Ask Crystal Marks the Spot

[Mila Tesara]

Her padawans seemed to take to the lesson rather well, though Brahe blatantly ignored her, choosing to use his Tie Fighter instead, though Mila only let out a small sigh rather than say anything. They had completed the exercise, and that was all she could ask for. Now that they had reached the mouth of the cave, they had little else facing them. Overall, she was delighted by their progress, as they were on the verge of completing this ceremony. Mila leapt down to join her students, traversing the cliff with a small bit of difficulty, before stopping before her padawans. "Nicely done, I think you all are getting the hang of it." She commented, though her eyes narrowed onto Brahe for a mere moment. He had used his innate gifts to solve the problem after all, so she couldn't say much; it probably didn't help that Brahe had done this sort of thing several times over either.

She would walk past her three padawans, motioning for them to follow. "These caves are natural formations, and for some reason, Kyber crystals seem to be pushed up from the world and form within them." As the pair moved forward, Mila withdrew a small glow rod from her belt and ignited it, as her students would see a glittering cave covered in tiny shimmering crystals. It was a truly magnificent sight, as if someone had taken the night sky and painted a perfect replica upon the walls here. The faint sound of water dripping would sound from within, though the source of which was not viable. "Just like you had done before, feel free to reach out and feel for your crystal. It will call for you through the force, just as you called for it." If her students did as she had told, they would indeed feel the call reaching for them deep within the recesses of the cave, perhaps past the edge of the darkness within.

@Corbeau @Noctyr @TRook

 

[Giran Latt]

Giran had seen it before but it never got old. The tiny crystals glittering reflecting and refracting the light in a beautiful kaleidoscope of colours. Of course most of these crystals were useless to them but somewhere in here was the one they wanted. Giran lagged behind slightly as he reached out down and through the tunnel. Each crystal he touched with the force was like a small chime creating an almost musical quality in his head. None of them were quite right yet though. Further he searched deeper into the cave the chimes getting more and more discordant until ...
*Ping*
He'd found it. The sound it made resonated through his body. He felt as if he'd always known that sound but had never heard it. It was different from his first crystal but he supposed he was different from then.
"Master, I've found my crystal it's a little ways in." Giran whispered reverently
"Shall we go alone or together?"
Last time he'd been alone when he'd found his crystal and strange things had occurred as he'd approached it. This felt different but he would see.

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Once they’d assembled and their Master had spoken, Fiach took a deep breath. She knew she needed to be relaxed for a good connection to the Force and that was required to find her crystal. Of course, there was the small matter of some sort of trial, which she hoped sounded worse than it was — but was not relying on hope in the least. She would face whatever was required. She would not leave a second time without a crystal that she had a connection to.

In her pocket she felt for the small bag containing the kyber crystal she took last time — she had never felt a connection to it — but had taken it out of desperation as she’d searched in vain for almost a full day without success.

She wondered if the others could feel anything calling them right now? She most definitely could not and shook her head softly and involuntarily. She had to trust the Force — and she would.

 

[Brahe Sienar]

Brahe felt strange- almost like he was already where he belonged, despite being at the mouth of the cave. He blinked a couple times, still hearing his TIE's engine humming near the entrance of the cave, on standby and waiting for his return. Raising an eyebrow, he looked around, wondering why the heck he was feeling like the crystal was already.....right next to him?

It gave him goosebumps, but for some reason, Brahe couldn't help but look in the direction of....Fiach's pocket? Hopefully Master Mila wouldn't smack him upside the head for that. Perhaps Master Mila and the rest of the padafam could sense that Brahe had totally pure intentions in this moment. Then again, one couldn't expect anything but the unexpected from Brahe, could they?

He shook his head.

"No way...." He scratched his head, wondering why this was happening.

He stepped forward, tapping Fiach on the shoulder. "The force is telling me.....unless I'm sensing something amiss.....to go to you?"

He laughed a little as he joked with her.

"Maybe you're part kyber crystal?"

@Algarus @TRook @Corbeau

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach smiled — as she always did. “OK, joking aside, I think I need to focus now.” In truth she was able to anything but at this very moment, but did not want to share that with her fellow Padawans — although she suspected her Master could sense her unease. So, she decided to do what her fathers always told her to do back home on Klatooine. To act.

