Private &nbsp; A Real Jedi (Valery and Xarielle)

"Master Noble? The Padawan has arrived."

Hearing the voice of the protocol droid, Valery let out a soft breath, opened her eyes, and pushed herself back up to her feet. She had been meditating for a few hours after first spending an hour or two going through her personal training routine. It helped keep the mind calm and focused, which was important especially now that her life had been so hectic.

Today though, the war or her personal problems didn't matter much — she was to guide a young Padawan through his first crystal gathering, a big step all Jedi would go through. Ever since her appointment as Watchmen of Ilum, Valery had helped several Jedi go through their gathering journeys, and it was likely the most rewarding of her duties here on Ilum.

It certainly beat the long patrols that rarely involved anything exciting.

Making her way down to the Temple hall, she quickly spotted Rhys Halcyon, who had been stopped by a protocol droid as well. She recognized him from the files she was sent and walked over to him so she could offer a bow of her head, a simple sign of respect for her fellow Jedi.

"Padawan Halcyon?" she asked with a kind smile.

"I'm Master Noble, it's good to see you. I hope the trip here went alright?"

Rhys Halcyon · Feb 4, 2022

The inside of the temple was considerably warmer, which was nice, and it wasn't long before the master he was meant to meet arrived. He returned her gracious bow, descending slightly further than she did in recognition of her superior rank.

"Hi Master. My trip was... good, I guess. Kinda weird to me. I haven't travelled on many starships."

In his short life he'd been off Coruscant, at least before the attack, only twice. Once had been a visit to Tython when he was about 6, the other had been a recent trip to Ossus of no great design other than showing younglings another important Jedi world. He wasn't sure what to consider his new home aboard the Prosperity. The old Tho Yor ship was somewhere akin to a space station, and it certainly didn't feel the same as flying on a shuttle out to the edge of charted space.

"So umm.. what is it I gotta do here master?"

Valery Noble · Feb 5, 2022

Location: Ilum | Jedi Temple

Valery: Appearance

Outfit: Factory Link

To see a young Padawan bow was almost a strange thing these days — the Jedi weren't quite as formal as those she grew up around, but she always appreciated seeing the traditional signs of respect. So when he moved back up out of his bow, she dipped her head and continued her smile.

"I'm glad the trip was good," Valery said as a hand came up in the direction of the Temple hall. She began to walk and wanted him to follow after her, as they passed through rebuilt halls with statues and decorations originally made thousands of years ago.

"As for what you have to do, it's time for what we call the gathering. Once I explained a few things and answered any questions you might have, I'll guide you to the crystal caves. There you'll go on a small journey to find the crystal that is meant to be yours." she explained before she stopped within the main hall.

"Before I explain more about it though, are there any burning questions you have? Or something you need, such as food or water? The gathering can be quite intense so it's best to go in prepared."

Rhys Halcyon · Feb 5, 2022

"Burning questions? It would be nice if anything around us was burning right now." the chill in the corridor air delivered his words in a plume of steam.

But alas, no questions were burning to get out. He felt somewhat prepared, as much as he could. The knot of anxiety still twisted and turned inside his stomach, pulling down harder on his mind as they made their way through the temple. He'd learned all that could be told to an apprentice about their trials, but there were still things that were forbidden to know. That was part of the experience.

"What was your trial like, Master Noble? Hard, easy? I've heard they sometimes send people to Dantooine... well before the Empire anyway. Did you do yours here as well?" he wasn't sure what he was allowed to ask her, but that didn't stop him. Valery definitely wasn't old, and age no longer equated experience these days. He'd already seen more than any boy should. If this woman was the protector of this very sacred place, he knew she must have wisdom beyond her years as well.

Valery Noble · Feb 5, 2022

Location: Ilum | Jedi Temple

Valery: Appearance

Outfit: Factory Link

Valery chuckled in response to his comment about the cold — it no longer really bothered her that much, but it wasn't hard to understand how intense it could be for those new to it. More often than not, she used Tapas to control her body temperature but as a younger Padawan, he most likely relied on proper clothing, and it only helped so much.

"My trial?" Valery looked over her shoulder, in the direction of the caves they'd be heading to in a moment.

"My first crystal gathering was here on Ilum, but that was a long time ago. Not that a lot changed — the Temple has been damaged and rebuilt a few times, but the caves still feel the same." she looked back at him and smiled. Technically, her gathering was over 4000 years ago, but going into her whole story of being in stasis was probably a bit too much. "It was challenging, yes. As you're likely going to experience as well, the caves put you to the test quite a bit."

