This one is mine. I no longer use yours…

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus pondered her Padawan’s request and as soon as she could she started to do the research – it was her forte after all.

She knew of the design of the saber – she’d used a copy of the same schematics to build her own. And she knew that Grand Master Skywalker found the designs on Tatooine – and built it there too. The symmetry and closing of a loop seemed so beautiful it was poetic in its concept.

So Corvus followed the known references to this particular saber – the one with the green blade – from the years following the Galactic Empire's establishment in 19 BBY.

The weapon remained at his side as Luke oversaw the rebirth of the Jedi Order and the repeated conflicts that followed, including the struggles against the Imperial Remnant, the Yuuzhan Vong and the Killiks.

During his brief apprenticeship under the reborn Palpatine, Luke replaced his green crystal with a red Sith gem but retained the hilt intact.

A legend later claimed that the lightsaber could be found inside the remains of Outpost 17, an outpost in the Unknown Regions that had been destroyed during the Yuuzhan Vong War. But further research proved this was a myth, as Skywalker would continue to wield this lightsaber years after the Yuuzhan Vong war, including during the Swarm War and the Second Galactic Civil War. Later, he would take the weapon with him into his imposed exile in 43 ABY. The weapon was still with him as of 44 ABY, when he used it to kill Abeloth.

Corvus knew Skywalker would go on to craft several more lightsabers in his lifetime, including a shoto. And at some point prior to 35 ABY, Luke constructed a backup lightsaber that was nearly identical to this lightsaber. The backup weapon was apparently stored inside R2-D2, seeing use after his primary lightsaber was confiscated by UnuThul. But records showed that Luke later retrieved his original weapon.

But there the trail went cold – as it often did. But Corvus had a time stamp and an incident and they would start their investigations there. So she called for Alyona to meet her at her Corvette at the Ossus Academy and told her to pack for a trip. There was no knowing how long they were going to be. And of course lessons could continue for her latest Padawan.

[member=Alyona Volkovna]

 

[Alyona Volkovna (Алёна)]

Alyona had packed as light as she could. A single bag, plus her satchel. She owned a set of leather belts and straps that were useful for hanging equipment on one's body, but had those stashed in one of her bags. Other than that she wore a pair of brown trousers and a white tunic fastened against her waist with a leather obi belt. Corvus' shoto lightsaber hung from there, opposite her training saber, with her gloves stuffed behind the belt. Her boots clacked as she stepped up the boarding ramp of the Corvette, her two bags slung over one shoulder. As she cleared the ramp, Alyona looked around for her Master. "Corvus?" She called, stepping further into the vessel. At first there was no one, so Alyona reached out with the Force to locate the presence of her Master, but felt nothing.
"Guess I'm early then," Alyona muttered as she tossed her duffel bag into one of the side chambers branching off the Corvette's main causeway before heading toward the cockpit. She dropped heavily into the co-pilot's seat and blew a lock of ashen hair from her face, then looked down at the control console before her. "Looks like any frigate," she murmured, leaning forward and glancing at the Basic-labeled controls. She located and flipped on the reactor power supply, then glanced up and around the vessel's interior as she felt it shake and the reactor vwoom-vwoom to life. Smiling to herself, Alyona continued flipping the right switches, activating the vessel's engine primers, secondary power supplies, and began running software diagnostics on hull integrity, life support, shielding and weapon systems. Lastly she activated the anti-gravity generators and powered up the repulsor coils. Within minutes, the vessel was ready for flight, and Alyona sat back and waited for her Master to arrive.

[member=Corvus Raaf]​

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus wasn’t used to being beaten to the cockpit. Her usual travelling companions were never late — but they tended to arrive after Corvus. And considering she was typically on time, you could do the maths yourself. But as Master Karr used to say, “A Jedi is never late and simply arrives at precisely the time they meant to.” At least that was his excuse.

Corvus simply brought her datapad with her. She had all she needed on the ship, she lived out of it often enough. Even the dresses her sister bought her were on-board, albeit only one had ever been worn. And the shoes she’d bought on Onderon were there too.

But back to the here and now, Corvus was surprised to hear the ship’s engines running as she approached the ramp and walked up it. Sensing who was in the cockpit, she punched a button to close the ship up and wondered where Cornix was skulking. She was aware she hadn’t warned her new Padawan about him yet.

Not seeing him, she made her way straight to where Alyona was and plonked herself beside her Padawan. Smiling and approximating a bow from her seated position, Corvus spoke. “Given you know your way around a ship, why not take us up? And you’ll need a destination too.”

“Of course, there were no obvious references to where he left his saber, and some of the obvious ones I’ve already checked out — like Tatooine and Ossus. So where better to start than…well, where it all started. We’re heading for the asteroid colony of Polis Massa.”

“Questions?” She smiled warmly, expecting plenty.

[member="Alyona Volkovna"]

 

[Alyona Volkovna (Алёна)]

Alyona didn't feel Master Raaf enter the starship, though she heard her boots clacking on the deck plating before the woman dropped loudly into the pilot's seat beside her with only a modicum of grace. Alyona looked across at her Master and smiled, leaning forward and dipping her head to return the same lazy gesture of respect. Both women seemed to be in rather good moods and Alyona's excitement was only further driven by Corvus's suggestion she do the flying. Swiftly, Alyona activated the repulsors and queued the landing gear for retraction before checking the landing ramp was clear and keying for it to seal.
"Just one, Master." Alyona declared as she cleared the console display of a happily positive diagnostic report and rested her hands on the control handles before her. "Why Polis Massa?" She asked, gently pulling up on the controls and lifting the Corvette into the air. Alyona kept the vehicle stable for a while as they gained elevation, and once she'd cleared two-hundred meters over the landing pad, reached for the accelerator and pressed the starship forward into the sky. "I mean, I know it's where Master Skywalker was born, but where will that lead us?" Alyona keyed the controls for automated launch into space to escape the planet's gravity well, then began scrolling through the navicomputer for Polis Massa.

