequately anywhere. But nothing replaces being where the force's presence is at its strongest." The easiest way to describe his tone when he was talking about this subject, was that of someone who had learned that very lesson very well, over many years of practice and meditation. His gaze shifted longingly at the tree, as if it called out to him even now.

He glanced down back at her, and for the first time in their very short relationship, gave her a genuine, unfiltered smile - as if he were one hundred and thirty years younger, staring in the face of adventure. He recomposed himself after a few moments, and nodded for her to follow him. The path ahead was well worn and traveled, beams of sunlight rising as they walked along for one, close to two hours making idle conversation. Sol'yan would pause now and again to show Ara some of the wonders even from this fairly safe vantage point of the planet that served as her adoptive home. Eventually, they came across a break in the path that had a much less well traveled trail that moved closer to the tree. Sol'yan gave Ara a glance, and lead the way. They walked a short way longer as the trail weaved through the forestry. Eventually, the soft sounds of water rushing over rocks could be heard, and they approached a break in the woods to find a vale revealed before them. A small cliff stood imposingly above them, with a roiling waterfall all of thirty feet in height. It was as if the forest spread its arms to surround this place, gifting the weary traveler a peaceful place of repose. The force was strong here, so much so that even someone with an untrained connection to it could feel its call. Sol'yan led his apprentice further still, to the top of the cliff where it flattened out; an ideal place for rest and meditation. He dropped the pack he carried on his back, and pulled out two canteens full of water. He poured them out, then refilled them from the pure water flowing mere inches from where he stood. He handed one to Ara, then took a long draught from the other held in his left hand.

Thereafter, he removed his robe and folded it neatly over a nearby rock, then seated himself on the bare rock face with his legs folded amongst themselves. He then gestured next to him, and said: "Place your sword next to my robes, then take a seat next to me. I want to show you something."

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara breathed a sigh of relief when her master finally gave her an answer that she liked. At least that was one crisis averted. She didn't want to admit it to anyone, but heights and her didn't get along too well. She knew he was teasing her with his long silence, but she didn't like it one bit in this case. He went on to admit that they could have avoided this trip, though he quickly explained why they were out in the wilderness. More force stuff she didn't understand. She wanted to ask what he meant, but she had a feeling that she would have a chance to ask once they reached their destination.

His smile took her by surprise. She was getting used to his constant frown, that such a genuine smile was completely new to her from him. It did its job well, as she immediately felt more at ease and returned a small smile of her own. It was a reminder that he didn't bring her out here to hurt her or put her in harm's way. They started their little journey along the old path to a hidden area. She stuck close as much as she could, trying not to lose her footing over foliage or loose stones along the road. They stopped every now and then as he wanted to show her something. It was still a shock to be in such a lively area. The odd birds in the air, cries of animals far away in the jungle, the gentle breeze rustling the leaves around them. Bit by bit, her anxiety and fear slipped away as they neared their destination.

"Oh, wow." she muttered as her eyes fell upon the waterfall in the small clearing. Ara immediately felt the forest around them. She didn't know why the hell her first thought was "Yeah this is the forest I'm feeling," but she simply knew it. "I can feel... something here, Master." she muttered as she looked around them. "Like it's... calm. Warm. Got no clue why but that's how it feels." she continued with a shrug. He kept pushing on, starting to scale the cliff. Ara stopped by the foot of the small cliff as she groaned to herself. She eventually pushed on and joined Sol'yan at the summit, though she made sure to stay away from the edge.

That became unavoidable when he offered her a canteen of the fresh water and beckoned her to sit beside him. She took a long sip of the surprisingly refreshing water and placed her vibrosword beside his cloak as he instructed. With crossed legs and folded arms she sat down beside him, subconsciously curling in on herself as she looked around. "We... looking for something specific?" she asked him as she glanced up at him.

Sol'yan

 

[Sol'yan]

"Close your eyes." Sol'yan's were already closed as his voice adopted a meditative tone. He waited a couple of moments for his apprentice to do as he asked, then he added: "Reach out with your senses, as if you were attempting to see something far away, or as if you were trying to focus in on something with your mind. Or hear... a whisper..." As he spoke, he reached out with his senses as well. It was hard to explain exactly how to do so to someone who had never done so. For those with no force sensitivity, it was the equivalent of telling a blind person to open their eyes and observe the vibrant colors. If Ara could feel the presence here upon their arrival as he suspected she did, then she would know what he was talking about. If she did as he instructed, she would feel, see, and sense the same things he was.

