Faction The River's Gift [Force Imbue]

[Corazona von Ascania]

At Mica's outburst, Cora's startled silence slowly slipped into quiet contemplation. The girl had a point – why did someone like Nulgath get a second chance, when the same option was often not extended to their kin? What had stayed her blade, beyond the need to use his knowledge to survive the undead that he could no longer control aboard the station?

She tilted her head to the side, just enough to afford her a glance to Nulgath and Zaiya. The Padawan was bright, curious, and innocent, and now Cora wondered if her own sense of empathy had become hard and brittle.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I can only hope that Ashla will guide him into the Light."

It was an unsatisfying answer, but her focus soon shifted, softening on the Padawan. The Force carried vestiges of her tumultuous feelings, chased by a slow calm. Cora hummed quietly, watching Mica's pendant as it caught the sunlight.

"Long ago, the Jedi would only train children before a certain age. Those who come to the Order now do so from all walks of life. The drawback with accepting us as older students is that this can all feel so very...overwhelming."

She let the river's current allow her to drift closer, close enough to reach out and place a tentative – yet gentle – hand on Mica's shoulder. Touch had never been the blueblood's strong point, but she'd learned its value.

"You are not the first to feel this way," she said softly. "Do you have trouble connecting with the Force?"

Mica Raha

 

[Aris Noble]

"Deep breath. Hold it as long as you can, alright?"

They were close to the source now. Aris kept them above the water, half holding Azurine in the process considering that she couldn't touch the floor anymore. He'd take his time of course, so she didn't feel overwhelmed, but if she wanted to answer the call they were going to have to tread water. And swim. The moment she took the breath he'd dive under, pulling her along gently to make sure she wasn't feeling completely panicked.

She would, though, he knew. But still, this was important to her.

Azurine Varek

 

[Jack Wright]

(Tags: OPEN)

This had a lot of Force in it.

Palm pressed against the study boulder, Jack smirked a little, albeit more in self-depreciation for how likely he was going to screw this up. Regardless, the Knight firmed his stance, one foot keenly behind the other, firming his lips with a hardened stare, gathering the Force within this time without bothering to close his eyes. Maybe an open meditation would prove more fruitful.

Minutes, upon minutes had passed, Jack's eyes hardening every passage of time. Despite his efforts, the boulder didn't so much as glow, nothing to indicate any more of the Force was being imbued to what's already there. It was downright maddening, how badly he was making a mess of things, much less his growing impatience.

After another couple of moments, the man huffed out-loud, removing his hand in a scowl of well-born annoyance. And as such tired again, reaffirming his hand against the stone, wincing at willing the Force to put more into this substance.

And again...

And again...

And again...

 

[Mica Raha]

Mica was becoming accustomed to unsatisfying answers. The Jedi were full of them. She wasn't sure if that was better than no answers at all. She didn't know how to respond to Cora's honest answer, so she said nothing. Hope would either work, or it wouldn't. So it didn't really matter what she said.

"'Us?' Does that mean you joined when you were older, too?"

Cora's hand touched Mica's shoulder, tentative, but gentle—an honest gesture if nothing else. It reminded Mica of Master Noble's reassuring hand. It almost made her want to wrap her arms around Cora—true affection was in short supply these days—but she didn't. The sentiment was appreciated either way. Mica smiled with just the corners of her mouth.

"Sort of," Mica admitted. "All of the times I've felt the Force, it wasn't on purpose. It just happened. I don't know why. But now the more I want it, the harder I try, the further away it feels."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"Listen," the apothecary retorted. "If I stop selling this stuff, I'll go out of business. You going to shut down every shop that sells this stuff? I got to put a roof over my head."

"No," she answered, and would've left it at that if he hadn't brought up the new clinics threatening his business. "What do you usually do when competition springs up? Separate the wheat from the chaff. If the quality of your goods improves, you stand to gain."

"That imported stuff is expensive," the apothecary pointed out. “I stand to lose money.”

"Not necessarily. The princess' clinics might be free, but they use real bacta. That chit is expensive and it doesn't work for everyone. You could get the imitation stuff and sell it for cheap. People allergic to bacta will be grateful for a fair priced alternative." She shrugged. "No matter how you look at it, making people sicker isn't a good business model."

