The Force Guides Us Together

[Dune Rhur]

Ession had been an unusual choice for a Jedi temple. An industrial world full of inorganic components was not the ideal hub of the Force. But here it was all the same. Here was Dune Rhur.

A Jedi was more than just a strong arm and a lightsaber. He or she was a servant of the Light. The Light called for mercy and to aid those in need. Thus it was fitting for a former Jedi temple to house refugees.

He circulated among those beings here in the temple. Dune offered healing to those who needed it. Physical but more often it was emotional and mental.

To be displaced from one's home was traumatic beyond what most would ever know. He spoke words of comfort to them to help mend mind as well as administering the healing aspects of the Light when needed for the body. He gave medicines of mundane nature too. He was a practical Bith.

To that end he knew the trust healing would take more time. The healing of the soul. But he was patient and he knew the Force would guide him. He didn't know how much so this particular day....

 

[Riamah]

In her quest to find a place within the Dominion, Ra had finially found one. It might not be much, but one cargo load at a time, she managed to bring the needed supplies for the faction's wounded and staff. Watching as her ship is unloaded and none of the items broken, Ra picks up a few of the more sensitive items to deliver personally to the Jedi temple.

Finding a hand cart at the landing bay, Ra carefully places the medical supplies within, taking care not to accidently destroy them herself. Once the cart was loaded, she started off in the direction of the temple.

Her braided hair swung behind her as she walked, the comforting weight of the spiked ball all too familiar to her. She walked confidently on the path leading there. Slow enough that if somebody needed her, they could catch her. Nobody stopped her though along the way and Ra quickly reached the temple.

It would have been a pretty and graceful building had it not been being used as a hospital for the wounded. The building itself was still quite beautiful on the outside, once entered though, it lost most of that. The sick, dying and wounded were all over. There were people tending the patients and when Ra walked in, some of them let out sighs of relief that the supplies were finally there.

Dropping off a few of the supplies here, Ra went in search of [member="Dune Rhur"] whom she knew would need some of these as well. They had briefly met at the Conclave and Ra knew then she wanted...no needed to speak with the man.

Walking into the room Dune was in, Ra waited until he was done comforting one of his many patients. She quietly walked in and held out the package she had for him.

"Dune, we met for only a moment before. I am Ra'a'mah Numare. I have a few supplies for you and want to know if you need any help? Oh and please just call me Ra, so much easier to remember."

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

Dune had notice something about @Ra'a'mah the first time they'd met. Something that had made her stand out to him. Yet their contact had been so brief that he could not be certain. Now he was.

She was gifted with the Force. It was clear that she was unaware as the connection was raw. Perhaps she'd touched the Force in some unknowing way during her adolescence. That was the most common thing for those not found by the Jedi...or Sith.

That was a series of questions for later. If he judged her ready to be told. Not every being responded well to the knowledge of their connection. It was an immense realization for those not initiated as he had been.

"Thank you, Ra," he said with a smile "These supplies will help immensely. As you can see, we have many being in need of them."

He gestured with a long-fingered hand to the crowd of all sorts of species.

"There are so many here and few enough to aid them. Would you stay a while to assist me?"

 

[Riamah]

The unblinking gaze of the Bith in front of her made Ra feel a little odd, like he was reading her. He might have been or maybe it was his race, either way they have a job and duties to do for the Dominion. She set aside her thoughts and waited for [member="Dune Rhur"] to finish speaking.

Though not totally comfortable around people (yet), Ra felt this man could be trusted. Something within him, she couldn't place what just made her feel comfortable, like she could be open around him. Her expressive eyes turned a curious shade of golden brown and had little green flecks with an outline of solid brown.

Setting the supplies down on one of the small free spaces on a counter, Ra washed her hands and turned back to Dune.

"I will help however I can, however I have no real medical training. Knowing how to comfort a hurt child is all fine and great, but broken bones is totally different."

Ra spoke lightly of her past in that statement, growing up in an orphanage had given her the opportunity to tend to minor scrapes and hurts.

As she looks at Dune, the reason she felt the need to speak to him comes back to her. At the Conclave, he had mentioned he knew about history, knowledge and lore. To Ra, knowledge is power and she wants to know so much about everything. Figuring out how to get that from him in this situation is beyond her for the moment.

