Intuition and Internment {Keyz}

[10Tickler]

One week after the Events found in The Council Chambers

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The time it had taken to prepare for their voyage had seemed to pass as swiftly as the seconds themselves, a mere week had passed, and yet, it almost felt as though it had been a mere few days. Levin himself had passed the pronouncement that Silene and Jifo could work together, as Master and Padawan, and so, it was actually fairly simple for Silene to arrange for time to travel, to leave the temple for the first time in years and venture forth, once more, into the Galaxy, this time, as a Knight of the Order, a Fully-fledged healer, with Jifo at her side. It was a trip that had many reasons, in truth, the most forefront of which, of course, was taking Jifo to Ilum.

Ah yes, Ilum, the ancient Jedi bastion, a planet whose location was a closely guarded secret. Home to ancient architecture which guarded, in it's own right, the Crystal Caverns, one of the few natural sources of the Crystals which the Jedi used, historically, to focus the energies of their trademark symbol, a galactic symbol of strength of will and determination, of peace and a calm in the storms of chaos that swept through the many worlds...the Lightsaber. Yet, before the duo could simply go to Ilum, there was still quite a bit of travel that they'd have to do to make it to the gelid planet, and while a good bit could be through hyperspace, there was still quite a distance that Silene and Jifo would have to partake in realspace, almost a full week's worth of travel, assuming that the duo wasn't sidetracked by something else.

So Silene intended to make the most of this time, and once the coordinates for their jump was set, and Coruscant's space left, she left the small cockpit of the transport that they were using, and moved to the living area, her smile ever present as she approached her Padawan slowly, taking a seat at the small table back there and leaning forward to rest her elbows against the table, those bright eyes of hers never leaving him. "So, Jifo, I know you're a little older than most padawan are, so I'm pretty sure you've had a chance to learn more than some, right? Instead of trying to go through and figure out what you don't know...why don't we start with what you do, yes?" she asked, more than happy to hear what the male would have to say.

[keyz]

Jifo hadn't need much time to prepare for their trip. Partially due to his diligence, and partially owing to the fact that Jifo didn't have many things at all, let alone many things to pack. He slept well the night before they were to depart but not long. He was early that morning and excited as he could be for their trip. The transport was coming out of the atmosphere as he exited the temple and saw his new master standing there ready to board. They boarded together at once and were off again headed out into space and towards the mysterious planet Ilum. Jifo could not be more excited to be moving towards Ilum. Holing his own lightsaber was a dream he thought he might never achieve until he had met Master Silene in the gardens only a few days prior. He was still very grateful to her and wanted to repay her taking him on by being the best student he could be.

Jifo looked up from his studies as his Master came out of the small cockpit and sat down next to him. She questioned him on his learning to find out where she needed to start. Jifo took a breath and thought to himself for a moment. "Well." he began, "We are headed to Ilum, which is in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy. It takes a Force sensitive person to be able to navigate a ship to the planet with any certainty. The planet itself is the venerated home of a remote temple sitting over a cave entrance. Inside the cave is the sacred spot where Adegan Lightsaber Crystals can be found." He paused for a long moment to realign his thoughts and put his study pad away. "These lightsaber crystals are the integral part of its construction allowing energy to be focused into the blade and the different types of crystals have varying effects on the blade itself. On Ilum these crystals come in three varieties. Kathracite, Mephite and...." he paused again struggling to remember the name of the third. "P-Pontite." he confirmed tentatively. "I believe Mephite is the more common among Jedi knights and padawan."

The nearly silent drone of the engine increased in pitch to a whining hum as the hyperdrive was finally prepped and kicking in. In the window beside him he saw the stars spread into brilliant white lines as the ship moved into hyperspace and leave the planet distantly behind. He finally stopped talking and looked to his Master wondering what she might add or correct to his analysis of their destination.

[10Tickler]

As she listened to her Padawan's -that was still sinking in, in a way- words, Silene couldn't help but to smile, the Zelosian's pale green face split by the faint grin. He was so like she'd once been, in a way, eager to please, intelligent, but in all the wrong ways. Jifo had thought that she'd merely been speaking of what he knew about the construction of a lightsaber, and while Silene carried hers, it was for a specific reason. Before speaking again, however, she let him finish his own exposing of knowledge, nodding all the same, after all, the male had been correct in what he'd said, just...not in understanding her question.

"You are, of course, correct she told him, chuckling slightly as she drew her own saber from her vestments, laying the silvery hilt upon the table for Jifo to see and examine as he would. "Although, there is far more to owning a lightsaber than merely possessing and constructing it" the healer continued, using a hand to indicate her own, slowly. Upon closer inspection, the hilt of her blade was smaller than most, by far. Easy to fit into one hand, with a smaller emitter than many Jedi would ever consider using.

