#sith ziggurat

[dathomirdumpsterfire]

yoooo!!! @uuurgh made this awesome clip for the pwnisher 3d challenge. as soon as i saw it i wanted to share! here, have some 'maul journeys through the wbw and saves the timeline' plot bunnies. 🤣

[jyndor]

Cassian and Jyn are work besties having lunch in a nearby park and someone thinks they're together and they get very both get flustered?👀

(lmfao kept it in universe like a weirdo, and this is pretty much half a love letter to yavin iv my problematic fave moon. we stan a sith stronghold turned rebel base.

the other half is ~~~symbolism)

They spent the final days before the evacuation soaking in Yavin IV, using up free hours on hikes through the redwoods or swimming in the lakes a few clicks away from the Massassi ziggurats. All that history and so little of it known. Jyn sometimes thought that Lyra would have been in her element on Yavin IV.

Cassian seemed determined to show her and the others the entire moon, to share the pieces of himself he'd hidden underneath the canopies. But today Bodhi was smuggling medical supplies with Solo and Skywalker, Kay was treating himself to an oil bath, and the Guardians were attempting to commune or something with the indigenous Massassi people (Jyn was not sure how that was possible, given that the Massassi were not around any longer and had not been for thousands of years, but she trusted the Force and she trusted the Guardians even more. If they thought it was possible, then it was.) So it was just Jyn and Cassian, having a very nice picnic in the Valley.

The Alliance planned to leave before the rainy season hit in full force, so Jyn and Cassian weren't the only rebels trying to soak in the natural beauty of the moon while the weather held up. They'd passed a few others (including Kes Dameron and Shara Bey) while on Cassian's speeder bike, now parked a short distance away from the blanket Jyn had thrown onto the ground. No one was likely to return here, and a sentimental sort of mood had settled over the base. The Rebels were at war; the odds were what they were.

The valley was wide and covered in grass that looked just slightly drier than Jyn would have expected of a moon covered in rainforests and jungles - but then, it was the dry season - and in the distance a blue-gray mountain rose through murky fog. It was a hazy day, but less humid than it had been when she'd been brought to the base for the first time months before.

Cassian handed her a container with a portion of kaadu ribs and the slaw he'd spent the morning working on. Her ribs had more sauce than his did and she hadn’t even asked for it. Jyn looked away from him to hide her smile. He knew her so well.

"I don't know how you had the time to find all these places," she said when he sat beside her. "I thought you were busy taking shots in the dark," she teased. He stopping chewing for a moment to look at her - she was ashamed to see a fair bit of uncertainty in his dark eyes. She tried to throw a reassuring, if not apologetic, smile his way, and it seemed to work. Though it often felt as if she'd known him for years, there were still times that it was clear they still had a lot to learn about being friends with one another.

(Sometimes her jokes fired a little sharper than she intended, or he would mention someone who he'd forgotten she hadn't known. Learning new things about each other meant making mistakes with each other. She was especially sensitive to the mosquitos that lived near the base, and he hadn't realized that until the time a few weeks after the Battle of Yavin they'd raced each other to the marshes... and forgotten to pack bug repellent. He’d never had a friend who was so reactive to bug bites before.

And sometimes they learned new things under pressure: Cassian had a high tolerance to stims, so Jyn had been surprised to learn that a standard dose didn't work as well for him - and like her, he usually just tried not to bother with them at all.)

She wanted to be more careful with him. But old habits - her cutting words, the venom under her tongue - died hard.

His eyes cleared. "After missions I often need some time by myself to decompress and return to my own head, if that makes sense. I mean, you've done it." Jyn nodded, thinking of the times she'd switched names and wigs and accents just to find her next gig. It was exhausting to just remember who Jyn Erso was, and how she was different from and the same as Tanith Ponta or Lianna Hallick or Kestrel Dawn.

But those women had always been Jyn, deep down. Same thoughts, same convictions (even if they'd been repressed). Cassian became wholly new people.

She wasn't sure she had the faintest idea how draining that was. "I suppose I was always on, but I was always me, too."

He was staring at her, something warm in his eyes, a softening of his bearded jaw. The way she could read his thoughts writ in the crinkling of his brow, saying I see you because you are me. Nearly mirror images, running subparallel until the inevitable point of convergence; and in the aftermath of the collision: stardust.

There was sauce just beside his lip.

"Oh, you've got a bit of-" she said and wiped it away with her fingers. She felt his warm breath against her skin and his gaze, warmer still, on her face. Like a touch, like his own hands - strong, slender, calloused and always so gentle with her - brushing against her stardust cheeks, tracing the constellation of her freckles.

A pair of whisper birds flew overhead. Cassian's nose brushed hers, which was awfully convenient because that made his lips accessible, and she was about ready to throw all of her reservations out the window.

Cassian's wrist comm buzzed loudly, and Jyn pulled away with a start. “Andor,” he said, ears reddening - from the sun, of course. Jyn was certain her cheeks were burning too. Yavin’s rays were powerful, especially with the haze. She’d gotten a bad sunburn back when they’d gone to the lakes months before and hadn’t forgotten sunscreen since, but maybe she’d missed a spot.

“Hey Cassian, just landed.”

Cassian smiled. “Hi Bodhi. Back home in one piece, no chemical burns?”

"Solo’s not so bad. Say, I was looking for you and Jyn but Dameron said you were on a date-”

Jyn grabbed Cassian’s wrist and glared at the blue holo of Bodhi Rook, who looked healthy and unscathed and entirely too innocent to not be needling them. “One mission with Solo and you’ve turned into a moofmilker. You should get your head checked.”

“We’re having lunch,” Cassian added.

“Can you put Chirrut on?” Bodhi asked.

“He’s not here.”

“What about Baze? Or Kaytoo?”

Jyn frowned. “It’s just us,” she said reluctantly.

“And you’re not on a date?”

Cassian pulled his wrist out of Jyn’s grip. “Bodhi the signal out here is not great. Let’s talk later, alright? Bye now.” He ended the call before Bodhi could respond. Jyn snorted. Bodhi had personally extended all of their comms signals weeks ago. Cassian knew this, of course, and rubbed at his eyes for a long moment.

“For a spy, you’re a terrible liar.”

He peeked out at her between his fingers and then dropped his hands to his lap. He had a look so stunned, like she’d hit him over the head with her truncheons. “You, um. Jyn.” He lifted his hand, seeming overcome by something she could not perceive, and reached up to her cheek, stilling before he could touch her.

She wanted to know what had come over him. She also wanted him to touch her.

“Cassian?” she whispered. To her own ears, she could hear what she’d wanted to say to him: please touch me if I’m right, if you’re like me.

“Sauce,” he said, his voice shaking slightly.

Her brow furrowed. “What?”

“You’ve got barbecue sauce there.”

Laughter bubbled from within her, a soul-deep joyful thing, and she tugged once more on his wrist, pressing his fingers to her skin. He grinned down at her and wiped his thumb against the corner of her lip. His calloused trigger finger brushed against her lashes and her cheekbone as he dipped down and kissed her laughter into silence.

[swtor-legacy-sitcom]

Sith Solstice

Sith Solstice was generally observed on Korriban, Ziost and Drommund Kaas before the arrival of Vitiate’s Empire.  Due to the decay of galactic orbit, Ziost lacked the necessary 27 days of tradition, moving to 28 and then 29 by the time of swtor, so the monthly festival Calender became an obsession, Balmorra was chosen as a likely replacement due to its astral parralels to Old Ziost.

Tombs were opened, and passages renovated. specifically, the altar shrines where ancestors were revered. flowers and offerings of Tukata hearts were common to strengthen the ancients. gifts were left by fallowers and children wandered the halls guided by sith spirits, where they read more tomb hieroglyphs and learned about their kin.

4 Day Period Sith Purge Days/ Saturnalia Ziggurats were opened to slaves to wander.  A Sith Saturnalia was observed, where Slave revolts were largely permitted and purges allowed as long as they stayed within the grounds of the Blood Ziggurats. powerful masters would bow on their own thrones, while slaves and lower classes priests, massassi etc, feasted and permitted to eat from their master’s stock freely. The Holy Day, or the three days, going from sunset, a full two days and then dawn on the next day. was largely illuminated by bright temple torches, giving the impression of daylight, ceremonial blood oil was used, it gave the impression of daylight and also had incense and other additives. Powerplays were forbidden, though if cruel Masters were killed by angry slaves, “you keep what you kill” applied.

2DaysTribute was generally given to the reigning governors and a select cadre of priests, there being a cycle of which cadre of Sith Deities was honored each year.  Ziost’s city states all observed this. Inferno, the Volcanic canal Citidel of House Akasti was the primary site for such tribute, for millenia, and their appointment there much coveted to the Eternal Duty associated with it. Old Kissai King Priests, would oversee the tribute from lords, massassi, and other persons of Power. depending on the whims of the Dark Lord, and their discissions regarding scarcity or supply, it was sometimes given to the lower classes.

Charity Wealthy Powerful lords were expected to take the time, sometimes personally, to strengthen their slaves, the weakest and longest suffering, were often given mercy killings and places inside lavish burial urns, with jewelry and mummification wraps or placed inside ‘Statues of the Ancient Slave’ their remains dipped in gold, and jewels or kyber crystals inlaid over their hearts. This process was separate from Sith Saturnalia

Hunting and Feasting Families hunted and feasted together, their wealth being given in shares to their servants and then hunted with any servants who were too great in surplus to have a share. Such decisions had strict guidelines dictated by Caste, Tradition and the Kissai

2-3 Days, At Discretion of Sith Lords The Slave Hunt Later periods evolved a sort of ‘Slave Hunting’ Tradition. where slaves if they desired would be hunted. upon their successful evasion, they would be granted freedom. betting was common. a Slave who interfered in Saturnalia was often sentenced to Death by Sith Alchemy, which often saw them turn into semi sentient Sithspawn, eternally servants to their masters, though more intelligent and morose. Slave’s that evaded their captors, and even killed them, were given by tradition rule of the hunting grounds and certain status. They were often taught one trade and given the weapon or weapons of their choosing and their pick of fellow slaves, often family.  Another tradition was if a slave hunted but spared their own master, they could Wed that master and became lawfully married

The Longest Night The longest and coldest night of the year was given to couples and newlyweds, fertility rituals, dark side sex magic, etc. long cold nights were for lovers to grow closer, oddly the force was in ebb, so it was common for spiritual bonds and force diads to be formed during the time, as without the force, couples grew naturally closer.  This period and phrase always moved, due to Ziost’s orbit, before being reset, and so the other festival periods reshuffled, bit by bit.

Day of the Sons fathers and sons spent time together, or sons visited graves, presents, offerings, family outings etc

Day of the Daughters Mothers and Daughters spent time together or honored graves and remains  presents, offerings, family outings etc

Day of the Patrons surrogates and other mentors were honored on this day, this was, always a time for rowdier gatherings for all,  presents, offerings, family outings etc

Day of the Slaves/ Concubines more passionate and pleasurable lovemaking was practiced on this day. it was softer, and more intimate. sexual related gifts were seen as taboo and in poor taste,  gold jewelry with kyber crystal stones and fur robes were the traditional gifts, lavish headresses for long time courtesans were given as a token of seniority or long standing favoritism

3 Days, Set Dates Days of the Keep These three days were given to nuclear families. a sort of ‘Free Day’ catacombs were preferred locales as they enabled Sith to ‘Show weakness’ Slaves had the period off, and visited with their own families, often with a gift from their master in the form of a beast for carving and a satchel of gold, or a valuable good for trade

Parents parents stayed together and had romantic evenings Elders, Kissai baby sitters or slaves and Servants watched the kids

Children Parents spent time with their children and enjoyed relaxing family settings

Elders and Household Grandparents and Elders visited, this was the big day with cousins and extended family. 

6 Days Keep Days Temple Festival The holy Temples were all opened and all city visitors permitted to enter, every two hours the parties would move to the next cycle of temples, a Marti Gra parade of sorts, some temples also required absolute silence within them. and the procession was more calm.

1 Day and Night Marks of the Blood Ceremonial script and writings with family powers were interred here. for a period of one day, or well into the night, dusk till dawn, from sundown to sunup a full 24 hour period.

1 Night Elders Flame: Elders and Kissai spoke freely of ancient secrets around temple torches or campfires, many were lit. processions of tents into the desert were common or in special central alcoves.  Particularly ancient Kissai who were on their death’s bed were burnt alive as they neared their most final breath, and passed on their last secrets orally. The deaths were quick and painful, and only the most revered and ancient Elders truly about to die were given this last honor of experiencing Life when they had no power or passion left.

Reverence and Bloodsoup The last few days were given to laziness and unwinding. Massassi festivals which were much the same overlapped, but due to needing guards, theirs began earlier. and ended later. Thus Massassi had “the Day of Duty” Their Reverence day was after the Lords recovered and saw to the house, Their own strength restored, fallowing that, they returned to their duties as well. they also began earlier as when the festivals proper began, they saw to the city gates and those entering for celebration.

Asking for our friendly SWTOR worldbuilder @fluffynexu what do you think?

[gffa]

So, I was  yelling about this in a previous post, but TIME TO YELL ABOUT THE JEDI TEMPLE DIAGRAM.  This is from the Star Wars Locations rerelase from 2016, so it’s considered part of canon, but take it with some grains of salt, as a lot of the older reference books tend to not actually appear much in canon/were still working with Legends material that isn’t always part of canon. (Also, only what’s specifically said in this book is canon, not what Legends context they used to have.  The Jedi having an Agricultural Corp--which has never been mentioned in any canon book/comic yet, by the way--doesn’t mean that the Jedi Apprentice books’ context for how the AgripCorp worked are canon.  Remember:  Dooku: Jedi Lost had an Initiate who was sixteen and would still wait another year, so the age limit is not canon.  And given that the infirmary is staffed by the Medical Corps, it’s possible that these branches aren’t separate from the Jedi Order at all, but instead are now career paths within the Jedi Order.)

"THE HEART AND HOME of the Jedi Order" HI THANKS I’M CRYING IMMEDIATELY UPON STARTING ON THIS

"It is a place of spiritual growth" also got me right in the feelings place

"Jedi scholars disagree on the location of the Order's first temple, making cases for Coruscant, Jedha, and Ossus as well as worlds shrouded in myth, such as Tython and Ahch-To."  First of all, I bet those discussions were NERDY AS HELL and second I love the reconfirmation that there are Jedi Scholars, that that seems to be their whole focus in life, just the study of the Force or of Jedi History or whatever else they chose.

"Jedi archaelologists teach that the Temple is not a single structure but agglomeration of many structures--one that tells a millienia-long story of expansion oand appropriation, ruin and reconstruction.  The Temple is an archaelogical treasure it itself, bearing the scars of Sith occupation and a patchwork of ancient architecture adapted for different functions over time.  Some sublime examples of earlier construction have been preserved intact as museums to the heritage of the Jedi."

MAIN SPIRE:

"Pinnacle room of the Temple Spire, the most sacred Jedi site, comprising the oldest known suriviving Jedi texts, is a carefully controlled environment." 

"Hall of Knighthood.  Padawans are raised to the status of Jedi Knight here in a ceremony of deep spiritual significance.  The status of Master is also formally conferred here."

"Meditation chambers where Padawans awaiting Knighthood spend the night before the ceremony, communing with the Force.”

