[Al'doleem] Padawans Day Off

[Aurelian Keth]

Al’doleem Jedi Monastery, River Moon of Al'doleem, Mid Rim Territories.​

It was Aurelian’s second visit to this one remaining outpost of the Jedi. The first had been at the beginning of the pilgrimage to Ilum organised by a Pantoran Theodosia who was a fellow Padawan under Master Blackwood. Unlike at that time the monastery was quiet and still. The world itself was a sanctuary in the chaos of the universe, a fixed point of calm that sang the song of the Light and comforted those who visited it. There was probably a few others present on the Moon right now but he hadn’t ran into any of them yet. Perhaps they sought tranquillity and avoided him. He couldn’t help wonder what the outpost might become when the Order was rebuilt. When it’s halls filled with Jedi, it’s rooms filled with students and teachers in quiet meditation or moving through energetic lightsaber velocities and everything in between.

It wasn’t such ponderings that had brought Aurelian here however. He’d arrived last night after receiving a transmission from his friend Ayasha, at least he thought he she was friend. She’d been in the area and wanted to meet up; he had the time so he couldn’t see why not. Both of them were Jedi-in-Training and some free time to just socialise would do them good. It was Aurelian who had suggested Al’doleem instead of Savareen. It was a short flight in his fighter and it provided them all the privacy they needed without fearing strangers overhearing their discussions on Jedi affairs.

The man had come a day early to get some time in studying the old Jedi built structure. He made notes of the architecture; he drew down copies of the murals that he saw. He mapped out the entire building and made notes to the purpose of each room, or at least what he thought the purpose was, he’d been writing it all down on pieces of paper his preferred method. He would make copies to save down on datapads later.

As such when the time came for the man to go meet Ayasha as her ship landed Aurelian had already lost track of time. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor at the centre of an old meditation chamber. The various pages with his drawings, writings and scribbles where scattered all around him. Luckily he’d left the door wide open and so it wouldn’t be too hard to track him down if she felt the wish to do so.

@Wolf

 

[Ayasha Waya]

“Aurelian, I have just finished another round of training on Tatooine and it would appear that you are in the area. I was hoping to meet up with you again soon, perhaps at the monastery? I should reach you there in two days time.” Ayasha had sent a transmission to her fellow padawan just two days before she found herself strolling the grounds of the Al'doleem Jedi Monastery on the River Moon. She had packed up the Equinox and set out with SawDip, the friendly little droid that it seemed she and Vu'thari had been sharing these days. The woman thought it remarkably kind of the Jedi Master to allow her to utilize what had become his second ship since acquiring the Apogee.

The padawan was no pilot, but Vu'thari had given her a simple rundown of things and thankfully, the little astrogation droid the twi'lek had charged with helping his student was himself, a fair flyer. The journey was a simple one but even so, Ayasha struggled. She felt entirely lost venturing out on her own without Vu'thari, but he thought it was time she made her first journey alone. In the same way that a bird would leave the nest to embark on its first flight, so Ayasha left the Jedi Master's side as well as the security he provided her. If it were not for SawDip, she was certain the flight would have been impossible. The little droid brought the Equinox down in a predetermined clearing not too far from the woman's destination, and she was thankful to be back on solid ground.

After waiting for several minutes in the place where they had agreed to meet, Ayasha could only assume that Aurelian had become sidetracked with exploring the monastery. From the little she knew of the man, it was clear that he was an avid historian. A place like this, she assumed, must have been something of a dream to the padawan who had devoted a great deal of his life researching and documenting the Jedi of old. With this thought, the woman said her goodbyes to SawDip and left him to keep watch over the Equinox. “Keep your comlink on, SawDip. I should be back in a few hours.” She made her way down the path that would bring her to the buildings that at one time hosted several names she had encountered during her own studies.

The woman's golden eyes searched the land surrounding the temple that had once been a bustling hub of learning and meditation. She briefly stopped at each tree and placed a gentle hand upon the rough bark. The memories and emotions hidden within the deciduous giants proved a rich treasure trove which unlocked a glimpse of the past. The padawan could not ignore the deep rivers of peace that flowed here. The Force was strong in this place, and it was refreshing to step away from the constant motion of duty.