His mind drifted from his perch atop the cliff, sensing the life that literally filled their surroundings. Birds flying about, the song trilling through the morning air; wandering herbivores frolicking about to graze at the perfect spot. Flowers and all manner of plant-life awakening as they reached up to drink in the sun's radiant heat. The warm taste of blood in the mouth of a fearsome predator in the shadowlands, feasting upon the carcass of its prey. Sol'yan reached out to touch the mind of his apprentice, a gesture similar to a father grasping the hand of his child to help it reach for something just at the limits of its reach. He could sense that she was experiencing the same things in her own mind, but they did not stop there. They could feel the wind buffeting their faces, ocean spray casting a sea-salt aroma into the air; trillions upon trillions of insects milling about, building structures that would dwarf the temple in complexity. Finally - they could feel the pulse of the planet itself, beating with the rhythm of a massive heart inside a great beast. Although this was not the first time that Sol'yan had experienced this connection to the force, it always made him feel the same way no matter how old he grew: speechless.

His eyes remained closed as both he and his apprentice's consciousness returned to their corporeal forms. He took in a deep breath of air. He didn't immediately know how long they had been focused elsewhere, but he would have guessed at least another hour or so. After pausing yet still, so as to ensure he had his apprentice's attention, he turned and spoke to her. Hopefully she was listening, "I am 153 standard years of age, and even still... that is why I come here, rather than staying at the temple. Even though I can reach out to center myself anywhere, you cannot replace being in places of such power." His breathing began to normalize, then he continued: "You and I are not so different, you know. I do not claim to know everything about you, but I know enough to know that. I was an orphan, without either of my parents. I was found earlier than you, but I had the same impulses that I sense within you. The need to be strong, the need to protect myself because 'no one else will do it for me.' My master helped me to learn what I am guiding your first steps into now. Repeat after me -"

"There is no emotion, there is peace."

"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge."

"There is no passion, there is serenty."

"There is no chaos, there is harmony."

"There is no death, there is the force."

He paused after each line, allowing her to repeat the words and to let them resonate within her. After the final line, he spoke again in an attempt to tie it all together: "It took me nearly a century to fully center myself, and to learn the truth of those words. You are taking your first steps down a larger path. This is only the beginning. But when you feel your emotions getting the best of you - the tendency to act without thought, or to strike without measure; focus on those words, meditate on their meaning and intricacies, and remember the feelings you just experienced. Here, on this ground."

He paused, allowing his words to sink in. After a short while, he dared to speak again: "Are... things beginning to make sense, Ara?"

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Are blinked a few times at his order before she did as she was told. With a deep breath sue closed her eyes and... didn’t have a clue what to do next. She listened to his instructions and tried to make sense of it all. Focus on something? She decided to try and focus on the weirdest thing she could, which was that constant weird feeling she was having since they arrived. With another deep breath she relaxed and diverted her attention on that feeling. What happened next was something she wasn’t ready for.

It was as if she climbed out of her body and suddenly got spread out through the entire planet. She was overwhelmed, unable to make sense of it all. She could feel everything. Even the grass around them and the insects underground. Her breathing increased dramatically as she felt bombarded with all of the sensations, but then she felt her master beside her. As if he tool her hand and led her on, she could focus on it all.

It was beautiful. The water of the seas, the wind in the air, the plants drinking in the sunlight, a beast in a very sketchy area having the snack of its life, Wookiees swinging through the trees on a hunt, all of it fell into place as she started to calm down. A smile crawled on her lips as they went even deeper and she could feel the literal heart of it all. She was even willing to bet that her mother’s wackiest spice trips didn’t even come close to this.

Suddenly they were back. With a deep breath her eyes shot open and she looked around to steady herself. The sun was warmer now. It felt like they were in there for a while. Feeling like her master wanted to say something, she looked up at him with a giant grin. She wanted to ask about it all, but he spoke first.

He opened up to her. He told her his age(arsenal of jokes updated), where he came from and what this place meant to him. It was a lot to unpack, but now it made sense why she found herself liking and trusting him so easily. He knew what the life was like. Something that she simply didn’t get with other people. She had found a friend.

He asked her to repeat his words and she paid close attention. They were the exact same words that she had seen on banners and places around the temple. They never made sense to her, but now she started to figure it out. ”There’s no emotion, there’s peace.”

“There’s no ignorance, there’s loledge-knowledge.”

“There’s no passion, there’s serenity...?”

“There’s no chaos, only harmony.”

“There’s no death, there’s... the force?”

Nope, still didn’t make sense.

