Memories of a Time Yet to Come...

[Julius Sedaire]

Location: Temple de Uhl Verta Chielo - Corellia​

​

War hurt and changed a man. Julius had seen more than his fair share of it in his life. But then again when you walked the path of a Jedi Guardian, no matter how unorthodox your steps were, such was expected. Scars dotted his frame, competing with the alien tattoos from the Aing-Tii masters he had once served. Walking the grounds of the Temple, his altered senses could already feel the History that would one day echo in these halls. The spirit, the strength, and the vitality of his people would one day seem to infuse every stone. It would become as they were, the Green Jedi, a harmonious contradiction of serenity and chaos.

For now, though, the Jedi Master strode through the welcome gardens, admiring the sand patterns and the slate tile mandala that formed the symbol of the Jedi Order in brilliant green. Had his face, along with so many others of the League, not been plastered all over the HoloNet, one might not have recognized him. A plain, unassuming robe of emerald green hung over tunic and boots and the rest of an outfit any Republic Jedi might feel comfortable in. His lightsaber, it's smooth white hilt battered and scratched to expose the crimson bloodsteel beneath, hung at his left hip. Blue-grey eyes watched swaying heather and thistle dance to the wind with a wistful look.

For all the hopes and duties heaped on his shoulders, for once he was nothing more than just a man. As much as any Jedi can be just a man. Normally Julius didn't walk the gardens, but today he had assigned his normal sunset duties to various others in the Order and told no one of his plans. His presence in the Force had shrunk to next to nothing. If not for his robes and lightsaber, one might have mistaken him as not even Force Sensitive.

Finally, he stepped up to the fountain, which was a simple electrum thing resembling a sort of orchid flower in bloom. All across the petals were etched names and birth and death dates of the Heroes of Corellia. Every name of every man, woman, and child murdered or lost to the One Sith, near as they could find, was recorded on this fountain. Water was easy to find here amongst the clouds, it rained very frequently in short bursts, and this chain of floating mountains was rather close to the sea and the Golden Beaches as well.

Sitting on the edge of the pool for the fountain, he took out a battered Jed-Cred. It had belonged to an old man he had watched die during the Liberation Conflict, held in his arms and tried with all his might to stop the bleeding. It seemed fitting, and so in that moment of remembrance, he thumbed the coin into the air. Watching it turn over and over, glinting in the sun, he waited. What seemed like hours but was barely a second, and his held breath saw the bronzium token sink beneath the crystal pools surface. And still, he held his breath and waited. The Force told him something was about to happen...

[member="Mira Rekali"]

 

[The End Narrator]

Corellia.

A world that was buried in the annals of her family history – somewhere.

There were rumors that the Leidias family were a mixed family who had settled on Corellia long ago, but nothing had ever been verified. Aaralyn never spoke of her parents, and Mira never bothered to ask. She knew her grandmother, Kryslin had hailed from Corellia – but that was about it. Mira had doubts that there was anything left of the Leidias homestead, but she figured maybe one day she should try to look.

However, that wasn’t her calling – atleast not at the moment.

For all intents and purposes, she had been brought here to reacquaint herself and see if there was any knowledge she could gain from the Corellian Jedi. Not in terms of power but of the enemies that were lurking in the shadows.

Mira adjusted the white long-sleeve shirt, sighing softly to herself. It felt itchy, and it was most likely due to Pixel throwing some junk in with her other clothing. It would be the last time that damndable droid did her laundry. She took a look over her sleeveless black vest, just for good measure. Everything seemed in-tact. It was one thing she could say the droid managed to get right with the laundry.

‘He only had one job!’ She thought to herself as she let off a soft sigh.

Mira had lost her focus, and the purpose of why she was here. A soft cough escaped her, as she looked around idly. It was quite a scene, despite the chaos that once enveloped the planet. She had to admit, they had done quite a number given the circumstances.

She entered the antechamber of the Temple, the vast garden that was lush and vibrant. A wave of serenity washed over her ethereal presence, a soothing sensation that caused her to momentarily pause and look about. “Well, this is interesting.” She murmured softly as she gazed around with crimson orbs of curiosity.

She approached the sides of the garden, her hands clasping behind her back as she stared at a stem of a flower that hadn’t blossomed. The soil in which it sat was different, just slightly. Mira raised an eyebrow as she examined it closely before rising up, looking around the garden for someone who had to know what this thing was. She spotted [member="Julius Sedaire"], calling out to him as he sat on the edge of the fountain. “Uhm, excuse me?” She probably broke some concentration in the poor guy, but he’d be fine.

Right?

