I believe this is yours...

[Julius Sedaire]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onGWF8mz1Zw​

Once, a long time ago, the Je'daii flourished. Then had fallen apart in war and disarray. Ijaat had his own misgivings with the successor who bore a similar name, but he had spent a good amount of time on Tython after his deaths. Thinking, healing, putting his mind to order. Much of what was left in Vur Tepe he knew better than perhaps anyone living from his time excavating there. And now? Now they came again. The Empire might hold their ancestral lands, but they were making a stand anyway.

So Ijaat had sent a message to one of their big-wigs, knowing she would likely respond. They had an... Interesting... History. But regardless, he had things that he owed the Je'daii. Mandalorians were big on debt, ancestral property rights, familial honor. To him, this fell in the same category. So he had sent a bar of perfectly forged Madog Steel to [member="Jyn Lorr"], and stamped it with his mark and name, and the bar was wrapped in a sheath of paper marked with the coordinates to Kuar and a spot near his hidden Forge there.

Jyn was a smart lass. She'd read between the lines, and likely know immediately what the ingot was. And come running when she realized what it meant that it had been forged with his mark, and that the mark was forged into the metal without fire - meaning it had been put in there as the ingot was made. As he aged, his skills were expanding, and the hammers he and [member="Draco Vereen"] had made, and the Forge itself, only made it even more so.

Beyond the riddle of this steel, he had data on the Vur Tepe temple's Tho Yor, and ancient forging techniques he felt he owed passing on. Including the secret to forging without fire. The secret to forging through the Force alone. An exhausting, but stupendously powerful technique. And a good many other secrets gleaned from the Tho Yor, from the temple, from writings from the Forgemaster Tem Madog, and more. He even knew the location of the old Je'daiis holocron, overlooked amongst so many things. And he was feeling old. Time to pass on his knowledge.

So for now, he sat waiting, wrapped in a tattered red and brown strriped warden's cloak wore like a poncho. A pair of DE-10's were hidden under it, and a sword made of pure Force Crystal rested on a nook in the outcropping he leaned against. This arch led to the crossing to his place, and he rested at the top of it, sprawled out with a canteen, hat low over his brow, puffing merrily on a cigarra and idly playing on a harmonica. Waiting to see if she would come.

 

[Lief]

The arrival of perfectly forged Madog steel to her living quarters on Aurum was an unexpected surprise.

At first she thought it had to be a joke, a prank played on her by [member="Ignis Imura"] or someone else who knew how highly she regarded anything which pertained to the ancient variant of their Order. Knowledge, and the pursuit of it, was something Jyn strove toward, each new snippet of information she discovered about those formative days was carefully noted down, preserved for future generations.

But the steel was real. She had inspected every inch of it, found no flaw, and what was more the makers mark showed no signs of being added after the fact. No. It was real.

The attached note held more insight, providing a name Jyn had not heard in so very long, not since she awoke dazed and confused on some station without any of her possessions. This man [member="Ijaat Mereel"] had shown her sympathy then, he had brought her into his ship, patched up her injuries, and allowed her to wait it out until she was strong enough of mind and body to leave again. Even then he had sent her on her way with a small sum of credits, and a blaster at her hip.

She had never forgotten his selfless assistance, nor had she found a way to repay him. For several years she had tried to find him again with no luck, but by that point she was building up the Je'daii and that had come with so much work it was dizzying.

It came as no surprise to anyone then that she answered his call, flying Tranquility all the way out to Kuar in the Deep Core. More time away from her beloved [member="Atefeh Lorr"] - but at least she had [member="Arekk"] by her side this time.

Coming upon the location which the coordinates led her to, Jyn was surprised to hear the light sound of music drifting over the rise of an outcrop. She could feel his presence already, that swirling mixture of emotions that was at times deceiving in nature. He was a dangerous man, that was something she would never allow herself to forget.

