First Reply A Return to the Temple | First Impressions

[Ilaria Morvayne]

Opening Post – "First Impressions"

Chapter One - A Return to the Temple
OPEN TO JEDI ONLY

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Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Main Halls

The Temple was alive.

For years, Ilaria Morvayne had known the New Jedi Order only in whispers of the past and in the controlled serenity of the Auratera Enclave. There, she had walked quiet halls, exchanged measured words, and spent hours in solitude, immersed in meditation and study.

Here?

Here, the air buzzed with voices, the corridors were filled with Padawans in passing conversation, Jedi Knights striding with purpose, and Masters observing from the periphery. The Hall was vast, golden sunlight streaming through tall windows, casting long silhouettes as Jedi moved in small groups—some engaged in debate, others laughing over shared experiences, some quietly observing, just as she was.

It was… overwhelming.

Not that she showed it.

Ilaria stood at the edge of the gathering, her hands neatly clasped behind her back, her posture as straight and composed as ever. She belonged here. She had always belonged here. And yet, she was a stranger among them.

She had spent years preparing for this moment. She had mastered discipline, philosophy, control. She had read every major Jedi text, debated the Order's history, and had her mind shaped by Masters who believed in refinement over instinct.

And yet, standing here now, she was acutely aware of how different she was.

Some Padawans spoke in relaxed tones, discussing their latest assignments. Others engaged in friendly sparring matches, their movements rougher, more impulsive than she was accustomed to. Conversations flowed freely, without the measured control she had been taught.

This was not the Enclave.

This was not an environment of pure structure, of quiet study, of control over self.

It was something more… untamed.

Ilaria inhaled slowly. If she were to understand the Order as it truly was, she would need to engage, to observe, to learn. She stepped forward, approaching a nearby gathering of Jedi, her expression calm, her voice even.

"Pardon the intrusion," she said, her emerald gaze sweeping across the faces before her. "I am Ilaria Morvayne. I have recently arrived from the Auratera Enclave."

There was a pause. A brief silence.

She saw it then—the flicker of recognition in some, confusion in others. She could already sense the questions forming, the quiet curiosity in their stances.

"It seems I have much to learn about the Temple as it stands today."

She tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable.

"Would any of you be willing to provide insight?"

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ilaria Morvayne

Braze had been quietly observing the Padawans, his sharp eyes taking in the ebb and flow of conversation, the energy of the Temple. When he noticed the unfamiliar face among them, he perked up slightly, offering a welcoming smile.

"I suppose I could try to answer your questions," he said, his tone light but sincere. "The Temple's been undergoing a lot of refurbishment since the Dark Empire attacked the city. Things are finally starting to look better." He gestured subtly to the grand halls around them, where sunlight filtered through tall windows, casting long golden beams across the stonework.

"But—welcome," he added, inclining his head slightly. "I'm Braze."

​

 

[Ilaria Morvayne]

Post #2 – "First Impressions"

Chapter One - A Return to the Temple
Braze

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Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Main Halls

Ilaria turned smoothly toward the voice, her expression composed but attentive.

The Jedi before her—Braze—had been watching. She had sensed it, the way his gaze had quietly observed the room, the way he had chosen his moment to speak. That, at least, was familiar.

Observation before action.

She inclined her head in return, her emerald gaze briefly drifting to where he had gestured. The light streaming through the Temple's high windows illuminated the age-old stonework, casting long, golden beams across the chamber floor. Refurbishment—evidence of the battle she had read about but had never witnessed firsthand.

The Dark Empire's attack. A conflict she had been far removed from. A war she had only studied, never fought.

"I was made aware of the Dark Empire's assault on Coruscant," she said, her tone even. "The reports spoke of significant destruction. It is… encouraging to see the Temple restored to strength."

She glanced toward the Padawans and Knights moving through the hall, their conversations light, their movements unburdened.

"And its people as well."

Her gaze returned to Braze, her stance measured, as though weighing the words she would say next.

