I like silver...

[Corvus Raaf]

Epsilon. It was a newly discovered system and she was aware that Kian had gone exploring and was naturally curious. Was it an entirely unsettled set of planets or was it once inhabited? Were there Jedi artefacts for example?

But curiosity was for others, Corvus had too much to do to be wondering and philosophising. Except…

She had a dream. In it she saw a planet – and once she woke up she found it was Argyros – part of the Epsilon cluster. It was distinctive with its one sun, two moons and asteroid belt. But moreover, something was drawing her there. Something, or someone.

So she cancelled lessons for the day and almost ran to her ship, punching in the codes and then going to the Meditation chamber, where she connected to the Force and looked for answers.

She initially felt darkness, and the longer she meditated, the more it permeated her thoughts. The planet itself – or rather the part she could see – was beautiful. Like Endor, a few mountains and endless trees.

What she saw was largely covered by massive, tightly-knit forests and the climate seemed temperate. But a sense of foreboding would not go away and was always just out of reach.

Finally, in her mind’s eye she was on the forest floor, light blocked by the dense canopy. Racing towards here was what looked like a Krayt Dragon, except it was green in colour, and as tall as many of the trees. Yet despite the sense of dread, it ran straight past her and as she turned, she saw what it was focused on. A young human woman…no, a Togruta.

Tia…?

Her eyes opened wide as she heard the claxon announcing the ship was exiting hyperspace. She rushed to the cockpit and used her senses. The Force Bond between Master and Padawan was strong and if the vision were true, she might be able to sense where the young Jedi was. It had been some time since she’d seen her and suspected she’d died in the Galactic Event but perhaps…just perhaps…she was alive.

[member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"]

 

[Tia'Ilandra Shaasa]

Mere moments before the forest had seemed peaceful, picturesque even, a verdant world illuminated in dappled emerald light that shifted as an unfelt wind gently pushed distant leaves high in the forest canopy.

The seemingly serene stillness of the forest was broken by the form of a lithe youth sprinting on, and the great green beast careered on in her wake, weaving an inevitable path through the trees.

Her focus shifted from moment to moment; Survival instinct, training and trust in the force all combined to bring the young Jedi's attention to almost preternatural levels.

She was scared, scared for her life. A good fear, a healthy terror the body and mind long ago conspired to devise to inspire the youth driving onward and keep her alive and kicking.

No pause for respite, no time for consideration. Keep the legs moving and eyes on the path, the myriad roots and hidden burrows would break an ankle with ease. One snag, a low branch or misjudged jump and it would most likely spell death.

So on she ran. No need to look back, Tia knew without a shadow of a doubt that the beast was still at her at her back. She could feel it on the nape of neck, the hungry gaze. She could visualise the vague form of the vast beast using her sensitive echolocation, but in the world revealed by the force she felt the vivid, radiant pulsing waves of visceral energy. She felt the thrill of the hunt in the beast, the need to give chase.

A creatures bellowing shriek served as ample impetus to hurry on, evade, escape and survive.

Limbs already burning she powered on; Shutting out the pain for now, denying it her attention for the moment. Any distraction would be fatal.

A little further...

It would be easy to allow herself to become complacent or dare to let the feeling of imminent relief taint her razor sharp concentration. The forest ahead was familiar to the Togruta, the earthy smell of the loam told her she was rapidly approaching salvation, however brief it might be.

Panting hard and giving everything she had left in reserves Tia'Ilandra leapt nimbly across a wide stream and onwards towards the relatively welcoming claustrophobia, the vast vine tangle of the gargantuan thorny briar.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was not gifted in Farseeing. She’d had visions before and they’d proven to be both accurate and life-changing, so she took this very seriously indeed. The future may always in motion but the sensation was powerful enough to ensure she didn’t disregard it as wishful thinking.

She was out of Hyperspace now…in a system she’d never been to before or heard of before Master Karr flagged it to her in a memo. As it appeared in front of her, she saw how green it was – which tied in with the vision at least. Had it been an arid wilderness, she would have felt somewhat foolish.

She set the ship to run a low orbit around the planet and would wait. Anyone observing would have wondered what she was doing, just sitting there, quietly meditating. But she was doing what she always did on these occasions – she was trusting in the Force. Implicitly. There was no point in trying to force a connection with her Padawan – for she was now sure Tia was on the planet’s surface – the Force knew what she wanted, what she needed, and would oblige when the time was right.

