Books and Boundaries

[Amilthi Camlenn]

Whether on principle, because they did not wish to impede the free flow of people and business, or due to organisational deficiencies, the Silver Jedi did not make it difficult for civilians to cross the borders of their space and even reach its very core on Voss. Indeed, there was barely a hint here that there was a war going on that had already left so many places in disarray, and dressed as she was in her Tatooinian peasant's clothes, Amilthi had looked rather out of place among the businessmen on the transport on which he had arrived in Voss-Ka. She was unsure how to feel about this situation. It was encouraging to see how resilient a flourishing civilisation was even to the war that ravaged its borders; and at the same time, it was a terrifying reminder of what could be lost.

She did not know what to think about it, either. Reliable information about the background and course of this war was scarce, though history and the experience of her own life in the Galactic Republic made her wary of claims that violence was truly necessary in defence of life and civilisation. The Silver Jedi had certainly found themselves on a dangerous path, whether they had set upon it on their own initiative or been thrown onto it through others' perpetration. It was a path that few sentients could be trusted to navigate, and Amilthi was not entirely sure she herself was among them.

But she was not here to understand this particular situation, or to judge those who were caught up in it. Her reasons were both more private and, from a certain perspective, more important: she sought to learn the deeper, more timeless truths that lay at the bottom of the conflict that held the universe forever in its grip.

As she stepped onto a small mountain path outside the walls of Voss-Ka that would make for a shorter, if steeper, way to the Jedi temple than the wider road, she drew her roomy grey robe around her body and put its hood over her head for protection against the chilly wind that flowed up and down the slopes. She made a point of directing her consciousness away from all the possibilities that lay in the future, and which had occupied her for much of the flight. Now it was time to attend to and enjoy the present - the feeling of her own invigorating breath that brought the much-needed air to her lungs as she ascended, the feeling of her muscles as they exerted themselves, the of the sweat, hair, and wind against her skin. As she lost herself in these sensations, her consciousness filled with a deep and calm happiness.

A good while later, she was finally climbing the last steps to the entrance of the Jedi temple on Voss, still quietly smiling to herself.

[member="Stephanie Swail"]​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

What was she. Who was she. Who was Stephanie Swail and what part did she play in all of this? The Hapan Padawn leant absently on the stone frame of the outer doors to the Jedi temple, almost in a day dream. Her head rested on the cold stone, her hair braided back and cream Hapan gowns draping down to the ground. The girl sighed as she played with her little creation.

The blue metal Force spinner whistled gently between her thumb and fore-finger, helping calm those wavering anxieties and giving her a constant distraction from everything else she could think about. The war with the Sith Empire on their doorstep. The strange disappearance of the Galactic Empire and First Order from their systems. Rumours of Mandalorian warriors back to shape the galaxy. Things didn’t happen by coincidence – something bigger was in motion, but she couldn’t see what. Oh, how she wished she was as powerful as those Jedi who COULD see the future, to see and feel danger and threat and uncertainty in the Force.

All she could do was stand and daydream looking out at the sky playing with a stupid toy. Knights and Rangers passed her, paying no attention. Ships could be seen in the far distance jetting off to far worlds to make a difference.

She had never felt so….alone.

Her middle finger flicked the spinner again, and she glanced to the left for a second at the different shade of colour that caught her eye than that was she was used to. She looked at the girl for a few seconds and thought she was having a vision – she could swear at one point Stephanie had looked just like that, stepping up the temple looking a little out of place.

The girl didn’t ring a bell in Stephanie’s memory, and she didn’t feel like she belonged her, not yet anyway.

”Hello,” she smiled, that automatic warmth coming back. ”Welcome to the Order of the Silver Jedi.”

She stopped the spinner in her fingers.

”My name is Stephanie Swail. Can I help you in anyway?”

