Ifrane Forever

[Asha]

It was the day the agreement was to be finalized. Asha led Leah into the command center of the Ifrane cell's base. The Jedi Master had met with the leaders of the cell; but today she would be meeting someone much more important. In the past, when it was free, Ifrane had a king. The king was worshiped and adored by all, and it was said that he was a fair-minded and just ruler. With the Revolution won, the monarchy was restored, though there was still much work to be done to ensure it's legitimacy. And at its head was no longer a king, but a queen—the queen who had sparked the Revolution.

Asha bent the knee upon entering the queen's audience chamber. "My queen, this is Jedi Master Leah Reach," Asha said from her position of submission. "She is the representative from the Galactic Alliance who has been staying with us these past few days."

"I know who she is, child," the queen said with a smile. She rose from her chair, a facsimile of a throne, and took a few steps closer to the pair, beckoning for Asha to rise. The girl obeyed. "You are very welcome here, Master Jedi. It has been too long since your kind has set foot on this world. But we have not forgotten the Jedi Order. We will never forget."

"Master," Asha said with a placating bow to Leah, "I have the honor of introducing you to Queen Nyah of Ifrane. She is the true leader of our rebellion and the symbol of hope we all have rallied behind in these dark times."

Asha revered the queen as one might a mother or a grandmother. That much was clear in her deference to the older woman. The queen smiled again and nodded thankfully to the newly-christened Padawan. "The child is too modest. It is they — these men and women around us — that are the symbols of hope for me, I'm afraid. I am just a woman who seeks to serve her people." She turned to focus on Leah more fully. "I have heard the things you have done these past few days. I am forever grateful for your assistance, Master Jedi. Ask anything of me and, if it is within my power to do so, I shall make it happen." @Deviant

 

[Leah Reach]

Ifrane was beautiful. In spite of the atrocities committed against the world and its people, the kingdom emerged stronger than ever. It was not a shadow or a shell of its previous self. Leah had walked the streets of the old capital, seen the towers of steel and spires of glass, now only ruins, but the command center, the new capital, was different. The foundation was mproved upon in every way imaginable. Construction had only just began but she could see the sprawling, rising potential of the people of Ifrane. They would not allow the centuries of Sith oppression to hold them back any longer.

The Jedi Master knew they would make a fine addition to the Galactic Alliance. Not that she had to see the foundations of the capital, the impressive audience chamber, or the Queen’s company of guards to know. Leah was content enough with the young woman beside her, Asha, who proved time and time again she was not only an asset to the rebellion but a promising student in the ways of the Force. Surely, she was still learning. The bunker assault proved as much, but she possessed more strength than she knew. Power the Jedi Master hoped to sharpen and temper once the alliance was set in stone.

As they entered the throne room and Leah looked upon the grace of Queen Nyah, the rebel ambassador followed in Asha’s footsteps and bowed low. If anything, the Queen the one being modest. From what she heard, from other rebels and her own Padawan, the woman was as much a symbol of hope and rebellion as the Jedi ever been. Her efforts led to the liberation of Ifrane. She deserved the respect that was due. Dressed in robes of white, she reflected the sophistication and importance of the meeting. A perfect balance between a Jedi Master and the Alliance representative.

A kind smile settled on her lips. “It is an honor, Your Majesty.” With introductions out of the way, Leah moved toward the heart of the matter. “My service toward you and the people of Ifrane is only the beginning. I only hope to provide the protection and prosperity your world deserves until my dying breath.” A dramatic pledge to make, but the Queen would know she meant the truth. “All I ask in return is that Ifrane lends its support toward the Galactic Alliance, against the enemy who had subjugated your people for too long, and for the worlds seeking the same liberation yours had.”

She knew it was a request not to be taken lightly, but she hoped her actions then, now and forward would convince the Queen to agree. Of course, there was one more thing. “I must also ask that you allow me to take on this young woman as a student and a Jedi of our Order.” She gestured to Asha and tilted her head with complete reverence. Another lofty request, but Leah only sought the blessing of the Queen and the authority and honor vested in her name.

@Malon

 

[Asha]

The queen momentarily eyed Asha and then shifted her gaze back towards the Jedi Master. Her smile never left her lips. "I confess, when we began the rebellion to free Ifrane from the Empire, I did not foresee a day when there would be a galactic-wide alliance to restore the Republic. Certainly not in my lifetime." She clasped her hands in front of her and her eyes began to glaze over with the ghosts of the past. The ghosts of the Revolution. "We do not have a large army. I trust you've seen as much, Master Jedi. But what help we can render, we shall. Ifrane stands with you in the coming war against the Empire, and all the wars to come."

