You Cannot Control Everything

[Ignatius]

Taking a hold of the tablet, I had various records downloaded. Many were detailing different force sects that were not of Sith origin. When I was in the Sith Library downloading this, the librarian asked me why I was looking at these force groups. The answer I gave him was that I wanted to study them.See how they worked and thus knew their weaknesses and could break them more easily. He trusted me, and I knew by the large grin he gave me and then proceeded to lead me to a sectioned off portion of the library.

Now in my room upon the Phoenix Rising, Kinta was taking us to the planet where we could possibly find some texts, or even the group themselves. However, I doubted I would find them, and didn't keep my hopes up. In truth, I was searching for these places and groups because I actually did want to learn from them. Not to break them, but to become a better person than my father was. Yes, he did say he did what he did to protect us. But he was killing needlessly and even butchering people, and using the force in ways that were unnatural. I didn't want that path for me.

I had found the Je'daii. A group of people who gave me the ideas of balance and moderation. That was great for my spirit and mind, but it didn't help me control myself. Not completely at least. I wanted to know more. I was a knowledge seeker. I wanted to know all I could, so then I could prepare myself the best I could.

Reading through the information, I had one idea in where we could be. One place where remnants could be. Taking that into account, I had already set us on this path. Speaking of us, Kinta then contacted me through our rings.

"Breaking hyperspace in a few moments."
"Thanks."

Standing up, I turned off the datapad. Walking out of my room, I passed by the Togruta that I had only just met earlier with my first visit to the Je'daii. Since in the Je'daii I was still a beginner, I couldn't officially teach her or train her, but as someone who was more knowledgeable of the galaxy, and older, I could teach her a few things more than just on the planet. Thus, she was here. Learning along with me. I may had twisted the truth a little in saying that we would be recovering relics of the past for the Je'daii to learn more, and thus teach more, when in truth, I was being selfish and getting this for myself.

When I was done, I would hand it off to them. Allowing them to use it and train as well. Maybe, just maybe this would also allow me to move up in the ranks, or be put on my record and look good. I did want to learn more, but more so, if I could prevent my fears, then I want to do what I can to prevent others from following the same dark path.

Looking at the togruta, I offered her my hand. Plain and not gloved, I was aiding? more like respectfully help her stand up from where she was. Speaking to her,

"I hope I don't make you uncomfortable like I did when we first met? I am trying to be better. So my.... darkness will remain for a bit. I hope you don't mind."

I didn't know how to treat this girl. Any previous meetings was always when she was with one of her friends, or when I was with Ashe and the Sol family. Being here now, the only person here was Kinta, she was kind of on her own. I didn't want her to feel that way. I was on the same side she was. We were allies, and I wanted to be friends if we could. She had shown respect to me when I was scary. That takes balls, and heart. Thus, I respected her. I wanted to return that in kind.

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

Sahna Te Sat, stroking one of her montrals as she often did when she was nervous.

It still felt... strange... to be sitting so openly in a ship like this one. At ever sound, she reflexively tensed, ready to dive for one of the many hiding spots she had memorized on the ship. But she closed her eyes and told herself she no longer had to worry. She was not a stow away anymore. She was allowed to be here.

She flinched and glanced up at the sound of movement, her wide, fearful eyes resting on Ignis. He was still something of an oddity to her, he felt strongly of what she now knew was the dark side, but... he did not behave as others she had felt. He was... kind. She still felt the far side as he approached, but she'd learned to quell the feeling. Right now, she was just glad to see a familiar face.

Sahna glanced at his hand as he extended It, momentarily unsure of what to do with it. After an awkward moment, she understood that he meant to help her stand from her seat, and reached up to accept it.

She opened her mouth to speak, to lie and tell him she was no longer uncomfortable. But she paused, biting her lip instead. He... deserved better than that. He was trying, that counted for a great deal.

"A little discomfort is a small price to pay," she answered truthfully, her voice soft, "But I truly don't mind. It... helps me learn what it feels like. I am glad you're here, Ignis."

She paused again, studying the young man's face. Was she truly glad to have him here, despite the churning in her gut? Yes, she realised with a little relief that she was.

"Are we there?" She asked, glancing around him. Not that the ship's interior would have changed if they had arrived.

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

Even now, I could feel the nervousness from the young woman. I did notice the bite of her lips, and the hesitation. Honestly? it was quite cute for a girl like her to be nervous. I tried my best to hide the smile, even as she was telling me that she was somewhat uncomfortable just because of the situation. I nodded my a few times as she spoke. Discomfort would help her grow, and learn. In order for muscles to become stronger, you need to train with them. Meaning; the literal breaking of the muscle fibers, and the reforming of them creates a stronger muscle. The same for endurance running. You need to push and test your limits so you can become better. The same is here and her shyness. She needs to be in awkward situations and learn from them. She understood that, and that was the first step of many.

A question arose from her. Are we there yet? Nodding to her to answer the question, I also voiced it as well.

