Answers in an Archive

[Cecilia Wissen]

Cecilia had been searching for a place or people to teach her about the force for months, and had, until recently, been remarkably unsuccessful. Either too hard to find, or too unsavory, the options she had found, whether it be through the holonet or cantinas, she was unhappy with. Still, she had not given up, and her efforts were rewarded when a woman at one of the cantinas she frequented started a conversation with her. While she did not make any offers herself, she had evidently heard of Cecilia's inquiries, and told her of the Je'daii. From what the woman told her, and what she learned after that meeting, the Je'daii were a people with a view of the force not so different from the one she currently possessed of the entire galaxy.

* * *​

As the transport of the tech trader whom she had paid for a ride to Aurum entered the atmosphere, Cecilia immediately noticed how perfect the planet's wilderness was, a beauty she had not been privileged to since leaving Hapes five months ago. As what she assumed was Azar city came into view, her thoughts shifted to the quest in front of her. Before she began looking for members of the Je'daii order, she planned to visit the Silent Archive. While her priority should have been the former, ever since she had heard bout the Silent Archive from her research, she had been dying to go. She had no idea what would happen when she began talking to force users, so she figured that she might as well do the former while she still had control of her time.

* * *​

For the first time in a while, Cecilia was in luck. While briefly talking to one of the locals about why she had come to Aurum and how she was first planning on going to the Silent Archive, which she was now entering, he had told her that there are Je'daii who work in the Archive, and suggested she talk to them. One of those people, the one she had decided she would approach was [member="Jyn Sol"] , who she hoped would be here. Though now she realized she didn't know where Jyn would be. Well, someone must know, she thought, looking around for someone to ask.

 

[Lief]

The Silent Archive
Azar City, Aurum

A lazy yawn escaped the lips, barely covered by a hand which rose moments later. It had been a quiet day in the Archives, Temple Master Jeo Dundam had stopped by for a short while, seeking some texts hidden away in the Restricted Section, and Ar'ekk had accompanied her over here just before dawn, other than that just a handful of citizens and Je'daii had popped their heads in, no doubt seeking somewhere quiet to be with their thoughts.

Not a single book had been checked out, and while that made her job easy it also made it tediously boring.

Thankfully, Jyn was not simply a librarian or archivist. While Kipo curled up on her desk and slept away his morning, the young Epicanthix had been working on techniques to strengthen her connection to the Force. For years she had struggled to accept the mystical energy for what it was, to allow it some sort of control over her life. Following incidents such as the Atrisia saga, Jyn had outright condemned it and refused to utilize it.

It wasn't until the necessity of the curse presented itself that she took matters back into her own hands, and while she had come so far as to be a Ranger in her own right, and Steward of this very Temple, she realized that she had a very long way to go.

She had started out small, lifting just a small stack of books and attempting to keep them elevated while she finished up some of the ledgers she had been working on, and over the course of the day that stack had grown, and multiplied. In some ways she was lucky nobody had entered the Archives, because it would have been quite the odd sight to behold.

Given her position, Jyn took up the central desk within the main chamber of the Archives; she was easy to find, one of the first things to be seen upon entering, and as such when the doors opened she was also quick to notice the stranger in her midst.

With a kindly smile, she carefully drifted the books down to her desk, stacking them dutifully on top of one another, before rising from her seat. By now Jyn knew almost everyone who ventured into her literary world, so a new face was both welcome and curious.

"Greetings," she began, before dipping her head into a respectful bow as she had come to do by way of greeting, "Welcome to the Silent Archive, how may I help you this day?"

On her desk Kipo - a baby fat monkey - began to twitch, his ears turning in the direction of Jyn's voice. The lazy little bugger didn't totally wake up though, opening one eye half way before deciding that it wasn't worth his time. Funny little thing.

