Private Permafrost Calling

[Orson Velus]

Unorthodox was definitely one way of wording it, but despite the disadvantages it might bring about, Orson didn't really think of it as too big an issue.

He looked out through the glass with a small frown, not entirely sure how long these kind of journeys would take. As the Jedi continued to speak, Orson simply nodded along, choosing to remain silent for the time being. The praise did make Orson smile for a moment, before returning to simply watching through the glass. It was only when the master was finished speaking that the Padawan finally spoke up.

"I think it's fine to have a different approach. I'd trust myself to put up as good as a fight as anyone who went through traditional training. But thank you, hopefully I don't disappoint."

He once again fell silent, but only for a few moments as the impatience that had slowly been building up finally got to him. "How far even is Hot? Will it take us a while to get there?"

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Orson Velus
En route to HOTH...

"If you want the technical answer," Elias said with a sarcastic smile, "we’re tens of thousands of lightyears away." He slid his fingers across the galaxy map between them, bringing the screen to life with an impressive chart of stars, systems, and planets.

"But truthfully, we’ll be entering the Hoth system in less than ten minutes." Elias rose from his seat, leaving the autopilot to complete the jump and bring the ship down on the icy surface. He gave a nod toward the personal quarters.

"I’m fetching myself a parka. You may want to do the same," he said with a grin. "Hoth is much, much colder than it looks."

On the ice plains of HOTH...

The Calypso landed with a crunchy thud as the landing gear pierced the surface of the LZ. Jedi activity on Hoth was sparse at best, so there wasn't an actual landing pad for the ship to dock at; They were instead greeted by a seemingly never-ending sheet of ice and snow, marred only by rocky outcroppings and the occasional trail beacon. Even against the frigid wind, Orson would feel the call of his crystal grow stronger as the pair made their way through the snow. The trail itself was not lengthy by any means, but the twists and turns (coupled with the freezing temperatures) made it seem like miles.

After a short while, the mouth of a cave came into view ahead. The Force would feel much clearer as they approached, as if the tunnels below were beckoning them to enter. Elias looked to the young Jedi, his features rosy from the cold.

"This feels right to me, but what do you feel?" he called, raising his voice above the icy winds what whipped past them.

​

 

[Orson Velus]

"Oh, that is quite far." He muttered to himself. He knew that ships would be fast, but until the Jedi explained, Orson had began to prepare himself for a long haul journey, before Elias said it would only take 10 minutes.

Orson nodded as he heard about the temperature. He hesitated for a moment, Atoa was a cold planet after all and Orson was sure he could probably stand the temperature at least somewhat. But in the end, he listened to the older Jedi's advice and went to fetch his coat. As he stood in his room, pulling on his coat, he began to take deep breathes. It'd be best to get rid of any lingering nerves before getting off the ship, he wasn't entirely sure if he'd face many dangers on Both, but he wanted a clear head for if he did.

As the ship settled down, he looked out at the snow with a small grin. It was certainly colder, but the icy mountains and snow did make him feel somewhat nostalgic. The tug was felt almost as soon as he stepped off the ship. "Definitely the right place."

As they set off and followed the trial, Orson pulled the hood of his coat over his head. The cold wasn't unbearable to him, but it was notably colder than Atoa ever had been. He came to a halt as they approached the tunnel, peering down with a nod. "Feels right, yeah." He shouted over the wind.

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Orson Velus
In the icy caves of HOTH...

"Then let's get out of this wind!" he shouted, leading the way inside. The cavern was notably warmer than the chilling winds that blew outside, but without proper thermal gear, there was no escaping the cold. In the next chamber, a humble encampment sat nestled amid a stack of cargo, left behind by the last pair of Jedi who came before them. A thin layer of snow resting on the equipment made it apparent how infrequently the Gathering leads prospective Padawans to Hoth.

Elias grunted as he shoved the mound of snow away, revealing a small portable heater. He tinkered with it for a moment, then let out a proud "Aha!" as the grill began to glow a soft orange color.

"Come, join me," he said as he lowered himself beside the heater. He rubbed his hands together furiously, his gaze locked on the tunnel that would take them deeper into the frozen caves.

"I grew up on Genetia," he started with a nostalgic smile. "It's a tropical world. Islands, oceans, clear blue skies. Certainly no snow." Elias cut his eyes to Orson, a sense of eagerness in them.

"The Gathering is more than a ceremony. It's a trial. A test. Your skills with be put to the test, and your identity in the Force will be challenged." His piercing eyes remained focused on the Padawan, his demeanor serious and intense.

"I am here to act as your guide and your mentor, but once you step into the caves beyond, you will tread on your own. You must open your mind and your heart to the Force, Orson. Listen to the call of your crystal. The Gathering is a unique experience for all of us, so I'm afraid I cannot offer much in the way of specifics. But, if you trust fully in the Force, you cannot fail. This much I know."

Elias allowed the boy a few moments to process the task ahead, and to ask any questions should they arise. When he was ready, the Jedi walked with him to the tunnel and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I believe in you, my friend."

