Visiting the five brothers…

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus landed at Han Solo starport and sighed heavily. Following far too many conversations on the subject, she’d decided to visit her parents. But due to her reticence, she hadn’t let them know she was coming. Or anyone for that matter. Except Kana. Kana knew.

So she shut the ship down and confirmed she’d like the ship refuelled before thanking the hangar crew and then standing dead still. Sithspawn she could handle. Galactic Minotaurs she could deal with after a fashion – but they certainly didn’t scare her. But now, even though she’d looked to keep her emotions locked up tight behind her ‘durasteel wall’ the cold fish was nervous. Quite literally scared rigid.

She pulled the Force to her and tried to relax. No, not try…do. She meditated briefly, her eyes closed. Finally able to control her own limbs, she set off for a meeting that was what? She looked at the holo-clock on the wall. Fifteen years, three months, two weeks and two days overdue. The hours could calculate themselves. And so shaking her head she picked up her feet and walking more quickly that usual almost ran outside.

She was so preoccupied that she bumped into the first person she came across as she exited the hangar. What an Echani was doing here was anyone’s guess. And from the aura she immediately detected, this young man was Force Sensitive. She smiled politely and bowed even more so. ”My apologies…Padawan? I wasn’t looking where I was going. I don’t mean to make you late for…whatever it is you were on your way to do.” Her cheeks flushed slightly, this chance encounter when she was so not with the ‘here and now’ had affected her slightly. She straightened and looked to pull herself together.

[member="Alexander Sannes"]

 

[Alexander Sannes]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

The day was going pretty well as it was, it was nice and he had chosen to go for an interesting and curious walk through a city he had never really explored. Infact it was so much so interesting he hadn’t gotten very far from the spaceport himself and it was interesting to see the level of people coming through the starport. Eshan never got this variety of people because of its lesser place in regards to its position and its influence on the galaxy which did sadden him a bit because he and his people could benefit from the amount of cultures he was seeing here.

Either way he was standing in awe when a Jedi, who he didn’t realize was one, ran right into him and he nearly fell face first into the ground with his eyes staring at the ground. “Ugh, so much for being in awe…” He looked over his shoulder, his hood down and the collar of his shirt coming off of his mouth and nose, happy that he was not on Eshan because of how recognizable he was there.
He really didn’t have much to say at first, his eyes focusing in on the woman for a few seconds before a slight smile touched his face and he stood up dusting himself off. “Sorry, i wasn’t watching where i was standing and hate to break your news but im not a Jedi… how did you know about my touch though?” He already knew the answer, and he could tell she was a bit embarrassed thanks to her empathy.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus flushed slightly. "I am sorry for the misunderstanding. I sensed your aura when I bumped into you. Nothing intrusive," she helped her hands up in mock defence, "But it's not something I can help. And I presumed perhaps too much. There is a Jedi community not far from here, so I guess I overanalysed the situation."

"But it begs the question," and she smiled now and cocked her head to one side, "If you'll forgive me asking but..what I mean is...why aren't you a Padawan?"

[member="Alexander Sannes"]

 

[Alexander Sannes]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

He watched her flush again, and laughed to himself as she finally spoke again still apologizing. "You do not have to apologize miss... what ever your name is." He left out something else about how she was acting mostly because he felt telling a Jedi they were acting quite cute would probably get him a bit more scorn than he was really looking for.

"As for the Jedi sanctuary, no i myself am also a visitor of the planet and looking around it, i actually come from Eshan... as for why im not a Jedi well my parents never really... felt the need to alert the Jedi of my Empathy or this..." He smiled and looked around till he saw a small pool of water on the ground which he examined quickly and touched quick. In a moment it slowly froze, far too slowly to be useful. "As for my own need to be trained, not to be cruel but Jedi have a reputation for being a bit cold hearted... though i must say you are quite a challenge to that stereotype because of your embarrassment.... and im rambling."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus realised how distracted she was. She was too focused on the impending visit to her family and wondered what this young man might be thinking of her and Jedi in general.

"I am sorry for my current confusion. I'm not usually like this. My name is Corvus, or Jedi Master Corvus Raaf to give my full name. But definitely just Corvus to you. And I have to admit, I have never been to Eshan."

"And I'm afraid I'm the last Jedi you'll ever meet to break your opinion of us. Amongst the Jedi I am known as something of a cold-fish. You see I have a strong sense of Empathy through the Force. If I didn't protect myself I would be overwhelmed by all of the emotions around us now." She waved her left hand at the people around them as if to demonstrate. "So I don't really allow emotions in or out unless it is..necessary."

"And of course your parents are quite entitled to their decision but I fear if you are not schooled you might become easy prey for the Sith or even a bounty hunter looking to collect on a bounty. You'd find it difficult to prove you weren't a Jedi if captured."