[member="Cecilia Wissen"]

 

[Cecilia Wissen]

Cecilia entered the archives, pushing open the doors, and stepping inside. Expecting to see shelves of holobooks, she was instead met with an open area, filled with a few desks, and clearly designed to promote discussion. Despite that, no conversations were occurring, not because the design was ineffective, but there was no one for the room's lone occupant to converse with. Well, at least until Cecilia had arrived. In front of her was a girl about her age, maybe a bit older, sitting at a desk with some sort of creature next to her. Looking closer, Cecilia realized that it was a monkey, although it was either a baby, or a very small species. Turning her attention back to the girl, she noticed that she was surrounded by several stacks of floating books, which had begun to return themselves to the ground after Cecilia had entered, or presumably because she had entered. Either way, no one else was around, so that meant that this girl was a force user, which meant that she was a Je'daii, which meant that she could in fact be the Jyn Sol that she was looking for, although if that was true, she was a lot younger than Cecilia had been expecting for someone who was held in such high regard.

The books finished stacking themselves, and the girl stood up, offering Cecilia a greeting, a bow, and a question. Cecilia returned all three:
"Hello. I'm Cecilia Wissen, and I've come to Aurum to learn about the force. Someone suggested that I speak to Jyn Sol, do you know where I can find her" Cecilia said, bowing.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

"Ah," she said, with a very subtle trace of humour in her tone, as she listened to the woman and watched her return the polite little bow, "You are new to Aurum, then let me extend my greeting. If you need anything during your time here, please don't hesitate to ask." The settlement was small given that this was a City, after all, still growing and developing following the smite of the Vong Horde. More space, more things, than there were people to utilize it.

"It seems you are in luck, friend, I happen to be Jyn Sol. Ranger of the Je'daii Order, and Steward of the Silent Archive."

Reaching out, she chose to settle a hand atop Kipo's sleeping head and gave him a good fuss behind the ear in an attempt to rouse him a little. She liked to walk while she talked, and she didn't trust the monkey not to make a mess of the books in her absence. As such, when he showed some sort of true consciousness, she scooped him up and set him atop her shoulder, his favourite place to be.

Sleepily, the little guy looked at the newcomer and tilted his head to one side, beginning to chitter away to himself.

"Don't mind Kipo, he's as harmless as he looks. Now..." Stepping around from the desk, Jyn glanced the woman casually up and down before smiling once again. She seemed competent enough, and just like the last person sent to find her here it seemed as though she was looking for guidance.

"What do you know already of the Force?" No mention of the Je'daii had been made by this woman, so she was curious as to whether she had come here finding the Order themselves, or Jyn in particular. "I belong to an Order known as the Je'daii, we're neutral Force Users who focus on the study and understanding of the Force, in conjunction with our philosophy of balance. Should you wish it, you may participate in some of our training sessions, and from there... Well, what you do then would be up to you, though our Order isn't known for turning potential students away without due cause."

She shrugged ever so slightly, leaning against the desk and looking past Cecelia to the large chamber they were stood within. Countless tomes, and even more locked away in the restricted section, so much information at their disposal.

"You are also free, as anyone who comes here is, to scour our extensive archives at your leisure. Just speak with me before checking anything out."

One might presume that Jyn was a bit of a pushover, eager to help without knowing enough information about the individual, but she had long since come to trust both the Force and her own natural skills as an Empath when it came to judging the intent and honesty of an individual. The woman before her had shown none of the signs of ill-intent, and as such Jyn would treat her as she would any who had been introduced into their Order.

[member="Cecilia Wissen"]

 

[Cecilia Wissen]

So this was Jyn. She certainly seemed to be quite kind and more than capable, although Cecilia was surprised by how open she was with someone who had been on her planet for all of an hour. Then again welcoming was never a bad trait. As Jyn continued her response, ending with an open invitation to use the archives, Cecilia was prompted to take another look around the place.

Initially, her focus had mostly been on Jyn, but she turned again to the archive as a whole, amazed by how large it was. Initially she had been a bit disappointed, not seeing the shelves all around them, but now she realized that there was in fact no shortage of information in this place. The only place she had been of comparable size was the archive in Ta'a Chume'dan, which despite being the largest archive in the capital of a developed planet, was not much larger than this one, and this one probably had force related holobooks that the Je'daii had collected.