The apothecary's eyebrows rose, surprised that she was actually offering suggestions rather than simply scolding or threatening him for selling fake medicines. Yet he hadn't completely let his guard down yet.

"Unless there is something in the local laws that says I have to hand over my registry, either purchase something or leave, Padawan."

She didn't respond. The shopkeep soon became distracted by Orion's antics. Eloise watched him chase the Mirialan out of the back and rifle through his pockets for stolen goods. She knew what Orion was up to even before the documents floated right before her face. It was one of the oldest tricks in the book. The fact that the apothecary fell for it made things easier, if a bit boring.

She plucked the registry from midair, tucking the documents away in her pack. Then, leaning against the counter, she began picking her nails. “Have you two sorted out your differences yet?” she asked, chipping away at leftover polish. “We need to get going.”

Orion Pavond​

 

[Ryana mina]

Katherine Holt

"He would definitely find a way" she said in a somewhat joking way as pip swam around happily without a care in the world as ryana knelt down with the bracelet in her hand pip swam up as Katherine introduced herself. He made an attempt to crawl into her lap as he sniffed her "pip don't be intrusive" ryana said as pip looked to ryana then to up at Katherine his ears sticking straight up as he did so.

"It is nice to meet you Katherine I'm sure pip would agree" she said as pip purred as ryana looked at pip and Katherine for a moment before transferring her attention back to her bracelet. She listened to Katherine's instructions as she focused on the sensation she felt before she channeled the force into the bracelet as she could sense pip cheering her on so to speak through their force bond as she didn't force it but let it occur naturally as she channeled the force into the bracelet into the water. As she felt the lightside poor Into the bracelet and saw it shine like it was brand new she pulled it out of the water pip purred and chattered cutely. "Maybe it's the lightside nexus but your alot more calm than you have been" she said as she reached into one of her belt pouches and handed pip a grape which he took carefully out of her hand and ate happily. She handed a grape to Katherine "of you want to eat it or give it to pip either way" she said as pip looked at the grape with great interest.

 

[Jack Wright]

(Tags: OPEN)

Ridiculous.

Completely ridiculous.

The sigh of frustration could not be restrained when Jack pulled his hand off the stubborn rock, expression visibly stewing despite willing himself to calm down. Over, what, an hour now of making a fool of himself, how much longer would he have to bear his self-humiliation at the hands of this damn boulder?

Meanwhile, students left and right were getting into the flow with ease, positively grating on his lack of meditative tactics. Oblivious by the surge of his own practices, centering to his right. Jack certainly wasn't going to be angry.

But he was going to punch this stupid rock-!

SHATTER

The result of his momentary lapse of emotion sent large chunks of the defaced boulder flying everywhere, crushing onto the ground and bouncing parts of the water stream. Jack stumbled back, blinking wide hazel in genuine astonishment, taking in the hole formed that made up most of the boulder's side facing him then.

Before trailing down to his open right grip, the tell-tale hue of energy dissipating between his fingertips, leaving the man openly agape by what just happened. Mind rationalized, coming to a rather bemused, if semi-embarrassed epiphany.

Did he accidently imbue the Force in his own fist? Twisting the open hand left and right, inspecting for any further signs by his unintentional design, but felt the Force leave an echo of vibrant power, lingering in the centre of his somewhat trembling palm. Jack slowly clenched a fist, slowing down the vibrations that remained.

Handy.

Upon then noticing he was the subject of a few stares, Jack'd only smile sheepishly and offer a wave, emotions apologeitc for that uncouth display. To his relief, they thought nothing of it, returning to their own meditations and practices, the Knight dodging a bullet there.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"I was fifteen when I joined. It took time for me to settle."

A faraway smile momentarily settled onto her face. Raised in a family of aristocrats, she'd been accustomed to getting respect simply by the virtue of her birth. The other Padawans had not seen it that way, and the adjustment had been difficult.

Her attention refocused on Mica Raha , lips pinching into a thoughtful frown.

"The next time you find yourself connecting with the Force by chance, try to pause and take note of the circumstances - what you're feeling, and the external fa-"

CRRRACK!

Several heavy thuds followed the sharp sound of a shattering boulder as large chunks hit the ground. A few smaller stones plopped the water near the pair of women.