"Memorial statues of most revered Jedi, surrounded in tower by repulsorlifts."

"Peak of the original sacred spire around which the earlieest incarnation of the Jedi Temple was constructed."

"Meditation blacony surrounding original peak."

"Lower balcony around peak presents a series of holo-depictions of the history of the Jedi.  The smallest younglings are brought here for their education."

"The sacred spire in its natural state, with ancient meditation balconies and access points to the original cave chapels."

"Chamber of Conclave, where representatives of the Jedi Order from across the galaxy meet once a year to hear reports from the Jedi Council."

RIGHT HAND SPIRE:

“Meeting chamber generally used by Jedi High Council."  

"Holographic situation map of galaxy."

"Each Council Tower has a data and planning center linked to the Library and Archives."

"Hangar for Jedi starfighters with extendable launch/landing platform."

LEFT SIDE SPIRE:

"Jedi Reassignment Council Tower houses Chamber of Judgement."

MAIN ZIGGURAT:

"Mosaic floor salvaged from the ancient Jedi Temple of Ossus."

"Communications control for Jedi Council Tower, where Obi-Wan alters the Jedi recall signall to broadcast instead a warning."

"Clerestories allow light into contemplation gardens."

"Offices of the Jedi Exploration Corps."

"Lightsaber crafting facility, with lightsaber practice gallery behind."

"Workshops, storerooms, and maintenence facilities, as well as control and switch rooms."

"Reading room of earlier Jedi Library salvaged because of its architechtual merit.  Now converted to a formal banqueting hall for ceremonial/diplomatic occasions."

"Ancient remnant of earlier Temple has been preserved as museum of Jedi history."

"Jedi Archives and Library includes holocron vauls with ancient lore accessible only by Jedi Masters."

"Temporary accommodation cubilcles for Jedi Knights and Padawans in transit or awaiting re-assignment."

"Jedi Agricultural Corps research labratory, containing alien flora for research."

"Library and Archives data storage stacks, with Analysis Rooms behind."

"Area around base of Tower of First Knowledge devoted to the ongoing training and education of Padawans."

"Arcade of stained-glass windows and statues honoring Jedi heroes who were instrumental in wresting control of Coruscant from the Sith a millennium ago."

"The Room of 1,000 Fountains lies beyond this arcade."

"Salvaged remnants of earlier Temple, believed to be about 2,000 years old."

"Holographic training area used by Padawans and Knights, in which realistic battle scenarios can be generated for practice in lightsaber skills."

"Tablets with the Jedi Code and laws."

"Service ducts running throughout the Temple."

"Early rotunda chapek, retained within modern structure, reserved as a place of meditation for newly selected Padawans."

"Ancient exterior wall of the Temple precinct, now closed by later sheathing."

"Medical center and infirmary, staffed by Jedi Medical Corps."

"Sith containment cells, constructed centuries ago to hold hostile Force-users and their creatures and servants."

MAIN ENTRYWAY:

"The Processional Way to the Jedi Temple terminates in this ceremonial staircase, crowned with the statues of two Warrior Masters and two Sage Masters."

"Formal entrance.  Massive pylons are decorated with sculptures of the Four Masters who founded the Temple."

"Monumental Temple entrace hall, where Yoda and Obi-Wan discover many of the Jedi dead after the attack on the Temple."

[writing-is-thorapy]

Angstpril Day 29: Going Dark

Yes, I know it’s Day 30, but guess what? I had zero time to write this yesterday so here ya go. I’m very excited about this one, so I hope you enjoy!

CW: Canonical Child Death

The war is over. 

The war is over. 

Ahsoka can hardly believe it. After years of fighting, years of needless death and destruction, of blood, sweat, and tears, of hopelessness and anguish, the battles were done. 

She’s being summoned back to the Temple immediately, along with the other Jedi. 

And yet… she isn’t really a Jedi anymore. 

All in all, she’s unsure what to feel. On the one hand, there’s a sense of tremendous relief. But on the other… she barely remembers how it felt to live in times of peace. What will she do? Does she want to return to the Order?

That last question, she decides, will wait for another time, when the war’s end has truly sunk in. 

However, Ahsoka does know that she wants to see Anakin again—not only so that they can really discuss things, but because of Maul’s words, which hover over her like a storm cloud. 

He was simply trying to get a rise out her, she decides. His declarations of Anakin’s role were pure nonsense.

She refuses to acknowledge the fear and foreboding lodged in her gut. 

%#%#%

An hour or so out from Coruscant, a sharp pain erupts in her head. Screams of agony and horror echo across the galaxy as thousands and thousands of lights flicker out and die, each one as agonizing as the last.

Something is wrong.

Something is very, very wrong.

Desperately, she attempts to reach out to Anakin, and is relieved to find him alive, though his presence is more clouded than usual. 

Then she tries Obi-Wan… and can’t find him. 

She tries again.

And again.

Nothing. 

He’s gone. 

Ahsoka chokes down the sobs that threaten to burst forth. She can’t panic, can’t break down. Not yet. She needs to figure out was has happened, and must remain calm and focused like she has been taught.

She blocks out the Force, blocks out the pain, and settles in for the longest hour of her life. 

%#%#%

The Temple is on fire.

Huge and thick clouds of smoke billow out the top of the looming ziggurat as flames engulf the sacred halls.   

Ahsoka feels her heart shudder, her breath catch in her throat.

The last time she saw the Temple on fire, she was expelled from the Order. 

Taking a deep breath and summoning her confidence, she flies her ship to the Temple hangar bay. 

%#%#%

The Temple feels like death.

As Ahsoka sneaks through the side entrance, a wave of anguish hits her, nearly bringing her to her knees. She steadies herself and continues on, noticing the dead bodies, both Jedi and clone, that mar the Temple halls. 

Did the clones kill the Jedi? Why? 

Ahsoka steps inside the Council Chambers. 

Dead bodies litter the floor, and it takes her a second to realize that they are the bodies of younglings, each marred by a single saber wound. 

In the middle of the room, a lone figure stands, shrouded in a dark cloak with the hood up. In front of him, a larger body lays unmoving, but Ahsoka is unable to tell who it is.

The individual seems to sense her presence, for they whip around to face her, hand near the lightsaber on their belt.

It’s Anakin—but not.

The Anakin she knows always wears his heart on his sleeve, unlike the expressionless disposition she sees before her. 

The Anakin she knows doesn’t have golden, glowing eyes. (Sith eyes—but no, he can’t—)

The Anakin she knows would never condone such atrocities, let alone participate. After all, she thinks, who else would have done this? 

Not Ventress, who was off doing… whatever she’s doing. Not Dooku, who was killed by Anakin, or Grievous, who was killed on Utapau. Not any of the Jedi.

“Anakin?” She says, a note of hysterical incredulity in her voice. “Did… how…”

“The Jedi tried to overthrow the Republic, Ahsoka,” he responds, voice flat, not a hint of relief at her presence, not a hint of the warmth that was present only days before. “They had to be destroyed. They were traitors.”

“T-traitors? Anakin, the Jedi would—they would never! And-and the younglings? I… What would Obi-Wan think?”

“It doesn’t matter what he thinks,” Anakin snaps, eyes burning with fury. He shifts to the side, his cloak swishing around his ankles, revealing more of the dead body before him.

Auburn hair. 

Light cream robes. 

Blue-grey eyes—that now stare sightlessly ahead.

Oh Force. 

“How could you?” She shouts, unable to stop the tears from flowing down her face. Not even her very worst nightmares, her greatest fears, could compare to this. “How could you kill him?”

“Obi-Wan was a traitor!” Anakin roars in response. “He tried to kill me!”

“He was your Master! He was my Grandmaster! You guys were-were the Team! You were-you were brothers!”

“HE WAS NEVER MY BROTHER! He never cared about me! I was nothing but a tool to him!”

“You know he cared! Nearly every time I was around you two, I could tell. Anyone could.”

“And yet he stood against the Republic. He stood against me.” Anakin brandishes his lightsaber and points it at Ahsoka’s neck. “So you can either join me, or end up like him.”

Looking into his yellow eyes, the glow only accentuated by the dark bags under his eyes, she realizes that Anakin is completely serious.

She may very well die by his hand.

Ahsoka’s heart shatters as she realizes Maul was right all along. 

She has very little to lose—the Jedi are dead and gone, her Grandmaster is dead, and her Master is dead in every way that matters.

She might as well die among family. 

Ahsoka takes a deep breath and meets Anakin’s eyes. 

“I won’t join you.”

Disbelief and betrayal flicker across his face before giving way to anger. 

Anakin raises his lightsaber poised and ready to strike. He starts to swing for her neck and she instinctively closes her eyes and flinches, waiting—but nothing happens.

She opens her eyes to him lowering his weapon, gaze flicking over her shoulder.

“Traitors aren’t granted a dignified death by lightsaber,” Anakin smirks, the expression painfully reminiscent of happier times, simpler times (and isn’t terrible, she thinks, that moments in between and amidst relentless war and death are the ones she looks back on with fondness?). “They’re executed by a firing squad.”

Ahsoka whips around and is immediately bombarded by blaster bolts, fired by men who were once willing to die for her.  

(She hadn’t even noticed the blue paint on the armored bodies that littered the Temple halls.)

She doesn’t even have a chance to ignite her sabers. 

She looks up at Anakin, her Master, her brother, her executioner, and notices the tear tracks on his cheeks. 

With the last of her strength, she reaches toward Anakin, whispering, “you… promised…”

Ahsoka dies with an outstretched hand.

%#%#%

He stares at her fallen body, riddled with smoking holes. He feels the sharp pain of the broken bond, of the death of his Padawan, but quickly dismisses it. She was a traitor and was punished as such. 

Darth Vader grabs her lightsabers and walks out of the Council Room, thoughtlessly stepping over Ahsoka’s corpse.

[stormikins]

WIP Whenever

It might not be wednesday or the fourth but it is sith thrusday sooo here’s a very rough draft of my Jedi and clone oc getting into a sith temple

@chronic-ghost heres a snippet cause i really want to share smth with you and thank you for encouraging me with this!

At the beginning of their hike, he had noticed lots of different animals and avian species. The avian especially were loud with their shrieks and calls. He spotted numerous flocks and individuals flying around and animals scurrying up the planet’s trees.

 But as they get closer to their destination, the fauna becomes less apparent, the flora starts to get duller. It’s to the point where when they finally get to the temple, there’s no animals, no sound expect the wind. The flora is drooping, and dull, looking old and worn.

 The plants closest to the temple are dead.  

The temple seems to be in a cliff face. There’s a large triangle cutout, all straight lines and the cave leading into darkness. There’s two triangular pyramids on either side of the entrance jutting out from the cliff face. Text is engraved on the bases of them.

 The closer they get to the cave the more he feels something pressing against him. Likes it’s urging him closer and yet away at the same time, something surrounding him. Unease spikes throughout Blink, and he feels liked he’s trudging through mud.

 Tade only stops to look at the engraved text, crouching down to read it.

 “What does it say?”

 She shakes her head as she stands. “Nothing nice. Just a warning to stay away.”

 “A warning we’ll ignore.”

 She smiles as she walks past him, into the cave. “Of course.”

 He flicks on his helmet lights and Tade ignites her lightsaber, filling the space with its humming. It’s then that he realizes it was completely silent. He couldn’t hear the wind anymore. He scuffs his boot along the floor and takes pleasure in finding that he can hear that.

 The stone is still the same as the cliff face. There are carvings etched into the walls, murals of battles it looks like. He can recognize the lightsabers the people wield and there are many different… beasts. He hopes they aren’t in this temple because one of them looks like it can swallow him whole.

 Tade notices his staring.

 “They’re most likely depicting the people who built this temple. And their affiliates if they had any.” Tade stops to look at a scene. There’s two people who appear the most, the sith of this temple he supposes, fighting an army. And winning. “Hmm, this might be the battle of Egul.”

 “Egul?” He repeats.

 “Yes, on planet Aikroth. The sith wanted the mine for its kyber and the occupants fought them. The sith won.”

 They move on after Tade’s impromptu history lesson. The cave starts to slope but retains its triangular shape. There’s light ahead and when they reach it there’s a small platform extending into an enormous cavern in the mountain. He flicks off his helmet lights and Tade clips her saber back to her belt. There's a whole in the top of the mountain, allowing sunlight to shine through.

 In the middle of the cavern, is the temple, sitting on a natural platform. The ziggurat is large and made of black material. It’s imposing and the pressure has only built the close they’ve gotten deeper.

 Tade hasn’t shown any symptoms of the feeling, but given what she’s told him, she would be used to foreboding feelings.

 There’s no bridge, but there’s large pillars at the same level as the platform they’re on. There’s a dozen of them, spread out like stepping stones, albeit very far apart. Too far for him. He sighs as he realizes he should have brought a jet pack.

 “Looks like that’s our way across,” Tade states.

 “How exactly?”

 “I believe I can make the jump but I’m gonna have to throw you across.”

 He takes that in for a moment. He hasn’t had a Jedi use the force on him before. Should be fun. “What do you need me to do?”

 “Every time I lift you, tense up. And don’t panic. You ready?” He takes a second to secure his gear before nodding to her.

 She lifts him.

 It’s like he’s back in zero-g training, floating and weightless. His stomach swoops and then he goes hurtling through the air. He almost whoops in excitement. Flying was always a fun time for him.

 He lands less than easy, hitting the pillar on his knees but he doesn’t care, a grin has made its way across its face. He doesn’t exactly like the fact that someone can just control him like that, but he has to admit that that was fun.

 “Sorry,” Tade’s voice sounds in his ear. He pushes himself up and turns to face her.

 “Don’t worry about it.”

 She doesn’t respond, and he watches as she takes a couple steps backward before running and leaping. She goes high in the air. Her robes flap and whip around with the force of it but the sight is… definitely something.

 Its then that he sees it though. She’s too short.

 “Tade!” He shouts, heart seizing. He flings himself to the edge of the pillar. She’s already too low so he can’t grab her as she goes crashing into the side of the pillar. She’s clinging on though, thank the force. He carefully ignores the fact she’s dangling above a dark pit.  

 “I’m okay,” she wheezes into her comm. She starts climbing. Once she’s close enough, he’s heaving her up and over the side. “Thanks.” They stand together and he just squeezes her forearm.

 “I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to land on it, not crash into it.”

 Tade huffs as she scowls at the next pillar. “It’s almost out of my reach. This was made for two people, remember? The dyad must have propelled each other across to the pillars.”

 “Are there going to be more things like this? Where both people have to use the force?” Her face just scrunches up further. So he’ll take that as he does. Yes.

 “Most likely. We’ll figure out a way. If I can go through buildings made for multiple people, we can do this.” She claps his shoulder, hand on his pauldron. We.

 “You gonna be able to make it to the others?”

 “Yes. You ready?”

 “You bet.”

 He feels better this time around. He equates it to piloting a jet back but all he has to worry about is landing. This landing is better than the first, only stumbling instead of falling.

 Tade manages to go higher this time. Instead of going as low as she was before, she's higher up, clinging to the side. Thankfully she’s already close enough for him to grab her.

 They continue the process, her throwing him in the air and him pulling her up when she falls short.

 Soon enough, they reach the entrance. The feeling’s intense here, getting stronger but he can power through. It makes him grind his teeth. He can’t imagine how Tade is fairing. She’s got to be feeling the same thing as him, but is it worse for her? Can she feel something he can’t?