Her eyes went back to Asha. There was something knowing and, yet, at the same time, curious about the way in which the queen looked at the young woman. Asha had always felt that the queen knew something about her that she wasn't revealing. As charismatic as the queen was, she was also very secretive and was particularly selective about what she chose to reveal. So, when she turned back to Leah, the words she chose to reply with were as frustratingly cryptic as they were heartwarming.

"Ifrane once had one of our own representing us within the Jedi Order. Our histories tell us that this Jedi was as powerful as she was kind-hearted, as well as the first to fight the Empire when it brought slavery here to our soil." The queen allowed herself a momentary smile, then resumed, "Truth be told, she was my inspiration when starting our rebellion; and now the Force has chosen to reward us by giving us a new representative in the equally new Jedi Order. If she is willing to go, than who am I to stand in way of destiny? Go with my blessings and may the Force be with you both."

Asha looked to Leah. The weight of this choice was now upon her. The training to become a Jedi would be a long, difficult process. And the life of a Jedi was even harder. But now that she had opened herself up to the Force, she knew there was no escaping her destiny—not that she would run away, anyways, at this point. The Jedi needed to return if the Sith were to be destroyed. That meant that, no matter her fears, she needed to follow her heart and trust the Force. Leah would show her everything else she needed.

"I am willing. A darkness is coming for us all," Asha said. "I cannot remain here and allow it to swallow the galaxy as it did five-hundred years ago. With Leah as my teacher, I know I can become a Jedi Knight and do my part to fight it."

The queen smiled at her. "Then it seems your destiny is clear." She looked up and back at Leah. "Is there anything more you require of us, Master Jedi?" @Deviant

 

[Leah Reach]

Leah was more than fulfilled to hear the Queen agree. Now, another world had joined the Galactic Alliance. Small and secluded perhaps, but a world liberated on its own. They were the inspiration to many more, and would continue to be in the future as members of the Rebellion. She understood there was not much to provide, but the Alliance was not always looking for armies, fleets or weapons. As important as they were in the fight against the Empire, what the Rebellion needed was hope. Ifrane represented that hope. Their addition, no matter how small, would inspire even more to come. Even then, its wayward location and trackless landscape held the potential of a new rebel base.

But that was future. This was the present. And presently, Leah was ready to take Asha back to Al’doleem and begin her training. To further examine the holocron, to create a lightsaber, to become a Jedi Knight. Like the woman from her visions, the potential ancestor of the young rebel, and the Jedi they now spoke of: Imani Sage. She would follow in her footsteps. Not only to become a representative and protector of Ifrane but one of the finest Jedi in the revived Order. As Leah looked over to her, she could already see it. Poised, composed, resolved and confident. Qualities of a true Jedi.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” The rebel ambassador bowed deeply. “But no, that is all I ask of you. The support of Ifrane and its people, as well as this young woman, is more than enough.” She gave another bow, knowing it was not necessary but too happy to care. Meeting Asha, the adventures that followed and the negotiations that led it toward its end was finally over. Of course, the real journey was only just beginning. There were so many more secrets held within the holocron they found together. There was so much more work to do in the galaxy. Planets to save, Imperials to crush, and an Order to restore. With a glance toward Asha, and a last leave from the Queen, Leah would beckon her back outside.

@Malon

 

[Asha]

Asha followed Leah for a moment, but soon became so arrested by a thought that she knew she could not leave just yet. As they reached the main corridor of the Ifrane base, Asha stopped walking and told Leah, "Go on ahead to the hangar There is one last thing I need to do before I leave with you." With Leah's leave, Asha would hurry away back towards her dormitory.

There wasn't much Asha planned to take with her off-world. She knew her Jedi training would take her all over the galaxy, and bringing too much with her would only weigh her down. But there was one belonging she refused to part with. Lifting the lid of the trunk at the end of her bunk, Asha leafed through clothing, holo-pictures, and trinkets until she found what she was looking for: a japor snippet, made from japor ivory wood and given to her by her mother when she was still a little girl. It was the last real piece of her mother that she owned, and it was the only part of her family the Empire had not managed to steal away from her.

She clasped the snippet around her neck like a necklace and, for just a moment, held the tiny, smooth piece of wood at the end in the palm of her hand. The object seemed heavier in light of the decision she made to leave Ifrane. A small, guilty part of her felt like she was leaving her mother behind. She felt like she was leaving her whole family behind, off to pursue some grand Jedi adventure across the stars—even if, rationally, she knew that her purpose in leaving was far more important.

She stood, brought the snippet to her lips, and pressed it gently there for a moment. "I will come back," she whispered to no one in an empty room. In her mind, though, she imagined her mother's ghost was nearby listening and smiling as she always did. "When the Sith are gone and the galaxy is free, I'll be back. I swear it."

