Private Awakening

[Asha Sar'andor]

Not since the days of Caedyn Arenais had Asha been contacted by external forces with the express purpose of training a student.​

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That any had seen fit to reach out to her at all was utterly perplexing. In its current state, the Je'daii Order was fractured and scattered, its members stretched far and wide throughout the Galaxy. Most of them were in hiding, some of them led alternative lives, and many more had turned their backs entirely. The Galaxy was rife with war, and many saw the need to take up arms and standards in defense of some place or another. She could not blame them.​

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And yet that was precisely why she had been contacted. To help keep one child in particular out of that never ending battle.​

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Aboard Tribunal Station she awaited the arrival of a ship from beyond the stars; anticipation rose within her, a slight amount of apprehension as her mind was left to wander in the time between. She had only a name and a singular image. The rest had been kept vague. Asha didn't even know if the child would be traveling alone or in the company of a parent or guardian. She'd simply been given a date and time to expect her, and in turn Asha had given them the location.​

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Ji Hye Cho. During their holocall she had taken note of her parents, Pantoran and Chiss respectively, and understandably the girl's visage took on traits from either side. At least in her picture. The Je'daii Master could not claim to have any direct experience with either race, she did not know whether they had special dietary needs, or restrictions, or physiological issues. She would learn, though, she would dedicate much time into ensuring she better understood the student who would soon be in her care.​

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Just a few minutes more before the ship arrived. She closed her eyes and inhaled through her nose. Drew upon the Force to steady her mind and quieten any thoughts which might bring about doubt. Silencing the voices which spoke on her first student, Cae, and how she had failed him. Silencing her doubts as to whether or not she was ready for this step, to begin anew. Asha had been a relative child back then herself, just a couple of years older than Caedyn, there had been a weird dynamic from the start, and ultimately the boy had flown the coop. He was no better or worse for her intervention, but that didn't mean she was without regret.​

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There was Kal of course. Kal the wayward Spirit who could not be contained, nor would she ever see fit to try and contain him. He was inquisitive, and experimental, and brilliant, but fleeting. A Padawan to her in name and essence, but largely independent. This... This would be different. She could feel it in her bones.​

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An exhale, and all thoughts of it was banished. A clear and serene mind, ready to welcome the girl into the fold.​

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Ji Hye Cho ​

 

[Ji Hye Cho]

For most people, change was frightening. For many, they feared change more than death itself. It meant going forward into an unknown that was nothing like their life before. In a way, it was a loss that went beyond the physical or tangible. It was a shift in feeling that could not be undone. But others, they embraced change or craved it. It was a balm for those lucky few. And as was with many adolescents of many species, change was undeniable. If a creature never changed from infancy to adulthood, there would be no civilized universe. Still, it didn't mean Ji Hye Cho was any more or less excited about what was to come.

Someday, she'd have to give up her childish things and go into some boring profession that brought pride to her family. Yet all Ji Hye wanted was to stay where she was, free to discover and flail around as she pleased. All-too-much, she'd seen what the Galaxy did to those who were unprepared and unprotected. And while her parents loved her, neither set of grandparents were all too enthused about her birth. The last thing she desired was to be thrust to the forefront of either society, or even Coruscant, as a halfbreed. No, she'd much rather sit at her desk studying for situations she may very well never face. She'd much rather read novels from eons ago that were preserved through the magic of digital medium and skillful curation. Perhaps that was what she wanted to be. A librarian.

In some ways, it was easy to read people, too. And when she read the faces of her parents, there was always far more beneath the surface. The Pantorans always had such a love for posturing and politics that it often bled into how they presented themselves in private. Formal, curt, but passionate. The Chiss were... something else. Ji Hye didn't know a lot about her father's past, but she knew they had their own customs and a high intelligence among many of their number that was their pride. Their reserved nature made it harder to read her father, but she could tell when something was eating at them both. Something was amiss. She could feel it.