Cecilia realized that Jyn was still waiting for her to respond. A bit embarrassed, Cecilia replied: "I was told by a woman I met when hiking that I was a force sensitive, and should seek to develop my abilities. That was a bit more than two years ago. As for knowledge of the force, I have none,"... well no real knowledge. She'd heard many tales about what the force could do, just none about how it did it. She continued "and have been seeking a way to learn of it for the past few months. I had't found any ways that I could learn that seemed practical or ideal until I heard of the Je'daii order. A group dedicated solely to the study of the force was exactly what I needed. So now I'm here" Cecilia ended with a sort of nervous laugh.

She hoped that this Je'daii would help her with her quest, at least with something more than "here's a library, figure it out yourself." Although, for the most basic of teachings, perhaps that would be the case. She certainly doubted that Jyn had the time now for a one on one. While the library was mostly empty and Jyn did appear rather bored, she still probably had something more productive to be doing then teaching someone who didn't even know what the Force was about the Force and how to use it. Although, considering the order to which she belonged, Cecilia wasn't entirely sure if her assumption was correct. Either way, she should be able to learn at least some things about the force from this encounter. Though hopefully, she would learn a lot more than a few things.

 

[Lief]

Jyn had remained respectfully silent throughout, nodding in the right places, and keeping the same gentle - genuine - smile upon her lips. It was rare that a true tabula rasa landed in her lap, even little Sobaan and Sahna knew something of the mystical energy which bound their universe. Perhaps this woman did know something, but wasn't sure how to explain it, or felt anxious to reveal it in case it wasn't up to par. Either way, Jyn held no judgement toward her and simply listened.

"The Force binds every entity within the Galaxy, living or otherwise, from individuals such as ourselves who are sensitive to its ruminations, all the way down to a rock we might find on our path. There are a few exceptions to this, creatures who repel the Force or are entirely dead to it, but they are extremely rare... An anomaly, so to speak. For those of us sensitive to it, the Force can be tempted into doing what most would see as miraculous acts, from lifting something as simple as a book,"

Once again, Jyn extended her hand and one of the books drifted upward from the piles upon her desk, floating in midair without much thought from the woman herself,

"To healing a grievous wound. No doubt you have heard tales of what the likes of the Jedi can achieve, and in truth individuals such as they do not need to use much more than the simplest of techniques to get their job done. Through the Force a great many issues can be resolved, what might have spiraled into violence could be solved with just a few words and a wave of the hand, the Force opens up many endless possibilities which can be used to the benefit of yourself or others, or to bring about destruction and harm. It is a double edged blade, of course."

Jyn made to move, walking around the woman and gesturing for her to follow as she began to venture through the heart of the Archive, tomes of all sizes lay upon the shelves, and the book she had been levitating slowly drifted toward one of them, placing itself back on the shelves in the correct place.

"We as Je'daii seek to develop our understanding on the Force, what it is, what it is capable of, its limitations... We view, admire, and utilize all facets of its beings, rather than limit ourselves to what some would view as light or dark applications, though we keep in mind at all times the need for balance, lest we fall too far to one or the other. Alas, I am sure these are all things you know. Most come to us wishing to know the how, not the why... And as always, the first step I suggest is to meditate. It may seem boring, pointless, but your connection to the Force is a very personal thing, and meditating on it, feeling for it when you face no other distractions, is a good way of first establishing that connection. The Study Hall is a good place to practice, there are sound proofed rooms up there if you would like to utilize them. If you've the time, I can guide you through the process, and from there you can experiment... Both with or without our assistance."

She did not want to be pushy, after all, this woman likely was not here to actually join them, but given her view of the Force Jyn knew she could not simply turn her away. Those who could utilize it, and sought to learn, should be taught. Not all held that view, of course.

[member="Cecilia Wissen"]

 

[Cecilia Wissen]

As Jyn explained what the force was, Cecilia listened intently. She had heard before legends of the Force, and how it supposedly was in all things, living and not, but this time was different. Jyn clearly knew how to use the force, and was respected by the inhabitants of the city, many of whom studied, or at least were aware of it. With this kind of clear authority, Cecilia accepted what Jyn said as truth, and without question.