​

 

[Orson Velus]

Orson breathed into his hands, before rubbing them together as they stepped into the cavern. He pulled the hood back off from his head, squatting down besides the heater as it began to give off it's dim glow. "Convenient that.." He muttered, holding his hands in the heat for a few moments. He had yet to look down further into the tunnels, choosing to hold off on that until he was ready to commit to the journey.

"This's probably a shock to you then." He grinned as the Jedi described his home world. "Atoa is an ice planet too, so I'm somewhat used to this.. Though, this is much colder and harsher."

Orson's face grew serious as Elias began to describe the gathering. He didn't have any more questions, and the longer he put off descending, the more he'd worry about psyching himself out. Instead, he took a deep breathe and turned to face the tunnels. "I'm going down then." was all that was said, before he did just that.

Nothing was said by the Palawan as he descended, his sole focus on that pulling feeling he had felt since they had arrived on Hoth. His home planet did offer a few strange advantages on this task luckily enough. Where others may have slipped on some of the particularly icy parts of the tunnels, Orson was able to confidently breeze over them. The advatanges didn't go much further unfortunately, as the pathway down became increasingly hard the deeper he descended.

The Palawan couldn't help but think that this route wasn't optimal as he founded himself precariously shimmying along a very narrow edge. He hadn't looked down, but he could only assume that behind him was a particularly nasty fall. This wasn't the only situation he'd found himself with this train of thought. Other such instances had been when he'd had to crawl through tight spaces, or climb over small blockages. Signs of wear were certainly evident on his hand, as at many occasions he had gripped on for dear life. Perhaps it hadn't been necessary, but he wasn't prepared to take any unneeded risks on his descent.

He eventually came to a halt at what looked to be a sort of natural rest point in the caverns, squatting down once again and brushing his hands against his legs to clean them as best he could. He wasn't sure how close, but he was certain that whatever it was that he was to find, it was painstakingly close at this point.

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Orson Velus
In the icy caves of HOTH...

And close he was, indeed.

Echoes in the Force would tell Orson that he’d reached a crucial point in his journey. This natural resting place marked a checkpoint along the way, a final moment of reprieve before committing himself fully to the Force and the Jedi Order. The once distant hum of the Kyber crystals were now a melodious harmony, but one in particular would stand out amongst the hundreds of others. All he had to do was make a choice.

From the resting point, two passageways stood before him: A narrow corridor that twisted and turned, blocking the view of what lays beyond; And a descending pathway with walls that seemed to glow a faint green.

The Force would guide him, but ultimately, the choice was his.

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[Orson Velus]

Orson only took a few moments of rest, raising back to his feet after having finally gotten his hands clean. The two tunnels in front of him bought about conflicting emotions, as the logical side of him thought following the green glow would surely get him there quickly, as he half expected the glow to come from the crystals. However, the force was guiding him only in one direction.

The narrow, twisting tunnel was the one that was calling to him. It was the final stint, he was sure of that, but he feared that this final stint would be harder than the rest of his journey down here. He rolled his shoulders, and stretched his neck from side to side.

After a few more moments of stretching, he finally took off down into the twisting tunnels.

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Orson Velus
In the icy caves of HOTH...

The path Orson chose was narrow and difficult to follow, it’s twists and turns growing tighter and more tedious as it went.

Eventually, the passage widened, opening into a large chamber that would leave the Padawan in awe. Dozens, if not hundreds, of Kyber crystals encrusted the surfaces of the cave. The walls, the ceiling, even the rocky segments of the floor were embedded with dazzling crystals. Their varying shades of blue, indigo, and green had an aurora effect that shimmered on the ice. But even surrounded by so many, only one stood out to Orson. Resting at the tip of a stalagmite was a single crystal, its glow a faint but beautiful pale blue. This was the one that had called to him, but as he reaches for it, something feels wrong.

A thin streak of bright carmine runs down the side of the stalagmite, as if the crystal itself had begun to bleed. The liquid ran steadily, unstoppable despite any attempts the Padawan may make to stop the bleeding. It would begin to pool on the ice at his feet, seeping into every crack. The blood flows through the cracks, running with otherworldly speed as it follows the channels to a small dip in the center of the chamber. As if a pure reflection of Orson’s worst fears, the liquid begins to coagulate, amalgamating into a disturbing form that resembled an arachnid.

Despite this, the Kyber crystal’s icy glow remains stalwart against the crimson fount that bubbles beneath it. Orson will have to choose to trust the Force, or to give into his fears.

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[Orson Velus]

When Orson finally found himself into the large cavern, he let out a relieved sigh. Maybe the other tunnel had a similar room at the end of it, but he had made the right choice after all. His Crystal was there, right in front of him, tantalisingly close at this point.

However, he didn't reach out instantly. He took a few moments to steady his breathing once again, which had been heavier and more laboured only a few moments prior. Once he finally caught and calmed his breathing, his rubbed his palms against his coat, cleaning the dust from it as best he can.