"We should be exiting hyperspace very soon."

Speak of the devil, and he shall arrive. As I spoke the words very soon, The ship jerked a little as we exited hyperspace. I shrugged my shoulders at her. Turning around and motioning her to follow me, I led her to the cockpit. It was a short walk away. Kinta at the controls. I stood a little behind her with my left hand resting on the back of her chair.

"There were no previous ideas of what this planet is like. So you guys might have to wear masks. However, it looks to be a terrestrial planet. So that's good for us."
"Go ahead and scan for large synthetic structures. Might give us a better idea on where to land."
"One step ahead of ya. Scanned for that, and went for a look into a bio scanner in those areas. Shows live, but we aren't sure of the details."
"Good enough for me. Take us down."

Kinta was still looking forward as she brought our ship slowly into outer orbit. One we entered, we then lowered faster and faster down to the ground. As we got closer. it seemed the place was a mix of grasslands, swamps and forests. Another good thing for us. As we were entering, I moved to the secondary seat and scanned for the oxygen count. Coming up just a little under what a habitual planet should expect. So that meant we could likely breath here without a mask, but it would put a little strain on our lungs. Take an emergency oxygen mask with us then.

Turning to Sahna as we landed, I talked to her to give some information.

"The atmosphere is a little thinner than what you might be comfortable with. We can very likely breath it for a time, but I'll still take an emergency mask with us, and give you one as well. Is that okay?"

Standing up to face her at a better angle, I then took a step towards her and in a very polite and trying to be soothing tone continued.

"If you don't want to, I won't pressure you to go without a mask. I just say emergency because then we won't be stuck on a limited amount of oxygen."

Even if she said she was fine without having one, I was still going to get one for her. If she got nervous and started to hyperventilate, in this atmosphere? She would black out due to lack of oxygen.

[member="Sahna Te"]

 

[Valgærd]

A smile.

It was nice. Sahna hadn't seen all that many smiles, not since Aranias... not since she had left Nar Shadaa. Jyn had given her one, as had Asha, and now Ignis. To her own surprise she smiled back at him without even thinking about it. He turned and motioned for her to follow, an invitation she gratefully accepted. Discomfort or no, she was through with being alone on the ship.

He walked into the cockpit, and Sahna followed after pausing a moment at the threshold. Should... she go in? The cockpit was the one area she usually avoided at all costs. It was the most difficult place in which to hide, often guarded or locked, and usually under heavy surveillance. But Ignis has stepped through with such ease, as if it were nothing. This seemed to alleviate a little of her trepidation and with a quick breath in, she followed him. He approached the woman at the controls, placing his hand on the back of her chair. During their journey here she'd learned the woman's name was 'Kinta', although, she'd yet to find the courage to speak with her.

The two exchanged a few words, with Sahna standing somewhat awkwardly behind them. Once again her hand travelled up to her blue and white montral, gently stroking it. It was an action she seemed completely unaware was taking place, although her body seemed to relax a little as she did. Seeing as much danger as she had growing up, coping mechanisms like this were more than necessary.

Ignis turned to her, relaying what she'd already heard from Kinta and he.

Low oxygen. Brilliant.

"Thank you, Ignis." She replied, "I think a mask is a good idea."

She paused, glancing down at the hand on her montral, and grimaced.

"Actually... what are the masks like? Are they like... would they..?" She trailed off, her brow furrowing. She wanted to ask him if the masks would fit over her horns and montrals, if they were enclosed like helmets or merely sat on the wearer's face. Why was that so difficult? Why couldn't she be as easy-going as Asha? She knew the answer, of course. She had been damaged, broken by a life spent running and hiding. Sahna debated rephrasing her question, but decided against it. She couldn't make an even bigger fool of herself if she didn't open her mouth again.

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

After speaking to her, Sahna seemed a little nervous again. Voicing her idea of taking one, and then also asking a question. One of the mask, but she didn't quite speak all of it. She left in an overhang. I tilted my head a bit to see if she would finish, but she didn't. I just smiled and reached over to the side. Opening a compartment. Pulling out to masks. I handed one to her.

Taking it, I placed it on my face, and took the strap, and closed it around the back of my head. Then grabbed the other one, and laced it again at the base of my skull. It fit on me perfectly. I tapped on it a few times before speaking through it in a deeper tone like I was talking through a filter,

"The straps connect behind your head to secure it to your face. It has about an hour and a half of oxygen, and the filter on the front can convert some other air based molecules to oxygen."

Opening my hand to her, I then indicated that I was going to help her put this on. Teach her how to use it and such.

"You take off the straps from this side here, and then wrap it around your head. It should fit. The second one will go under your montrals at the base of your neck and skull."

As I was doing this, Kinta stood up and reached into the same compartment. Pulling out a pair of leather gauntlets, and a scanning device. She started to unlace the gauntlets for me as I was teaching Sahna how to use the device. Once I was done, I turned around to the Zabrak, and slid my arms into them. I started to lace them up myself as she put the scanner device into my front pocket.