 

[Julius Sedaire]

He felt her long before she felt or saw him. His talents in the Force, such as they were, lay in sensory and crafting alone. Little else had been given to him, and he half wondered if that exclusivity wasn't some absent bit of jest on behalf of his benefactor who had revived him. Idly he bounced his feet, ankles crossed, watching dust and pebbles scatter as his battered boots clicked against the slate he laid back on. The lean he was at was comfortable, except for a root or rock in the small of his back. A wiggled shift, and a squalling squeal of the harmonica, and he sighed, amber eyes still hid by the hat brim, smoke wreathing him as he played on, looking for all the world like a worn-out vagrant if not for the well cared for guns and crystal sword.

Turning a bit, he held off playing a note and eyed Jyn. She looked better than the last time he had seen her. Definitely loads better. Prying would do no good with this one, strength and confidence replaced the fear and uncertainty that she had last time. Then again, you meet with someone like him, or any Mandalorian really, without a bit of wariness and you needed your head checked. A weathered hand reached up to knock his hat back and placed a cigarra to be clamped between teeth in the side of his mouth, taking a long drag and exhaling through his nose like some mythical beast.

"Good to see ya kid... Thought today would be the day. Vision isn't as good as it used to be, but sometimes it's clear enough for that sort of stuff. Suppose you got my note and little gift then? I'll show you inside and explain that over some drinks, if you'd like... "

There wasn't per se a smile, but a certain sense of fondness rolled from him as his expression changed.

[member="Jyn Lorr"]

 

[Lief]

He was difficult to spot at first, and had she not been capable of sensing him through his emotions she might have walked past him all together. He practically melded with the rock at his back, seeming at one with the nature he chose to surround himself with. At first she was confused, because he didn't look anything like she remembered... Even his presence in the Force differed slightly. But she knew it was him, even before he spoke. It had to be.

"It's lovely to see you again, Ijaat," she said with a very soft smile, typically Jyn was one to use titles and formalities but her guard was down a little more than usual around him, as it typically was with Sargon, and though she'd never completely lower it, never forget the kind of man he could be if provoked, she was comfortable enough in his presence to speak more fondly. To be more relaxed.

At the mention of the note, and the accompanying gift, she gave a light nod of her head and even patted the satchel at her side. Apparently she had brought the steel with her.

"I brought some tea too, on the off chance that you'd want some. Heading inside sounds good, though, there's a lot of dust on the breeze."

Gesturing for him to lead the way she followed just a few paces behind. It was good to see him alive and well, after so long of hearing nothing from him it was a relief to know he was in one piece.

[member="Ijaat Mereel"]

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Stretching, he grabbed the sword propped next to him as he dropped the harmonica into the folds of a leather hide jacket. Murder tooths were a rare thing, likely never before seen by Jyn or pretty much anyone. Much less a jacket made of their hide. Harmonica in the chest pocket, sword slung over a shoulder by it's belt like a rucksack, and he dropped down off the ledge in a straight legged descent, a whoomph of air and pebbles as he landed. The jacket being on him seemed to somehow blur and disperse his aura and presence in the Force. He nodded, and in an intensely rare display, gave the younger woman a light hug.

Jynn was a reminder of who he was before. Of who he would be again, and was striving to return even now.

"Tea would be lovely. And you will be impressed. This is an old Force Forge, Crusader era or older. A cunning little Nexus and reliquary that was their armory. Been restoring it. There is apt to be a slight test, there is a sort of Guardian, but with me there it may let you pass. Kind of almost like a holocron for the door."

[member="Jyn Lorr"]

 

[Lief]

To say that the hug was unexpected would be an understatement.

Even back then he had seemed far too gruff to ever be caught hugging someone, no matter how light and brief of an embrace it was, and in all honesty he seemed more distant these days than he did back then. She wasn't so taken aback that she was unable to return the gesture, of course. Moments like these had to be snatched and cherished before they escaped.