[member=Corvus Raaf]​

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded at the question. It was a fair one and in all honesty, one she expected.

“I have some experience of these things. In truth, there is never a simple location. No map with a large ‘X’ on it – it just never seems to happen that way. If not, there would be no saber to find, someone else would already have it. And yes, I’ve checked the Invisible Market, and trust me, if it had been found, it would have shown up there by now.”

“So, and this is the boring history part, we start a process of trial and error. Following established leads and clues. What I can tell you for sure is that nobody ever leaves it somewhere obscure – unless they leave a clue. And believe me, there are no clues. So he’d have left it somewhere he felt some affinity for.”

“Some of those sights can be crossed off our list, they’ve been checked already or are now inaccessible. So I have a short-list of a few places he could logically have hidden it. So we go in chronological order. And where better than his place of birth.”

Corvus smiled as they escaped the planet’s gravity and her Padawan punched in the codes for their destination.

“Sometimes it becomes something of a pilgrimage – and in doing so, you become more familiar with the person, so that an answer presents itself without you having to do any work." As she spoke, she handled the amulet she prized. Deep down she knew it held a clue – if she could only uncover it.

“And once we hit hyperspace, we can practice your saber skills. If you’re going to use my shoto, at least I can give you some pointers on its use.”

[member="Alyona Volkovna"]

 

[Alyona Volkovna (Алёна)]

"A pilgrimage, huh?" Alyona muttered as she locked in the hyperspace coordinates for Polis Massa. She'd wondered how long this investigative journey for Luke Skywalker's lightsaber might take them, and had already decided it didn't matter. Alyona looked over at Corvus and smiled, "All experience is important in the development of a Jedi, right?" She recited. Alyona knew this from her time at the Ossus Academy studying under various Masters. Most of her training and learning up to this point had been from the Jedi Archives, but even reading was an experience, and one she learned from well. "However long this takes," Alyona said, "I'll be spending that time with my Master, and thus not a moment will be wasted." Alyona reached up and brushed the hair out of her eyes, then deactivated the sublight engines and reached for the hyperspace level to her right, gently pulling the lever down and watching as the stars before them stretched into lines as the Corvette shot into the depths of Hyperspace.
After checking the drive levels were stable, Alyona leaned back in her seat and glanced at the console chrono, then reached for the shoto lightsaber hanging from her belt and unclipped it. "Well, we have plenty of time, Master." Alyona said, brushing the hair out of her eye with the scar and struggling to tuck it behind her ear. "Bah," she grunted, giving up for the time being. "We're using the Parlemian Trade Route before hitting the Hydian Way, after that it's a short jaunt to Polis Massa, but the trip will still take about five to six days." Alyona stood from her seat and hefted the Jedi tool in her hand. "I'm ready when you are, Master."

[member=Corvus Raaf]​

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus looked to her Padawan. “What is important is that we learn and grow. Not for our own sake but for the Jedi, the Republic, for peace and for the Force. So you’re right. Any experience that develops us to be better Jedi or a better person, that is what is important.”

Corvus sat back as her Padawan’s hands moved effortlessly over the controls — genuinely impressed with how she’d taken to the new ship already. But no sooner had she reflects on this than Alyona was on the move again. And judging by her eagerness to handle the shoto, Corvus presumed the lesson today was bound to be combat-centric.

So they moved to the main room, big enough for most training needs and Corvus briefly explained her approach.

“You see,” she started, “I can use all Forms except the seventh. In part because it does not suit my abilities and also because of the need to be more physical in your approach. But regardless, that means I know the other six well, although the third is my primary Form. The only I practice daily. The fourth and fifth are my alternates and I will practice each of them a few times a week.”

“Which is getting away from the point. What many Jedi do is learn a Form and practice with a partner over and over. It can lead to many faults. Have you heard of Dun Möch? It is essentially trash talking, aimed to distract or even cause doubt in the opponent’s mind. It is a Sith tool and can be used against them. Inverse Dun Möch effectively. I use it a lot. But again I’m going off at a tangent — you’ll have to watch me on that.”

“So, what’s my point? Imagine facing a foe that uses a Form you’ve never seen? Or a left-handed Mavashi user? Or two sabers? Or a sabre-staff? Like Dun Möch, it causes fear at worst and doubt at best. For the next few hours, use your preferred Form and I will switch between them. I will use multiple sabers, shotos, a saber-staff. To the point where you will not only be able to recognise a Form, but none will surprise you in their trademark moves. You can learn their strengths and weaknesses.”

So Corvus put Alyona through her paces. They stopped for the occasional rest break but the pace was otherwise relentless. “The Sith won’t wait until you’re fully recovered before attacking you. You have to learn to fight when you’re tired or injured.”

As the day wore on, Corvus went over the Three Rings of Defense with her Padawan. It was in many ways basic training, but as she pointed out, “Too often we lose sight of the basics.” And she repeated many of her mattress over and over. “Deflect, don’t block…the Inner Ring is the most risky but provides a perfect opportunity for a counter…better to go with the flow than try to oppose it.”

At the end of the day, both would have been mentally and physically tired, but for Corvus there was no finer feeling. As they ate a light supper, Corvus broke the tired silence.

“Tomorrow is your day. OK,” she smiled, “Perhaps you called the shots today, but tomorrow we do what you want…what you need. And the day after? You’re all mine again?” A wicked smile broke across her lips, but it was also a friendly one. Corvus believed passionately in pushing her charges and Alyona looked like she was going to be one that would take all she was asked to do and then some.