 “Once we go in, it won’t be easy to get out.” She looks at him, open and understanding. And he knows that if he turns back now she wouldn’t blame him.

 “If there’s one thing you need to know about me, General, it’s that I don’t back down.”

  The corner up her mouth lifts just a bit. “Good.” She heads up the ramp.

[meltykarasu]

Final Fantasy VII Advent Calendar — Dec. 13

Preliminary investigation into the previously inaccessible ziggurat south of the Junon area reveals that it is inaccessible but in a different way now, and asking the blacksmith near Gongaga reveals you need a Keystone, currently held by Dio from the Gold Saucer.

Back we go to the Gold Saucer!

Dio is in the Battle Square and in exchange for the Keystone he asks Cloud to participate in the Duel. This is pretty fun, and you get the Keystone no matter what, plus bonuses for people who get halfway through or all the way!

I did not get either!

So rounds one and two I punched through, and then the third round I faced an enemy who put Cloud to sleep and then attacked with percent-based attacks, leaving me at 1 HP and then I foolishly used the limit break before healing, sending me to the next round, and that enemy attacked pretty instantly.

So then we went for the Temple of—oh wait the ropeway back off the Saucer was out of order. Cait Sith said, hey, why don't we stay at the Ghost Hotel while we wait?

The whole party assembled in the lobby. Cait Sith asked Cloud for a summary of the prior events in the plot. Cloud said, hey, we're going after Sephiroth, who is searching for the Promised Land. Sephiroth is also looking for the Black Materia, which is in the Temple of the Ancients. There's also discussion of the men in the black cloaks, whom Hojo experimented on, but nobody has any idea of what it has to do with Sephiroth. Red XIII worries about his own tattoo and if he will go insane like the other experiments. Tifa encourages him.

Everyone heads to bed.

Later that night, Tifa shows up to Cloud's room. Yay, Tifa! (Less yay that I did not get the Yuffie date I was aiming for. But I still like Tifa anyway.) Tifa and Cloud sneak out on a date. Well, actually, Tifa drags Cloud on a date, but whatever.

They go to the Event Square, where a play is taking place. Cloud and Tifa are selected to play the leads! Thanks to the magic of improvisation, the cast will go along with whatever Cloud says. The plot is about a princess captured by a dragon and a hero who quests to save her, but Cloud's choices as the hero can make the story go buckwild.

Tifa invites Cloud onto the Gondola next.

Tifa verbally tiptoes around the fact that she loves Cloud.

When they return to the Gold Saucer's central area, Cait Sith is there, and he has the Keystone. Cloud chases him to the Chocobo Square, where Tseng of the Turks is waiting.

Cait Sith tosses him the Keystone.

Big reveal! Cait Sith is a robot being controlled by Shinra. The operator is back in Midgar. Cait Sith says that he wouldn't feel right if things kept going as they were with Shinra, so he wants to continue the journey. Cloud says no dice, spy.

So Cait Sith says "Okay, but I've also got Marlene as a hostage."

Cool!

Anyway, Aerith decides she's definitely going to the Temple of the Ancients. I chose Tifa as our third of the bunch again, because, well, Tifa.

Insert your own travel montage here.

When Aerith arrives at the Temple, she immediately is hit with the floating consciousness/knowledge of the Ancients lingering around the temple. They are refraining from joining the Lifestream out of sheer will to protect the Temple. At the top of the Ziggurat is one of the Black Cloaks, babbling about the Black Materia.

Tseng of the Turks is in the entrance. He's been wounded, and he tells the party that Sephiroth isn't after the Promised Land. Aerith is sad that he (apparently) dies, as despite his antagonism, he is one of the few people who have known her so long.

The Keystone, gotten from Tseng, unlocks the area within the pyramid: an MC Escher-esque maze. After that, Cloud does Watch For Rolling Rocks in 0.5 A-Presses, and Aerith takes a look at a magic pool with the consciousness of the Ancients inside. It shows her and the party the confrontation between Tseng and Sephiroth in the temple's mural room. Sephiroth intends to become one with the Planet. After saying this, he stabs Tseng.

The party continues. There's a big room shaped like a clock and you have to navigate using the hour and minute hands while the second hand tries to sweep you off. There's lots of treasures to grab, including the game's first Ribbon, the accessory that protects against all status effects.

Anyway, Cloud and co. made their way to the mural room. Cloud immediately started shouting for Sephiroth. And then Sephiroth showed up! He exposits.

Sephiroth's plan is thus: the Planet gathers spirit energy — the Lifestream — to heal its wounds. Depending on the size of said wound, it gathers more. Sephiroth will create a life-threatening injury to the Planet and then take a bath in the primoridal soul soup. Therefore and thusly, Sephiroth will become god.

"How do you intend to injure the Planet?" Aerith asks.

"Giant magic Meteor," Sephiroth responds.

Sephiroth vanishes and Cloud starts flipping out and laughing to himself about the Black Materia and summoning Meteor. He abruptly remembers himself. Aerith exposits further on Meteor, the ultimate destructive magic.

A Red Dragon draws near!

Unfortunately for it, I had two Limits saved up and Tifa has had the Fire Ring on for hours now, rendering most of its attacks useless against her!

And then it dropped Bahamut's summon materia! Thanks, dragon, for being an easy boss fight. Unfortunately, the party was locked in with a strange puzzle box type object.

The Ancients told Aerith that the whole temple *is* the Black Materia. The puzzle box makes the temple smaller until it becomes normal Materia size. But whoever is inside gets crushed. Tifa says "Let's leave it" but Cloud retorts that they need to get it out, because Sephiroth has lots of different flunkies (i.e. the Black Cloaks.)

We've got a caller on line one! Cait Sith rings in. Since he's got a robot body, it makes no difference to him if it gets crushed.

The party attempted a bold escape from the Temple but were attacked by the Demon Wall! I died here because I forgot that Big Guard is a spell I can use.

My second try I hit it with everything I had while also keeping my HP high and my guard up. Eventually, Tifa suplexed the entire fucking wall. I did not get a picture. I am sorry.

And Aerith got her second level 1 limit!

Cait Sith appeared, ready for his valiant sacrifice. Aerith asked for her and Cloud's fortune. Cait Sith said they were perfect for each other!

Cait Sith vanishes into the depths of the Temple. The whole thing became the Black Materia. Cloud and Aerith jumped in and Cloud grabbed it. It's unusable unless you're somewhere with a lot of the Planet's energy, like the Promised Land.

Aerith and Cloud realize that if Sephiroth isn't an Ancient, then he can't find it, but Sephiroth shows up and says "You thought wrong my good bitch. I traveled the Lifestream and slurped up all the Ancients' knowledge and wisdom."

Cloud flips out again and gives the Black Materia to Sephiroth.

Then the second Cait Sith shows up!

Cloud passes out.

He has a dream. Aerith is in a forest. He apologizes. She says she can handle Sephiroth. Only a survivor of the Cetra/Ancients can do what she plans to do at the City of the Ancients, and she'll be back when she's done. She runs off, and Cloud is unable to follow. Sephiroth appears in the dream, too.

Cloud wakes up in Gongaga. Everyone else is out looking for Aerith.

When Barret and Tifa hear that Aerith has departed for the City of the Ancients, they're ready to go, but Cloud is worried that he might not be able to keep control of himself. Despite this, he resolved to pursue Aerith.

I Tiny Bronco'd my way to Bone Village, an excavation site on the Northern Continent on the way to the Forgotten City. You need a Lunar Harp to get through the Sleeping Forest, and so Cloud hires the crew to excavate one.

Cloud made his way into Zango Valley. There was a Water Ring! Despite the seemingly useless nature of this accessory, I sure as heck equipped it on Tifa to replace the ever-handy Fire Ring! You'll have to tune in next time to find out why.

Today's Predictions & Strategy for Tomorrow

I'm catching up to my schedule. This was scheduled for the 11th, and it's the 13th. I'll make the rest of the difference up later.

Previous / Next

[dracothulhu]

Just a little snippet I wrote for the Temple Jedirodyne AU

Darkness.  Darkness all around.  Cloying.  Suffocating.  Rot creeping through the eddies and flow of the Force.

Lights, illuminating the Dark.  Fighting back.  Doing what they could.  But not enough, not against such a tide.  Some flare.  Some are cut off.  Some fade into the Dark, and each one tears at the Temple like a wound.  Dooku, so serious.  Krell, so proud.  Offee, who it can barely feel slipping away as the Dark starts to finally batter it insensate. The Temple is buried under the slow, relentless assault, and its awareness turns sluggish. Not sleep, for the Temple does not sleep - not in a thousand years has the Temple’s awareness so much as flickered, but now the insidious numbness that has been picking at it all these years finally begins to win out.

The Temple can only barely muster its attention within its own halls, much less outside into Coruscant proper, such is the malaise. There is no sense of time passing, merely a dull rush of days and weeks blurring together, and the Temple cannot muster the focus.... It nearly misses what happens. Council Masters leave, their Force presences grim and purposeful. And then, shortly afterward in the endless now that comprises the Temple’s paralyzed and helpless watch, their threads snap one by one. It senses Skywalker, who burned so brightly even as the shadows reached into his heart (the Temple had tried to reach out, but it has been so hard to rouse itself now against the weight of the Dark, against the misery of its young charges washing through, and the ghosts crowding the halls), and feels him Fall.

It feels a Sith. Suddenly, a greater change.  The lights are being silenced.  Glittering stars the galaxy over, being snuffed out. The young ones are under attack. Quickly, too quickly, and the Temple feels the Darkness throb.  Malice.  Hunger.  Triumph.

No!

It is like swimming through molasses to try and stretch its awareness back into the spaces it had once filled so comfortably - like wading through clinging, sucking tar; but the Darkness is encroaching, and the lights outside are dying, and it must come back to itself.   All resistance must crumble eventually, and this miasma is no different. There is an almost palpable snap, a shift in the air, and it is as though a dam has been breached, the river charging forward once more and never to be contained again. Awash with new-old-returned-always energy, the Temple ziggurat fairly quivers, and the ancient mind takes stock.

The cradle is under threat, and this is what the Temple-mind was reborn for, cast in durasteel and stone and the pure, coursing flow of the Force.  No more. No further.

The children must survive.

The children will survive.

The Guardians are warned.  Inside.  Retreat.  Protect the Younglings. 

Shield generators not used in an age begin spooling up.  Power surges through ancient conduits, unused but well maintained.  Blast doors and durasteel shutters grind into motion, crumbling the thin facades behind which they had hidden for years. 

And at the centre of the old mountain, the ancient will of the Temple reaches into the wellspring, and it drinks deeply.  Static charge begins to crackle around the spires, the dry-hot seeds of lightning gathering as the Temple casts its formidable awareness forth. Across the rolling duracrete plain of the Temple plaza, a faint tremor pulses.  The few citizens still lingering at this time of night glance about, filled with a sudden nervousness, and begin to make their way home, each filled with a feeling of should-not-stay. The Temple sends its awareness out ever further, toward the dark miasma of the Sith leech, even as part of its attention focuses on the network of exterior cameras raking the perimeter approaches. The Temple feels at the cloying mass for but a moment before withdrawing and settling in to wait. At such a distance, the Sith is impossible to make out amidst the polluting Darkness. Instead, the Temple sends forth a message - a wave strong enough to cross the length and breadth of the planet, with enough force that it is a wonder that it doesn’t shake the air itself.  Come on then.

[anonover]

Feemor reaches out to Obi-Wan after Qui-Gon’s death. After being all but renounced from his lineage, Feemor took a post on the outskirts of the Middle Rim, defending locals and investigating dubious trades. It was dirty, difficult work with little rest but it made him happy. He saved some people, freed some slaves, fought some pirates, and let go of some of his hurt. It’s been years since Qui-Gon and him have spoken but when news reaches him about his master’s death, he feels conflicted. Feemor is ready to shrug it off, but a tendril of Force reaches out, whispers, notice, and he looks.

Obi-Wan is a brand new knight with no support other than old Master Yoda who  is busy himself with Council things. He just killed a Sith after hundreds of year, saw his Master die, was Knighted, and now has to take care of a Padawan. Feemor has never spoken with Obi-Wan but it wasn’t Obi-Wan who forced him out of the lineage. He submits a request to be transferred back to the Coruscant Main Temple.

Within a few weeks, he is back to the bustling, stone ziggurat the Jedi Order calls home. He’s assigned to the Travelers’ Dorms for the time being. It’s easy, even after all these years, to charm Kenobi’s apartment number out of an office worker.

He stands in front of the apartment, the same one Qui-Got had, and rings the pad. A young man with weary eyes and deep red hair answers the door. Feemor has never met him before but in the Force, it rings true. “Hello brother.”

[badger-writes]

Star Wars OC Ship Week 2021 - “for light and life”

Day 4 - Action/Adventure

Then...

Sskeer came at him like a feral Nexu, leveraging a ferocious primal strength into a totally unrelenting barrage of lightsaber strikes. He assaulted Kelto’s defense with a flurry of fast, sweeping slashes, battering his sides with wide swordstrokes and raining down heavy overhead blows from above - the hallmarks of the Aggression Form, Ataru, his skill at which he had honed to razor keenness over the long period of his Knighthood.

Kelto wished he had foreseen that the intensity of his friend’s fighting style would match that of his demeanor. More than that, though, he wished he had kept up with his saber practice. His style was that of Resilience, Soresu, a style which valued ultimate defense - a fitting form for a practitioner of the healing arts, but not for a duelist. As the Rodian himself now proved, being buffeted as he was around the sparring circle, preventing the Trandoshan from landing a blow by last-minute movement or the skin of his teeth.

Kelto had assumed working in the medical ward precluded the possibility of encountering lightsaber combat in his daily life. Sskeer had made it his mission to thoroughly deconstruct that notion.

“Focus,” he hissed over the electrical crash of their plasma blades. “Do not let the fight dictate your reality.”

“I’m not,” Kelto protested. “I’m - I’m enduring!”

“Survival alone will not guarantee victory. If you spend all your energy waiting for a counterblow, you will lose. You must seize control, not wait for it to be given!”

He lifted his blade as if to strike Kelto’s right quarter, then swung instead for his feet. The Rodian jumped back, landing unsteadily on his feet, and attempted to reestablish his guard. With a thrust, Sskeer pushed it away.

“Just give me a second,” Kelto grunted, swatting away another incoming blow.’

“Your opponent will show no mercy. Why should I?”

“Just - just slow down! I can’t - I can’t keep up with you!”

 “You’re in over your head,” Sskeer lectured. “Becoming flustered. The fear, the anger - it is taking hold of you.”

“Sskeer, please--!”

“Without balance, we lose discipline. Without discipline, we lose control.”

With a cry, Kelto lashed out - a clumsy, sloppy swing that was born of no style save frustration. Sskeer dodged it easily. Then he reached out with his free hand and seized the front of the healer’s tunic in an iron-clawed grasp. This was followed with a leg sweep that knocked his feet out from under him and a simple throw that sent him definitively down to the mattress. The impact forced the breath from Kelto’s lungs and his lightsaber from his fingers, its training blade disappearing with a sad hiss as it deactivated.

Sskeer held the point of his own saber over Kelto’s heart where he lay. His reptilian face was sympathetic, but pitiless.