[member="Amilthi Camlenn"]

 

[Amilthi Camlenn]

Amilthi drew back her hood and folded her hands in front of herself as she slowly approached the gate, looked around and following with her eyes those who strode purposefully in and out of the the temple in pursuit of their business, which judging by their appearance was not seldom of a military nature. There was humbleness in her own appearance and posture, and yet she radiated the quiet confidence of someone who was firmly resting in themselves. A woman standing by the gates, similar to Amilthi in age, stood out from her surroundings. She was beautiful and elegantly dressed, clearly in excellent physical condition, but her gaze was wistful, without determination and purpose. As their eyes met, however, her face lit up with warmth. Amilthi returned the smile, hers less open and overtly enthusiastic, but gentle and thoughtful.

A moment later, she had overcome the last few metres that separated them and returned Stephanie's friendly greeting. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Amilthi Camlenn", she introduced herself. Amilthi noticed in herself a desire to say something kind and encouraging, but for all her quickness of mind could think of nothing that would not have sounded either silly or patronising at this moment. And so she could do only what social convention expected of her: politely state her business. "I come to ask if your order would not perhaps be prepared to open its archives to a fellow student of the Force."

[member="Stephanie Swail"]​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

A final flick and Stephanie slid the spinner into her palm and into her belt pocket discreetly. A new face was always welcome, and one that radiated nothing she could detect as hostile; for all she could detect as a Padawan anyway.

”A pleasure, Amilthi. Please, come with me.”

She held her hand before her and walked into the shadow of the cool temple interior. There, Amilthi would be greeted with that classic blend of old and new. Spiral walkways leading up from an expansive lobby with an ornate statue and water-feature in the centre. Various halls branched off, turbo-lifts and seating areas for quiet reflection or general chit-chat. The two walked side by side.

”Just our little corner of the galaxy, a place for anyone bathing in the Light to come and find help, refuge, comfort or knowledge, just as you.”

Stephanie wasn't exactly in a position to grant outside access to the libraries, but....this girl - this woman - was certainly no threat it seemed. And anyone looking for information should never be prohibited.

”I can take you to the public libraries, but for more in-depth research, I would need to reach to the Grandmaster herself. I can do that now, don't worry.”

Walking around the lobby to the bowels of the temple, Stephanie rolled her sleeve back to reveal the wrist-com and held her finger over an image to reach [member="Valae Kitra"] - her Master and Grandmaster of the Order.

”Master Kitra, I'm sorry to disturb you. I have a request for access to our temple libraries. A young woman seeking knowledge of the Force and the Jedi.”

She left it there and returned a smile to Amilthi.

”So, Amilthi, where do you come from? Have you travelled far to find us?”

[member="Amilthi Camlenn"]

 

[Amilthi Camlenn]

Amilthi's gaze wandered slowly, scanning and taking in the intricate ornaments that adorned the interior of the entrance hall. The place was majestic and in virtue of that alone gave off a feeling of protective strength and safety that made it a refuge from the world outside, war and trouble suddenly appearing quite far away. It befitted a Jedi order, and yet was quite different in character from other Jedi enclaves she had visited. Some of them aimed for a pure simplicity that avoided all that was unnecessary, providing, metaphorically speaking, peace not in security, but in obscurity. Amilthi herself preferred temples of that kind, which helped the mind focus on what really mattered.

But refuge and peace were not what she was here to find, in any case. At this point, those were things that Amilthi could mostly find inside herself. Rather, she was hoping to have and master potentially quite disturbing experiences, for what she was seeking was not, strictly speaking, knowledge of the Jedi. But that was a matter to be discussed, if at all, with those who guarded access to the order's records, and it appeared that she might soon have the chance to do so.

"That's very kind, thank you", said Amilthi when Stephanie had sent a message to the Grandmaster on the spot.

"I..." Amilthi hesitated for a moment about the tense to speak in. She still had her home there, but this was to be a time of travel, and so when she was on Tatooine, she was now, in her own mind, staying there, not living. "I used to live on Tatooine. It did take a bit of time to get here, naturally, under present conditions. But people have been reasonable and helpful enough."

