Beginning, or continuation? (Lightsiders, knowledge seekers)

[The Gloaming]

KATHOL SECTOR

The Horizon-class Yacht creaked slightly as the Kathol Rift came into view. Isaac surmised that if the ship had any sentience, it was fearful of the intimidating rift of celestial abnormalities.

"Laatik, we're almost there. Now remember, there is nothing aboard this ship that we didn't take with us, and there's nothing out there but some mist and a couple planets." He wasn't sure if Laatik knew what he was insinuating, but Isaac had traveled through here once before, in his younger years. He knew it was only a matter of time before his young counterpart started mentioning the arachnida and insectoids crawling about their ship.

 

[Jacques]

The man nodded, "I understand Isaac...I've heard some pretty weird things people have seen out here, and it isn't very pretty." He replied, feeling for his lightsabers and unclipping them from his belt. He opened up a safe and stashed them in there, not bothering to set a hard to break code, as him and Isaac were the only two within the area. 0001, a fairly simple thing to remember. Laatik sat back down in his seat and strapped himself in, "I just hope I don't see anything too...awful."

 

[The Gloaming]

"Well I can't promise you anything. Also, the Aing-Tii are pretty reclusive. They may not like our visiting them. If they turn us away, I suggest we respect them."

Isaac thought back on all the aspects of the Force he'd studied, and none were like that of the Aing-Tii. A strange species, with strange beliefs and very strange abilities.

The yacht entered the rift with a moan, and the hallucinations almost immediately started. Droch swarms crawled over Isaac, threatening to overtake him. Outside, Mynocks thunked onto the hull, attempting to leach the power away. Isaac could no longer see, and had to sense the mass of gravity slowly nearing. It wasn't as simple as flying straight in however. This was going to be a doozy.

 

[Jacques]

Suddenly, the middle aged gladiator could feel...things crawling all over his skin, all over his mind even. He suppressed a girlish yelp, though barely, and tried to calm his mind. Nothing's there, he kept saying to himself, nothing's there. Breathing very slowly, Laatik attempted to speak, but he could not. Nor could he see, like his hood had completely overtaken him, though when he tried to pull it off he couldn't. Struggling, the man was able to hear the Mynocks slamming into the ship at a fast and consistent pace. He was almost sort of surprised he could still hear.

 

[The Gloaming]

"You know, I just thought of something. These are just illusions, not real. But obviously we believe they are, otherwise we wouldn't be seeing them. So if you know of a way to 'get rid of them' without slicing up our ship, maybe it would make them -ugh- make them go away."

Isaac spit out a Droch who tried to find the easy way in, through his mouth. Then he lifted his palm in the air, and a great light shone forth. He knew the drochs weren't there in the first place, but he believed he could be rid of them anyway.

One by one, the images began to fade, and vision returned. For the most part, the hallucinations were in check, for Isaac at least, and now the hard part was navigation. He could feel where the Aing-Tii were, but he could also sense obstacles.

 

[Jacques]

"Ah, I...I donno if I can do anything that-ah!" Laatik spat out several things he couldn't name, feeling their disgusting legs and bodies in his mouth. He spat several times, trying to get everything out. He reached for his drink and washed it away. When the man looked back over at Isaac, it looked as though the old man wasn't hallucinating anymore. Silently he thanked whatever deity he felt like believing in at the moment that his mentor could now concentrate on not flying into stuff that would kill them. "I donno if I can do this, Isaac. These are starting to get really bad!' Laatik swatted at several bugs, knocking them away, but the more he knocked away the more there were.

 

[The Gloaming]

"Well then... Just try to ignore it. It'll be over soon."

Isaac continued to steer their transport through the slough of mist and electrical discharge. The Aing-Tii homeworld was in view now, growing ever larger in the viewport. The hallucinations were long gone for Isaac, and likely dissipating for Laatik.

The hull screeched as the yacht entered the atmosphere, and came to a settling stop among the ground. The planet was rocky, dark, with pools of water in random divots on the ground, and a large ocean in the back drop.

"That went well." Isaac smiled at his friend, and gestured back to the docking ramp.