Once I had laced them up, I also reached in and produced a blaster pistol. One I generally carried with me every so often, only using it when necessary, or wanting to keep my force sensitivity a secret. I didn't have a weapon for Sahna. I was well versed in fighting, so instead of putting it on me, I put it in the holster and was half way to handing it to her.

"Do you uh... do you want a weapon or do you not want to use it?"

I didn't know how she would take it. Let alone if she knew how to use weapons. For all intents and purposes, I would want her to have it just in case we were separated, and she had to defend herself.

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

Sahna let out a tiny sigh of relief as Ignis appeared to understand what she meant.

He reached into a compartment and produced the masks, handing her one. The young togruta glanced down at the foreign piece of equipment in her hands, before Ignis began to show her how to use it. She listened intently, her attention focused fully on him as he explained how it worked, placing the mask over his face. She became away as Ignis was talking that Kinta had stood and was moving around, but she paid it no mind. When he was done, she turned her attention back to the mask in her hands, it looked just a little less alien now.

She continued to watch on as Kinta helped Ignis into some leather gauntlets. Goodness, he was so... prepared. She wrung her hands together awkwardly, biting her lip. Was she supposed to have brought something like that? She had survived so long with barely the clothes on her back, seldom casting a thought to things such as protective gear, but she realised as she watched how lucky she had been to avoid ending up seriously injured or worse because of it. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she forced the thought out of her mind. When they returned, she would ask Jyn if she could work for some proper protective gear. Yes.

Then he produced a blaster pistol.

Do you want a weapon?

Her eyes widened as she gazed at it, her hands moving from her front to stroking one of her montrols, the way a nervous child might tug on a strand of hair. Her heart rate had already climbed considerably. Her gaze seemed to be not so much on the weapon as through it, looking instead to a distant memory. Aranias used to carry a weapon, so did some of the other children. They always fired at those who were armed. Always.

Sahna became aware that she had grown quiet, two sets of eyes focused on her expectantly. She dropped her hands from her montrals and laced them together in front of her, shaking her head.

"Thank you, Ignis," She replied in a shaky voice, "but... uh... I wouldn't know how to use it."

She swallowed. While that might not have been the whole truth, it was certainly true. She turned away from him,

"Shall we?"

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

After attempting to hold the gun out to her, she kind of shied away from it. She didn't want to use it. While it was clear something more was to it than her just learning how to use it, I nodded my head. Accepting that she wouldn't take it, I wouldn't pressure her. Instead, I slid it to the small of my back in it's holster. I then flapped my shirt and jacket over it to conceal the weapon. She started to walk away and speak about leaving. Kinta's mind pressed into mine through telepathy to make sure I could hear her. Nodding my head, I moved on after the young togruta.

My long paces overtook hers easily. Catching up to her I flicked my hand out. With the force, the ramp to the ship opened and would allow the both of us to walk out of the ship. Walking to the end of the ramp, I looked around for a moment. Getting a general idea of what was here. I reached up and removed my mask that I had put on. Instantly I could feel my lungs burning as they had to work harder for me to get air. It's wasn't a painful burn, but the kind of burn you had when you were training. A sign that you were progressing.

If I could withstand the lower oxygen for some time, and progress myself to be on this planet without having a mask, then it would greatly increase my endurance and usage of my lungs. Athletes trained constantly in higher elevations so that the lower oxygen amounts would force their lungs and body to work with less. So that when they were in a lower elevation, it allowed them to work much much longer than expected. The same was here. Maybe I could get just that little bit better from doing this. Regardless, the mask was now hanging from my belt as I walked onward. Taking a rather slushy step into the muddy portion of the swamp lands.

Taking step after step, it wasn't that difficult to see the ruins before us. I could tell that these swamp lands had taken over after the people who used to be here had left. The mud was only a few centimeters thick. Below it was a rather firm ground, or was a paved road or walk way. I couldn't look at it to tell how old it was but that much was clear. Walking onward, the ruins looked very much like a small entrance, moss and other fauna growing around it.

Walking towards it, I got as far as the steps before we stopped. Looking around again, I felt weird. Like I was being watched.

"Do you feel it? Like eyes are on you?"

I didn't know quite what to do. I could hear various creatures going about their way, but nothing extreme. I looked back over to her before I spoke again.

"As much as I don't want to go under ground, it looks like a good place to start. I'll use some fire to make some light for us."

Looking around for anything usable, I found what I was looking for. almost wading over to one of the various trees in the area, I yanked off a good sized branch. Holding it out, I pulled off my jacket, and hung it on the tree. Removing my shirt, I would expose my various tattoos and a rather lean form. Skin was actually rather pale. Either way, after I did that, I put my jacket back on over me.

Folding up the shirt, I wrapped it around the make shift pole, and tied it off. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my lighter. Opening the top, and dumped the contents on it. The shirt was semi-soaked in the flammable liquid. With the stick in my left hand, and my right hand over the top of the soaked shirt, I ignited it with a simple spark from my hands. The shirt was sent up in flames and would keep a steady source of light. That way I didn't need to use constant energy to feel a little floating ball of fire around us.

