Choose Wisely (Illum)

[Aika Kawakami]

She gave a slight nod to Iella in understanding. Aika had her chance to assemble a saber for herself. Actually, there was nothing but opportunity. Without a doubt, she would love to explain why she chose not to carry one, but now wasn't the time. It wasn't about her, but rather about Hawk and Saran. This was their time to find the crystals that resonated personally with their souls. She could only hope that they wouldn't go through what she had those years ago.

With a small grin, Aika descended the ramp to the planet's icy surface. The two crewmen followed her down, the trunk with the components totted along. In truth, she felt a bit bad that they had to carry the trunk, but those were Iella's orders. Aika would just have them wait at the cave's entrance instead of following them through the winding caverns. She took a deep inhale of the frosty air into her lungs before beginning to venture forth. The two oadawans were in her care, now she just had to get them to caves safely. "Hope you two are ready for this. Things in those caves can get pretty dangerous. Not to mention strange."

@[member="Iella E`ron"] @[member="Saran Drast"] @[member="Hawk Solo"]

 

[Hawk Solo]

@[member="Iella E`ron"] @[member="Saran Drast"] @[member="Aika Kawakami"]

Hawk waits for everyone to leave the ship before sealing it up against the cold and snow. He walks down the ramp joins everyone else. They weren't kidding it was cold. "Yeah, I'm ready for anything." He says trying not to let his teeth chatter. "This place is colder than Hoth." He complains to them. "How long will take us to get to the caves?" he ask Aika and Iella. "The reason I ask.. I'm not liking the sky. It looks like a storm is approaching." The skies were darken looked to be heavy with snow.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@Hawk Solo, @Aika Kawakami, @Saran Drast​

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Mean while .. outside the entrance to the Cave.​

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Iella stood. She is warm, thanks to her employment of Tepas which she had learned from her Master and one she uses each time she returns here. Her head lifted to the skies, darkening clouds rolled across the horizon and blanketed their location. She hoped the others would soon arrive as they might find themselves in a blizzard soon enough.

Her head lowered back to look at the entrance, she walked to the threshold of the doorway and reached out with the force to all parts of the cave. Her search is one to detect any presence of life within. What came back to her was the overwhelming energy of the force itself, for a moment she let is wash over her, soaking the very essence of it through her skin. The energy filling her and strengthening her body, the power running deep and she gave thanks for it. There is no signs of life, of any that is threatening, only the small creatures that make the cave their home.

Iella proceeded inside and waited for the others to arrive.

 

[Hawk Solo]

@[member="Iella E`ron"] @[member="Saran Drast"] @[member="Aika Kawakami"]

Within matter of minutes they were in a complete whiteout. Hawk could barely seen his hand in front of his face. The wind was whipping around them. He walked slowly toward the cave, he hope he was going in right direction. He had no idea where Aika and Saran were located. For all he knew he was alone.

 

[Saran Drast]

"This way."Saran said. She was distorted, the force here was powerful, and the full power of it would give her a migraine. Still, she could see, at least better than @[member="Hawk Solo"]. She began to walk, but paused mid-step. Something brushed her mind. It felt like..... Her. Like Saran was in the caves, calling for help, for freedom. "What....... How.........?" She muttered, forcing her foot down into the snow. Moving towards the voice, she could feel @[member="Aika Kawakami"] nearby, but only one thing was clear enough to get her mind to focus on. The voice, calling. Louder.
@[member="Iella E`ron"]

 

[Aika Kawakami]

Ah. The trek through the snow. It felt like it was only yesterday that she'd done it for the first time. Except she was freezing then, and questioning every single thing she did in life. Thank the Force that she was so much smarter now. Nonetheless, they pushed through the snow, which seemed to be picking up. Seeing anything but white with ones eyes was...a struggle, to say the least. But Aika knew the way still. She could feel the Force radiating from the caves. Not to mention she was nearly one hundred percent sure could sense Iella as well. Honestly, she hoped the two were beginning to feel a difference. Or hear something. Any type of odd reaction honestly. Maybe then she'd understand how she looked as she plunged through the caves with her ears plugged years ago.

