Mission to Dorin (jedi334, Tesok, keyz)

[jedi334]

“Hoth is the sixth planet of the remote Hoth system. A desolate world covered with ice and snow, located in the Anoat sector, a rarely-traveled portion of ---“

“Pause narration.”

The computerized voice froze mid sentence as the image of Hoth rotated slowly in the center of the lecture hall. Circular benches surrounded the center, starting out small and expanding in width as they made their way to the back of the hall, small holo pads set on the each for younglings to take notes on. The ceiling was dome like with a single skylight showing the lightly clouded sky of Courscant, a spice freighter slowly moving up into the planets upper atmosphere.

Chias Nero sat on one of the benches, cradling her own pad in her white sleeved arm as her lithe fingers danced over the screen. She was preparing the visual aids and narration one of the Archive instructors would need for the lecture on the Hoth system, also making sure the hall itself was prepared for the younglings that were going to be in attendance.

With the war escalating, many youngling and padawans needed to know many star systems and which were loyal to the Republic, Sith Empire, Mandalorians or were listed as Independent. If they knew the planets and what dangers each possessed the better prepared they would be.

It was a sound strategy in Chias’ mind, but to a group like the Jedi, a religious sect that preached peace and resolution as opposed to war; it seemed they were being drawn more into this conflict with each passing day.

They were peacekeepers and not the invincible soldiers the public made them out to be, the sooner the Senate and Republic military realized they could not look to the High Council for guidance and strategy the sooner they would learn to rely on their own strength and go to the Order only in times of great need.

This was her opinion, but it was one she kept close to herself. The reason being in the grand scheme of things she was just an archivist who spent most of her time in the Archive or Temple. The farthest she had ever traveled was to the old and well guarded Jedi home world of Tython, taking students on expeditions to various sites of Jedi ruins, despite a few runs in the local wildlife she rarely had any trouble.

While she did have the encounter with the now disbanded Sons of Courscant which cost her shoulder, it was only the time she used her lightsaber outside of the Temple walls though she practiced and sparred regularly. She would defend the Archive, the Temple and her students with her life if need be, but she was not a warrior despite her Echani heritage.

She did not consider herself a General, just an archivist and teacher trying her best to show the incoming younglings the important lessons they would need to reach the full potential as possible future Jedi. With all this in mind, she was sure that her brothers and sisters that been on the front lines of this conflict…who had killed and seen friends and allies killed would not like to hear thoughts on war and policy from one who had never taken part in an actual battle.

So Chias stayed quiet like she always had, it was easier that way. Those who were loud drew attention and that was the last thing she wanted…all she wanted was to do her duty and serve the Order in her own way. She transferred all the images and information on the holo disc and slid it into the projector, shutting it down and looking once again at the benches as she recounted the holo pads  when she heard a small female voice  at the entrance of the hall.

“Master Chias!”

Her head turned slightly, her sapphire eyes seeing a Twi'lek girl of 5 standing the doorway; she wore the youngling robes and a thin hair tie wrapping her long lekku in a French braid. her skin was a deep cobalt and her eyes a light brown, her hands behind her as Chias got up and moved up the walkway and got down on one knee to meet the girl’s eyes as a bare chalk white foot peeked out of the bottom of her gown, a hand resting on her knee.

“Yes young one?” she asked giving a smile, watching the girl fidget with hrt hands as they stayed behind her back. “Someone is here to see you.” She said looking down

Chias shook her head lightly feeling the bronze bead in her silver hair sway a little “Oh no child, you must mean Master Chen but hr is not here right now.”

“No no Master Chias.” The girl said timidly shaking her head “he said he wanted to see YOU.”

Chias cocked her head to the side a bit; her face a mixture inquisitiveness and perplexity. Most of the time when anyone had need of her it was to find something in Archive databanks, relay a message to her Master or a youngling asking something they may have missed in the last lecture or class. But now the person wanted her and nothing else

“I see.” She said slowly “And whom may I ask is requesting my presence?”

A flash of childish fear came across the girls face as she looked around the empty hall as if someone would be listening as she leaned in close. “A Barabel.” She whispered “I didn’t think the Jedi had any  he looks really big and mean.”

Chias gave the girl a soft but stern look. “What have you learned of appearances young one?”

She cringed as she looked away a bit “That they can be deceiving?”

“Yes.” She said, her smile returning “While the Barabel may seem vicious, they are a brave and noble species, I am sure this one is no different. Now tell me where they are.”

The girl looked up, seeing the smile on the Echani’s face as she relaxed. “At the Archive entrance.” She said with a firm nod and smile as if she tried extra hard to remember this one point which caused Chias’ own smile to widen just a bit.

“Very well.” She said rising and looking down at the youngling. “Thank you for bringing me the message, you may return to your studies.”

The girl stood awkwardly for a few seconds and then ran off down the hall way as Chias watched her go shaking her head and laughing quietly to herself. Not so long ago that was her, a child alone in world full of strange new things and endless possibility and was just starting to realize their potential and she wondered where the time had gone.

She made her way out of the hall, past the large research areas and study rooms as she tried to figure out why a Barabel would be interested in speaking with her. She knew there was a few in the Order but they were mostly trained as Guardians or Shadows and very rarely came the Archive itself.

“I can guess all I like.” She thought as she walked through the lobby as she unconsciously straightened her back up. “I will not know anything until I meet him or her.”

She arrived at the entrance, seeing the small but steady flow of foot traffic as she looked into the sea of browns, tans and blacks. She wished more Knights robes were white like her own, it would make it so much easier to find her visitor as her eyes looked about hoping they would make their presence known.

[Pembleton]

Tesok Baranar shuffled his feet uncomfortably as he stood between two marble columns at the entrance to the Jedi Archives. The Barabel had been a part of numerous combat missions, both as a Padawan to the Jedi Shadow Synduna and in his own capacity as a Jedi Sentinel, but he had to admit that he was out of his comfort zone in these esteemed halls of knowledge. However, his latest assignment necessitated a certain amount of research, so there he was.

He sissed gently at the thought of his mission, the Barabel equivalent of a human sigh of resignation. When he had first been told what it entailed, he had privately thought that the job seemed much more suited to a Consular. Unfortunately, the Council seemed to think that a Sentinel was a better choice for an assignment on Dorin, a world in the Expansion Region known for violent and unexpected weather changes that might necessitate an operative with Tesok's significant experience in hostile alien environments.

Still, he could not say that he felt his skills were quite suited to the task at hand. He was a fighter, a hunter, and he was being sent to explore a recently-discovered site on Dorin, found by Jedi at the enclave there, which was reported to be abandoned, but containing a number of enigmatic hieroglyphs; more significantly, the place had an uncertain Force energy that had been deemed worthy of investigation by the Jedi Order. Thus, he had been engaged by the Council to carry out the exploration of the site.

As he had learned from Master Synduna in his years as a Padawan, it was the wisest course of action for a hunter to arm himself with knowledge before beginning the hunt. This was what had brought him to the archives - the holoscans of the Dorin hieroglyphs were beyond his ability to understand, so he was seeking assistance from the most comprehensive collection of information in the known galaxy.