"What do you need me to do?"

 

[Dune Rhur]

"I only need for you to accompany me."

He summoned a droid and instructed it to put away these fresh supplies. With that done he continued among the crowd. Here and there the Bith would stop seemingly at random. He would tend to those beings with compassionate words.

A few required more than that. Sometimes he would ask a volunteer to bring medical supplies and he would apply bacta and bandages. Here and there he knelt and placed his hands just above a favoured limb or patch of flesh. To an outsider it would seem he only went very still and quiet.

To one gifted with the Force he applied it's energies to heal. Flesh was mended as well as bone. He was not a true master healer but those in need of that had been brought to the right facilities. Here were non-life threatening injuries.

But more than healing sinew and tendon he helped minds. Psyches damaged by the ravages of war. That was the real battle here to save lives. They might not be dying physically but it would be little different if they gave up wanting to live.

So he gave them hope.

"This is what a Jedi does, Ra," he told her quietly at an interlude "We're more than just a warriors. In fact, it's truly rare that a situation cannot be resolved peacefully without lives being taken."

"There is also the perception that we are monks sequestered away in some far away place. Tell me, what do you think about Jedi?"

 

[Riamah]

Ra watches as [member="Dune Rhur"] appears to aimlessly wonder around the different rooms. Sometimes stopping to offer words of comfort, at others he took care of small wounds and cuts. At those times, he paused with moving around and his hands would hover over the patient. Being so new to using the Force, Ra wasn't fully aware of what he was doing, but could tell he was doing something. She could only think he was using it to heal the hurt.

In between one room and the next, he pauses to speak to her, telling her more than she expected and less than she wanted. He asked what she thought of the Jedi and having only met one or two in her life, she really had no clue.

"I know nothing about them really."

She shook her head, looked at the ground a moment before looking at her companion again.

"I've met two in my life, well at least that I know of. They had no impact on me growing up."

 

[Dune Rhur]

The Bith nodded at what was a common enough reply. Trillions of beings on thousands of worlds meant many never even saw a Jedi. What these beings had heard about them seemed to vary widely. His own travels had taught him that.

It was better than outright hatred and anger. Yet it was far from ideal with so many in need of help. More Jedi would be needed to accomplish that goal. Perhaps Ra could be such a one.

"What about the Force, Ra, what do you know of it?"

He knew she could see him guide the Light side energies as he healed. Not exactly what he was doing but a general impression of it. The was she watched with such focus told him that. Perhaps she could even sense the gentle sensation of serenity he'd been bathing the rooms in.

 

[Riamah]

Ra glanced around as she thought of an answer for [member="Dune Rhur"], she had minimal training in the Force having really just started learning. Leaning against the wall, she crosses her arms, not to indicate she closed herself off or unwilling to listen and learn, but more to protect herself mentally because she felt so unprotected or unknowledgeable about the topic.

"Only a few things. That the Force itself is neutral, but the user of the Force can dark, light or even grey."

She idly motioned with one hand and fingers as she named off the three. Shaking her head slightly from side to side trying to think if she knew anything else.

"I honestly don't know much else, I'm sorry."

 

[Dune Rhur]

"You seem to know more than most," Dune commented appreciatively "Perhaps these Jedi you've met have taught you this?"

He decided to broach the subject of her Force sensitivity directly. The fear of it didn't seem to be there as it was in others. Her curiosity was a positive sign for his choice. So bring it up he did.

"Have they also told you of your connection to the Force, that you might learn to use it?"

Dune waited for her reaction and hoped he'd made the right choice in being so upfront....

 

[Riamah]

Looking up at Dune again as he speaks, the Jedi in question Darius. He had started guiding and teaching her about the Force.

Before she met Darius though, Ra had learned she could use the Force from Stardust, who walked her through meditation and finding peace.

She relates this [member="Dune Rhur"], speaking softly enough that only they could hear each other and not be overheard.

"Yes, I've been told I can use the Force, but have little guidance and no real formal instruction. I really want to learn, knowledge is power and the Force is totally new to me."