[member="Alexander Sannes"]

 

[Alexander Sannes]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

He laughed and smiled a bit as he blinked and looked at her for a few seconds to see if she was telling the truth about her empathy or not, trying to think of a way to test it but he himself had never met another empath so he thought to himself how it would be best to do this. "You talk alot for a Jedi, you know that right?" He smiled and laughed a bit as his own empathy fired off a bit of his emotions to her before he winked at her and leaned against the closest, stable, object. "Plus it helps i don't carry a lightsaber in my ability to stay out of public sight, further more i could probably beat any Jedi in hand to hand combat so i really could deal with any Sith or Bounty hunter just fine." He was cocky, well normally he wasn't but he wanted to see how this Jedi would react to his own display of empathy as well as his false cocky attitude.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus sighed inwardly and resigned herself to the fact that she was a Jedi first, foremost and only and could catch up with her family another time.

This young man wasn't like any other untrained Force User she'd met. They were often unaware of their abilities - whereas he seemed keen to share his knowledge. Often they were unsure of themselves, aware they had a gift but not clear what to do with it. Again, there was a swagger with this one that meant he didn't fit that stereotype.

In fact the closest person she could liken him to she'd recently met on Nar Shadaa. He went by the name of the Shadow King. But Corvus wouldn't dream of brining up the comparison. One was a Sith that was simply...over sure of his abilities. This young man was more about bravado. She wondered if it was his upbringing or his personality. But she was not here to bring him down a peg nor challenge his perception of himself. But his talk could get him into a lot of trouble.

"I do talk a lot, that's true - but not more so than any other Jedi that I know. And not every Force User carries a saber, believe me. And your martial abilities are no doubt just fine, but not always a match for the Force."

Without warning her hand snaked out faster than the human eye could appreciate and grabbed a leaf from a nearby bush. To a Force Sensitive it was quick, to other passers-by, they probably wouldn't have seen her hand move.

"Teras Kasi. Not the Force. I've been learning it for five years now. Every day I practice. I'm no Master, not by a long way but I'm competent. It's also called steel hands. So don't assume every Jedi can only fight with a saber. And don't think that a Sith couldn't overpower me - even with this up my sleeve. Their ability to manipulate the mind is sadly legendary."

"But enough of me, if you don't want to be a Jedi, what will you do with your abilities?"

[member="Alexander Sannes"]

 

[Alexander Sannes]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

He watched and listened and with each word he drank in what was said and made himself out to be focused on her words and on her point. Slowly his smile grew instead of fading before once she finished he would bow, his entire expression changing to something far more humble. "The Ice creation... err Cryokinesis i believe it was called when i was studying on information i bought. Anyways that is the only thing that i actually know as my Empathy i was born with.... which is why i more than understand guarding yourself but you don't always have to be so cold when doing so madam Jedi. And i do apologize for being so cocky, i don't actually act that way and was testing to make sure you were a Jedi. Which unless you are the only one that acts like the stories then i am saddened because im sure more would love to be like that." He smile at her before adding onto the last part and going to sit down on the closest thing that was physically possible to sit on. "So, past my physical knowledge, i know nothing about being a Jedi or otherwise."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was warming to the young man. Humility was creeping in where there was none before. She listened to him and sat beside him as he walked over to a nearby bench. They were now facing a park – one of many open spaces in Coronet City. It may be a bustling urban metropolis but it boasted beautiful architecture and many green areas like this where other than the sound of the mag-lev train, it was the chatter of birds that filled their ears.

”I apologise if I appear cold. It is not intentional, I assure you. And is certainly not directed at you specifically. But perhaps I can improve your opinion of Jedi by being warmer from this point on and answer any questions you might have about our Order. Perhaps quell some rumours?”

[member="Alexander Sannes"]

 

[Alexander Sannes]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

He smiled as she spoke again about her coldness and his preconceptions about the order, his head turning and eyes focusing on her for a few long seconds before speaking. "Miss, i understand your coldness, though i do suggest that you try to funnel what emotions you bring inwards and what emotions you don't. You see, Any empath can simply block out or allow someone's emotions to break into them... the problem is then that they become crazy or cold when they don't let their own emotions show. Huh odd... Anyways rambling again... i guess you can start with what you think of those Silver fellows?"

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Alexander didn’t know how close he was to the truth when he talked of the pitfalls for Corvus in bottling up her own emotions. But it was more than emotions. She couldn’t reconcile being a Jedi and a person. But fortunately he didn’t press her on the subject.

But his question wasn’t necessarily less challenging. ”It is difficult for one from a particular Order to comment objectively on another. Most will tell you they are right and everyone else is wrong.” She smiled. ”But the truth, I suspect is that we’re all right. We each walk a slightly different path and that’s the fairest assessment I can give. I have heard negative things about that Order from so many sources – but I take people as I find them. The one Silver Jedi I met is as good and honest a Jedi as I could ever wish to stand alongside. Every Order has its rogues and perhaps their reputation is based upon those few who attract the limelight. That is why the Code is so specific on this matter. If I have one area of concern that I have seen with my own eyes it is that they do not serve as I do. I serve the Republic. I do not decide what is a just cause. The Jedi you refer to seem to pick and choose which battles to fight. That is not something I would be comfortable with.”