"I imagine you don't get to spend much time here in peace yourself?" she asked after a brief pause, her tone gentle and compassionate rather than challenging.

[member="Stephanie Swail"] | [member="Valae Kitra"]​

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Valae Kitra sat quietly in her office, sipping a warm cup of tea. Her datapad was in the other hand, and her chestnut eyes scanned the screen. Just as she was about to start typing out a message, she received the voice of Stephanie Swail over her comm. A smile formed on her face at the sound of her padawan’s voice. She gave the datapad a small glance, but then set it down on her desk.

Perhaps a break would be good.

Standing, she brushed off the front of her robes and made for the door. Valae’s boots started to bring her down the hall, and she squinted as she tried to remember the last time someone had called for access to the archives. It was not a request that she received very often. Either this young woman needed to satisfy curiosity or she had something very specific in mind.

Entering the corridor, she spotted Stephanie with an unfamiliar face. However, there was something very familiar about this young woman – her clothing. Having grown up on the desert world of Tatooine, she’d worn similar fashions in the past. A kind smile lit up Valae’s face, and she moved to stand near Stephanie’s side.

“Good to see you, Steph.” She said, glancing sidelong at her apprentice. “I’m Valae Kitra, very nice to meet you. Been a long time since I’ve been down her myself” She said, taking a moment to look around.

Though she felt no ill intent on the part of their visitor, she figured that it would be good to double check.

“Might I ask what brings you to our archives?”

[member="Amilthi Camlenn"], [member="Stephanie Swail"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Stephanie nodded and smiled. Helping was her natural way, she didn’t need thanks, but she was grateful. Hearing where Amilthi came from, her face was openly surprised.

”Tatooine? Wow, I can imagine how difficult it must have been to adapt away from there. I have never been there myself, but I would like to go. I know how…important that planet has been through the years.”

She tucked her hands into her sleeves.

”I’m from Hapes, originally. Then was taken to Coruscant, then I was forced to leave. I have travelled mostly around the East of the galaxy, until I found my way here. And you’d be mistaken to think I don’t get peace. Sometimes I get too much peace, when I am not with others. I often spend time alone with my mind as company, but I keep busy. I do what I can until I am - ”

Beyond Amilthi, Stephanie saw the familiar smiling face of her Master coming down the winding walkway.

” – until I am needed. My Master is here now, she’s wonderful. You will get a lot from her.”

She extended her hand to direct Amilithi and her line of sight to Valae approaching, and took a step back, smiling and giving a respectful bow to her Master.

[member="Amilthi Camlenn"] | [member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Amilthi Camlenn]

A wry smile briefly played around Amilthi's lips when Stephanie mentioned how different Tatooine was from much of the wider galaxy. That was quite true, only she was mistaken about the direction in which adaptation had had to take place. It was a simpler life on Tatooine, simpler even than life in the Jedi temples, where simplicity was in part an illusion sustained by the tireless work of others in a complex collaborative system. Life on Tatooine was singularly close to the bare bones of reality, both material and social, stripped of so many of the constructs that sentients had erected above it. It was extremely unsettling, revealing how rotten reality was at its core. But it was precisely this that had allowed Amilthi to gain spiritual insights she would not have attained under different conditions.

She caught an impulse arising within her self to clear up the misunderstanding and promptly sent it away back to the nothingness when it had come before it could reach the surface. The point was, in truth, quite irrelevant, and Stephanie was right about one thing: how Tatooine held a rather curious significance. It was not, of course, significance of an economic, cultural, or political nature. Far from it: on those dimensions, Tatooine was about the most insignificant planet one could possibly imagine. No, its significance was a matter of the spiritual history of the galaxy.

She was slightly taken aback by Stephanie's reaction to her question. She looked at her with observing interest in her eyes, her head slightly inclined, trying and failing to read much into her expression and tone of voice. It did not show on her face, which briefly broke into a smile before she looked away, but she was inclined not to believe entirely in the words she was hearing. It just sounded like slightly too strong a protestation to be fully convincing, and more importantly, what Stephanie appeared to be describing didn't seem like true peace. Peace that grew impatient for its own cessation sounded like a misunderstanding.