"I have more than enough time, and would be honored to have your guidance." Cecilia did not at all think that meditation sounded boring or pointless. Soothing and contemplative was more along the lines of what she was expecting. She would meditate, and hopefully experience the force. And then, armed with that knowledge, she would start to read the books in this library, and learn how to study the force, and how to use its power. That was probably the best way for her to study the force, at least for now, knowing that Jyn could help her if she needed it.

Cecilia got the feeling that Jyn wanted to talk more about the order to which she belonged, but Cecilia hoped she didn't, because then she might end up in a corner where refusing seemed extremely rude. From what she knew so far, she would almost certainly join the order when she felt that she was far enough along in the force for it to be justified. Until then, she would also research the order's views, teachings, and history further, and make her decision based on that.

"Do you know where I could sleep while I'm here? If it's okay with you and the order, I think I'd like to spend at least the month here."

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Funnily enough, Jyn had no desire and felt no need to push her Order onto this stranger.

An offer had effectively been made, and it would remain on the table for as long as Cecilia wished. If she never sought to take advantage of it then so be it, but Jyn wasn't going to sit there and shove her beliefs down someone else's throat. She'd had that happen too many times in her own past, and all it had ever done was make her turn the other cheek and find a route that was practically the opposite. Of course, it didn't help that it was always the darker influences which tried to draw her in.

"Very well then, we shall proceed to one of the study chambers. Afterward we shall get you situated in one of our guest suites, you'll find it has all of the basic necessities you could ask for, and you can come and go freely. I'll get you a docking code for your ship, too, it will make coming through the spaceport that much easier."

Guiding the young woman across the large chamber toward the series of turbolifts which lay to one side, Jyn thumbed one of the buttons and waited for it to arrive.

"Where is it you come from?" she finally asked while they stood there, more out of curiosity than anything else.

[member="Cecilia Wissen"]

 

[Cecilia Wissen]

When Jyn offered her a docking code, she declined, telling her "I don't have a ship, but thank you. I would be more than grateful to accept your offer to one of the guest rooms though."

They continued walking across the massive space, and Jyn stopped next to a group of turbolifts, pressing the button to bring one down to where they were standing. As they were waiting, Jyn turned to her and asked where she was from. "Hapes, it's a human homeworld." Cecilia responded. She didn't know if Jyn was human or near human, as she did not knowing enough to distinguish between humans and Epicanthix, but did know enough that she shouldn't necessarily assume that people who looked human were. So she continued: "It was a planet colonized by human pirates millennia ago-- long story short, around five thousand years ago, most of the men got themselves killed by the Jedi, so the women took over, establishing a Matriarch that continues to this day. There is a bunch of stuff I left out, but--" The lift arrived, and Jyn and Cecilia stepped on. "Anyway, we are called Hapans, and are known for our 'great beauty' [Cecilia rolled her eyes at this. She felt it was a stupid thing to be considered a defining characteristic] and our lack of dark-vision, as Hapes' moons resulted in perpetual daylight. I lived there for 22 years, until I set out to try and learn about the Force, which was a bit less than a year ago."

When she had finished talking, Cecilia asked Jyn, "What about you?" Though at this time, the lift arrived on the upper floor, giving Jyn a chance to dodge the question if she so desired.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

A fellow individual without a ship to call their own. Curious. Jyn was lucky in that the Order she served had several which could be utilized when needed, such as that which she piloted to grab [member='Arekk'] from Nar Shaddaa, but the memories of hopping from spaceport to spaceport, buying transport on random vessels, was still fresh in her mind.

How she missed her ship, wherever it was.

"Very well, just the room then. Do you have any belongings which you would like sent over there?"

She doubted it, if she didn't have a ship then she didn't have anywhere to store them aside from what was on her person. Something to remedy, perhaps she'd send one of the local tailors to Cecilia later on in the day, get her fitted in some casual attire.

While waiting for the turbo to appear, she listened to what the woman had to say and smiled. "Ah, so you are Hapan... I have heard of your people, and have probably met a few without realizing it. I haven't ever had cause to visit Hapes, though I hear it's beautiful."