“And that is why we must drill,” he said.

Groaning, Kelto forced himself up on his elbows. He was panting hard, sweat shining on his face and darkening the collar of his robes. By contrast, Sskeer didn’t seem to have a hair out of place, insofar as one could say such a thing about a Trandoshan.

“Dammit,” the Rodian gasped. “I just -- I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”

“You were unwise to lower your defenses,” Sskeer began, fixing his hilt to his belt. “Your last swing created a clear angle of attack on your center.”

“I figured that part out, thanks,” Kelto snapped, drawing his knees to his chest. “It’s everything else that’s a problem.”

“The fault isn’t yours alone. Soresu prioritizes defense above all others, but a shield alone cannot win a battle. You must bring a sword as well. That is what I am trying to show you, Kelto.”

“Well, all you’re showing me right now is that my shield sucks.” 

“A problem that can be solved. But not by ruminating on your failures.”

The Rodian sighed violently, glaring between his toes. Turning towards the edge of the circle, Sskeer reached out and used the Force to levitate a canister of water into his waiting hand. Then he sat cross-legged on the floor beside Kelto, offering Kelto the canteen. He took it like a secondhand trophy.

“This time you lasted much longer,” Sskeer informed him as he gulped down the cool liquid. “Against an Ataru as aggressive as my own, that is no easy feat. I commend you.”

“I still lost,” Kelto observed grumpily.

“This is true. When your attitude about saber combat changes, this will change, too.”

“That’s just it, Sskeer - I don’t think it will.” Kelto let out a guilty breath. “Saber combat was never important to me. It never felt - right. A pacifist shouldn’t carry a laser sword. And neither should a healer.”

“A pacifist can be a healer, and a peacekeeper as well. More than that, he ought to be able to defend himself. All of these concepts can coexist.”

“I understand that, but - come on, you don’t really believe we’ll be having lightsaber duels again, do you? The Sith have been extinct for ages by now. Who would strike at the Jedi or the Republic on such a scale again?”

“I don’t know,” Sskeer said slowly. “I hope such a conflict does not occur for many generations to come. But I believe in being prepared for the galaxy’s sake, if not only my own. And so should you.”

“But - but I barely leave the Temple,” Kelto protested. “I barely even leave my quarters!”

“You cannot rely on routine and habit to shield you from the world. The future will find bring you to many dangers, Kelto, whether that be a patrol in the Coruscant underworld or a mission of peace and relief to the Outer Rim. It may even bring danger to you, here, in the place where we Jedi feel safest. Will you feel very wise then, if you allow yourself to become comfortable and complacent? Will you feel safe? Will those in your care?”

Kelto had no answer. He went back to staring uncertainly at his toes.

Sskeer heaved a breath through his nostrils. “If I upset you, I apologize. It is a matter I care deeply about. For the sake of the galaxy - and for your own. It is… the way of the Guardian.”

“I know.”

“When we continue, I will… slow down, and offer more suggestions for improvement. From now on, we proceed at your pace, not mine.”

“...Thank you, Sskeer. That… means a lot.”

The Trandoshan reached out and rested a palm on Kelto’s shoulder. “I seek only to serve you, Healer. And to help.”

Kelto offered him a shaky smile, covering his hand with his own. “Don’t we all?”

Now…

Oh good. The pirates had sliced a loadlifter.

Kelto swore under his breath and ducked as a Class B medium cargo container went hurtling through the air overhead, smashing through part of the hastily-erected CSF barricade. The ziggurat platform of the derrick major squatted over them all, offering the criminals and their reprogrammed muscle an opportunity for raining blasterfire and shipping crates down upon the police frontline. The sting operation had clearly failed; the pirates weren’t leaving without a fight, and the police were horribly outnumbered.

And the only thing standing between them and death by volleys of laser fire was Kelto and Sskeer.

One thing Soresu was good for was deflection training. As bolts of sizzling red plasma plunged towards them, Kelto intercepted them with his blade, sending them harmlessly into the ground or off to the side. Beside him, Sskeer, too, was bouncing shots off the edge of his saber, though his technique lacked refinement; in trying, perhaps, to reflect the pirates’ own shots back at them, they instead bounced wildly back into the loading bay, spalling off chunks of permacrete or ricocheting off the surface of blast-resistant cargo pods.

“Injured to our left,” Kelto called out as he sensed them. “I’m going to get them.”

“I’ll give you cover,” Sskeer nodded. “Let’s move.”

Carefully, they sidestrafed through the wide open space of the cargo landing. Kelto relied on intuition to lead them to the wounded, and for intuition, he trusted the Force. It brought them to the foot of a gantry crane where two dockworkers and a security official were taking cover. The officer was slumped against its foot, bleeding slightly from the mouth, a darkly-singed crater on his stomach where a blaster bolt had breached his body armor.

“Give me cover,” Kelto ordered, and Sskeer obliged; he held his lightsaber out before him through the Force and made it spin until a single spear of light became a dazzling electric-blue shield, almost completely circular in the perfection of its cycle. Incoming fire was all but spattered harmlessly away.

Sheathing his own blade, Kelto crouched down beside the cop, examining his wound. “What’s your name, officer?”

“J-Joh,” the man sputtered. “Joh Andaris.”

“It’s good to meet you, Joh. I’m Kelto. You’re gonna be fine.” He took a stim-shot from a hip pouch and injected it into the man’s shoulder. “That’s to get you on your feet. In a couple of seconds my friend and I are going to have some words with those gentlemen up on the warehouse level, and when we do that I need you all to run back towards the police line, yes?”

“How are we supposed to get all the way back there?!” one of the workers, an Aqualish, quailed. “We’ll be ripped to shreds!”

“We’ll draw their fire.” Kelto lifted the man up onto his feet. “Be ready.”

“All by yourselves?!”

“It’s what we do. We are all the Republic.”

He turned back to Sskeer just in time to watch a blaster bolt slip through his defenses. It slid perfectly through a gap in his deflection pattern and sheared over the surface of his shoulder; the Trandoshan hissed, almost dropping his concentration, calling his saber back to his hand for a more conventional defense.

To the far right of their position, back across the way, Kelto sighted a Class C cargo unit - a long trapezoid of rust-colored durasteel, taller than him by quite a bit and by Sskeer by not much more. But size mattered not. He stretched out his hands and cradled it in the Force, lifting it - pulling it close to the point it blocked all the incoming fire that Sskeer was drawing.

The Rodian edged out behind it as the civilians used its cover to limp back to safety. Sskeer, in turn, took hold of the container as well; they moved in concert, step by step, pushing forward to the center of the plaza.

“How’s your shoulder?” Kelto called. He had to raise his voice, otherwise Sskeer might not have heard him over the hailstorm of blaster shots pitting the other side of their durasteel wall.

“I’ve had worse.”

Kelto glanced at the wound. It was oozing emerald green blood into Sskeer’s white-and-gold Jedi robes. “Not that by much,” he commented. “Sure you don’t want a stim?”

“Save it. Maybe one of the gentlemen shooting at us needs a pick-me-up,” the Trandoshan retorted.

“Hey, you wanted me out here!”

“Just be ready--”

“I’m with you--”

“For light and life!”

Together, they angled the container upwards - and hurled it through the air towards the pirates. They scattered back, falling away from the walkway above, as it crashed through the railing and rolled to a stop somewhere beyond the edge.

Leaping to a phenomenal height, Sskeer and Kelto followed after it.

Then…

When he landed, Kelto ducked into a roll, swiping out at Sskeer’s shins; the Trandoshan moved to push the blow away, realized there wasn’t enough time, and only just managed to jump back from it before it connected. He grinned even through his blocking when it was followed by an evenly-spaced series of strikes.

“Good,” he said over the clash of lightsabers. “Good! Seize the offensive. Build on your momentum.”

Kelto smirked at him through their blade lock. “Now who’s waiting for a countermove?”

In response Sskeer levered his blade away, moving his own smoothly back and up through the air for an overhead slash. Here, Kelto did something he did not expect; instead of intercepting his attack directly, he sidestepped to his right and brought his lightsaber upwards at a diagonal angle, following the edge of Sskeer’s blade in almost perfect parallel.

In spite of himself, Kelto grinned triumphantly as he made his attack. His saber’s edge would travel directly into Sskeer’s belly, framed by the position of his knees below and his arms above; it was a guaranteed hit. A guaranteed victory, even!

But then Sskeer reared back hard, forcing himself to bend at a near ninety-degree angle to the floor, supporting his body almost solely through pushing down through the balls of his feet. As Kelto’s strike swung harmlessly over him, brilliant turquoise energy passing right above his face, he pivoted hard on his toes, swinging out from under Kelto’s arms and pirouetting away from his opponent’s zone of control. Transforming a decisive blow into a near miss.

Spinning his saber in one-handed agitation, Kelto gave him a Rodian stink eye. “A giant like you,” he said crossly, “should not be allowed to move like that.”

Sskeer fixed him with a sly stare. “That’s not what you thought last Fete Week.”

“Don’t go there,” the healer laughed, pointing with his sword warningly. “Do not go there.”

“Try and stop me,” the Guardian said, huskily.

Kelto gave a cry of action and surged forward, clutching his sword like a spear--

And at the last moment Sskeer stepped to one side, and Kelto saw how close to the edge of the sparring circle he’d been standing. In a panic, he threw out his free hand and grabbed the front of Sskeer’s robe, his toes digging into the mat and dragging him to a stop, hanging almost completely over the short dip down to the floor below.

“Your next lesson,” Sskeer declared passively. Having an entire Rodian come to an emergency stop by clinging desperately to his shirt hadn’t so much as budged him. “Don’t blind yourself to your surroundings.”

“That’s not fair,” Kelto protested half-heartedly. “You distracted me.”

“That is the point.” He grabbed Kelto by the arm and pulled him back to his feet on the sparring mat. “I’m supposed to.”

 “It wasn’t the fair kind of distraction.”

“No fight is fair, Kelto. You must adapt to anything and everything that your opponent may have in store for you. Focus on the reality of the fight, not temporary diversions.”

The healer crossed his arms, crinkling his snout puckishly. “Even if they’re big, tall, incorrigibly sexy distractions?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Especially then,” Sskeer chuffed, turning. “Now come - back to first position. Now that you’ve got the hang of things, let’s go again.”

“Lose the tunic first, big guy.”

He stopped, turning on his heel. “Exssssscuse me?”

“Hey - you wanted to train me to block out distractions, right?” Kelto strutted to his marker and crouched down into beginning stance, grinning. “So start being distracting already.”

Sskeer smirked. “As you wish,” he said, shrugging out of his top.

Now…

In the heat of the battle, Kelto’s awareness had developed into a kind of double vision - an immediate center of attention where his focus narrowed to encompass the most immediately pressing complication, and a wider, peripheral awareness where the details of his environment and surrounding happenings were sorted into neat piles to be confronted later.

The two men before him leveling carbines in his direction rated his immediate attention. Sskeer was to his right, on the other side of the warehouse; the pirates occupying that half, accordingly, became a secondary concern. The loading crane coming unmoored with an explosion and falling to the floor with a hideous crash was concerning - almost distracting - but ultimately of no consequence; he could safely ignore it, as it had landed on no one and nothing important.

The pirates in front of him didn’t realize this, and flinched, looking back over their shoulders. He seized the opportunity and sliced the barrels off their weapons before throwing them back against a cargo pod with a gesture, where they passed into unconsciousness and out of the fight. One of them had managed to pull the trigger before his saber ruined his gun; the bolt blazed a trail past his temple and nearly singed off his topknot, but aside from some lingering heat on the side of his face, he was otherwise okay.

Sidestepping to the right, Kelto next leapt the vertical meters up to the gantryway above, cresting the railing with a kick that caught a waiting sniper in the jaw and sent him sprawling over the side. The thump that he made when he hit the floor was a curiosity; equally unimportant, in the scheme of things, as the fallen loading arm. He duly discarded the thought.

Men shooting at him on his side of the catwalks? Immediate threat - he deflected their shots back at them in turn. Sskeer joining him on the upper level, opposite side, similarly engaged, carving through the opposition with his usual intensity? Important situational note - make an effort to link up as soon as possible.

A heavy repeater being wheeled out on a repulsorpad from behind a heavy warehouse door on their level?

Well, details like that tended to... confuse his ordering system, just a little.

“SSKEER!”, he shouted, pirouetting back towards a tall, thick support column. “E-WEB! E-WEB!”

Glancing, Sskeer saw - and jumped out of the line of fire just before the blaster cannon opened up. The warehouse rang from floor to ceiling with the staccato drone of its report as the dreadful weapon poured its destructive firepower into the Trandoshan’s general location; it pounded Kelto’s ears as he watched, heart in his throat, as Sskeer scrambled for cover.

The cannon’s operator must have been a genius among smugglers, for instead of trying to perforate a target that moved faster than he could aim, he shot the catwalk out from under him. It collapsed with a terrible crash and sent Sskeer spilling down to the floor; he recovered in a rolling crouch as the other gangsters, emboldened, turned all their attention to the fallen Jedi, blasters raised.

His partner was in danger. Intellectually, Kelto knew this should have bothered him. Instead he pushed through the spike of emotion and found his discipline again.

Then he went to work.

Darting out from behind the pillar, he sprinted at full tilt past one - two - three snipers on the catwalks, slashing each of them in passing. The cannon operator, he knew, would see him coming - and even now he was orienting the giant gun accordingly. He couldn’t possibly reach the cannon before it found a bead on him - so instead he brought the gun to him.

Kelto skidded to a halt, whipped out a hand, and pulled the mounted cannon towards him; the cannon, a slave to its hoverlift, jerked forward violently, throwing its gunner to the side when he had finished coming along for the ride. Sidestepping the drifting E-Web, Kelto slashed downwards through its barrel in passing, pivoted sharply on his heel, and delivered his booted heel to the pirate’s chin as he attempted to rush him with a vibroknife. The blow knocked him out cold, and Kelto noted with uncharacteristic satisfaction the crack it made when his foot collided with his jaw.

With the gun out of commission, he turned back to the warehouse floor below. He needn’t have worried, he realized; with brutal Trandoshan ferocity, Sskeer had made quick work of the pirates who had made the fatal tactical error of attempting to charge a single lightsaber-wielding opponent. He snarled his way through a final broad slash that sent two more men collapsing to the ground, growling in challenge at any unseen gangsters left bold enough or stupid enough to approach him.

“I got the gun,” Kelto reported, belatedly.

“Very good,” Sskeer called back up. “Lower floor is clear.”

“Was that all of them?”

“I believe so.”

Kelto vaulted the rail and dropped back down to the ground floor, softening his landing with the Force and landing in a crouch. “That’s a pity,” he commented, straightening and padding over to Sskeer. “I was hoping we could resolve this without much loss of life.”

“CSF casualties were low. And we are both still standing.”

“I meant on both sides.”

“Save your pity,” Sskeer sniffed. “If these Outer Rim scum are so low as to murder innocents for smuggled wealth, they deserve just what they got.”

“I suppose,” Kelto shrugged. “But I still feel conflicted.”

“Your compassion does you credit, Kelto. But don’t waste it on those who don’t seek it.”

“I offer it freely. It’s a healer thing.” He reached up to brush the suckers of his fingers against Sskeer’s injured shoulder. “A Jedi thing.”

