Peace begins with a smile.
The scent of imminent lightning filled her nose. Sand crunched beneath her feet as she turned. The sound was like a distant, rumbling thunder and thousands of humming blades clashing with vicious hisses. The yell of countless voices from every species she could imagine, all blended into one cacophonous backdrop of pressure. It pushed, pushed, pushed and Kaia tried to see, but she saw only darkness. In her hands she held something, a light; it was so faint, so fickle. It gave off a comforting warmth, but every time she opened her hands it felt as though the light was about to be extinguished by the dark around her.
Kaia brought the light to her lips and tried to breathe life into it. It grew a little, but her surroundings felt only colder. The petite Miraluka crouched down in the dark and focused on the light in her hands. What was it? She did not know, but she knew she had to protect it. As she pushed breath into her palms, Kaia heard a voice. She knew immediately whose voice it was. It was unmistakable; the voice of [member="Corvus Raaf"].
"Seek Ilum. You are a Jedi Knight, Kaia. May the Force be with you, always."
Kaia looked up, expecting to see her old master standing there with that smile on her face, the kind eyes and the strong radiance of warmth and compassion. However, looking up, she stared into a blank mask under a dark hood. A new snap-hiss erupted as the persona's bloodshine blade erupted and then swiped. Kaia threw herself back and out of the way.
"Corvus!"
Kaia threw herself up and out of her bed, looking frantically around the room. Prudence, [member="Zylah Dvale"]'s cat, leapt out of the bunk and darted across the room in fright at Kaia's sudden movement. The young Jedi Knight calmed her breath. She stood in her chambers at the Jedi Temple of Ossus, where she had lived most of her life. There was no pressing darkness, no hum of lightsabres nor a masked figure. Worst, there was no Corvus to guide her. She did not know where her master, her friend, had gone, but she needed her guidance.
Kaia's head turned to the plaque on her wall, engraved with the Jedi code so she would be able to read it. Ilum, she needed to go to the old temple on the far side of the Sith. It was a dangerous journey, but she knew she had to go. Perhaps there she would find her path.
"Ilum it is, then."
She felt Prudence coming back and rubbing against her leg, soft and smooth. The cat's purring soothed Kaia and brought a smile to her lips.
Kaia brought the light to her lips and tried to breathe life into it. It grew a little, but her surroundings felt only colder. The petite Miraluka crouched down in the dark and focused on the light in her hands. What was it? She did not know, but she knew she had to protect it. As she pushed breath into her palms, Kaia heard a voice. She knew immediately whose voice it was. It was unmistakable; the voice of [member="Corvus Raaf"].
"Seek Ilum. You are a Jedi Knight, Kaia. May the Force be with you, always."
Kaia looked up, expecting to see her old master standing there with that smile on her face, the kind eyes and the strong radiance of warmth and compassion. However, looking up, she stared into a blank mask under a dark hood. A new snap-hiss erupted as the persona's bloodshine blade erupted and then swiped. Kaia threw herself back and out of the way.
"Corvus!"
Kaia threw herself up and out of her bed, looking frantically around the room. Prudence, [member="Zylah Dvale"]'s cat, leapt out of the bunk and darted across the room in fright at Kaia's sudden movement. The young Jedi Knight calmed her breath. She stood in her chambers at the Jedi Temple of Ossus, where she had lived most of her life. There was no pressing darkness, no hum of lightsabres nor a masked figure. Worst, there was no Corvus to guide her. She did not know where her master, her friend, had gone, but she needed her guidance.
Kaia's head turned to the plaque on her wall, engraved with the Jedi code so she would be able to read it. Ilum, she needed to go to the old temple on the far side of the Sith. It was a dangerous journey, but she knew she had to go. Perhaps there she would find her path.
"Ilum it is, then."
She felt Prudence coming back and rubbing against her leg, soft and smooth. The cat's purring soothed Kaia and brought a smile to her lips.