Forest of Time

[Sena]

"Master," Sena said smiling at the man standing behind her. "It's beautiful." The planet they were descending upon was lush and forested as far as the eye could see. Water spanned in eye catching arrays. Won Shasot was a largely uninhabited planet, which was one of the main reasons that they were travelling there. They would wander to different planets, take up residence for a period of time to learn the Force of that planet.

Even from in the air Sena could feel the life floating from the surface of the planet. It was teeming with untapped wisdom. She knew that this planet would be a wondrous planet to come to know through the Force.

Years now she had been traveling with Ya'iri, the man that loved her as if she were his own daughter. He was a tall man. Even taller than her, which is saying something due to her specie's considerable height. She knew none of his history and asked none of his history. There was an unspoken understanding between the two, neither of them asking about the other's past. They simply thrived on their own and learned as much about the Force as possible.

The Force had always been present in Sena's life. Despite her remembering little of her years alive, she has always been learned to using the Force in simple ways. The majority of her learning of its ways now was not using it as much as it was understanding it. She had, over the years, become very attuned to the Force. It had become more to her an entity than an omni-present flow. Sometimes when she was alone, she would speak to the Force as if it were a person, and for some strange reason, she felt as if it were really listening.

"I am going to pilot us down now," Ya'iri said, turning away to the cockpit. Sena continued looking out of the viewport. The planet seemed to be very quiet of sentient life. At least from the preliminary feel she was getting. Once they landed she would absorb the Force the lived in the planet and feel everything on the planet that had life.

The ship set down gently in a small clearing of a great forest. Immediately Ya'iri and Sena set to work. They had a pretty efficient method set up, using their ship as a more or less comfortable house, with decorations and furnishings outside as well. Once everything was set, Sena said farewell to her master and walked out far among the trees, breathing in the rich air. It was slightly chilly, but her master always made sure the temperatures were never too dangerous for her. Her species was prone to reacting harshly to temperatures.

Walking up to a great tree, Sena placed her hand on it, feeling its roots deep in the earth up to the branches spreading through the sky. A shaft of light came down in a visible beam on a small patch of land. It seemed that that sunshine had been shining on that spot for many years as grass grew strong there.

At this patch of grass, Sena knelt, brushing her hands through the long blades, smiling to herself. Then, folding her hands in her lap, she drew in a deep breath. Slowly she let the breath out, letting it expand over the whole planet, feeling every living being, coming in touch with everything that roamed or stood on the surface of the planet.

Sena felt the trees and their vast, interconnected roots, learning of their lives and their history. She felt the bugs that crawled, looking at their lineage, seeing their families going back beyond Sena's own time. And she felt...she felt something wrong. Something very wrong. Her eyes snapped open abruptly, fear growing in her heart. She turned and ran.

Back to the ship she was running. And fast. Her long legs carried her in great strides. Sena's lungs opened up and took the air into her body, fueling her muscles as she ran with all her might. Then something snapped. A line of the Force that she was all too familiar with sudden fell off. "No!" she gasped out, tears streaming down her face. The speed in her legs seemed to multiply.

Finally she reached the camp site. Everything they had was strewn about. Around here there were a great number of wolf looking creatures. How did I not feel these? she wondered desperately. There was at least three dozen of them by a quick count. And near the end of the ramp that led up into the ship, a large circle of them had formed. She could hear the sounds of something tearing. Something that she loved.

"STOP!" she yelled, tears racing down her face she put up her hand as she yelled this command. At that moment the dogs that were surrounding what could only be her master flew back with violent force. It was as if a giant were playing golf and had swung a massive club at them. They flew through the air, and were they were, on the ground was her master. The creatures had defiled his body, but not enough that she didn't know who it was.

A number of the animals that didn't get pushed in the blast quickly turned their attention to her. One of them looked high in the air and started a howl. But before it got far into the noise, Sena gripped her hand into a fist and the body squeezed together before popping like a balloon.

The creatures ran toward her, snarling, the hunt consuming their minds. Sena looked at them. Her eyes had started to glow as if they were illuminated by an extreme light source from behind, none of her actual eyes could be seen at this point. She flicked her hand in a downward motion and a dozen of the creatures that were running toward her were mercilessly pummeled into the ground. At this point there were only three of the creatures remaining, they eyed her warily. But before they had a chance to do anything more, Sena raised both of her hands, bringing them together. As she did this all three of the remaining wolves were slammed into each other with the force of a bullet.

As they fell to the ground, a massive version of these muts jumped up onto the top of the ship. It was much larger, much more muscled, and seemed a lot more deadly than the others that were now all dead. The jump it had made was the last thing it did of its own free will. Sena rose one hand, lifting the creature off the top of the ship and yanked her arm back, bringing the fowl beast nose to nose with her. Sena then took her other hand and made a twisting motion. There was some popping and what sounded like a bubble of slime popping open as all the insides of the creature were twisted and destroyed.