To facilitate his learning, he had sought out an archivist to assist him in his research (a field that he was woefully rusty in). At the recommendation of one of the higher-level historians, he had sent a wide-eyed Twi'lek youngling to seek out a person called Chias Nero, who had a reputation for helpfulness and thoroughness in her work as a Jedi Historian. He knew little about the woman except that she was a Knight, on the same rank as himself, and an Echani whom he would know by her distinct appearance and the custom robes she wore which differed from typical Jedi garb.

Although he chafed at his assignment, the Barabel did have to admit a certain degree of pleasure with the necessity of a second being to aid him. For many years, he had worked as part of a two-man team with Synduna, and in his time as a Knight he found the solitude of a Sentinel's life to be rather oppressive. Too, at times like these when he was out of his element on a mission, he missed having a partner who could make up for his weaknesses.

For some time Tesok had given thought to the idea of taking on a Padawan of his own, but as his encounter with the Twi'lek girl had recently reminded him, his fierce appearance put a damper on his ability to interact with many of the eligible younglings in the Temple who had not yet gained the ability to avoid being intimidated. He could not blame them for their nervousness; much of his training and daily exercises were devoted to quelling his more primitive urges as a warrior species. He could not force a youngling to accept that he was in control of his instincts and so he had remained solo for the last four years of his life as a Jedi.

His musings were interrupted by a flash of white down the hall to the Archives. He took a half-step out from between the two columns and waited to make sure that he was correct in identifying the woman he was looking for. As she approached, he became increasingly confident that the person was indeed Chias Nero and he joined her in the archway which constituted the Archive entrance, where she had stopped to scan the crowd, presumably for him. Hands clasped behind his back and tail lifted slightly to avoid scuffing the Temple's tile floor, he offered the Echani a polite bow of his head, then turned to regard her with one red eye.

"Knight Nero? This one is known as Sentinel Tesok Baranar. Your assistance was recommended by one of your fellow historians. Perhaps we might find a quiet area to discuss the matter?"

[jedi334]

Her back was turned as she continued to search for him, jumping a bit and giving a startled squeak when she hard his low rumbling voice. She placed a hand on her chest and took a deep calming breath before turning around on her heels to face him, an apologetic smile on her lips.

The first thing that struck her wad not his appearance, she had seen many image and holo recordings of the Barabel to become a custom to their reptilian faces. The thing that struck her most was his size, he stood over seven feet high and was arguably the largest one she had ever seen up close.

Though covered by his robes she could also tell he was strong and physically fit, the way he glanced from left to right, his clawed hand not on but close to his saber hilt…eyes looking for potential threats, it was all of these traits that told her this Barabel was trained for a very specific purpose…hunting.

The other thing that stood out was his eyes…red & silted. While they were intimidating at first glance, she noticed something she was sure very few saw when first meeting him. There was a fierce determination to those eyes, to rise above pre conceived notions and make a difference.

“Funny.” She thought “He sort of reminds me of…well myself.” They both of must of looked quite the sight…the large lizard towering before the small Echani and here she was being startled by a simple greeting.

“Bravo Chias.” She scolded herself “You might not be a Jedi Master but you at the Master of horrible first impressions.” She gave and mixture of a bow and curtsey her gown in response to his own bow.

“I am indeed Chias Nero Knight Baranar and it is a pleasure. Welcome to the Archive.” When she heard of the recommendations from the higher ranked archivist she instantly looked down to the tiled floor and suppressed a small smile. “I am honored by their confidence in my skills, I will do all I can to assist you.”

When he asked to speak with her private she was taken aback bit as curiosity briefly passed over her pale features, why in private? If he was in need of someone to simply guide him through the Archive records it was could easily be done with one of the research terminals, there was something more here…but she couldn’t see what. She thought briefly where they could speak as her eyes brightened and she nodded “Follow me.”

She turned motioning for him to follow as they walked up spiraling ramp way as they emerged in a garden. It was small and grassy with patches of wildflowers here and there. In the center was a small circular padded seat that sat in front of a reflecting pool which she now sat in and raised her gown up ever so slightly to dip her bare feet in the water. She closed her eyes briefly and relished the coolness before opening them to look at Tesok.

“This is where I come to be alone, for meals, meditation or study.” she said casually “I am sure there are other gardens but as far as I know I am the only one who comes here regularly so we should have plenty of privacy.” She took her feet out of the water, realizing it was distracting and she should focus on her visitor as she brought her legs up and knelled on them, though you could barely tell given her gown as her hands rested on her lap.

“So...” She said quitely, her bright and deep eyes meeting the slits in his. “How may I help you?”

[Pembleton]

Tesok took a moment as he walked to evaluate the young woman he had engaged to aid him. She stood at or slightly below average average height for her species (although to him, most beings were rather short), a trait which was highlighted by the fact that she wore no boots. This seemed rather impractical to him, but perhaps that was merely a reminder of the differences in their duties; it was unlikely that the Historian would need to jump into combat readiness at a moments' notice, so she could afford to accommodate whatever quirk drove her to go barefoot.

Aside from her height and her being unshod, the woman possessed icy blue eyes which contrasted with the obvious warmth and kindness they exuded, and a crop of short, silvery hair. Her squeak at noticing him was startling to Tesok, as was her obvious shyness in addressing him and at receiving the compliments of her colleague in the archives. She would probably be considered quite cute by Human or near-human standards, he reasoned, although his Barabel sensibilities did not cause him to see her as such. Still, he was pleased by her directness in offering to convey them to a more private area, and more so by her willingness to assist him in his efforts.

As they arrived in the small garden, he observed the young woman dip her feet in the water almost unconsciously, and then self-consciously rearrange herself. Even if she hadn't told him, he would have guessed that this was a place she frequented - her habits were those of one at ease, in familiar surroundings. He knelt at her left, as the only chair in the place was occupied and, furthermore, not made for an occupant with a cybernetic tail.

With her seated and him kneeling, they were still at roughly the same height. A faint green glow visible through the robes covering Chias' shoulder told him that she, too, had received cybernetic repairs in the past. He did not mention the shared experience, or spend too much time looking at the replacement, knowing it might be taken as an impoliteness, but felt slightly more at ease knowing that the Echani had at least seen some sort of combat in her life; for all their emphasis on peace,  he did not think much of a Jedi without a few battle scars.

"This one thanks you for being so obliging. The issues we must discuss pertain to an active assignment by the Jedi Council and are not for wandering ears." He shifted somewhat uncomfortably. "As well, this one must admit a slight degree of...inexperience with the action required to prepare for the mission. This is where your skills will be more useful than mine: a great deal of research may be required. But first, this one must ask if you have any particular knowledge of the planet Dorin?"

He produced his datapad from a pocket and brought up the holoimages of the site he was to investigate, projecting them into the air in front of them. "This place was discovered by Jedi there recently, and the hieroglyphs you see are as yet untranslated. There is a Force aura there that is of interest to the council, but this one believes that more specific knowledge about it, or what to expect in investigating it, may be deduced from these writings. Any assistance you might offer in identifying or translating them would be most useful."

[keyz]

Surrounded by the towering shelves of the central room in the Jedi Archives, Jifo skulked from aisle to aisle, his face dimly lit by the faint glow of the rows of holocrons in the central hall. He'd been in the library for most of the day getting used to it. He knew his way around alright, but since it seemed as though his future was here he simply felt like there was no better place to spend his time today. As he moved down the center of the corridor, he noted each and every pillar supporting a bust of a Jedi who had in some way contributed a great deal to the archive, all of them long before Jifo's time. He mused about what they were like as younglings themselves, and wondered if they were ever filled with so much doubt as he.

