Ask At the Crossroads

[Isen Ramm]

Crossroads. The Jedi Order was full of them, and the individuals that made up the Order found themselves at some personal crossroads as well. For the Order, there was a movement to take the fight to the Sith, be proactive, and initiate the battle on Jedi terms. The other path was one that was likely more in line with the Jedi Code and quite resistant to such a strategy. A crossroads for sure, and it seemed half the Jedi would go down one path, and the rest down the other. Isen Ramm wondered if Jedi unity was an illusion at this point.

Isen's mentor, master, and friend, Izel Thral, was at a crossroads as well. She had chosen her path, a path that she knew her padawan would not like and a path that likely meant she would have less access to her best friend, Master Tallis. Master Tallis also had a crossroads of sorts as the Guardian project was effectively stripped away from her, and all those would be Guardians would answer to Master Grayza. Not to mention that many important decisions were being made and communicated by master Zapan who everyone was looking to for leadership with the death of the Grandmaster of the Council. But there were a great many other Jedi at the meeting who were dealing with a great many things debating a great many decisions. Hearts were heavy. Futures were uncertain. There was great turbulence in the Force at that meeting, and it made Isen uneasy. The Force was cloudy, and when the Force is cloudy, the Dark Side is a prime suspect. Isen felt that Izel felt it as well.

The crossroads came with very real consequences.

Izel had taken Isen directly to the crossroads as well after the meeting, giving him a choice. She knew that Isen would want to join Master Grayza and take the fight to the Sith, a path she decided she could not go down. Isen could continue his training with her, giving up his chance to join the new Guardian movement under Master Grayza, or she offered to place him with a new Master suitable for him that would be joining the front lines against the Sith. It was a choice, a very real choice. Izel Thral's padawan didn't hesitate to stay with her, however. His martial ability was far ahead of schedule. Where he needed tutelage was in his relationship with the Force, and being able to bend it, manipulate it, and grow within it. That was Izel Thral's greatest strength, and Isen knew that she was what he needed to become a well-round Jedi Knight. There was also the loyalty factor. He was loyal to her, and he considered her more than a teacher, but a friend.

That decision made, Isen still sat at a crossroads of a different sort. He knew he had to make a decision now. He would either trust in the Force completely, allow the Force to do its will through him, give into it completely, or he would fight it. And to fight for control against the Force meant that he would never meet his full potential. Isen did not trust easily, and the Force was no exception. But this trip that Izel had planned for him was that crossroads. He had to figure it out or be resigned to being a less than adequate Jedi.

Isen was tired and he was hurting physically. He had been practicing his tutaminis as instructed by Izel, getting his two hours of practice in. However, he did not do as advised and pushed himself too quickly. He left with several burns on his body and his pants and undershirt with several holes where blaster bolts had gotten through. His body was dotted with burns. He would be sure to wear his full robes for the next few days in hopes that Izel wouldn't notice.

Still, he had gotten better at the skill, burns notwithstanding. He was more confident than ever in his potential. He was not so confident in his will to give in to the Force. To help, Isen set out away from the temple into the forests of Yavin. Isen always felt at home in the forest. The sheer volume of Force signatures from the fauna and the flora was overwhelming, but Isen was always able to compartmentalize it in the wilderness. He could feel a strong Force signature, perhaps something or someone strong in the Force. He didn't know why, but he sought it out. He walked nearly 1500 meters away from the temple until the signature got stronger no more. He felt as if he was right on top of it, but he couldn't find where it was coming from. What he did find was a fast moving stream rolling downhill, crashing over the rocks as it made its way down from higher elevation to lower elevation.

It was a beautiful scene, a relaxing scene. The sound of the running and crashing water, the sounds of the birds and the insects of the forest, the wind blowing through the tall trees of the Yavin forest spoke to the young Kiffar. And of course, the greens of the forest contrasting with the blue and white foam of the water running downhill on the gray and brown stones invited meditation in this little section of the galaxy so full of life. Isen was out of practice with meditation, but he had just recently used it to great success, so Isen thought it would be wise for him to start his journey of trusting the Force with some meditation right here. He found a dry, flat rock on the banks of the rolling stream and fell to his knees. He closed his eyes and tried to get lost in the Force, to see what the Force wanted to tell him.

What he wanted the Force to tell him was what the signature he could feel so nearby, but so far out of sight.

@Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

It had been years since Novaron Rah had been within such close proximity of others belonging to the Order he had sworn his life too and under different circumstances, perhaps it could have been a more joyous occasion, one where he could let his shoulders finally fall and allow himself an easy breath of fresh air. Instead, the hand that the Order had been dealt in recent days was in direct defiance of that notion. The Grand Master and many other Jedi had been slain in an attack on Ajan Kloss and it sent a cold shiver through the Force, touching any and all Jedi spread out across the galaxy. Nova was one such man and once he had felt the disturbance, he knew his time searching for initiates had come to an end. The needs of the Order, and indeed the galaxy as a whole, had shifted just as his old Master had predicted all those years ago. Now was not the time for the Knights of the Order to hide themselves away with their teachings but to instead utilize what they had learned over the generations. War was coming, and Nova had every intent to be one of the men and women there to meet it head on.