[member="Alyona Volkovna"]

 

[Alyona Volkovna (Алёна)]

Alyona listened as Master Raaf spoke, their discussion proving as mentally stimulating as their physical training was exhausting. She walked herself through the familiar motions of the several lightsaber forms she had experience in. After a moment, she ignited the shoto lightsaber. It sprang to life with the familiar snap-hiss, and Alyona was almost surprised by its length. She tested it for some time, getting to understand how the shorter length of its blade affected the motions she was already accustomed to.
"I can understand your avoidance of Vapaad, Master," Alyona commented sometime later as she recovered from a backflip that brought her sword hand against her hip with the blade angled outward behind her. She stood, wiping the sweat from her brow. "I don't like that," she muttered, looking to her Master to explain. "How the blade ended up away from my supposed enemy. I'll have to change that, find another way to maneuver the saber so it remains angled where it needs to be; toward my objective."
She deactivated the lightsaber for a moment and lent Corvus her gaze. "I am not fond of Soresu, however." She said, activating the shoto once more and swinging it gently back and forth, further getting to know its reach. "I feel defense should have an objective," Alyona continued as she began practicing what she knew of Makashi. Holding herself with her front facing her Master, Alyona worked through the fundamental thrusts and sweeps of the fencing form, though she found the shoto lacked the length the lightsaber form required in order to maximize its user's precision.
"I do, however, understand fully your wariness of partnered training." Alyona said, deactivating the shoto once more and unclipping the training saber from her belt. She set it alight and rehearsed the same Makashi moves as before. "I experienced a detrimental affect from training with...friends, I had grown...close with at times." Alyona explained without truly explaining. After a moment she deactivated the lightsaber again. "A Falleen boy, when I was a girl," Alyona blushed, then chewed on her lip a moment. "Annnd a Kiffar girl...last year." She was clever enough to know not to give her Master time to respond aloud. "The point is, as we got to know one another more...intimately, our training suffered. We could too easily predict one another's movements and actions in combat, and while this was beneficial on the...emotional scales, it led to a repetition of our own actions and movements. Stuck us in a rut...as it were."

Alyona reactivated the shoto and continued with simple movements. She understood well what Master Raaf described regarding Dun Möch and her comparison to the unknown. "That means we should strive for as well rounded an experience as we can, no?" Alyona remarked as she ended a particularly relaxed slash. She glanced up at Corvus, as if looking for approval of her thoughts. While Corvus did seem to approve, she was careful in her judgment; it wouldn't do for Alyona to grow to accustomed to success, or else she might underestimate her future challenges.
They sat for a while many hours later; there had been few breaks, and all had been short. The day had worn on for what seemed to be days, but it left Alyona feeling productive, and she almost didn't want to stop. Thus, when Corvus released her for the evening, Alyona took a long, hot shower and reflected on the day's learning. She analysed her own thoughts and responses to Corvus' instruction, searching herself for any way to improve, anything to correct. The process was not a fast one, but it always left Alyona feeling good about herself. She didn't need perfection, she just needed to try.


The next morning Alyona woke feeling refreshed and limber. She stretched and dressed, donning her spare fitted trousers and white blouse, then tossed her other clothes in the cleaning unit. Alyona returned to the main room she'd trained with Corvus in before, the shoto held elevated above the palm of her hand. She spun it about slowly with her mind, focusing her telekinetic power on the tool as she reached her Master. Alyona snatched the lightsaber out of the air and smiled. "I'm feeling fantastic today," Alyona quipped, glancing at the shoto in her hand.
"I want to do two things," she said about her choice of subject for the day. "I want to learn how to use this tool on its own, and I want to learn how to augment my other." Alyona drew the training saber from her belt and flicked it on. "I've decided my favorite style will be no style." Alyona dipped the tip of the ignited blade and swung it about gently, enjoying the wvoom sound it made. "I want to be like water, surrounding any foe I come into contact with, filling any situation I find myself within." Alyona swung the two blades in a defensive Soresu motion, then stabbed the training saber in a Makashi thrust and the shoto in an Ataru twirl as she lowered herself into a crouch. She deactivated both the weapons and rose gracefully, looking at her Master with perseverance in her expression.
"I want to be a tool that the Force can rely on in any situation." She explained, looking down at the tools in her hand and shaking her head. "But not only as a combatant, Corvus," Alyona almost breathed the words, looking back up at the woman who would forge her. "There aren't enough of us left in the Galaxy that think as we do," she muttered, thinking of Corvus...and herself.

[member=Corvus Raaf]​

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened intently. It was not the act of a Master looking to correct and change the Padawan’s views to her own, but a genuine interest in what was said. When Corvus said they would learn from each other, she meant it. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t offer advice every now and then.

Corvus nodded her appraisal of the third Form. “It suits a certain individual. One who prizes patience and can outlast an opponent. It is a counter-punching style and sometimes that is not enough. I too have been working on other Forms more of late. To be in a position to dictate a duel, not to react and wait for the opponent to tire or make a mistake.”

“And the shoto has a place. I crafted it because of a certain Sith Lord I kept bumping into that used a Force-whip. But it does not take the place of a saber. But getting used to using and facing different weapons is invaluable in my opinion.”

“Familiarity is a trap we’ve all fallen into,” Corvus mused, as if sharing a deep and precious secret, even though on the surface it was an innocent remark. “Remember, only the Force can be truly trusted.”

“But back to you and your training…yes, balance is good, especially at an early stage. But consider this…”

Corvus held her arms out, as if miming holding a very large box. “This is the Force, although of course it is much, much bigger. And this…” she tapped the side of her own head, “Is how much you can access. As you grow, you can draw more and for longer, but essentially it will always remain small by comparison. My third Master taught me this and it has stuck.”