Stepping into the lift alongside the newcomer, Jyn found the question turned on her and took a moment to think on the answer. In her youth her mind had been messed with a lot by [member='Darth Carnifex'], a monster whom she'd heard was the cause for much of her blood-kin's suffering. Sometimes she found it difficult to deduce what of her past was real, and what was fictitiously made up by him.

"I believe I was born on Talus," she said, "though honestly there is much about my origins I'm unaware of. I'm Epicanthix, though, apart of a species which hails from Panatha. Nothing too interesting about our kind, I'm afraid."

And then they reached the study hall. Turbolifts truly lived up to their names.

Aside from one or two individuals who had squirreled themselves away in here earlier that morning, this level was as dead as the ground level had been. It was odd how much it varied from day to day, just yesterday she had been swamped with guests.

Leading Cecelia to one of the booths, one which could accommodate the both of them and held only a group of beanbags in place of a desk and chairs, she offered the girl a smile. "Thankfully our pasts do not have to define us, our own actions and not those of our forefathers are what matter." Had it been the other way around, then Jyn would be quite the enigma.

[member="Cecilia Wissen"]

 

[Cecilia Wissen]

Jyn offered to send any other belongings she might have to her room, but Cecilia declined. She had left some stuff on the ship, so she should probably get it herself. She hadn't realized that she had not mentioned the beauty Hapes' largely untouched wilderness, although apparently Jyn already knew about this. She lived on Aurum as well, which was certainly similar in that regard.

They exited the turbolift, and walked out into a floor filled largely with the study spaces, which were completely silent, not because of the people who were there, but because of the people who weren't. Namely all of them. Well, there appeared to be one person at least. Good to know there were still people here, although Jyn said it was usually busier. Jyn led her to one of the study booths, which had a rather surprisingly casual setup, forgoing the expected chairs and table for an assortment of beanbags.

Jyn turned to her, and somewhat spontaneously said "Thankfully our pasts do not have to define us, our own actions and not those of our forefathers are what matter." with a smile.

Cecilia was a tad surprised, as Jyn had been silent for a time, and she assumed that they had dropped the subject of her past, but apparently she had still been thinking about it. Cecilia returned her smile and responded, "Fortunately, that also means that we can change who we are. So, what do I do."

 

[Lief]

Before doing anything else, Jyn shifted the beanbags to one side of the small booth-like room, entailing there would be enough ground space for the two of them to sit. While the seats themselves worked for every day use, she could not help but feel as though they would prove a little too distracting for what they had planned.

Taking a seat, cross-legged, on the floor, she proceeded to gesture for the woman to do the same.

"Get yourself comfortable," she instructed, removing an outer robe she had taken to wearing around the Archive and folding it over one of the beanbags, "We'll be here a while."

When Cecelia seemed to have unburdened herself from anything which might be on her person, outdoor wear or hefty items in her pocket which would begin to dig in over time, she began to speak once more.

"Begin by closing your eyes. The focus behind this exercise is to block out any and all distractions, so that you can forge a connection with the Force. Typically such wouldn't be necessary, as you've already seen the Force can be used with minimal effort... When you know how. The first steps are a little more mentally taxing. Focus on my voice, your breathing, and little else..."

Perhaps the woman had meditated before, some who came through her doors had - though never with a true goal in mind other than to momentarily shut off.

Either way, the process was slow and very one-sided. Jyn made a point of monitoring the woman through the Force, there were certain tells which would inform her when she got to the right frame of mind.

[member="Cecilia Wissen"]

 

[Cecilia Wissen]

Cecilia sat down, crossing her legs beneath her. She closed her eyes. Meditate. Not an activity which she had ever truly attempted, but she knew more or less what one did. This time though, it would be different than the meditation that many preformed for the goal of mindfulness and focus. Cecilia's meditation was to discover the force.

Her eyes were closed, so she focused on her breathing. Her breathing became regular, so she focused on her mind. Her mind became calm, so she focused on the universe. She found nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing, because there was nothing. So she focused on Jyn.