“What is this?” Her hands unclasped and gestured towards the stem with the multiple buds. “I think this thing might be dead…”

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Revere was broken by a pleasant, if unlooked for voice, and Julius turned to look at the red-eyed woman who had spoken up. Something about her looked familiar in a way he couldn't quite place. It was as if he had seen her before once, if briefly. Though, if he were honest with himself, that could easily be his brain still adjusting to the temporal fluxes it had undergone in the outback. No matter how many years past it might have been, sometimes he still struggled to keep his past, present and future separate. She wasn't jaw-droppingly beautiful like the absurdly enhanced girls he had seen on Zeltros or Coruscant or any other planets.

The flower she indicated gave Julius pause, and his eyes hardened for a moment. When he had first found it, as the stones for the Garden were being laid in place, he had almost destroyed it. It had registered in his mind a moment after Jarrel, a gardener and very capable Force Healer, had identified it out loud. A bloodflower. Insanely rare, usually only grown on Korriban, and blooming once every few centuries or so. Anything from Korriban, anything from the Sith Worlds and of their taint, made him recoil in hatred. But the words of a mentor of his rose, and he pushed back the hatred. Feel it. Accept it. But do not let it be your dominant essence.

So he cleared his throat, ignoring the almost assuredly unintended rudeness of the interruption and thought of what he was going to say. Sometimes, he regretted going this much incognito. His reputation sometimes kept those who didn't know him from interrupting him. But this was what he wanted, wasn't it? To be just as any other Jedi here at the Temple. And that meant, sometimes, your meditation would be interrupted. Or another Master might ask you to fetch water or some menial task, assuming you a younger Knight. The look on their faces when they found out who he really was... Priceless. It varied from shocked to smug or amused.

"It is called a bloodflower, and blooms once every few centuries or so. Typically grows on Korriban, and the One Sith must have planted it here during the occupation. Most of their presence is being cleansed and swept away. Rightfully so, they were a cruel lot. But, we decided to leave this flower here, to grow wild as it were. As a reminder of the occupation, and the cost of the liberation. And as a bit of humility for some who seem to think we are invincible, truth be told... But, you don't look to be a regular here, if you'll excuse me saying so... Something I can help you with, or do you just like interrupting old warriors at their rest?"

The last was said with a faint hint of a smile to his eyes, and mirth bubbling in his voice.

[member="Mira Rekali"]

 

[The End Narrator]

A curious thing, a world of filled with darkness – yet a delicate object such as this existed, only to bloom once every few mortal lifetimes. “Amazing how such an object from a place of such hatred can produce something that could be so beautiful.” She chuckled softly and continued to admire the, well, stem with Julius. “Despite the darkness that swells from that world, we must remind ourselves that an object doesn’t make one good or evil – it is the individual that makes the choice.” Mira looked at Julius and smiled before returning back to gaze at the stem. “This flower should represent something else.” She took a look around the garden, the various representations of fauna that represented different portrayals of light. Her vermilion gaze fell back upon the singular flower, in the midst of all the serenity. “It should remind us of how imperfect we are, the struggles of light and dark within.”

Mira let off a soft laugh before turning to Julius, extending her hand. “Oh, I’m really sorry. I’m not good with these things!” In truth, she was but something had caught her attention and she was dying to know what it was. “I’m Mira, Mira Rekali. I actually came here to see if I could rummage through your library or archives…” She paused briefly. “Or whatever it is you might call it.”

She had to admit, she was ignorant to other Jedi cultures, especially the Corellian Jedi. She knew somewhere they were extremely traditional in nature – but Mira was far from that.

[member="Julius Sedaire"]

 

[Julius Sedaire]

How much she sounded like him a few years back. But he had been on Coruscant when it fell. Felt the evil seeped into the very air of the place. It was true, what started it all was a single choice. Action. The decisions of the practicioner, though, carried a certain weight and consciousness. That was important to note. Too many who walked a grey path as a Force User tended to neglect that part of the equation. When one repeatedly chose a poor path, over and over... The consequences became permanent, sometimes physical. Dark Siders showing anatomical corruption like sallow and sagged skin or yellow eyes were all the proof one needed for that. Wasn't to say that use of some of the Darker things in life damned one eternally. He had seen refutation to that personally, even if he didn't ascribe to it.

No, what was important was that one just simply watched their step each and every time that their foot moved.

"Eh, you're fine dear... I'm the talker of the group usually, don't feel bad if my wiles and charms make you stumble-footed. Now, the important thing to get to know first is what you want with our library here. It's small, and growing... But it's also already a bloody labyrinth to navigate already, despite the relatively small size of it. And Rekali, you say? Suppose you know Alec? She is a friend of mine, sorta. Helped me get through the Outback to find some folk. Got some nifty tattoos out of it too."