Walking back over to the step, I took one step up and looked at Sahna,

"Careful, some of the steps look old. Don't want to slip."

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

Sahna seemed to relax a little as Ignis holstered the weapon and caught up to her. She watched as he flicked his wrist, using the force to open the ramp that led outside. She smiled, the tiniest rush of excitement darting through her veins at the sight. It was only a simple maneuver, Ignis didn't even seem to register it. But to her, it was astonishing.

As he removed his mask, the young man seemed to pause, as if adjusting to some change in the atmosphere. As Sahna joined him on the ramp, she immediately found out why.

Her lungs burned, her chest ached as it heaved, trying to draw in enough air to give her the oxygen she required. Unlike the graceful Ignis, the togruta had to double over at take a few moments to catch her breath, making sure she had the mask at her side, before continuing on.
Sahna Te's first thought when she saw the ruins was that they were beautiful. A little stone archway, surrounded by green foliage. It was... peaceful.

At first.

She felt the coldness before Ignis even said anything. It was an uneasiness in the air. It was... watching them.

"I feel it." She whispered, unsure of why she felt the need to keep her voice low, "why... is it watching us?"

Her eyes eventually fell to the ruins themselves, and the darkness within them. She stifled a shudder, but her shoulders drooped as Ignis spoke again.

They were going in there. However, she sighed as he mentioned fire. A little warmth and light, even just a mote of it, would be a welcome comfort.

"Thank you, Ignis." She replied quietly. She watched, her hands again trailing to her montrals, as he expertly made a flaming torch. She bit her lip, cringing a little at her uselessness. Why had he even invited her? She glanced down to her feet, shuffling them awkwardly in the mud. She was little more than an extra pair of hands, and those hands couldn't even lift much. Why bother taking along such a burden as she?

She shook her head of the thoughts and glanced up, forcing her hands back to her sides, as Ignis walked over to the step. She offered him a smile as he warned her to be careful,

"It's truly that obvious, how little experience I have, huh?" She replied with a soft chuckle.

The togruta followed him, her steps a little slower than his as she sought to keep herself balanced. As they forsook the light of day for the cool darkness of the ruins, she found herself sticking a little closer to him. She raised her hands, to clutch onto his arm, but before her fingers could brush the fabric of his jacket she grimaced and pulled them away. Ignis was not Aranias, and she was not a child anymore. She had to remember that. Forcing herself to think of other things, she drew in a deep breath and spoke, her voice echoing off the stone walls around them,

"Would you tell me, Ignis, why we're getting these... uh... relics, again?"

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

Starting to walk up the stairs, I had made a cautious note to Sahna to be careful. More so just a reminder than telling her. She came up and asked the question that she seemed that out of it. Shaking my head no, I chuckled a little as my words voiced themselves to her.

"Not that you are inexperienced, but more so a small thing that many might overlook."

it only took a few more steps when we got to the top. Once more the togruta voiced up. Asking why we were finding these things. I didn't really want to say, because I want to find more knowledge so then I can defend my family, and restart my heritage to not be a poodoo show. In truth, I did want to become better than my father. The Dark side of the force was powerful. Yes the corruption was there. As is the saying, Absolute power absolutely corrupts. However, I didn't want that. I never wanted power. Power is not just physical strength, but the ability to continue on even against the odds. Gathering my thoughts, I gave a very valid reason for looking for these artifacts.

"What I assume these people are, were people who created a balanced life in the force. They tried to stay away from the dark side. And as the Je'daii seek balance in the force, finding these could give us more knowledge into how other beings found their balance, and thus aid us in creating our own."

It was all valid. Not a single lie in my words. The problem, was that I wanted to learn this power for myself. I was being selfish. I shouldn't be, but I am. I hated that part of me. I wanted to change it. I wanted to be a better person, but sometimes, you have to have the bad, to have the good. To fix my family, to right the wrongs that my father has made, I needed to learn how to fix them. Even if I did it the wrong way. Taking my first steps into the hall, I held the torch forward to light my path.

Looking behind me, I could see Sahna, motioning her forward,

"We specifically are going after them because I need to prove my worth, and move up, as do you. Since you are new to the Galaxy, I thought I should take you along so then you can be more equipped should you be on your own."

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

The Je'daii.

Sahna considered the words of the young man as he motioned for her to follow him. She obeyed, tucking her elbows in close to herself and making her silhouette as small as possible. She was probably overracting. There was probably nothing here. The ruins looked like they hadn't been disturbed in some time. Everything was probably fine.

Probably.

She shivered, unable to shake the feeling of being watched. Grimacing, she forced the thought from her mind and turned her attention back to Ignis and his mention of proving his worth.

It was a strange answer, for sure. For one, she sensed that it was but a single layer of a deeper truth. She was intimately familiar with such answers, technically true but purposely vauge. The girl shrugged inwardly, the man was entitled to his secrets.