Breathing in the cold morning air of the moon of Yavin, the Cathar closed his eyes for a moment to attempt to re-center himself amongst the turmoil and despair that clung to his brothers and sisters back at the old Massassi temple. The life of the forest was a stark contrast to what he felt with his peers as the flora and fauna of the area continued living in a relative peace with one another, violence only being the resort of survival in the natural landscape. Fear, anger, violence… All these things existed beyond the construct’s walls, of course, but it was not the same as what the Jedi within them exuded. No, partnered with such natural emotions was the peace and serenity that a Jedi craved. Here, in the wilds of Yavin, Nova could find the clarity he required but had remained elusive since his return. Kneeling down in the soft, damp moss next to the flowing river he had come to a stop beside, the Cathar began to meditate. He needed to ease his mind if he was to discover where he must go next.

Had it been minutes? Hours? Days? Nova didn’t know. The sun was no longer rising along the tops of the trees but instead was now high in the sky, partnered by the gas giant that the moon orbited. Disappointed in his lack of clarity that he had so desperately craved, Nova finally allowed himself to open his eyes to see a young woolamander having a nap beside him. Not much brought the Cathar any joy these days but seeing the primate resting peacefully in his presence did cause him to smile slightly.

”Hello there, my young friend,” Nova said as gently as he could, though his harsh voice was often difficult to soften. Nevertheless, the woolamander yawned and stretched before cooing with delight as the Jedi stroked the fur on the back of the creature’s head. ”At least one of us found serenity here,” Nova joked as he pushed himself back to his feet. Preparing to turn back to the temple and his adopted family, the Cathar stopped as he spotted a young Jedi meditating on the riverbed below. The Force swirled around the boy as he attempted to find his center, the world around him seemingly nothing more than an illusion as he delved into his mind. Turning to the woolamander, Nova waved his hand above the primate’s face as he called upon the Force to communicate with the creature. ”Well, my friend, why don’t you go and see how the young boy down there is doing?” The woolamander chirped gleefully before hustling along, down to the young Kiffar. Watching intently, Nova crossed his arms and waited until the beast had succeeded in gaining the Padawan’s attention.

”Did you find what you were looking for in the Force, boy?” Nova called out from his elevated position, his arms still crossed as he stood tall.

@Isen

 

[Isen Ramm]

Eyes closed, the padawan saw the world for what he believed in that moment was more real than the physical, tangible world that you can see and touch. In the midst of his meditation, it was as if he was floating in infinite space, seeing the Force flow in purples and pinks and blues and yellows all around him. He could make out the vague shape of trees and other flora as energy, and the Force flowed freely in and out of them. He could see animals all around as almost infrared signatures in his mind. There was no ground, no physical barriers. Just the Force. His mind and heart and soul melted into this wilderness of energy, and he was drifting deeper into a meditative state than he had ever been able to do before.

But suddenly, that was interrupted. A tap-tap on his shoulder and some high-pitched grunts and squeals pulled Isen out of it. The young Kiffar blinked a few times wondering what had happened, but as he looked to his left, there was a woolamander. His furry, blue head was cocked to one side as if he was trying to figure Isen out. Isen, who was a bit annoyed at being pulled out of such a deep meditative state, couldn't help but smirk at the creature. "You aren't exactly the source of the Force I was expecting to find. You're a ways away from home, huh? You're usually way up there." He looked to the top of the canopy where the creatures usually stayed. The woolamander walked to the stream's edge, cupped his hand and started to bring the fresh water to his mouth. "I suppose everyone needs to drink now again."

The blue and gold animal came back to Isen and looked at him expectantly. Isen reached into his pocket and pulled out what was left a ration he left the temple with. He gave it to the monkey who didn't even smell it before sinking it's teeth into it. It immediately spit it out and squatted up and down in frustration while hooping. Isen chuckled and patted the animal's big, plump belly. "Not my favorite either, my friend, but beggars can't be choosers, huh?"

”Did you find what you were looking for in the Force, boy?” he heard a voice say up the hill a ways. Isen stood and looked upstream a ways where a towering Cathar was standing. How did Isen miss him, he wondered? He had to be nearly 7 feet tall. It seemed Isen still had a lot to learn.

He certainly didn't have the look of a padawan, but instead carried himself like a self-assured Knight of the Order. Isen could feel that he was strong with the Force, and combined that with him asking about the Force, Isen was fairly sure he was a member of the Order. Isen bowed to him. "I believe so, now." Isen ruffled the blue tuft of hair on the woolamander's head, who didn't protest too much, and said, "It wasn't this guy, though he's good enough company in a pinch." He looked back up to the Cathar and said, "My name is Isen Ramm, padawan of Izel Thral."