Pulling back the sleeve and robe of his garb, Julius showed the swirling metallic-silver markings from the Aing-Tii, which anyone with any familiarity with them would know that these marks were definitely similar to the ones the Monks bore on their carapace. The behavior here was infinitely more relaxed than what it was a moment ago. And his voice had lost some of the sharp quickness of the Outer Rim it had picked up, sinking into the drawl many women associated with true sons of Corellia, thanks to folk like [member="Ayden Cater"] and the like.

"But I digress.... The Library was your focus.... I'll help you get there, and if you fill me in on what a pretty lass like you wants with some dusty old tomes, I'll make the search go smoother. But I recommend coming with me first, to the outlook... Sunset is a comin, might just get to see a Green Flash. Powerful omen, that. Been seein a few here since the liberation."

[member="Mira Rekali"]

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira looked down at the markings upon his arm, it was the first time she had seen anything outside of a book related to the Aing-Tii. There was an urge to touch, and trace the markings but she resisted – opting to gaze at them and nod gingerly. “Oh yeah, Alec?” She looked up at Julius with a grin. “Yeah, that is my cousin.” She waved a hand infront of her. “We’re actually blood related…” She stopped herself short of speaking of her mom, shaking her head softly.

“Yeah, Alec has done a lot of things since Grandpa died – I wasn’t around though.” She shrugged lightly.

And then they came back to the reason why she was here, knowledge.

Mira snapped her fingers, being pulled back to the subject at hand. “Yeah, the library.” Mira chuckled softly. “It’s more so to see if there is anything within them that I am missing. I don’t know, I could be on a wild goose chase but I’m sure you guys have events cataloged here that others do not.” Mira blinked a few times as he suggested they sit and watch the sunset together. The garden suddenly felt a bit hot.

Why?

Mira swallowed hard and let off a hearty chuckle, a hand coming to the back of her head as she grinned shortly after. “Uhm, alright, I guess.” She knew he meant nothing by it beyond being polite and suggesting a rare sight to see. For Mira though, it wasn't something she was accustomed to, so it was a bit awkward. She gestured with an open hand before her. “Lead on.”

[member="Julius Sedaire"]

 

[Julius Sedaire]

There was a moment he almost laughed, but better parts of him realized that Mira might take it as him laughing at her. And that was a can of worms he didn't want to be opened right now. So he took care to compose his reply in his head as a casual motion told her to follow along. Seconds drew out like hours as he led her across the courtyard. There was an archway through a wall, and he stepped through it and past hanging vines, seeming to vanish. To tell the truth, he loved bringing visitors here to this place. And he often came to meditate here, still close to the pulse of the place but separate at the same time.

What he had stepped out onto was a spacious, open aired rock ledge that hung off the side of the floating mountain they were on. Fighters buzzed by in tight formations, training or patrolling. The wind blew in from the sea nearby, and the sun lit the rock like a painter brush drawing fire on canvas. Waiting for his visitor, he leaned against the rocks and watched the light leech slowly from the surroundings. She must think him making a move, and honestly with his reputation... Well, she didn't know it most like, but if she did it would make it even more probable. Answer was, when he had heard her name, he had seen her face framed in green light on this ledge. Something brought them here. Somehow, this particular person was gonna be around him for a while, though he doubted romantically. Rekalis tended to be far too serious to tolerate him for long.

[member="Mira Rekali"]

 

[The End Narrator]

As the time passed, Mira would gaze upon the sights and take the moments to absorb the breathtaking view that was the garden. She had to admit, the Corellian Jedi knew how to decorate and sure put together a nice place for relaxation. She could feel the aura of serenity trying to swallow her and almost force her into a meditative state. A bit uncomfortable but not unwelcoming. Mira had found that on the other side of meditation was pain, and conflict. Memories of a life she had left behind, among other things. A soft and subtle sigh escaped her lips as she followed behind Julius, her hands clasping behind her back as she remained observant of him and the surroundings. Of course, she’d stop to observe some delicate fauna before realizing she was being left behind, scolding herself mentally that she was a guest and need to keep up with her host.

Mira looked out onto the breathtaking sunset, crimson eyes widening in awe. With all that the planet had endured, it still held a majestic beauty that was unparalleled – for some anyways. Mira held her gasp, as her hands unclasped from behind her back, approaching the ledge cautiously. “Wow, this is amazing.” Locks of chestnut hair would fly into the wind as she chuckled softly, almost childlike. She had to admit, sunsets like these weren’t something she was blessed to see often. Her gaze wouldn’t break from the allure of the sun setting as she sat down upon the ledge.

She’d look up casually to Julius, gesturing for him to take a seat next to her. “Well, you got me out here – so you better take a seat!” She laughed before turning back to the sunset. If he was making a move or hitting on her in any capacity, Mira was oblivious. She never read into things, she never truly was good at those things.

[member="Julius Sedaire"]