He strode towards the two large doors on his way to meet one of the instructors to sit in on a lecture he was giving. As he breached the entrance to start down the hall, he passed two knights on their way in the opposite direction. The first was Master Chias, a knight he'd seen many times in the archives; the second however was a different story. He had only ever seen a member of the Barabel race in holographic images, and it was certainly a treat to a Jedi member representing them. He struck a very imposing figure as he stepped in long strides alongside Master Chias. "Pardon me Masters." Jifo offered politely as he passed them, giving a bow before continuing to head down the hall.

Though he was afraid he was running late, he'd arrived a bit early and relished the opportunity to take a moment to relax before the lecture. It'd been information he'd heard before, but then again, when you were a youngling for the full twelve years it all was. A few at a time younglings arrived and filled the forward seats and prepared to hear a member of the counsel give instruction on meditation. After a short while, the Master's speech began and was admittedly quite eloquent. He offered excellent tips and encouraging words, and speaking at length on the benefits of proper meditation. He showed several points on reaching out into the force, and finished up by citing some of great feats of Masters. The entire lecture took just under two hours, and the younglings were on their way. Stopping to thank the Counsel member for his time, Jifo followed them out. With a little free time on his hands, Jifo headed towards the practice rooms.

As he pressed down the hallways once more, he thought back to the two Jedi he'd seen before. Both were young ans the Barabel was likely a knight just as his acquaintance Master Chias. Gazing up and down the ornate, sprawling hallways of the temple Jifo slowed his pace and his pace became one of leisure. The architecture was wonderful and simplistic and he'd never really taken notice before. Though before the past few weeks he had actually been harboring thoughts of one day becoming a jedi. A few night before Jifo had finally let go of those dreams and had his eyes set on his position in the Jedi Archives. He had begun to day dream, when the cacophony of the engines of a passing freighter brought him his focus back as he passed the large windows, through which a large section of Coruscant was visible. Jifo stepped over to the window than placed his hand on the glass.

Letting out a loud sigh, he continued on his way. The gray doors to the practice rooms slid open and he stepped solemnly inside. Sitting on the chair in the center of the room he began with a deep breath.

[jedi334]

“Dorin?” she blinked a few times as she reached back into her memory. “It is a planet in the Expansion Region that is set between two black holes with an atmosphere of helium and is home to the Kel Dors. Beside the Jedi Enclave and the capital of Dor'shan I do not any recall other structures or cities being there. Then again there are records of civilizations and architecture predating the Jedi or Republic…may I?”

She took the holo pad from his clawed hand and rotated the image in a circle as her eyes went wide a small but excited smile came over her face. “Fascinating.” She said in almost a whisper, seeing Tesok staring at her from the corner of her eye as she tried to suppress her smile and remain professional as she moved her fingers on the pad to the Hieroglyphs as her white eyebrow quirked a bit.

“While I consider myself an adequate translator of ancient writing.” She said scrolling through the text slowly. “This is unknown to me…it seems familiar but I can not place it.”

She looked at him surprised when he brought up the mention of a Force presence at the site. “An aura, like some sort of vein of untapped Force energy?” she said “While it is intriguing it is also not uncommon, there are Force related phenomenon all over the galaxy, I had my first Trail after encountering highly Force sensitive area on Tython. But why it would be in these ruins is intriguing and troubling at the same time.”

She brought her left leg up a rested her chin on it as she was quiet for time, biting her bottom lip gently as she processed all this new information and then glanced back at the Barabel.

“While I am intriuged I am also confused.” She said bluntly, having a feeling the lizard respected honesty.  "This Temple has been abandoned for centuries and while it has historical value I can not see why the Council would want an in depth study or exploration. Why the sudden interest and…please forgive me if this sounds rude. Why would they send you Knight Baranar? Clearly this is a mission for a Consular or even a high ranking Historian…not a Sentinel like you or a mere archivist like me.”

She moved her eyes away awaiting the affronted response. “You're so stupid Chias.” She thought acrimoniously. “Your first real solo assignment and you offend your potential partner.”

[Pembleton]

Tesok responded to her second question with a sharp siss of amusement. Taking a second to compose himself, and to make sure his outburst had not alarmed her (those unfamiliar with Barabels often could not distinguish his laughter from his noises of irritation), he replied, "This one was equally puzzled by the Council's choice of who to assign to the mission. However, the answers to both questions lie in what you yourself have said: The helium atmosphere of Dorin results in a very harsh climate, which the Council feels necessitates an operative with significant survival experience. Thusly, a Sentinel was required, and this one received the assignment."

"As to your other question, it is unknown to the Council why such a place would have been built around a collection of Force energy - or perhaps what the function of the place could have been that resulted in the residual aura. Thus, it is considered worthy of investigation." He curled his tail around himself and sat back in a more comfortable position, looking contemplatively into the pool. It felt almost good to hear his own concern about the Council's choice in assigning him to the current assignment echoed by another Jedi.

Chias was a much more practical sort of person than he had expected of an Historian. True, he could not match her obvious fascination with the images of the Dorin site, and her shyness was clear even to his observation. However, she appeared to be quite astute in her observations and the questions she asked, which were ones he himself had been pondering. The Barabel thought he had formed a clear impression of the Echani in their few minutes together, and he found that he was quite pleasantly surprised with her intuition. After several moments, he turned his head, eyeing her cautiously.

"This one wonders if perhaps you might be interested, once we have prepared ourselves with the necessary research, in joining the investigation in a more...hands-on capacity. Even for an Historian, field work is an important aspect of a Jedi's duties. Furthermore, this one believes that your skills may be more relevant to the task at hand than those of a hunter. It would be an honor to be of assistance in your firsthand documentation of this place for the Archive's records."

[jedi334]

“You want me to accompany you?” she said, her voice soft. “To Dorin…as part of the investigative team?” She slid off the seat and began to pace a little in front of Tesok, her bare feet moving silently on the well manicured grass as she ran a hand through short silvery white hair.

“Oh no no…the only place I have been off world is Tython.” she said “A well guarded and well explored planet whose dangers I know well. I am Echani but am no warrior, I am trained in Soresu but nowhere near the swordsman other Knights may be. I have no distinct Force abilities just the basic manipulations all younglings are taught in training I worry…” she paused for a second, swallowing a little to soothe herself before she continued. “I worry if we run into a situation I will hinder you rather than assist.”

She glanced back at the image of the temple her blue eyes sparkled as her inner explorer emerged a little. “But you are right I am not an archivist…I am a Historian and it is my duty to chronicle new discoveries for the Archive and if I must to go with you to do so I shall not matter the distance or danger.”

She moved toward him, her steps confident and graceful as she held hold her hand out gasps his, her smile confident as she spoke in is own mannerism. “This one is Chias Nero and she is honored to be your ally in this journey.”

They shook hands…silence passing for a time before she took a deep breath. “But we must go prepared in both supplies and knowledge.” she said nodding “I must look at the lay out of this temple and the text in more detail. That will take time.”