The Trandoshan grunted, closing his eyes. “I know, I know. My… zeal, sometimes exceeds my beliefs.”

“We’re all the Republic, Sskeer. Even the baddies.”

“Thank you for reminding me.”

Slowly, Sskeer’s fingers reached up to touch Kelto’s where they lingered at his collar, brushing the underside of his cheek.

Then Kelto said, “You don’t think we’re forgetting anything, do you?”

The loadlifter droid crashed through the ceiling, landing on the permacrete with enough force to create a small crater, screeching at them in corrupted Binary.

“Dammit,” Kelto grunted as they ignited their sabers once more. “Dammit dammit dammit.”

“Keep calm. It’s only a droid.”

“I know, I know. Just wishing I hadn’t broken the big gun.”

Then…

Only a few short months of consistent drilling later, and Kelto was already matching Sskeer step for step in the dueling ring. And from the look on his face, he knew it, too.

“Surprised I’m doing so well?” he asked, striking probingly at his opponent’s left and right quarters.

“On the contrary,” Sskeer replied, batting them away. “I couldn’t be prouder. You learn well.”

“I had a good teacher.” Kelto ducked under a first horizontal sweep, and punished the second by needling the point of his lightsaber into the joint of Sskeer’s shoulder; on training setting, it made contact with only an electrical sting. “But not that good, apparently.”

The Trandoshan growled, pacing in a circle and rolling his arm in its socket, working out the pain. “I don’t recognize that move,” he said wonderingly. “That wasn’t Soresu, was it?”

“I’ve been doing some research in my free time. Been looking into the Persistence Form - Shien. Do you know it?”

“Hm. A more aggressive style than what you’re used to.”

“Certain parts of it, yes, I agree. But you were right - you have to cover a good defense with a good offense. There’s no room for clinging to ideology in a real fight -- ” 

Kelto flinched suddenly to the right, provoking Sskeer into following him with his guard - then he juked back the opposite direction, capitalizing on the fake-out by swinging his blade into the underside of his wrists. 

“But being able to fight isn’t what defines you,” Kelto finished. “What you fight for does.”

“Yesss,” Sskeer rumbled. “Yes. Exactly what I’ve been trying to show you!”

He threw himself into another series of full-power overheads, and grinned widely as Kelto countered each of them in turn. Under locked blades, the Rodian beamed back at him.

“Though I can’t help but notice that this revelation comes after a steady string of losses,” the Guardian snorted.

“Every failure is an opportunity to learn,” Kelto replied smoothly. “And I’ve learned enough to finally beat you.”

“Then prove it,” Sskeer demanded.

“You know -- I think I will.”

And then it was Kelto who broke the block, with enough force to send Sskeer staggering back a half step; and when Sskeer attempted to counter with an overhead chop, he sidestepped the stroke before it arrived and leapt, corkscrewing up the air and planting himself on Sskeer’s shoulderblades, pushing hard through the balls of his feet. The Trandoshan grunted with the extra weight, wobbling fatefully on his feet before finally tipping and falling face first to the padded floor, saber jarring from his grasp on impact.

One foot on the small of Sskeer’s back and the other on the thick slope of his shoulders, Kelto lowered the edge of his blade to rest against his opponent’s neck. “And done,” he smirked.

From the floor, Sskeer glared - and then began to laugh. A deep, resonant sound, from the pit of his throat. “Well done, little healer. It seems your training is complete.”

“The student becomes the master,” the Rodian preened.

“Indeed. Let me up now, so I can congratulate you properly.”

Extinguishing his blade, Kelto said thoughtfully, “I don’t know - I worked pretty hard for this. Feel like I’ve earned the right to rub it in a little, don’t you?” And so even as he was stepping off of Sskeer’s back, he was plunking himself down to sit upon the curve of the Trandoshan’s spine. 

“Urk-!”

“Oh, yes,” Kelto giggled. “That sound just made it all totally worth it.”

Sskeer glared at him warmly as he straightened up onto his elbows. “You are lucky to be pulling this juvenile nonsense on me and not someone like Master Engle.”

“After the protracted thrashing I just took, you’re lucky you’re still with me at all!”

He chuckled at that, softening. “I am, aren’t I.”

“And don’t you forget it, mister.” Kelto tapped the emitter of his lightsaber against his temple to underline the point. Then he stood, and offered his hand. “C’mon, up and at ‘em. Let’s go again.”

The disparity in their sizes and masses meant that Sskeer ended up doing most of the work of standing up. “Again? I thought your training was through.”

“My training. Now I help you work on your defense.”

“Ah, of course. How unexpectedly generous of you, ‘Master’ Lem.”

“Not generous at all. I plan on giving as good as I got.”

“I’d expect nothing less.”

Smiling at each other, they folded their arms and bowed.

“Now look - it’s not so much about where you put your blade as where you put your feet, see? Watch…”

Now…

The loadlifter must have attempted to break through the police line; it was the only way to explain the amount of carbon scoring pitting its chassis. But the CSF’s sidearms had clearly failed to stop the berserk droid; if anything, they had only made it angrier.

The Jedi had two things working in their favor. First, the machine’s primary offensive implement, its two massive lifting arms, made its attack pattern slow & easy to predict; second, its sheer mass made it difficult for the droid to attack them with any kind of subtlety or dexterity. This meant much of the incoming danger would be coming from wide sweep attacks, and easily dodged. This was about where their list of advantages ended.

The droid, meanwhile, had been fitted by its criminal masters with heavy hydraulic legs and a microscopically thin layered shell of energy-resistant material - neuranium, perhaps, skimmed from shipments bound for projects related to the Republic’s Great Works initiative? Kelto wasn’t sure, and frankly, right now he didn’t care. Either way it meant their lightsabers weren’t easily cutting through its hide, and it had the speed to match and catch their every maneuver. It was a heavy bruiser, and no mistake.

If this was what they’d managed to cook up right under their noses on Coruscant, imagine what they were up to beyond the frontier?

The machine screeched and rushed them yet again, blitzing across the warehouse at a blistering pace in an attempt to pancake them against the wall. With scant seconds to spare they threw themselves in opposite directions, Kelto landing in a roll and turning sharply; the machine, split between two targets, chose to pursue Sskeer.

It shattered the ground around it with its huge fists, apelike bashing aimed at squashing the Trandoshan into the floor. Sskeer moved with a deftness that belied his own size; his feet carried him out of or around the rapidly-shifting crush zone with supreme economy of motion and exertion, and above them, his body shifted minutely to maximize his effective positioning. His arms, meanwhile, slashed and jabbed at the droid’s reinforced chassis with his lightsaber, creating trails of shallow gouges in the metal where his blade had passed.

Watching from the sidelines, Kelto almost wanted to cheer him on. Then the droid caught Sskeer in the gut with a side-swipe and sent him flying into the far wall.

His focus remained on Sskeer, sitting in his own impact crater, long enough to see his chest heave; he was badly shaken, possibly stunned, but still alive. Then his attention shifted back to the droid, which had taken its first step towards finishing the job.

The cowling around its shoulder joint had come loose. Not by much - but perhaps just enough.

Kelto charged. Sliding under a wild reactive swipe, he rolled to his feet and thrust the tip of his saber upwards, straight into the chink in the droid’s armor. In attempting to pull away, the droid inadvertently drew the unprotected coupling which lay beneath its shell across the edge of the energy blade, and the limb fell away lifelessly. It screamed in Binary, orienting to smash the offending Jedi with its other arm, but Kelto jump-flipped up and over its shoulder, shearing away the linkages connecting its armored collar to its vulnerable neck.

“Sskeer!”, he cried, landing as the armor segments clattered to the floor. “Now!”

The loadlifter reared back for one last overhead smash. It never got the chance to deliver the blow. Behind it, Sskeer bounded across the floor and sprang into a corkscrewing leap which carried his blade into position to strike the droid’s head from its shoulders. He executed the wayward machine with a roar.

The head landed with a dull clang and a dwindling electric whine; the rest of the body shuddered and ground to a complete halt, like a grotesque junkyard statue. The same could not be said for Sskeer, who came down heavily to his hands and knees upon returning to earth.

“Sskeer!” Kelto rushed to catch him, dropping his lightsaber and pushing him back up straight by his shoulders. “Are you alright?!”

“Y-yes,” Sskeer hissed. He clutched his head in one clawed hand and screwed his eyes shut, still sitting on his haunches. “I’m alright, it’s only -- nng-- a concussion, perhaps.”

“Sure you don’t want that stim now?”

“I’ve… reconsidered.”

Obligingly, Kelto injected him with an ampoule of kolto - and one more for good measure. Soon enough, Sskeer could see clearly again, though the ringing pain in his head still remained. The blaster wound, though, had almost completely closed over.

“Nice footwork back there,” Kelto murmured with a smile, massaging his uninjured shoulder. “Good placement, good tempo - ever consider taking up tap dancing? You’ve sure got the rhythm for it.”

“They don’t make patent synthleather in Trandoshan sizes.”

“Hey, you gotta have something to fall back on in case this Jedi thing falls through.”

Wearily, Sskeer met his eyes, grumbling in his throat. “Always the joker,” he said, tipping the underside of the Rodian’s jaw with his knuckle. Then he stood, groaning. “We should inform the police the situation is contained.”

Kelto tucked himself under his arm, half-carrying his weight across his shoulders - well, more like quarter-carrying. “Not bad for my first big patrol, huh?”

“You were more than capable. In some places, you surpassed even myself.” Sskeer slid his hand back to rest on the closer of Kelto’s shoulders. “As I said you would, if you trusted yourself to.”

“Ah, you’re just saying that.”

Sskeer stopped him in his tracks so he’d know he was being serious. “You would have made a fine Jedi Guardian, Kelto Lem. And should you ever desire such a path, I would be honored to walk it with you.”

He stared up at him, bug-eyed. “You… really mean that?”, he asked quietly.

Sskeer shrugged. “Consider it something to fall back on, in case being a healer doesn’t work out.”

“And I thought I was the joker around here,” Kelto snorted, as they left the ruined warehouse behind.

[greencrusader13]

All Were Innocent Once: Chapter 2 - Greylam Cormat

We've got one more character introduction after this before things get really underway, so I apologize if the fic seems meandering right now. I've also been uploading to FanFiction.net under the username cloverlord13, so you can check this out there too if you’re so inclined. I’m not sure if anyone’s been reading, but if there is anyone out there, I hope you’ve been enjoying this.

There is no emotion; there is peace.

The child exhaled, his eyes lightly sealed shut as he focused on becoming completely attuned with his surroundings. Near from the bench on which he sat cross-legged a stream flowed through the meditation gardens within the Jedi Temple. Fish swam through the gentle currents, and Greylam could feel them through the Force, tranquil within the clean waters. The air felt cooler in here, more so than in any other place within the temple. It was a paradise unto itself.

There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.

The gardens had been in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant for centuries, built by masters far older and far wiser than he could ever hope to aspire to. Countless Jedi had meditated among the foliage before him, and traces of their presence still lingered along the stone pathways, within the sand and against the bark of twisted trees. There was history in this place, not one of glory and Republic triumph, but one of seclusion and wisdom.

It was where he usually spent his mornings, before most other Jedi or initiates woke. Sometimes he'd take a holopad with him and read beside a nearby brook; this particular dawn he'd brought an archeology datapad for study, even though he hadn't gotten around to actually reading it. He preferred to meditate in solitude. He'd have plenty of time for study later. Greater truths were found in quiet contemplation.

There is no passion; there is serenity.

Calm, completely calm. Greylam inhaled through his nose and let the feeling wash over him.

There is no death; there is the Force.

It was the binding constant that held the galaxy together. All beings were tied to the Force, and became one with it upon death. One day, he would as well. Everything would. It was nothing to fear, as so many thought. There was no greater peace.

Greylam opened his eyes and looked skyward. Through the windows overhead he saw Coruscant slowly brighten as dawn arrived, the golden gleam of sunlight igniting the sky with an orange-tinted hue. Morning would herald more instruction, more opportunities to learn the ways of the Force from his teachers.

He uncrossed his legs and started to rise. A pair of birds not far from where he sat fluttered away at his movement, vanishing into the ferns. It was a shame to have to leave: the gardens truly held so much life. The Force was in true splendor here, and Greylam could feel the ways in which it all connected the beings within it. Here, more than anywhere, he felt peace.

Perhaps it was because of where he was from, Alderaan, considering its reputation for possessing beautiful flora and fauna. At one point an instructor of his had told him that his eyes were the same color as that of Alderaan's lakes, supposedly beautiful during the summers. He wasn't sure, though, and in fact he could not even recall what Alderaan looked like from personal experience. As with all Force-sensitive children, Greylam had been adopted into the Jedi Order before he could develop any attachments to his parents or any other potential loved ones. At seven years old – only five years since the Order brought him in – he couldn't remember the sound of their voices or any other notable features about them.

Greylam knew well enough that a child outside the Jedi would've felt saddened by that fact. He didn't. It was better this way after all. Attachments led only to emotion, and such emotions could lead down the path to the dark were they to become volatile enough. One's mind must be clear and vigilant, lest it give way to temptation.

Pulling gently through the Force, Greylam brought his boots to his feet and guided them on to his feet. He had already dressed himself in the standard beige garb of a Jedi Initiate, similar to the ones full-fledged Jedi wore under normal circumstances. It was better than having to return to his dormitory to change out of pajamas in order to start his day.

No sooner had he placed them back on did he feel a ripple through the gardens as someone entered the space. Far away he could hear the door open and close, followed by steps that came towards him. Greylam reached out through the empty space with his mind, letting himself feel the new presence, finding it familiar.

By the time Instructor Rel had turned the corner Greylam had already risen, waiting for him attentively. Greylam gave him a polite bow. "Good morning Master Paddoq."

A faint smile crept onto the old man's worn and weathered face. His dark brown skin bore the scars of many battles long past from his days as a Jedi Knight, and his beard had greyed over time. It was a deceptively intimidating look, but the man was nothing but kind to all others. He was a figure present throughout all of Greylam's life, his presence preceding Greylam's own memory.

Rel Paddoq's chestnut-colored eyes studied Greylam for a moment. "I had a feeling I'd find you here," he said, his voice deep and crackling like embers on a hearth, "Why aren't you asleep little youngling? It's still early yet, and you should be getting what rest you can."

"I just wanted some time to meditate before I started my day."

"Most children your age don't approach meditation with quite as much eagerness as you do Greylam. I'm usually hearing how much they want to build a lightsaber or learn sparring."

"I'll learn to fight when it's decided that I'm ready. Fighting should only be used as a last resort, not while striving for glory. Many children don't understand that."

He paused, and Greylam couldn't tell if his response had troubled the instructor. "That being said I'm happy to see that you understand its importance. You have a natural connection to the Force."

"You humble me Master."

There was another gap of silence between them. Then Instructor Rel ruffled Greylam's short ashen hair, gave a gentle wave of his hand, and turned to leave the gardens. "Allow me to walk you to the refectory. I'm sure that you'll want something to eat before your instructions become underway."

Now that he had mentioned it, Greylam noticed his own hunger, a sensation he'd managed to dull during his meditations. He followed close beside Instructor Rel, but kept his focus ahead. Rel was considerably taller than him – taller than most others as well – and Greylam knew it would be hard to stray from the giant man's side. Becoming a Jedi Shadow was likely out of the question even in his younger years.