"Within the crystal caves, there will be one crystal that calls out to you; only one that you're meant to bond with. Your task is to find it and face whatever obstacle is placed in your way. I can't say what you'll find exactly because it's never the same. My advice is to let the Force guide you, and to remain true to yourself."

Rhys Halcyon · Feb 5, 2022

Rhys closed his eyes as Valery spoke, trying to feel out into the caves. It wasn't hard. The Force was so strong here. it was impossible not to feel the call of the crystals. But just one? No, he thought. Far too noisy for that. The song of the kyber melded into one.

"Master, that's what I'm worried about. I've never been great at letting the Force guide me. I think if it weren't for the Order's lack of Jedi they'd have put me in the service corps. I have a lot of trouble concentrating. I'm good with a lightsaber, but that doesn't mean much if I can make my own. What happens if I can't find my crystal?"

Sweat beaded than froze again on his forehead. He wiped it clear with his robe's sleeve. His face was bright red, a mixture of both the cold and his nervousness. A sick feeling of nerves on fire welled up inside him. Not a lot embarrassed him. Nothing had brought him down when he talked big to the other younglings about becoming a Jedi Knight some day. He thought now maybe he was just a little dreamer with ambitions too big for his size.

Xarielle Pavanos · Feb 5, 2022

Sometime later...

Asog was a trip, as was trying to explain to her mother

Kaalia Pavanos what had happened, why she went off the grid - and the oh, twenty-one questions that followed. It was always nice to know that your parents still loved you, her ma wasn't nearly as gracious with chewing her out from one end of the galaxy to the other. Maybe this was why she and her sister weren't allowed at the sleep-away camps with the Zambrano kids back then. Gone were the trinkets that might remind people of any particular Empire, instead Xarielle rocked a simple black and blue leather jacket with the Balmorran emblem.

Ilum wasn't nearly as foreboding as it was last time, or at the very least new. The Balmorran was here to make good on that whole lightsaber thing. Her mother reassured her she wasn't betraying anything by walking the Jedi Path. All mom wanted to be sure of, was that Rielle was doing this of her own accord. There was a small moment where they reminisced about gramps, but aside from that, it was a green light to pursue the path. Mom had told her what Master Noble told her; it wasn't going to be easy. "Looking for Master Noble?" Xarielle inquired before someone directed her toward the caves, they mentioned that the Master was with a padawan.

Rielle figured it would be a good time as any, plus - she needed to meet other padawans.

Valery Noble · Feb 6, 2022

Location: Ilum | Jedi Temple

Valery: Appearance

Outfit: Factory Link

It wasn't that difficult for Valery to notice that Rhys was nervous, so she raised a hand and gently placed it on his shoulder in a comforting way. "To be good with a lightsaber requires you to connect with the Force and listen to it. So while you might think it's difficult, I'm sure you can do it. Just remain calm and listen." She withdrew her hand and looked in the direction of the caves, which were still blocked off by a large door of ice.

"You will find your crystal and I'm confident that you can become a fine Jedi. Believe in yourself." Valery said but before she could turn to lead him over to the caves, she felt a familiar presence approaching. With a smile on her face, she stopped and turned to greet Xarielle Pavanos right as she entered the room.

"Good to see you again, Xarielle," Valery looked down at Rhys and gestured to the newcomer, "She actually went through her gathering not too long ago. So perhaps she can give you some advice as well if you'd like."

Rhys Halcyon · Feb 7, 2022

Valery Noble Xarielle Pavanos

Valery's hand on his shoulder was calming, her words reassuring. He had to do this. It was paramount in importance, maybe as much as fighting the Sith, but he couldn't do that with a training saber. He had to do this, before anything else.

Rhys closed his eyes and tried to focus again, deeper this time. He tried his hardest to feel each crystal's aura instead of the one they produced together. It wasn't coming to him just yet, but once he was beyond that door of ice he had his hopes. He'd hoped for this all his life. The Jedi taught that Hope was a powerful thing.

As he tried to concentrate he heard the footsteps of another being approach, throwing him off. He opened his eyes to see a young woman approaching in plainclothes. He'd expected everyone here to be wearing robes like him. Regardless of her looks, he was able to breathe a relieved breath to know there was someone else here, especially one who might ease his mind a little more.