At his last few words, the togruta found herself letting slip a small chuckle before she could stop it.

"I suppose I am." She replied quietly. "It's... a little sad, I suppose. I've touched down on dozens upon dozens of planets, but I've hardly ever seen anything beyond the spaceports and the..." She trailed off, her lighthearted answer growing stale in the air. "... the slums." she finished in a whisper, the word hanging around in the air like a bad smell.

After a moment, she shook her head, keen to change the subject.

"How far down do you think this goes?" She asked, turning her gaze to the passage around them.

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

Sahna was nervous because she had been on other worlds, but nothing out of the spaceport or the slums. The lowest that the planet had to offer. Sure, some of the people there could be fine, but they were so rare and few in between, that there was no point in looking. It was trying to look for a needle on a hay farm, let alone just one hay stack. I left it alone. As much as I would have wanted to ask her about it, we were currently on a mission, and that was private information that was not necessity for me to learn.

I reached out and let my hand slide along the wall as we moved forward. Feeling the dust remove itself and almost embed itself into my exposed fingers, and dirty my gloved hands. Continuing to walk onward, The question was posed by the young lady as how far we had to go. I shook my head. Looking at her over my shoulder and answering her.

"Honestly, I have no clue. It could be miles under ground, or it could right in our fac-"

I neglected to pay attention to where I was walking. And yes, very ironic that I was speaking about taking forever or as short as possible when I ran smack into a wall. However, the wall had inscriptions on it. I didn't take notice at first, and more so took priority over my face, and the fact that I now lost a large portion of my dignity. I was supposed to be the cool, calm leader of the group, yet I walked into a wall.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose with my fingers.

"This is how you know whatever gods there are, have a sense of humor."

Reaching out, I ran my fingers along the wall. Trying by best to figure it out. The carvings were old, and worn, so I didn't know if it was a language that I knew, and was just written in a different dialect, or if it was a language that I had never seen before. Looking to Sahna, I shrugged my shoulders.

"If this isn't what we are looking for, then I don't know what is."

Indicating that she could take a look at it if she would like, maybe she could find just the right thing to do to unlock it. Magic button, lever through the force, or whatever. Hopefully she could figure it out while I try and gain my pride back.

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

Sahna was grateful that Ignis seemed to recognise that she wasn't comfortable talking about her past, yet. She stopped walking as the young man turned to face her, answering her question.

Clunk.

The togruta cringed, sucking air through her teeth as Ignis walked straight into the wall. Despite herself she let out a small chuckle, finding the innocent mistake to be the lighthearted interruption she'd needed. Sahna rushed over to him, attempting in vain to smother her grin, intending to make sure he was alright.

He was already rubbing the bridge of his nose as she reached him, his witty retort indication enough for her that apart from his pride, Ignis was alright.

"Do you need a moment?" She asked, "and don't worry... I won't tell anyone."

Sahna chuckled again, lifting a hand to cover her mouth. However, the smile faded from her eyes somewhat as she turned her attention to the wall along with Ignis. She watched him run his fingers along the carvings. So this was it, the reason they had come to such a remote place. She moved her hand from her mouth and delicately trailed her fingers over the carvings. What could she possibly find that Ignis couldn't? He was so much more knowledgable than she, and clearly had experience with this sort of thing. The young woman swallowed, trying to slow her pounding heart. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being tested. She had done little so far other than distract him from their task, causing him to run into the wall, what if she couldn't find the answer? He'd likely not take her out again, and the girl grimaced as she realised that she was, despite the darkness, enjoying herself.

With a sigh, and little idea of what she was doing, she trailed her fingers along the wall, feeling the carvings under her touch. She wasn't sure when, but she had closed her eyes at some point. There was something... about the carvings, about the way they felt. She moved her hand back a little, re-running it over the wall, to be sure.

"Um..." She began softly. What if she was wrong? What if she was just distracting him again? Sahna's free hand was once again stroking her montral and she chewed her bottom lip, but after a pause, she took a deep breath and forced herself to continue,

"Have you noticed this?"

She gently moved her hand from the wall and reached for Ignis, with the intention of moving his fingers to where hers had been.

"Do you feel that? There's a pattern here, almost... as if it's outlining something, a... doorway, maybe?"

She shook her head and let go of his hand, taking a step back,

"Or maybe not. I don't know." She finished quickly, clasping her hands together in front of her. It was probably nothing. She would do better to just shut her mouth and let Ignis work it out.

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

Sahna was... humble with her stifling of the giggles when I had smacked into the wall. While backing up, I checked my nose to make sure I didn't make it bleed or anything. Just a scrape from the initial impact, and would likely look red if in better light. However, the orange colors thrown about with the flames hid most of the coloration from what I could tell. Looking to the Togruta as she inspected the wall, she seemed unsure of herself. Instead of not answering, or letting it slide by, I reaffirmed her.