He had no idea if this Jedi knew his master or not, but the information seemed pertinent anyway.

@Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

As the Padawan introduced himself calmly, rising from his place beside the riverbed, Nova scanned the boy over carefully. Burn marks spotted his tunic and leggings, a sign that perhaps he had recently returned from battle? A possibility, to be sure, but no more than that. Closing his eyes, the Cathar took a deep breath as he allowed his senses to dictate to him what there was to be known of the young Isen Ramm. He could sense the uneasiness that resided within, conflict of a sort. And a concern over someone close to him...

"Izel Thral, you say?" Nova finally spoke as he opened his eyes once more. Finally uncrossing his arms, he began to make his way towards the Kiffar boy. "I've never heard of this 'Master' of yours, child. Then again, I've been away for so long... I'm afraid I don't know many of the Jedi that remain," It was the truth he spoke. Even during his tenure under Master Donishiva those many years ago, Nova was very rarely brought to the temple on Ajan Kloss and had been here to Yavin even less. Very few members of the Order had been introduced to the Cathar and those that he had met, many had perished... Including the Grand Master.

The distance between the two Jedi closing, Nova motioned to the woolamander at Isen's feet and the creature soon scurried back towards the Cathar. Holding his arm out, the primate jumped up and clung to his bicep before pulling itself further up and soon came to a rest on his shoulders, picking away at the fur that adorned the Knight's neck. Smirking as the creature searched for food in his mane, Nova turned his back towards the Padawan.

"I sense a great deal of conflict in you, boy. Tell me, were you one of the survivors from the attack against our Order?" Pausing his words, Nova reached up to the woolamander with his left hand, scratching the creatures chin with his large fingers. "Perhaps you could fill me in on what I've missed? Even a young Padawan such as yourself can teach an old cat something new,"

@Isen

 

[Isen Ramm]

Isen gave watch as the woolamander left him to go join the Cathar. He was, in fact, a Jedi. Isen couldn't detect any misdirection or dishonesty in the man's speech. He seemed to be at ease, all things considered, and he knew about the attack on Ajan Kloss. Furthermore, despite Isen's stoic outward appearance, this Jedi could sense the pulling and tugging of the Force against his own inclinations.

"I sense a great deal of conflict in you, boy. Tell me, were you one of the survivors from the attack against our Order? Perhaps you could fill me in on what I've missed? Even a young Padawan such as yourself can teach an old cat something new," the stranger said.

Isen would elect to leave the first comment about conflict within himself alone for the time being. Jedi Knight or Jedi Master, he was still a stranger to Isen and outranked him besides. "I was not on Ajan Kloss at the time of the attack," the padawan told him. "I was with the Jedi who attacked a Sith stronghold on Sullust in an attempt to free a prisoner." He looked away for a moment and shook his head slightly before turning his eyes back to the Cathar. "We were successful, I suppose. But the some of the Jedi that fought there did not fare well in the aftermath." He approached the Cathar, and did so for a couple of reasons. First, he wanted to show the appropriate respect to another member of the Order. And for some reason, Isen always wanted others to know that there was no fear in him. Even in the shadow of this Forced-filled, nearly seven foot tall ball of muscle and teeth and claws, Isen felt the need to show that he had a healthy respect, but no fear. "I feel I could have done more good at Ajan Kloss. Not that my presence would have changed the outcome, but..." He trailed off and shook his head. He composed himself and addressed the stranger once more. "As for what you have missed, you have missed a great attack on our temple at Ajan Kloss. We thought it was secret, but we were quite wrong. We lost many Jedi. From younglings to members of the Jedi Council, including Grandmaster Boan, were killed in the attack. Many of us who would have been present, many of us who were strong martialists, were not there. We were on Sullust. The Order is filled with grief and confusion."

The young Kiffar folded his hands in front of him and asked the Cathar Jedi, "I'm sorry, what shall I call you?"

@Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

Nova listened intently as Isen explained about the attack on Sullust, an event he knew nothing of but none the less, was important all the same. It was clear to him from his words that the young Padawan felt a great remorse for not being present on Ajan Kloss when the Sith had arrived but it only warranted a slight huff from the Cathar.

"Make no mistake, boy... Being on Sullust may well have saved your life, as well as that of those who were with you," Nova stated plainly in his gruff tone before shooing the woolamander from his shoulder. He could sense the conflict within Isen as he spoke, but could not help but feel it was misplaced. "Of course, the fact that the Sith utilized the opportunity to deal a heavy blow against our own Order while you and your colleagues dedicated bodies to saving a single prisoner... It is a cause of great concern..." Nova stewed over the minute details he had been given for a moment, bringing a finger to curl the braided fur below his chin as he contemplated. The return of the Sith was, of course, a very concerning matter. The fact that they already seemed to be a few steps ahead of the Jedi Order was just as worrisome. None of this made sense to the Cathar, though he attributed his arrogance to simply being disconnected from his brethren for such a long time.