She began to pace again her speech moving quickly. “Two to three weeks if I am allowed to neglect my duties for a brief time. I am sure if one of us speaks with the Archive Master on the importance of our task they will understand. What else…what else?” She turned her back to him for a minute or two as she continued to think…no doubt looking quite humorous to Tesok as she paced while thinking out loud.

She spun around on her heels, her gown flowing just a bit. “I will contact the enclave on Dorin to alert them of our arrival.” she said, gently punching a small white fist in her hand. “Hopefully they will have updated maps, travel routes, and weather patterns for us before we set out. I will also make sure we have proper clearances and documentation so not raise the ire of the local authorities.” She walked around to the back of the chair and rested her hands on it as she looked at him.

“I am sure you have duties as a Sentinel.” She said, trying to stop herself from rambling. “But the gathering of supplies, equipment and transportation will be your task. You have been off world more than I, you must know people and places that can provide us the things we need. Three weeks shall pass quickly, once I am finished translating all the data we will need to be ready to move without delay.”

She took a breath, besides Master Chen and her students this was probably the longest conversation Chias ever had with another Jedi. And the thing that struck her most was that in place of her wariness was an infectious enthusiasm to explore and to go further then she would of allowed herself to go. Was it because she would be traveling with a Sentinel and a Barabel one at that? Or was it that she could possibly be the first in her Order to see a place none had in centuries? She was unsure…but she was eager to get started.

“I will contact you as soon as I am ready to give you a full briefing.” she said biting her lower lip excitedly “hopefully it will not be long until then...may the Force be with you.”

[Pembleton]

Tesok flinched instinctively as the Echani jumped to her feet and began to move about agitatedly as she spoke. After a second, he rearranged his robe and rose to his feet, soothing his natural impulse to draw his weapon as Chias continued to pace back and forth rather like an evading enemy, or prey to his hunter's eyes. Reassuring himself that she was only exhibiting typical near-human body language, he listened to her recite a number of items that had been on his own mental checklist.

The Historian was exceeding his expectations on all fronts. Her efforts would leave him with quite a bit of extra time to himself, and as she buzzed on excitedly he mentally added several hours of training to his daily schedule for the next week or so. He had missed the freedom that came with splitting duties with a partner - his earlier irritation was the result of having had no opportunity to exercise his abilities in the Temple's practice rooms. Combat for the Barabel Jedi was a way of expressing his inner nature, the hunter inside of him. It was rather similar, his master Synduna had once explained to him, to the way the Echani communicated through fighting.

When Chias finally began to wind down, Tesok bowed his head to her. "This one is honored to ally with you, Knight Nero. As you say, it will be this one's duty to arrange for our transportation and supply. It will be confirmed before the week is out, and you will be notified as events progress. When all the necessary preparations are made and research is done, we will be able to proceed immediately. May the Force be with you, until we meet again."

They shook hands, and the Barabel turned and proceeded down from the garden and out onto the main floor of the Temple. He had told her his preparations would be made before the week was out. This gave him plenty of free time, and he intended to take advantage of it immediately. Five minutes later, he entered the practice rooms and swapped his own lightsaber out for a training blade. He paused at the entrance to the sparring floor to survey the competition. The hall was mostly empty, with several younger Jedi around and the only two potential partners for Tesok, two Jedi Knights, engaged already in a sparring exercise. He sissed in displeasure and proceeded to take a place on an unoccupied mat, where he began to engage a few basic drills in the beginners' form of Shii-Cho, upon which all modern lightsaber combat was founded.

As he practiced, a simple nudge of the Force brought two spherical droids hovering up from the floor. The remotes buzzed around him for a moment before taking a position across the mat and fired up their weak training lasers for him to deflect with his blade. He opened himself to the Force, relying on it to direct his defense. The droids did not flash with intent like a sentient being might, but they did exude a sense of collecting energy as they prepared to fire, and he used this to time the movements of his training saber. The training was refreshing for the Barabel, and he soon fell into an elegant pattern of defense which belied not only his advanced understanding of the form, but his many years of using it almost as a form of meditation.

The aggression that had put him on edge earlier melted away as Tesok allowed the Force to guide him. While his body weaved a basket of glowing defense around it, his mind was free of distractions. When the remotes ceased firing, almost all the tension had left his body. He looked around again to see if any new partners were available now that he was warmed up.

[keyz]

The pale metal doors of the training rooms and Jifo stepped in from the outside halls. The circular room was roughly 4 meters across, by Jifo's reckoning and the walls shared the same colors as the hallway he'd just moved from. The training room was very spartan in its decor, the only furnishing being one cushioned seat in the center of the room; and no visible aesthetic decoration or embellishment could be observed. Eight pedestals extended out in a spiral pattern from the center of the room. Atop each of them sat a sphere, a training tool to be used for force practice.

The windows of the room, on the side opposite of the door, were enormous and took up the principal space in the whole area of the wall. They offered a breathtaking view of the city. Heading over to that side of the room, Jifo looked out the window there and could see many of the shuttles and transports either landing or making their way into the atmosphere. The skyline was creased by the constant lines of traffic shooting throughout the air lanes and the ever present hum of countless engines and turbines comprised the ambiance of almost the entire city-planet.

Jifo stepped back over to the doorway and pushed two buttons on the panel thereby. The first cut out almost all of the noise coming into the room, and any that remained was in a negligable amount all but inaudible to Jifo. The second press greatly surpressed the light from the large windows, so the room was only lit in a dim orange glow.

Jifo moved back to the center of the room and rested on the seat there. Closing his eyes and reaching out into the force, Jifo sensed a great deal more around him. After a few moments three of the orbs drifted upwards from their place on the stands, and began to spin slowly. Breathing deeply and steadily he lifted two more and those began rotating at the same rate, but in the opposite direction. They all floated about and Jifo exchanged their places rearranging them as he saw fit. The entire exercise took only a few minutes, but was remarkably theraputic for Jifo.

Stepping out of the room with renewed focus, he stepped out onto the training floors. There were a group of younglings practicing on the opposite side of the room; and a single older Jedi practicing by himself much closer to Jifo. Activating a single droid, Jifo stepped onto the floor and took his basic stance, readying himself for more training. As the droid hovered into the air, it made very little noise and turned erratically as it prepared to begin; while the rudimentary droid finished it's activation processes, Jifo covered his eyes with a tied cloth band. The droid fired two shots in rapid succession followed by another, all aimed directly at the youngling's chest. While his knowledge of lightsaber combat was limited; he showed good economy in his motion, keeping the lightsaber close to his body and moving it fluidly in well structured orbits. His footwork needed a little more training, and his lack of confidence showed in his swordplay; but all of the shots were deflected efficiently and accurately towards the safety wall behind the droid. Avoiding creating a pattern, the small training aid fired shots again and again, some wild some precise. Jifo's training saber crackled with every shot deflected as he continued.

[jedi334]

With Tesok gone, Chias remained in the garden to meditate. She did this to take to focus, take in the day’s events and more importantly quiet herself. Despite her professionalism and thoroughness Chias had the tendency to become overwhelmed and excited when confronted with a new task or assignment and this mission certainly was large and daunting.

If she was so busy trying to keep up, she could make mistakes which could cost her and her companion dearly. So she sat in her chair, kneeling once again on her legs with her eyes closed and hands resting her lap as she breath deeply, reaching out with Force to refocus herself.