"Speak clear and with intent. Its okay to be wrong. Just learn that if you are wrong, you take responsibility and learn from it."

She spoke about the door. Being the runic form written upon it. With her grabbing my hand, and showing me the crevices that outlined a door, I nodded my head. Once more, she questioned herself. I smiled a little and got close to her. Close enough I didn't need to raise my voice, but not so close as to be uncomfortable.

"Sahna. Doubt your doubts, before yourself. Doubting or questioning yourself every step you take will hinder you, and in a fight or battle, can get you hurt, or worse. My father told me that if I want to become better, if I want to improve, I need to question everything, and seek answers to those questions. However, when it is something you know is there, where you can provide proof, or know within your heart and mind without a doubt, then don't question it."

I looked at her directly. My attention was completely on her. Yes, it maybe a little more nervous, but that is fine. What I worried about her, was how she questioned herself when just stating it looked to be a door. Even if she was wrong and it was a trap door instead of a normal door, she was still half right. Just now she had to learn with dealing with the consequences.

Returning back to the supposed door, I felt once more along the sides. I felt something off. Weird even. Air was leaving from the door. A draft. Very small, and could barely be felt, but it was still there. Looking back to her, I placed the torch next to the opening, and watched as the flames bent away from the door. The draft pushing them, as well as fueling the fire with more oxygen.

"I have no clue how old the air is behind this door, so go ahead and put your mask on. Filter out some air, and give you a break from the lower pressure."

I placed the torch between my legs to hold it while I did the same. Putting my own mask on to filter the air. I could feel my lungs begin to breath normally. Not quite as intense of pain in the lungs. It felt good to relax a little. Returning to the door, I placed the torch onto the ground. It would still burn while I placed my body against it and pushed.

Nothing.

It didn't budge at all. Shaking my head, I looked over to Sahna. Nodding my head. I took a step back.

"Mind helping me push the door? Just a gradual push with the force. Try to resist jerking it as much as you can. Don't want to take this place down."

After raising my hand to the door, my hand acting as though I were gripping the door itself, I then looked to the lass. Making sure that she was with me, and pushed.

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

Speak clear and with intent.

Ignis's direct words surprised Sahna. But she found herself... comforted by them. He didn't try to sugarcoat anything, or avoid telling her directly what to do. Perhaps that was what made him seem so trustworthy. It was with content that she listened intently to him as he continued. The togruta nodded as he spoke, finding herself fixing her gaze upon him, drinking in everything he had to say.

It was perhaps a little strange, then, that she didn't even notice at first that he had stepped closer. When she did, Sahna blinked, waiting for a jolt of fear that... never came. She smiled. Despite the instinctual trepidation she carried, despite the dark side she felt in Ignis, she found that... she was not afraid to be close to him. Perhaps this was what trust was.

She shoved the thoughts aside as he suggested putting on the mask. With a nod, she unclipped hers from her belt and pulled it on, strapping it up just as he'd shown her. She screwed up her face as she took a few breaths,

"It smells funny." She confessed, her voice a little muffled from speaking through the apparatus. She stood back as he pushed on the door. Sahna may have a few useful skill, but sheer brawn was defintely not among them.

But... then he suggested using the force.

"Do... you think I can?" She asked, biting her lip. She had mostly relied on the force to warn her of danger, and had only actively used it once or twice. But, she paused, steeling her gaze and remembering what Ignis had said only moments ago.

"Actually, what I meant was... I'll give it a go." She said. She raised her hand with his, closed her eyes, and concentrated.

At first, she felt nothing. But at first, she always felt nothing. Concentrating on what Jyn had taught her to do, she took a deep breath and emptied her mind, focusing completely on honing her will to a fine point, and aiming it at the door.

Then she heard it.

The unmistakable sound of stone grinding on stone. They were doing it. If she wasn't concentrating so hard, she might have become aware that she'd begun to smile triumphantly. But as it was, she remained focused solely on pushing. She felt a rush of air, and the sound changed in pitch.

She opened her eyes and lowered her hand. They'd done it. She turned to Ignis, positively beaming.

 

[Ignatius]

I wasn't very powerful in my use of Telekinesis. Not the greatest, but I was no beginner. With our combined forces working on slowly moving this stone door, I could feel the jagged pushing of both of us. Sahna was... stronger. She had a gift, but she was afraid to use it. Afraid to fall? I would not ask the question of what prevented her from using the force, or being so timid. Now, as she seemed to be just that little bit more stronger in her stance, I allowed her to move most of it, pushing and controlling the stone with a little help. However, I was more worried about the place caving in. I aided to slow the movement just enough to keep it at a steady pace.

Once the scraping stopped, it was almost instant that the resistance to our pushing signified that we had made it through. Sahna was very pleased with herself. Beaming with a happiness that I had only seen rarely. In that instant, I saw my sister. Beaming with pride when I showed her how to control fire at a young age. Helping her to learn. After she had finally been able to complete fathers task, she had looked at me with a smile that I would never forget. One that was the same given to me now.