"My name is Novaron Rah, Padawan," Nova allowed himself to respond to Isen before lacing his hands behind his back, giving the young boy a half bow as he closed his eyes. Reopening them, the Cathar looked the boy in his own eyes. "Is it this guilt you have so wrongfully placed upon your shoulders that has brought you out here, away from those that may require their friends in this moment?"

@Isen

Spoiler

Sorry if this doesn't read well. Struggling to focus atm.

 

[Isen Ramm]

"I don't so much regret being on Sullust while the attack on Ajan Kloss was taking place. It's just...It's complicated." That was true. Isen didn't regret the decision to go to Sullust. He thought that was where the battle would be. He didn't feel like getting into the whole X-wing getting shot down because he wasn't a good pilot. He really didn't want to tell this veteran Jedi he just met that he would have much preferred face to face combat with the Sith on Ajan Kloss, because, well, he was anxious to fight a Sith face to face, and that he was particularly talented with the lightsaber. Neither one really painted him in the most favorable light. "And I'm not afraid to die, Master Rah. I know the life of a Jedi is one of sacrifice, and I'm prepared for whatever sacrifice is required."

Whether Rah was a master Jedi or not, Isen did not know, but called him "master" out of deference. He was at least a knight, and Isen would show the proper respect to his position. Since he asked about what was bothering and why he was there, Isen felt compelled to answer to a degree, if not with some vagueness.

"I'm not as distraught as many here over the decisions made and their consequences," Isen said. "I'm just confused and torn about the path that I'm on and where I should be going." The teenage Kiffar looked around at the Yavin wilderness around him. "I came out here because it's quieter than the Temple." That obviously wasn't true in a literal sense. The Yavin forests were loud with birds and woolamanders and other animals yelling and carrying on. The wind whipping through the Massassi trees whistled and the rolling brook left its mark on the symphony created by nature as well. "It's more...natural, I suppose. I feel like I understand the animals and the trees more than I do the other Jedi. I came out here because I thought I would get more out of my meditation than I would in civilization, I suppose. Honestly, I've always neglected my meditations, and I wonder if that might be why I'm a bit lost. I was hoping that I would fair better out here."

@Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

Nova listened to the Padawan intently, a small grin forming beneath his fur as Isen elaborated about the ease that came to him from being in the wilderness rather than crammed inside the temple or with his fellow Jedi. It was a feeling that he understood entirely. Growing up, he was much the same, always off playing in the woods outside New Aldera with his litter mates. Later in life, taking to hunting and surviving for nights on end in the company of no one but himself. There was a form of relaxation that came from being away from the hustle of every day life and sometimes, even a Jedi needed that escape.

"I would say your intuition is astutely correct, boy," Nova responded, keeping his arms crossed behind him though he now scanned the wilderness of Yavin IV as he spoke. "When I was a boy of your age, I too found the wilderness... Quieter, as you say," The grin on Nova's lips grew, revealing the bottoms of his teeth, as he listened to the chirping of birds and other creatures in the wilds ahead. To some, it may have been deafening. To him, it was serenity. It was home. Closing his eyes, Nova took a deep breathe and tasted the jungle air as he did so, allowing himself to hold his lungs full for a moment before releasing it back into the forest.

"Once I joined the Order, years ago, I found a great peace by being deep within the wilds of many worlds. Each world feels differently in the Force, of course... I'm sure you're aware of this. Yet the serenity was nearly always the same," Nova paused before finally turning his attention back to the young Kiffar at his side. "When one learns to speak to the forests, to the creatures and plants that live within them... It is an experience like none that I have ever duplicated in any other way,"

@Isen

 

[Isen Ramm]

The padawan found himself nodding along as the Cathar Jedi talked about the serenity of the forest. He understood that completely. Isen felt like the wilderness was where the Force showed both its simplicity and its complexity at the same time. It was simple because the Forest was perfectly balanced. There was no good or evil in the Forest. No light side of the Force, no Dark Side of the force. The predators weren't evil. The plants weren't good. They just...were. And there was balance as long as the sentients didn't foul it up. Simple.

But that balance came with a complexity. An interlocking web of producers and consumers, predator and prey. A complex web that can't afford for one piece of that fine silk to be moved or taken away or the entire web is in danger of falling apart. So simple to understand, but so complex in it's form.

But the Jedi said something that really got his attention. "When one learns to speak to the forests, to the creatures and plants that live within them... It is an experience like none that I have ever duplicated in any other way," Jedi Rah said.

That was something Isen had not thought of. Speak to the forest? Communicate with the fauna and flora that surrounded him. He knew that Jedi could could use the Force to tame wild beasts and get them to do their bidding. The Jedi agriculture corps were able to use the Force to increase the growth rate of plants. But the Cathar spoke about something else, he read it as more of a...relationship with the living things that make the forest.