Orson stepped forwards reach out and grab at his crystal, but the sudden apparent bleeding caused him to step back, slightly panicked. His first instinct was to quickly glance down at his own hands, if he was bleeding then he was in big trouble from his current situation, before quickly checking his face and all areas of exposed skin. After he realised it was not him, he saw the unnatural movement and formation of the blood.

"Oh, wow." was his only comment on the sudden spider-like shape, stumbling back further and falling back onto his arse. His breathes quickened, and his shoulders tensed up, his fight or flight instincts beginning to kick in. Unfortunately, it was a mix of the two common responses where every muscle in his body wanted to fight this abomination, but simultaneously he wanted to flee from it. The result was him freezing up, if only for a moment, cold sweat beginning to build up despite the temperature.

Strangely, that was not necessarily a bad thing given the situation as he began to break down the situation. It was just unnatural for this to be happening, why would it be a combination of these two things? A bit too convenient really. The pull he'd felt in his gut to this crystal was stronger than he had felt this whole day, but in his brief moment of fear, he had almost forgotten about it. He now focused only on that feeling, and the force around him as he rose back to his feet. His breathes were still shakey as he walked forwards towards the arachnid. No matter what he thought, it was still unnatural for him to be walking towards a combination of his biggest fears.

As he approached the crystal and got within arms length of both that and all the blood, he tried to block out all sensations but the feeling of the force and the sight of the crystal. He reached down towards the crystal, his heart basically jumping out of his throat as he felt his hand settle around it, and lifting the crystal somewhat triumphantly.

His journey back from the tunnels and back to the Jedi were uneventful, as he had remembered the route, but despite having succeeded, Elias would very easily be able to tell that Orson was still very much shook up over the sight. His grin as he raised the crystal up was somewhat half hearted, but otherwise he seemed unharmed.

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Orson Velus
In the icy caves of HOTH...

Elias could feel Orson's triumph in the Force, but it was not without tension. Something happened in the caves that bothered him, but what it was, the Master couldn't begin to imagine. The Gathering ceremonies are highly individualized trials that challenge a Padawan's physical and mental fortitude, often in ways that test their commitment and trust in the Force. In his own ceremony, Elias was faced with a chamber that filled rapidly with rushing water. Every step toward his crystal was agony as the waves crashed against his legs, keeping him just out of arm's reach from his prize. It was only when he trusted the Force to keep him from drowning that he grasped his Kyber crystal and pulled it from its perch.

For a moment, Elias was worried about what Orson had witnessed and what lasting effects it may have, but he cracked a huge grin when the boy emerged from the tunnel, crystal in hand. The Jedi pumped his fist, admittedly a little overexcited by Orson's victory. But he didn't care about formality and protocol; Surpassing the Gathering was an event worth celebrating!

"You did it!" Elias cheered as he approached the boy, arms outstretched. Should Orson accept, he'd offer the Padawan a congratulatory embrace and a firm pat on the shoulder.

"I'm very proud of you, Orson," he said with sincerity. He cut his eyes to the crystal wrapped in the Padawan's hand. With raised eyebrows raised, he giddily urged, "Go on then! Show me what you've got!"

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[Orson Velus]

Orson's grin widened at the Jedi's reaction, and nodded. "Yeah, it was pretty weird down there..." He trailed off, before moving in to embrace Elias. He hadn't expected to feel quite as proud as he did feel over something that initially, while exciting, seemed to be as simple as retrieving a crystal.

"Thank you." He dipped his head slightly, before stepping back and holding out the crystal for Elias to see. Especially in contrast to Orson's hands, which were red raw from climbing, the Crystal was very noticeably blue, icy blue to be specific.

"What do we do with this next? Do we just place it into a hilt and then I've got a light saber or do we need to find more stuff?" While evidently quite exhausted, the Padawan was still very obviously excited about progressing onto the next stage, whatever that might be.

Elias Edo

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Orson Velus
In the icy caves of HOTH...

"Interesting…" Elias said, rubbing his chin. He reached for the crystal, nudging it over in Orson’s palm. The color was unlike anything he’d seen before; A cool, icy blue that looked chilling to the touch. It was quite fitting considering its formation deep beneath the snowy surface.

"Very interesting indeed."

He made a mental note to study the properties of Orson’s crystal. With how often a planet’s unique properties affected the way Kyber crystals developed, there was bound to be a holocron back at the Temple that could tell him more. For now, Elias wrapped his hand around Orson’s, clasping the Padawan’s fingers around the crystal.

"Now comes the fun part," the man said, his face beaming with eagerness. "You must forge your own lightsaber, yes. It’s a little more involved than just placing the crystal inside a hilt, but we shouldn’t need to go gallivanting about the galaxy to find the components.”

He paused for a moment, his breaths puffing steam into the chilly air. As far as the records told, Orson had yet to be paired with a Jedi Master for training. Elias’ only task was to accompany the boy on his Gathering, scout for potential talent, and report back to the Council. But he sensed a certain spark in the Padawan that only comes around every once in awhile. A sense of responsibility. Purpose. Something he couldn’t pass over.

A kind smile formed on his face.

"Unless you want to?"

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