“Just remember what Master Chen always tells you.” She thought “So many see the size of something and then are helpless to take the next step, so you must break the thing
into smaller pieces and then focus on each fragment, once you are done place the fragment back in its original place, keep slowly moving forward until eventually the task is done.”

She opened her eyes and took a deep slow breath; this was her first real assignment as a Jedi and she would not falter. She left her garden and proceeded to the chambers of the Archive Master. She explained the mission and given it was handed down from the High Council; she was allowed to take leave from her duties and focus on what needed to be done before departing for Dorin.

The next few days were a series of video conferences with representatives from the enclave, local security and spaceport on Dorin. Her last meeting was at the office of the planet’s Senator, after a lengthy and detailed discussion of what the in the investigation would entail and a promise to include his cooperation in the final report, she was given clearance.

She shook her head lightly as she left his office, why he would want to have his name mentioned? Was it to increase his power within the Senate, or make him look more willing to working with the High Council? She did not know and privately she could care less.

“Politicians.” She thought impatiently “The day the Jedi will cease making deals with them to simply set foot on a planet will be a brighter day for the universe.”

With all the formalities out of the way, she was finally free to focus on the data Tesok had left her. She entered the large study room as the door slide quietly behind her. Like most rooms within the Temple, it was sparsely furnished having a desk with a touch screen terminal in the desktop, chair and projector with a large screen on the far wall.

She walked over to the desk and slipped off her robe and draped it on the chair, leaving her wearing her white tunic with her cybernetic shoulder exposed. She was not going to be in public for the next few hours she at least wanted to be a tad more comfortable while working.

She inserted the data drive and then activated the terminal as she brought up the voice command feature. “User Chias Nero.” she said “Pass code TK427, upload data drive.”

A few seconds of silence passed and then Tesok’s files appeared on the massive screen as a female computerized voice chime over the loud speakers. “User ID and pass code accepted. Welcome Historian Nero.”

“Bring up the images of the Dorin dig site.” The holo images appeared as her eyes studied each. “Create a three dimensional representation of the site from the images.” She said as she slowly began to pace. “Life size replica.”

“Constructing.” Two minutes passed and the as the images vanished and the model appeared before her. The site was not just one large building but many smaller ones surrounding it. All the structures were stone and were shaped similarly shaped to those on the planet Yavin, but the architecture was vastly differently

When looking at the site as a whole, what struck Chias the most was the high walls and more strangely…guard towers? “It is a Temple.” She said aloud, her face slightly cocked to the side. “Why would they need guard towers?”

The next step was to figure out who the Temple belonged to. “Computer.” She said, hearing the audible beep “Open Archive mainframe under current user.” Silence and the computer chimed “Mainframe open…access level 3.”

She took a deep breath before speaking. “Cross reference Dorin site to structures belonging to the Jedi Order.” “Specify timeline?” the computer asked

“One thousand cycles.” She said as she bit her lower lip unconsciously.

“Searching…no structural matches found.” the computer said

“Okay that was a little to obvious.” She said to herself. “Cross reference to the Sith Empire, same timeline parameters to all future inquires.”

“Searching…” another minute of silence. “No structural matches found.”

“Mandalorian structures.” Chias said as she slowly walked in a circle around the large room before the computer came back. “No structural matches found.”

It went this way for the next three days, she cross referenced every Jedi, Sith, Mandalorian, Independent System and every species structure she could think of and came up with the same result.

This Temple existed, she was sitting in her chair and was looking right at it but the Archive had no record. She rubbed her tired and strained eyes, the way she had been obsessing over it she could’ve started a cult around it and---

“A cult.” She whispered, the idea slowly began to form in her mind.  She had been thinking to generally. While the Jedi and Sith were the predominate Force wielders, there were smaller unaffiliated groups dedicated to the Force and its teachings. With both Jedi and Sith gaining power and influence with each passing century these group dwindled and faded into obscurity…but that didn’t mean their buildings faded with them.

“Computer.” she said, her voice rejuvenated “Cross reference structure with Force related religious orders and cults…same timeline parameters.”

A few seconds and the computer chimed “Match found.”

A triumphant smile beamed from Chias “Excellent.” She said “Who does the structure belong to?”

“Structure belongs to the Baran Do Sages.”

[keyz]

The droid circled quickly around Jifo, and as it rotated in its path it sparked again and again releasing bolts intended only to emit a concussive shock on impact. As the youngling deflected shots into the back wall, designed to absorb the bolts to prevent any accidental injury or property damage; he continued to focus on the fluidity of his motion and practicality in his form. He spent nearly twenty minutes practicing his deflection, only being struck by the blaster bolts twice. Removing his blindfold, he took a deep breath. It was much better than a normal practice session for him and he smile softly deactivation the droid and placing it back in it's place along the wall. He rubbed alont the points on his upper left bicep and right leg just above his knee, the spots where he had been hit.

Stepping back over to the training floor, he activated his training saber once again and began working on his basic forms. As he stepped through the motions, his mind was elsewhere. He relfected back on things he'd learned in the archives. The time he's spent researching lightsaber construction, and the simple basics of the numerous forms. After this his mind began to drift to darker places. He was due to join the Jedi Work Corps in three months on his thirteenth birthday. His lack of focus and anxiety showed in his form performance to any trained eye. His movement appeared robotic and his footwork became very sloppy, resulting in him stubling several times. Sensing his mind straying much further than it should Jifo deactivated his lightsaber, and sat quietly on the training floor.

Jifo sat in perfect silence, refocusin his mind and starting his meditation. It was not necessarily normal for one to meditate on the training floor; however, Jifo was desperate to gain control of his thoughts. Taking a deep breath and reminding himself of the teaching of the Masters at the temple, Jifo was preparing to give up his dream of a Jedi and was cleansing himself of the terrific anxiety he felt in the pit of his mind. With each breath, in and out, he felt his heartbeat slow and the gripping tension in his chest. All of the goings on around his seemed to fade, the younglings in the middle distance, and the knight training much closer to him. In his mind he sat in a complete darkness. Jifo thought of his friends, who had moved on and were becoming skilled Jedi; andhe thought of his own future, content in the will of the force. If it was to be, then it would; and Jifo sighed. Standing up he started towards the steps off the training floor.


"Come on Jifo, pull it together." he demanded of himself as his foot touched the touched the first step towards the upper floor leading to the archives.

[jedi334]

A week had passed, even though Chias had passed her self imposed two week deadline of deciphering the data, she was making good head way on the learning about the owners of the Temple.

While not Jedi, the Baran Do was a Force sensitive group that was based on Dorin. Since their inception, they acted as advisors and seers to the leaders of Kel Dor society. Initially, the Sages used the Force to amplify their natural senses, allowing them to detect dangerous weather phenomena in advance, saving the lives of countless Kel Dors by warning of impending natural disasters.

However, as the Baran Do began to spend more time meditating on the nature of the Force, they found they could see into the future, and they became all the more valuable to Kel Dor society by preventing wars and stopping catastrophes long in advance. This led to many Sages taking government positions and acting in a more official role.

This all changed with the coming of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi. In the past, Kel Dor families sent Force-sensitive children to learn from, and train with, the Baran Do Sages, but in joining the Republic the children were exposed to the Jedi who took them, as was their custom, to be trained as Jedi.