It wasn't until the day of whatever they had planned that she was told about a woman coming to their home. Asha... Hex? (Asha Hex) What kind of name was that? Then it was explained she was human. Go figure. Humans were as varied and hard to taxonomize as individual grains of sand. That was what made her nervous, though. With her family, she could easily understand either side from their cohesive and unified cultures. Humans, though, bore no specific allegiance apart from to each other. Even then, it was only in the face of 'xeno threats.' To say the least, Ji Hye was grasping at ways to fit this unknown factor into a box and understand it preemptively. It was after a few hours of agonizing over why her parents were inviting someone they knew little about-- or were unwilling to tell Ji Hye about-- that she finally gave up.

When the doorbell finally rang, Ji Hye pried herself from the datapad. As it would turn out, searching a name wasn't actually helpful unless it was a historical figure. Her nerves were high. She didn't like unknowns, but she had to be brave.

"Ji Hye! Someone's here to see you!" her mother called.

Gulp.

No more chances to hide.

 

[Asha Sar'andor]

Their first attempt at connecting had been something of a... bust.​

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Plans had been misconstrued; Asha had thought they were sending their child to her, they believed that Asha was coming to them, and in the end neither event came to fruition. She had stood there in the hangar bay for a solid hour before realizing something was amiss and contacting them. They'd been a little peeved, and for a moment she wondered if they might call the whole thing off. Ultimately they'd come around, realized it was a typo on their part which had caused the confusion. Even apologized for it.​

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Heh, that was a first. Most didn't like to admit to their mistakes. Still she had made sure to double, triple check their plans this time. She would be visiting Pantoran City... There she'd meet the child and her immediate family, they would discuss what lay ahead, and then a decision would be made for the future of Ji Hye. Asha hoped she might have some time alone with the girl, to see where her wants actually lay, too often in the excitement of discovering their child had potential their best intentions overlooked the comfort and autonomy of the one it would affect the most.​

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She would do all she could to advocate for the girl.​

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With Pilgrim deposited into a nearby hangar bay, Asha was left to brave the din of the cityscape alone. It had been quite some time since she'd last subjected herself to the trappings of a place so busy, so bright, so loud. Most of the damage she'd sustained back on Nar Shaddaa so many years ago had faded, or been healed with the help of Cotan Sar'andor - but that did not mean the strain was not inherent still in some form or another. She knew most of it was in her head, a wariness, or perhaps even a fear, that history might repeat itself. It was not a nice sensation, the tiny grippings of paranoia she'd fought so hard to shake free from in her youth. To see slithers of it returning was unnerving.​

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But easily mitigated... When she wasn't experiencing such severe sensory overload.​

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As she came upon the door of a fairly nice domicile, Asha took a moment to breathe. She forced herself into a state of serenity and peace, an act which had become like second nature to her by now, and banished all thoughts of the attack from her mind. This was Pantora, in comparison to the likes of Shaddaa or Coruscant it was quiet, it wasn't that same level of target. Once she felt certain of her continued composure, Asha reached out and pushed the doorbell.​

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It did not take long for her to be welcomed across the threshold by man and wife. Chiss and Pantoran respectively. The child was called for, meanwhile Asha found herself ushered into a formal living space. A couple of different drinks and finger foods were offered her way, though she rejected all save a glass of water. It arrived before the girl did, and she found herself standing there with the eyes of the expectant parents upon her as she sipped from it. It would have been rude not to.​

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Within their relative whirlwind, she hadn't even gotten a chance to introduce herself. So she set aside the glass and proceeded to do precisely that. Her body dipped into a lowly bow of respect. "Asha Hex, Master of the Je'daii Order; it is lovely to meet with you at last. I must apologize profusely for all previous miscommunications."​

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Ji Hye Cho​

 

[Ji Hye Cho]

All that Ji Hye could muster herself to do was stand there, disbelieving. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting as far as appearance went. The girl knew what humans could look like, but she was somehow overwhelmed and underwhelmed by what she was met with. Dipping her head with mild embarrassment at the gesture, she felt the hand of her mother on her back to guide her forward.

Forward. Because there was no going back. This wasn't one of those outrageous holo-books where a character invented time travel just to undo one mistake. There was no way for her to go back from whatever this led to. She glanced toward her father, who gestured to Asha. It was said with no words at all that she was being far too rude by not returning the greeting. "Hello, erm, Master Hex. But you did say Je'daii, not Jedi?" she asked. It was a small clarification of phrasing, but one that would mean everything in a moment.