Once more she was back in the forest. This time she felt she was running. The creature was behind her and she just knew it. She was scared and wished she could allow the Force to flow through her, to calm her. But on and on she ran, she was running out of energy now, her limbs were feeling a distinct oxygen debt and the burning sensation was not going to go away.

A bellowing shriek from behind seemed to give her second wind.

A little further...

She negotiated a wide stream and sensed ahead a new monster, living but at the same time welcoming. A massive thorny briar that represented sanctuary.

Corvus’ eyes snapped open and she was aware she had taken control of the ship. Moving meditation had allowed her to somehow focus on her vision and steer the ship simultaneously. Now she was skirting the treetops. She could sense Tia and wanted to call to her but caution prevailed. Until she knew she was safe, she risked shocking her precious Padawan and at this moment that could prove fatal.

So instead she searched the canopy for a space big enough to land – and spotted one. It was a full two kilometres from the place she knew she needed to be but it was as good as it got.

[member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"]

 

[Tia'Ilandra Shaasa]

Ahead loomed the great tangle of roots, vines and terrible thorns. The mammoth briar, as she had dubbed it, was one of several vast islands of resistance in an otherwise endless sea of giant trees.

Tia had noted early on in her explorations of this place how it had seemingly carved out its own space in the arboreal wilderness, they way it choked out the great trees in its path, an organism relentlessly fighting for its own survival.

And survive it did, the briar appeared to flourish here; This patch alone was at least a kilometer in length and perhaps half that in width. At its highest points it snaked up the trunks and branches of the dead leviathan trees as the briar desperately sought out the suns light.

The structure was densest at the ground level as age old layers of knotted growth, often as thick as the boughs of the trees themselves. The rough texture of the aged brown and grey roots was decorated with a great number of long, sharp silver-grey thorns, some of which grew to up to four feet in length,

An organism built to survive in this place of titanic lifeforms.

On Tia'Ilandra ran, scanning the upcoming tangle for some passage safe enough to enter. Seeing nothing obvious ahead she veered left to take a course parallel to the briar's edge.

The beast was close now. It's vital, pulsing presence seemed ever stronger. Tia imagined that she could feel the beasts breath upon her back and the thumping thunder of the monsters heart.

Its my heart. Some part of her stated flatly.

Trust the force.. focus. NOW!

Tia was almost surprised as she hurled herself side ways into the seemingly impenetrable jungle of thorns and roots. She half fell, half rolled beneath a low opening and then rose into a crouch to pass through another tight gap. Suddenly she found herself alone deep within a gloomy space in the confines of the briar's embrace.

Breath...

She took a deep draught of the fresh cool loamy air and listened to the silence that had fallen all around her. She was panting hard and sat down on the spot to relieve some of the strain on her fatigued limbs, she stretched her long legs as far as she could and tried to ignore the sharp warmth of fresh wounds the briar had inflicted as a price for its shelter.

Suddenly the light shifted and changed, shafts of soft dappled light penetrating from high above, she followed the course of the changing light and froze, shocked for a moment. The emerald green beast rested delicately upon the opposite side of the briar barrier, positioned carefully to avoid the spines. The green reptilian stared intently at Tia, a forked tongue flicked in and out, tasting her from afar. If not for that small motion the animal might have stood still as a statue.

“I win this time” she spoke allowed, mostly to herself, then lay back as best she could closing her eyes. She was in danger of falling asleep here now, but for the moment her interest was on the beast before her, and she eagerly reached out to its mind in the force in order to better study her pursuer.

She had always had a strong connection with beasts, the power to commune with them on some level had been the first to manifest when she became aware of the force early in her childhood on Shili.

As Tia dropped into her meditative state she discarded thoughts of Shili, painful thoughts that would interfere with her mental preparations.

She found the first circle, the first milestone on her practised path to serenity and stopped.

Corvus?

She recognised the feeling, so similar to that of her Master's presence. But Raaf was gone. She had been so sure before.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus landed and set of immediately. Uncharted planets meant she had no idea what she was bout to face. In many ways it was a foolhardy mission – you had no what of telling what was friend or foe. Which innocuous looking plants were dangerous or pretty butterflies poisonous. She was no botanist but she had one thing on her side. Something she trusted implicitly – the Force.