Sena fell to the ground, unconsciousness taking her.

[member="Dax Fyre"]

 

[Dax Perl]

The grey cut stone before the man howled as the winds blew through their labyrinthine, ruined halls, the ancient city echoing its hidden secrets, lost to time. Dax had his own secrets hidden here. It was here that he and his companion had first landed, here that they'd fought off waves and waves of native before a single woman stopped that bloody battle and guided the two to their destinies. This was the place that it had all began. The truth of his curse, and the loss of all he had ever loved in life.

A whine from the creature lounging next to the man drew his attention. Well, he hadn't lost everything he loved. "I still got you, Athena." he murmured to the canine, who curled herself at his feet.

The man raised his eyes to the sky. It had been a long, long time since the sun had last shined upon the surface of Won Shasot. Warmth flooded his face as his eyes closed. He hoped the Shasoti's future would be as bright as even a single ray of light. Even that monumental task wouldn't atone for his sins.

Suddenly the kuskuri at the Grand Marshall's feet sprang up a growl accompanying the mental message that warned of trouble in the distance. Not trouble for them, but for someone else. The two took off running, the wind blowing against them, fighting against them, as if the planet didn't want them to arrive to the scene of whatever malice was taking place.

Finally the pair arrived on scene. And what a bloody scene it was. The life energies were still fresh, floating around, before fading away. However, Dax could still feel one life, tethered to its body. Dax went over to its source, a collapsed body, as pale as snow. He surveyed the scene around her, the bodies of kuskuri scattered about. And a ship. And a body. Dax carefully picked the woman and carried her over to the metal vessel and laid her inside. Mentally, the Marshall told his companion to guard the girl, and Athena complied, her body tensed in the way that it did when she was prepared to attack. Dax went over to inspect the ravaged body. A Force user of some sort from what he could tell. Taking the saber from the man's belt he put it aside and began to prepare the body.

It didn't take long for the man to construct the funeral pyre, the Force could be used for more solemn things than just combat and meditation. The body, as clean as Dax could manage was placed atop. The Rogue Master sat on the edge of the vessel, he examined the saber of the man lying on the wooden structure. Who were these people he wondered...

[member="Sena"]

 

[Sena]

Dark dreams haunted the frail body of Sena. Never before had so much pure energy flowed from her. In her sleep she saw dark things, creatures of foreboding and anguish. She saw glimpses of herself. But it was not of any time that she had ever experienced. It seemed she was looking into a mirror of what was to come. But the mirror was cracked and broken. Only shards oh the images reflecting were able to be seen.

Being K'paur, she never needed much sleep at night, but when her body takes a toll it takes time for her to recover. For hours she slept in a fitful slumber that no one or nothing could wake her from. But little by little her strength did return and her dreams became lighter. After a while her dreaming became more lucid as it normally was when she slept. At long last, Sena returned to full consciousness. This happened abruptly. Once her sleeping was done, she had instant energy. Her eyes snapped open.

Sena lay very still. Hours before she had killed many wolf-like creatures and knew their presence. And now as she woke she felt one next to her. Unmistakably it was the same thing as what she had killed earlier, but it held something different within it. A light. It was not evil. Cautiously she sat up, looking to her left. There it was. One of those creatures from earlier, but instead of bloodlust filling its eyes, it had a focus. As if it had duty. "Hello there," she said, looking at the creature.

[member="Dax Fyre"]

 

[Dax Perl]

Athena stared at the woman, well what amounted to staring from an eyeless creature, as she stirred, but said nothing as she greeted the canine. Instead she went over to her sleeping master and nudged the side of his face, followed by a lick, forcing him to push away her face as he grimaced at the slimy wake up call. The Rogue wiped his face on his sleeve and looked over to the pale woman.

"You're finally up." He stretched before standing up and walking over to her, and kneeling before her. He offered up the black and gold weapon to the girl, "I don't know who you are, or who he was, but I think you should have this." The metal cylinder gleamed in the low light cast by the moon. The shifting clouds gave the tool a life of its own, as it the spirit of the man who had died was still within the saber.

"I've prepared last rites outside, if that's what you think should be done." In truth, the man had no clue if they kept to the old ways. Few people did these days. But, sometimes they still offered something to those who practiced them.

[member="Sena"]

 

[Sena]

And there is the other presence I felt. Sena thought to herself as the man approached. She looked into his hand as he spoke. The hilt of Ya'iri's lightsaber. The blade that she had never seen spring forward. In fact he kept it hidded within his clothes at all times. If this man found it, that means her master was using it. "At least he tried to fight," she said softly. A tear rolled down her face. When she first woke, she had not wanted to believe that all the events of their arrival had passed. But with the hilt being offered to her, she knew that it was not a dream. Taking the hilt, she gentle set it next to her.