"Speak to the forest?" Isen asked. "In a way that the wilderness will speak back? Like a conversation? A relationship of sorts?" If this sort of thing was possible, Isen may be content to never leave the wilderness again.

@Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

"Not one of words, no," Nova replied, finally unlinking the hands behind his back and taking a few steps passed Isen yet still surveying the forest before them. "But a relationship is not an inaccurate perception. As Jedi, we are taught that the Force connects each and every living thing in the universe, binding them together in ways that even the greatest Jedi in the history of our Order have never fully comprehended. When you begin to look on life with an uncritical eye, you see what I suspect you've already come to know," The Cathar then turned to face the Padawan, waving his hand to imply he wanted the Kiffar to come beside him, overlooking the forest floor from their elevated position beside the bubbling river as it descended the hillside. "The creatures of this world, any world, are not inherently good nor are they inherently evil. They simple strive for survival, to make it to the next day,"

"If you close your eyes and listen, not only with your ears but with both your heart and the Force, you can feel it's energies tugging at the life around you," Nova then proceeded to do as he said, closing his eyes and reaching out. He had hopes that Isen would pick up on his wanting him to join in, but continued speaking after a few moments. "And if you focus, begin to decipher the strands of energy..." Reaching his hand ahead of him, his eyes still closed and his mind diving deeper and deeper into the mystical powers that surrounded them both, the Cathar called outward. Suddenly, small rodent-like creatures began to crawl out of the tall grasses that surrounded them, un-phased by the two sentients at their center. "You can begin to 'hear' the emotions of the animals around you, the needs of the plants, the planet itself... With practice,"

Opening his eyes, Nova then turned back to the young Padawan. "And in time, the things you 'hear', the things you 'see'.... You can translate them in your mind, understand the world around you. Connect with it in such a way that you can feel almost feel as though the world below you is a part of you, and you a part of it," By now, the small rodents had begun to collect at the feet of the two Jedi as they foraged for food, sniffing away at Isen's feet.

@Isen

 

[Isen Ramm]

The Cathar was somewhat mesmerizing to the young Kiffar. He was tall, muscular, and spoke with confidence and authority. He also seemed to be able to commune with the wilderness, and that struck Isen more than anything. Isen had longed felt at home in the forest, and felt as if the forest was calling to him. This Jedi seemed to have been able to harness that calling into something tangible. As he waved Isen to follow, the padawan did and listened intently.

"If you close your eyes and listen, not only with your ears but with both your heart and the Force, you can feel it's energies tugging at the life around you,"

Yes. Isen knew this much. It was more than just feeling the massive flow of the Force through the living things that surrounded him. In these settings, be it a forest, swamps, even prairies with tall grasses hiding rodents and lizards, Isen felt immersed in the Force. The forest and in battle- the only two places where Isen truly felt like he was fully invested in the Force. While in the wilderness, it was as if the Force was beckoning him to stay and be part of it forever. He never could explain it well. Isen took the opportunity to follow along with Jedi Rah, to basically bathe in the Force moving flowing through all the living things around them, but at the same time, drawing them together like a magnet. To Isen, it was pure. He enjoyed it so much, it rivaled his sparring lessons.

As he was lost in the Force, he could still hear Rah say "And if you focus, begin to decipher the strands of energy..." Isen's eyes were closed, but he could feel the presence of animals so clearly, he could see them. He knew where they were. He could tell their shape, feel their moods. They were at peace. A human and a Cathar, both on the top of the food chain ahead of these animals, but they were all in commune with the Force, the sentients with the non-sentient. "You can begin to 'hear' the emotions of the animals around you, the needs of the plants, the planet itself... With practice, and in time, the things you 'hear', the things you 'see'.... You can translate them in your mind, understand the world around you. Connect with it in such a way that you can feel almost feel as though the world below you is a part of you, and you a part of it."

Isen came to and saw the rodents at his feet. He was trying to comprehend what all this meant. How far this...relationship of sorts...could go. "I've always neglected my relationship with the Force," Isen said. "I think it's because I never really understood it. I don't know that I ever will understand it. And honestly, I never cared to. The Force felt like a mythical thing that I knew existed because I was able to use it, to manipulate it, but still wasn't real or tangible to me. I always neglected the study of the Force itself or trying to feel it for the sake of feeling it or meditating in it. But here, feeling this, seeing this, hearing you speak on it....For the first time, I am anxious to learn. This is tangible to me."

The young Padawan at this point wasn't even considering the practical applications of being able to talk and commune with animals. The possibilities were nearly limitless. They could be used as allies in battle. There were flying lizards and birds all over the galaxy that could easily take you from one part of the planet to the other in complete stealth. Animals could be tamed and made to guard positions, people, or items. But Isen, for once, wasn't being pragmatic. He was genuinely interested in this relationship with the wilderness.