He spoke again, explaining how important those lines were and how they could help her with her temper issue. She was going to start making notes in the evenings if it kept going like this. He asked if she understood any of this and she was quiet for a long time. ”Not at all... but at the same time, kind of. I get what you meant now with the force being everywhere. And now that I’ve felt this...” she grew quiet as she looked down into her lap.

”On Coruscant... I lived in Underworld. But the lower levels. The parts that everybody forgets about. I didn’t have any parents. I hated my mom for the longest time, but now I know why she gave me away. My dad didn’t want me and my mom didn’t want me to grow up in a gang like she did. She gave me to a friend of hers, but he was a jackass. I worked in his pub ever since I could remember and had to deal with either him or his girlfriend treating me like crap.” she spoke softly, not looking up at him as she turned her head towards him. ”I’ve killed people that... tried to take advantage of me. I’ve eaten literal garbage because Joe and his girlfriend didn’t buy food for me and there was nothing else. I’ve been smoking since I was twelve. I never understood why I felt it, but all of it always felt rotten. The place, the people, me... it’s always felt like a dead womp-rat left in an alleyway. When Joe went out of business, he told me to kark off. That was why I went looking for my mom. I didn’t have anybody else.” her voice started to crack but she forced the feelings down. ”When I got here, I hated my mom. She didn’t want me, so why should I care about her. But a friend of mine, he helped me to reach out to her. That was three years ago. It started with the pod racer, then she helped me to get into the school, and eventually she got me a part time job to help her in the hangars.” she rubbed at her eyes and cleared her throat, refusing to give in.

”I know this got jack-poodoo to do with what you just showed me... but I feel like I needed to tell you. And to see this much life in one place, this much... perfection. I’m struggling to wrap my head around it all. How can there be this much stuff in one place, when my mom and I had to fight and kill and suffer to survive?” she finally looked up at Sol’yan with foggy eyes, her hands pulling at her pants to keep her emotions in check as she held onto her calves.

@Sol’yan

 

[Sol'yan]

For the first time, albeit in a very short relationship, Sol'yan saw the real Ara. He could sense her raw vulnerability as clearly as if she ripped open her chest to show him her heart, and it pained him. He could feel her loss, her feelings of abandonment. Even though she was with her mother now, those scars ran deep into her soul. If only she had been found years ago. If only he had found her, doing what Jedi ought to do. Not that it could be helped of course - the Jedi fought to protect the galaxy during those years. But they had neglected being there for countless like Ara. The lost, the abandoned, and the helpless.


He couldn't go back in time to reverse the damage wrought upon Ara's soul, but he could hopefully help her heal while she embarked upon her journey. He placed a reassuring hand atop one of hers resting on her knee. "The answer to that question, lies in the nature of the force, and in the words of the code we just recited." Sol'yan's words were soft and soothing, as if to serve as a salve for her reopened wounds. He pondered for a moment, searching for the right words. "Do you... recall the visions we saw of the herbivores roaming, then the predator eating its prey?" He searched her face for recognition before continuing: "Life has two sides to it. The positive, and the negative. Light, & darkness. There is not always malice to it, merely what is and what is not. The predator does not necessarily have evil Intent when it feasts on its prey. It is an animal, controlled by its baser instincts. A bear is not evil for defending her cubs. Now if an animal killed without any intent to eat its prey, for no apparent reason at all, we would all consider that evil."


"The force simply is. It, in and of itself, does not provoke or carry emotion. Just as light and darkness are two sides of a planetary cycle, so too is light and darkness with the force. Where the concepts of 'good' and 'evil' come in centers on our emotions. Are we the master of them? Or have they enslaved us?" He paused for a moment to drink more water, and to allow for his words thus far to sink in. He did not wish to overwhelm her further, but to clarify what she had been shown. "Now consider the first line of the code. 'There is no emotion, there is peace.' In some ways, I prefer the alternative version we teach younglings; 'Emotion, yet peace.' In other words, to avoid emotion entirely is unrealistic, and not at all natural. To feel is to be alive. But despite whatever emotion we may feel, whether it be love or sorrow, we must not allow it to threaten our inner peace, nor the peace of others. Conversely, the Jedi do not shy away from fighting to defend others even unto death, but we do not butcher innocents like the Dark Jedi within the Brotherhood of the Maw."


He arched his brow slightly, adding further: "The Jedi are motivated by their compassion for others, but will never let whatever their emotions are to interfere with their inner strength of purpose. The Sith, however, will use their base emotions of rage, anger, and greed to fuel their power and slaughter thousands." As he approached his point, his words carried an additional gravitas:


"Meditating on the code, even just that one line, can provide the insight required to understand the living force that surrounds us, and to discern its greater will for us all. As you grow over the coming years, Meditating on each line in a similar manner will draw you closer to the light. Closer to true peace, knowledge, serenity, harmony, and the true nature of the force."