But it might have been dangerously disrespectful to prod deeper in a stranger who shared little in the way of bonds with her. Between two members of the same community of Jedi, it might have been different, and offering advice even to a distant acquaintance might have been inoffensive. But given that Stephanie was a member of one of several Jedi orders, with which Amilthi herself was not affiliated and had no familiarity, she didn't want to risk anything.

Fortunately, the development of the situation made this decision obsolete and introduced what was no small surprise in the person of the Grandmaster of the Silver Jedi Order. She appeared to be unusually young for the role, and the energetic warmth she radiated was not at all what Amilthi had expected. She had imagined an older, rougher, more hardened figure who would warn her of the dangers of her pursuit and in the best case agree with its necessity. This woman seemed like she would just fundamentally not understand the appeal. Ideally, she would simply shrug and trust Amilthi to know what she was doing. But all of this was to judge by the standards of ordinary people. Appearances were all too often deceiving when it came to those who dealt with the Force and it was important not to make unwarranted assumptions.

Amilthi greeted the grandmaster with a respectful bow. "Thank you for seeing me, Master. Amilthi Camlenn is my name." It would not escape Valae that the accent with which she spoke was very much not that of a native of her own xeric homeworld. For those who kept track of such things, it would, rather, point to an origin in the galactic Core.

"A fair question. I have been collecting what teachings I can find on the Seventh Form. Few places now appear to have comprehensive records of it, and I wish to contribute to keeping alive this valuable knowledge. And I believe I can." Amilthi had thought much about how to introduce her desire in the most diplomatic way, and this had seemed to be the right end to start from. It was a practical and reasonable point. There was perhaps a small presumption in her taking it for granted that the Silver Jedi were themselves rarely, if ever, practitioners of this form; but it was very likely to be true and had little potential to offend compared to some of the alternatives. After all, even if there were masters with this knowledge among the order, they could hardly blame her for not knowing this.

[member="Stephanie Swail"] | [member="Valae Kitra"]​

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Valae listened as the young woman introduced herself as Amilthi Camlenn, and provided the reason for her visit. From what she could gleam from such few words, Valae could tell that their visitor had a thirst for knowledge. This quality was very welcome here at the Silver Temple. After all, their quest for learning was never complete.

“Ah, the Seventh Form,” The Grandmaster echoed, “Quite an interesting choice.”

In terms of her own skills with a saber, Valae had not advanced to such a level. From what she understood, Form Seven was quite aggressive. Indeed it was not a form widely practiced here at the Silver Temple, but a few names did come to mind. Amilthi’s sense of confidence had come shining through as well; it seemed that she had set quite a task before herself. It would be a challenge, but it seemed to be one that had been accepted with grace.

“Very well,” She nodded, and made her way over towards the door. Her fingers tapped in the access codes, and soon the doors opened for the three to enter. Moving into the archives, the lights would flicker on at the first sign of movement. The vast hall was illuminated, bringing the computer consoles and shelves of information into view. “You are welcome to continue your quest here, and if you do not find what you are looking for… I do have a Master that I could refer you to.”

Now, the Grandmaster had no desire to hover over their guest, but she did not think it would be a good idea to let her have free reign.

Turning to Stephanie, she smiled. “Would you like to join Miss Camlenn?”

[member="Stephanie Swail"], [member="Amilthi Camlenn"]

 

[Amilthi Camlenn]

Choice was not exactly the way Amilthi herself thought of her pursuit. While she did not believe that the Force itself was guiding her in this, it was, to her, a logically compelling step that arose naturally and inevitably from a sequence of preceding events. To refuse to take it would have been to close her mind and stifle her own potential and would have been contrary as much to her role and duty as to her inclination. Amilthi pushed this line of thought away. It had just been a phrase.