He smiled, watching the rodents at his feet crawl over his feet and sniff up his ankles before continuing to look for food all around his feet. He looked back to Rah and said, "Most Jedi don't have the relationship with the living wilderness as you. Did your master take you down this path, or did you come about it on your own?" The true question was poorly disguised. He was clearly wanting to know if he this communion with the living Force of the wilderness could be self-taught or if took a degree of guidance.

@Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

The Padawan's curiosity brought a smile to the grizzled Cathar as he watched Isen observe the creatures buzzing around his feet. It reminded him of himself, all those years ago, when he first started down the Jedi path. Of course, he was far older than Isen is now at that point. Nearly twice his age in fact. But even as a grown man with a background of mercenary work, the mysteries of the Force and it's connection with all living things was something that intrigued him from the beginning.

"My Master... Yes... And no," Nova replied finally after letting Isen's question hang in the air for a moment, allowing himself an opportunity to remember fondly the old Jedi Master that had taken him away from the life of a merc. "Master Donishiva and I were two very different men. He took me under his wing about eight or nine years ago and spent more time teaching me the importance of spreading the knowledge of our Order through out the galaxy to those willing to learn. He was a wise old human but he didn't share the same interests in the non-sentient as I did. He preferred to spend his time buried in books and old holos," Closing his eyes, the image of the balding old man came back to Nova.

"Read this, my Padawan! Do you see? Here! Right here!" Donishiva called out in the Cathar's memory, his movements crippled and slow as he brought over the old tablet to Nova as he remained seated under a tree on Kashyyyk while playing with an infant Mouf. "The old Wookie tales carved into this.... Are you even listening to me? No, of course not... As always. Made a new friend, I see?"

Returning to the current moment, Nova's eyes opened once again. "He taught me many things. He saw my interest in the natural world and he did instruct me on the simplicities of understanding them, their thoughts... But much of the knowledge I've gained over the years came from a simple desire to learn, to find the talents within myself on my own," Looking down to the young Kiffar, Nova placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. He saw the same desire in his eyes that Nova once held, and still did to a certain degree. "If you have the time, and are willing, why don't you and I venture further into the forest? Perhaps we can see if your desire to learn is strong enough, see if you can discover these same talents within yourself?"

@Isen

 

[Isen Ramm]

As the Cathar talked about his Master fondly, Isen couldn't help but think about his own Master, Izel Thral. The Kiffar teenager had been extremely lucky to be assigned to her. She was exactly the sort of grounded, deep thinking Jedi that he needed for guidance. Isen came to her, and still was, hyperfocused on the physical manipulation of the Force for the purposes of combat. Isen loved his lightsaber, and all he was concerned about was how the Force could help him be better at using it. He was well ahead of schedule and talented as a duelist and melee fighter, but Master Thral had forced him to expand his thinking to be more theoretical, more open to the entirety of what the Force had to offer. She had taught him to see the Force as an energy that was there always, and that he should always be mindful of it, whether in battle or at rest. If it wasn't for her insistence on it, he likely would not have gone out into the wilderness to meditate in the first place.

He thought about this, and how frustrated he was at her taking his lightsaber away just hours earlier. How frustrated he was that she said they would be taking a prolonged trip and they would be leaving their lightsabers here on Yavin. But as always, he came to realize that she knew what she was doing with Isen. He would come back from this trip a different Jedi, a better Jedi. He knew it. He was eternally grateful for her patience and wisdom.

But for now, he had another opportunity to learn. Things within the order had been so busy and frantic, most of the knights and masters at Ajon Kloss and Yavin had not had extra time to spend with padawans that weren't theirs. Jedi Rah was one of the few that offered insight, and this was on opportunity that Isen would not turn down.

"If you have the time, and are willing, why don't you and I venture further into the forest? Perhaps we can see if your desire to learn is strong enough, see if you can discover these same talents within yourself?" the Jedi asked Isen.

Isen nodded and followed. "Of course." Isen had all the time in the world. Izel Thral said she would need some time to herself and time spent with Isen would be limited until they embarked on their trip. "I have the time and the desire. I'll follow."

@Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

Yavin IV was not unlike many other forest worlds that Nova had travelled to in all his years, both before and after joining the Order. The forests were teeming with life and even when one could not see the creatures surrounding them, it was foolish belief when one thought themselves to be entirely alone. Perhaps that was what Nova loved most about the wilderness. Being surrounded by people never guaranteed you were within good company but make friends with the world itself and you’d have a companion you could always trust.

Putting distance between them and the old Massassi Temple, the construct beginning to disappear behind the foliage of the forest moon, the Cathar turned to the young Kiffar and noticed that he did not have a lightsaber anywhere on his person.

”Tell me about yourself, Padawan. How did you come to join the Order?” the Cathar asked plainly as they walked. Knowing what it was he was searching for, it was clear to the Knight that there would be some time between their current moment and when they finally would stumble across the goal. ”And perhaps you could explain to me where your weapon is? It is uncommon for a Padawan to travel without one after they’ve constructed their own,” Nova didn’t actually care, of course. It was a topic of conversation for the time being and with what he wished to show Isen, it was perhaps for the best he didn’t have a saber anyway.

