Prelude to a Bond [DotR Prelude]

[Marcus]

Prelude to a Bond
Jedi Marcus (@Marcus) and Jedi Lealynn (@Megilwen)
Tython, shortly before Dawn of the Republic era
​

The ancient homeworld of the Jedi, the ancient headquarters and base of those who served the light, the once-great temple of the Force. Still a home and main training facility for the Jedi, Tython served as a definite beacon for the crusaders. After these years of war, after all the battles with the Sith, Tython was one of the key places the Jedi Knights could call home.

While the ancient temple and base were not as glorious as they were millennia ago, there was still a grandeur that filled the land and the structures. Awe still struck both those who came to live and train and those who had the chance to visit as a guest of the Jedi. After nearly eight years of training, one particular Jedi learner was taking a big step in the coming days. And he sat atop a large hilltop, looking down on one of the many statues that littered the landscape as constant reminders of what this planet was.

Jedi Marcus knew that his big steps were only the beginning - new responsibilities, changes in his own way of life, and more. But that was not the only thing on his mind. His master, off loading up a freighter no doubt, was called to duty this day and would not be there for the ceremony in which Marcus would partake. It was not so much saddening as it was... leaving a hole, in a sense. On the brighter side, the hilltop view along with peace, quiet, and meditation were definitely helping clarify his thoughts. While he was excellent at foresight and the like, the future was still unclear to him. His anxiety was getting in the way, one could assume.

@Megilwen

 

[Lucy Lou]

Lael had always thought Tython was a beautiful planet. The temple architecture was elegant, ancient. It spoke all kinds of stories to her through her time there. Though now she was about to go on a mission with her Master, however without her fellow Padawan Marcus. This was a good thing. Her fellow was about to become a fully fledged Jedi. Sadly, the mission and the ceremony would be occurring at the same time, which meant that she'd miss it. Her place was with their Master in this case. While Marcus had proven himself, she still had a way to go.

Heading outside the temple, leaving her Master to finish with the details of the mission, Lael headed up on of the hills searching for Marcus to say her congratulations a bit early. She knew he liked to sit on one of the hills over looking some of the temple statues. She just had to figure out which one. It was a beautiful day however, so taking a little bit of walk didn't bother her in the slightest. Out of a sudden urge, Lael did a cartwheel through the short grass. She was still a child at heart sometimes.

 

[Marcus]

The youthful approach was almost palpable. Marcus was annoyed at first when Master Brax agreed to help train Lealynn, but not too long into the relationship he became fond of her ways. Her youth, innocence, fresh look on things - they were all helpful to the older Marcus.

He wasn't exactly meditating, but he was focused. And her cartwheel, while likely quite agile and silent, did stir his attention. The Jedi Knight - well, as of tomorrow - kept his gaze out over the valley and remained seated. "Hello, Laelynn." He usually kept to her formal name, at least in public scenarios or at the start of a conversation. "You two ready to go, I presume?"

The older male was half-joking. He knew there was likely more to do, but he also knew she would enjoy the mission. Some of the random skirmishes the Jedi had over the last few years, while not as violent as the Sith battles long ago, could get just as exciting and important. He had a feeling this mission was one of those.

 

[Lucy Lou]

"I'd expect so soon." She said as she plopped to the ground beside Marcus, stretching her legs out and laying back in the soft grass. "When I left, Master Brax been arguing with a droid about supplies. I wasn't needed any longer." Her eyes closed as she spoke, relaxing in the sunlight as if she were a reptile. "I am disappointed to miss your ceremony tomorrow. It was quite unfortunate in a way that we have to leave immediately and that it couldn't wait until after tomorrow. However, I'm sure the council knows what is best."

She lay there quietly for a few moments. Just thinking to herself, before she rolled over onto her stomach her head leaning against one hand. "Have you ever run into a Sith Marcus? When you were out on missions with Master Brax?" At this point in her relationship with the two, their missions had been "calm". Well as calm as they could be. Certainly no Sith anyways.