Slowly she rose up and walked outside. The pyre the strange man had contructed was outside. Her master, or former master was placed on top of it all. With gentle steps, she walked over to him and stopped. Her head bowed. "In my time I have seem much death. I have witnessed the rise and fall of great empires. I have watched as the galaxy was slowly corrupted. I have seen innocent life taken for no cause. But this death saddens me the most," she finally spoke, turning around again to face the man. "While I am saddened, I was going to see his death one day. He would never live to be as old as I will become. I was prepared for this. It just came so soon. His name was Ya'iri. Now give him his funeral," Sena looked with teared eyes at the man before walking away.

Back in the ship, Sena began gathering some of the most precious things that belonged to Ya'iri. She set those in a lockbox. Then she returned to the lightsaber and waited for the man to finish his business outside.

[member="Dax Fyre"]

 

[Dax Perl]

The woman took, what Dax assumed was her master's saber as tears rolled quietly down her face. He knew that kind of pain, his own master having died almost six years ago. But even knowing the struggle that the woman was now going through, there was nothing that could be said that would ease the weight on her heart. Silence was the better option.

The woman set aside the saber and stood, and Dax followed just behind her as she went to the funeral pyre. Her lament of her master's death intrigued Dax. The rise and fall of empires? How old could this woman possibly be? Her master, Ya'iri as he now knew him to be, was old, by anyone's standards, but if what the woman said was anything to go by, she would have outlived him by a long shot. Curious...

"Now give him his funeral," the tall woman said before turning away, and Dax did just that. The Master summoned a small flame in the palm of his hand and brought it close to the small stack of dried branches, allowing it to grow in strength until the tinder caught and began to set a blaze to the pyre. The flames crept up the wooden structure and lapped at the old master's clothes and body, slowly consuming him.

Dax stared into the bright blaze, Athena beside him, apparently giving her own respects. Night had begun to descend on the dark planet. A man's funeral would be the only beacon of light tonight. As the light of the fire warmed and danced across Dax's face, he brought his hood above his head and began to reflect, as one ought to do. This woman had just lost her master, what path would she take now? When Dax'd master had fallen all those years ago, he had never expected his path to twist and turn in the ways it had. But it was his lot in life, and perhaps it was hers as well. But perhaps she'd find a better purpose than he had.

Soon the smell of burning flesh began to be to much. There was no incense here to dress the body with. There was only so much to be done. Dax returned to the ship, Athena at his heels. The Rogue Master sought out the woman and when he found her asked, "What's your name?"

[member="Sena"]

 

[Sena]

Silent tears rolled down Sena's face as she heard the fire crackle and spit. It wasn't her first funeral. She knew that standing outside would only make her mourn greater. Night fell upon the world they were on. Her former master loved the night. Sena remembered this fondly about him. He always said to her that it was the time when all fell silent and true serenity emerged. With her master's words in her mind, she let the darkness wash away her grief. To an extent.

At length the man came into the ship, removing himself from the vigil of Ya'iri. Sena looked up as he walked in. Now that her grief had subsided for the most part she took his features in. Some species are so...small. Sena thought. He looked at her and asked her name. Sena just looked at him for a few moments, letting silence cut between them. "I am Sena," she said, finally speaking. "That man you put to rest was my master, Ya'iri as I have said. He protected me as I know little of this galaxy's ways. I never integrated into any society. For years I have traveled with him. He and I traveled to many planets, studying the Force. But who...are you?" she said, glancing about his features again. This whole time she was sitting, keeping her hand on Ya'iri's blade. Not in preparation for defense, but more so as a lifeline to what she had lost.

[member="Dax Fyre"]

 

[Dax Perl]

Dax listened to the woman speak as he drew up a chair, and she certainly had a peculiar way of speaking. Dax had gathered that she had not spent much time speaking to others. Why though? Another question that began to float around Dax's mind was what was she. He'd seen plenty of peculiar species in his adventures, but nothing like her. And how did she meet Ya'iri? But it was his turn to answer questions.

"My name is Dax. And this is my planet." he told her. Nate had disappeared, just like Dax had for sometime. But only Dax had returned. Where Nate was, no one knew. "I have to ask. Who and what are you? No one should be able to find this place. Well, almost no one." The man was still trying to connect the dots. Won Shasot was not on any star charts. Nor had he told anyone but those he trusted in the ORC about the planet's existence. The planet had to call to those who wanted to find it. Which, in this case, meant something. If the Force wanted to woman here, to what purpose? There was a lot that didn't seem to make sense to the man yet.