As they moved through the increasing heavy snow, Aika's lips curved into a wide grin, glancing back to look at the two. "Just up ahead. E'ron-san is waiting on us. Hope you two are ready. This can be a wild ride." She snickered as she pushed forward, fully expecting the two to dash ahead in anticipation.

@[member="Saran Drast"] @[member="Hawk Solo"] @[member="Iella E`ron"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@Hawk Solo, @Aika Kawakami, @Saran Drast​

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The whispers of Jedi past .. present and future, spoke to her of their journey to cave. Their stories never with out hardship or great toil to achieve their purpose as they walked the path. The Force swirled around her reaching into her very soul, providing images of them as they stood her rejoicing in their achievement of bonding with their crystals and producing their sabers. However, their is a touch of the darkside in these stories, it has trodden here in these hallowed walls of the cave, and will do again. She recalls her first visit here, when the Masters and Knights had done the very thing she has now and moved to the cave firstly. They where not as lucky as she, they had to fight for their lives that days, and because of it, no one was able to complete the mission. Iella's turn came later, with a private visit with her Master Syn.

Iella smiled at the memory of it, much more came from that day. Yes .. she had found her crystal and constructed her saber, one that she enhanced with the pearl of the Krayt Dragon won in her struggle to fight it. The white female dragon giving Iella the gift upon death, to which she gave thanks in the form of a chant. At the time Iella did not know that the spirit of the white dragon also entered her blade, and once they are connected when the blade ignites .. she senses the spirit and takes on the essence of it. The force of strength is still unknown to Iella, although she knows some. This day also was more profound in the relationship between Padawan and Master ... that day the Padawan had taught the Master, a personal struggle he had been carrying for centuries .. now gone. It was also the day, Iella found love.

She was not feeling the cold of the cave, the warmth of memories enough the stay that. They approached now, just near the entrance, and she could sense all manner of emotions. One notably is Saran. Iella's brow knitted at the confusion coming from her, but she would wait until they arrived .. and keep close watch on her as well as them all.

 

[Hawk Solo]

@[member="Iella E`ron"] @[member="Saran Drast"] @[member="Aika Kawakami"]
He could barely hear Saran and Aika over the roar of the wind. He felt lost and unsure of his surrounding. He kept trying to use his eyes to guide him through the snow forgetting to use the force. He still need to unlearn his own habits. "Frak!" he mutters. "I can't see where I am going." He calls out. He knew if he couldn't find the caves that he could be lost forever.

Use the force son. Let go. Hawk stopped in his track. His eyes darting around. That was his father voice. He hadn't seen Nathan since joining the order. Was he nearby? That didn't matter. What matter was getting to the cave. He reaches out into the force and finds the other. They were close by. He wasn't lost. He was only a few feet in front of the cave. He could see his Master Iella.

"Hi. lovely weather here. We should build a summer home here." he says trying to lightly the mood.

 

[Saran Drast]

Saran stumbeled into sight of @[member="Iella E`ron"], clearly disoriented.and at least slightly confused. "Why.... Why do I feel myself in the cave?" She asked no one in particular, her voice hardly audible over the snowstorm. She stopped near the Jedi master, hoping that she could possibly answer. As @[member="Hawk Solo"] joked, she forced herself to focus on something. The voice was calling to her, getting louder the closer she was to the depths of the cave.
@[member="Aika Kawakami"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Saran Drast"]


Iella approached Saran, she is clearly under some duress and she wished to assist her. "Saran, If you are sensing yourself within these walls, you might be having a vision. One that is in the future for you, I want you to settle your concentration and focus on it. I will stand by you if something is out of place. Remove your emotions, it will cloud your focus and distort the vision if that is what you are experiencing. But do not proceed to follow it, not yet, until you understand it".

She too, stood focused and searching through the cave, she could sense no presences of any malice here.

 

[Saran Drast]

Saran nodded, and sat down in the snow. Letting go, she simply let the dream overtake her conscious. And she watched.