"Thank you, Master." She puzzled for a brief moment over what Valae had had in mind, mentioning a master she might refer her to. Did she mean a living person who was actually familiar with the Seventh Form? But in that case, the reasonable thing would have been to send her to that person directly. Briefly wondering how far the Grandmaster could be trusted to be so reasonable, she decided that the most likely explanation was that Valae had been speaking of an archivist who would be intimately familiar with the contents of the library and might help her find the right place to look. But this was not a journey she intended to undertake multiple times, and she was not going to let knowledge slip through her fingers merely so as to make this interaction as smooth as possible. "If any members of your order have the experience I seek, I would, of course, be more than happy to speak to them, too", she remarked. "Reading a treatise or even interacting with a holocron is always a different thing than exchanging knowledge and experiences with another living person."

Amilthi looked at Stephanie with a faint, knowing smile. Of course she wasn't going to be left to peruse the archives without a pair of watching eyes. The Grandmaster had managed that quite subtly, and Amilthi bore neither her nor Stephanie any ill will for it. She was not going to be deterred by it - on the contrary, nonchalant openness might be the best strategy.

[member="Stephanie Swail"] | [member="Valae Kitra"]​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

As all Padawan’s did out of respect, Stephanie gave her Master a small bow.

”I would be honoured to, thank you Master Kitra.” With a little twinkle in her eye, she turned to their guest. ”Please, enjoy our resources and let me help you where I can.”

She gave a little nod to Valae as she walked by into the vast library and data hub. She would watch over Amilthi not as a wary visitor, but a respected guest, and it was a confidence that Stephanie had so Valae could join them for a while or attend back to her matters if she wished. The ladies stepped into the room, which stretched deep into the temple core.

A good two stories worth of journals, manuscripts, texts, holo-feeds and other assorted research and knowledge material was at their disposal. A few other Jedi were ambling around the library at a slow pace, going about their business and seeking their specific requirements.

Busts of noble Silver Jedi rested on the edge of each aisle with a small plaque beneath them explaining their part in the formation of the building the Jedi were now in.

”You mentioned the Seventh Form,” came an inquisitive voice, ”so does that mean you’ve been in many battles?”

[member="Amilthi Camlenn"] | [member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Amilthi Camlenn]

"No", said Amilthi light-heartedly, noticing and refusing to engage a train of thoughts and memories that presented itself in her mind and invited her to follow it. "Fortunately, I haven't. It's easy to think that the Seventh Form is all about physical violence, but I don't believe that's right. Its physical aspects are intense and challenging, but that's not really the defining or the limiting factor. The physical never is."

As she was speaking, Amilthi walked over to the terminal that had to hold the catalogue if the designer of this place was a sentient possessed of even a minimal degree of reasonableness. She searched the database for various names of the Seventh Form, and for the names of those three Jedi masters who were known to have practiced Vaapad in the latter day of the Old Republic. It was not only treatises directly on the subject that could contain useful hints; anything that gave a glimpse into the mindset of these masters could be of value. Amilthi produced a data pad and took notes without looking at it as her eyes scanned through the list of works that the search had yielded, skipping several she was already familiar with. It was sure to take her some considerable time to skim all of these records to establish their relevance or irrelevance. But this was the easy part - and also the less promising one.

Her next search was rather more piquant: she called up a list of all works on the topic of the Sith Code and Sith meditation techniques - and was shown an empty page. There were some Jedi who believed that every trace of Sith teachings should be purged from the universe, and who would have made a point of not keeping records of them in an archive. But it was more plausible that a scrupulous archivist would have excluded such information from the easily accessible general database.

She turned to Stephanie with a faintly quizzical smile. "I'm sure you are aware of the importance of understanding one's enemy. So where do I really need to look?"

[member="Stephanie Swail"] | [member="Valae Kitra"]​

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

From the doorway, Valae watched as Stephanie escorted Amilthi into the archives to begin her search. Of course, it seemed that their visitor was not here just to satisfy a simple curiosity. While their archives likely did have a wealth of information and helpful hints, Valae recognized that this would not be enough. Stepping into the vast archives herself, the Grandmaster began to follow the path that her padawan and Amilthi had taken. With the quiet all around them, it was easy to hear their conversation even from a small distance – not that she was making much of an effort to overhear.