Somehow, she felt her breathing, even though there was nothing to feel. Somehow she heard her own breathing, even though there was nothing to hear. Somehow she saw herself, even though there was nothing to see. She knew she was Nothing, but even if Nothing was Something, that something would be her, and not her. So how could she see Something if she saw nothing, for even if she was Something, Something could still not see herself.

If Nothing was either Nothing or Something, how could Nothing see Something?

Perhaps the answer was that nothing was neither nothing nor something. Perhaps nothing was everything. Everything saw all and knew all and thought all and felt all. Everything knew that Nothing, who is truly Something, who is truly Someone, who is currently Everything, could not be Everything while it was Someone. Someone could not exist while it was Everything.

While everything has no feelings, Everything was no longer everything, but for now Everything was Someone, and Someone was Everything. Someone was Everything's past, present, and future, and as such, Everything wanted to help Someone. However, Everything knew it could not be done, because once it was again Someone, it would be everything, and everything cannot feel and cannot act, and as such, could not help Someone. However, Someone had become Everything, and even though Someone would never know that Someone had once been Everything, Someone and everything were, linked, for not everyone can become Everything. Even though everything could not help Someone, Someone could touch everything and help herself, for now Someone and everything were not linked, but connected. Everything desired to once again be Someone, to have the power to act, to shed the knowledge of this universe, to abandon vast power that it could not use, and instead return to being Someone. Someone was now connected to everything, and more, Someone could act, Someone could think, Someone could be someone-- Someone was someone, for unlike Everything, Someone had a name. Everything shed itself, and again became Someone. And Someone's Name was Cecilia.

Cecilia continued searching for the Force, an activity whose seeming futility grew with each second. At this time, Cecilia could tell how long she had been meditating, for she was still Cecilia, and in the world. Her Meditation was futile, for she was linked to the force, but not connected to it. It was then that Cecilia became Everything, and then Someone, and then Cecilia. For Cecilia, this process was instantaneous, unintentional, and unnoticed. After this event, for Cecilia, an instant, her senses were replaced with thought.

At first, all was darkness, then, in the same fashion that one's eyes adjust to sudden darkness, Jyn to her right started to come into focus. Soon after, she knew too of another person, but they were hazy and indistinct, as if her sight of feeling was undeveloped and unfocused, hampered by distance and deficiency. Cecilia waited, and in time, she came to know that she was sitting on a floor, as was Jyn. They were surrounded by small walls, and a few beanbags, though she only knew this because she knew where she was. Her knowledge of her surroundings was only complete for a few feet around her, and faded to darkness a few feet after that. She had waited for a while to see this much, but now, however long she waited, she could not know beyond what she now did. She supposed she could only see the other person because, like Jyn, they must have possessed a sort of inner light that made her the brightest thing Cecilia could see, and the most clear, seeming to appear more vivid than she did to Cecilia's waking eyes. All else was clear in its position, but not in its appearance, and even position became unclear where her sight faded.

Cecilia realized that she must have been feeling the force, and true to Jyn's word, it seemed to go through everything. Truly it was true, and beautiful, for all things were true to themselves in this sight. Though Cecilia did not know enough to hear them, she knew that here, all things sang of what they truly were. It seemed to her that to truly know things in the galaxy, she would have to first know the Force, and by this route, revelations would be reached.

Cecilia opened her eyes, and found her mouth quite dry, her eyes heavy. One would think that meditation would leave her refreshed, but her first experience with the Force had clearly taken a lot out of her. From here, she would rest, and after that, meditate and train, until the Force was not exhausting, but instinctive. However, she had first to take care of the present. Cecilia turned her head and looked at Jyn.

Spoiler

"I would like to join the Je'daii order."

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Aside from a few quietly uttered instructions on her part, Jyn did not have to do much when it came to Cecilia brokering her initial relationship with the Force.

Sat there as she was, with her own eyes closed, the most she did was continue to monitor the woman's emotions, to ensure she did not get too sidetracked, and while once or twice such was the case for the most part she was quick to grasp the concept. So much so that Jyn could not help but be impressed.