"I wasn't expecting to see another Padawan here. You're a Padawan too, right?"

Xarielle Pavanos · Feb 7, 2022

"I am, officially... I think?" Unless there was an application process that no one told Xarielle about. Rielle turned toward Master Noble and bowed with respect. Just before a nod of agreement, confirming she had indeed recently been through the caves herself. "A pleasure to see you again." Absent one sack of potatoes, at the very least. "I don't um, I don't know that I have any actual advice? I just, there was just something there." She gave a small shrug and cringed slightly as she scratched the back of her head nervously. "I felt like it was calling me? I mean, it helped that I went in with a relatively clear mind."

"My mom always said that when connecting with the Force, you must always clear your mind and focus on its voice. At first, it might not sound like anything but it's a different kind of voice, but when you feel it. Focus on that and just let it flow, the Force is like water, and if you concentrate and focus on the water. Even the most still of bodies will move, and so too does the Force move all around us, and yes... that's also another lesson from my mom." Xarielle and her twin sister

Xariah Pavanos were given a lot of lessons on focusing, meditation, and just feeling the Force. It was probably the real reason they never felt bothered by being in Sith Temples as they focused mostly on their mother's Force signature while there.

"I'm happy to help you with your crystal, but..." Xarielle floated the blue kyber crystal from her pocket, "about that lightsaber..." A warm smile as she looked toward Master Noble. "I think I'm ready now."

Valery Noble · Feb 7, 2022

Location: Ilum | Jedi Temple

Valery: Appearance

Outfit: Factory Link

Valery Noble Xarielle Pavanos

As much experience as Valery had, she always felt that it was useful for younger Padawans to also hear about the experiences of more senior ones. Even if they weren't that far apart in their training. It gave them the perspective of someone they could relate to more easily and often made the journey ahead easier to accept.

So while Xarielle talked to Rhys, she remained quiet and only chimed in near the end.

"Padawan Halcyon will have to go in alone to collect his crystal, but while he does..." She looked at Xarielle with a slight smirk, "We can look at getting everything together for your lightsaber. I have the parts and everything we'd need, but you are to assemble it yourself."

Her gaze then turned to Rhys again, "So if you feel ready to go inside, I'll open the door of ice and your trial begins. When you come out of there again, we'll be here waiting for you."

OOC note: I'll split my posts between DM'ing the crystal trial and building the lightsaber. So we can keep a good flow!

Rhys Halcyon · Feb 8, 2022

"Water huh? I could actually use some of that."

At his remark one of the temple protocol droids, he wasn't sure if it was the same one who'd brought him in or not, shuffled off and returned a minute later with a metal bottle for Rhys.

"Thank you, droid."

He opened the bottle to down half of it right away. Even as the water was just as cold as the air around him, it was still soothing as it washed down his dry throat. As it flowed down, giving some life back to his dehydrated body, he caught a semblance of what Xarielle was talking about.

"Thanks for the advice. See you around, I guess." he raised his bottle in gesture to Xarielle.

"Master Noble. I think I'm ready. Ready as I'll ever be I suppose."

Rhys took a deep, ice cold breath as he watched the large doors of ice open. The swirling cold air in his lungs forced a sharp cough, not his intended result. He recouped himself with controlled breaths, not too deep, not too shallow. With one last glance over his shoulder at Noble and Pavanos, he stepped through into the crystal caves.

His gathering had begun.

Xarielle Pavanos · Feb 10, 2022

Xarielle watched the young padawan and at that moment decided he was the literal type, thus making a note to be more careful with her word choices in the future. She returned in his gesture with a small wave of her own and watched him depart into the caves. "That would be amazing." Asog had been something of a wake-up call for Xarielle and she wasn't even in the thick of the fighting, rather she was there - and there to experience it she supposed.

The experience told her she was nowhere near as ready for what lay before her, but it didn't dissuade Xarielle from wanting to walk the path of a Jedi. In fact, it only made her want to see this through, "Asog was... an eye-opener," she opened up while quietly coming to stand beside the Jedi Master. Xarielle went on to explain, "the dark side never felt like that before, like poison - distorted it was..." She paused to find the word, "a lot." A lot and nothing all at once, "in the Sith Temples before, I never really felt it that way and I don't know if it's because my mother shielded me and my siblings or because we were never exposed to it in this manner if that... makes sense."

"Also, that uh, Jedi Master guy gave me a Sith lightsaber. I don't have it with me here, I sort of left that at my mom's house but uh it felt really weird even just hanging on my belt loop."

