Mysteries of Uriel

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Karren Trask"]

The shelter was crammed with the poor, the desperate and the downtrodden. They were the dregs of society and stuck at the bottom of Nar Shaddaa's socioeconomic ladder. They were impoverished, dirty and angry. Their eyes told stories of suffering and woe. Mental and physical scars were etched into their features. In short, they were perfect for her.


"The Cartels beat and extort you. Slavers steal your children to sell them to a life of abuse. You toil in darkness and are denied the fruits of your labour." Sister Sakura's voice was determined and resolute. Compassion rolled off her in waves. It was paired with righteous outrage. Her Force aura was radiant. To any Force-user she would have felt like a lightsider.


"Murderers," one of the listeners growled angrily. A few joined in. Food, drink and shelter had been provided by the acolytes of the Covenant of Uriel. All for free.


"The Sith oppress you, and the Jedi have abandoned you." she declared in disgust. More words of outrage from the crowd. "But Uriel has not! For he is the Lord of Light. Open your heart to him and your chains will be broken. The time will come when the oppressors are destroyed and the righteous will enter paradise." There was strong passion in her words.


"Liar," one of the people in the crowd, a Zabrak woman, hissed. "I've seen you lot before. You're just another charlatan, just like all the rest."


"Mind your tongue," one of the Covenant's acolytes, a zealous Mon Cal called Nur Jahan hissed angrily. However, Sister Sakura raised her hand before the situation could escalate.


"Peace," she said serenely. "She has a right to speak. I will not allow bloodshed here. Not everyone can recognise Uriel's light...not immediately at any rate. I do not come here with empty platitudes or false promises. The Covenant can offer you more: Food, clothes, education, strength and hope. He sent me to break the wheel that crushes the meek beneath it."


One of the people in the crowd raised a hand. "Can you...heal my leg?" he asked hopefully. "I was hurt in a gang shootout."


"Yes, brother." The crowd parted as she walked towards the man, who sat in a very crappy looking wheelchair, and knelt before him. "Brace yourself, for His gift can be...overwhelming." Then she raised what looked like a gauntlet and began to chant.


"Lord of Light, I beseech you to make this man, your son, walk once more." White energy escaped her hand and flowed into the man's leg. He screamed in pain, feeling as if he was on fire. This lasted for a few moments, then suddenly it stopped.


Breathing heavily, he tried to move his leg. It was still tender and sore, and he swayed when he arose...but he could stand once more. "I can walk!" he said incredulously. There were murmurs in the crowd.


"I am only the first servant of our Lord, nothing more. He granted me a portion of his grace to spread the true word. But I cannot do his work alone. Your enemy has a name: Azrael. He is the lord of the wicked, the author of all your pain. But he cannot stand against the righteous. The night is dark and full of terrors, but our Lord shall cast his light upon us and burn the wicked."


"There is no God but Uriel, and Sister Sakura is his Messenger," Nur Jahan declared passionately. After a while, more and more of the people in the crowd repeated these lines after her. Needless to say some sounded more convinced than others, but in the end it mattered not. Sister Sakura, alias Sumiko Tanaka, smiled.

 

[RC 212]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

There was more than one in the crowd whom did not agree with the wicked woman. Karren was one of these. She had been visiting the place on a humanitarian basis, delivering supplies from the Jedi Order, when the cultists had come inside the place. She looked left and right now, seeing her way walled off.

"Feth." She remarked. She was not dressed in her normal Jedi attire. Today her robes were covered up by a gray Galactic Alliance Flightsuit, with the patches removed, hair in a braid on her left side. Her eyes glared left and right, lips moving but no words coming out. She had to escape here, and get loose from the madness before she was discovered.

She began to move forwards through the crowd, towards the door where the woman known as Sister Sakura stood near. The crowd parted, but only just as she took care not to cause a ruckus, hand surreptitiously shoving her plain silver lightsaber deeper into the holster at the small of her back.

Her other hand weaved a gentle path through the crowd, pacifying and convincing those she touched to move aside slow and sure with a little force energy.....

​

Nightsisters and Jensaraai. What the hell is this?​

The other two traditions made much more sense to the Young Jedi. These did not.