@Isen

 

[Isen Ramm]

As they walked through the woods, Rah started asking some questions. Isen wasn't really adept at talking about himself. In fact, he wasn't very good at conversing at all. If he was half as confident in socializing as he was with his lightsaber, he'd be oozing with charisma. But, Isen was not confident at all, and so...he wasn't.

"My father is a well-traveled man. He had heard a lot of tales about the Jedi and the Sith and the Force. He didn't understand the Force really, but he connected the dots when I pulled things to me or pushed things away without actually touching them. Apparently, I had a bit of a temper when I was little and used the Force in ways that were a bit...destructive. That's what I'm told, anyway. My father didn't know how to teach me what I needed to learn, so he found a Jedi enclave and asked them to take me in."

They continued walking and the question about lightsaber was still outstanding. It was a bit of a sore spot for Isen, but he might as well answer it. "It is not common, no. Master Thral has my lightsabers," he finally said. "She thinks I'm focusing too much on my martial skills at the expense of the rest of my learning." That was probably true. If Izel had not taken his lightsabers, he might well be finding another padawan or initiate to spar with or doing a form with his blades. "We'll be going on a long trip and she says we won't be arming ourselves with our lightsabers." He got annoyed all over again just talking about it, and said after a while, "I guess she thought I needed to break my addiction before we left, because she took them from me, and we're not even leaving for several days."

@Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

Isen's tale reminded the Cathar of the Jedi of old, prior to the near total destruction of the Order nearly two hundred years ago. Taking in Padawans at such a young age was a practice that was best left in the past, in his mind. He himself was a grown man when he joined the Order but he had done so by his own decision. This young boy, he was not given the choice. It was instead made for him by both his father and the Masters who had received him upon arrival. As the Kiffar explained that some of his natural reactions with the Force had proven to be more disastrous than was typical for a child of the Force, Nova pondered if Isen would have made the same choice as his father had for him should he have been given the chance to decide for himself. Given the current state of the galaxy, perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing that he was handed over to the Jedi...

Sensing the frustration in the boy as he continued on, explaining how his Master had opted to take the weapons away from him as a form of lesson, Nova smirked slightly. His own Master had struggled teaching the Cathar that not all problems could be solved by a lightsaber and while many still could, they rarely led to the ideal outcome when rectified with violence.

"Your Master sounds quite wise, boy. You would do well to heed the lesson she is trying to teach you," Nova responded as he lifted a lower lying branch. Looking to the ground, he could both see and feel that the soil was beginning to feel damp. They were approaching swampland, evident by some of the lizard crabs that scuttled along in the tall grass. "Though you should not deny yourself from following your heart as well. Many Jedi spend much of their time honing their skills with a blade but they also never forget to spend time on their other lessons. That said, it pleases me to know that you're unarmed and for the right reasons. If you weren't, I likely would have requested to hold on to it for myself for what is to come,"

Closing his eyes, Nova reached outward in the Force. As the terrain transitioned steadily from a bustling forest to a bubbling swampland, the Temple a good distance away now, the Cathar recognized that what he was searching for was growing closer though he still could not feel it's presence. Soon...

"So you favor combat, do you, boy?" Nova asked the Kiffar. "What forms of saber combat have you been focusing on?" It was small talk, of course, but he couldn't deny a sense of curiosity. The young Padawan reminded him so much of himself at the beginning of his training.

@Isen

 

[Isen Ramm]

As Isen talked to the Jedi Knight, he noticed that the woodlands were transitioning to damper, wetter lands. Swampy. Isen didn't mind. The swamps held a different kind of energy, slower, but...more calculating. The animals were quite different in the swamp. They were far less afraid of sentients. The predators often moved slowly until their found their prey- or when they prey happened upon them- then they could strike and move with ferocity and great speed. The prey animals relied less on speed and and keen senses and more on the ability to hide and blend into the surroundings. Different life and the Force flowed differently, but it was still life and it was still the Force.

He agreed with the Cathar about his Master. He knew that she was wise. And after the events on Ajan Kloss and Sullust, she made it very clear that her desire to seek out conflict with the Sith had dissipated. She wanted to press justice and kindness fully through the Force. She was going to pull Isen along with that philosophy...for a while anyway. Once Isen was a Knight, he would be on his own to choose his direction. He had no desire to go as far down the pacifist route as Master Thral.

"...it pleases me to know that you're unarmed and for the right reasons. If you weren't, I likely would have requested to hold on to it for myself for what is to come," Rah said.

Well, that sounded ominous. What in the world was to come? Isen gave him a sideways glance and was about to ask him what exactly was to come before the Cathar asked the padawan about lightsaber forms. Isen had to control the urge to to speak at length. Dueling and lightsaber forms were the one subject he could talk about with anyone at anytime for any length of time. He enjoyed lightsaber practice and sparring so much, he was well-versed in the basic forms, techniques, and theories behind forms I-VI. But, most Jedi focused heavily on one or two forms. Isen did that as well.

