Rebuilding spirits

[Skanah]

Even after so much time on Arbra, it still feels strange to Tora. After a little under a decade, she is finally back in a safe environment, surrounded by her fellow Jedi. What used to feel like home now feels almost alien. Though of course plenty of other people feel the same way, it seems repetitive to say "this doesn't feel like things used to". On one hand, it's still true, on the other hand, it's time to not necessarily move on, but rebuild. That is why we are here right now, to rebuild. Much has been lost over these ten years. Some things have hit harder than others, some people have taken those worse than others. History has shown however that the times that hold the most struggle also hold the most growth, whether internally or externally.

Tora walks with a confident, quick stride, with the intention of exiting the temple. She makes no eye contact with anyone, nor any real acknowledgement at all. She walks briskly into the jungle, stopping a couple hundred meters out, and sighs heavily, enjoying the comfort of isolation for a moment. She folds her brown robe in her hands, dropping it neatly to the ground before leaning against a large rock and pushing her hair out of her eyes.

The forest has always been somewhat of a comfort, far different than the bustling streets of Coruscant temple that she practically grew up in. Tora slides down the rock and draws her knees up to her chest. Within a few minutes her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of footsteps.

 

[01010101101]

"Hey, bro!" Shalge shouted, punching his brother in the back.

Tali lurched forward, nearly dropping the holobook that he was holding. "Holy crap, Shalge! You freaking scared me!" Tali yelped, turning to look at the younger boy.

Shalge just laughed. "I've been training myself to become more stealthy," he said proudly. "Though I'm probably going to use it to give people heart attacks more than sneaking around."

The older boy carefully placed the holobook back into its designated spot while he replied. "Yeah, I can't really picture you spying on anyone. ...heck, even sneaking around seems a bit unlikely. Is that what Miss Arisa's been teaching you?"

Shalge blinked. "Why would she be teaching me anything?"

"Ah, right. I forgot to tell you. Apparently Mister Ben's talked to some other Jedi, and we've been accepted as Padawans."

Before Tali could speak another word, Shalge jumped up into the air, nearly crashing into a shelf. "HAHAHAHA!" he laughed. "THAT'S FLIPPING AWESOME!" Turning back to Tali, he asked with a grin on his face, "So, I'm assuming that Ari's my master, and Ben's yours?"

Slightly fazed at the shortened use of Arisa's name, Tali nodded. "That seems about right. Ben told me to study the lightsaber forms to find one that I like."

"HOLY CRAP YOU HAVE A SABER!" Shalge interrupted, again thrown off-topic. He pointed to the long silver object at Tali's side. "Can I see it?" he asked happily.

Tali chewed on his lip. Shalge probably knew how to use a lightsaber responsively, right? After all, he wielded his vibroblade quite well when they were attacked by pirates. "I guess," he reasoned. "But let's go outside the Temple so you don't accidently break anything." The brothers slowly walked out of the room, bowing appropriately the few times a senior Jedi passed by. Simply being at the Enclave excited both of the boys, especially Shalge. However, Tali felt a small tinge of negative emotion surrounding him. Fear, anxiety, tension. He expected as much, seeing how he was standing in one of the few existing temples. Everyone had to live knowing that each day was a day that the Imperium finally found their location and stormed in. Tali doubted that even the Jedi could withstand the full might of the Sith and their allies. The mere thought made him want to train harder in preparation for the coming battles. But no, his main goal was to ensure his younger brother's safety.

Shalge also knew that their comfort at the Enclave could only last so long. However, unlike his brother, he was confident in the Jedi's power to defend their temple and their lives. He would just have to do his part to make it a bit more possible for the Jedi to survive. "So, what did Ben teach you?" he asked as they neared the exit.

Tali smirked a bit. "I'll give you three chances to guess," he replied.

"Fine. Uh....Soresu?"
"Good guess, but no."
"Um....Shii-Cho?"
"Nope. I'll give you a hint: It's either form V, VI, or VII."
"There's a sixth and seventh?!"
"You didn't know that?"
"Heck no! Uh...sixth?"
"...lucky guess. Yeah, it's Niman, a perfectly balanced form."

Shalge nodded. "I've only heard about five forms," he said. "I guess I should study all seven, huh?"

"That would be prudent," Tali agreed. They were now a good distance away from the Temple, and had headed into the jungle, where there would be the least chance of collateral damage (or anyone seeing a failed lightsaber maneuver). "Here," he said, carefully handing Shalge his lightsaber.