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara immediately took hold of his hand and held on as her free hand wiped at her eyes. She looked up at him as he started to explain the Force to her. She gave a nod when he asked about the animals they saw, listening to his calming voice. It might sound like an insult, but to Ara it felt like he could talk her to sleep. His soothing voice just seemed to make any trouble melt away.

As she understood it, it wasn’t the Force’s fault that she and her mom suffered the way they did. It was simply how things played out and a stroke of bad luck that they ended up where they did. It was the people’s fault for making it the hell that it was.

But that also made her think about something else. ”But if it wasn’t the Force’s fault... then people don’t have the right to put themselves on a pedestal. Those people at the temple who look down on people... they need to be grateful for what they got.” she commented as she looked into her master’s eyes. He went on, explaining how big a deal emotion was for people like them. People who could use the Force. Suddenly his explanation was seeming a bit too big for her tiny brain to wrap around.

She scratched her head in confusion, trying to understand his words. When he finished, she shook her head a little. ”But... how can emotions be such a problem for us. Like... say I met a boy. I like him and everything. How can that be dangerous. I’m not stupid enough to just go murder people for him or something crazy like that. If we’re meant to give a crap about other people, how can it be dangerous?” she asked him softly.

@Sol’yan

 

[Sol'yan]

Ara's question was insightful indeed, a question that many a Jedi had wondered and struggled with, back when the Jedi Order forbade personal attachments due to a misguided sense of compromising the integrity of its adherents. He squeezed her hand slightly and returned his hand back to his own lap and pondered over her words. He wasn't sure what she meant by 'people in the temple placing themselves on a pedestal', but soon discerned that she still held some view that the Jedi felt they were above people who were not among them. "We do not believe we are better than those who cannot feel the force as we do. If anything, we carry a burden that few others do. Because we hold such power, it is all the more important we wield it with the greater good of all in mind."

This first answer would allow him to more effectively answer the next one that followed. Sol'yan placed his hand on his chin pensively, then after a few moments began anew: "Perhaps I can clarify what I said earlier. Feeling emotion is not wrong, and even allowing your emotions to motivate you to do good, or to express your love for another person, is also not wrong. Seeing the injustice brought upon others and being motivated by that sense of justice to rectify it is certainly not wrong. What I said earlier only comes into play when our emotions risk overriding our better judgement - tempting us to do something selfish, or against the common good of others. To use your example, suppose the boy you develop feelings for is a criminal who is guilty of assaulting and killing numerous different people. Would you allow your love for him to prevent you from stopping him in killing yet again?" He paused, giving her an insightful look as if the answer was obvious. "You may think such a question easy to answer, that you would never do such a thing. But countless Jedi from ages past have fallen to the dark side because they thought it impossible to make such a choice, only to do so when it mattered the most to remain strong. Anakin Skywalker, otherwise known as Darth Vader, fell to the dark side out of fear and uncertainty. He sought power to protect his loved ones from death, but instead of acting for the good of those he loved and the galaxy at large, he gave in to fear and doubt; turning to the dark side of the force. In so doing, he yielded to his passions when it mattered, and when it was against the common good of others. He doomed his wife to death, and plunged the entire galaxy into an age of darkness..." Sol'yan's tone waxed somber, as if he remembered the events he referred to himself, despite the fact they took place many centuries prior to his birth.

"That is a very deep story we can discuss more in length, but the point is this: you need not deny your emotions and pretend they don't exist. Instead, you must strive for balance in all things. You have a greater responsibility to control them given your potential. Like Anakin, if you act on your emotions selfishly when it matters - the repercussions could be devastating." Their conversation took a more serious turn, when Sol'yan's goal was merely to help explain what Ara had seen. He hoped at least some of what he said did that, but he feared that he perhaps overwhelmed his apprentice. He rose to his feet, and bent down to offer his apprentice a hand as he added: "This is merely your first step in understanding the force. Having more questions is natural, believe me. But I believe your heart is in the right place, and I have every confidence that with time, your wisdom in such matters will grow. I hope I did not confuse you overmuch."

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara was starting to feel like she needed to abduct her master and fly off to some remote planet where they had all the time in the galaxy. The more questions she asked, the more questions formed with each answer. He was like a well of big brain thoughts and ideas that could probably even solve the universe. He was just on another level as a person, as far as she was concerned.