She expected it would tell her when something was amiss and given there was no palpable Dark-side nexus on this planet, she presumed she was OK to presume no animals were drawing on it either. This was no Dagobah or Dxun. No, it was much more Endor-like in it’s vibe – although that moon didn’t have green Krayt Dragons of course.

So she set off at a brisk walk. The footing was at times treacherous and she knew she had to be careful – a sprained ankle could prove fatal if she didn’t keep her wits about her.

Many of the trees and plants looked familiar without being identical to anything she recognised, there were many appetising looking berries and fruits that she avoided even touching and sensed many of the creatures that no doubt made up the food chain here – although thankfully she didn’t encounter any near the apex of this planet’s particular hierarchy. At one point she did hear the howl of what sounded like a borra – a sort of boar-wolf that she’d encountered before.

But thankfully the Force did not alert her to engage any creature – nor avoid any plant. It was slow going, unsure of the terrain but finally she came across a great tangle of roots, vines and thorns. She suspected this was the same haven her Padawan had sought, albeit this must be the opposite side of its growth. She figured she’d travelled half the distance, maybe more which suggested this briar could be up to a kilometre in length.

She was wary of its great thorns – some over a metre long and currently had to step through the twisted knots in ever decreasing light, given the canopy was supplemented by the briar that also sought the light.

Finally she reached the centre of the enormous briar patch. Here the tendrils were like tree trunks and she was able to slide under its extremities and after a few metres of wriggling, was able to glimpse how the briar at the centre was like some huge umbrella – there was space to stand up – albeit the area created a sense of claustrophobia. There was sufficient light that Corvus did not need to use Force Sight and as she stood upright, she sensed two things. Firstly there was a huge creature passing nearby – that she presumed was the one from her vision.

The other was entirely different. It was Tia. Were there tears in Corvus’ eyes? She’d lowered her emotional barriers of late, but it could just be hay-fever from the exotic plants.

She wasn’t even aware of the many scratches she’d endured climbing under the briar’s protective canopy – she had but one focus…her Padawan. She sensed she was near, but the briar under the canopy was like a maze created by low hanging branches and many trunks. So she edged towards where she knew she was and tentatively sent out a message.

‘Atta-girl…’ It was how she greeted her Padawan on Rhen Var when she’d saved her Master’s life, and it felt most appropriate now. For her Padawan had defied the odds and was still alive. The relief washed over her and she could no longer hold back the tears…

[member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"]

 

[Tia'Ilandra Shaasa]

‘Atta-girl…’

It felt like an age since Tia had last felt the warmth of her masters connection, it had seemed such a long time since their last meeting. Raaf, unmistakably Raaf.

She didn't move yet, her eyes still locked with those of the beast. It was a few long moments before she could bring herself to tear her eyes away from the creatures cool gaze. The world around was in the process of returning to life now, the calls and songs of wildlife began once again as the beasts mood cooled.

Tia let her breathing return to normal and tested her limbs one at a time, checking each of her wounds briefly.

She sensed her master was close now, close enough to hear her Padawan should she call out. She wanted to call out now, cheer, cry even and rush to meet her. But patience, was a virtue she had long since acquired and now her instincts about this beast counselled caution.

Keeping her voice level, low even, and projecting utter confidence and control that she really didn't feel she spoke.

“Welcome, Master Raaf.” she stated, eyes still on the beasts, “Please, come no closer, don't speak or move until she leaves.“

Tia emphasised the message mentally as well as vocally.

“Her nest is nearby. She is a diligent mother and she wants me dea-.”

Before Tia finished her sentence she was cut off by the beasts rasping shriek, a parting warning before it carefully dismounted the briar and silently moved off out of sight.

The young Togruta Padawan finally relaxed, closing her eyes and biting her bottom lip as the pain arrived in full, ordinarily she might have cried, but her childhood had taken more than its share of Tia's tears. So she lay in silence waiting, it felt like an age before she heard her master reply again.


[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus sensed the beast’s proximity – and her Padawan’s. And of course their relative closeness. And at her Padawan’s bidding, she remained calm and still – not even using the Force, in case the creature was attuned to it and might react if she used it.