Another glance was shot, this time towards her mother. They'd known for some time that Ji Hye was gifted in unimaginable ways for the mundane, but they'd refused to let anyone get ahold of her. Jedi, Sith, it didn't matter. That was why she was so shocked that some Force user was standing before her. Had she done something wrong? "Assuming you already know me... what's going on?"


Asha Hex

 

[Asha Sar'andor]

The girl was... oblivious.​

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Absolutely oblivious to what was going on in that moment. It made Asha's heart break to see it. Why had they not prepped her ahead of time? Why had she been called down into a chaotic living room where everything she knew and loved was being prepared to be ripped out from under her? This wasn't right, it wasn't fair, but it wasn't Asha's place to question the way in which they parented their daughter.​

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So long as no abuse was taking place, she could not overstep her bounds. So she didn't. Instead she offered the petite girl a gentle smile.​

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"You heard rightly, Miss Cho," she explained, though not before giving both mother and father a look that seemed to request privacy in that moment. They complied, though they didn't seem too pleased about being asked out of their own living room.​

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Once alone, Asha gestured for the girl to take a seat. "Come, why don't we talk a little? I am, as you rightly differentiated, not a Jedi. I belong to an Order known as the Je'daii. The word itself means Mystic Center... We believe in a Balance in all things, moderation. Not just the Force, but the way in which we carry out our lives in general. Tell me, you seem like a very smart girl, what do you know of the Force, Ji Hye?"​

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Ji Hye Cho ​

 

[Ji Hye Cho]

It was clear to Ji Hye that Master Hex was expecting more of a knowing reaction to her words. As this took place, the Pantoran mother of the soon-to-be Padawan gave a sharp look at her Chiss husband. In no words at all, it was made clear that they weren't quite in agreement about the decision not to explain. That made the girl somewhat confused and a little apprehensive. What were they getting at?

Nonetheless, Master Hex seemed nice enough. She did not patronize her for her youth or look upon her oddly for her impurity of blood. It put her oddly at ease, causing her body to slowly relax from the tense bundle of nerves it had been. As her parents left the room, it added another layer of mystery to the situation that she wanted to eradicate.

Slowly, she set herself down into a chair with practiced poise and precision. Exactly in the center, perfect posture, everything that a young lady needed to have right. Ji Hye gave a curious stare in Master Hex's direction, trying her best to maintain proper eye contact. "I know some things. Obviously, there are secrets that any order, such as the Jedi, would keep from outsiders, but I've been curious ever since we realized I might be sensitive to it. I knew there was Light and Dark, but... it never occurred to me there might be those who seek absolute balance."

Asha Hex

 

[Asha Sar'andor]

Every single motion of the girl before her was carefully practiced and poised, with no room for error. That was the first thing that Asha noticed, truly noticed, about the girl. A proper posture, a delicate descent into her seat, even the way in which she held her gaze - far more unflinching than any child her age ought to have looked at an adult.

In many ways, it was like looking into a reflection of her past self. Before Thule. Before all had become so complicated in her life. Back when it was simply Jericho and Asha against the Galaxy... Her life back then had been honed to precision, each morning began the same way, each evening ended the same way, and in the interim - provided nothing strange happened on the worlds they visited - she knew more or less that to expect, and what was expected of her.

It had raised her against the hardships of the Galaxy, shown her some semblance of independence which would later be required, but... It was no environment for a growing child to be raised within. Not truly. Where lullabies were Codes, and play took the form of training more often than not. She could see similar in Ji Hye. A weight far too heavy lay upon the girl's shoulders.

"You can relax," Asha said, allowing her voice to fall to a whisper in case the child was afraid of any repercussions which might laid upon her for letting down her guard. "Do you like tea, Ji Hye?"