With wide-eyed focus she stared up at him, trying to take in and understand every word he said. She wanted to interrupt him and ask about stuff he said, but she knew there would be time for it all. She knew that she was going to study for several years under him and it wasn’t like either of them are going to die or something. She just had to make notes of what she wanted to ask then bring those notes to him for explanation. Though the emotions speech was something she wanted some immediate clarification on. ”So... as long as we don’t act like douchebags and try our best to help others, then we’re fine? Then we’ll be decent Jedi?” she asked him as she scratched her head. ”That doesn’t sound too hard... but then again, my track record isn’t the best so far.” she admitted with a guilty chuckle as she looked up at him. She accepted his hand and rose as well, dusting off her robes before she fastened her vibrosword to her belt again.

”Thanks for this trip, master. It’s been... karking amazing, honestly. I could spend all day out here, doing that force drug trip thing. I hope we can do trips like these more.” she spoke up, looking around them with admiration. She snickered to herself. ”Mom can say what she wants, I’m sure that she never had a spice trip that could even come close to today.” she quipped as she got ready to follow her master. ”If you want, I can make us some killer burgers or something when we get back to the temple.” she offered him with a warm smile.

@Sol’yan

 

[Sol'yan]

Sol'yan would be lying if he didn't admit that a slight tinge of disappointment rose in his heart, but he quickly stamped it out. This was her first official training session, and the fact she could feel the force so strongly was a very encouraging sign. Sol'yan mentally told himself that eventually, the understanding of his words would come. Hopefully she would remember them. He smiled after her brief summary, then picked up his robe to put it on. After doing so, he added: "More or less, I suppose. I would add; don't act with only yourself in mind. As long as you strive for emotional balance, and fight to prevent your emotions from moving you to act selfishly or without regard for the greater good of others, then you will be more than a decent Jedi. Of that, I have no doubt." He placed a hand on her shoulder as he spoke, and shook it slightly. "You have done well today, even though you may not feel like it."

He nodded towards the trail, indicating for her to follow him. The sun was reaching past its noon zenith, and they would need to get moving to ensure they did not miss the shuttle back to the temple. Sol'yan didn't like the idea of having to trek back on foot through the shadowlands, when he hadn't even taken the time to train his apprentice on basic martial forms. His hands folded themselves within the sleeves of his robes as his brow furrowed slightly. "I do have one question for you." He paused slightly before finally asking his question: "What is... a 'killer' burger exactly? Is that a special type of meat?"

Ara may think he was joking, but nothing on his face indicated such. He still wasn't the best at discerning vernacular common in youth.

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

For a slight moment Ara swore that she could feel something from her master. Disappointment? It was extremely quick and she barely even took note of the sensation. She brushed it off as merely being paranoid about her position as his student. She barely even started but she was already worried about letting him down.

She gave him a smile as he lightly shook her shoulder, commending her for her progress. It disappeared when he mentioned her own disappointment in herself. It was jarring to get used to the fact that he could feel and understand her own thoughts and feelings better than she could. Hopefully she could be as smart and good as him one day.

They started their journey back to the shuttle. It had been a really fun day, Ara couldn’t deny that for one moment. Though she was very confused when he asked about the burgers. At first she laughed, thinking it was a joke. Then she realised that was being quite serious in his question. She blinked a few times as she stared up at him in confusion. ”It’s um... it’s just a word for a really good burger.” she managed to stammer out. Now she was doubting herself. This guy had way too much influence over her and they barely knew each other. ”It’s just a normal burger, I can add whatever you’d like to it.” she quickly followed up, wanting to reassure him that it wasn’t anything odd.

 

[Sol'yan]

"Ah! I see." Now it was Sol'yan's turn to be slightly embarrassed. It was hard to decipher if a Feeorin could indeed 'blush'. If anything, it may appear as a deeper shade of blue. "I suppose I've kept to myself so much over the years, I've lost touch with the language used by..." He then nudged her slightly: "You young'ins." Was that the term? He was pretty sure that was the term. Quite certain. He thought... "A 'killer burger' sounds quite welcome. I'll trust your expertise." He chuckled lightly. Being balanced meant being able to laugh at ones-self, after all.

And so they walked, master & apprentice side by side, closer to each other than they had been the day before. While the future was always fluid and uncertain, one thing was for certain. Both were strong with the force - the Master in a refined, disciplined way developed over years of careful meditation, study, and practice - and the apprentice with her raw, unbridled potential. A long road lay in front of them, not just to the shuttle back to the temple, but in the pursuit of learning the ways of the force. It was a road that never truly ended, even upon death. But it was easier to do so with good company. Particularly, when one had taken their first step of all...

~Fin

Ara Sheridan