Ayasha passed through a stone archway and stepped into the corridor which connected several rooms of varying sizes. Each had a unique purpose and the activities held within left an emotional imprint in the spiritual realm. The young woman stopped at a door and placed her hands upon it. She smiled as images of younglings manifested within her mind. The children held practice sabers and slowly moved them through the familiar motions that would one day be fluid maneuvers used in battle. The padawan continued meandering when she began to feel Aurelian's life signature within the Force.

A smile tugged at the woman's lips as she rounded a corner and slowly approached an open door. There inside was her misplaced friend, sitting cross legged upon the floor of the wide open room. Papers with sketches, scribbles and notes were scattered around him as if he had literally dropped everything to meditate. Ayasha leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms over her chest. She had dressed in her usual black tunic and slate leggings. Her black nearly knee high boots complimented the getup. Though there was little to no chance of encountering anything warranting a weapon, the padawan wore a holster upon her right thigh with a blaster pistol residing in its leathery embrace. She also concealed beneath her tunic the lightsaber that had belonged to Vu'thari's grandfather.

Ayasha cleared her throat and grinned as she watched her fellow padawan immersed in deep meditation. “It looks like you've been rather busy!” the woman said in a cheerful tone. Her voice was something like a song and there was eternal optimism behind every word. She pushed off from the place she had stopped and slowly approached Aurelian. A few steps away from the man, she collected her waist length coal colored hair in a clump over her shoulder and knelt down near several scattered pieces of parchment. The padawan collected them in her hands, glancing over the doodles and notes. “This is a fascinating place. I thought you would enjoy spending some time here and it looks like you haven't wasted any time!” the woman said with a smile.


@Lazy Swordsman

 

[Aurelian Keth]

Aurelian was comparing a sketching of the Mural he’d found in one of the meditation chambers to a drawing he’d took a few years ago from the remnants of an old Jedi Outpost, it had little more than foundations and a few half-standing walls. The older sketch had been of a mural so incomplete that he’d been unable to even make a guess at what it might be. However now he was certain they were exactly the same. They depicted a humanoid figure in meditation holding what looked like a sword pointed directly upwards. One half of the mural’s background was light with the figure being dark while the second half had the figure being light with the background dark. From what he’d been able to gather it was of a Jedi, possibly a mythical “Prime” Jedi the first of the Order. Existing in a state of perfect balance.

The man give a soft sigh. He had begun to wonder lately what his life’s struggles and tribulations had all been for. His mother had lost her job as an Academic, and nearly been arrested, because of her obsessive need to uncover Jedi Lore. She had been too vocal about it and nearly lost her life too but Aurelian’s father protected her. He’d lost everything for it. Although the man had never told his son what he did for a living Aurelian suspected that he’d been an agent of some sort for the Empire considering his skill in piloting, marksmanship, Echani sword and unarmed arts not to mention a knack for slicing and practical mechanical knowledge of how to make machines work. Self-Exiled to the Outer-Rim for their own safety the couple had a son and even then his mother had been unable not to share stories of the Jedi.

So when the time came and Aurelian went to Coruscant to study at the University it quickly became obvious that he had inherited his mother’s obsession. However Aurelian was sneakier with it. Oh he thought he was oh so clever. He got his undergraduate degree then he went into his postgraduate studies with a generous research stipend from the Government. The scholar had used those funds to travel across the Core, Inner and Mid-Rim in search of anything related to the Jedi. Slowly he’d begun to put together a tidy little library of Jedi Lore. Pieces of history and elements of their beliefs as well as philosophy. He’d even found a little word here or there on how they wielded the Light although Force Teachings had never been his focus. Then the Empire had found out. They tore apart his room, stole his research and cancelled his scholarship along with issuing an arrest warrant for his studies, the words forbidden and heretical had been thrown around. The only reason he hadn’t returned to Coruscant was a friend had sent him a warning. Aurelian hoped he’d not gotten caught. Then the message from his Father, “don’t come home” it had warned, “they’re coming” he’d said. So he had. He’d run, and run, and run. Alone and with no purpose so he’d filled that hole with his studies.