“Putting that in my words, you can only learn so much before your box fills up. There are only so many hours to train in a day. Sooner or later you will need to decide what you want to focus on and devote most time to that. Over the years you can add more Abilities, but be careful you don’t become a jack of all trades.”

The following day was devoted to Alyona dictating the learning and Corvus listened to her words.

“You need to work things through, so you become the Jedi that is Alyona, not some carbon copy of a clone Jedi. But one word of caution. Each Form has been perfected over millennia to be ideal for a given situation, for a person’s individual characteristics.”

“To blend them may be perfect for you. And if it happens naturally, work with it. But do not force it. In saber combat, a Jedi allows the Force to guide them – not the other way around. Remain in tune with the Force and listen to it. And practice of course.”

So Corvus nodded vigorously when her Padawan commented on being a tool of the Force – not the other way around. It was what differentiated them from the Sith in Corvus’ opinion.

And then the training started in earnest. Once more Corvus insisted things were mixed up. One blade versus two, two versus two and two versus one. “You have decided two blades is right for you,” she joked, “Let’s just make sure the Force agrees with you.”

So Corvus spent time on Niman and also Jar’Kai. Every now and then Alyona would have a question or Corvus wanted to explain a point – so used her access to all of the Holocrons the Republic Jedi had to illustrate. “My one word of caution is not mine but comes from Jedi Master Jai Maruk, do not rely too much on your blades and pay too little attention to the Force.”

As they worked, Corvus repeated many of the basics once more – the Three Rings, all of the basic moves and manoeuvres – as well as the Form specific ones.

Finally Corvus showed her Padawan two specific moves for the sixth Form. As ever, it was done without warning.

They were sparring each with two blades now and focusing on Niman when Corvus simply telekinetically seized Alyona and pulled her into the path of her attacking blade. “It’s called Draw Closer. It doesn’t have to be Niman, but it’s a characteristic move.”

A short while later, Corvus slashed down on Alyona before blasting her aside with a Force Push. “Now that one’s called Pushing Slash. See how the two distinguishing moves rely on the use of the Force, not the blades?”

“And my advice when being Pushed or Pulled is still to go with the flow if you can. Use it to your advantage and be in charge of your motion. Because when you’re fighting it, you have far less control, believe me.”

“And don’t forget that tomorrow, I get to choose the training.” She smiled warmly, she already knew what the day would consist of.

[member="Alyona Volkovna"]

 

[Alyona Volkovna (Алёна)]

Alyona spent the remainder of the day listening and learning, absorbing. She had told Corvus what it was she wanted to learn, and Corvus had provided, therefore Alyona was responsible for ensuring that knowledge was not shared in vain. She learned and accepted why Corvus appreciated the Soresu form, and was surprised to make the connection herself as the patience of the Jedi was not something she had linked to the defensive lightsaber form. Her interest in it quickly grew, as it better reflected the qualities she yearned to exemplify as a Jedi.
Throughout the day, she considered the shoto lightsaber's usage against exotic weapons such as lightwhips, and the many ways such a weapon might serve her well outside of its orthodox applications. I could design a dual-phase variant of this tool, one that could spring to twice its length! Alyona thought in excitement. She spent several more hours that day practicing with the weapon in both orthodox and unusual manners, switching hands frequently in order to develop a balanced dominance.
Working through other forms Alyona learned more about Force application in lightsaber combat, a subject that had been little impressed on the students of the Ossus Academy, and for a good many reasons. As Alyona observed her Master share physical demonstrations of actions such as drawing an enemy into her lightsaber, or pushing one away in order to garner more maneuverability, she wondered if the physical hand motions were needed to exhibit such influence. Alyona preferred doing nothing that might give her actions away to the enemy, a severe weakness in the eyes of the Echani. It showed a fighter to be sloppy and poorly trained, unkempt in their fighting style. Alyona refused to be this way, and so began training herself to apply the Force in its most common combative forms without giving any hint to what was coming. It was a skill she hoped to spring on Corvus at some point.

At the end of the day, Alyona sat in her chamber after her shower, and drew up designs for a dual-phase shoto lightsaber. The hilt would have to exceed the length of a typical shoto she knew, to accommodate the extra crystals and slightly larger power supply. She also knew she wanted a twisting activation mechanism, which would have to be built into the blade. it didn't take long, but by the end of the night, she had a good idea of what she wanted to construct. Alyona spent the rest of her night reading on the history of the Yuzhan Vong war, and the socio-political turmoil the New Republic struggled through during the conflict. Eventually she fell asleep, and found herself waking at her desk as her chrono beeped.
Passing dressed through the training area, Alyona stopped by the cockpit and checked the vehicle's many displays. Their course was stable and the vessel itself was in perfect order, drawing a smile from Alyona's lips. "Perfect," she muttered before swiping the display off and returning to the training area. Rather than practice combat immediately, Alyona sat down cross-legged and held the shoto lightsaber in her hands and began to meditate. She closed her eyes and felt the weight of the small weapon as it sat against her skin. She tossed it up and caught it, felt its metal outsides with her fingertips, and heard the hum of the blade as she held it ignited before herself. After a time, Alyona gripped the weapon gently in the Force and elevated it before her slowly. She concentrated on every groove, feeling them with the Force as areas she could put pressure against with her mind. She learned of the metal's imperfections, flaws, strengths. She learned its shape in her mind and the location of its fasteners, which she began to undo with her thoughts. Slowly the weapon stripped itself of its casing, and soon floated naked and in pieces before her. Still seeing with her mind, Alyona observed the screws that held the weapon together, beneath the metal plating. She glanced at the power supply and its component parts and wires, all within the confines of her mind. The wires were green and black, power and ground. The capacitors were wrapped in copper wire and encased in a power-amplifying material.
The metal casings of the weapon were lightweight, planed down from a standard thickness. Alyona wondered why, such a light shaving would not reduce the weapon's weight much. She stored this information away for later and returned her thoughts to the lightsaber itself.
What does this tool represent? Alyona asked herself. Is it War? Government? Justice?
Suddenly, it struck Alyona: Me. The lightsaber represents me.