Cora turned toward the shore, drawing her hand away from Mica's shoulder. Lips pursed, her gaze narrowed in on a sheepish looking Jack Wright as she called out to him. Where she’d held warmth for the Padawan, the Knight was on the receiving end of a more matronly demeanor.

"And what has that rock done to you?"

 

[Jack Wright]

(Tags: Corazona von Ascania , OPEN)

"...There was a bug?" This is why the Knight was never sent on infiltration missions. Grimacing to his own lack of decorum, Jack apologized with a strained, semi-annoyed smile, "It won't happen again."

On the contrary, he had to work out exactly how he made such an impact, turning away from the admonishing head of this little 'class' to figure how he can deliver that, again. Rubbing his right wrist, Jack contemplated for a minute or so, humming thoughtfully in pursed lips. Instead of channelling into the rock, instead he channelled through his fist.

Might be a good idea to retrace his steps...

 

[Nulgath Zardai]

"I hear what you're saying," she began softly, her voice steady despite the lump in her throat. "And maybe you're right. Maybe you can't be healed right now, not in the way we think of healing. But that doesn't mean I can't hope."

She leaned forward slightly, her bioluminescent patterns glowing faintly as she chose her next words. "The Force is... endless. It's not just in life and death. It's in everything. It binds us, connects us, and moves through us in ways we can't always see or understand. So, yeah, maybe you're a wound in the Force right now. But wounds... they're signals, alarms, like you said. Pain means something is wrong, something that needs help. And the Force... it always finds a way."

Her voice wavered slightly, but she pressed on. "You don't want me to spend my hope on pain. I get that. You think it's pointless. But what if it's not? What if the Force finds a way for you, someday? Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday. Isn't it worth leaving the door open? Even just a little crack?"

Zaiya's hand instinctively rested over her heart, her glowing patterns swirling gently. "I'm not saying I know everything. Stars, I probably don't even know a quarter of what you do. But I trust the Force, Nulgath. And I trust that it doesn't abandon anyone -- not even you."

She paused, her eyes soft but resolute as she studied him. "So, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'll get hurt, or you'll fail me like you think you will. But I'd rather trust in hope and risk the pain than close myself off and never give the Force a chance to show me what it's capable of."

Her colors brightened, a ripple of teal and gold shimmering over her skin like sunlight on water. "You might not believe in yourself, but that's okay. I'll believe in you enough for the both of us."

Nulgath grew quiet. No, not quiet but silent. He was still.

The weight of Zaiya's words pressing down on him, not with malice but with a tenderness he could not endure. Her unwavering belief, her defiant hope—both pierced through the void of his existence like rays of light in a cavern long forgotten by the sun. It was too much. Too real. Too alive. He couldn't face it. Not her. Not himself. Not now. The harmony around the fount, the serene nature that the living force flowed from came to a slow and Nulgath gave in. Unwittingly he gave up to a source and he did not care or even attempt to take notice. The business of the other jedi around him did not compare to the words that he was hearing from the young padawan Zaiya Ceti . Numbness increased and the pitch of ringing elevated in his senses. Listening but not hearing, Seeing but not perceiving. Surrounded by the many and yet he was alone in this lush place. A paradox to the very nature of the inner and outer flow of life.

Did she...hear what I told her?

His brow twitched slightly and inside the hollow of his chest a white flame ignited over his emotions. Void of the darkside but yet it burned. Anger with the hint of dulled wrath. A subtle detail that could be observed if one was present. Past the visage of his brows and other features of decrypted flesh and dancing in the green fire that was the windows of his soul.

His mind raced, desperate for an escape from the moment, from her bioluminescent glow that seemed to equivocally sear and lighten his fractured essence. He felt his control slipping, his focus fraying, and with it, something deep within began to unravel. It wasn't a conscious act—it was more instinct, raw and primal, reaching out to the Force in a way he hadn't since before he became... this. The air around him seemed to ripple, the edges of reality shimmering as though the Force itself were stirring in response to his inner turmoil. A faint hum filled the space, vibrating at a frequency, that those adjacent, could feel in their bones. The Nexus of the Living Force had awoken around him—not as an act of intention and control, but as an echo of his fractured essence crying out for release. It chose this..