As she waited, Corvus mentally checked through all that had happened to her since they’d last seen each other. So much had transpired and she wondered how much Tia had endured? Corvus had a support network to aid her through her trials and tribulations. And talking of trials, Corvus wondered how many would be met by Tia surviving alone for all this time. The Trials of Skill, Courage, Spirit, Insight, maybe even Flesh? All would be revealed in the re-telling.

Corvus too had tales to tell. The recent Invasions of Ord Mirit and Ziost alone had been fundamental in changing the person Tia knew to the one she was about to see again.

Corvus heard the beasts rasping shriek, and sensed and heard it moving away.

Corvus didn’t wait to be asked, she moved forward and saw her Padawan lying on the ground, clearly injured. As gently as she could, Corvus sat beside her and cradled her head, like a mother caring for her child. If Tia wanted a sign of the change that had overcome Corvus, there was a first and significant pointer. The ‘old’ Corvus avoided body contact as a rule and when Tia last saw her, had cuddled maybe half a dozen times in twenty years. And each time she was the recipient. The person sitting beside Tia now was a woman – that just happened to be a Jedi. The person she would have remembered was a Jedi. First, foremost and only.

There were the tell-tale marks of tears on Corvus' face and she smiled down at her Padawan. "Hi..." she said, understated as ever. "What have you been up to?"

[member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"]

 

[Tia'Ilandra Shaasa]

She didn't speak or comment as her Master cradled her head. As unusual as it was for Tia, this moment of her master's personal contact was welcome; In the universe as it stood following the event Tia'Illandra had felt very alone once again.

For the longest time she had believed herself dead and gone on to some other plane of misery, but eventually she had struggled her way free of the nightmare world of sleep and memories and had found herself somewhere else.

This place had been a new purgatory; The verdant planet, seemingly wild with giant biology had seemed like an image conjured from Tia's dreams. For the first week or so she had evaded the wildlife alone, living off the land and searching for any signs of civilisation or intelligent life.

Eventually she had discovered the Krayt's nest, but not before the beasts had found other lost castaway souls. The nest site had been littered with scraps of prey remains, including the remains of several humanoids, the evidence of clothes and equipment she saw suggested that the lost souls had not been prepared for their visit to the mystery forest continent.

She had since found two other survivors - each alike herself; Lost, alone and totally unaware of how they had arrived here they had been unprepared. One had reacted to her with hostility, the other with fear, neither had survived their later encounters with the Krayt like monster.

She opened her eyes and looked up to Corvus with a pained smile.

“Hello Master, It's very good to see you.” She struggled to sit up, eyes running across her master noting the briar's scratches on her masters skin “I was climbing, how long have you been here? I thought I felt something a month ago, but I couldn't find it..”

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus gently touched her Padawan's forehead. She’d never had any maternal feelings but that time on Ord Mirit, where she’d found her unconscious little sister had awakened something inside of her. Actually the Sith Lord had – Melori had simply been the recipient. She’d conjoured up memories of times long past with her own mother, of the reassurance that a simple touch could bring.

Corvus placed her palm on her Padawan’s forehead. She called the Force to her and white light coalesced around her hand – which she pushed into her apprentice. The healing properties of the Force would flow through her, repairing contusions, coalescing cuts, healing damaged muscles. It was field medicine essentially but it would no doubt be welcomed.

How long had it been since they last saw? A long time. Too long.

“There was a cataclysmic event. People died. Half the people died, suddenly. Some of us woke up in some sort of hell and were able to escape. The planets were in chaos. Law and order broke down. The Republic is a shadow of its former self. Where you are now…” Corvus looked up at the little light that permeated the canopy of brambles, “Was previously uncharted. How you ended up here is anyone’s guess. But I suspect the same way I emerged on Alderaan.”

“They were trying times. The Force wasn’t there…at least not as we know it. I…I have found a lot of things out about myself. None bad, at least I don’t think so.”

“But what’s important is that you’re here. And very much alive. How you’ve remained alive I have no idea. I admire and praise you in equal measures. That creature. It was like a Krayt Dragon, only a forest variant.”

“And believe me…it’s great to see you.”

[member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"]