In, and out.
The thought was mindless as she sunk into the familiar rhythm. A playful breeze rustled the leaves of the tree of life. Somewhere, far away, her body responded to the serenity with a smile. The branches cradled her as she looked to the flowers. Her sister, somewhere across the galaxy, was blooming as well.
All at once, the peace fell away. The ground itself rumbled and shook. Entire branches came tumbling down, one threatening to crush her entirely. A sharp inhale took her from her meditation, revealing her quarters around her. Pain seized every inch of the padawan's existence. A million souls screamed in unison, and Xashe felt everything as they left this life. Sorrow, anger, shock. Brown eyes widened as she heaved, trying to find the rhythm once more, but it escaped her grasp.
Shakily, she rose from the mat. Her knees threatened to give, but sheer stubbornness kept her upright. Every step was an eternity, but finally, the door flew open in front of her. Tears stained her face as she moved to the next one over, rapping quickly on the door.
"Rhis!" The cry was desperate and full of anguish.
The door opened with a Nautolan behind it, his face etched with horror and grief. His whole body shook in a frenzy, disturbed by the grand events of the Galaxy that occurred parsecs away from them. Rhis always maintained a face of steadfast strength and courage, wanting to be an example for his Padawan to live up to. Sadly, he could not create a facade for his Padawan.
“I felt it, too,” his arms wrapped around the Mirialan, attempting to comfort his apprentice. It was all he could think of as the two Jedi grieved for the tragedy they felt in the ripples of the Force. This was nothing he had felt before and its pain was acute.
“Let’s try to calm down, yeah?”
Pulling her head away from his chest, she looked up to him. Anger contorted her face. Xashe had thought she knew evil. The morellain had watched as her family succumbed to it through inaction. She had treated the wounded on prosperity, those struck down by the blades of darkness. She had seen her closest friend twisted by a perverted, ancient magic, before he was stolen away from her altogether. She had even seen the maw in their fullest form- or so she thought- when the pair had helped free those who knew their cruelty better than anyone.
"How could they do this?" She choked, still shaking her head. "I don't understand."
Pausing, she pulled away from the embrace, wiping the tears from her eyes. They were useless, and her master was right; she needed to calm down. When she looked back to him, a familiar determination took to her gaze.
"What do we do now?"
“Now? Now is not the time to be weak, my Padawan,” stepping forward to Xashe and placing both of his hands on her shoulder, his eyes bridging with hers as he spoke to her, attempting to part strength and wisdom to his pupil. “We will grieve for what has happened, but we must move forward. We have a service to give to the Galaxy, protecting those who are weak to evils such as this.”
Taking a pause as he inhaled deeply before his next words. “Today...today we failed those in defense against the Maw,” it was hard to admit that degree of failure to Xashe, but it was the truth. Many acted in aid for the Chiss on their homeworld, yet their strength wasn’t enough to prevail against the zealots of the Maw. “Unfortunately, we cannot save everyone,” a statement he had seen time and time again in battle, the one loss that hurt the most was the death of his own mentor when he was a Padawan, “but that shouldn’t deter us from our duty and oaths. We must be strong in these times, for the sake of the Galaxy.”
“Therefore, I believe it is time to advance your training,” that should spark some joy and excitement in her. “Remember this, we must act with precision and little error, yes? How efficient we are in our actions will help protect others.”
She nodded, acceptance finally arriving. We cannot save everyone. A hard truth, but one she had learned in the Bryn’aduls shadow. Nodding, her gaze didn’t leave him. She needed to be stronger, and would put her all into her next steps of training.
“We have to be their sword.” She said softly. “Training, every day, please. I don’t want to waste time. I don’t want to be sidelined the next time they strike.”
A deep breath.
“There will be peace, but not for them.” Her words hardened as she repeated the mantra.