It was interesting to hear that Amilthi had not seen many battles for herself. Well, it was probably a good thing. Valae did not wish to see others going off to war, and it was a recent sight that had certainly made for a somber mood as of late. While practice did make perfect, she did not wish for any student to learn on the battlefield, engaged in a battle for their life. If only everyone could come peruse the records and find what is they sought. But that was not the case now.

It was good to be prepared.

And Miss Camlenn was right; part of those preparations did include knowing the enemy. Approaching the console, Valae smiled to the two women. The dim light of the screen illuminated their faces.

“How’s your search?” She asked, canting her head to the side. “I wanted to ask, have you heard of General Yune? If you’re looking for someone with experience fighting the Sith, I think she’d be a good resource for you. She also practices the Seventh Form, I believe.”

Valae paused for a moment, thinking of her friend. As Grandmaster, Arisa had led the Silver Jedi in battle. And now holding the title herself, Valae did not do the same. She simply lacked that type of experience.

“I haven’t fought many battles myself,” She admitted, “But Stephanie has even proven herself during recent incursions with the Sith.” Valae noted proudly.

[member="Amilthi Camlenn"], [member="Stephanie Swail"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Stephanie turned with the two women to face a row of monitors which would help narrow down their search and provide the breadcrumbs of where to look within the extensive library. As Valae spoke, the eager Padawan stood and listened, and forced a small smile at the compliment.

If only it were true.

”Master Kitra is too kind. I have done nothing that no Jedi would ever do, but I have so much more to learn. I have had my eyes opened to some horrors, which is true, but I feel it will be used greatly to my advantage in learning for when it happens again.”

She wasn’t even sure how much Valae knew of her origins and her past. I mean, she’d touched upon it, but nothing too in-depth. Maybe it was time to do so soon?

”I found that what I thought I knew about the enemy wasn’t much help in the battlefield,” she spoke to Amilthi. ”For one thing, all I saw is that we need to change in order to stand a greater chance against an enemy who doesn’t play by rules. But, for Sith, they are all the same when you strip back their façade.”

Leaning forward, she tapped in a few keywords about the Sith, the Dark Side and Korriban. The light illuminated their faces as she swiped this way and that to bring up a selection of texts and where to find them.

”They are motivated by a desire to control others and their own subordinates. There is no honour among the Sith, and they are fixated on living their life to the codes of the past by any means. This includes taking planets and star systems they deem theirs, regardless of who or what has changed over the millennia.”

When Stephanie felt she could teach, educate and be useful, she went into her own bubble of confidence. She pointed to the screen.

”A relentless war machine, but one that if doesn’t get taken apart by external forces,” she brought up news on the old One Sith faction of previous years, ”they will turn on themselves and bring it down from the inside. It is there where we learn about our enemy. If we ever feel hope is lost, it is not. If the Dark Side appears stronger, then we simply move this way or let them blindly stampede through until they have nowhere else to go, no goal in sight. Then, they will collapse.”

She smiled slightly. She still had visions of standing in gleaming armour, lightsaber held high commanding units behind her fighting for the Light and a Jedi Order unlike no other. The Silver Jedi could still be that power in time.

[member="Valae Kitra"] | [member="Amilthi Camlenn"]

 

[Amilthi Camlenn]

It stuck out to Amilthi that Valae named a Jedi master not as such, but with the title of general. It seemed that these unfortunate Jedi had war and fighting at the very forefront of their minds, they were primed to think in its terms, which probably contributed to the misunderstanding that she was looking for someone who had experience in fighting the Sith.

"I'm afraid I have not heard of Master Yune, as I have been rather... isolated from recent events. I will gladly seek her out if you could direct me to her, Grandmaster."