Aurelian had kept running until he found he’d come across a Smuggler on the wrong end of a botched arms deal. He’s helped her escape. Helped her finish her deal, a deal with ensured food and clothes for the suffering on Ryloth. The smuggler, Ner’Giza, took him in. For nearly an entire year he didn’t have to run anymore. He found purpose in helping the suffering on Ryloth. He’d even been adopted into one of their Clans. It had been wonderful. However the time came when both of them had realised they’d needed to find something more. With Uncle Taln’erca they’d found Savareen and joined the Galactic Alliance. In a few short weeks Aurelian had discovered the Jedi where more than mere tales. He’d found he was also Force Sensitive. Then he’d been accepted into the Order as an Initiate of the Order by Master Blackwood. With only a relatively short time spent in training, a handful of lessons she’d declared him a Padawan. A true member of the Jedi Order.

So that left the question. Was it all for nothing? Or had all of it been necessary to lead him to where he was now? Did… it even matter?

Sighing he ran a hand through his hair. Aurelian wasn’t used to being so unsure, his emotions so unsteady… he was used to control. Long ago he’d learnt he could bring Order to little around him but he could at least control himself. In this quiet place, with the Light Side infusing his mind and bring him calm he’d allowed his mind to drift in the more unsettling directions and let his connection to the Force to be his anchor so he wouldn’t get completely swept away.

Shaking his head the man set the sketch down as a voice caused him to nearly fall over in shock. He looked up to see the raven haired woman approach and his surprise was swiftly turned to joy. “Ayasha! It’s wonderful to se- wait what time is it?” he cut off looking at his chronometer. Oops. He looked up with an apologetic smile. “It would appear I have lost track of time. Ahhh… one minute.”

Pushing himself to his feet he smoothed out his robes and began to gather up his notes. Once the sheets of paper had all been gathered he put the bundle on the ground, realising immediately that the pile was a bit too tall to be shoving into his satchel without ruining the notes. Looking around wildly he tried to find an appropriate solution. “Ah ha!”

Grabbing his Vibrosword from it’s place leaning against the wall he set it down ontop of his notes as a makeshift paperweight. Ingenious!

Feeling quite proud of the solution he turned around to see that Ayasha was looking at some of the remaining pages causing him to smile self-consciously. “I haven’t indeed.” he laughed “Thank you for agreeing to meet me here. Savareen is nice and everything but it can be so very loud, besides it’s not somewhere that we can exactly have a peaceful chat about this aspect of our lives.” he said while waving at the room around them.

“So how’ve you been? And how is Master Vu’thari?”

 

[Ayasha Waya]

“Ayasha! It's wonderful to se- wait what time is it?” Aurelian exclaimed in surprise as he looked down at his chrono. His smile conveyed the sincere apology he felt within as he explained the fact that he had lost track of time. The young woman looked up at her fellow student's face and smiled while shaking her head. “It was a short walk here and I needed to stretch my legs anyway. There's nothing to feel badly about!” she said cheerfully before looking back down at the sketches in her hands.

A smile tugged at the corners of the woman's lips as she skimmed over a handful of notes that the man had added to the margin beside a rather detailed drawing. “These are great!” she said through a smile before organizing the pieces of parchment into a neat stack. She took note of the the pile in Aurelian's hands and giggled at his predicament. He searched around for something and Ayasha could only assume he was trying to work out a solution to the size of his stack and the size of his satchel.

“Ah ha!” the padawan announced before retrieving his vibrosword and placing it atop the notes to weigh them down. The caramel skinned woman grinned and handed the small group of papers she was holding to Aurelian. “Thank you for agreeing to meet me here,” he began before explaining that Savareen though nice, was quite loud. He motioned to the room around them, undoubtedly making a comparison to the peaceful atmosphere the pair now found themselves in.

The woman nodded while silently agreeing. “So how've you been? And how is Master Vu'thari?” the man questioned with genuine interest. Ayasha sighed as her mind filled with the thoughts she had been trying to restrain. It was true of women, their minds were rarely silent. She could be focused on one thing while thinking of a hundred other things simultaneously. “I've been busy training and working on various missions. The life of a Jedi is never dull, right?” she smiled though there was a hint of sadness that threatened to betray her expression.