This was a strange thought for the young woman, though she quickly grew out of it. The lightsaber did reflect her, more than anything, and this was a simple truth to understand. The tool reflected the type of person she was, that she cared for attention to detail, and could feel devotion to more than simply herself. Alyona smiled to herself as she began disassembling the shoto with her mind's eye and the physical device reflected her perseverance. Small securing screws began to shiver and turn, sliding back and out of their holes to hang in the air mere centimeters away. The weapon's casing turned and clicked as it began to separate, sliding back to reveal the inner workings of the small device. Several moments later the crystal chamber was exposed and the shoto's inner casings drifted away from their housings, their security screws resting in the air besides the first ones.
In total, with the wiring exposed and removed from its several couplings, the device was comprised of fifty-eight pieces, if Alyona counted the wires individually. She let her presence in the Force drift over each and every one of them, caressing the inner angles of the energy chamber, brushing along the sharp edges of the carefully shaped power crystal, swimming along the surface of the focusing lenses. Alyona would continue this for nearly an hour, learning the weapon as diligently as possible. It was an exercise she would conduct every day for the duration of her and Corvus' travels together, learning and knowing the equipment that was there to aide her.

[Member=Corvus Raaf]​

 

[Corvus Raaf]

“If there’s one lesson guaranteed to get a groan out of a Youngling – or Padawan for that matter, it’s Meditation.” Corvus was chatting over breakfast – she was having her usual hot oat cereal.

“Yet if you talk of Force Valor, or Battle Meditation, or the Ability to replenish your Force energy in a matter of moments, they get excited. Yet they’re one and the same.”

Once they’d cleared their dishes away, Corvus spent their time together showing a variety of meditative techniques. “None is perfect, some suit some but not others.”

She started with Meditation of Emptiness. A relatively simple technique that allowed you to centre yourself and find deep inner peace and purge negative emotions.

Then she showed a popular and more modern variant –heji tal. Drawing on all three fundamental skills of the Jedi teachings: control, sense, and alter, heji tal saw these skills focused upon in ever-changing patterns. “This will bring you inner peace, knowledge, and serenity.”

“One I use often is Moving Meditation.” Again, Corvus showed the best techniques and they spent some time learning how to not only perform routine tasks whilst meditating but actually improving the quality of the work as a result. “It’s great for quietening all external distractions consciously by performing an activity involving movement coupled with concentration. You can use it whilst repairing things, or just performing an everyday task.”

Next Corvus showed Alchaka. It was a deeply complex exercise involved seemingly endless repetitions of intense stances which left the practitioner exhausted. Yet once finished, the connection to the Force was actually strengthened.

“But in many ways the most powerful for you whilst you remain a Padawan is this.” And Corvus explained and demonstrated Emptiness. Here Alyona would learn to empty her mind and allow the Force to flow through her. The Padawan would become oblivious to her surroundings. When Corvus demonstrated, Alyona would be amazed to see that Corvus was almost impossible to detect using the Force and any Force power levied at her had zero effect. “Of course, a punch in the face will have the usual effect,” she chuckled as she explained this. “But most importantly, when you exit the Meditation, your connection to the Force is actually strengthened for a period of time. I’d say this saved my life back on Kashyyyk.”

“But, as ever, practice and practice alone will bring benefits. And once you’re a Knight I can show you even more advanced techniques.”

It was a long day, but all that meditation kept them fresh. Finally it was time to call it a night and Corvus smiled. “Tomorrow it’s your choice again.” The look on her face said she wished the journey was twice as long.

[member="Alyona Volkovna"]

 

[Alyona Volkovna (Алёна)]