Brief out-of-character moment done with they set off toward the direction of the Forge, and as Ijaat spoke she could not help but feel excitement rising up within her. A Force Forge? Oh this was too good to be true. The scholar in her wanted to find out all she could to document it, but the more adventurous side simply wanted to enjoy the experience, to take it all in.

"Tea is always an option, seems to be a thing within the Order," Asha, Jyn, Esis, even Jericho and Cotan... So many lovers of tea. "And I am willing to take whatever test or task is thrown at me, I wouldn't have come all this way were I not prepared for something of the sort."

[member="Ijaat Mereel"]

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Walking, he hummed as she spoke, and smiled almost as if something she said sparked a funny memory. Scrappy was definitely one way to describe Jyn. The wind blew, and as they walked under the arch, it died rather suddenly. The air seemed to tense almost, and grow heavy, but it let them pass without challenge official. What Jyn might have experienced in her mind or psyche he couldn't say, if she had or hadn't or what it would be.

Just short of the rope bridge he had made, he stopped for a moment to make sure Jyn would be alright, a hand extended to pass in front of him allowing her to go first.

[member="Jyn Lorr"]

 

[Lief]

Scrappy.

She had come so far, carved her path through the Galaxy mostly on her own since she was but a child. Ever since her abandonment on Teth. There had been a few kind spirits who had aided her along the way. Moira had helped her off the jungle world, Siobhan and her wife had taken her in for the night and gifted her with things which would keep her safe, and at her lowest moment, when her ship and those same belongings had been lost to her, it was the man who stood just ahead of her who had put her back on her feet.

Between those points? Jyn had been alone. She had faced innumerable hardships, she had lost dear friends, succumbed to insanity for a time, and had a curse placed upon her. Yet now it all seemed so... Insignificant. The Je'daii grew with each passing day, and she stood at its head. Whether she wanted to acknowledge it or not it was through her efforts that the Order had returned to the Galaxy, what had once been her weaknesses had now been reforged into strengths.

If only the child she had been could have known, she might have worried less about the future.

But were that the case, then I would not have been pressed to act the way I did, I likely would not have survived so much as a day traveling through space alone at aged twelve...

Blinking she realized that she had unknowingly ground to a halt before a rope bridge. Thankfully it seemed her subconscious mind had saved her from a perilous drop down the gully. When Ijaat gestured for her to go on ahead she did so with very slight reluctance. Jyn had never been known for her love of heights, and as such she reached out to the roped rail of the path and used it to keep her head straight. No looking down, no making the bridge shake or sway any more than it had to, she simply focused on crossing it.

Provided nothing happened along the way...

[member="Ijaat Mereel"]

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Ijaat kept his head straight and gait quick, long striding. The rope bridge swayed slightly, and he left Jyn behind, though there was no malice to it. She had to face what may come alone, in order to be worthy. Some were stopped at the bridge, others at the lake shore, and yet still others at the entrance to the sanctum. He hadn't been stopped at all, just greeted by an apparition. But he had not spent long in the Forge, exploring the castle like fortress above it. Relics of his people worth untold fortunes were there. Mythosaur bone bladed weapons treated in such a way as to be like unto euk'gar, though minorly lesser in strength. Maybe two blows or three to half a dozen. Ancient beskar, inscribed with glowing mando'a runic script in outdated dialects, telling the tales of their wearers and bearers. The Forge scared him, and it's Warden seemed to be a voice in his mind any time he touched on the lake shore.

Stepping onto the ground at the other side of the chasm, he turned and drew the Force Crystal blade forth, grinding the tip to the ground. The thing looked like one piece, and as if grown in the shape it was. As always when unsheathed, it shone brightly with a blue-white inner light that lit his features in an almost eerie fashion as he waited.

Even if the Warden did not stop her through it's mysterious abilities, he had decided on his own questions.

[member="Jyn Lorr"]

 

[Lief]

Though the bridge swayed with each step she took, Jyn made it across without incident.