The younger brother examined the weapon, knowing how potentially lethal an accident would be. The hilt had a basic Firebrand design, a common sight among Jedi initiates. The boy activated the lightsaber, and his surroundings were suddenly illuminated with a blue light. "Whoa," Shalged breathed. He testily waved it around, feeling the weight and power of the blade. He deactivated it after a few more seconds and handed it back to Tali. "I hope I get one soon," he said with a smile.

"Ledge," Tali replied simply.

"What?"

"You're about to trip over that ledge." Tali pointed to a large rock that Shalge was standing on, and was about to fall off of."

"Oh, crap," Shalge laughed, looking down the ledge. "Hey, wait...Did someone fall off?"

The older boy quickly rushed over. A fall like that wouldn't be fatal, or really even that damaging if the fall was on purpose. Nevertheless, he did feel a whisper of the Force nearby, and it wasn't Shalge. "Oh, this is awkward," Tali said sheepishly. "I think a Jedi is sleeping down there."

"Or dead," Shalge added bluntly.

 

[Skanah]

Tora heard them long before she could see them. Two people, kids. We'll they were acting animated and goofy enough to be mistake for kids. There's an old saying, "I don't know how to act my age, I've never been this age before." This appears to be something that these two would most likely laugh and agree with. The Jedi simply sat still, listening casually in on the conversation that was taking place above her. Their voices were filled with joy, innocence. The kind of emotions that Tora can vividly remember feeling at that same age. So young, yet you feel twice as old and wise, as invincible as the largest battle station. The next hour seems like some sort of distant future, ever encounter a new adventure. At the mention that one of them had never heard of forms VI and VII Tora smiles slightly, reminded of Frey. He used Juyo, and used to impressively well for having no formal training in it. There always something peculiar about him. Even after all these years she has yet to figure it out.

Tora rolls her eyes at their remarks when they take notice of her. She stretches her legs and stands up quickly, picking up her robe and flipping it around while throwing it over her shoulders in one smooth motion. She feels reaches out to the force and back flips the distance up the rock, landing softly less than a meter behind both of the boys. A quick look over them confirms most of her guesses. They both appear to be in their mid teens, despite their youthful attitudes currently. Nothing wrong with that of course, the most serious of people should have some way to get their minds off of things.

"Hello there. My name is Tora." The Jedi extends her hand from her robe and puts on her most warming smile. "I assure you I'm quite alive."

 

[01010101101]

"Holycrapshe'snotdead," Shalge squealed, jumping away from the woman.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that," Tali replied. He bowed slightly to the Jedi before shaking her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Tora," he greeted. "My name is Tali Werin, and this is--"

"Shalge, the savior of planets and the destroyer of battleships!" the younger boy interrupted, a grin on his face.

"--the pain in my neck," Tali finished. He examined the stranger in front of him. She looked to be in her mid to late twenties, and now that he was focusing, he noticed that the measure of Force power that she seemed to have indicated that she was around the might of a new Knight, or at least an experienced Padawan.

"Hey, you're pretty old to be a Padawan," Shalge said bluntly, causing his brother to pale. "Are you a Knight or something?" He had been paying attention to the way that Tora moved. Her movements were graceful and practiced. Obviously, she had been in training for at least a while; she was certainly his upperclassman, or upperclasswoman, or whatever the term was. Nevertheless, that didn't stop Shalge from running his mouth. "Oh, wait! Have you been 'held back'? I mean, Tali and I are Padawans, and we're younger than you, so you must have been a Padawan for a long while--hey!"

Tali had gently Force pushed Shalge over, causing the younger boy to land with a crunch on the leaf-covered ground. "<Why must you always do this?>" Tali questioned dryly, speaking in Bith. "<It takes quite a while for a Padawan to become a Knight. Or she might have just officially joined the Jedi.>"

Shalge just shrugged and stood up.

The older boy smiled sheepishly at Tora. "<Sorry, er>, Sorry about that," he laughed nervously. "He sometimes doesn't know when to stop talking."

 

[Skanah]

Tora shakes the boys hand, laughing slightly at their antics. They're obviously close, quite likely brothers. Returning her hand to her side she watches the scene unfold as Tali attempts to apologize for Shalge. They are correct, she is slightly old to be a Padawan, though with the way the Jedi Order has been for the last decade, it has thrown many Padawans off their original tracks. Of course, Tora has only recently been reunited with the bulk of their remnants, three quarters of the Jedi exile she spent planet hopping with her partner Frey.