 

[Jacques]

The hallucinations eventually began to fade, slowly, slowly, and then they were gone all together. Clutching his head, Laatik felt the biggest headache of his life creeping up, and was just trying not to move a muscle. That wasn't very easy, as Isaac wasn't the greatest pilot in the world. Of course, he couldn't do any better, but the amount of swerving and dodging and whatnot to get through the rift were beginning to get to him. In an incredibly painful way, too. When the old man mentioned something about the easy part, the middle aged human lifted his head out of his hands and looked at him, finally able to say, sarcastically, "If that went well, I can't wait for when something DOESN'T."

 

[The Gloaming]

Isaac stifled a laugh, and unbuckled his crash webbing.

"Well the rest should be less chaotic at least, just.....mentally challenging. The Aing-Tii monks have mastered abilities neither of us have even heard of. They can move a five hundred meter star ship between any two points of space in the blink of an eye. We will need to prove our pure intentions if we have any hope of even gaining admitance. You may need to check yourself, remove any dark thoughts you may have from your mind. I've been meditating a lot, and they may still find reason to turn me away. But it's worth a try!"

He shot Laatik a smile, and powered down the yacht. He thought solemnly to himself as he exited the starship. Yes, no more grand vision, all I want now is clarity.

 

[Jacques]

Laatik nodded his head and sat up from the yacht's co-pilot seat, walking over to the safe he had stashed his lightsabers in what seemed like minutes before. He collected them and clipped them to the belt. The man continued out of the ship, following his mentor Isaac. The surface of the planet or whatever they were on seemed bleak, seemed dead, not like a place wise old force users resided and handed out their knowledge. "Isaac, are you sure this is where the Aang-Tii reside?" He asked, sounding sort of confused, "They couldn't have chosen a place better than this?"

 

[The Gloaming]

"It may not look it, but this place is very alive in the Force. Also, it's a wonderful hiding spot for those who wish not to be found."

Three Aing-Tii monks approached the old man and his freind, and one began to speak in basic. "Outsiders do not often visit. Few know we exist. Tell me, are you Jedi?"

"No, we are not Jedi. We are simply scholars, searching for clarity and knowledge. We have come to learn your philosophy and techniques, if you would have us."

The monk who had previously spoken, presumed to be the leader, stood motionless for a few moments. "Why should we allow you our secrets? How do we know you are not selfish usurpers like the Sith, or slavers? Why do you seek knowledge?"

Isaac didn't flinch, his face stayed expressionless. "We seek understanding for the sake of peace. We do not desire war, or conquest. We simply wish to understand the gifts that we have been given."

The leader took several more moments to contemplate, then turned to his followers and spoke in what Isaac assumed to be the Aing-Tii language. Finally, he turned to adress the visitors.

"You may stay while we deliberate. This way."

The two were led into a palace of stone, almost colorless, but somehow vibrant. The others stopped to stare at the rare sight of humans in their midst.

Isaac turned to Laatik. "That went much better than expected."

 

[Jacques]

Laatik made sure to stay quiet while Isaac spoke with the three members of an alien species he had never seen before...the Aang-Tii, he knew who they were though he had no idea what they looked like. He wasn't disappointed, but they seemed a little bit...awkward. Their bodies, at least. While trying to make sure his thoughts went unnoticed by the rest, Isaac had apparently convinced the three to let them stay, at least for a little bit. Turning to Isaac, he chuckled and said, "Maybe it's because I chose not to speak. Though I think it's clear that we don't mean any harm, that we wish only to learn."

 

[The Gloaming]

"Hmm. Well, we might as well take them up on their hospitality."

Isaac followed to Aing-Tii to a large room with a bed.

"These will be your quarters, um... Excuse me, I never caught your name."

"I'm Isaac, and this is Laatik. We've been traveling together for some time."

"I see. Well, make yourself comfortable. Laatik, your quarters are next door. If you need anything, you should find it just down the hall. We should have our deliberation by morning."

"Thank you." Isaac gave a slight bow as the monk turned to leave.

 

[Jacques]

The force user didn't have to check out his new, temporary quarters...these Aang-Tii seemed like the kind to have everything exactly the same. Bland, boring, but they didn't want extravagant. If you don't need anything big and grand and wonderful, especially on a cheap rock such as where they were right now, then why bother? The cot with a drawer, desk and somewhat alright lighting worked. Laatik sat down on Isaac's bed, unhooking all of his lightsabers from his belt and letting them drop to the ground next to him. "I've been meaning to ask Mas-...I mean Isaac. What's so great about these Aang-Tii monks that make them so renowned to force users?" He asked. Of course, HE hadn't heard of them, but he'd heard of where they resided, maybe he just hadn't caught the talk of them back then.