Asha let the necklace fall back into place, shut her trunk, and turned to leave and find Leah at the hangar. But, just then, the Force surged magnificently. The room was heavy with the presence of the light side and Asha felt her spine tingle as all of the heat in the room seemed to be sucked into one spot directly in-front of her. She remembered the spirit of the little gnome in the cave, and the sensation in the Force he had caused, and immediately recognized what was happening. But it was not a gnome that stood before her now. It was a beautiful women, in Jedi attire that looked like a blend between traditional Jedi robes and Ifranian dresses.

The woman bore a striking resemblance to Asha's mother, the girl thought, and, for moment, Asha believed the ghost of her mother had truly come to visit her. She bore the same ravishing smile, but her mother had never owned Jedi robes and never seemed to have the same affinity for the Force that Asha had. Still, Asha had a strong sense that she knew this woman from somewhere. There was a familiarity to her that Asha could not deny.

So, her voice barely a whisper, she simply asked, "Who are you?" @Deviant

 

[Leah Reach]

Leah looked back to Asha with curious eyes. Something was pulling her away. Another forgotten belonging, a final farewell, or was it the Force? The Jedi Master could sense a mysterious presence. However, she made no effort to push or intrude. Whatever the young woman was looking for, it was only for her to find. With a soft smile and quick nod, she watched Asha spin around and return to her private chambers. When she did, Leah continued onward to the shuttle waiting for their departure. Back to Al’doleem, back to home, and onto a new day with a new student. The future of the Jedi Order, as well as the Galactic Alliance, could not have looked any better than better.

Meanwhile, standing before Asha in her empty room, was none other than the Jedi from their dreams. The native who was among the first of her kin to join the Order. The woman who planted the tree and guarded its secret through the Force. The Master who lead each of them onto the course they were now set. A smile simmered on her face. “My name is Imani Sage.” She clasped her hands together. While she represented everything it meant to be a Jedi Master, draped in her robes and indigenous garbs, the young woman nonchalantly leaned against the wall. “At this point, I would have thought you already figured it out. But that’s fine. I was a slow learner myself.”

Imani was a savage even in death. Even with the Force. Of course, for all her age and wisdom and experience, she hardly changed. She was still the hardy warrior of her people who fought against the tyranny of the Sith Empire even at their greatest height of power. Still the young woman Wyck plucked out of the labor camp and trained into Knighthood. Still the sharp-witted, kind-hearted and good-natured Jedi Master. One might think five hundred years would change someone, but not Imani. Neither Wyck, who she had come to meet and know more than before. Although they reconciled before his demise, as he promised, she found him in the Force again.

Now, together, they guided the future of the Jedi toward a new dawn. They would guide Asha the same way Wyck guided her.

@Malon

 

[Asha]

"I did— I do!" Asha was quick to blurt out, then took a second to breathe and compose herself. "The queen speaks of you often. You're the Jedi who inspired our rebellion." You're the Jedi from my dreams. You're the voice I can't get out of my head. Asha thought these things but said none of them. They sounded ridiculous even in her head. She imagined they would sound worse to this Force spirit. Delusional even. But, still, Asha could not shake the question of, 'Why?' Why was she and she alone seeing and hearing these things? Why did this woman keep appearing to her in one form or another?

"We found your tree," she found herself telling the spirit. "We found what you hid there. I— I think I met your Jedi Master." She was thinking, of course, of the little gnome within the tree. Wyck had been his name, she thought. It was still hard to imagine that one so tiny had once been the leader of the Jedi Order. And this... this woman had been his student. She had seen as much in all of her many visions since Leah's arrival. But none of this explained the 'why.' She still didn't fully understand why Wyck had appeared in front of her back there in the tree-cave.

Once the confessions began, they did not stop, and Asha decided to approach the issue from a different angle. "I keep seeing you... in visions, in dreams. Sometimes, when the Force is strongest around me, I'll hear your voice." She folded her arms across her chest. "When I asked you who you were, that's what I meant. I'm a nobody. There are stronger Jedi out there, like my Master, who could use your guidance better than I ever could. So, why me? Who are you that you would appear before a girl without any training at all?" And why do you look so much like my mother?

Deep down, Asha was beginning to suspect a truth she would not know for some time. But she pushed it down and ignored it. What she suspected was impossible. A series of coincidences that made it look more plausible than it truly was. Because she had been right earlier: she was nobody. A rebel, yes. A Jedi, maybe someday, but a relatively unimportant one even then. And, in her mind, at least at that moment, that was all she would ever rise to be because it was all she had ever been. @Deviant

 

[Leah Reach]

“Who, Master Wyck? That wrinkled, walking avocado? Horns for ears? Yea high?” She reached a hand to his waist and strained to continue, knowing her old Master was of remarkable height. In the not so flattering way. Of course, Imani knew the young girl had seen and heard him already. Several times. After all, her oversight and guidance had not fallen only to the spirit of Master Sage. As they were together again with the Force, somehow connected to the holocron he created, the two worked together to guide the remnants of the Jedi toward a new dawn. A wide grin stretched from ear to ear. “But yes, I know. He’s a weird one, am I right?” She laughed.