"As you can tell, my Lightsaber's quite a bit different than those that many Jedi would construct for themselves. It's smaller, daintier, not well-suited for offensive use, I'm a Jedi, yes, but more specifically, I am a Healer, I bring life and care, so a blade focused on defense is more suited to my tastes. she explained, waiting for him to examine it before drawing her hilt back to herself, the warm snap-hiss of ignition filling the room as her blade extended from the hilt. It was a Shoto style of blade, it's glow almost the same color as her skin, if a little darker. "For me, my Lightsaber is a tool, a Symbol that represents what and who I am. I am a Jedi, sworn to uphold Justice and peace, but my blade, being a Shoto-style, is for defending, protecting those in danger. Yet, any might look at me, with my hilt at my waist, and know, instantly what it is that I stand for" she continued, quieting her saber as she stood, stepping back some.

Clearly, Silene had a point to make, and now was when she was going to get to it. Sheathing her hilt within her tunic, she spread her arms wide. The Lightsaber, like the galaxy is made of many parts, many things working together to create light. So too, I wish to work to bring light to a darkened galaxy. The most important thing to remember, in my view, isn't that you're going to be building a Saber for yourself, but rather...what that saber, and by association, you, stand for, what you believe in. Does that make sense Jifo?"

[keyz]

The young padawan listened diligently as his Master understanding that her purpose was reflected in the design and use of her lightsaber and his should be the same. As the Force guides him in his journey he would discover his own purpose and meaning in this galaxy, and it would most definitely be his drive in his life. He was very contemplative and introspective of where the Force might lead him. He was inexperienced and needed to learn of the things he stood strongly enough for as a Jedi to be his focus in his training. his drive.

He thought for a long moment, and finally spoke up to her. "To be honest Master, I will need to meditate on this to fully understand what it is that pulls me in such a way." He thought for another long time silently seemingly focused on nothing but in fact intently considering his feelings on the matter. He sat there peacefully enraptured at the thought of growing in the Force and as a Jedi, overly excited as many a padawan would be.

Straying from the conversation, he asked Master Silene "How long will it take us to arrive on Ilum Master?" He only asked her in the interest of having time to meditate on the things that she told him and reflect.

[10Tickler]

Her padawan's response was quiet, reasoned. It was a good idea to take the time he needed to think about his purpose, his drive in the life he'd made for himself, and Silene supported that, smiling softly as she'd nod at his assertion, watching as Jifo fell into quiet thought, letting his mind roam before another question emerged from the padawan's lips. "It shouldn't be too much longer, another day or so before we leave hyperspace, then the time that it takes to navigate the system itself" she told him, chuckling slightly under her breath as her hands moved to ensure that her hilt was properly restrained. "Take your time to meditate, to find yourself, the crystals that are meant for you will call out to you on Ilum, and you'll meditate there too, once you've found the one, or few, meant for yourself. Lightsaber construction is more about introspection than you'd honestly ever believe, and I have faith in you...don't forget that Jifo" she added, before turning, leaving him to his contemplation.

There was preparation to do, both for their continuing journey, and for when they'd arrive. Silene's body wasn't well-suited for Ilum's harsh conditions, and Silene would require quite a bit for their stay in the Cavern-temple. Solar Lamps, Outerwear, and food would all have to be prepared, and as she moved into the hold, she closed her eyes, working slowly but with a sense of thoroughness that belied her inner self. She could remember her own time on Ilum, the cold depths of the Caverns, the sensation of ancient stone upon her thin flesh...it was an enchanting and slightly terrifying place in her memories, but somewhere where she felt most connected to her Master, and she could only hope and pray that Jifo could feel the same connection to her.

[keyz]

Jifo took the remainder of the afternoon to reflect and spend a lot of time in meditation. His aura expanded during this time, and exuded a calm and inner peace that felt cool around him. His breathing was slow and barely audible, and only a small hint of a smile creased his face and the otherwise still tone of the small room he was in. He reflected on his Master's words and the affirmation of faith in their conversation. It was a wonderful feeling to have some to believe in him in that way, and it was proving a successful drive to work harder for the future he was meant to be in.

Hours after his meditation began, he emerged from the small room where he had sat entranced to find that his Master had already packed her things in preparation for the trip to the temple on the planet they would arrive at soon enough. He did the same and began packing things on his own. He packed warming packs, and warm cloths along with a small tool pouch which contained very basic first aid supplies. He also packed a few survival supplies even though there was a temple on the planet. It went without saying that he was excited to be heading to Ilum with his Master and at the prospect of creating his new lightsaber, essentially forging his identity as a Jedi. He took a deep breath to appreciate it all.

Another day or so had passed, and he passed the time studying mostly but taking the time to converse with Master Silene about her time as a padawan, and becoming a Jedi. He always loved talking with her, her smile somehow bringing an unstoppable peace to his heart. It wouldn't be long now, as they had arrived in the system and it would be up to Master Silene's experience to navigate to the destination itself. Jifo had moved all the things he'd need to the hatch by the exit belying his anticipation.