"Heh, it's not a problem, Shalge is right, I am a bit old to be a Padawan. Most of my peers are Knights. But many of them weren't cut off from the Jedi for a majority of the time since the battle of Coruscant. I've only recently resurfaced as a Jedi. Spending a decade system jumping across the galaxy throws your training. I've decided it is best I stay an apprentice for at least a little while longer. Though frankly I wouldn't be surprised if I had more field experience than many of the current Knights." Tora inhales slightly, catching her breath after the longer-than-intended explanation. "Though field experience doesn't collate directly to training, which most Knights will have more than me at this point."

Finished with that, Tora leans back hard on her heels, a subconscious habit. Changing the topic slightly, she starts on something that is obviously on their minds. "So you," pointing at Tali, "Are in the process of learning Niman, possibly the most versatile and balanced of forms. What form is Shalge most interested in? The raw power of form V? The acrobatic combat of Ataru? Maybe even the elegance yet immense dueling strength of Makashi?" The boys will obviously take this topic and run with it if they act the same as they have so far. Tora honestly interested in where that will take them, it's highly amusing to watch them.

 

[01010101101]

"ALL OF THEM!" Shalge said excitedly.

"You just don't know the specifics of each form," Tali laughed, causing Shalge to quickly punch his brother in the gut. "Worth...it," Tali wheezed as he doubled over.

"I know...some of it" Shalge shot back. "I's meant for disarming, II's for kicking Sith tail, III's aimed towards blaster reflection, and IV's...something something something."

"You have no idea what Ataru is, do you?" Tali said, having collected himself.

"Uh, sure I do! It's..." Shalge looked at Tora as he thought. "A form with 'acrobatic combat-ness'."

Tali couldn't keep himself contained any longer. Bursting into laughter, the older boy replied, "Miss Arisa is going to have her hands full for the next few weeks."

"Hey, Tora. Mind if I use your lightsaber to kill my brother?" Shalge asked.

"I wouldn't do that, miss," Tali coughed between spurts of roaring laughter. "He might activate it the wrong way." Once the boy had calmed down, he looked to Tora again. "I was wondering: who's your Master?"

 

[AshCloud]

"Ataru relies on ones ability to move using the force, mostly for acrobatic combat..." Ashley Narris appeared from behind a tree, "Then of course, you have to count for the lightsaber type of the user, one blade flipping around in the air is m-much easier to control than two, or a double blade." Ash put her arms around her back and looked down, "My name is Ashley, you can call me Ash if you prefer, sorry for eaves dropping, I heard voices and it sounded like someone was in trouble.." She looked at the two boys, then over to Tora, "Although, it seems like the younger one is always trying to be in trouble." She laughed softly, sitting down on the ground, waiting for the conversation to continue as if she wasn't there.

 

[Skanah]

OOC: (I'M BACK! :bitchez Sorry for the delay.)


Tora sensed the newcomer's presence before they began speaking. Of course though, there are many Jedi on this planet so she didn't think anything of it. Just as she was preparing to answer them, a new voice joined the conversation. Tora takes a step back, carefully inspecting this human who introduces herself as "Ashley". "That would be correct, though I did know a person who used two blades and used form IV. Still one of the more impressive Lightsaber users I've ever seen."

Redirecting the conversation too the boys, "My Master... I don't have one right now. My previous one was killed in the battle of Coruscant." Tora tilts her head slightly looking off into the woods but catches herself quickly and comes back to reality. "But I've had ten years to deal with that."

 

[Mister Rob]

Mal Saarn crunched through the fallen leaves scattered around the ground like a hungry rancor searching for prey. The Kel Dor was unaware of anyone nearby, or even that he was wandering closer to the presence of other Jedi, he was more focused on looking for something in the mess of dead leaves and twigs.

"Were are you ? I know I had you out here a moment ago!" he spoke quite loudly to himself.

To many, Mal Saarn would seem rather strange, his bright coloured robes adorned with numerous trinkets and tools hung loosely from his garments. A long training saber sat on his back, held on by a smooth white fabric that wrapped around his back and waist.

"Aha!" he leaned down and scrapped through the leaves before scrunching up his face

"Oh, just a credit chip." he says, throwing it behind him like it was trash. He carried on his scavenging, still very unaware of the nearby Jedi.