She was walking into the cave, following a tugging. The force enveloped everything, crystal formations blazing vibrant, majestic greens and blues, but still, they felt almost like they pushed Dream Saran away. So she went on. And in a deep cavern, she found it. A crystal formation, miniscule, purple as could be. She walked to it and examined it, and a fragment snapped off. As she bent down to pick it up, Dream Saran's lightsaber handle fell off and rolled out of the cave. As the vision stood, the entrance to the chamber caved in, and Dream Saran was trapped in the bowels of the planet.

Saran startled up, panting.
@[member="Iella E`ron"] @[member="Hawk Solo"] @[member="Aika Kawakami"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Saran Drast"]


Iella could sense the growing agitation from Saran. Her head turned toward her as she focused on the vision. She notice the girl was doing well in reading the vision but something was clearly wrong. A sense of impeding danger now filled Iella, which came from Saran.

"What is it what is wrong?", she asked quickly, as Saran stood up frightened.

 

[Saran Drast]

"I... I found it. My crystal...... but I lost my blade, and the cave....... it fell. I was trapped." Saran gasped, sucking in air. She felt like she had been there, in the collapse, trapped, struggling to be free. The shock was immense. She fought for breath, and for her mind to focus. It hurt, but she needed to. She couldn't falter. "This planet won't be my grave. Visions can be wrong. Right?" She asked @[member="Iella E`ron"].

@[member="Hawk Solo"] @[member="Aika Kawakami"]

 

[Aika Kawakami]

Aika allowed her mind to be open, feeling the agitation and sense of worry between Saran and Iella. It was good. If Saran was reacting to the caves, then thing were going well. She simply needed to overcome whatever obstacles the cave seemingly placed before her now. Not exactly easy, but it needed to be done. Someone like her, who could only see through the force rather than eyes, needed to be strong in her mind. If the caves didn't break the girl, or kill her, she'd emerge with a much better understanding of herself.

With a snicker her eyes moved to Hawk. "Hope your ready. Those caves can be extremely dangerous. And if one isn't careful, they can become your grave. Now, you may want to get moving. Finding the crystal the resonates with your heart can take time."

@[member="Saran Drast"] @[member="Iella E`ron"] @[member="Hawk Solo"]

 

[Hawk Solo]

@[member="Saran Drast"] @[member="Iella E`ron"] @[member="Aika Kawakami"]

Even Hawk could sense the turmoil in Saran. He felt bad for her. In his experience, his vision came true. He hoped for her sake that she was wrong. He would let Iella hand that.

He nods to Aika. It was time to go into the cave. He takes a deep breath to calm himself. For all of his joking, Hawk was a little scare of what he would find in there. "See you in bit." he says to them.

He walks into the cave. It was dark. He wasn't expected that. He had thought that it would be filled with light because of the crystals reflecting off of each other. Okay. Now he just had to find the one that resonates with his heart. All right. He could do that. He comes to a fork in the cave. Which way to go...

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@Hawk Solo, @Aika Kawakami, @Saran Drast​

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Iella's face would have told the story had any cared to look. Her eyes traveling over Saran's face .. and her mind raced. Aika could be right in the sense the cave was playing tricks with Saran, but Iella was not going to leave this to chance. Their lives most probably are in danger. Never assume or grow complacent.

"Saran, visions are odd things, they can give us information to impeding events that are sent to warn. Sometimes they are obtuse and need to be interpreted .. I am not sure exactly what you have had. Aika could be right too, this journey you are now on could be interfering with your 'sight'. This cave ... there is more to it then just crystals .. the force is strong here, no doubt you sense it. You need to let go, and let it speak to you. Let the force wash over you and penetrate your very skin", but Iella would still check out the vision.

She moved closer to Saran now and let her own calm wash over her, hoping to ease her more. "I do not know if your vision is right or wrong. It might be a manifestation of your fear or apprehension you are experiencing now. Maybe you fear failure and that is what the vision was telling you", she said. "However, just to be sure... I will check the entrance". After all their lives are her responsibility.