"I must admit," she continued, "I expected the Temple to be more rigid in its structure—more controlled. The Enclave where I trained was a place of order and refinement. I find myself…" she hesitated, not out of uncertainty, but to ensure the words were precise, "adjusting."

Her head tilted slightly, studying him now in turn.

"You have been here for some time, I take it? What is it like, this Temple?"

The question was simple, but her tone suggested she sought more than just a description of its halls. She wanted to understand what it meant to be a Jedi here—to grasp what her place among them was meant to be.

And whether it would be what she expected.

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ilaria Morvayne

Braze was a diminutive figure, his youthful features making him appear even younger than he was. He wore simple, nondescript black robes, notably devoid of a Padawan's braid, a subtle but telling distinction.

"It's pretty easygoing, I think," he said, his tone casual yet considerate. "There are plenty of trips to other planets—places where people need help, where we can render aid. So in that sense, it feels like there are a lot of… field trips." He gave a small, amused tilt of his head before continuing. "But here? Most days, it's quiet. Classes carry on as usual. During the war, a lot of younglings were relocated to a mobile temple called Prosperity for safety, but thanks to Jedi Master Jonyna Si and others, there's been an immense effort to restore the Temple grounds." He gestured slightly to their surroundings. "Most things have returned to normal—well, as normal as they can be."

He studied her for a moment, then added, "The people here aren't too rigid. Unless you act up and get introuble with master Oros or Master Pryce. The New Jedi Order's made strides to uphold Luke Skywalker's vision—keeping the balance between discipline and individuality."

Braze offered a slow nod. "I've been here since I was small. Raised in the crèche with some of my friends. Most Padawans go on mercy missions if the situation is safe—the Council doesn't like putting kids in harm's way. But there's always plenty to study, and a ton of courses if you want to expand your education."

He tucked his wrapped hands into the wide sleeves of his robes, tilting his head slightly as he looked up at Ilaria.

"What was it like where you trained?" he asked, his curiosity genuine. "And… what did you expect to see here?"

 

[Ilaria Morvayne]

Post #3 – "First Impressions"

Chapter One - A Return to the Temple
Braze

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Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Main Halls

Ilaria listened carefully, her expression neutral, but her mind cataloging every detail.

Easygoing.

The word lingered in her thoughts. She had expected structured discipline, rigid expectations, an environment of precise refinement. Instead, Braze described something fluid, flexible—an institution that emphasized fieldwork and individuality rather than order and strict adherence to doctrine.

It was different than what she had imagined.

"Field missions," she repeated, though more to herself than to him. "And the Council determines when a Padawan is ready, I assume?"

The concept itself was not foreign. The Jedi, of course, were keepers of peace, defenders of justice. And yet, the way Braze spoke of these excursions—'field trips' rather than deployments, missions framed as experiences rather than duties—felt fundamentally different from the ideals she had been trained to uphold.

They are not too rigid.

She glanced around once more, watching the way Padawans conversed freely, how there was no constant weight of unyielding structure pressing down upon them. At the Enclave, every moment had been dictated—meditation, theory, practice, refinement—all moving toward the singular goal of absolute self-mastery.

This was something else. Something… looser.

Her gaze returned to Braze as he asked his question.

"The Enclave was… controlled," she said, choosing her words with care. "It was built upon the foundation of mastery—over thought, over emotion, over instinct. It was not enough to be disciplined in action. One had to be disciplined in being."

She lifted her chin slightly, though not with arrogance—simply as a reflection of the poise that had been ingrained into her.

"Training was structured. Every lesson intentional. The study of the Force was methodical, precise. Combat was not about aggression or even strength, but control. One's stance, one's movements, one's very breath had to be exact. There was little room for uncertainty."

Her gaze flickered to the Padawans around them once more before she continued, her tone quieter, though not softer.

"There was little room for anything else."

She did not say it with longing or regret, only as a statement of fact.