“OK,” she said, a deep sigh emanating from her lips, “I’m going in…alone.”

Fiach took comfort in the fact that the majority of the crystals were deep inside the cave. Of course, that came with a potential down-side. She'd been told that the caves held all sorts of mysteries. Visions and voices. And some may be frightening. Some may be linked to your past, others may indicate a potential future — and invariably they represent deep fears. This was the trial for many Padawans.

Sure she was never going to be any more ready, Fiach momentarily closed her eyes and then stepped into the cave. She was reflecting on her training to date and what she knew of the caves. If fear confronted her, she should not look to shut it out. To fight it is to give it undue power. Instead, she was expected to experience whatever the cave — and by definition — the Force had for her and proceed towards her goal…a crystal.

Facing fear and anger was a lesson in and of itself. And she must face these teachings before moving on with a calm heart and mind.

Once inside the cave, she waited for her eyes to adjust. The walls of the cave were of black stone and only the many crystals afforded any light.

She checked her pocket. Inside was a pouch and within that were all of the components to fashion her own lightsaber. Once she finds her crystal, she is expected to craft her saber — a process that could run from hours to days.

As she stepped forward she was sure she heard a distance voice. "Go now. If you travel further, all you will find is what you fear." None of the words were distinct, yet Fiach heard them as clearly as if the speaker was standing next to her.

A final deep breath and audible exhale and she moved forwards and was swallowed up by the cave.

 

[Mila Tesara]

They had reached their destination, thankfully mostly unharmed as well. Mila took a breath, as her students had several questions to levy at her, as she took to answering their questions. She wondered if she was as lost as a padawan, she wanted to say she was, but her memories of those days weren't so clear anymore. "You can go in alone, or together. Embrace what you feel, don't be afraid of the call, even if it may sound strange to you. Walk into the unknown, and trust in the force, trust in yourself, and no harm will come to you." To her surprise, or perhaps not, Fiach seemed ready to press on, as she and Brahe stepped forward, though the young woman pushed on and disappeared into the cave. She expected the other two to follow, and if they did, Mila would not pursue them. This was their trial, and their trial alone.

As Fiach, the others if they followed, moved onward they would find themselves in a rather unique place. The darkness that Fiach walked into would give way to a faint bit of light, just enough to make out the area around them and the figures of their fellow padawans. This was a cave obviously, but it was unlike anything they might have seen. Small fragmented bits of crystals were embedded into the walls, as faint hints of light shined down upon them. There seemed to be a path forward, a small creek seemed to flow through this cave, it's water pure but still and calm. If the trio moved on, they would find themselves reaching a junction that split off into three pathways. It would be up to the padawans on how to continue onwards now.

@Corbeau @Noctyr @TRook

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Visions? Voices? As Fiach thought about it, what could be so challenging about words or even images. They were not real and so could not hurt you. Could they?

So, Fiach's confidence grew and tentative steps became a purposeful stride. But at the back of her mind there was a nagging doubt. In accordance with her training, she did not fight it — yet it did not manifest itself as anything tangible. All around her were murmurings and flashes of what appeared to be Jedi — ethereal images. None felt connected to Fiach and so she pressed on.

And then the hidden thought finally permeated unbidden into her conscious mind.

‘I know what I fear.’That despite my connection to the Force, I will never be a true Jedi. I can never belong because I have never belonged.’

Fiach tried to shake off the voice. She was beginning to become confused as to which were from inside and which were from outside of her mind. And why be afraid of shadows, of thoughts? These things cannot hurt us, surely?

Then she saw something all too familiar.

A young girl, maybe three years old. She was sitting on a mat — and she knew precisely where. It was her two fathers' apartment in Treema. And she was alone — as she had always been alone.

Alone and unwanted. She was a misfit. Nothing to be disliked, she had that in her favour, but nothing to be liked necessarily either. Her fathers took her in, it was true, but they could not have children and no doubt took pity on her. And pity was no substitute for being wanted.

She wanted so much to be wanted. To belong. To be a part of something because she was needed or desired or valuable, not just because it was convenient. She feared she would never be a part of anything, ever. A thought she’d harboured since she could remember having thoughts. The sort you always sensed over your shoulder but could never see when you turned to face it. The sort that came in the in-between times when you were falling asleep or waking up.