"I've focused most of my energy on Ataru and Djem So," Isen said. "They play to my strengths. I'm athletic and like to have a saber in both hands, so Ataru was a natural fit. I gravitate more to Djem So's power and heavy counter-striking, so I've tweaked it a bit to better accommodate Jar'Kai." As they continued walking he offered that Master Thral thought he should study a great Jedi Master and duelist named Mace Windu who also had to conquer his personal aggression. Isen had indeed started his research and became quite interested in the Vaapad variant of Form VII . It wasn't a particularly encouraged form, but he told Rah that if he could find a practitioner in Vaapad to teach him, he would give great consideration to mastery in it over Djem So and making it his primary form because it fit his aggressive tendencies and was better suited for dual-wielding.

And before he knew it, he realised that he despite his desire not to speak at length, he had done so. He grinned and shrugged. "Sorry. My favorite subject."

@Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

The boy’s enthusiasm as the discussion of saber combat brought a degree of joy to the Cathar, listening as he rambled on about his desires to learn a variety of forms though once the mention of Vaapad arose, Nova turned him a questioning eye. Master Windu was a name he had heard once before though he didn’t know an exceptional amount of the man. What he did know, however, was that he was an amazing duelist as well as the perfect example of the hypocrisy that brought the Order to it’s knees so many years ago.

”No apologies are required, Padawan,” Nova dismissed the apology with a curt wave. ”Vaapad, you say? A dangerous form, to be sure. Though with the proper training, a true sight to behold, if I’m remembering correctly,” Nova thought back to his own research on the form. He believed it was one that called to each and every Jedi in one way or another; Juyo itself was considered a restricted form by many of the old Order as it allowed a practitioner to free oneself of their emotions and utilize them in combat. Dangerous, indeed. ”And your Master… She encourages you to pursue such a form? Most curious indeed,”


@Isen
((Sorry for the short post, been writing all day and I’ve given myself a bit of a headache lol))

 

[Isen Ramm]

It was a bit surprising to Isen that the Jedi Knight listened to him. It's not that knights were aloof, but they were busy. Most were in the physical primes of their lives and seeing the galaxy or they were busy researching and training with the hopes of getting master status one day. Most of them scurried about putting out one fire and then moving on to the next without taking the time to reflect and be pleased that they did a good thing.

"Well, she doesn't know," Isen said flatly. "I figure that this trip she's taking me on is some sort of a culmination project. If I do well, I think it is likely she will petition on my behalf for Knighthood. I don't think I will pursue learning that discipline until then and I am free to be more independent in my study."

He realized how that sounded, like he was keeping secrets from Master Thral. That wasn't entirely the case. She had just recently put him on to researching Mace Windu. So, the whole fascination with Vaapad was a pretty knew development. It wasn't entirely NOT the case either. He wondered if he should tell her his intentions or not. He knew Master Thral and there was a distinct possibility she would try to talk him out of it. He wouldn't be entirely surprised if she went to the Council to get them to forbid it. "It's really more of an idea I'm kicking around, I guess. Mulling it over."

He wasn't mulling it over. He fully intended to sink fully into Vaapad and if he took to it like he thought he might, it would become his primary form. What he was mulling over was telling her.

@Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

Nova mused over the ambitions of the Padawan as they walked and his belief that Knighthood may fast be approaching. Perhaps it was, he wasn't a part of his training regime. Still, from everything Isen had told him of himself from his lack of ambition in studying the Force and it's intricacies partnered with his tendency to remain focused on combat, he believed that the Kiffar had a long way to go. A Jedi Knight needed a broad set of skills to pass the trials that would lead to the rank; a lightsaber couldn't be the solution to every problem.

"Perhaps," Nova stated plainly. "But patience is a virtue, boy. I wouldn't put weight in expecting much more than an opportunity to learn on this expedition your Master has planned, Padawan. She very well could be considering having you partake in the Knighthood trials but if what you've told me about yourself is true, then you must spend some time considering the other aspects of being a Jedi that she is trying to show you,"

Coming to a stop, Nova could sense what he had been bringing the young Padawan out here to find. Standing on the top of a ridge that overlooked a swamp of both life and decay, the Cathar motioned for the Padawan to continue.

"Here we are," Nova stated. "This is about where I first began to focus my own connection with the creatures of the galaxy. You can sense the life within this festering pit, yes? And the death and decay of both the plants and animals that reside below the water's surface?" Pausing for a moment, the Cathar looked to Isen to ensure he was paying attention. "Go now. That elevated position there, I want you to kneel and meditate. Empty your mind and see what connections you can feel, much as we did together with the rodents back the creek. There is... an old friend of mine that resides here. Let us see if we can summon him, shall we?"

@Isen