Alyona opened her eyes for the umpteenth time that day and drew herself away from her meditations and back to the present moment. Emptiness had never suited Alyona; she hated quiet, disliked solitude, and held naught but contempt for darkness. It wasn't fear that drove these hatreds, but the lack of people. Yet as she dove into the emptiness of her own mind, guided gently by the Force itself, Alyona realised she could espy more than ever before. It was as if she'd died and joined the Force, and were now drifting amongst its currents and waves, bobbing up and down as if treading water in an infinite ocean. She feared nothing from the deep, for she knew the Force had surrounded her, drawn her into its fold, and she felt more in tune with the mystical energy field than ever before.
Of all the meditative techniques she learned that day, Emptiness was her most beloved. It turned her from a small person to a deity, giving her a bird's eye view of the ship, its contents, Corvus herself. And she sensed the greater Galaxy around her, planets drifting about in the Void, trillions upon trillions of beings washing back and forth in the waves of life upon the beach of the Universe. And for a time Alyona drifted with them, washing between their minds and learning their names, their loves, their fears. There was nothing to be done but listen, and at one point Alyona thought to herself, This is dangerous...I could drift amongst these beings for eternity, growing old and withering away to death before I ever returned to myself...
The thought itself wasn't so scary, but her comfortability with it caused Alyona to snap awake immediately, her heart pounding and sweat coating her brow. She looked over at her Master, who must have sensed the brief spike of distress, but Alyona offered no explanation. Becoming one with the Force had been spoken of for years during her earlier training, though she wondered what it had been that she'd actually accomplished. I felt like I'd died for a moment...Alyona reflected, noting the lack of feeling in her fingertips and a pale taste on her tongue, as if her body had been in the middle of giving itself away to the mystic energies of the Force.
Alyona's face paled and she swallowed, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Glancing at her chrono, Alyona gasped. Another day was over, and over four hours had passed since she'd last given her mind over to Corvus' instruction. The woman was now gone, and Alyona looked around briefly for her before rubbing her face with her hands. She felt...invigorated, not simply refreshed, but fresh, as if she'd never spent an ounce of energy in her life.
Alyona made to stand and was surprised when she managed to do so fluidly, having expected her joints to be stiff and sore from remaining frozen in place for so long. These meditations are more than mere communique's with the Force, Alyona thought to herself as she turned to leave for her quarters. She opened her hand and reached out, calling the shoto lightsaber to her grip from its resting place on the floor as she left the room. Alyona clipped it to her belt and returned to her bed, where she took her customary nightly shower and found herself unable to sleep even an hour later. I feel as if I did nothing today, Alyona thought, donning naught but panties and a blouse and returning to the training room.
The ship was dark, the lights had automatically dimmed or shut off throughout to mimic the night time conditions the traveller's would be facing on Onderon at the moment. Alyona looked down the hallway, gazing into the darkness, then looked off toward Corvus' quarters. The way was dark, and she decided not to bother the woman in the middle of what should be the night. Alyona leaned back into the hallway where her room lay, calling the two lightsabers to her hand from her bed, along with the small music player she had resting on her desk.
Alyona returned to the training room and plugged the small sound pieces into her ears and selected a playlist on the music device before tossing it onto a table nearby. Music began to fill her the mind between her ears, and Alyona tossed her head back and forth, but didn't feel her neck creak or crack. She shrugged the soreness from her shoulders, but found none there. Her body was ready, invigorated and given new life by the hours she'd spent immersed in the reconstructive energies of the Force.
Alyona ignited her lightsabers with a snap-hiss and swung them gently, reminding her limbs of their individual weights and lengths. She gestured at a pair of training droids with a finger and they buzzed to life, hovering in the air before her. Let's see what your meditative techniques have to offer me in combat, Master. Alyona said silently to Corvus, who presumably lay sleeping in her chambers. She raised the droids' difficulty levels to twice her typical setting and opened herself to the Force, not as if she were facing an adversary, but as if she were meditating. Alyona felt its energies fulfill her, guiding her limbs and mind. As the music in her head reached a crescendo, Alyona began to move in time with the floating droids, catching the first several bolts on a single blade, ratcheting the lightsaber from one position to another, and to a third. The bolts hissed and vanished against her blade as Alyona threw herself into a flipping somersault to catch a fourth and fifth against the shoto itself.
A new song filled Alyona's mind as the training droids separated from one another, seeking to assault her on opposite ends. Alyona let the Force guide her in a way she'd hardly experienced before, trusting something other than herself and her training truly and wholly for the first time. Several more blaster bolts sung their own song and Alyona dropped into a split-legged position as they coursed over her head and passed her shoulder, then shrugged herself sideward and onto her back, dodging another pair before deactivating her blades and kicking herself into a handstand as second pair of bolts crossed her stomach and flared against the walls of the training room. Alyona spread her legs, one forward and one back, then let herself fall forward and straightened herself into a standing position as she reactivated her blades and struck another pair of bolts from the air with careful passes of her lightsabers.
None of this she did alone. Alyona was becoming a tool guided by another's hand. The Force carried her atop its currents once more as Alyona sought to empty herself of space or time. Soon her muscles were nothing more than rubber bands, something outside of herself almost, a dance of contractions and relaxations that she merely observed, rather than was a participant in.
The night carried on, and Alyona lost herself to time. Sweat wet her hair, though she had no need to brush it from her eyes and neither did she feel its sting. The Force took her completely, pushing her gently along from one path to another as she dipped and rolled, twirled and leapt, around, over, under and through streams of blaster fire. Minimization seemed to be the Force's goal, it did nothing that it didn't need to do, like a river it passed her through the rocks of a mountainside, taking the path of least resistance. Nothing she could dodge did she intercept, and nothing that was going to miss did she need avoid. One fluid motion after another did Alyona make, guided by the Force's energies, her body almost burning, yet she felt nothing but a freeing sense of excitement, like water sizzling on a hot pan.
Another song passed through Alyona's mind, its rhythm and sound pounding at the core of her brain and connecting her to the Force itself. She tossed and turned, spending as much time with her lightsabers activated as not, moving only as the Force made her. Alyona no longer existed, she merely drifted once more along the currents of the Force, no longer isolated from the rest of the Universe on her little vessel within the depths of Hyperspace. Alyona existed on every plane now, and she felt herself melting into the waters of the Force as if she herself were made of water, and were merely reconnecting with her maker. The Force needed to be her home, and she couldn't withhold herself from its embrace. Trust in the Force, Corvus had stressed day after day, ever since they had met on Onderon.
Trust was different to Echani than most other cultures. Alyona trusted in herself, in her abilities and training, and in her experiences as much as any other sentient, but trust as a concept of faith was entirely alien to her. What drove her trust in the Force was her ability to experience it. Alyona didn't need to trust in the Force, for she knew and accepted what it was capable of accomplishing. Everything the Force was used for was naught but a fraction of its potential, and only when a being gave themselves over to its currents with the entirety of their being were they able to act as a conduit for its full strength and wisdom.
What Alyona needed to learn was to trust Corvus herself. Master Raaf was a woman, and a human woman at that. She was soft in many ways, but tempered in many others. Like a scabbard and a sword, Alyona realised along the way as she continued her mindless dance in the darkness. Corvus was a warrior queen. She was armor, shield, scabbard, sword, cunning and wisdom, incarnate. But still, she was human. Alyona would need time and experience with her Master, getting to know her and her own connection to the Force intimately, before she would have the faith in Corvus that she had in the Force itself.