[member="Sena"]

 

[Sena]

His planet. People can own planets? Sena found this idea odd. It seemed to her that such a thing could not be in possession, but little she knew of the world outside of herself. Indeed it had been a very long time since she had been apart of any society. But little she remembered of it, save a few brief images that danced in her mind. "Well, Dax," Sena began, "I would say it were nice to meet you were these different circumstances."

"As to who and what I am," she paused. "I am what is know as K'paur. We are an ancient race of warriors, spanning periods of the galaxy in silence and solitude from the outside. Our home is not in this galaxy, and likely you will never see it. Most of my people live to be three millennia. Unfortunately, I remember very little of my past and my origins though," her voice trailed off, as if a thought had come to her. The thought vanished, "Me and my master have been traveling the galaxy, guided only by the Force. And as to this planet? Well, we never steered here by purpose. Only by chance. I have felt the planet, and it is vast and holds an ancient aura about it. It was wonderful to my heart before my master fell. It seemed to commune with me. I have never felt something like this before," her voice was remorseful, recalling the planet's touch on her.

"Now Dax, who and what are you? I know your name, but know not of you."

[member="Dax Fyre"]

 

[Dax Perl]

The K'Paur. Dax had never heard of them. But then again, the woman did say that her species was extra-galactic. It was a shame she could not remember more of it. Dax had ventured outside the galaxy once. It had been beautiful. And terrifying. That had been the day he'd received his curse. He remembered it clearly. The spiraling arms of the galaxy before him, and endless stars behind, the whole universe spread out on the black canvas of the void. And then he remembered the energy field that reached out and attempted to wrnech his own life from him before the woman controlling it killed herself. That's when it had all started.

As to how the woman arrived here did not sound unlike how Dax discovered the lost and ancient world. Won Shasot certainly had a voice and a will of its own. But only those attuned to the Dark Side could hear the ghostly whispers. And clearly the woman had. Which meant that she had some experience in the Darkness.

"This world demands a price...a price of blood." Dax told the woman, "Everyone who has discovered this place, or lived here has paid it. A steep price." The man produced a necklace from beneath his shirt, his jacket shifting to reveal the dull gleam of two sabers tucked away beneath his jacket. The rectangular pendant had a lightly colored piece of wood on either end, clear resin between them capturing blue smoke within it. "This was my price." he told her taking it off his neck and presenting it to her, "It was given to me by someone...important to me. The smoke turns red whenever I use the Dark Side of the Force. Its a reminder of the things I've taken and the things taken from me. A constant reminder." Dax gestured to the black and gold saber that lay beside the pale woman, "And that's your token. Your reminder."

[member="Sena"]

 

[Sena]

It seemed to Sena that this world is not anything that she had thought it to be. When she had knelt in that shaft of pale light earlier, she had felt a serenity to all life that the planet held. But apparently the planet was serene from getting it's bloodlust. This was nothing that either herself or Ya'iri could have foreseen. The Force has its own way of doing things. This, while grim, was something that Sena understood and accepted. A small part of her wanted to lash out. To be angry. But the will of the Force was beyond anything she could change.

As Dax moved to show her the necklace, her eyes caught sight of two sabers hidden beneath. So he has knowledge of these. He must be a Jedi of some sort. Sena glanced to the blade her hand rested on as he spoke of it. A rash decision crossed her mind. "I am one with the Force. I feel many things. My use of it is limited, but I am connected. I can feel you. I feel you are more than a stranger on this planet. There is more about you. You are trained. You have sabers. Your pyre," she said, gesturing outside, "was so well crafted, I am in doubt that hands put it together. If I am to be the keeper of this blade, I would like to know how to use it." For far too long, Sena had been reliant upon other people. It was time she learned how to be her own person. Time to stand up.

[member="Dax Fyre"]

 

[Dax Perl]

"So you want me to teach you?" Dax said, more a statement than a question. He nodded, his mind pondering the idea. She reminded him of himself. He'd been lost after his master died, blindly chasing vengeance. He never attained it, but on that he'd fallen, sacrficed a oiece of his soul. He didn't want that to happen to someone else. The woman didn't seem the vengeful type. But still, the Force could pull her in either direction. And untrained, unleashed, she could lose herself. But with knowledge and temperance? Maybe she could be the change he galaxy needed.
"Alright. I'll teach. Everything I know, of both the Light, the Dark and everything in between." The Rogue pointed to the saber at the woman's side. "And you'll learn that that is so much more than just a weapon.". The Force was complicated entity. People like themselves were more than just warriors or healers. They were symbols. But what they symbolized. That was up to them.

They wasted no time returning to Broken Earth, the capital of the planet. It was there Dax watched from the old and ancient temple, and there that the woman's training began. A beacon of light on a dark world.

[member="Sena"]