The Jedi's training regimen and more thorough understanding of the Force eclipsed those of the Baran Do, and so the Sages fell into obscurity as their power dwindled, until they were gradually forgotten by the rest of the galaxy. Even on Dorin, the Sages disappeared from public view and those rare Kel Dor aware of their existence considered them nothing more than eccentric wizards.

There had been a main Temple, but the centuries had worn it away to rubble. The Temple she was now investigating had been hidden in a isolated canyon, protecting it from the elements and local predators or wildlife. While close knit the Sages were hardly secretive…so why would they build this particular structure in such a remote location?

“It must be because of the Force presence.” Chias thought, lying across the chair in the study room, her head resting on the heavily padded chair arm and her small but slender legs dangling over the other one as her bare feet and chalk white calves hung out of her gown as she watched the progress bar of the translating program. “Whatever it is, it was either worth protecting…or isolating.”

With the Temple’s identity discovered, her next task was making sense of the hieroglyphs that had been written in various walls and entrances on the grounds. She ran them against ancient Jedi writing and various Republic dialects but came up with nothing. Then much like with the Temple itself she realized the Sages must have had their own record keeping and writing style.

With these parameters she ran a search and found a match. The hieroglyphs themselves were from the first Order of the Sages and so it was taking the computer longer decipher it and all Chias could do was wait. While she waited she prepared what she would need for the journey…her holo camera, three journals each with a terabyte of memory space, some minor excavation equipment that consisted of a laser saw, dusting tools, and field computer.

She also packed a fresh robe, tunic and two pairs of white pants the material similar to her gown. While she preferred the airy mobility of the gown, she knew that Dorin could be a very unpredictable and hostile planet and the long tresses could easily slow her down. Lastly was the thing she most dreaded packing, her alabaster leather boots.

Her bare feet had become a trademark around the Archive, it had been a trait instilled in her even before becoming a youngling. Her mother would have to fight to get her shoes on when going to market or meeting friends. She felt freer without them, but the last thing she or Tesok would need was to bandage her cut up or injured feet because she was too stubborn to wear the proper footwear.

Tesok, while she only had met him once she was still amazed that he recruited her to accompany him. Given that this mission was given directly from the Council, a higher ranking Historian or even the Archive Master could have been asked. Chias however got the feeling that Tesok mistrusted those who simply talked about action as oppose to those who actually took it and despite being a little afraid of the unknown she was willing to follow wherever he would lead.

“Stop doubting yourself.” She thought, readjusting her head as stiffness slowly crept into the base of her neck. “He may put up a strong front but he is young like you and am most surely is as nervous…at least I hope he is.”

She was brought out of her thoughts as the computer chimed and Chias sat up.

“Translation complete.”

[Pembleton]

Tesok observed the other occupants of the training room quietly, debating whether he should wrap up his exercises and return later when there were more Jedi available to train with. The dueling pair did not hold his interest for long; they were quite evenly matched, but neither could find an advantage over the other, so the duel was more a demonstration of form than anything.

He did find himself intrigued, however, by the youngling training closer to him on the practice floor. The boy's instincts were good, but his inexperience was evident to the Barabel, who had spent more than half of his life drilling the same form almost daily. He watched the boy's deflection exercises approvingly, noting his focus on the efficiency of his movement (which demonstrated his training in the basics of the form) and reliance on the Force (which demonstrated a good deal of Force sensitivity) to deflect the unseen blaster bolts.

As the boy proceeded to his solo form exercises, Tesok continued to track his progress. Something seemed to have changed in his movements; for a moment, he wondered if perhaps the youngling had not in fact received a great deal of training and his deflection performance was due to some kind of exceptional Force sensitivity. When the boy stumbled again, however, the Knight revised his opinion. This was a matter of focus: the boy was dividing his, and it was detracting severely from his performance.

He was pleasantly surprised to see the youngling cease his drills and actually begin to meditate on the practice floor. It demonstrated a good sense of self-awareness on his part, to have noticed his form slipping and taking action to rectify it. Tesok himself considered meditation to be an integral part of his combat training. It was a way to separate the instincts of the savage Barabel from the restrained yet guided combat style of the Jedi; he wondered for a moment what the youngling was struggling with to cause his lack of focus.

As the boy rose and began to leave, Tesok hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat and speaking up. "You did quite well out there, young one, but...this one must ask if perhaps something is not well?" Realizing his reptilian voice might make the words sound chastising to untrained ears, he added quickly, "Meaning no offense at all, of course. But it seems you struggled to focus somewhat as you progressed."

[keyz]

Just as he had put a few more of the steps behind him, Jifo heard the Jedi behind him speak up, and the words hit his hears clearly. Turning to find to whom the voice belonged he saw the rather imposing figure of the Barabel he'd seen earlier speaking with Chias. Jifo looked around for a moment, certain that it wasn't himself being addressed. Knocking his head left, then quickly right; Jifo looked back to the reptilian Jedi, and began to approach him. Offering a soft smile and closing his eyes as he walked, he spoke up to respond. "Oh...I just have a great deal on my mind right now, and have had difficulty quieting my thoughts in the past weeks." he said with the smile still creasing his face. Arriving to where the Jedi Knight stood, he offered a bow and continued, "You may have mistaken me for a padawan sir. I am still a youngling and haven't received much one on one training in lightsaber forms; so Shii-Cho is the only one with which I am familiar, and not terribly so at that sir."

Jifo offered these words by way of explanation rather than excuse. He was not ashamed of his lack of experience in the face of a Knight, and rested assured that he practiced his form regularly. Though admittedly, Jifo spent far more time in Force training than on his combat forms, and that held some degree of responsibility for his rough performance. He had performed much better with his eyes covered, due to the connection the Force he created in removing the sense. Jifo covered his eyes, more so to ensure that he wouldn't be shot so much, rather than to show off an enhanced difficulty in his performance; thought he was glad to hear the Jedi noted it.

Looking over the Jedi, he was large even by the Barabel standards Jifo had read in the Archives. This was most likely due to his training, and in such a regard this particular Barabel was a credit to his species. He wore something close to the regular Jedi Knight attire, albeit somewhat larger. Jifo's eyes strayed to the lightsaber on his belt, and without thinking Jifo's hand drifted to the hilt of his training saber; the differences in the two items being clear. Placing his hands back together, and smiling back up to the Jedi; Jifo politely asked, "Is there anything at all I can help you with sir, or were you here for personal training?"

[jedi334]

“And hold…”

Chias bit her lower lip hard and fought back a whimper, her eyes shut tightly as she extended her left arm outward. She gripped the end of the heavy stretching band as the other end was securely fastened to the back of the wall she sat 10 away feet from on a small bench, wearing her gown and upper undergarments for better mobility.

She silently counted the twenty second intervals in her mind as heated waves of pain shot down from where her muscle and tissue fibers  connected to her cybernetic prosthetic and down the length of her arm. Unable to hold it back any longer she let out a soft groan which some other patients noticed in the large physical therapy chamber.

Kamali, the Cathar healer marked down her progress as her cat like ears twitched a bit at Chias’ distress. “And release…” she said, the Cathar parlance rolling off her tongue with a slight purr. “One more repetition yes?”