Suddenly Alyona snapped back to the present. Her eyes opened and the darkness of the training room filled her eyes. She heard nothing in her ears and felt the Force retreating swiftly from her mind. Taken off guard, the training droids nearly managed to sting her with a pair of bolts before she waved them onto standby, sending them to rest on a corner table. She turned her attention inward, closing her eyes once again and taking stock of her mental and physical senses. She tasted sweat on her upper lip, felt it on her brow, between her breasts and down her back. She felt heat rising from her face, shoulders and legs, the warmth of her own body washing over her like a wave. She feel herself breathing deeply, evenly, as if she had spent hours running through a dense forest with dew on her hair and a light grey-morning breeze caressing her naked skin.
Her muscles burned, and Alyona stretched them slowly and purposefully. Sinking into a split position on the deck below, Alyona felt the coolness of its metal plate against her bare thighs and legs. She leaned forward and sank down against her leg, her forehead resting atop her knee. Her breath was hot against her thigh, she grasped at her toes with her fingers, clasping them gently. Her back stretched like melted taffy, as did the muscles of her legs and thighs and arms. Alyona took nearly an hour alone to stretch and recover her faculties from the depth of her exercise.

[member=Corvus Raaf]​

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus wasn’t deliberately challenging but she believed in giving people a practical experience before they made their mind up about something. Meditation often fitted that bill – but its value to a Jedi was immeasurable and until practised in depth was often overlooked.

She knew it wasn’t Alyona’s natural preference but she knew she was diligent and could learn so much for and about herself, that she was glad she devoted the time. Which was always another challenge of Meditation – it tended to blur the passing of hours and had made Corvus late for a lesson more than once.

It was addictive and intoxicating when you joined the Force truly – but it was important to remember you did it for the greater good, not for personal gratification.

So she slept soundly before waking in the early hours. Corvus relied on a handful of hours sleep a night and as she lifted herself off her bed and her feet touched the floor, she heard the unmistakeable sound of sabers and training remotes. She smiled to herself and entered the White Current, so as not to disturb her Apprentice.

Sure enough, she found her practicing – truly giving her will over to the Force, allowing it to guide her, instruct her, be at one with her.

And then it was over and Corvus left, allowing her Padawan to warm down in private, whilst Corvus went to the meditation room and connected deeply with the Force. There was no telling what Alyona would ask for today.

At a time that seemed appropriate, Corvus showered and prepared breakfast and when her Padawan arrived, she smiled warmly.

“I often say that it’s hard to tell where one Ability ends and the next starts. Moving Meditation or Center of Being, or a blend of both.”

She looked at Alyona. “I wasn’t prying, so I apologise if it sounded so. I heard you practice and was keen to see, that’s all. Your progress is truly excellent. Your ability to trust in the force implicitly will serve you well as a Jedi. Too few give it the respect and the control it deserves and still try to tell it what to do. Your display last night…or was it this morning…regardless…it was exemplary. As long as you don’t burn yourself out, you’ll do well to maintain that focus. And the next time it rains, I’ll show you a practice technique I learned from my studies that will really hone that focus.”

Corvus tucked into her hot oat cereal and cocked her head to one side, thoughtfully. “So…what will it be today?”

[member="Alyona Volkovna"]

 

[Alyona Volkovna (Алёна)]

Alyona wrinkled her nose and chewed the Naboo fruit she had in her mouth slowly, considering Corvus' question. She sat before her Master in the same shirt and panties she'd trained in the night before, and she felt she needed a shower. "Well, we've got..." -- Alyona checked her chrono -- "...one hour until we arrive at Polis Massa, so there's not much time for anything today." She smiled generously, squeezing her eyes shut playfully. Considering the level of immersion Alyona had achieved within her meditations, she was amazed Corvus had come out of her own at all; the woman seemed to live within the Force. It was a level of intimacy Alyona dreamt of one day attaining. "But your raindrop teaching sounds fascinating, and I feel I already have an idea of what it encompasses."
She swallowed the remainder of her fruit and took both her and her Master's dishware from the dining area to the wash station, then stretched and worked a few small kinks from her back and shoulders. Her room was adjoined to the dining area by a small hallway, allowing her to continue her conversation with Corvus while she stripped her shirt off and entered her room. She removed her small-clothes and stepped into the 'fresher, activating the hot water, then returned quickly to her Master several minutes after her shower. "Have you any idea what sort of reception we might be expecting at Polis Massa?" Alyona asked as she stepped into the cockpit of the ship, shaking her smokey-grey hair out with a small towel. She wore a clean white blouse and fitted trousers beneath a leather belt adorned with stones and books that struck the tops of her calves. The two lightsabers hung from her belt and plain armlets adorned her biceps. "Because I haven't heard anything about the place in ages..." Alyona finished, dropping into the pilot's seat and looking up at the never-ending waves of hyperspace. Checking the chrono on the navicomputer, Alyona prepared the ship for reversion to realspace, and moments later, the two women were floating in space with the asteroid known as Polis Massa hanging in front of them.

[member=Corvus Raaf]​

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus sat in the cockpit as they exited hyperspace, the streaks of light turning into bright dots before their eyes.

“Polis Massa?” she repeated, her voice soft and light. “Can’t say I have any idea.” She smiled. “You’ll learn that I tend to do some research where necessary but often just improvise as I go along. I’ve learned to trust in the Force. Implicitly. And in return, I tend to know when things are going well, or less so.”

She stared at the research base ahead. “This was one of those times where I’ve identified some key places to visit based upon the notes of Master Skywalker, but I haven’t reached out to anyone in particular in advance. Anyway, we’re Jedi. Who wouldn’t want to help us out?”

She smiled again. It was a rhetorical question and the truth was that many distrusted the Jedi – or feared them. But that was a reflection of who they were, not the Jedi.