Much was apparent in Stephanie's reaction to the mention of her wartime experiences - something eerily familiar to Amilthi, which she had seen long ago and had hoped not to see again. There was a passion burning in this woman, a sense of existential urgency that drove and tormented her, a feeling that she had to go through this because no-one else would and someone had to stave off the tide that would bring an unthinkable catastrophe.

Amilthi listened patiently, but without a smile. It seemed that for Stephanie, this passion was not a reservoir of motivating energy and power to tap into at her discretion, but rather a raging firestorm that was in the process of consuming her and in which she was wholly caught up. That she could not step away and let it be, that the urgency did not leave to allow her to experience real peace by herself, spoke to that. She was not the first and would not be the last Jedi to be so afflicted in a time of war.

"You are doing a dangerous thing, Miss Swail: you regard the Sith as an alien, nigh-incomprehensible other. It seems advisable to me that we should look at ourselves as potential Sith. If we think them strange, we will never notice when we become more similar to them. I wish to learn as much as I can about what it is like to be a Sith, so that I can notice when I start being like that, and then not be like it." A playful, even encouraging smile briefly appeared, before giving way to a serious expression once more.

"This sort of historical information is of little use in this endeavour. It will tell us that conquering and bombing planets is a Sith thing to do, and therefore we should never do it. A solid guideline, certainly, and perhaps even the pure truth. But if it is, we will not truly understand it merely by reading about atrocities past and present. The internal, experiential aspect is lacking. That is why I was looking for, essentially, their own teachings; analyses of their code and their techniques, whether written by themselves or an outsider. I find that merely regarding them as raging animals is not helpful."

"Perhaps you feel this sort of inquiry is a luxury your situation does not permit. I will not presume to be the judge of this. And I agree that there is wisdom in your words: the Sith do appear to be inherently unstable. Let them tear themselves apart, then." She wondered whether the women would understand, or whether she would have to say out loud that she was getting the impression that they were very much not acting on their own wisdom.

[member="Stephanie Swail"] | [member="Valae Kitra"]​

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

“Certainly,” Valae smiled to Amilthi. “Arisa is a friend of mine, I’m sure she’d be happy to speak with you.”

Listening quietly to Stephanie recount her experience with the Sith, Valae shared the same feelings. In her own experience, the Sith seemed to care very little about the worlds in their care. They did not seek to better the lives of those on their worlds, and only wished to use them for their own selfish benefit. These dark warriors wanted only to spread their sense of chaos, to strike fear into the hearts of many.

However, even the Grandmaster was forced to re-evaluate her way of thinking when Amilthi spoke. She brought a different perspective, one that had been removed from the recent conflicts. Valae drew in a deep breath; perhaps it would be a good thing to truly understand the other side.

“Hmm,” She smiled softly, looking between Amilthi and Stephanie. “That is an interesting approach, Ms. Camlenn. I must say, perhaps we would all benefit from this research.”

Turning her head slightly, Valae suddenly glanced to a rather dusty area of the archives. It was here that she remembered a collection of items that had been taken from the Sith worlds in their control. There was nothing terribly dark, a few generic artifacts. Valae wasn’t quite sure herself the last time these items had been touched, surely it had been years. She motioned for the pair to follow her.

“We have acquired a few artifacts that may be of use here,” She nodded, “I believe many were hesitant to explore them, based on the fact that they were claimed on Sith worlds – that are now within SJO influence. Ms. Camlenn, you may glean what you can from these artifacts. I only ask that they remain here.” Valae smiled.

[member="Stephanie Swail"], [member="Amilthi Camlenn"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Stephanie listened to Amilthi, nodding and feeling silly. It was another time when she spoke out, but felt it was something she shouldn't have done. Anxiety wasn't the best thing to have when trying to flourish as a Jedi!

”No, you're right, I see sense in that. I once stayed with some Je'daii and they helped me see a little more of balance. Light and Dark. The spectrum of the Force and how many Jedi and Sith even now claim to serve the Force, but they know nothing about it. How the Force is all powerful, and it depends on why you use ir that defines you.”