A pause, brief but deliberate.

"And so, I expected the same here. Perhaps not in full measure, but…" she allowed herself a slow, contemplative exhale. "I expected order. I expected refinement. I expected…"

Her voice trailed off slightly, the thought unfinished.

She did not expect this.

A New Jedi Order that allowed for ease. That encouraged individuality. That was not entirely bound by rigid control.

Had she been misled about the Order? Or had she simply been shaped into something different?

She turned her focus back to Braze, studying him in return.

"And what of you?" she asked. "You were raised here, in this Temple. You know it as home. Do you find this balance you speak of—the balance between discipline and individuality—to be the ideal? Or do you believe the Order should be something else?"

There was no challenge in her voice, only curiosity. She had spent years training in a way that had dictated what a Jedi was meant to be. But now she was surrounded by Jedi who had been raised in an entirely different way.

Which of them had been taught correctly?

And more importantly…

Which of them would truly endure?

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ilaria Morvayne

"Typically, it's the Padawan's Master who decides what they can participate in," Braze explained, his voice steady and thoughtful. "Younglings and initiates don't really go on missives." He paused, a hint of nostalgia in his gaze as he recollected. "When I was an initiate, Master Jasper Kai'el —the Sentinel of Harmony at the time—took me to Lothal. He showed me people who were suffering and sick. They'd been infected by Sith spawn. My Master taught me how to create a light—a light that could drive out the darkness and help them heal. It was unlike any tip away from the temple I had been on. That's how I met him for the first time."

His eyes met hers as she explained her own experiences, a quiet understanding between them. "Well, younglings and initiates have class schedules..." Braze continued, offering a small smile. "And I got a schedule from my Master that dictated how often I could participate in training... Because I did it too much. There were curfew hours and expectations around behavior and attire, but it's not... suffocating..." His tone softened as he spoke the last part.

He listened attentively as Ilaria posed her questions, his expression thoughtful. "I mean... I have my own disillusionment about certain things," he admitted with a small, almost knowing smile. "But ultimately... life here is what you make of it. You're given some of the best opportunities for education in the entire galaxy. What else would it be?"

He shook his head slightly, "I live a very different reality than my peers, but I do so by choice," he added, the weight of the statement lingering in the air. He knew well enough the challenges he faced—ones his peers may have struggled with under different circumstances—but his path was his own, forged from decisions only he could make.

​

 

[Ilaria Morvayne]

Post #4 – "First Impressions"

Chapter One - A Return to the Temple
Braze

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Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Main Halls

Ilaria studied him in silence, her emerald gaze unwavering as he spoke.

His story was simple, yet meaningful—a lesson from his Master, a journey that had shaped him. He spoke of suffering, of healing, of light against the darkness.

It was a perspective she had not yet experienced firsthand.

At the Enclave, the Force had been something to be mastered, not something to be given. Power was cultivated through discipline, refinement, and control, not through empathy or healing. And yet, here was Braze, speaking of his Master's teachings with conviction, with belief.

She was beginning to understand something.

The Jedi here were not raised as weapons, nor as scholars alone. They were shaped by individual experiences, by the bonds they formed with their Masters, by what they chose to take from the Order's teachings.

"Not suffocating," she echoed, though there was no dismissal in her tone.

She had never considered structure as something that could suffocate. To her, it had been a foundation, a necessary framework for strength and clarity. But for someone like Braze, who had known freedom within the Order, perhaps the idea of rigidity felt like a cage.

A thought worth considering.

She folded her hands behind her back, her posture as composed as ever, though her tone had shifted—still refined, but contemplative.

"And yet, without structure, without absolute discipline, what prevents a Jedi from being ruled by impulse? By uncertainty?"

Her gaze flickered over the hall again, where Padawans conversed freely, moving without the rigid restrictions she had been raised under. She had never been given the choice to shape her own path, not in the way Braze spoke of. She had followed the path laid before her, unquestioning.