 

[AshCloud]

Ash looked at Tora, "I see, I dont have a ,aster either, but that's due to the fact that I... just arrived here the other day." She looked down, "I've heard about Coruscant, from the spacers back home. They say its Like Nar Shadaa, but without the stench, or the planet of hutts mating next door." She looked up at Tora, "I was born on Nar Shadaa, you see, and they don't like humans there." She stood up and stretched, "I didn't know anything about the Force until I left the planet. Its so crowded with people, that I read that exiled Jedi or Sith hide there, because its so hard for Force users to focus there." She smiled, looking of into another world, "When I left, its like I felt the heartbeat of the galaxy..."

She snapped back into the current situation, "Maybe they'll make you a Master soon, Tora, I doubt they'd just let you go this long without a Knight just to keep you a padawan..." She gave a soft smile before looking at the older girl's saber, "So.. what colour is it?"

 

[AshCloud]

(accidental double post, sorry)

 

[01010101101]

Tali scratched his head awkwardly. "You lost your Master? Um...well...sorry to hear that." He chuckled nervously. "In any case, I'm sure Ash is right; You'll be promoted before you know it."

The younger boy simply stared into the distance, suddenly alerted by what seemed like the rustle of some leaves. Shalge shrugged. It was probably a small animal of some sort. "Coruscant's a great place," he said to Ash. "Well, not anymore, of course, since it's kind of...sacked."

"It's not that different from Nar Shaddaa, actually," Tali murmured lowly. "The only difference is that the scum is under the surface. It's still there, though, if you know where to look. At least, that's what my father says."

(Ack, still recovering from stomach flu. >_< Bleh)

 

[Skanah]

Tora looks down and smiles slightly. She probably couldget promoted, the Jedi need every qualified Knight they can get right now. Shrugging, she says softly “Maybe I’ll ask soon, but it wouldn’t hurt to get a couple months of extra training in. Now, Nar Shaddaa is a very dark place, though as you, your father, said Coruscant has fallen into the same hole. Though now it is literally a hole, seeing as how ruthlessly the Sith desolated it. Things were bad enough as it was.”

Seeking to change the topic, Tora seeks to answer Ash’s question. “Purple. It’s purple.” She deftly unhooks the lightsaber and spins it in her palm before igniting the blade. After a few quick close-to-body swings she holds it vertically, inspecting it. “I had a blue one, but it was destroyed in battle.”

 

[Mister Rob]

The glow of the purple lightsaber is what first came to Mal's attention as he lifted his head up in the direction of the group. It was a interesting hue, Mal was quite the fan of purple. Dusting himself down he made a careful strut towards them, at the same time scanning the ground for any signs of the object he was searching for moments ago.

"Interesting colour. I think i'd opt for green myself, but that really brings out your cheekbones" he chuckled to himself.

"But forgive me, I'm Mal Saarn. I'm new here. Please to make your acquaintance" he give a semi low bow to the group before rising up.

"Say.. sorry to interrupt but you guys haven't happen to see a AA-12X VerboBrain about have you?"

 

[AshCloud]

Ash stared at the violet blade, "Wow, I've never evem seen a lightsaber activated before coming here." She smiled, taking a more relaxed stance around the small group. "It really is a symbol of hope, that things will get better."

Ashley noticed the comparison that Tora made to Nar Shaddaa, "While Corucsant may be a literal hole now,I'd go as far as to say that Nar Shaddaa is a hole that the Force gets lost in." She frowned, looking somber, "So many people without any hope, there's almost a constant background noise while you're there, and all your senses are underwhelmed." She looked at the brothers, "That's how I discovered I was Force Sensitive, I left Nar Shaddaa and was able to feel so much more than I ever had before, like waking up from a fever dream."

The arrival of Mar Saarn didn't overly surprise Ash, but she was always cautious around new people, "AA-12X?" She pondered for a moment, "No, but if your manufacturing droid is malfunctioning, I could take a look at it."She leaned against a tree, starting to go off "AA-12's aren't particularly difficult to work with, naturally they're a combination of the best components from AA-1's and AA-2's." She reached her hand toward Mal Saarn, "I'm Ashley Narris, by the way, I've worked with a lot of jurry-rigged droids since I was little, so, if you're looking for any help, I'd be happy to assist you." She realised that she had dragged on for a bit and blushed, "S-sorry, I don't normally keep talking like that..."