Ayasha turned from Aurelian and began walking toward the far wall where an old painting graced the cracked surface. The paint was chipped and peeling from years of exposure while the temple stood vacant. The young woman closed her eyes and lifted her hand to gently touch the surface. A flood of peaceful emotions filled her and created beautiful mental images of rooms full of meditating students. “Vu'thari is well...” her voice trailed off as her mind drifted back to the Jedi Master.

They had become close very quickly but there were so many things that made their feelings for one another...complicated. At times, Ayasha wished they had met under another set of circumstances. Perhaps things would have been different. At this point, Vu'thari had just enough of her heart to break it...though she was nearly certain that there could never be more between them than the unspoken bond they shared.

The woman pushed her feelings aside and turned to face her friend once again. “He has taken on another student to train...Prax Dek. I have yet to meet the man, but I've heard that he has come from a troubled past,” she continued, the hint of sadness still casting a shadow upon her smile. “I trust Vu'thari's judgement, though. He is sure that there is something within Prax that will help mold him into a great Jedi someday.”

Ayasha's eyes moved from Aurelian's face to the stone floor beneath her feet. She wondered what it had been like to live during the time when this temple was full of life. As it stood, there were only memories in this empty place. In many ways, the woman could relate. She found the life of the Jedi fulfilling for the work she was doing...but there was something missing. Many times, the Galtean native found herself empty. She had very few friends and had to live in the shadows, keeping her identity as a servant of the Light a secret at the threat of death. “How have you been?” she lifted her gaze, smiled and swiftly changed the subject, hoping that Aurelian had not noticed her internal struggle.


@Lazy Swordsman

 

[Aurelian Keth]

Aurelian ran hand over his hair looking a little abashed. “I used to enjoy drawing quite a lot but these days I only really make sketches for my work.” he admitted with a chuckle. Once she was done with looking at the few pages she’d been skimming Aurelian took the neat stack of her and added it to the rest of his notes. “Who knows maybe there’s something amongst my scribbles that might help the Order reclaim what was lost.”

When she spoke about training Aurelian’s smile slipped for a moment before returning and he shrugged. “Mhmm I suppose not.” he replied. It was true that he’d been busy with various missions for the Alliance but what he really wanted was some lengthy training sessions but such hadn’t occurred yet. He hadn’t even been able to forge a lightsaber yet, he was slightly envious of the one that Ayasha had wielded during their joint mission to Kashyyyk. Aurelian felt like he never had much of his Master’s time or attention but he knew she was busy. One of only a handful of full Jedi in existence she was no doubt burdened with many students and many more responsibilities not just for the Order but for the Alliance itself. He just had to be patient but it was hard. Almost as hard to silence the endless worries, concerns and thoughts that plagued him every minute of every day. It was one of the criticisms he’d been given by Aurora and he knew he’d have to work on it.

Watching Ayasha go over to the mural that Aurelian he been sketching down earlier he frowned slightly. At first he could feel her peace and her calm flowing like the planet around her. Not surprising as the scholar had felt similar things upon his arrival. However there was something else beneath the surface, something she didn’t want him to feel, it fluttered when she spoke of her master. Or had he simply intuited it? Sometimes the line between instinct and the Force became so blurred that he found it difficult to tell where his understanding of situations came from. Regardless he pondered what might be concerning her. Was it perhaps this other student? Perhaps she was envious of his attention? From what Aurelian had seen she had spent immeasurably more time with her Master than Aurelian had spent with his. Perhaps she’d likewise grown far more attached to her Master and didn’t like that he had another student?

He smoothed his expression before she turned back to him. It was not his place to judge or even to try and draw conclusions based on his limited understanding of the situation.

“I’d be surprised if most of the Jedi Hopefuls, Initiates, Padawans or whatever titles where being used have lived rather… difficult backgrounds before finding their masters.” he said with a wry smile.

“It is good that you know about this other student though surely. I have no real idea of who Master Blackwood is training… well aside from the ones we met at Theodosia’s gathering.”