The ground beneath Nulgath glowed faintly with tendrils of white-gold light, spreading outward like roots searching for something to anchor to. His withered form trembled as he struggled to contain the building energy. The trinket in his hand began to shine, amplifying the light until it mirrored Zaiya's own luminous patterns, as if the Force were answering her belief in him. "Stop this," he muttered, though whether to himself, to the Force, or to Zaiya, even he didn't know now. This was beyond anything he experienced. "I...i.."

But it was too late. The Living Force surged through him like a wave, washing over the void within him. It didn't heal him—no, it couldn't. But it recognized him, just as Zaiya had. The Force didn't reject him as he thought it would; instead, it reached into the wound he was, not to fix, but to move. Its will aligned with his own for a moment of belief. It aligned perfectly. The light intensified, becoming blinding. It enveloped his body, growing brighter with each passing moment. The hum became a roar, resonating with the pulse of life itself. The Force was acting—not through his will, but its own.

The force finds a way.

In that instant, the world around Nulgath erupted into a brilliant flash of pure white light. The brilliance passing by swallowing everything—the trees, the shadows, Zaiya's glowing patterns, the trinket in his hand—until there was only the luminous void.

And then, as quickly as it came, the light vanished, leaving behind an empty space where Nulgath had knelt and the sentinels both baffled about what exactly just happened.

[OOC: Exit thread]

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Nulgath Zardai

Zaiya stood frozen, her kaleidoscopic glow rippling in frantic waves over her skin as the light swallowed everything. She'd never seen the Living Force manifest before -- well the way it had back on Tython station had been... different. Master Kahlil Noble and Knight Corazona von Ascania had been helping her. But this was something else. This was different. It was purposeful with intent, not like a whisper or a breeze, but like a river flowing to its will all at once.

She blinked rapidly, her nictitating membranes sliding over her glowing blue eyes in an instinctive attempt to shield herself from the sheer intensity. But there was no blocking out the Force. It was everywhere, flooding her senses in a cacophony of light and sound as the colors of the auras and energy surged together.

And then, silence.

"Nulgath?" she managed, her voice trembling as she stepped forward into the clearing left in his absence. Her colors flickered uncertainly, pale blues and silvers edged against the sudden pewter hue of her skin in shock and disbelief. The air was still now, heavy with the lingering resonance of the Force's touch.

Her gaze darted around the space, searching for any trace of him, but there was nothing -- no form, no presence, only the faint outline of where he'd knelt, glowing tendrils of light fading back into the ground as if retreating to the very source of life itself.

"What… just happened?" Zaiya whispered, her voice breaking the suffocating quiet while the Sentinels also stood in confusion before moving forward to investigate.

They were not the only one, the Padawan surging forward to move where where Nulgath had been moments before, her hand hovering over the faintly glowing earth. The echoes of his pain, his anger, his fractured essence were still there, like ripples in a pond after a stone had been cast.

Her bioluminescent patterns shifted again, streaks of confusion and worry dancing across her skin. She pressed her hand to the ground, her fingers trembling as she reached out with the Force, desperate to feel anything, of Nulgath.

But the Force did not provide an answer. Just the breeze shifting slightly in the wind.

Her breath hitched as the realization sank in, and she sat back on her heels, her iridescent eyes wide and disbelieving. He was gone. Not just physically, but completely. It was as if the Force had taken him, folded him into its currents and swept him away.

And yet, the Force felt… peaceful.

Zaiya stared at the spot, her mind racing. Had the Force answered her belief in him? Had it acted to save him, or had it claimed him for something far beyond her understanding? The thought sent a shiver through her, the glowing patterns dimming to a muted kaleidoscope of grey and faint silver. Domxite gave her a nudge, trying to comfort her but also unsure of what just happened as well.

"What happened?" she repeated, quieter this time, her voice barely more than a whisper. The question wasn't for the sentinels standing nearby, still equally stunned. It was for herself, for the Force, for Nulgath.

For the moment, that seemingly changed everything and left them in the wake of its light.