"Life is what you make of it," she repeated, as if testing the words.

It was… pragmatic. The idea that the New Jedi Order was not one singular experience, but a collection of choices made by those within it.

Her gaze returned to him, assessing.

"You say that your path is different from your peers. That you live by choice." Her head tilted slightly. "And yet, you remain here. You remain a Jedi."

Her words were not an accusation, nor a challenge—only a question, curiosity sharpening at the edges of her voice.

"Is that because you believe in the Order as it stands?"

She was beginning to wonder.

Did Jedi remain because they truly believed in what the Order was?

Or did they remain because it was all they had ever known?

She intended to find out.

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ilaria Morvayne

"And yet, without structure, without absolute discipline, what prevents a Jedi from being ruled by impulse? By uncertainty?"

Braze listened but decided to offer some of his own views to her,

"Discipline is important, but it isn't the only thing that keeps one grounded. A Jedi isn't meant to be a machine, ruled solely by rigid structure. It's our connection to the Force, and one's ability to understand it, that keeps us from being ruled by impulse or uncertainty. We aren't meant to shut out our emotions entirely, but to understand them. It's through that understanding, that balance, that we find clarity, not through unyielding control, or rejection of our base instincts.

But at the end of the day, whether someone chooses to break the rules or not is up to them. Knowing why the rules exist in the first place, and understanding the purpose they serve, can be what offers some one true insight. Rules are meant to protect, to preserve freedom and peace. But doctrine alone won't stop anyone from choosing to act against them. If someone wants to do wrong, they will find a way. That's a fundamental and universal truth. Villainy isn't something typically forced on someone—it's generally a choice, one they make consciously. And if a person wants to be better, they must choose that for themselves.

Self-betterment is an intensely personal thing. You can't make someone better just by forcing them into a rigid structure they don't agree with or see fault in. Rules should exist to protect the well-being of others, safety of all, and to safeguard freedom. When they no longer serve that purpose, they shouldn't be followed. Who's decides which rules are good and which are bad? Rules often come from those in power, and absolute power—well, that corrupts.

Extreme rigidity can breed resentment, create an environment where people feel trapped or oppressed. That's how things can start to go wrong. A balance must be struck, between structure and freedom, between the rules and the will of the individual. Only then can we grow."

"You say that your path is different from your peers. That you live by choice." Her head tilted slightly. "And yet, you remain here. You remain a Jedi."

"There are those who seek only peace and wish not to bring harm to others. They should be allowed to live their lives in that freedom. Out side of violent conflict. Then there's those like me. The one's all too knowing. To know the horrors beyond the battlefield. To know what the Dark Side leaves behind when it has its way — when it festers, when it consumes, when it is left unchecked.

To understand the destruction not just of life but of the very spirit of those who once thrived in hope. To know of the fear, and knowing of the darkness... and standing against it anyway. It is why I fight. Why we must eradicate the Dark Side in all its shapes and forms. Not in battle alone, and not in the heat of a moment, but in the shadows where it breeds, in the artifacts it leaves behind, and within the hearts it corrupts. To understand the enemy and to know the consequences of allowing even a sliver of that darkness to remain is the burden I carry so that others may know peace with out worry. "

He explained remembering well what Valery Noble had taught him about his role and purpose. He shook his head gently and smiled.

"I had tried to run away from the temple many times when I was smaller than I am now... I had thought things were un fair and oppressive. I had felt suffocated and stifled. I wanted freedom to do what I wanted more than anything. I wanted to see and to know what it was like on the other side. And I learned what happens when freedom is taken too far. When there is no structure, no guidance, no one to hold you accountable. I saw it in the eyes of those who were lost, who let themselves slip into the darkness. I felt the weight of the choices they made, the destruction they left in their wake. And in that moment, I understood that freedom without responsibility leads only to chaos."