Chias breathed heavily as she relaxed the stretching band. Her arm throbbed and she was tired, her usual quiet and polite demeanor was replaced with irritation and displeasure due to the exertion. “I have done two already.” she snapped “my arm feels like it will fall off.”

The healer tilted her head to the side, her face indifferent as always. Unlike most Cathar dark gold brown color, Kamaili’s fur was a light a grayish white with stripes of black, her eyes were onyx and her slits were a deep gray.

Chias thought she might be a product of genetic modification or even inbreeding but never inquired. She wore the robes of healing sect of the Jedi Work Corps. She had been brought to the Temple as a youngling but was unable find a Master before the cut off. With her affinity for healing knowledge of alien physiology it was natural to place her in the Temple’s healing sanctuary.

She had been working with Chias for almost two years now; while her Master got through the most difficult part of her injury he knew Chias would have to overcome the rest of her recovery alone. He then assigned to the young Cathar to over see her physical therapy.

While she knew she was there to help, there were some days Chias dreaded going to her sessions with Kamali. It had only been three years since her injury and while she had adjusted to her prosthetic shoulder she hated having to do these exercises and aggravating it.

She would be in pain for days after each session and would have to take minor pain meds just to get through a class or her duties within the Archive, icing down her shoulder for a solid hour before retiring to her bed chamber at night.

Kamali in the meanwhile tolerated the Echani’s grumbling as she was doing now, even though she was only a few years older then Chias she had a patience and wry humor which made her patients work harder no matter how much they whined, Chias suspected Master Chen assigned Kamali for this very reason.

Kamili sighed, gripping her holo pad with her long clawed fingers “Your arm will fall off…and do you wish to know why?” Chias wiped a bit of sweat off her brow with a towel “Yes.” She said throwing the towel down lightly in impatience “But you are going tell me anyway.”

Kamali did her best her best to suppressed an amused smile before speaking “If we do not keep up your strength the fibers that are connected to your prosthetic shoulder will atrophy.” She said “Thus it will no longer receive bio electricity form your nervous system and will shut down…leaving your arm useless. I doubt your student would want to see you with one arm no?”

Chias sighed and raised her eyes to meet the young healers face, knowing she was right and feeling ashamed for snapping at her. “No.” she said quietly, an apologetic look on her face as Kamali nodded “Then one more repetition and then will I do your stretches.”

Twenty minutes later they finished, Kamali helping her put on her tunic. “A good session despite your protest.” She said “But it has been some time since you have come yes?”

Chias reached for her robe and slid it around herself as she sighed “I know and I am sorry…I have been preoccupied as of late.” A slow smile came over the Cathar’s face as she handed Chias belt and lightsaber to her.

“Ah yes.” Kamali said “Your secret project no?” Chias looked at her taken aback as she clasped the belt around her slim waist. “There is no secret project.”

Kamali snickered a little, her fang like teeth showing “Come now my dear, the Jedi are great indeed, but they are not above gossip and rumor no? Many saw you with the Barabel Sentinel a few weeks ago and now you are hold up in a study room not merging until dusk…one needs not be a Jedi Master to suspect something is going on.”

Chias was quiet, choosing her words carefully as she spoke remembering Tesok’s words of secrecy as she clipped her lightsaber back into place “He has asked me to do some research for him, nothing more.”

“I see.” Kamali said “He does not seem the research type, quite handsome…for a Barabel anyway.” A pinkish flush washed over Chias’ face “Kamali!” she exclaimed

“What?” Kamali, her features without the slight hint of embarrassment. “Jedi are the ones who are not allowed to stare…and I am no Jedi.”

Chias sighed looking at her “I am going off planet for a time.” she said “So I will reschedule our next session for when I return.”

Kamali marked this down on her pad. “Very well.” She said “Be sure to pack you stretching bands and weights, just because you are away from the Temple does give you an excuse to neglect your exercises.”

The annoyance faded as Chias smiled gently , as much as the Cathar annoyed her she also respected her greatly. Some who failed to become Jedi and became staff at the Temple had an heir of sadness to them as if they failed a great test. Kamali on the other hand embraced her role proudly and would not let anyone, not even the great Jedi Order would make her think otherwise.

“Thank you Kamali.” Chias said bowing her head respectfully. “I shall return soon I promise.” The Cathar returned in the bow in kind “A pleasure as always Master Jedi.” She said “Safe travels to you.”

Chias left the sanctuary as she headed to toward the training rooms, her mind moving back to the translated hieroglyphs from the Temple. When she read them she thought she was have a detailed history of the Temple and its purpose. It was instead just one simple line of text which read:

“Here lies the void. Never shall we falter. Never shall we waver. Always shall we guard. In this we swear.”

When she read it the first time, a cold chill ran through her body. She did not know what this void was or why the Sages were guarding it but she understood why the Council would want it investigated.

An unknown or unstable for Force phenomenon was highly problematic, it could expand possibly inflicting massive physical or psychological damage the planet inhabitants, not mention if the Sith ever knew of its existence they could easily bend it to their own purposes. She thought of telling Tesok, but she had to process it all first and figure out their next course of action, something she could do while practicing.

She entered the large training room, switching her saber out for a shoto styled training saber as she found a free spot on the training floor as she removed her robe and tossed gently to the side.

She ignited her weapon got in the defensive stance of Clan Nero her bare left foot plant firmly in front and the right resting nimbly on the toes tips, her left holding the training saber and raised above her head and the right stretch outward. It was something Master Chen had incorporated when teaching her as a padawan, when teaching her the Soresu style; Chias had trouble keeping her balance when moving.

He then took away her training saber and then told her show the defensive styles her father had showed as a child. When watching her she saw she her body movement was in perfect synch. Thus he incorporated both Soresu and her Echani defensive stances into one, improving her technique greatly.

She willed the practice droids to activate as they slowly spun around her in a circular pattern firing stun bolts as she spun her body and saber in counter to their movement deflecting each shot as she became oblivious to who might be watching.

[Pembleton]

"This one has done all the work it is possible to do without a partner, but...Perhaps, if you have no other obligations, you might wish to remain here for a time and receive some private instruction? This one has spent much time learning to focus in combat; perhaps some of the techniques that I have learned would be beneficial to you?"

Tesok seemed to have fallen into a pattern today of inviting other Jedi's company. It was odd for the Barabel to be so openly social; or perhaps it was odd for other Jedi to be so open to interacting with him. Either way, he was pleased with himself for making the effort, both with Chias and this youngling.

The boy's training and conversation had intrigued him. He wondered what the boy could be struggling with to throw him off his form. Certainly it would be something very different from Tesok's own early difficulties with focus, but the concept of inner peace during combat was one that was universal to all Jedi, and all of them could benefit from training in the concept.

"This one is Jedi Knight Tesok Baranar. What is your name, young one?"

((Sorry for short post...life, college, the universe, etc.))

[keyz]

The Jedi's were were an inspiration for Jifo. The last time anyone had taken a personal interested in his lightsaber training, was several years ago; and they were only a fellow youngling. His eyes lit up at the prospect of combat training from a Sentinel such as this Knight. He spent a quick moment regaining his composure and offered a deep bow. "It's wonderful to meet you, I am jifo Riou; and I am at your service Master Baranar."