Her head had remained high the entire way, not daring to look down lest she lose her nerve, and once she felt solid ground under her feet on the other side of the bridge she let out a short sigh of relief and glanced first to the skies and then down at her feet as though confirming that she had made it in one piece. She gave herself a few moments, to quieten her quickened heartbeat, before she stepped over to where Ijaat had been waiting.

With her approach toward the Forge itself, however, she came across an oddity. She had expected as much, something which no doubt guarded the sanctuary found within, but to see it appear in such a fashion had her eyes widen first in surprise... And then curiosity. The apparition seemed to remain silent for a moment, and Jyn took the time to study every detail that she could.

She could not help herself.

Anomalies such as this one intrigued her like nothing else.

[member="Ijaat Mereel"]

 

[Julius Sedaire]

There wasn't much fascinating happening as the being appeared on the lake shore, a few feet from the edge of the water. The keen eye would see that the 'feet' of the figure melted to mist and faded light just before they would have met the surface of the water. Nothing could be seen of skin, hands folded inside sleeves of a volumnious robe of brown, face deeply shaded in the hood of said robe. Overall though, nothing sinister came from the figure, and it's gaze was fixed to Ijaat for the briefest of moments. Then, without warning the impression was it turned to fix it's gaze to Jyn.

"Why do you come with the Iron Father, child??? What is that which you seek?"

The voice was calm, not cold but not warm, and held no threat but rather a firm challenge to it's tones. Ijaat stood with his sword ground into the mud just inside the waters edge, a flare and play along the blade in incandescent light that flickered across.

[member="Jyn Lorr"]

 

[Lief]

"A call was sent, and so I answered," came her smooth response to the Warden's initial questioning, "Far be it for me to ignore the man who saved my life."

Besides, she had a soft spot for Ijaat. Beneath that gruff exterior she knew a kind soul lingered, one which was simply hardened by a lifetime of hardship and loss and war. There were few in the Galaxy who could claim they had not been affected by the turmoil present in the Galaxy, but he was among those who had suffered far more than most. That much was obvious.

"I seek only to understand. Whatever may lay beyond this shore, it is not belonging to me. I do not come here with ill intent, or notions of greed, merely to observe."

Was that a good enough response? She did not know. But it was the truth of the matter. She did not come here in hopes of getting anything out of the venture, more so to catch up with an old friend, and see what had him reaching out to her after all this time.

"I also came to return this..." She reached into her pocket, revealing the perfectly crafted ingot which had accompanied the message.

[member="Ijaat Mereel"]

 

[Julius Sedaire]

For a moment, all was silent, and mist creeped from the Lake, as the figure nodded finally, the mist seemed to thicken. It grabbed downward, picking up a smooth river-rock of slate color with a banded of quartz crystal decorating it. For a moment, the figure seemed to glow, rock grasped in it's hands. The apparition was neither male nor female, but at that moment gave off a nuturing, pleased air. It extended it's hands, one to Ijaat and one to [member="Jyn Lorr"].

In the one to Jyn rested a rock carved in impossibly intricate swirls and whorls, and in the other rested a piece of that rock, pierced through like a bead. The carved bit for Jyn also had a rough spun hempen like cord attached to it, a slip knot closing the cord on, obviously meant to be a necklace.

Ijaat took the bead with a nod, and pulled out a string from within his shirt. Carved there was a smooth black river rock with sharp lines and angles intersecting the same whorls, and several smaller beads. Almost like a key ring. As the figure waited for Jyn, Ijaat nodded in deep respect to it.

"Gatekeeper, I will show her everything. Even the Sanctum and Forge. She is a Child of Balance, and will appreciate the mysteries."

There was a tense moment, then a nod as the figure seemed to be becoming one with the encroaching mist.

"Show her even the tree. Be well, Scale-Holder. You are welcome here so long as you bear that token..."

[member="Jyn Lorr"]