The Jedi gave a smile to Valae as she led the two towards the mysterious relics, but she hung back to continue talking to their visitor.

”I...I didn't mean to come across like I was giving them a label, because I am sure those who call themselves Sith are not, well, not ALL as vicious as the ones I have come across. In fact I know they are not. One I met on Korriban a year or so ago helped me get off the planet, and didn't kill me. Then the one I saw on Mirial wanted to cleave me in two and burn my remains so, it's pretty confusing.”

With a shake of her head, she felt a little better just by talking, and glanced around the archives as they came to a little more secluded area.

”Do you come from an Order beyond here, Amilthi?”

[member="Amilthi Camlenn"] | [member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Amilthi Camlenn]

Amilthi couldn't entirely hide her surprise at the grandmaster's reaction. It wasn't that they kept nothing pertaining to the Sith, or that they had hidden it away - these things were just sitting in a corner and nobody had thought to investigate them? And apparently they were willing to trust Amilthi to know what she was doing and let her be the first. It was as if she was pursuing an angle that was so alien to the Jedi here that they didn't quite know how to react and just stood there like a deer in the headline, letting the situation unfold without interfering. Amilthi didn't know whether to be amused, confused, or concerned.

"Rest assured, I am grateful that others shoulder the burden of keeping such things."

Amilthi listened patiently to Stephanie as they walked. "You probably wanted to cleave him in two, too. Such is war"[/color], she remarked with a wry smile. "But I share some of your confusion. There are Sith who do seem more like wild animals than anything else, so far removed from humanity that I don't think we need to be worried about becoming like them", she added reassuringly.

"No. It's been a long time since I was last formally a member of an order."

Amilthi looked over the shelf full of relics and turned to Valae. "It will take some time to go through my list and these relics. May I hope that you will be so kind as to allow me to stay for a while? I'm afraid I can offer little in return except perhaps a catalogue of these artefacts."

[member="Stephanie Swail"] | [member="Valae Kitra"]​

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Taking a moment to peruse the relics herself, Valae lingered near the shelf. Sitting there idly were some dusty artifacts, nothing that appeared terribly menacing. And of course, there were no items in this collection that resonated strongly with dark-sided energy. Pulling open a small drawer, there were some holocrons that sat waiting to be studied. Each had a small item tag with a catalogue number, but little else.

“Of course, Amilthi,” Valae offered a smile to their visitor, “You’re very welcome to stay here at the Temple for as long as you need.”

She let her index finger run along the edge of the nearest shelf, wiping away a rather thick and embarrassing amount of dust. It was clear that this collection had been untouched for some time. However, there was an itch that told Valae that it shouldn’t continue to be this way. There were some around the Temple that did have an interest in finding artifacts – all kinds. Perhaps this would be a useful opportunity to get their explorers set off on new adventures. This might be a good chance to get Stephanie involved as well, for she knew that her apprentice was eager for new experiences and skills.

“We ask for nothing in return, only the knowledge you might be able to share with us.” She nodded, “If by chance you are interested in joining us, we’d be happy to have you here in the Order.” Valae’s shoulders rose into a small shrug, it wasn’t her way to pressure folk. “And if not, that’s just fine. But certainly, you could accompany us on future expeditions, if you’d find that useful to your research.”

[member="Amilthi Camlenn"], [member="Stephanie Swail"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Looking from Amilthi to Valae, Stephanie nodded in agreement to both sides. The Order was always willing to welcome new visitors and keepers of the Light into the fold, and also to be given such help and invaluable time as Amilthi had was a bonus too.

"It would be wonderful to have any artifacts and manuscripts you find catalogued. Thank you."

She turned into the shelves and leant over to their guest, keeping her voice a little quieter.

"If you find any text on that Form you speak, I would like to know more too." Stephanie gave a cheeky grin. "It sounds something I could benefit from."

Of course Valae probably heard her, but she was in the company of those she trusted and the desire to know anything and everything was strong, especially around her Master.

[member="Valae Kitra"] | [member="Amilthi Camlenn"]