Jifo's mind was absolutely blurred with all the things he had learned and studied in the archives. The different lightsaber forms, and striking zones. He'd read on opening stances and efficient guards more time than he could count. In fact he'd spent most of this time recently, trying to compensate for his lack of natural skill in the area with knowledge. He wondered what forms the Knight preferred, but would not allow himself to venture a guess.

As they both prepared for their training session, Jifo spent his time clearing his head. The reason for this was two fold. On the one hand, it would provide him with better focus; and on the other, he may be able to retain more information. His face showed patience as always, but within himself he was quite anxious to begin. After all there was only so much one could learn about lightsaber combat in the archives, without any practical application.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Master Chias enter the training room as well. He sparred a though to be curious as to what she and his new acquaintance had been talking about outside the archives before; though that hardly mattered to him now, when he was this excited.

Looking back to Tesok, he looked him over now with a more acute turn. He noted that his tail worked well as a counterbalance, allowing for the Barabel to have a more aggressive reach when in close ranged fighting, without sacrificing much in the way of defensive characteristics. He also concluded the the Jedi's larger stature and proportionate lightsaber would allow for him to created much more kenetic force in a smaller area, and amount of time. Both were certainly combat advantages to be admired, and Jifo was sure he would learn more as the lesson progressed.

Standing back a few steps, with his feet shoulder width apart; Jifo looked up into the Jedi's eyes asking, "Where shall we begin the lesson Master Baranar?"

[Pembleton]

Tesok drew his training weapon as he led Jifo out onto a training mat. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at the boy and was suddenly reminded of his first training session with the Jedi Shadow Synduna, who had been the master who led him through his Padawanship. His own lightsaber training had been a multi-layered affair, focusing on not only the basic tenets of combat for all Jedi, but on the unique focus that the Barabel had to develop in order to form a combat style which could reconcile itself with his natural aggressive tendencies.

While Jifo would surely not struggle with the same impulses that Tesok did in combat, the basic ideas of clearing the mind and allowing the Force to direct one's actions as opposed to giving emotions room to alter one's form would certainly prove of use to the boy as he progressed in his understanding of the lightsaber.

"Shii-Cho, the first of the seven forms of lightsaber combat, is deceptively simple. In untrained hands, it can be clumsy; but a master of the form will present a style that is deliberate in intent, while fluid and open-ended in its movements. Envision the waters of a stream, tumbling over rocky falls. The direction of the stream is constant, but the falling droplets are not - they flow where they will. Observe..."

He demonstrated a few basic movements of Shii-Cho, deflecting blaster bolts from imaginary enemies. His saber weaved in an elegant but random pattern, even as he moved step by step towards the invisible foes' location.

"The second basic tenet of Shii-Cho to remember, which is especially relevant to a Jedi's training, is that one never moves with lethal intent. The duty of the Jedi is to protect, to defend, and to serve. While it is easy to fall into an overly aggressive mindset with a random form like this, one must instead focus on opening oneself to the Force - let it guide your movements, rather than your emotions..."

With a flicker of the Force, a pair of remotes took to the air around the boy and the Barabel. "It is easiest to learn this sense of detachment against a non-sentient opponent, as there are no emotions of fear or anger to draw from your enemy. That is the way of the Sith, not the Jedi...Now, clear your mind, and we will begin."

---

A week had passed since their first training session, and Tesok and Jifo had spent at least an hour of each day practicing together. The Knight found himself consistently impressed with the boy's retention of the lessons he imparted. On this day, he hoped to test the youngling's skills by adding a third Remote to their live-fire regimen. As they proceeded to the training mat, however, he was distracted by the sight of a familiar shock of white hair on an adjacent mat. Motioning to Jifo gently to continue to their usual place, he stopped to observe Chias Nero as she began a solo exercise. He was interested in seeing how the Historian handled herself in combat training.

[jedi334]

‘Always be moving little one, a stationary target is vulnerable one.”

It was the first thing her father taught her those many years ago; the signature attribute to the Nero style. The attacker would be constantly moving so their opponent could never get a lock on their attack pattern. Chias did this as the two training spheres moved counterclockwise to one another as they fired off bolts as she spun her practice weapon in the Soresu pattern.

She tumbled backwards and knelled on one knee and deflected the droids bolts which ricocheted and hit the other as the first fired again which she deflected and hit and as both fell down with a soft thud on thick matted floor. She breathed hard as her eyed burned a little adrenaline, a scholar she was but she was also Echani and they loved nothing more then to improve their skills.

She was brought of her train of thought by realizing that someone was watching her. She glanced over and saw Tesok on the next training mat, his cybernetic tail twitching a bit as he observed her. She was then aware that her own prosthetic was visible without her robe as she moved with a casual quickness and slipped it on.

She was not ashamed of her cybernetic implant; all of the Jedi from the Grand Master to a Historian like herself had faced the Trail of Flesh in one way or another. However anyone that had ever seen it they always wanted to know the story and it embarrassed her somewhat. She was at the wrong place at the right time and it was not in her character to brag or boast about her achievements.

She collected herself and walked over to Tesok. “Sentinel Baranar, a pleasure to see you again.” She said, nodding respectfully to him. “I received your message on our provisions and transportation; they should be waiting for us at the spaceport on Dorin when we arrive, my thanks for getting it done so quickly.”

She glanced over his shoulder, standing on her bare toes to see who he was instructing, her blue eyes widening in subtle astonishment “Jifo?” she asked trying her best to be polite “Jifo Riou? What a surprise to see you here, a welcome change from the mediation chambers or Archive.”

Chias knew Jifo from his frequently visits to Archive. He was a quiet young man with an understanding of the Force. He also had a selflessness which she heard some of the other instructors speak of. That selfness however was counter balanced by a self doubt which was making finding a Master difficult for him. Yet there he was with Tesok and he was following his instruction well, there could be hope for the young man yet.

“I see Knight Baranar is teaching you the first form of Shii-Cho.” She said quietly. “a pillar for any Jedi regardless of class or rank, however.” She glanced at Tesok briefly and biting her lower lip shyly, hoping she was not over stepping. “May I?”

She walked over to Jifo and looked down at his feet “You are to close.” She said gently, trying not to sound too critical and more suggestive as she remembered Master Chen’s lessons “Here, look at my stance.”

She ignited her training saber, kneeling down briefly as she moved the boy’s right foot back to the proper width as she stood mimicking him. “Shii-Cho is very much about defense and flow just as Master Tesok has explained.” She said. “Your stance however must be wide and strong, if is it weak you will be off balance and vulnerable to attacks both seen and unseen. Watch me and then try.”

She did a few gentle defensive swipes with her weapon as she watched Jifo follow, giving a smile. “Well done my friend.” She said, subtly glancing at her associate. “Why don’t you practice your form, I must speak with Master Tesok for a moment.”

She moved back to her own training mat where the Barabel joined as she glanced down shyly. “Forgive me.” She said, her voice immediately contrite “It is just I had problems with my stance as a youngling and thought I could help the boy. He is lucky to have you instructing him, I do not know him well but he seems in need of an instructor to encourage him.”

She then moved to her discoveries of the Temple, the Sages and the mysterious text. “It is this Void that concerns me most.” She said “You have been around the galaxy more than I. Have you heard of any Force related occurrences such as this?”