Clasping his hands behind his back he shrugged slightly. “Oh I’ve been fine. I flew my first mission with the Star Squadron shortly after her assignment on Kashyyyk. A few other things for the Alliance after that. Nothing spectacular.” he replied downplaying his efforts. “I had little time today and last night so I came here early to get a little start on making some notes. I am worried that any renovations carried out by the Order will displace historical context such as murals being painted over.” he added while gesturing at the painting that Ayasha had just been looking at.

 

[Ayasha Waya]

“I used to enjoy drawing quite a lot but these days I only really make sketches for my work,” Aurelian said with a laugh. Ayasha nodded as she listened while studying the beautiful but damaged painting upon the cracked and aged wall. “I've never been good at it,” she smiled while glancing back at her fellow padawan.

As Ayasha went on to speak about Vu'thari and matters of training, particularly the new student that the twi'lek had taken on, she could feel Aurelian searching her emotions. The woman had to remind herself that if she were going to make any friends at all, she would have to let her guard down at some point. Granted, she knew to protect her thoughts and emotions around strangers...but this man was the closest thing to a friend outside of Vu'thari and SawDip that she had.

The padawan listened as Aurelian surmised about the difficult backgrounds that many of their fellow students and hopefuls had likely come from. “It is good that you know about this other student though surely,” he added to which Ayasha nodded in agreement. He admitted having no knowledge of anyone else that his Master was training aside from those that attended the padawan gathering ahead of the mission to Ilum.

Aurelian's face betrayed him as he spoke of his Master. There was a sense of sadness in his words. The natural empath and telepath could nearly hear the internal dialogue that flowed within her fellow student. It was clear to her that they were not nearly as close as she and Vu'thari and for that, she felt both grateful to the twi'lek and sad for Aurelian.

Though the man jumped to the next subject quickly, Ayasha made a mental note to return to the topic of their Masters. The other padawan began discussing his mission with the Star Squadron, a venture he embarked on shortly after their assignment on Kashyyyk. “A few other things for the Alliance after that. Nothing spectacular,” he said, minimizing his service to the betterment of the galaxy.

He went on to speak passionately about about the preservation of the murals and other objects of historical importance in this place, and his concern that they would be displaced and forgotten during the renovation effort. “I do hope that these treasures are as important to the emerging Jedi Order as they are to you. It would be a great loss to simply dismiss our heritage...” the woman's voice trailed off as she glanced around the open space, making mental notes of other smaller murals that had nearly vanished over time.

“So you train under Master Aurora Blackwood,” Ayasha said while turning to face Aurelian once again. “Let's walk and talk,” she said gently, an inviting smile upon her lips. “She does seem to have a lot of students,” the Galtean native said while casting a sideways glance in her fellow padawan's direction. “It must be difficult to get a lot of individualized training with her. I have been incredibly fortunate with Vu'thari,” saying his name brought a smile to the woman's face...though it was tainted with a hint of sadness that she was not sure she was ready to explain to her new friend.

“I have met each of his other students, except the newest,” she admitted. As the pair continued walking, the young woman stopped at a tall leafy plant that was adorned with beautiful white flowers whose petals shimmered in the sunlight. Ayasha smiled and leaned over to smell one of them, noting its perfume like scent. These simple things never ceased to amaze her and she was thankful for a little bit of beauty in a galaxy that she was slowly realizing was a lot darker than she could have ever imagined.

With a laugh, she continued speaking and walking down the long open passageway. “My circumstances of becoming a padawan were...interesting, to say the least. I fell asleep aboard a smuggler's ship and was taken from my home planet of Galtea at the very edge of the Outer Rim,” Ayasha paused while stopping to lean against a tall stone column. She was silent for a long moment while reflecting on all of the circumstances that had brought her right to this moment.

“Some might think that the way we come to bear the title of padawan or Jedi is a string of coincidences...but I think the Force chooses us,” Ayasha continued as she slowly circled back to her point. “I have been living with Vu'thari for several weeks now on Nar Shaddaa and he has been teaching me how to survive in the galaxy. It has been quiet and pleasant...” the woman paused as her golden eyes fell from Aurelian's gaze. She frowned while looking at the ground beneath their feet. “So when I return from this trip, Prax will have moved in also,” the padawan stopped and shook her head.