Rel lead Greylam out of the meditation gardens to a hallway that led to the atrium of the ziggurat. Red carpets with golden embroidery lined the marble flooring, stretching wide across the interior. By now the Jedi Temple was awakening; the clear sky outside allowed the sun a particular shine that slipped through the windows on the far side of the mezzanine across from them. When Greylam had left for his meditations, the chamber had been empty save for the usual temple guardsman. They were not far from the dormitories, and he knew that other parts of the temple likely weren't as populated in the morning hour.

"Tell me Greylam," Instructor Rel said suddenly, "Are there any other younglings at the temple that you would consider your friend?"

Greylam cocked his head at the instructor's question. "Friends?"

"I ask only because you seem more solitary than the other initiates here. You are often sitting or eating alone when you're not meditating. Believe me, you're excelling at your classes, but you have trouble communicating."

"Forgive me Master, but I don't wholly see the relevance," Greylam started, "Our purpose here is to learn the ways of the Force and the teachings of the Jedi. Isn't that what I've been doing?"

Instructor Rel nodded, though his eyes remained grave. "You've become quite familiar with texts and philosophers key to our order that is true. I have little doubt of your intellectual capacities, but there is more to being a Jedi than our philosophies. A true Jedi must know how to communicate with others, know how to deescalate situations before the need for fighting ever emerges. It is the application of our philosophies that is important, not just the words themselves. Flowers do not grow from the concept of rain alone.

"And it is there where I have concern for you, Greylam. While you have a great understanding of the Force at such a young age, I fear that you have little talent for communication. For example, what if, one day when you're a Jedi Knight, you have a padawan who expresses confusion over one of the Order's teachings? What would you tell them?"

"I would explain it to them again until they can remember it."

"Ah, you misunderstand me. This hypothetical protégé of yours knows what this teaching says, but fiercely disagrees with it. How would you go proceed?"

Greylam raised a perplexed eyebrow. His teacher's line of questioning seemed odd, as did their whole conversation. "B-but why wouldn't they? The teachings are straightforward. There isn't much room for any confusion of that sort."

"And yet some still fall to the dark, even great Jedi once known for compassion and mercy." Rel turned towards a nearby balcony and gestured for Greylam to join him. Down below the atrium teemed with life, and he felt the Force alive and connecting them all. "It is not impossible to think that we may have a future Sith down there," Rel continued, "Those not trained to calm their emotions will give in to them if they are not careful. But it's nothing to fear, not if you can help others through their pain.

"Your mind is like a still pond Greylam: placid. Not everyone's is. I want you to reach out, feel the emotions of those around you."

Greylam did as he was instructed, closing his eyes as he went to touch the minds of the other students and Jedi. Many were neutral, as he would've expected, but he sensed other things as well: joy, excitement, hope. They were those who were truly happy to be on Coruscant, possibly new arrivals. Greylam felt one presence in the crowd though, one whose feeling seemed muted, intentionally so, as though he was restraining his mind from broaching the subjects it was subtly cognitive of. He reached further, parsing through the student's different emotions, deeper towards the ones he kept at the back of his mind. Jealousy. Envy towards his companions and their superior skills, frustration towards their mentors for feeling held back in his lessons. Greylam released himself from the student's thoughts and opened his eyes.

"What did you feel?" Rel asked.

"Tumult. To continue with your water analogy, it was as though a turbulent river," Greylam replied. Pain ebbed at the sides of his forehead as he furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't understand Master. Why would he feel anger in not being at the same place as his peers? Isn't it more important that he learns as opposed to the speed at which he learns it?"

"Many people don't think like that. Too many are blinded by ambition, and we live in a great big galaxy where many place their ambition paramount to everything else." After another pause Instructor Rel continued, "What would you say to that student, if you could sense his disturbances through the Force?"

Greylam shrugged. The teachings were clear, with no room for doubt. The student should know better than to ruminate on frustrations beyond their control. It was the way of the Sith to believe in such foolhardy ambition, to seek to dominate the Force's will. Peace, within and without, came from acknowledging the simple fact that one cannot. It was baffling that the student in question couldn't understand that lesson; it was such a simple one.

"I can sense your confusion Greylam. The fact that you cannot think up an answer is the source of my concern in the first place." Rel did not sound upset with him, and his tone remained even. "Your words can be more powerful than any lightsaber if you allow the Force to move through them and ease the pain of others. We have an incredible gift, being able to sense what most can only guess at. Being a Jedi is just as much about compassion as it is keeping peace in the Republic and galaxy at large. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"I…I think so," Greylam said tentatively, still thinking on the instructor's words. He felt a twinge of guilt, regret that he'd failed his master before he'd ever even known of the lesson. Greylam then cringed, realizing that he was letting his own emotions get the better of him.

"Breathe," Rel said suddenly, "I can feel your distress it is not wrong to have emotions, only to let yourself feed on their darker impulses. Now, I want to teach you an exercise that was taught to me when I was young. Close your eyes again."

"Okay," Greylam said, complying with Rel's command.

"Imagine that you are carrying the entire weight of your anxiety in your arms. It's heavy, and you strain as you try to carry it. Most cannot carry such a burden. Now picture your fears, your anger, your sadness, all of it shrinking in front of you until it's nothing more than a smooth grey pebble in the palm of your hand. Anyone can handle a pebble."

Greylam conjured the image in his mind, seeing himself with a massive boulder as Rel had stated. Then, bit by bit, it seemed as though the wind whittled shavings off the large rock, breaking it down until it was an ovular grey shape that reflected the sunlight around them. In his mind Greylam saw himself tilt his palm to the side, allowing the pebble to fall from his hand. When it hit the ground, the floor seemed to ripple as though water, and Greylam opened his eyes. To his surprise he felt lighter than before, and his distress – however minor – was gone.

"Thank you Master," Greylam said with a dutiful bow, "And forgive me for letting my anxiousness cloud my thoughts. It was unbecoming of me as your pupil."

"There's nothing to forgive little one."

"Master," Greylam continued, meeting Rel's eyes with renewed confidence, "How might I seek to better myself in conversation?"

"As I said before, make friends, talk to people," Rel said, "Granted I'm not saying to go as far as leaving the academy and work on becoming a senator or anything." He cracked a dry smile. "We have too many politicians as is if you ask me. It's going to be the downfall of the Republic. But in all seriousness, I want you to reach out to some of the other initiates here. I sense the potential within you to become a great Jedi, one who could leave a great impact on the Order.

"We have a number of Jedi out right now searching for potential recruits across the galaxy. The war with the Sith is steadily taking a toll on us, and we'll need more Jedi once it's over to maintain the Order's role as peacekeepers of Republic. Most of the new initiates they find will be close to your age. Befriend them. Help them as they grow into the next generation of Jedi. I sense within you someone who is worth following."

Greylam nodded. "I'll try."

"No."

"What?"

"Either succeed, or fail. Allow the Force to guide you, but in the end, you will either succeed or fail. There is no trying," Rel said, "A saying I heard once, or at least something to that effect. Do not fear what may pass, but approach every challenge with all that you have."

"You'll help me, right?"

Rel closed his eyes and shook his head. "Unfortunately this is something you must brave on your own. In three days' time I will be traveling to rendezvous with other Jedi at Ord Radama. There's been some Republic intelligence that suggests the Sith are going to make an attempt at reclaiming it, and I've been asked to assist some of the preparation for its defense. I'll be gone for a little while."

"Oh." The thought of his instructor heading into a warzone filled Greylam with unease, but then he focused on the exercise Rel had just taught him. A pebble in his hand. That's all his concern needed to be. Anyone could handle a pebble. It was light, and he could let it go without difficulty. "How fares the war? Will the hostilities persist much longer?"

A smile cracked at the edges of Rel's mouth. "That's not something a child such as yourself should have any concern about." Rel waved him along, and Greylam matched him stride. "I've talked your ear off long enough. You've more than earned something to eat."

They walked in amiable silence through the Jedi Temple's halls towards the refectory, during which Greylam reflected on the initial question Rel had poised to him. It was true that he lacked close peers whom he considered his friend, but he wasn't friendless. The notion made him smile, and for Rel he would try harder. As they ate breakfast Greylam spoke of the things he'd learned in various codex entries: history, geology, engineering, and so forth, all while Rel listened in sage silence.

It wasn't until months later that he understood the importance of that final lesson, and that Rel probably knew it was the last time Greylam would ever see him alive

[never-changing-muses]

Alfheim: The Kingdom of the Fairies

Alfheim is the sovereign state that acts as the largest superpower on the Phantasmia Continent.  It is ruled by a species of beings called the Fae, commonly called the Fairies or Sky People, and the country has had a good relationship with humanity for centuries. While not technologically advanced like the Republic, they make up for it in their skills in advanced magecraft, as the Fairies have high quality magic circuits and better aptitude for spellcasting.

They are ruled by a single leader, King Oberon Vortigern, whom many Fairies see as a God and a righteous ruler, despite recent claims of him being called a tyrant who taxes fairies severely to the point of losing their Soul Graphs. Despite being ruled by a singular individual, Alfheim is divided into nine territories made for the different races of fairies.

Sylph

The Sylph territory, bordered by the Salamander territory to the south-east and the Cait Sith territory to the north,is a forest area called the Ancient Forest, located in the south-western corner of Alfheim. The capital city of the Sylphs is Swilvane, also known as the Emerald City due to its spires of varying green shades and brilliant dark green lights, located in a grassland area in the outskirts of the forest.

Salamander

The Salamander territory, bordered by the Sylph territory to the north-west and the Imp territory to the north-east, is a desert area located in the southernmost part of Alfheim. The capital city, called Gattan, is located in the southernmost point of the territory. The Salamander territory connects to the Alne plateau via the Dragons Valley.

Imp

The Imp territory, bordered by the Salamander territory to the south-west and the Undine territory to the north-east, is an alpine area located in the south-eastern corner of Alfheim. The Imp capital city is located inside one of the mountains in the area.

Undine

The Undine territory, bordered by the Imp territory to the south-west and the Spriggan territory to the north, is a wetlands area located in the eastern part of Alfheim. The Undine capital is a castle located in a small, round peninsula. The Undine territory connects to the Alne plateau via the Rainbow valley.

Spriggan

The Spriggan territory, bordered by the Undine territory to the south and the Leprechaun territory to the north-west, is an ancient ruins area, surrounded by a forest. The Spriggan capital is a village located around a ziggurat or pyramid-like structure.

Leprechaun

The Leprechaun territory, bordered by the Spriggan territory to the south-east and the Gnome territory to the west, is a reclamation area located in the north-east of Alfheim.

Gnome

The Gnome territory, bordered by the Leprechaun territory to the east and the Pooka territory to the south west, is a frost area located in the north to north-western area of Alfheim. The Gnome capital is an underground mining city located in the northernmost part of the territory.

 Pooka

The Pooka territory, bordered by the Gnome territory to the north-east and the Cait Sith territory to the south, is a grassland area located in the north-western corner of Alfheim. The Pooka capital is a carnival or circus-like city consisting of tents around a large theatre tent.

Cait Sith

The Cait Sith territory, bordered by the Pooka territory to the north and the Sylph territory to the south-east,is a plain area. The Cait Sith capital is a castle located in peninsula, slightly larger than the Undine peninsula. The Cait Sith territory connects to the Alne plateau via the Butterfly Valley.

Alne

Alne is the capital city of Alfheim during the events of the Fairy Kingdom Arc and is located at the foot of the World Tree. Alne is a neutral city that is divided into north, east, south, west and central districts and has four nearby dungeons, located to the north, east, south and west of the city, that connect to the realm of giants, Jötunheimr.

The World Tree

In the middle of the Alne plateau stands the World Tree, a giant ash tree that connects the nine realms of the world. As a domain, it is guarded by the Fae Automata, a seemingly limitless army of automatons that can and will overwhelm invaders with sheer numbers.

The Floating City

The Floating City was rumored to have been a city located at the top of the World Tree where the Fairy King Oberon and Fairy Queen Titania lived. The first fairy race to reach the city was rumored to be transformed into the ultimate fairy race, the Alfs, and given the ability of unlimited flight.

[irrfahrer]

Wookiepedia on the First Knowledge Quarter

Read the Original Texts Here, Here, Here and Here!

First Knowledge Quarter The First Knowledge quarter of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant is the working title of the northwestern side of the ancient edifice. Crowned by the Tower of First Knowledge this section of the Temple was infused with rooms dedicated to study and research, along with facilities for the tutelage of the future Knights of the Jedi Order in the ways of the Force and lightsaber combat. The First Knowledge quarter was made up of several levels of chambers and rooms that were used for the education of Jedi and the research needed to unearth new knowledge. Many of the goings-on in this quarter were overseen by the Council of First Knowledge who met in the Tower that crowned this section of the Temple Ziggurat. On the first level of the quarter stood the seven story Room of a Thousand Fountains, a giant green house which evoked a meditative atmosphere used by all Jedi who resided at the Temple. The next level up was home to the Detention Center in which those Jedi students who misbehaved and captured Sith and their monstrosities were kept. The next level was occupied by the Offices of the Jedi Service Corps; including the Agricultural Corps Research Laboratories, Halls of Healing, and the offices of the Exploration Corps. As the area reached the peak of the Ziggurat, the classrooms used in the instruction of Padawans were seen more frequently, as well as training chambers and verandas.The epicenter of this section were the Jedi Archives and library, which housed the near-infinite banks of knowledge from over a thousand generations of history. Incorporated into this area was the Analysis wing, a series of stations used in the analysis of artifacts from across the galaxy

Jedi Agricultural Corps research laboratory The Jedi Agricultural Corps research laboratory was a research facility located in the First Knowledge Quarter of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Used by the Agricultural Corps, it included a number of large globes containing alien flora and fauna and several gardens.

Grand Master Yoda used one of the laboratory's gardens to teach Padawan Dooku a lesson in telekinesis. Demanding that Dooku lift a pot that was situated in the middle of the path, Dooku concentrated to move the plant with the Force alone. After successfully moving the pot into the grass, the apprentice was surprised that the pot sunk into the soft ground. Yoda informed him that the alien soil in the pot was extremely dense and heavy; the lesson taught Dooku that size or weight did not matter to the Force. Dooku recorded an account of this event in the Great Holocron, which became required reading for all apprentices over the last two decades of the Galactic Republic.

The laboratories survived until the end of the Clone Wars when Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious, as his alter ego Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, ordered the Grand Army of the Republic raid the Temple and kill all its occupants. Led by Darth Vader, the troopers of the 501st Legion ransacked the labs, leaving them in ruin.

Halls of Healing The Halls of Healing were an expansive wing of the Coruscant Jedi Temple. Located within the southwest quarter of the complex, the Halls were the center of healing and renewal of life for wounded members of the Jedi Order. The Medical Corps maintained an infirmary within the Halls, composed of more than a hundred of the best bacta tanks in the galaxy.