[member="Alexander Sannes"]

 

[Alexander Sannes]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

"I see, well enough about Jedi in general. I have a question for you, who and what are you." He didn't mean her name, or her race, he meant deep down and fully what was she. When she looked at herself what was it saw and who stared back at her. He was getting a measure on who she truly was from the answer and sat theree waiting as he knew that she would either answer or not. He did remain ready to retract the question if she didn't fully take it well.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled. Funny how someone can ask a question and expect a specific answer when what they're going to get is the exact opposite.

"To ask me that question - and I will be entirely honest - is to not understand Jedi, or at least me. For you see I am a Jedi first, foremost and only. I am, quite simply a Jedi. Everything I say and do is governed by that aspect of me. In fact there is no other me."

She paused and reflected on her family. She hadn't seen them for countless years and had no time for them in her life. Was that right? Wrong? She had no idea. It was a subject she'd had with a few people recently and was no closer to an answer. But she was here and even if she didn't get to see her family today, there would be other chances. She was sure of that.

"Does that answer surprise you?"

[member="Alexander Sannes"]

 

[Alexander Sannes]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

"No... it doesn't surprise me at all miss..." He laughed to himself as she had answered his question in such a way that made his head hurt. "You know, people might find you jedi more fun to be around and easier to talk to if you just relaxed, and were normal for ten minutes... i mean, you don't have to constantly be boring and can have some fun or be normal for five minutes, you do know what fun is right? And no... meditation or lifting rocks does not count."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus reflected on his words, her face would clearly be sharing this information with anyone who was watching. She was obviously in deep thought.

"Fun? But...I find Jedi Lore, fun. I find training fun. I even find lifting the Muntuur stones fun. If I'm not training, I'm teaching. If I'm not teaching, I'm on a mission. And if I'm doing none of those things, I tend to be asleep."

"Today is an odd day for me. I was planning on visiting someone, but that would not have been...fun." She laughed at her own words. "I know how this all sounds but believe me, I wouldn't have it any other way. As I said before, the life of a Jedi is not for everyone."

[member="Alexander Sannes"]

 

[Alexander Sannes]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

"Ever read a book that wasn't something in a lesson, or sit around and watch holovids all day, or play a game with a group of people that didn't have an educational value at the end of the day. I mean yes of course, a lesson can be fun... hell thats the only way im still sane with the second hand empathy training but thats because ive turned it into a game, see how many people i can target before screwing up and frying my brain for a few minutes. What i mean is, have you ever taken the moment to do something that had in no relation to the force or the Jedi or the Republic at all?"

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus sat there for a full minute, her mind clearly searching for an answer. She read voraciously but only Jedi Lore or current political events to keep her up to date in her role as a Jedi.

She'd never, ever watched a holovid or played a game. When she was young she was teased as when her peers were learning Pazaak, she would recreate famous saber battles and try to work out how the loser could have won. Did that count? She glanced up at Alexander. No, probably not.

Finally she simply shook her head. If there was one thing she was learning it was that she simply failed to be a Jedi and a person. Perhaps this opportunity to finally meet her family would change all of this. So she smiled. Perhaps, yes, perhaps she could have some fun after all.

"There is a saying amongst Jedi about humility. About how we should embrace learning from even the most unlikely of situations. You have taught me a valuable lesson today and for that I shall be eternally grateful. I fear my life has been too focused and that I should embrace Corvus as a person, not just as a Jedi. I mean, what could go wrong?". And she smiled warmly at Alexander. A stranger that finally sealed the deal - she would visit her family and she would have fun doing it.

[member="Alexander Sannes"]

 

[Alexander Sannes]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

He smiled and clapped his hands as he looked up at the sky. "Well, firstly, try talking like there isn't a stick up your backside, trust me when i say it is much easier and people wont instinctively know you are a Jedi. Next, try and relax, and no i don't mean meditate, i mean just relax and let the kid in you spawn a bit so that you have something in you that wants to have fun. A primal fun in doing what ever comes to mind, after all thhis might be important if you go and spy on something."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus continued to smile.

"What makes you think I don't want people to know I'm a Jedi? Or that I'm not happy being one? The thing is, I'm perfectly happy being who I am and I would never change it. If things work out differently later, so be it. But your idea of fun and my idea of fun don't have to be the same."

"It's like I said about walking a specific path. Neither one of us is right, and neither one of us is wrong. They're just different paths is all."

[member="Alexander Sannes"]

 

[Alexander Sannes]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

He stared at her, fully thinking over what she said and smiling in the end. "When i was learning to fight, it was education and it was fun, like you with your force training, but i am talking about something a little bit different... tell you what, if you can convince me that nothing i consider fun is fun for you. Then you win, and ill join your order, was debating it anyways but this way i do try to show you what being normal is like." He smiled, she probably wouldn't accept the challenge... but if she did he was going to have some fun showing her what the real world had in terms of things worth doing.