Ra closed her mouth having spoken more than she expected. There is something about the Bith that made her more open than normal.

 

[Dune Rhur]

"Ah," he said with a slow nod "That's good to hear."

"If you're willing, I could help you begin to learn. Keep in mind that it will be a process of many weeks, months and years."

He gestured for Ra to follow him to a more private place. An empty hallway where they could speak privately. Once there a moment or two later the Bith spoke again.

"If I am to teach you, you must hold yourself to the Light. The Dark side is easy and a far shorter path. But ultimately it consumes those who delve too deeply within it. It leads to an unnatural lust for power."

 

[Riamah]

[member="Dune Rhur"] spoke quietly, but she sensed a bit of urgency in his voice. Not quite sure how to interpret that. The reason becomes more clear when he motions for her to follow him. He leads them to an empty hallway far enough away from anybody that might overhear their private conversation.

"Of course, I want to learn, Dune."

She spoke with some excitement in her voice and he warned her she needed to stay in the light for that to take place. ​

When she was younger and even until very recently, she had unknowingly touched the Force and used it to manipulate people to make deals go in her favor. Nothing too extreme to make the vendor or client uneasy, just slight nudges. Thinking back on this, she wonders if that is what happened at those times.

"Define your meaning of unnatural lust, please."

She wants to know everything, but wants to make sure that is not what he considers to be unnatural.

 

[Dune Rhur]

"The desire to manipulate others, to control them and impose your will on them," he replied "Because the Dark side teaches the glory of the self over others."

"A Jedi must respect other sentient beings. We're not greater than them though we are gifted with the Force."

It was critically important than any prospective student of the Jedi know these things. It was not mere preaching. Without holding themselves to such things they could not be true to the Light. Then what would truly make them significantly different from the Sith Lords.

"In fact," Dune added with a gesture in the direction of the refugees "We owe it to beings like these to use our powers for the greater good."

 

[Riamah]

Ra was silent in thought when [member="Dune Rhur"] explained his meaning. She chewed on her lower lip for a moment before meeting his eyes, opened and closed her a mouth a few times as if she was going to say something, but changed her mind. Eventually, Ra got her thoughts and words in order and broke her silence.

"I do respect all beings, until proven they don't deserve it."

She treated everybody as an equal, growing up as Ra had, there was little choice. So many different children of all sorts of races. Letting out a small sigh before continuing.

"There is a possibility I've touched the dark in the past..."

After another brief moment, Ra then tells Dune of her dealings and how she manipulated people so the transactions always ended up better for her and slightly worse for them.

"I did that so rarely though, it shouldn't be an issue."

Her voice grew slightly defensive and she tilted her chin up in defiance, only a little though. She fully expects to be in trouble or turned away, being a lost cause.

"But I do what I can to help, always."

 

[Dune Rhur]

The Bith listened to all of this with his stoic mien. He chose not to interrupt and instead concentrated on Ra's body language and tone. That she touched the Dark side wasn't entirely surprising. It was easy to fall back on strong emotions to empower yourself.

Especially so for someone like themselves. He'd had the advantage of being among the Jedi for most of his life. Even then he'd allowed himself to lapse into anger as an apprentice. So it wasn't as fatal to her chances as her defensive tone suggested she thought it to be.

That she became defensive to begin with suggested that she understood what she'd done wasn't right. The galaxy was a terrible place sometimes and it made beings do terrible things out of desperation. Few enough had the chance to learn the teachings of the Jedi. Those teachings would show that one could rise above these things.

"We've all done things out of ignorance in our past, Ra," he said "But there is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge. I will show you the way."

 

[Riamah]

During the conversation, Ra's eyes had changed in color to now an all chocolate brown, with no hint of any gold. When she heard his comforting voice stating he would still guide her, they changed to a bright gold of joy.

"Really?"

It just blurted out and Ra blushed slightly, not being one to show her emotions outwardly the open display surprised her.

"I want all the knowlegde there is to be had, Dune."

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

"That's good," the Bith said with a smile "Knowledge is power. Just be careful in how you use what you learn."

He looked around the empty hallway and considered a moment. There really was no time like the present to begin teaching. Dune was always of the opinion that anywhere could be a classroom. It just so happened that they were even in a former Jedi temple.