He paused, his smile fading as the seriousness of his words settled in. "I was angry once; feltthat the rules were suffocating, that the rules were suffocating. But I learned that the rules aren't the enemy—it's the lack of purpose, the absence of understanding, that breeds the real danger. Without purpose, without connection to the greater whole, we are all just drifting, vulnerable to our own impulses, to the temptation of the Dark Side."

Braze looked at her with sincerity, "The Jedi path isn't about avoiding temptation or controlling every thought. It's about choosing to fight for something bigger than yourself. To protect, to guide, and yes, to sometimes sacrifice your own desires for the greater good. It's not easy, but it's the only way I can see to stop the darkness from spreading. We must stand guard over the light—not because we have to, but because we choose to. And that choice, above all, is what makes us Jedi."

His words lingered in the air, full of conviction yet tempered by his own experience.

"Is that because you believe in the Order as it stands?"

Braze took a moment to reflect on the question, considering it deeply before answering.

"Not exactly," he would say thoughtfully. "I don't believe the Order is perfect, or that it always gets everything right. But I believe in what the Order could be. I believe in the ideals it was founded upon: peace, balance, and protection. The way we uphold those ideals might not always be flawless, and sometimes I question whether we go about it the best way. But that doesn't mean I give up on it."

He paused, his tone softening as he considered his next words.

"Sometimes, the Order feels too rigid, too disconnected from the reality of the galaxy. But it's the only system we've got to hold the line against the darkness, to preserve what remains of peace and justice. I don't follow the Order blindly, I follow it because I believe that even with all its flaws, it stands for something worth protecting. If we give up on it, what happens then? If we don't fight for the light, then we leave the darkness to take over."

He offered her a smile, as if remembering something important. "In the end, choosing to make the best of what we have and working to make it better, together is how I view the purpose of the Order."

 

[Ilaria Morvayne]

Post #5 – "First Impressions"

Chapter One - A Return to the Temple
Braze

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Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Main Halls

Braze spoke with conviction.

It was something Ilaria could respect, even if she did not entirely agree. He was not a Jedi who followed blindly, nor one who dismissed structure outright. He had seen both extremes—absolute freedom and absolute control—and found his own place between them.

That, in itself, was an interesting perspective.

She remained silent for a moment after he finished, letting the weight of his words settle. There was something to be said about that—how a pause, deliberate and controlled, could make one's next words feel all the more important.

"Corruption."

The word slipped from her lips, smooth and natural, as if it had always belonged there. She had not planned to say it—it simply felt… right.

"You speak of the Dark Side as something that must be eradicated. That it festers in artifacts, in knowledge, in those who stray from the path."

She clasped her hands lightly in front of her, tilting her head just slightly, watching him. Studying him.

"But corruption is not always violent. It is not always something that comes with war and destruction."

Her voice was calm, thoughtful.

"Sometimes, it is slow. Subtle. A whisper rather than a roar. A change so gradual that by the time one realizes what they have become, they no longer remember what they were."

“That’s what they taught me at the Enclave.”

Her emerald eyes held his with quiet intensity.

"I wonder, Braze, if that is what you fear most—not just the darkness that consumes, but the darkness that lingers. That waits. That takes root not in fire and blood, but in the hearts of those who do not even realize they have been touched by it."

She let the thought hang there, not as an accusation, but as an observation.

"You say that you do not believe in the Order as it stands, only in what it could be." A measured pause. A precise choice of words. "And yet, you remain here. You choose to stand within it, to shape it rather than break away."

"I do not disagree with that choice."

And that, perhaps, was the closest she had come to agreement with anyone since she arrived at the Temple.

"But if the Order is flawed, if its methods are not perfect, then one must wonder… does it hold the power to truly prevent corruption?"

That word again.

Natural.

Familiar.

As if it belonged to her.

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ilaria Morvayne

"Well...Nothing is perfect. There will always be imperfections," Braze stated. He wondered if perhaps he had overwhelmed her with his idealism, but he stood by the meaning in what he had explained.