How long actually passed was difficult to say, but it felt neither too long or too short to Jyn before the woman spoke out, pulling her from her own meditations, and forcing her to look in her direction with a very soft smile.

"You are more than welcome to join us, Cecilia. I am impressed by your affinity to the Force, though this was but your first session I sensed that you were able to touch upon it - no matter how briefly."

Slowly rising to her feet, she stretched for a moment and gave the woman a moment or two to reorientate herself with where she was. Sometimes meditation could leave one a little confused by their surroundings.

"If this is what you wish, then I welcome you now into our fold as a Padawan of the Je'daii Order. I have no doubts that you will find yourself on the path of a Journeyer soon enough, you seem to have the mind for this."

Bowing toward the woman, as respectfully as she had done in greeting, Jyn smiled.

"I'm sure that took a lot out of you. Come with me and we shall get you situated in your dorm room."

[member="Cecilia Wissen"]

 

[Cecilia Wissen]

Cecilia smiled at Jyn's acceptance of her into the order. Cecilia now had a new purpose, a new family, and seemingly, a new friend. She was quite satisfied with how the meditation had gone, glad she had accomplished a connection to the force. She sensed the same thing Jyn had, that she had in fact touched the Force, though it was certainly for an instant. By the time she had realized it, it had been but a memory. Still, she was certain the success she had, and it was a success, was due in no small part by the presence of Jyn, whether she knew it or not.

Cecilia was more than grateful that Jyn offered to show her to a room. She was exhausted from the day as a whole, and would be sleeping immediately. She would get her stuff tomorrow morning, she did not want to be stuck outside when the sun started to go down. She returned Jyn's bow, although hers dipped slightly lower to show her respect for the woman.

"Please lead the way."

Cecilia followed Jyn to the dorm. Jyn helped her get settled, and then left so that Cecilia could rest. Cecilia thanked her as she left. Cecilia got ready, then went directly to bed and directly to sleep

\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////​

Cecilia opened her eyes. Then closed them again. Then she remembered that there was quite a bit she wanted to do today. She opened her eyes again and then sat up and got out of bed.

Cecilia walked out of the starport, her pack on her back. This was the first thing she wanted to do this day, and it was good to finally get it off her mind. She unlocked the door to her dorm and entered, spending the next hour getting all of her stuff organized. With that out of the way, and breakfast taken care of back at the starport, she set out to find Jyn. Whether it be personal training or suggested books, lectures, or routines, Hopefully Jyn would be able to once again, get Cecilia started.

 

[Lief]

After bringing Cecilia to her dormitory, Jyn had returned to her desk in the Silent Archives for several more hours until [member='Arekk'] sent for her. The Archives were open all hours, between she, Master Dundam, and another two Rangers who adhered to Kaleth, the running of it was adequately covered, and so when her shift was over she had sought him out and spent the rest of her evening alongside him.

Jyn was up at the crack of dawn.

Each morning for her consisted of a short speeder journey out to the Sanctuary, to check in on the animals they had rescued on Nar Shaddaa, an hour of this time was dedicated exclusively to her beloved Louie who was still without a mate. It broke her heart to know that his kind were herd-reliant, yet he was alone. Thankfully the team which had been put together when they first set up the Sanctuary did a good job of keeping him company.

He always seemed to light up whenever he saw her, though.

Breakfast was just about over in the Academy Mess Hall by the time that Jyn returned, mud caking her clothes and her hair a little flustered. She was about to head up to her refresher, to change and grab a snack from her room, when she spotted the Je'daii's newest addition. Waving at Cecilia, she put such thoughts to the back of her mind and ventured over to the woman with a gentle smile and a bow of her head.

"Good morning to you," she said, chipper as usual, "I hope you slept well."

[member="Cecilia Wissen"]

 

[Cecilia Wissen]

Cecilia smiled. Apparently Jyn had found her. Although, judging by how she looked, it had been more of a chance occurrence than a deliberate meeting. She returned Jyn's bow, and greeted her.

"Good morning Jyn! I slept quite well, thank you. How are you doing?"