As Asha continued, laying everything out to the older woman as if she didn’t already know, Imani leaned forward. “Have some faith, Asha. You are a lot more than nobody or just somebody. You are a child of Ifrane, as I was, and a Jedi, like I am now.” She paused. “And I believe you just answered your own question.” Another smile. “You’re a girl who needs guidance, so I am here to guide you.” She tiled her head. “-ish.” Imani inched ever closer to the young woman. “I will make sure your Master knows what she’s doing, but I look out for my people too. You represent Ifrane. You represent a Light the galaxy needs to see. So, why shouldn’t I be allowed to keep an eye out for you?”

“You are strong in the Force, Asha, and I am with the Force.” That was the best explanation she had to offer. She knew it was that among other things, including her interaction with the holocron she stored away in the ancient tree, but that was unimportant. “Sometimes, you don’t always have to know. You just need to do. To take a leap of faith. You’ve taken your first steps, and I’m here to catch you.” She shrugged. “Well, and your Master too.” Imani chuckled again but hid away her own stirring thoughts. She could see it in the girl’s face on what she was looking for, but did she need the answer? No. It was never about who someone was, only what they did, and Imani trusted Asha would do great things in the future.

“Speaking of which,” she added and smirked. “She’s waiting for you. You better get going.” Imani stepped away. “You have a long journey ahead of you.” She moved to leave her chambers. “See you soon.” When she rounded the corner, if Asha chose to follow, she would find nobody. Only empty air, the end of the corridor, and the exit that would lead her to the next chapter of her life. Meanwhile, Leah would wait in the shuttle, legs crossed and eyes closed. From afar, anyone might have thought she was deep in meditation and contemplation, when in reality she had dazed off. So much of a Jedi Master she was.

@Malon

 

[Asha]

The dead Jedi Master's words were so cryptic and yet so encouraging at the same time. Asha still didn't have all of the answers to the questions she sought, but at least she had something. She had hope, and she had a teacher. And now she had something resembling a guardian angel too. A sassy, sarcastic, dead guardian angel, but she supposed stranger things had happened.

She gave the Force spirit a determined nod and said, "I will not let you down. I promise." Then, pulling her bag straps over her shoulder and ensuring her mother's necklace was in place, Imani left the room (and the spirit) and hurried along after Leah. She found the Jedi Master waiting for her in the hangar bay, with the ship—Asha's first transport off-world—primed and ready to go. Once again, she was hit with the magnitude of what she was about to do... the adventure she was poised to embark upon.

Momentarily, she wondered what worlds she would see — what missions she would embark upon — and what trials she would face on the path to becoming a Jedi Knight. Then, briefly, she thought back upon the Force spirit's words. See you soon. Asha looked back over her shoulder, but Imani Sage's spirit was not there. She had a connection to that woman. A connection she could feel, even if she couldn't fully explain it and even though the spirit had offered no explanation herself. One day, perhaps when her training was complete, she would seek out the source of that connection.

For now, she turned back to Leah and offered the Jedi Master the same confident nod she had given Imani's spirit just moments before. Whatever the galaxy had in store for her, she was finally ready. A light smirk touched her lips. "Shall we begin?" @Deviant

 

[Leah Reach]

Her eyes fluttered open. Leah caught Asha approaching the transport, her belongings slung over her shoulder, a strange, confident smile plastered on her face. The young woman evolved so much since they first met. First, she was only a rebel who had fought and sacrificed so much of her life to liberate her homeworld. Next, inch by inch, she gave in to the Light Side of the Force, at Leah’s urging, and now she was ready to become a Jedi. A thought she was once afraid of but now welcomed.

Although the process was common among other students and force-sensitive individuals, Asha was different. She had been far more reluctant, but something else was guiding her forward. Someone other than Leah. She wondered, but ignored the thought.

Looking up from her seat, she shared in her thin smirk. “I thought you’d never ask.” She answered and leaned forward in the cockpit, fingers running along the dashboard. Colors flickered on and off. The engines whirred to life. As the landing ramp behind them creaked to a close, the transport began its liftoff. Slowly but surely, they ascended, leaving the Queen and her new capital behind. Before they melted into the clouds, however, Leah spotted something along a ridge. Someone.

The same woman from her vision. The dreams. It had to be Jedi Master Sage, that much was certain, but she was not alone. Another figure, shorter and smaller, sat on a rock beside her. Both of them watched the transport streak into the sky. Leah smiled. She knew who they were, and she was glad to know they watched and guided them through the Force. And they would continue to do so, as long as she lived and breathed, as long as Asha was ready.

End Thread.​