Valery Noble · Feb 11, 2022

Location: Ilum | Jedi Temple

Valery: Appearance

Outfit: Factory Link

Valery Noble Xarielle Pavanos

After the young Padawan had gotten something to drink, Valery raised an arm and used the Force to trigger the mechanism that allowed the door of ice to melt. With the way cleared, Rhys stepped inside and began one of the most important journeys all Jedi went through — his gathering.

From the moment he entered the caves, he'd find himself surrounded by vast arrays of beautiful crystals, all with a connection to the Force but none stood out from the other. They just reflected light in breathtaking patterns that lit the way for him to walk through safely.

But as the young Padawan focused, he did feel something that drew his attention. Deep within the cave, there was a presence that called out to him. It was faint but with enough focus, it could guide his way through the various hallways, all covered in ice and snow and most of them lit by countless more crystals.

"Your family may have shielded you, but it's hard to say for sure," Valery told Xarielle as they turned away from the caves. While Rhys would collect his crystal, Valery planned to take Xarielle to a room with the necessary components and equipment to build her lightsaber. "Either way, Asog showed you what it is we're up against, and why it's important to be prepared."

She then blinked at what followed about a Sith Lightsaber, "Uh, if your family hasn't taken care of that lightsaber, you may want to bring it to me. I don't quite appreciate that a Jedi Master believed it to be a good idea to hand that over to you." she sighed and shook her head lightly.

"But for now, let's work on assembling your lightsaber. To do that, you're going to need to practice something called Moving Meditation. Heard of it before? Or maybe even tried it already? It's okay if you haven't, I'll guide you through it in that case."

Rhys Halcyon · Feb 13, 2022

When the doors closed behind him, Rhys was enveloped in darkness. Yet there was still light, a beautiful glistening array of millions of tiny kyber crystals. It reminded him of the stars, of the first time he'd been to space. The crystals, though abundant, were like him, too young. Unsuitable for construction in a lightsaber. Perhaps one day they would grow or coalesce into a worthy crystal. Perhaps some day a Padawan like him would harvest them. He wasn't exactly sure how the caves worked. Not beyond what he'd read about them, anyway.

Rhys made his way eagerly down the path. His quick pace counteracted the cold to some degree, enough that Rhys did not think to slow down. He followed the paths laid out by the caves, but did not lend his ear to the crystals.

Out of nowhere whilst the boy paid little attention, he found himself falling as a rock caught his foot. His bare hands and face dove into the snow. His skin froze, chilling pain engulfed him. Rhys got to his knees, then to his feet, wiping the snow from his face and plunging his hands deep into the fold of his robe.

Rhys shook, taking a weary seat on a round rock beside him. He shivered deeply, and realized he was lost. He looked up and down the tunnel, remembering not the sight of the cave that had led him here. It was blurry in his mind, all because he had rushed.

As he sat, trying to control his breathing through the terrible cold, he could here Master Noble's words again,

Valery Noble said:
"To be good with a lightsaber requires you to connect with the Force and listen to it."

Rhys instinctively reached for the training saber he liked to wear on his belt around Prosperity, only to find it wasn't there. He hadn't brought it. It was then that he realized what Noble had been saying. Connection with a lightsaber began long before possessing one. That was the point of this whole ritual, he thought.

He concentrated deeply on the song of the Kybers, listening for the tune that called him above all the other melodies that were like waves in the Force around him. The crescendo and crash, over and over. He had to find the one that didn't, the one that held its note just for him...

Xarielle Pavanos · Feb 14, 2022

Xarielle wondered if that was true if her mother had shielded them all from the truth. It wouldn't have been without reason, and her mother was quite protective of them. Asog had shown Xarielle what they were up against and it also told her just how difficult the journey was going to be. The Balmorran followed after the Jedi Master who hoped her family had taken care of the lightsaber. "Mom doesn't really leave Balmorra unless she has to, and she has her own lightsabers. I'd uh, hazard a guess that she's destroyed it."

"Uh, maybe? Mom taught us to meditate but I half wonder if that was so we could really connect with the Force. Or so she could go take a nap or clean the kitchen while us kids were busy with stuff. Fun fact, my mom's an excellent baker - but usually when she's pissed, ever seen a Sith so pissed off she bakes several dozen cookies for your class bake sale?" Xarielle said with some jest in her voice although she wasn't exactly kidding either, Kaalia's tempers were legendary in the Pavanos household. "Guidance would be great."