 

[The Gloaming]

"Well, they're possibly the wisest monks this galaxy has to offer. They can use the Force to teleport battlecruisers to a point kilometers, sometimes systems away, in the blink if an eye. What's more, they can teach this ability to non-Force sensitives. The can flow through time, to the degree that if one were to stand on Coruscant, they would likely be able to witness the formation of the Old Repubilc itself. They can transcend space and time completely, fusing with the univers. And this place, as bland as it may seem, holds a very mysterious nexus. If you don't know, Nexus are points of space in the known universe that have a specific Force signature. Like Tython, or Korriban, where the Sith Lords were buried. This place houses a pool of knowledge. If one were to enter, he would find himself in the realm of the Force itself. And if one were to drink from the pool, something very few of the monks have ever done, one would obtain all the knowledge and wisdom of the universe. They are masters of time, space, and every known entity. But know this. They do not view the Force simply as light and dark. Instead, they see a spectrum of colors that make a being individual. If ever there were a place to seek wisdom, this dull rock is it."

Isaac looked around at the bland walls, floor, and bed. There was something beautiful about the simplicity of these beings. All the knowledge one could hope for, and the humility to match.

 

[Jacques]

He nodded, gladly. Though he wasn't the brightest tool of the bunch when he had first come into contact with the crazy old man, Laatik was beginning to come into his own intelligence wise. While still a little bit slow thinking, he was able to appreciate the finer thoughts of thinking...and the like. "That's possibly the most amazing thing I've ever heard, Isaac." He said, being mostly truthful. He stood up and appreciated the reason why the room was so bland, and shoved his lightsabers into a drawer in the bottom of the desk. "I want to learn all that I can about these people, and I want to learn everything that comes out of their wise, little mouths."

 

[The Gloaming]

"I'll just be happy to talk with them. You know, if they had ever participated in a war, like the one we're on the verge of, they could end it in a single stroke. The most amazing thing is that they don't participate. Ever. Because then they would likely lose everything."

Isaac peeked his head out the doorway, looking down the empty halls.

"And be mindful of your comments, they've probably been listening to us speak from the other end if the building." He glanced back and smirked at Laatik. "If you were presented the opportunity to drink from the pool, would you?"

 

[Jacques]

"That depends..." Laatik replied quickly, "If it were anytime in the next thirty years or so, I would probably say no. But if I've had time to learn their ways, maybe live among them...but then that's only a maybe. It all depends on whether they ask, though." Even his response sounded weird, though it was the best shot he could give. He didn't want to blow such a great chance to learn and become stronger in the force, instead of just being a mindless warrior. He didn't need a lightsaber if he just studied the Aang-Tii...

 

[The Gloaming]

"I wouldn't allow myself such a burden, and a luxury. I would likely be rendered incapable of helping others, as strange as it sounds. I think true enlightenment would see me disposed of my body and cause me to drift through the realm of the Force forever. I want to live a long life before becoming one with the Force. That's the natural order of things."

The old man slumped down on his bed, and stared at his staff. "You know, I probably wouldn't need a lightsaber either. But it's presence does serve a purpose. I don't plan on staying here for thirty years. Maybe even five. I doubt they'll let us walk out of here with so much knowledge. They learned their lesson with Darth Caedus."

 

[Jacques]

The man shook his head. Isaac had been a pretty good history teacher back in the days when they had first escaped Laatik's home planet. To him, Darth Caedus was one of the worst possible Sith Lords. In the end a good man, that much was true, but how much he went through just as a Jedi to throw it all away, mirroring almost exactly his grandfather's fall sixty years earlier. Every time the idea came up in his head, he had to shake it away...it always left a sour taste in his mouth.

"It's a shame how many people nowadays just care about power. Even a thousand years ago, power was the thing everybody sought....I wish I could see back then, like you said the Aang-Tii could. Just to see if it was worse than, or now." The former warrior admitted, a sort of sigh escaping him.