The former planet of Polis Massa lay in front of them, with the base on the largest asteroid fragment. She pointed to a landing bay that their ship could access – without the need to touch down on the asteroid itself.

“Right,” Corvus said, when they’d landed. “Let’s go and introduce ourselves.”

They were greeted courteously and it was explained that following the Empire’s attack, the base was significantly changed – to the point that the medical facilities they’d hoped to visit were no more.

“Can we visit the place they were located?” Corvus asked. Access was granted and they were led to a large meeting room. Soulless.

Their host left them alone and Corvus turned to Alyona. “Hard to believe this is where Luke and Leia were born, eh?”

[member="Alyona Volkovna"]

 

[Alyona Volkovna (Алёна)]

Alyona frowned as she followed Corvus to the conference room that had once been the medical facility where Luke and Leia Skywalker had been born, and Padmé Amidala had died. She looked around though she expected to find nothing, and saw tables and chairs and a counter top upon which rested a caf brewing machine. "Whatever we may find here will not be seen with eyes or ears..." Alyona muttered, closing her eyes and opening herself to the Force. She held emotions in her focus, searching the area for any that may remain after so long. After several quiet moments, she found what she was looking for resting just beneath the surface of the Force, dulled and softened by time. What she found was dense and focused, a black hole filled with hurt and pain in equal measure to love and joy. Alyona opened her eyes and withdrew from the Force far enough to turn her attention on her Master.
"A great pain exists here, mingled with joy and pride, resting just below the surface," Alyona reported, looking around once again as if expecting anything to have changed. "Amidala's pain over the loss of her husband, her joy at the arrival of her children." Alyona sighed gently, pressing a finger to her temple. Her mind ached all of a sudden, piercing and sharp. Alyona had to withdraw from the Force for a time, and soon the pain passed. "The emotion is intense, even after so long. It reminds me of the rift I healed on Ossus, with Master Grayson. It was generated in the aftermath of the Sith attack there. Though this one is...much older and born of only one person, Padmé herself." Alyona lifted her brow in surprise at the revelation that the strength of Amidala's emotional struggle had rivaled the deaths of dozens of Jedi. Such a powerful family, Alyona thought to herself, biting at her lower lip as she thought of a suggestion for their next move. "I don't expect to find much else here, Master, though this rift might lead us to a location Skywalker found a deep connection with. Something...previously unrecorded, perhaps."

[member=Corvus Raaf]​

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded and reflected. She was pleased that Alyona was a proactive Padawan. Too often they waited to be led in every aspect and it was refreshing to meet one that sought answers for herself rather than just ask questions.

"When all possibilities are exhausted, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truth." Corvus looked surprised she'd said it out loud. "I read it somewhere, or words to that effect. We need to keep looking and sooner or later, we'll find it, rest assured. And there's a law somewhere that says it'll be in the one place that was dismissed initially."

She smiled. "OK, now we don't actually know where he died, but then he'd find it hard to put it somewhere safe on his death-bed anyway. So we follow his story chronologically. Tatooine I've already been to numerous times. We can rule out the Death Star, so I'd say Dagobah. Yodah's hut or the Dark-side cave. What do you think?"

[member="Alyona Volkovna"]

 

[Alyona Volkovna (Алёна)]

Alyona glanced at her Master, unsure of Dagobah as a possible resting place for the former Grandmaster's Jedi weapon. "Dagobah isn't the most improbable answer though," she remarked, using her Master's own logic against her. "But you're far more versed in Skywalker lore than I am, and..." Alyona allowed herself to brush against the emotional rift in the room once more, using a brief memory technique to lock the sensation in her mind as if she were copying its signature. "...and if he wanted to hide a Jedi weapon, that would be a perfect place to start. A place of considerable dark side energy would mask the presence of such a relic." Alyona furrowed her brow, following the train of thought as she followed her Master back toward their ship. They thanked their hosts for even a brief visit such as this, but her own thoughts caused her concern as she sat in the pilot's seat back on the ship and fired up the engines. "Master...if Luke did want to hide the weapon at all...we ought to be concerned, shouldn't we? Elsewise, why isn't it located in any of the Jedi Temple archives or artifact chambers? From all accounts, Luke died peacefully, there's no reason the weapon should not have been with him and inducted into the relics collection."

[member=Corvus Raaf]​

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded. “Often relics are left behind. Handed down from person to person. But we do not know where this particular artefact ended up. Which means it did not simply get placed into an archive or museum”

“Which means he placed it somewhere for safe-keeping. And no record was kept of where. Perhaps he told someone and they did before sharing the secret?” Corvus shrugged. “That is often the way. So we keep looking in logical places until we find it. And Dagobah is as good a place as any to try. No better but no worse.”

And I don’t expect anything sinister in a lack of records either. I recently uncovered a Holocron that nobody even knew existed. It was hidden to protect it from the Dark-side – knowing only a Light-sider could find it.”

“Think of this as a quest. To prove your worth.”

So Corvus entered the cockpit and punched in the codes for Dagobah. It was a planet she had a soft spot for – and would no doubt regale Alyona with a few poor Yoda impressions before the trip was over.

[member="Alyona Volkovna"]

 

[Alyona Volkovna (Алёна)]

Alyona nodded quietly at Corvus' reply. As ever, her viewpoint was born of experience and common sense, and Alyona would do well to trust the woman's suggested course. "Dagobah it is then, Master," Alyona smiled, tapping in the planet's coordinates and prepping the vessel's hyperdrive. As she waited, Alyona looked back at her Master, that smile still on her lips. "I feel good about this, Corvus, truly. Whatever we end up uncovering, I have a good feeling. And I'm going to trust that feeling." With that she glanced back at the viewport and the billions of stars before her, then drew back on the hyperdrive lever and watched them disappear into hyperspace.

[member=Corvus Raaf]​