Isn't all knowledge valuable. We must learn. We need to learn.​

She paused, emitting a shallow breath as a dark presence weighed on her chest like a lead weight.

​

I am not so sure....​

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Karren Trask"]


Karren's getaway attempt did not go wholly unnoticed. Nur Jahan was very vigilant. Being a Force-user herself, she heard the ripples when the secret Rebel Jedi drew upon her powers to compel the crowd to part for her.


Soon the human found herself confronted by a tall Mon Cal. Nur Jahan carried a lightsabre on her belt. Her mental shields were good and her gaze extremely judgemental. "Going somewhere, Sister? Why do you sneak away into the night? The Great Lord Uriel sees all, hears all, and any who come into these halls with wickedness in their heart will be...cleaned."


Various eyes turned to them, some from the crowd, others from the guards. "Please, Sister Nur Jahan, stay your hand. I'm sure our friend's heart contains no malice," the soft, melodic and yet commanding voice of Sister Sakura interjected, having suddenly appeared on the spot.


Her eyes fell upon Karren. "Hello, my dear. I believe I saw you distribute supplies earlier. What is your name?" She spoke Basic with a slight Atrisian accent. She seemed to radiate a lightside presence.

 

[RC 212]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

She was busted, but she kept her composure, drawing up to her full stature and readjusting her gray flightsuit. Her hand fell away from the lightsaber hidden in her back holster. Brown eyes fell upon the woman's own in a stern gaze.

"My name is Karren. And what is this all about? Yes I was just leaving. Unless you'd care to stop me?"

Her thoughts betrayed her, flashing for a second to focus on the relation of her lightsaber to her hands. About less than two feet. Estimated time to draw might have been less than a half second.

​

Do you think it's wise to upset her like that?​

​

If she's a Cultist looking for a Padawan to turn, she'll have to earn my respect.​

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Karren Trask"]


Sakura looked serene. "Sister Nur Jahan, I believe some of the flock voiced interest in self-defence training. Please see to that." Not once did she raise her voice, but her words were definitely not a polite suggestion. Like an obedient pet, the Mon Cal stalked off.


Her focus returned to Karren. "Of course not, my dear. I will not stop if you choose to go. But why leave now, you've barely arrived! Please stay a while, I am certain we seek the same ends; the betterment of these people. If that is your goal there is no need for suspicion. Who knows, maybe you will even learn a bit from us." Potent illusions concealed 'Sakura's dark alignment. However, the Jedi would sense that she was powerful in the Force.

 

[RC 212]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

She glanced left, eyeing over the one whom had just been sent away. It was odd how much power and command this woman harbored. Until now she knew of no sisters or no Uriel. When she mentioned knowledge and their common goals though the young Jedi's eyes became alight. Waves of the force rippled in her gut, activating butterflies down low inside it; a prickling at the base of her neck

Whether it was a warning or a shatterpoint she was viewing she did not know, but she did know she wanted to hear more.

Her hand fell farther from her saber, thumbs tucking into her belt and her head cocked to the side.

"Tell me more then. Tell me about this Uriel and the powers he grants you?"

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Karren Trask"]


Sakura guided Karren to an adjourning room where they would have some privacy. Her soft, melodic tone filled the air. "Uriel is the Lord of Light, the Yazata, the Great God. All the powers of Light in this Galaxy are aspects of his benevolence. Ashla, Ashira and the Light Side are aspects of a greater light. The power Uriel grant me are those of understanding, knowledge, healing and defence, though his justice can also manifest in a purifying power."


There was a fire in her eyes. She was either a true believer or a good actress. You never knew with cult leaders. "For Uriel's light is opposed by Azrael's darkness. Where one does good, the other strives to plant evil into the hearts of sentient beings and lead them down the path of malice."

 

[RC 212]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

Karren nodded, still with her eyebrows raised a bit. She understood the tradition of gods in relation to the force. These cultists were the same as many others. The Massassi came to mind.

"Every Light casts a shadow naturally." She added. She did not let on that she was unmoved by the God Uriel and his counterpart, Azrael. For her these were simple extensions of the Old Je'daii code and understanding. Ashla and Bogan. They had been onto something that the modern Jedi were not, and she wondered how they had strayed so far from there ancestors.

"Teach me how to craft items in the force. How to purify darkness. That is if your god allows it."