The Halls of Healing was a wing of the Jedi Temple located within its southwest quarter under the towering First Knowledge Spire. Located above the Detention Center and on the same level as the Headquarters of the Agricultural Corps, the Halls were accessible via turbolift from anywhere in the Temple. The Main Hall of the wing was bathed in warm sunlight from the high windows, which coupled with the blue-green floors and walls created a soothing atmosphere. The Hall was lined with beds where the ill and infirm could lie in comfort as the master healers moved about. Pink stone pillars soared to the ceiling, while small openings in the walls led into single person therapy rooms. Inside these warm, dim-lit chambers, injured Jedi rested on stone beds with healers visiting to use stones and crystals to amplify the effects of the Force. One such room contained the Healing Crystals of Fire, one of the most prized treasures of the Order. Located off the Main Hall were the chambers staffed by the healers of the Medical Corps. Here they maintained the main operating theater where injured Jedi underwent invasive surgery after missions. The large, two story chamber was overseen by a viewing room on the second level which granted an overhead view of the work being done below. Off of this hall was a chamber filled with several bacta tanks used to heal Jedi with minor injuries sustained in and around the Temple. Several advanced 2-1B medical droids operated the machinery and observed the wounded patients. While the infirmary was usually used to specifically treat Jedi, a dedicated turbolift ran from the Galactic City Medical Center into the infirmary, allowing the most desperate of patients to be treated by the Jedi healers.The neurology ward in this wing was also extensive, allowing the healers to perform scans that could determine brain damage and other maladies that Jedi might sustain. Additionally, the Hall was equipped with sealed atmosphere rooms that simulated other planetary environs.The Chief Healer maintained offices in the wing where she could store her records and meet with members of the Order to address their medical needs. Adjacent to her office was an examination room where she could perform check-ups on her fellow Jedi. The lower level Hall of the wing was a quiet, bare-walled area lined with windowless doors. Located directly under the Main Hall, this Hall contained two radiation storage chambers that were only accessible to the Chief Healer, and their assistant. The smaller of the two was located in the rear of a medical supply closet. In 43 ABY, this small chamber would be emptied of all radioactive materials by Healer Tekli and be used as the secret cell of the psychotic Seff Hellin. From here, Chief Healer Cilghal would study Hellin's affliction before he was moved to the Jedi facility on Shedu Maad.

Analysis Rooms The Analysis Rooms was a series of chambers located in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Like the Jedi Archives, operation of the Analysis Rooms was overseen by the Council of First Knowledge. Located two stories below the main hall of the Jedi Archives on level Aurek 5, the analysis wing consisted of several laboratories, analysis chambers, and research booths. The sterile analysis chambers hosted state-of-the-art polysensitive graspers and multispectral readers capable of detecting symbols, odor, and skin deposits on any subject. In order to keep a completely sterile environment, the analysis chambers were completely shut of to organics; Jedi would access a booth divided by a transparisteel barrier and place subjects on a tray that would transport the subject through the barrier for study.

[cassatine]

Hi have a two parts monster meta 

1. Overview of Force-related sites

Ahch-To | Unknown Regions

A world shrouded in myth, held by some Jedi scholars to be the location of the first Jedi temple (CL : 100).

Ahch-To Temple | Held by some Jedi scholars to be the first Jedi temple (CL : 100).

Anoat Sector | Outer Rim Territories 

Home to the Advisers, an organization of Force users who worked to ensure the continuation of the Noble Court, the assembly of the sector’s ruling families.

Archives of the Order of the Esoteric Pulsar | Unknown location

A repository of knowledge (RON).

Atollon | Atollon System | Lothal Sector | Outer Rim Territories

A remote planet, home to the Bendu. Although absent from starmaps, it was portrayed in ancient Lothal art.

Bardotta | Bardotta System | Shasos Sector | Colonies

Home to the Dagoyan Order, an organization of Force sensitives averse to the Jedi Order. As members of the Bahk-tov Council, they served as traditional advisers of the Bardottan monarchs. Also home to the Frangawl Clan, a rival organization, followers of the war god Malmourral, and the ancient rulers of Bardotta.

According to an ancient prophecy of the Frangawl Clan, the world’s spiritual balance is important and should its Dagoyan Masters disappear from the galaxy, darkness will arise and engulf everything.

Dagoyan Temple (Bardotta Capital City) | Bardotta’s political and religious seat of power. Contains the meeting chamber of the Bahk-tov Council.

Frangawl Temple (Bardotta Capital City) | An ancient shrine of the Frangawl Clan, atop which the Dagoyan Temple is built. Contains a sacrificial chamber.

Christophsis | Christoph System | Savareen Sector | Outer Rim Territories

A crystalline planet where Kyber crystal grow “at only a few precious spots (A:EE : Christophsis).” Once used by the Jedi Order and later the Empire as a source of kyber crystals. Among its native species are the Kyaddaks, Force sensitive predators.

Cave complex | One of the places where the crystal grow.

Citadel of Rur / Fortress of Garn | Unknown location

A space station that served as headquarters of the Ordu Aspectu.

Coruscant | Coruscant System | Coruscant Subsector | Corusca Sector | Core Worlds

Capital of the Galactic republic and home of the main temple of the Jedi Order, the planet was the site battles between ancient Jedi and Sith. The Church of the Force was active on the planet for a time.

Coruscant Jedi Temple | A massive ziggurat built over an ancient Sith Shrine, the Coruscant Temple was founded by the Four Masters and held by some Jedi scholars to be the location of the first Jedi temple. Before the Jedi Order appropriated the site, it had long been considered sacred by local Coruscanti and had drawn Force wielders of numerous traditions (CL : 100).

Coruscant Sith Shrine | Partly destroyed by the Jedi.

Dagobah | Dagobah System | Sluis Sector | Outer Rim Territories

A planet strong with the Force and one of the purest places in the galaxy. Home to Jedi Grandmaster Yoda from the fall of the Jedi Order to his death.

Cave of Evil | A cave strong with the dark side of the Force, situated under a gnarltree. Jedi Grandmaster Yoda and later Luke Skywalker experienced visions in this cave. Due to the mystical nature of the place, its descriptions and depictions cannot be trusted.

Darth Sidious’ Observatories | Unknown locations

Although the only known site is on Jakku, Darth Sidious had established a whole network of observatories. There are described as “laboratories, in a sense, [who] look beyond the galaxy’s margins in different directions. (A:EE : Ch. 35)” All have their own purpose; “some were meant to house ancient Sith artifacts, others designed to host powerful weapon designs (or the weapons themselves), others still meant as prisons harnessing the lifeforces of those captured within for a variety of strange purposes (A:EE : Ch. 35).”

Some functions they shared; all seemingly housed Sith artefacts and a replica of the Imperialis to move them off-site in case of need (A:EE : Ch. 35).

Dathomir | Dathomir System | Quelli Sector | Outer Rim Territories

A world strong with the dark side of the Force, home to the Nightsisters, witches of the mist, who dwelt in stone fortresses, and of the Nightbrothers.

Devaron | Devaron System | Duluur Sector | Colonies

Home to the Jedi Temple of Eedit.

Eedit Jedi Temple | Built on a location strong with the Force and destroyed during the Galactic Civil War. Luke Skywalker visited the Temple’s ruins after having felt called to them (WoaJ).

D’janis IV | Unknown location

Not a confirmed planet or world, but nomenclature points to it. Would be home to teachers and priests believing in the Force (GotW).

Durkteel | Mid Rim

The location of a Phirmist Temple (JtR).

Durkteel Phirmist Temple | A place of worship (JtR). 

Ilum | Ilum System | 7G Sector | Unknown regions

The most sacred world to the Jedi Order and a holy site for centuries, Ilum was home to an ancient Jedi Temple built at the entrance of the Crystal Caves, once used by the Jedi Order and later the Empire as a source of kyber crystals..

Ilum Jedi Temple | Built at the entrance of the Crystal Caves and accessible only to Force users. Decorated with dark/light symbols of the light type and markings in the Mortis geometric style.

Crystal Caves | A cave complex in which kyber crystals grow, long-used by the Jedi Order for their rite of passage of The Gathering.

Isde Naha | Greater Javin Region | Western Reaches | Outer Rim Territories

Homeworld of the Clan of the Toribota (RO:UVG)

Jakku | Jakku System | Western Reaches | Inner Rim

A remote desert world where Darth Sidious established one of his Observatories. Members of the Church of the Force later lived in a village there , and the planet had its own local anchorite tradition.

Plaintive Hand Plateau | A holy site believed to have been home to the Consacred Eremite by the local anchorites. Believed to be significant by Darth Sidious.

Jakku Observatory | An underground facility built between 30 and 20 BBY under the Plaintive Hand Plateau under Darth Sidious’ orders, one in a network of such Observatories. This one contained Sith artefacts, a replica of the Imperialis yacht, and ancient computer systems charting a route to the depths of the Unknown Regions, where, Darth Sidious believed “something waited for him out there—some origin of the Force, some dark presence formed of malevolent substance (A:EE : Ch. 35).” It also housed a hole drilled in the mantle of the planet, part of the Contingency.

Tuanul | A village sacred to members of the Church of the Force. Explorer Lor San Tekka dwelt there for a number of years.

Jedha | Jedha System | Freestanding Subsectors | Terrabe Sector | Mid Rim 

The location of Jedha’s Holy City and its temples, first among which was the temple of the Kyber of the Guardians and Disciples of the Whills. A multidenominational pilgrimage site and a source of kyber crystals. Held by some Jedi scholars to be the location of the first Jedi temple (CL : 100).

Holy City of Jedha | NiJedha | Jedha City | A walled city built in a meteor crater that formed a mesa. Many faiths built temples in the city.

Temple of the Kyber | Temple of the Whills | A triangular, towering structure. The Temple of the Disciples and Guardians of the Whills, also held sacred by the Church of the Force.

Catacombs of Caldera | Once a monastery and “the final resting place for adherents of an unknown faith.” Used by the Church of the Contained Crescent for a time. Destroyed during the Galactic Civil War.

Kyber mines | Where Jedha’s kyber crystals grew and were extracted.

Kuat | Kuat System | Kuat Sector | Core Worlds

Probable homeworld of the Zealots of Psusan (RO:UVG : 68)

Lew’el | Unknown location

A remote planet where people, at least some of which are Force users or sensitives, believe in the Tide, “the always-present, ever-powerful web that connected everything and everyone (LLS : Fishing in the Deluge)”. Stories are told of the Lew’elan’s magic, leading Luke Skywalker to the planet, where he learned a bit of their way.

Lira San | Wild Space

Prophesized to be found again, hidden behind an energy anomaly and only accessible through an ancient ritual, Lira San is the forgotten homeworld of the Lasat, believers in the Ashla and the Bogan.  

Lorrd | Lord System | Kanz Sector | Outer Rim Territories (Legends location)

Probable homeworld of the Brotherhood of the Beatific Countenance (RO:UVG).

Lothal | Lothal System | Lothal Sector | Outer Rim Territories

Home to an ancient Jedi Temple and a source of kyber crystal, who grow in the planet’s crust.   

Lothal Jedi Temple | Built into a hollowed stone spire and hidden under the ground, it could only be accessed by using the Force. The outside displayed a dark/light symbol of the light type and it was decorated with markings in the Old Tongue style and parietal art depicting lothwolves.

Malachor | Outer Rim Territories

A planet home to a Sith Temple and the site of an ancient battle between Jedi and Sith that ended in the destruction of all combatants, an event known as the Great Scourge of Malachor.

Malachor Sith temple | A pyramidal temple, decorated with markings in the Old Tongue style. Contained a weapon powered by a giant kyber crystal that caused the Great Scourge of Malachor. Destroyed during the Galactic Civil War.

Moraband / Korriban | Outer Rim Territories

An ancient homeworld of the Sith Order, Moraband was the site of devastating wars.

Valley of the Dark Lord | “A corridor of ancient monuments that serve as crypts for the Dark Lords of millennia past.”

Moraband Sith Temple | Largest monument in the Valley of the Dark Lords. Houses the sarcophagus of Darth Bane’s, founder of the Rule of Two, and the entrance to an execution chamber dedicated to the sacrifice of Jedi prisoners.

Mortis

A place beyond the physical realm and the reach of time, “a world seemingly fashioned from the Force itself (GA),” existing inside a black monolith, and inhabited by the Force Wielders Trinity, “god-like beings [...] locked in an eternal struggle for dominance, which made Mortis the fulcrum of the entire galaxy and the Force.” Cannot be found on maps or reached by conventional means.

Altar of Mortis | An underground chamber containing the Dagger of Mortis.

Mortis Monastery | A pyramidal stone building, decorated with dark/light symbols with the two types represented and markings in the Mortis geometric style.

Mortis Tower | An Orthanc-like building.

Mustafar | Mustafar System | Atravis Sector | Outer Rim

A locus for the dark side of the Force, occupied by the ancient and modern Sith.

Darth Vader’s Castle | An obsidian tower,dividing in the middle to resemble tuning forks, designed to channel the power of the dark side and built above an ancient Sith Cave.

Mustafar Sith Cave | A cave strong with dark side energy, in which Darth Vader bled his kyber crystal and where he would have a castle built.

Mustafar Sith Temple | Known by Darth Sidious (CL).

Ninn | Ninn System | Corporate Sector | Outer Rim (Legends location)

Probable homeworld of the Ninn Orthodoxy (RO:UVG : 68)

Ossus | Outer Rim

Held by some Jedi scholars to be the location of the first Jedi temple, it was home to the Great Jedi Library (CL : 100).

Great Jedi Library | A Jedi Temple, destroyed some time before the Clone Wars (CL : 100).

Roalj Temple | Unknown location

Probably a Phirmist Temple, probably in Jedha (RO:UVG : 76)

Ruusan | Ruusan System | Mid Rim

The site of a critical battle between the ancient Jedi and Sith.

Takodana | Tashtor Sector |  Western Reaches | Mid Rim

The site of a battle between the ancient Jedi and Sith.

Tython | Deep Core

A world shrouded in myth, held by some Jedi scholars to be the location of the first Jedi temple (CL : 100).

Utapau | Utapau System | Tarabba Sector | Outer Rim

Known for a giant kyber crystal, possession of which was disputed between the Jedi Order and the Confederacy of Independant Systems during the Clone Wars.

Vrogas Vas | Unknown location

A barren planet, home to a Jedi Temple.

Vrogas Vas Jedi Temple | Reduced to ruins some time before c. 0 ABY. Luke Skywalker visited the Temple’s ruins.

Yavin 4  | Yavin System | Gordian Reach | Outer Rim

Ancient homeworld of the Massassi, enslaved by the ancient Sith.

Great Massassi Temple | Although its purpose and history remain mysterious, the building houses a mechanism that would lead rogue archaeologist Dr Aphra to the Fortress of Garn during the Galactic Civil War.

Wellspring of the Force / Force Planet 

A mystical world beyond the physical realm, existing inside a hollowed planet, “the foundation of life itself,” and “the birthplace of the midi-chlorians.” Cannot be found on maps or reached by conventional means.

Zardossa Styx | Unknown location

A desert moon where the Frangawl Clan established itself.

Zardossa Stix Pyramid | A stone ziggurat serving as a temple to Malmourral, and a site of sacrifice.

Abbreviations

A:EE Star Wars: Aftermath: Empire’s End

CL Star Wars: Complete Locations

GA Star Wars: Galactic Atlas

GotW Star Wars: Guardians of the Whills

JtR Star Wars: Join the Resistance

LLS Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker

RON Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Novelization

RO:UVG Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: The Ultimate Visual Guide

WoaJ Star Wars: The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure

A few notes

Ahch-To’s location curtesy of u/MasterCalari via r/StarWarsReference 

I did not reference general attested belief in the Force because 1) i would probably cover that map with dots and 2) that’s just loads of work tbh. Hope to do it at some point tho.