The girl's response was to be expected. Mostly it pertained to the sects, however, those who practiced it... Not the Force inherently. "Jedi, Sith, Je'daii, we are merely vessels hoping to further understand the ultimately fleeting and unknowable. But we are not the Force, Miss Cho. Light, dark, these are merely facets of the thing, a way to observe and label what it permits us to do. But the Force itself, do you know what it is? Have you felt it for yourself, Ji Hye?"

Ji Hye Cho

 

[Ji Hye Cho]

Ji Hye blinked a few times when she was informed that her poise wasn't entirely necessary. Being half-blooded on a world where most of everyone that was important was pure Pantoran, she felt like somewhat of an outcast. It put a spotlight on her that she just didn't want. Yet the aura that came off of Master Hex told her that, in this instance, there would be no judgment or callous treatment.

And thus, she relaxed as best she could. It felt like a secret between the two of them. A little thing that nobody else had to know about that was naughty in nature. There was a nod. "Tea is good, yes."

Then there was the question of the Force. Deeper and more in depth than she was capable of understanding at this stage in her journey, she wasn't sure how to answer this at all. Gears were turning in her head, but she was trying to think of how to vocalize it. "I... am unsure of the right way to speak of it. How to explain it in ways that are substantial. It's... much like a feeling to me. Something intuitive, but not. I feel things others don't. And yet..."

Asha Vynea

 

[Asha Sar'andor]

Though Asha could sense her hesitancy, the girl did in fact begin to relax as though she had been waiting for permission to do so. Truly it was a heart wrenching sight, and the woman could only hope that with time she'd be able to undo some of the conditioning she'd undergone, whether intentional or not.​

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"Me too" she replied, with a small smile, as she pulled from the folds of her fabric a small teapot that looked to hold maybe three small cups worth of tea at a time. After it, two cups, smaller than the standard, were brought forth too. The latter was set atop the side table, while the teapot itself was held within the woman's grasp. There was a slight sloshing, already water lay within.​

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Without a word, Asha pulled a small silk pouch containing one of her special blends free from where it lay, and added some of the contents into the strainer which was built in to the top of the teapot. Her hands settled afterward to the side of the pot, and the Force flowed readily through her to begin heating the water within to the optimal temperature. While it brewed, she listened to what the girl had to say of the Force.​

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No real way to speak of it, but she did have the intuition, she did sense it and make use of it in her own way. Asha nodded her head.​

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"The Force resides within the cells of all living things," she explained, gently, her voice still as quiet as it had been upon informing her that she could relax. There was no need to yell what she was hoping to say after all, it was only meant for the girl. "By harnessing it, we are capable of doing wonderous things. Not all are able to do so, as I'm sure you've discovered. You can do far more than sense, though I am partial to utilizing it for such myself."​

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Now came the difficult part. She waited until the tea was ready though, until she had the cups poured, and the teapot was set aside. She offered a cup to Ji Hye first, as was customary for her, and only once the girl had sipped would she pick up her own. There was a calming effect naturally imbued within the tea, from both the teapot and the blend itself. Serene, it helped to clear the mind and ease worries. Not a miracle cure of course, but certainly helpful.​

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"Your parents asked me here because they wish for more for you. They are aware of your sensitivity, and they believe that it is something you should be permitted to pursue. Encouraged, even." Asha made no mention of the fact that they'd more or less stated that she would do this, whether she liked it or not. Because Asha was not in the habit of stealing away children without their permission.​

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Such was not the Je'daii way.​

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"They believe that my Order will provide you with enough guidance while also enabling you to make your own decisions. That we will keep you from the Force Wars which plague this Galaxy. And they are correct in thinking that. We play no part in the strife, not as an Order." Individuals were known to lend their aid here and there, but for the most part the Je'daii remained aloof. They aided the citizens, those driven from their homes or injured, but not the sects themselves.​

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"I, however, would like to know what you think about this. I will not force you down a path you do not wish to walk, Ji Hye. And if you decide that you do not wish to pursue this any further, I can help you. I'm not above telling them that your sensitivity is not strong enough, if it keeps you from being pushed into alternate avenues. I cannot promise that they won't seek out the Jedi next, or perhaps another sect, but I can try to prevent it insofar as I am able. Everybody should be free to choose their own lot in life."​

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Ji Hye Cho ​