A sigh escaped Ayasha's lips as she looked back to her friend's face. It was a comfort to be in the presence of another human for a while. Though he appeared to be rather...formal, the young woman hoped that he could understand the unspoken struggle facing her without needing to actually say it. “I don't know him...I'm nervous to share the space I feel safe in,” she added, her words holding two meanings that may or may not have been lost on her fellow student. That space had been more than just an apartment, but had also been Vu'thari himself.

“I have told you too much...I apologize,” the young woman said abruptly before turning back to the path that they had taken a break from walking. She continued on, nervous to learn Aurelian's reaction.


@Lazy Swordsman

 

[Aurelian Keth]

Aurelian smiled and shook his head at the comment about drawing skill. “My own artistic talent has always leant towards functional rather than creative. I’d never consider myself an actual artist truth be told.” he explained with a smile. His mother had considered it part of his education to learn how to accurately sketch what he’d seen. He sometimes wondered why it had mattered so much to her as she’d once been an academic philosopher so he couldn’t see it being super useful to her own studies. Then again he had no idea how far into her forbidden studies about Jedi Lore that she’d gotten before the University had dismissed her and she’d been “recommended” to leave the core.

As they moved on to more important matters Aurelian smiled and nodded. “The Jedi Masters may be wise but I’m not sure any are actually educated as archaeologists or real historians. I’m worried in their efforts to restore the past that some of them may end up accidently annihilating traces of their… our once proud Order.” he admitted with a grimace. He hadn’t brought it up to anyone before as he was worried it sounded arrogant however it was something that many people from many cultures had done mistakenly over the millennia. He was coming to learn that the Jedi Masters where not quite the perfect infallible beings from ancient legend. Rather they were simply ordinary people, wise though they were, they definitely made mistakes. “And yes I agree. I have made many sketches of all the murals I have come across so far, big and small. As well as architectural design of some interesting features in the monastery, some of the archways are rather spectacularly decorated.”

Nodding at Ayasha’s suggestion to walk and talk he followed her. “That is correct Aurora… or Master Blackwood is indeed my teacher. I believe she does have a lot of students although the text of which I am unsure. As far as I’m aware she conducts the sessions individually perhaps for the sake of such personalisation as you mention. I wonder if all masters conduct matters in such a way or if they sometimes to group sessions. Some of the others at the meeting we attended seemed to have prior knowledge of one another although perhaps they were simply friends… like us!” he added cheerfully. Aurelian noticed Ayasha’s smile at simply mentioning her master’s name. Aurelian didn’t actively like trying to press into someone’s mind, it felt intrusive, but sometimes emotions and less often even intent rippled through the Force which made it difficult to ignore. Such as the spike of joy the girl felt when mentioning Vu’thari. From his encounter with her on Kashyyyk he believed she had a natural ability with mental gifts, she had spoken into his mind easily enough, so he wondered if that also amplified the emotions and such her mind sent through the Force. He shrugged away such ponderings. He was still far too early in his training to really know how such things worked.

“You do seem very close to your master.” Aurelian admitted. “You both seem very fond of one another. I am happy for you, it must make training far easier when you’re so comfortable around one another.”

He smiled as she stopped to literally smell the flowers. They were quite beautiful and he let his gaze run across the flora. It was good to stop and enjoy such small pleasures. Especially in dark times such as this. Many of those who had come to the Galactic Alliance had went through terrible things before joining the growing rebellion. He didn’t know if the same was the case for Ayasha but she would no doubt be facing dark times ahead as a member of the Jedi Order. After all who else would be combating the Sith when the time finally came for the Alliance to reveal itself?

He smiled and give a soft chuckle as she mentioned how she became a Padawan. Falling asleep upon a ship which eventually led to a Jedi Master sounded very unlikely but he was coming to understand that such coincidences where actually the will of the Force. “My own encounter with Aurora is rather boring truth be told. I was studying the various pieces of lore and artifacts I’d scrounged together about the Jedi while in a room on Savareen. Aurora walked in and critised me for basically stealing from the dead. She was quite harsh. Then she grew interested. After that she examined my pendant…” he said pulling out the necklace from beneath his robes from which a blue kyber crystal hung. “She helped me... hear it I suppose. Maybe it was some sort of test. I don’t know. After that she revealed I was Force Sensitive… that the Jedi where not dead and that, if I chose to do so, I could enter a much larger world.” he smiled and shook his head. “The abridged version but I’m sure you get the point.”