Iella walked back to the entrance and stood looking up .. there seemed to be one physical sign of fracture. But physical vision can easily be deceived. Iella closed her eyes and centered. The powerful knot of force she holds in her stomach ready for her bidding. She lifted her arms with palms facing upward and let the energy from her center ripple through her body and out her skin. Her Aura, which is white, now glowing bright, something a Miraluka would be able to 'see' through the force. The white energy pulse in a consistent beat .. the threads pushing out to all parts of the cave. The others within the cave would feel a strong power coming from her now.

She focused on the cave and nothing more, clearing her mind .. she heard it as if it spoke to her and she to it. Her sight of the entire landscape filling her mind, her gift as she calls it .. from her beloved Syn, the very first skill he had trained her in in force use. The cave encased her like a shroud telling her of no impeding danger. The wall firm and secure, the entrance remained open like a beckoning mouth. Iella smiled and gave thanks to the cave through her mind. Slowly she lowered her arms and the white aura went back to normal.

 

[Hawk Solo]

@[member="Saran Drast"] @[member="Iella E`ron"] @[member="Aika Kawakami"]

Before he could choose his path, he felt a burst of energy coming from his Master. It washes over him like a wave. It comforted him that he wasn't alone.

He was going to let the force decide which way to go. Son, it isn't radar. You must choose. The voice again. How could he be hearing his father voice? "Dad?" He says out loud. Maybe he was in the cave but Hawk didn't sense him.

He decides to go to the left. He moves slowly through the darkness. The tunnel was narrow. His shoulders brushed against the wall of the cave. The narrow tunnel opened into a huge room. It was filled with crystal. It dazzled him. There were so many of them. How was he going to choose?

 

[Aika Kawakami]

Just for a moment, she could sense an added feeling from within the caverns. Quickly it became obvious that Hawk's journey into himself had began. While she wanted to smile a bit, seeing the look across the face Iella,, Aika knew it wasn't the time. She was assisting Saran, and hopefully everything would go well. They weren't prepared for a rescue operation if things went haywire. With Iella's focus on the young Miraluka, someone needed to be there encase Hawk had issues as well.

With a quick pace, Aika moved back towards the entrance of the cave, taking a seat cross-legged on the floor of the cavern. She exhaled deeply, clearing her mind as she reached out to find the young padawan. There was the concern over his status, as she would rather feel hm struggling with dealing with the cave's trickery. At least then, she would know he was alright. "Hawk. Hawk. It's Aika. Can you hear me?"

@[member="Hawk Solo"] @[member="Iella E`ron"] @[member="Saran Drast"]

 

[Hawk Solo]

@[member="Iella E`ron"] @[member="Saran Drast"] @[member="Aika Kawakami"]
He could sense someone else talking to him. It was Aika. She was concern about him. Yes, I am fine. He says through the force to her. "Dad? Are you here? How do I choose?" He calls out into the cavern. He turns around in circles.

A faint ghostly vision of his father appeared before him. "DAD!" It shocked him. Was he dead? "Calm yourself Hawk. I am always with you." Hawk didn't understand. "What does that mean? Are you dead? Who killed you?" He says to the vision.

"Son..you must focus on the here and now. Everything else will be explain." "NO Explain it to me now." Hawk says to his ghostly father image. He knew he was sounding like a bratty kid. "Goodbye son. We will meet again." His father image fades away into nothing.

Hawk sits down on the cave floor very confused. He doesn't noticed the blazing blue crystal that was glowing. The crystal was in the very spot that his father had occupied.

 

[Saran Drast]

Saran flinched back, attempting to turn away, as @[member="Iella E`ron"] reached out into the cave. The blazing aura was brighter than anything the girl had ever seen. Still, as it faded, she let herself slip into the force, letting it take over her, and slowly stepping forward. The step was unconfident, weak, but the girl slowly made her way deeper in. A gentle tugging in her mind led her on.
@[member="Hawk Solo"] @[member="Aika Kawakami"]