She had been about to head off to the library to look for Jyn, hoping to get some pointers from her on how she should start her training, and also to get some books to begin studying by herself as well. She didn't need Jyn's guidance so much for the books, as she was just looking for general historical information about the force and the Je'daii, but she was sure that the Force was not something someone could develop a good relationship with unguided. She was very eager to continue the process, but she felt it would be very discourteous to Jyn, who probably wanted to clean up after whatever she had been doing. Now that Cecilia was thinking, she thought it would be good for her to meditate for some time before she started the day in earnest. That would also give Jyn some time for a break.

"Jyn, can you come to my room in half-an-hour? I was planning on trying solo meditation, but after that I was wondering if you could help me learn the ways of the Je'daii and the force."

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

"That's great!" she said, when Cecilia informed her of how well she had slept, "I'm fantastic though I daresay I'm in dire need of a shower and a clean change of clothes. Busy morning, though there's nothing new there. Did you manage to get something to eat for breakfast?"

Jyn could sense the momentary conflict felt by the woman, she knew that she would want to press on with her training and yet Jyn was hardly in the correct state to be conducting such in that moment. Not at all presentable, not that appearances mattered but they could prove somewhat distracting.

"Half an hour? Of course. That should give me ample time to get ready. Meditating is a good idea, I like your initiative Cecilia. Make sure you grab a snack or something if you didn't have breakfast, while you may not be exerting yourself physically the Force can be rather taxing."

With a pat on the woman's shoulder, Jyn passed her by and headed up to the dormitories in search of her room. No doubt [member='Arekk'] would be awake by now, and Kipo too, perhaps she could eat with them before seeking out Miss Wissen once again.

[member="Cecilia Wissen"]

 

[Cecilia Wissen]

Cecilia smiled as [member="Jyn Sol"] walked away. She had been a huge help so far, and would doubtless continue to be. She deserved the rest. Cecliia turned towards her door, and input the code that Jyn had given her. Then she pressed the button that would keep the door unlocked, and entered 45:00. She wanted Jyn to know that she could come in when she got there.

Cecilia walked over to more or less the center of the room, and sat down with her legs crossed. She focused on her breathing, and attempted to reach out and again touch the Force. She wasn't expecting success, but surprisingly she was able to achieve a connection to the Force, much more rapidly than she had done yesterday, and without Jyn's house. She was sure it had taken more than 20 minutes, and to use the Force properly she would have to do so instantaneously, but at least she knew for sure that it was getting easier. She sat there for after toughing the force, trying to maintain the connection and increase it. She now knew for a fact that Jyn's presence yesterday had been making her connection easier and stronger, perhaps an unconscious expression of her desire for Cecilia's success. Her connection to the force wasn't so much a sight this time as a jumble of feelings, almost like strings went from her mind to the objects around her, giving her a vague sense of what was moving where. It wasn't a very good sense, with an area of uncertainty covering almost a 90 degree cone, but it was enough for her to know when Jyn was coming down the hall. Cecilia breathed in and then out, slowly opening her eyes. She wanted to stay seated, the meditation had made her a bit tired, though nowhere near the degree of yesterday. She started to get up though, as she respected Jyn, and wanted to greet her properly.

 

[Lief]

After a quick trip to the refresher, a change of clothes, and a lovely breakfast with [member='Arekk'], Jyn was thankfully much more presentable and ready to start the day than she had been prior.

"I'll be back in a few hours," she informed her soulmate, "Do you think you can find [member='Sahna Te'] and let her know I'll come find her then?"

Without waiting for a response she hurried out of their room and ventured down the hall toward where Cecilia was waiting. This time Kipo had been left behind, after all he and Ar'ekk needed some time with one another, so there was little in the way of distractions. Just Jyn.

She noticed that the door was left unlocked, yet she politely knocked all the same before stepping into the room beyond. Met with the sight of her newest student rising up to greet her, Jyn was quick to lower herself into a bow of respect, a smile upon her face as ever.

"Hello again, Padawan," she began, informing the girl of her rank so to speak. Not that such mattered to Jyn, she simply knew it did to some, "You seem refreshed. Are you ready to begin?"

[member="Cecilia Wissen"]