"No... I don’t fear the darkness," he continued. The many reprimands he had received for his perceived naivety and his belief in compassion and forgiveness lingered in his mind. He understood the importance of keeping those qualities close, even for those who seemed undeserving of them.

"Corruption can be true of anyone," Perhaps now, he needed to explain the view more directly and less poetically.

"The darkness isn’t only an external force we battle on the field. It’s in every one of us. It's in the choices we make—the hatred, the fear, the anger we carry. When we let it control us, we risk losing ourselves. It’s the same for anyone, no matter who they are. If you don't accept the feelings for what they are they can grow... they need to be acknowledge and processed.

No one can control their feelings, They're a part of us, and they come, whether we want them or not. But what we can control—what really matters—is how we act on them. It's in those moments, when emotions rise, that our true strength is tested. We might feel anger or fear, but it's how we choose to respond that defines us."

He paused before continuing. "When I say we need to eradicate the darkness in the hearts of those it corrupts, I don’t mean in some grand, heroic battle. I mean in the way we carry ourselves every day—in how we treat others, how we choose to act, how we handle conflict. The darkness thrives in the cracks where we let those negative feelings fester, where we refuse to show compassion, to forgive, or even to just listen... That's why Love and Friendship are the strongest forces in the entirety of the universe. It's easy to Hate... it's much harder to Love. "

He paused and offered her a thoughtful look.

"Do you believe the Jedi, or anyone for that matter, can truly avoid being touched by such things?"

 

[Ilaria Morvayne]

Post #6 – "First Impressions"

Chapter One - A Return to the Temple
Braze

---

Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Main Halls

Compassion. Love. Forgiveness.

The Jedi of Coruscant spoke of these things as if they were the foundation of strength, as if sentiment alone could hold the weight of the galaxy.

"That's why Love and Friendship are the strongest forces in the entirety of the universe."

Ilaria remained still, but internally, she recoiled.

The Enclave had warned her.

They had told her that the Jedi of Coruscant had grown soft, that they had allowed their principles to be diluted by emotion, their discipline eroded by attachment.

And now, here she stood, face to face with a Jedi who spoke of love as if it were a weapon, who believed that compassion alone could overcome corruption.

She should not have been surprised.

And yet…

"Do you believe the Jedi, or anyone for that matter, can truly avoid being touched by such things?"

His question hung between them, waiting, open-ended.

She considered him for a long moment, her emerald gaze sharp but unreadable. There was no anger in her posture, no visible frustration. Only poise. Control. Precision.

Then, she exhaled softly and straightened.

"It seems the Enclave was right about the Jedi of Coruscant."

The words were smooth, almost neutral, but beneath them lay conviction.

"You believe in the power of love. You believe in the necessity of emotion. You claim that we cannot control what we feel, only how we act."

She tilted her head slightly, studying him the way one might examine a theory that had yet to be proven.

"I was taught that the greatest strength a Jedi can have is mastery over themselves. That control is not limitation—it is freedom. That without it, we are ruled not by discipline, but by impulse."

She turned slightly, the conversation no longer engaging, no longer useful.

"It seems that here, those beliefs are considered… outdated."

A pause. Not long, but deliberate.

"You have given me much to consider, Braze, perhaps we may spar together sometime."

It was not gratitude, not flattery, nor a question. Simply acknowledgment and a hook for more.

She offered him a slight, controlled nod before stepping back, away from the conversation.

She had no interest in debating further.

She had heard all she needed to hear.

For now.

As she walked from the hall, she did not dwell on his words.

She did not need to.

She already knew what she believed.

And yet…

That single word remained.

Corruption.

It had begun as a passing thought. A phrase that had felt natural.

Now, it sat in the back of her mind, persistent. Unshaken.

If emotion was inevitable…
If corruption could never be erased…

Then perhaps…

Perhaps the Enclave had not given her all the answers after all.

But that was a question for another day.

For now, she would simply watch.

And listen.

And wait.

-END-​