I smiled in return, to the Togruta. The image of my sister faded as did my smile. Coming back to relativity. Looking up through the settling dust and debris, I motioned it to the lass. Looking through the doorway, It was dark as ever. I turned around and grabbed the torch from the ground. Walking forward, and almost through the doorway, I stopped. Holding hand out to prevent Sahna from passing me.

"Hold on a second."

Taking the torch, I looked at it for a second. Judged it's weight, and then threw it through the door way and into the room. As soon as I did, I concentrated upon the flames. It was easy to find them and connect to them. However, I used my prowess in pyroknesis to engulf the entire torch in flames. Bright enough to light up quite a bit of space. Bright enough that it made be recoil from the sudden flash in intensity. Looking back through the door, I could see a pedestal in the middle of an octagonal room.

There didn't seem to be any floor traps, or anything out of the "norm." That was, if there even was a norm. I went ahead and slowly inched my way forward into the room. Sticking my head past the doorway and looking around for a moment. Inside were eight statues. Figures of some kind. Religion? Force Sect? I wasn't sure. Looking to Sahna. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't see anything wrong. I still feel like someone is watching us though."

Looking over to the holocrons, I did notice the differences. One red, another blue, and the last one was green. Reaching over, I was about to pick it up when I stopped. My hand barely a hair's length away. I pulled my hand back. Did I really want to take this, was it worth taking the Holocron? What if there were other secrets here. My hands came up to my head and clutched it. I was racking my mind. Trying to determine if I should take these. What if they were used for those who only proved themselves worthy. What if someone was going to come here looking for them when they weren't here cus someone stole them.

"Sahna. Should we learn what they have before we decide to take them or leave them?"

I wanted her serious opinion. I mean, if they were just recordings from long ago of nothing but someone dancing, when we left thinking they could be more, that would be one bad waste of a trip.

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

It was an innocent moment.

One of few afforded the young Togruta, as she and Ignis shared a smile. But, as he looked at her, his faded, his gaze seemingly becoming distant. It was as if he hadn't been smiling at her, but at a memory, one that had faded after a moment. Her own smile softened as he turned and grabbed the torch from the ground.

Sahna followed Ignis as he took a step forward, but paused when he held out his hand.

"You think there might be traps?" She asked as he told her to wait.

She continued to watch patiently as he threw the torch. When it exploded in flames, however, she squealed and shrunk back. That... she hadn't expected. As she recovered from her fright and slowly turned her head back to the room, she stared in awe as the now completely engulfed torch lit up the entire chamber.

"H-how did you do that?" She asked, her voice low with awe. Was it the force? Some... kind of sorcery? Sahna didn't want to admit it, but she felt a twinge of fear, and a slight urge to pull away from Ignis. Why did it have to be fire? She didn't like fire. She squeezed her eyes shut a moment and fought back the old memory that tried to surface. Nope, that's not coming out ever again, especially not right now.

She was a little relieved when Ignis directed a question to her. Something else to focus on. Taking a step into the chamber, she focused her gaze on the holocrons.

"I think that would be wise." She replied quietly, glancing down. When had she started ringing her hands together? With a grimace she forced them back to her sides. "I'm... not sure how we'd do that, but I would feel much more comfortable with touching them once I know what is actually on the things." She reached out a hand, not touching the holocron, but merely gazing at the soft light reflected on her palm.

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

Leaving the Torch on the ground, I didn't want the torch to suddenly go out, and thus fueled it ever so slowly with the force. I had noticed that Sahna asked about how I made the flames of the torch grow in size and intensity. With more pressing matters though, I kept that answer in the back of my mind. She herself was close to touching one of them. I looked deeply at the red one. A pyramid shape, and reminded me greatly of the holocron that I had that once belonged to my uncle, Morna. However, the bronze details was different from the blackened durasteel of the previously mentioned holocron. Breathing in, I closed my eyes while I voiced in agreement with the togruta.

"Activating holocrons is done with the force more often than not. So, instead of touching it and letting it feel you, you instead reach out through the force, and act upon it to open. However, if there is a gatekeeper, you may have to gain it's trust, or even go through a series of tests within your mind to proceed."

I wanted to do it now, to do it on this one. To learn what it was and to just keep it to myself. Instead, I opened my eyes and was reaching for Sahna's hand, but stopped to explain myself.

"I am not sure what it will do. So uh... do you mind if we hold hands so if I am taken on some mental trip, we can work together?"

I waited for her to answer, and instead let my hands drop to my side. She deserved to join me in this venture if it happened. Or at the very least, be able to speak with me to the gatekeeper and both of us can learn from it before we take such an item, or at the very least gain access to it before leaving. Just to validate that this item is a holocron, and not some dud.

"You deserve to be a part of this like anyone else. So if you wish to join me, you may."

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

The force.