"Hmm, I suppose we could begin here. Sit with me and we'll start."

The Jedi suited his own words by sitting with legs crossed. He arranged his robes as he waited for Ra to sit. When she did he gave a short nod. Dune gathered his thoughts before speaking to the young woman across from him.

"Everything has a foundation, and you seem to already be aware of the divisions between Light and Dark. So we will begin with the root of everything for us: The Jedi Code."

"There is no Emotion, there is Peace. There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge. There is no Passion, there is Serenity. There is no Chaos, there is Harmony. There is no Death, there is the Force."

He spoke each line slowly and clearly with the full weight of each word. Dune wanted to impress the importance of The Code. Without it the Jedi were not really Jedi. They were something else.

"The first line can be difficult to understand," he continued after a moment "There is no Emotion. This is why some think of Jedi as being little more than emotionless automatons. That simply isn't the case."

He gestured first to himself, then Ra and then swept his hand to include the entire surroundings.

"We all feel. Anger, sadness, joy and grief and so many others. It's part of being alive and we cannot stop ourselves from experiencing them. Yet we cannot allow ourselves to be consumed with them. Emotion fuels the Dark side and it's easy to allow yourself to be engulfed in feelings. The easy way is not the best way. Because, as I've said, it will eat you from your very soul outwards until there is nothing left of yourself."

"Emotion therefore can destroy you if you allow it. So the Jedi do not let themselves be consumed in spite of being no different than any other sentient. We seek to manage our feelings, and in doing so, we come to know Peace. It is a hard way but a Jedi's path is never going to be easy."

 

[Riamah]

Ra followed the example of Dune and sat down on the floor next to him. He recited the Jedi Code, something she had not heard before, emphasizing each word giving weight to every one. He went on to further explain the first part.

She did listen to him, but chose not to make eye contact and sort of fiddled with her pant's wrinkles. When he was almost finished, Ra looked up at him with a little confusion, but remained silent until he finished.

"But how do you let them out? I mean, I keep calm like ALL the time at least in public, but when I'm given the chance and opportunity, I feel like I need to just explode and let it out. However, I never lash out at anybody unless they deserve it."

Leaning her head back against the temple wall, Ra looks up at the ceiling before returning her gaze to [member="Dune Rhur"].

"How can emotion destroy you? They are a natural thing."

Then again so are earthquakes, fires and storms...she thought this to herself.

 

[Dune Rhur]

"Emotions cause us to focus on ourselves. We forget others even when we believe we are being altruistic."

"What seems benign can become destructive. Even a mother's love for their child is not entirely selfless."

He saw that what he said was confusing. Sometimes the Jedi's path was unclear at first. Like a pebble on the bottom of a deep lake it seemed so far away. Even in waters that were crystal clear it was so.

But the answer was there if you only knew how to seek it out. It was his to help Ra learn how. He couldn't do it for her because she wouldn't truly learn that way. Such was the role of a teacher.

Maybe the lake was a puddle. You just didn't see it for what it really was. You could just reach in and pick out the pebble. The trick was knowing that you could.

"You can express how you feel, Ra, without letting it own you. You must own the feelings. Through meditation and reflection you can learn to do this."

"There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge," he said next "My last statement ties into this very neatly."

"There is knowledge and there is knowledge. This distinction lies in reading or hearing something and understanding. Reciting facts and figures is not an example of really knowing. Understanding is application, in this case, knowing how to manage one's emotions."

 

[Riamah]

Ra nods in understanding, feeling more comfortable with Dune by the minute.

"I never knew the love of a parent."

She picks a piece of something crunchy off her pants and tosses it away with a slight touch of anger or jealousy at those that did have that. Choosing not to meet the gaze of [member="Dune Rhur"], she continues to search for other parts of her clothes containing spots, but still paying attention to the Jedi.

"Yes, I fully comprehend the difference between knowing and KNOWING. I can tell you all about the parts of a ship engine and make you memorize them, but unless you get in there and get your hands dirty, you're not going to understand what I'm talking about."

Looking up from her quest to find items, she once again looks to the Jedi as if she needs his guidance.