I did not reference Nexus of Power material, because it’s semi canonical at best. 

I did not reference the various religious traditions not linked (yet?) linked to the Force in one way or another either because this makes for a long enough list. Maybe later.

I did not reference the Netherworld of the World or Mist-Beyond or whatever you want to call it because as far as i’m concerned it’s not an actual place, not even of the Mortis/Force Planet kind. 

There’s a lot of Force traditions not accounted for here, but that’s because they’re only tied to Jedha and even then as pilgrims.

The sourcing is half-assed because I Am Lazy. Maybe later.

2. Observations (post here)

[amongthesharks]

Twin Stars, Twin Hearts 3 (Bodhi/Reader)

Read on AO3: Here

Days move into weeks, as the base becomes a buzz of activity. You hardly have time to talk to anyone, you are either packing things, running defense or using what mechanic skills you have to fix up battle worn ships. But the air between you and Cassian has cleared and you begin to work closely with him on a set of plans he wants to execute that involve checking out some planets from the data you an Bodhi had gotten.

Bodhi… You see him in passing at meals, but there hasn’t been time for idle chatter. He’s been busy too, loading ships to move cargo to the armadas and sometimes you are fixing ships in the same hangar at the same time, but it didn’t leave much time to chat.

“...Y/N…” Cassian’s voice draws your from your thoughts and you nod and look back at the map.

“Yes, right. Okay, so you have a team heading to Hoth, and Atollon which was use previously…” You pause just a moment, to see the look Cassian is giving you. He and you have had words about Atollon and before he could respond you jump in with the rest of the list. “Anoth, Risi, Da Soocha V and Subterrel.” You pull up the listings on the map, the planets are scattered across the galaxy.

“Right.” Cassian said rubbing at his bearded jaw. He liked hearing someone else recant the plan, sometime hearing it in a different voice brought up the flaws.

“You have a team of two for each planet in unmarked ships. Small groups go unnoticed.” You bring up the teams and what ships they’d be taking, in some cases they’d bring a droid along depending on the ship and group set up. One group involved Cassian, Jyn and K2. You were going in another group with someone you hadn’t worked with before. A Sullust from the B-Wings. You kept your face impassive, but Cassian picked up on some uneasy body language.

“You don’t like the groups.” He noted and you push yourself away from the map.

“I don’t like the groups. Mostly mine. Recon missions require a… need to know your partner-”

“You don’t take time to know others.” He said cutting you off with a raised eyebrow.

“And you’re so friendly?” You counter, placing your hands on your hips. “You usually work alone, but since you worked on Scarif you’ve kept a few others near by but you don’t get the chance to know us.” You can see it in his move he’s wants to snap at you but he raises his hands.

“Who do you know well enough to run a mission?” He asks instead, trying to trap you in your own words. You open your mouth and then close it for a moment.

“I know Rook-”

“You almost failed your mission with him-”

“Cassian.”

“No, who else.” He says sharply and you sigh and press your palms to your eyes.

“Wedge-”

“He’s on a team with Tycho.”

“Hobb-”

“You’re just listing other imperial defectors, you know this, right?” He said cutting you off. You give a thoughtful look and shrugged. You had spent time with these people, upon arrival you already had a strange bond. They already knew specific flight patterns and maneuvers because they were engraved into your minds at the academy. You flex your fingers a moment and lift your chin.

“I’d trust them.”

“But you wouldn’t-”

“Captain Andor, please.” You finally grit you. “I’ll do as you command but if you’re asking what I want, it would be to fly with someone I don’t have to worry about. We know each other's moves in space and how to work if discovered. You asked, I gave. I’m sure Mal is a fantastic partner but for such a sensitive mission I think I’ll stand my ground.” You only realize how loud your voice had gotten as the reverb follows the silence. Cassian looks at you, for what feels like hours but is only seconds before turning to the data pad and typing at it. Your group flickers and Mal is replaced with Bodhi’s face.

“I don’t believe he’s fully ready for another mission.” He said softly. “I almost wish he had left with Baze and Chirrut…I wish Jyn had gone too but I can’t shake her.” You take a few steps forward and look over the assignments and look back to Cassian. “He’s a good man, a good pilot but-”

“I know, believe me. I’ve already trusted him with my life on numerous occasions, willingly and unwillingly.” You said softly as give him a little nudge. Cassian’s hard exterior crumbles just slightly and he shakes his head. “I’ve put my life in your hands too. Normally I don’t question your orders but… thank you for letting me.” That draws a small smile from the man.

“I’ll send this plan to the council and we’ll heard word back soon.” He said looking over the floating data, you gaze joins him. Your assigned venture was Da Soocha V, a moon in Hutt space. A few overgrown space slugs didn’t scare you, but they’re lackies could cause trouble. It’s a good hiding spot if it pans out. “That’s a long enough break, Y/N. Get back to work.” His voice is almost playful and you resist rolling your eyes before walking out of the map room. Thankfully your day is lighter than normal due to the meeting and review with Cassian. You have general maintenance to run on some droids. It’s not your specialty, but you’ve adapted your meager skills over time. It could wait though. You wanted time to eat and clear your head moment.

You jog to the mess and grab a sandwich and drink to go. Rin looks disapproving, you could almost see the tips of the lekku twitch as you scramble back out and toward a set of ascending stairs. The base is in an old Massassi temple, the rebellion uses mostly the bottom layers of the ziggurat since it gets a bit cramped at the top.There are stairs up to the top of the temple and you’ve used them from time to time, it’s one of your favorite places to ‘step away’ from the rebellion and have some time to yourself. As you exit onto the stone platform you take a moment the breathe in air that clearer and look over the tops of the trees. You could almost see the next temple, but it’s far.

Your feet take you  around the edge of the small platform and you pause. A figure is laying out on the ground, for a heartbeat you think the person is dead but as you come closer you realize two things: 1) The person is sleeping and 2) That person is Bodhi Rook. His hair his grown fast, not as long as it had been, but it’s getting there, his patchy beard had grown back just fine, his face had grease smears and dirt, so did his coveralls and hands he’d just come up here from working down in the hangar.

Slowly, you settle down to sit next to him, trying not to disturb him. You set your food and drink aside and lean back to lay down. You’d give him a few moments before trying to wake him. You almost don’t want to but you don’t know how long he’s been out there. Bodhi has been a good friend since he arrived to the base and you’ve developed a soft spot for the pilot, he always look tired, but always happy to see you, even if it’s in passing.

You turn onto your side, propping yourself up on your elbow. You don’t normally get to see him, or anyone, in such a calm state. It’s a pleasant feeling, knowing someone can be even in these times. You take the moment to inspect him further. He still has light bruising under his eyes, he doesn’t sleep well. You don’t blame him not many of the soldiers do, this moment must be rare. A small thought slithers into your mind and slowly, you brush some hair from his face, his brow furrows. Light Sleeper… You let your hand hover waiting for it to pass but it doesn’t, his face begins to contort, a pained sound wheezes out of him. No, nightmare…  you realize as his hands bunch into the fabric of his coveralls. Everyone gets them, you don’t come out of this line of work without some PTSD. Nightmares. Ghosts. You wonder what to do. Some people let the nightmares ride out, others prefer being woken but it’s a jolt to the system, that’s for sure. As you worry over this his nightmare seems to take better control of him. You’re not going to sit here and let him suffer through it.

“Bodhi.” Your words are steady and gentle. Your free hand finds his cheek, almost a caress before giving it a few light slaps. “Bodhi, wake up.” He presses into your hand for a moment, you heart clenches before he turns his head away. You move to kneel near his shoulder, you were never taught these things, but sometimes instinct works. One hand encircled his wrist the other presses against his neck and you say a bit loud. “Bodhi!” He seizes, eyes flying open as he gasps for air, looking around in a unfocused panic.

“Hey, hey..” You say as you shift the hand on his neck and cup his jaw, thumb stroking over his cheek. Just like mother use to do. That’s when something clicks, a far off memory. “It’s okay, I’m here. You’re here. We’re safe with each other.” You voice has a soft rhythm, the words use to be sung softly, but you speak them instead. He begins to even out as your mother’s words come from your lips. “And we leave those dreams behind. Focus on where we are-”

“Y/N?” His voice is thick and confused as his eyes rest on you and he seems to focus on your words.

“And know that we’re twin stars.” Nearby is always where I’ll be. So sleep my sunbeam, warmth of my heart. Know we will never be apart. Bodhi stares at you a moment, and you realize you’re still holding onto him, you release his wrist and pull your hand from his cheek. Embarrassment begins to seep into you and you pull away. He doesn’t stop you, he’s still processing what’s happened. You don’t say anything as you turn and scoot to the edge of the landing, letting your legs hang off the side. You hear him move behind you. What an awkward pair you two could be. Sith-spit what have I done… You take in a deep breath and look behind you. Bodhi is still staring, you look back over the jungle.

“This is one of my favorite spots.” You say rubbing your palms over your pants.

“Y/N….” You hear him shuffling closer, he’s more aware, less shock more lightly shook. You don’t look back now and just nod your head lightly.

“It’s got a great view, hardly anyone comes here. I can see why you chose to rest here.” Soon he’s sitting just behind you then, as if rethinking it more shifting puts him beside you. You look at him, first at the collar of his jumpsuit, then slowly up to his eyes. He looks tired, so tired. He leans forward and presses his forehead to yours and you still for a moment. His eyes are closed and his hand moves to rest on the side of your head, fingers in your hair for just a moment.

“Thank you.” He said and you close your eyes too for a moment. Touch, such a gentle touch. You selfishly think about how long it’s been. Not just a hug from a pilot in victory, or a clap on the back, a messing of hair. Something more gentle, soft, almost intimate. You feel heat rising in you and your eyes flutter back open.

“We all get them. Just happy I could help.” You said softly, you throat feels almost like a desert. He lifts his head and smiles. You lick your lips a moment before nodding to a thought on your head. “I have some news for you, so I’m glad I found you, seems to be fate.” You are working to bring the feeling back to something you’re use to, this closeness was not one of them. Not that you minded….

“Now?” He asks, looking crestfallen. You laugh and shake your head.

“No, we get away from work up here.” Leaning back you grab the wrapped sandwich and, pulling a knife from your boot, cut it in half. “Let’s eat instead.” You hold out half and he smiles, grateful, his hands are still shaking some as he takes it, you take note of it and file it for later.

“You snuck food?” He asked dubiously, he seemed glad for some more familiar banter.

“More like mad a run for it. I was faster than Rin today so.” You smirk and let your leg knock playfully against his. He’s uncoiling, relaxing as he laughs and shakes his head.

“She’ll skimp you at dinner.” He warns and you just shake your head.

“ I’ll just steal some food from your plate if she does. Ah, well, it’s worth it for the view.” You said taking a bite and watching a flock of birds fly over the canopy. His eyes linger on your a moment before looking out over the scene as well.

“It’s is.” He agreed and took a bite of his sandwich. A silences fills the space between you. A verbal silence. But the sounds of life below was a type of comfortable background noise, part people-made, part nature. You both finish you food in this comfortable silence and then Bodhi clears his throat. “What… was it you wanted to talk about?” He asked giving you a curious look. You let your gaze drift away from the trees and back to him. Bodhi still looked so tired, you wanted to hold if off for a bit more. Maybe Cassian was right. Maybe he wasn’t ready? But who wasn’t tired at the base.

“We get to go on a duo mission, once it gets cleared.” You said with a smile. His eyes widened some.

“Are you sure you want me to-”

“I actually specially requested you through Cassian.” You keep your voice bright and light, not letting on the small fight that you had to get that approved. He didn’t seem to believe your words quite all the way.

“He’s okay with me going? I thought he wanted me to help get the rest of the base moved. In fact… he just talked to me about it yesterday.” Rook said rubbing at his neck. You seem to start second guessing yourself.

“Do you… not want to? I can-” He grabs your arm to stop you.

“No! I mean, I do. I just didn’t think.” He laughed a moment. “What would we be doing?”

“Unmarked ship, recon to potential base planets from the information we got.” You said with a smile. “Figured we should see it all the way through.” The expression that crossed Bodhi’s features seemed to be a mix of surprise, happiness and then a strange somberness. It tugs at your heart some and clear your throat gently use your knuckles to gently push at his shoulders. “On a different note, you’re hair is growing out nice.” Was that a blush you see creeping into his cheeks? “Are you going to grow it all the way back out?”

You watch his fingers push back through his hair, long enough to comb through, almost enough to tie back.

“Maybe. I like how it covers…” His fingers brush over the back of his head and along his neck. Better, but still haunts him…. “Anyway, it’s bothersome now, always in my face while working.” He said with a slight scoff.

“I could lend you some hair clips.” You said, teasingly as you lean back on your elbows. He doesn’t turn it down and gives you a curious look. “Okay, really?” You ask tilting your head to the side.

“Better than having to push it out of my face.” He countered shifting to look down at you. You chew on your lip, grinning before nodding.

“Fine, fine. Let’s go get them now, I have droid maintenance soon.” You move to stand, but he’s faster, already up on his feet, hand being offered down to you. You reach out, gripping his forearm and he helps haul you up. Overall this moment on the roof of the temple has been a bright spot in a long month.

You small talk lowly together as you walk back down the temple’s floors. A lighthearted moment easing the tension that has built up around the base. It doesn’t take long to get to your room. It’s smaller than others, but you also get to have it alone. You thumb in your code and the door slides open.

“Take a seat, let me find them.” You tell Bodhi as you wave him inside, he follows and sits on the real only suitable surface, the edge of the bed. You sift through some containers and are able to dig up clips after a moment.

“Alright, here, I’ve got two you can have.” You said dropping them into his hand. Now, he seems hesitant. The clips are neutral in tone, regulation from when they were in service to the empire, though no one would know it but you. He gathers some of his hair back and unclips the first clip, you watch with amusement. The end result is a mess and you cover your mouth to stifle your laugh.

“What…” He asks and you just wave your hands some.

“Here, here, hold on.” You say walking over to him, you stand with just in front of him and move out to touch his hair, he shrinks back just a bit. “I’m just going to fix it… it’s alright.” You said and you make quick work of it. You fingers unclasp the clip and you stick the end of it between your teeth, you section out an area of hair that would normally be considered bangs if they were cut, and gently finger comb them, you lightly twist the end of it and press it to his crown. With your free hand you take the clip from your lips and click it back into to place. It blends with his hair nicely.

“There.” You said with a smile. “And if you leave your goggles up….” You lift the goggles from around his neck and pull it up and over settling them on the top of his head. “No one would know, at least, until you needed them.”

Bodhi kept his head bowed slightly, fingers tight in the fabric of his pants. He looks more tense than when you started. Did you overstep? You take a step back and lean against the wall opposite him, he doesn’t move for a bit then slowly relaxes.

“Bodhi?”

Bodhi stands and looks to you, he looks lost, he looks flustered. He doesn’t say anything before leaving in a few quick strides. You don’t follow. You obviously went over the line, or at least you felt that you had now. You’d let things settle before finding him again, if you were going to do another mission with him, you’d have to make sure the air was clear of whatever just happened. For now, you picked up your own goggles, ones with magnifiers in them to look at detailed mechanics, and walked out of the room a few minutes later.