Sahna Te drew in a deep breath, her gaze fixed on the holocrons as Ignis spoke. Jyn had shown her a little, and she'd experimented on her own some, but that had been mostly just lifting and pushing things. Other than that, and the instinctual feelings she got, her relationship with the force had been... at the back of her mind, at best.

At his suggestion to hold hands, she moved her gaze from the ancient devices to Ignis,

"I... I think that's a good idea." She replied, somewhat breathlessly. She sounded... almost relieved at the suggestion, in fact. The togruta reached out her hand, seeking to gently enclose her pastel orange fingers around his. She dropped her gaze as he spoke of what she 'deserved'. She had never imagined she deserved much at all beyond what she had scraped together to get by.

But, Ignis had yet to be wrong about anything so far. Perhaps... perhaps he was right about this, also. She drew in a deep breath, holding it a moment before she slowly released it in a long sigh.

"I'm ready." She said softly, "let's do this." She gave his hand a slight squeeze as she spoke, maybe to comfort him, possibly herself.

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

She trusted me. That was a good sign. It showed that she was growing on me. It showed she was slowly coming to terms with who I am. With... what I am. I had a genuine smile come to my lips for a moment. Just a moment, but it was there. Turning away from her, I could feel her hand. Cold compared to mine, it only told me that my body temp or at the very least, my hand was warmer than hers.

"I am a Pyromancer Sahna. To be correct, I am a Fire Shaper. So the flames you saw earlier, was a natural talent I have."

Reaching over to the Holocron, not waiting for her to reply, I touched it and acted the force within the holocron. Suddenly, I felt cold. An intense cold wash over me. Reminding me of the few times I would be thrown into a cold lake as a lesson to raise my body heat. Despite this, I also felt like there were so many eyes upon me. As though I had embarrassed myself in front of hundreds of people. This feeling would not go away soon. The room also changed color and style. Instead of being in a barely lit by fire, ruins of a room, we were in a room that seemed to just be finished. Nothing in the room. Not even the table in the middle of the room. Nor the Holocrons. Just Sahna and myself standing there holding hands.

Looking about us, Nothing seemed different. Yet, I could hear footsteps behind us. Letting go of her hand, I turned around with my arms coming up to fight and defend myself, only to see a man standing in a very old style of clothing. However, I had seen this style before with some of the Shaper Cabal back home, and it looked to just be a style change upon robes that many Jedi or even Je'daii would wear. The man walking towards us was not angry. Just calm, and content. His voice rang out, but seemed to echo within our minds as his lips did not move at all.

"Welcome Matukai Adepts. I am the gatekeeper of this Holocron. I restrict this access to those who are worthy. Will you complete these two trials?"

Looking between both of us as he spoke, I lowered my arms. Realizing I had taken a step forward in front of Sahna as though I were going to protect her. Turning to her, I then shrugged my shoulders. If we wanted to learn what these holocrons had, then we would have to work together to gain access. My attention returning to the man and speaking out.

"Yes Gatekeeper."

An almost sinister smile as his head bowed slightly. uttering one last word within our minds.

"Good."

[member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Valgærd]

A pyromancer.

Sahna closed her eyes against her memories as Ignis told her what he was. A fire shaper. Had... had that been what the men were that had come to her village, all those years ago? Pyromancers? Is that why all she could remember were the flames? Growing aware that she had begun to squeeze his hand a little more tightly, the togruta made herself relax with a low sigh, loosening her grip a little.

She pushed the thoughts out of her head as the human reached for the Holocron. Unsure of what to expect, she merely kept her gaze on the thing, until his fingers brushed the surface. She let out a gasp, her grip on his hand instantly tightening, as she felt a wave of intense, overwhelming heat... the kind of heat that came from a town on fire.

This was a test.

Keeping Ignis's words firmly in her mind, Sahna let out a breath, forcibly turning her gaze to the room around her. She needed to focus on something else. But as she did, everything she laid her eyes on seemed to fade away. The holocrons, the table, the torch, everything. It was with some relief that she let her eyes drift to Ignis, and found that he remained with her in the now empty space.

The young woman reluctantly released her unintentionally tight grip on Ignis's hand as he let hers go and turned around, bringing up his hands to defend himself. Eyes widening in surprise, she did the same; turning around and moving her hands up in front of her in the defensive stance she'd learned some years ago.

However, upon seeing the robed man approach them, accompanied by a voice that might have been his had his mouth not been closed, Sahna lowered her hands. Her heart was pounding against her ribs with such force she felt almost suffocated by it. Everything around her felt... off, as if something had shifted, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was, exactly.

She had noticed that Ignis had seemed to move in front of her as this... gatekeeper had approached them. For some reason she felt Aranias's name come to the front of her mind. He would step in front of her like that when something didn't feel right. She met Ignis's eyes as he turned and shrugged, but her gaze was distant, perhaps not really on him at all, but a memory.

She turned her own gaze to the gatekeeper as the human answered him, lowering her head and speaking softly,

"Yes, gatekeeper."

She took a deep breath, what had the two of them just agreed to?

[member="Ignis Imura"]