She could guess the next question that was coming and begrudgingly held her composure, while keeping her stern gaze locked on the woman.

​

Join our cult! Swear allegiance to our god!​

​

As if.​

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Karren Trask"]


"I am familiar your type. I imagine you've had many teachers, or still have. Not committing to one, following only your cause," Sakura seemed amused rather than offended. "Regardless, you ask much on a first visit," she spoke smoothly.


"Such a power is of course allowed by the Lord of Light, but whether you can learn it yourself yet...is another question. I will craft you an item as a display of my faith and my God's skill. However, in return I ask you stay for a while and learn from us...and aid the faithful. After all, knowledge and understanding come from within with guidance from without."

 

[RC 212]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

Karren nodded.

It is true, I have been a selfish guest.​

​

Aren't we all?​

"Very well then. I will stay but only for a while. I have other duties to attend to after all. I grow curious of the entity you speak of. Is it indeed a god, or a manifestation of the force? There are many religions across the stars that cannot divine the two."

She clasped both hands behind her back, falling in on her left side and slightly back.

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Karren Trask"]


"There are indeed many religions. Some of them possess embers of the greater truth, but the Archenemy has corrupted much and planted the seed of evil in the heart of many. Even in some who call themselves Jedi," Sakura spoke. One wondered what she would think of Metalorn and Manaan.


Then again, the 'Lord of Light' endorsed some rather disturbing ways of purging evildoers. "Uriel is no mere shade or emanation, he is the god of light, though he has been known by other names and guises through the course of history. All that is good and pure sprung from him, just as evil can trace its source back to Azrael, his dark twin. The Force is the Great God's gift to us, but only we can choose how we wield its power - for good or ill."

 

[RC 212]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

She nodded, continuing to plod behind her as they walked though to where she could not tell.

"So this Lord of Light Uriel. What is his commands of us? Surely the Jedi would be servants of him ultimately and the Sith and Nightsisters servant of Azrael. The way I hear you tell it, it simply reminds me of another version of Ashla and Bogan. Like a rip off from our Je'daii predecessors."

She paused, continuing.

"What does belief in this Uriel provide that the force cannot? What do these believers call themselves."

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Karren Trask"]

((Can have them go to a forgery so that a toy can be made for Karren. Presumably a different building. ))

"Universal truths have many facets, my dear. I think calling a deity a rip-off underestimates the concept of divinity. More than one person can witness and follow a universal constant but have different interpretations. For instance, if two people look up at a star in the night sky from different planets and yet call it different things, are they ripping off another? No. Whilst Uriel might have inspired your Jedi and their predecessors, I believe he has come to me in greater clarity than for the others," Sakura said confidently.


"Whilst the Jedi believe the Light is a benevolent Force, it is impersonal. And the Je'daii were so obsessed with balance they failed to see the truth. I hear the commands of the Lord of Light. What does belief in Uriel provide? A covenant in the trust sense of the word. Hence the name of our church, the Covenant of Uriel. Believers call themselves Covenanters."


"Our Lord does not limit his care to Force-users. We care for our flock from craddle to grave. The Jedi say they are guardians of peace and justice, but they are bitterly divided, bickering over trivialities at conclaves. And oftentimes when they take action, they blow in and out like the monsoon. There is storm and noise, and the common people are left to pick up the pieces. We reject this path, just as we reject the selfish nihilism and lust for power of the Sith."


"But the Great God offers more than material reward in this world. He offers salvation in the next one. Those who follow his light will ascend to heaven. Free of suffering, free of pain and fear, they will experience eternal bliss in his presence. And the day shall come when Azrael is smote and the light triumphs over darkness. The wicked will be cleansed, the pure of heart rewarded."

 

[RC 212]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

It still all sounded so far fetched to the young Jedi.

"Very well. What does this Uriel ask of me now, in return for the powers of alchemy, and the ability to rain devastation down on the Dark forces that plague our galaxy."

It sounded cheesy and for a moment she had a fleeting glimpse into the future. A shatterpoint presented itself and she saw a million threads of ruby and emerald spiderwed from the woman. Each had a different direction and each one she followed with her mind led her into infinite realities. Her mind began to ache and temples throb, until she reeled and forcefully pulled herself back from the brink.