[ Exit thread ]

 

[Azurine Varek]

Letting Go And Moving Forward

Outfit: Clothing | Right Arm | Glove
Weapons: Lightsaber | Hook Swords

Azurine’s breath hitched, her heart pounding like a drumline in her ears. She tried to focus on Aris’ steady grip, grounding herself in the present moment, but the looming water beneath her felt like it was causing a war with her bravery to enter in the first place, even if it was pulling her soul back together. The Nexus called to her like a siren’s song, its light thrumming in her mind like a half-forgotten melody she couldn’t ignore.

But going under the water. Stars, the water.

She exhaled sharply, glaring into the beauty of the clear water as if it might glare back. Get over yourself, Azzie!

The Nexus pulsed again, insistent and warm, like a hand reaching out to her. Come, it whispered. Let go. Heal.

Fine. If the Force wanted her to drown herself in its light, then she’d drown. Her grip tightened on Aris’ arm. She pulled her courage from some hidden reserve, nodded, and took one of the deepest breaths she possibly could.

As they plunged beneath the surface, the cool water enveloped her like the loving hug of an old friend one hadn't seen in ages. If only for a moment, Azzie's panic flared, her legs kicking wildly, and her grip on the younger padawan—who was the closest thing to a brother she had—became a vice. Then the light of the Nexus surged into her, and everything fell away. The world blurred as her eyes seemed to be completely overtaken by a gold and silver glow, water turning into radiant energy as the Force wrapped around her fractured soul. She felt herself breaking open in ways she didn’t know were possible, the jagged pieces of her spirit pulling and melding together, not perfectly but enough.

Memories, raw and untethered, flickered through her like starfire—her parents’s laughter, the ache of losing her first comrades, her endless battle against herself to be good enough.

There were visions of the future, too. Faces she didn’t yet recognize but knew she would die for. A golden light, brighter than the sun of Iridonia, pulling her toward a greater purpose. A shadow, ominous and yet somehow familiar, that threatened to take it all away. Threads of aura, intertwining with each other once again in the beauty of the cosmos.

You are of the Force. You need not surrender to what you already are, only to understand.

Mom...?

You are exactly where you were meant to be, my little warrior.

When she surfaced, gasping, trembling, her face streaked with tears that were almost indistinguishable from the water that dripped down her face. She clung to Aris, her breath heaving, but feeling a brightness and strength she had never truly understood before. She tried to piece together everything, eyes wide as marbles.

Aris Noble​

 

[Mica Raha]

"I was fifteen when I joined. It took time for me to settle."

"Oh, I see," Mica said tentatively. She wasn't sure what that meant for her own future. If even a privileged Ukatis noble struggled with her life as a Jedi, what hope was there for a low-born gutter punk like her?

"The next time you find yourself connecting with the Force by chance, try to pause and take note of the circumstances - what you're feeling, and the external fa-"

Before Mica could process Cora's advice, the abrupt shattering of a rock sent a shiver down her spine. She instantly clutched her pendant tightly to her chest, visibly shaken. The last time she'd heard such ear-piercing noises was on Empress Teta, on the day her life changed forever.

"...There was a bug?"

Mica shrugged. Well, at least he had a good reason. Who the hell likes bugs?

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"A bug?"

Cora squinted, lips pursed as if she were deciding whether or not to believe him. A luminescent flash, so bright that it briefly ate away at their surroundings, pulsed behind her. Startled, she turned to find that the patch of shore that Nulgath had been on to be bare, save for two confused sentinels, and one confused Lovalla Padawan.

"Well, I, er-" she blinked, turning back to the knight who'd shattered rock. "Yes, they do tend to gather near bodies of water. Please do try and be careful."

She sighed, rubbing the distraction from her eyes before glancing over at Mica.

"Are you alright, dear? I think it might be a good time to get out of the water."

Mica Raha Jack Wright

 

[Jack Wright]

(Tags: Corazona von Ascania , Mica Raha , OPEN)

Wiping a visible bead of sweat, Dodged a blaster shot there. Gazing away back to the large chunk of rock... Or what remained of it, still a little perplexed by whatever just occurred.

Did he honestly do that? Giving his own right palm a look, opening and closing a fist, flexing fingers experimentally. The Force thrummed with lingering vibrations, dancing off between somewhat quivering fingers.

Imbuing the Force with his one's own fists... Double-edged didn't cut it, but aside from a light quiver, his hand felt more or less all right. Maybe... It bore investigating.

Provided at a more discreet seclusion.