Valery Noble · Feb 15, 2022

Location: Ilum | Jedi Temple

Valery: Appearance

Outfit: Factory Link

While Rhys sat on top of the rock and listened to the songs of the crystals around him, a melody from deep inside the caves would catch his attention. It was calm and beautiful, soothing to the mind and body as it echoed along the currents of the Force. It felt like a welcoming call to a familiar place that wanted to draw him closer.

But along those same currents was another call as well.

The melody he heard was dissonant, filled with pain and sorrow that disturbed the otherwise calming flow of the Force. It wasn't a peaceful call for Rhys to respond to, but it felt like someone begging for his help. A desperate cry to be saved from darkness that looked to swallow this person in distress whole.

"Please... someone..." the whispers cried over the wind.

"Good. If she destroyed it, that's one less headache to be worried about." Valery said as she guided Xarielle into the room she had prepared for the assembly of her lightsaber. On a large table in the center, she had arranged all the components and placed them together in an orderly fashion.

But it was going to take some effort to put it all together.

"I... can't say I've ever heard of a Sith being a good baker, no." she chuckled and shook her head a little before gesturing for the table with components. Valery would stop on one side of the table while she motioned for Xarielle to stand on the other side.

"Most of these components are fairly standard — a power cell, focusing lens, blade emitter, and such. All of them have to come together very precisely with your crystal and the hilt to form the lightsaber. This is why we use Moving Meditation for the assembly." she explained.

"With Moving Meditation, you use that deep focus of a meditative trance to very accurately assemble, repair, or disassemble something. The components will all levitate and move in the air, and you guide them into the right place. There is very little room for error with lightsabers."

"But first..." Valery smirked and gently pushed forward a small case that was still closed.

"Take a look at your hilt and get a feel for it."

Xarielle Pavanos · Feb 16, 2022

"I can call to confirm later," Xarielle remarked absent-mindedly, she followed after the Jedi Master into the room. As she stepped into the room she felt something, it was warm and encouraging and as she stepped up to the table she examined what was before her. A small smile appeared on her face as a faint memory came into her mind. Her mothers, friends, and family members who had had lightsabers taking their time to teach Xarielle and her sister

Xariah Pavanos what a scene.

Sith Lords breaking down lightsabers and explaining the components to children. Force neutral masters who were friends of her mother bringing by different, unique components to show off. Xarielle chuckled in return, "well, you have got to meet my mom. She's not so much a Sith these days if that helps, she's retired. She and ma spend most of their time tending to the olive groves, and watching holonovellas." Xarielle stepped over to where Valery had motioned to.

"Oh, I see." The realization came through as she examined the parts there on the table, visually remembering their shapes. Not too long after, Master Noble had pushed forward the box that contained the lightsaber's hilt. Another faint memory passed through her mind as she took the small case between her hands. The memory was with her grandfather as he showed Xarielle and Xariah his lightsaber - their grandmother Syrin's voice echoed through asking her husband to be careful with their grandchildren. Carefully, the Balmorran opened the case and before her - while physically this was the hilt that Master Noble was giving.

Through the Force she saw her grandfather's hilt, and when the image disappeared and her hilt was there. Xarielle took it into her right hand and brought it up to eye level. Gently she let go of it and with focus left it there to levitate, "it's amazing..." she was speechless, but for good reason. She could hear in her mind and through the Force, Mishel's Prayer. A prayer Mishel learned as a child attending an Eldorai mass, the prayer she passed down to Xarielle and Xariah that it would comfort them in times of need. Bring them hope, love, and reassurance when they need it most. Xarielle wondered as she levitated if it would be possible with enough eat to inscribe the prayer onto the hilt.

Rhys Halcyon · Feb 18, 2022

Valery Noble said:
"Please... someone..."

When Rhys heard the voice he sprang up from his seat. He looked around frantically, but saw nobody in his immediate view. As far as he knew there was nobody else supposed to be here. Could it be another padawan who got lost? he wondered, or were the caves playing a trick on the gullible adolescent.

"He- hello?" Rhys stuttered through the cold.

The air turned sour, and where the Force had been like waves calmly floating into him with its song, the aura around him now felt as if it had snapped frozen to match his icey mortal surroundings. Rhys himself was paralyzed in unsettled fear. What was he supposed to do?

He forced up the courage to call out again, "Whoever's out there, can you hear me!?"