Clasping his hands behind his back he hummed softly and walked on a little putting space between himself and the other Padawan before spinning back on the woman. “I see.” he said simply. She was clearly… nervous about revealing this about her master, this Prax fellow and the shared living space. He was beginning to wonder if there was more than just jealousy at Vu’thari having another student going on here.

Following her as she took off back down the way they came he didn’t speak for a few minutes before continuing. “You say that he has multiple students. Do they all live with him?” he asked with curiosity. “I understand why you may live with him. You’re clearly special to the Jedi Master. After all he granted you that lightsaber did he not?” he asked.

“If it was only yourself and Master Vu’thari until now perhaps he believes this Prax needs special attention? Perhaps as his most senior and experienced Padawan your Master will be relying on your assistance to help this new student to overcome his troubled past?” Aurelian suggested while simply tilted his head slightly.

He chuckled and looked away from Ayasha. “But then what do I know about such matters?”

 

[Ayasha Waya]

“You say that he has multiple students. Do they all live with him?” Aurelian pondered aloud soon after Ayasha had mentioned the arrangements she shared with her Jedi Master on Nar Shaddaa. He continued speaking, making note that the padawan must have been special to the twi'lek as he had granted her the use of the lightsaber she carried. Silence fell between the friends briefly as Ayasha gathered the words to adequately describe how it was that she came to reside in Vu'thari's apartment.

With a sigh, the woman began the condensed version of a much longer story. “The way that I came to be a padawan was a traumatic experience. I came to Vu'thari with only the clothing on my back,” she admitted sadly. “Vu'thari recognized the Force within me and after an experience at the Life Tree that I will never forget, he asked me to join him to discover what being a padawan would mean for me.”

Ayasha looked over at Aurelian who, she would have had to admit, was a great listener. He seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say, which encouraged her trust for her fellow student. “This lightsaber once belonged to Vu'thari's grandfather. He wanted me to be able to protect myself in the way I've been trained, and it has saved my skin several times. We left Al'doleem after the padawan gathering and instead of venturing on to Ilum, he asked me to wait to find my crystal with this other student I have yet to meet.”

The young woman's eyebrows furrowed in thought as she pondered this decision the twi'lek had made. He was following the will of the Force and so, Ayasha thought better than to challenge him on the matter. Aurelian continued pondering aloud about the extra attention that Prax possibly needed. He surmised that Ayasha was Vu'thari's most senior padawan and would likely be of great help in welcoming the new student and helping him adjust from his troubled past.

“But what do I know about such matters?” the padawan concluded. Ayasha chuckled to herself. “My feelings for Vu'thari are...complicated,” the young woman continued. Explaining to Aurelian about Dunari's Rest and the way that things had progressed between the her and the Jedi Master seemed superfluous at this point. That and she did not know him all that well.

As the pair passed by several rooms, Ayasha suddenly stopped and pushed through a closed door that opened to a large circular space. The feeling of the Force was strong within and the peace that lingered there was inexplicable. “What do you suppose this room was used for?” the padawan posed the question to her fellow student. She had her own theories but was curious about what the scholar had to say.

“I am not jealous of Prax...I don't know him. I'm sad for the way things are changing. I know that it would happen eventually. Vu'thari has already been speaking about the trials. Someday, I'll have students of my own and my life will be very different than it is today. Who knows where I'll be living then. The idea is...unsettling,” she admitted to her friend. The concept of thinking of herself in the position of a Jedi Knight brought a conflicted smile to her face. While she was excited about the future, she could not help the sorrow that accompanied her curiosity of how her life would be altered by the promotion.


@Lazy Swordsman



OOC: I think that with LS's schedule and the fact that I've advanced quite a bit with Ayasha in personal/character development as well as a promotion from padawan to Knight it would be prudent to simply end this thread as it has no affect on either character's story and is holding both of us back from pursuing other more relevant threads. Should either or both of us wish to finish this another time, I will edit accordingly and continue. As for now, this thread has ended for the reasons stated above.