 

[Marcus]

Marcus nodded at her comments. Their master was a bit on the brash side, and did have a distinct hatred for droids. Then again, it was also hard to read the crusader, even with Marcus' sensing ability. His best trances could only give him so much insight into the master's life - well, almost none. "The ceremonies are not quite what they used to be, actually," he finally said. "With all the wars, even though that was long ago, we have better things to do with our time than to celebrate a new guardian." He meant those words - he was proud to be past the learner phase, but he was not so prideful that he really did not need pomp over it. But he would do it, and the group meditation over each candidate would be good for everyone there.

The older male couldn't linger on the thought much further when Lael asked her rather difficult question. He almost wished he could say that he fought in the Sith wars, but that was so long ago. "I have encountered them, yes." Marcus paused, his focus a bit noticeably coming back from a far-off place to more of the here and now. "They are as powerful as we are, and yet fueled by their emotions."

Instead of a focused, almost meditative daze, his mind wandered as his eyes looked off at a different angle, seeming to reach out for a collection of memories. What would only be known by the few Jedi involved in the incident in question, including Brax and Marcus, was that there was a lot of devastation at the hands of the Sith in that memory. He was dead now, but so were so many people - including other Jedi. "Very dangerous," he finished with an obvious comment, in a solemn voice.

 

[Lucy Lou]

Dangerous. Very Dangerous. She knew that was true and that Marcus just wasn't saying that to scare her. However it still reminded her of how her Mother used to warn her about the Kaotola Monster that lurked in the trees and ate naughtly little girls and boys. It wasn't that Sith weren't real, the Kaotola monster certainly wasn't. Nor was it that she was over confident in her abilities as her friend Rhonan could best her in a fight. However, talking about them still just seemed fantastical. Like her chances of running into one would always just be kind of slim.

"Fueled by their emotions." She repeated still thinking to herself, her feet bobbing up and down behind her every so often. There is no emotion, there is peace. The first line of the Jedi code. Something that after her Initiate's trials, more than a few years ago, she knew very well. So the idea that there were others that fueled the Force through emotion, was a tad bit fascinating to the young girl. She absorbed knowledge like a sponge and this was just one more piece to the puzzle that was the universe. She read through some of the histories of the wars, but not many of them talked about the Sith as a people. Again just more of lumping them together in a giant angry mass type of thing. Part of her started to wonder what the library might hold that she hadn't seen yet about the Sith. Was there even a Sith culture?

"Hmmm." She pushed the thoughts away for the moment. "Do you think we could run into Sith with this mission? I mean it's just supposed to be a simple mission." She half said to herself as she turned her blue-green eyes back toward him curiously. She didn't really know all the specifics to the mission, but since it was only Master Brax and her, a young Padawan, surely the Council wouldn't give them anything super difficult.

 

[Marcus]

Marcus chuckled a bit on the inside, noting her inquisitive nature and her ever-present search for knowledge. That made for a good learner indeed. He also liked that she tended not to hold back much - I guess being as young a woman as her would lend itself to that behavior. Nonetheless, Marcus always found it refreshing - and it was the very reason she had grown on him over the years.

"I doubt it," he said in response to her question. He looked back over the valley and closed his eyes for a few seconds. He was still working very hard on his farsight. It was still proving difficult for him to get the clarity and focus to see what the Force wanted to tell him. He could get strong visions, and he had seen things before, but trying to look on demand was a challenge still. And now was not the time for a deep meditation session.

Marcus looked up and met her gaze, giving a mild grin of comfort. "The Sith have been in hiding for the most part since the wars. I told you I've met Sith, but that a mere handful of times over nearly 8 years of studying as a Jedi, and even before then I never took notice." He knew it was obviously possible, and the mission was going to be closer to the border than their current sector in which Tython resided. But there was no sense in making her worry.
"Besides, as you say, it is supposed to be quite simple. Investigating a few mundane artifact thefts or whatever it is Brax is up to, doesn't sound terribly worrisome to me." If there was a strong ability, one might pick up the fact that he was actually a tad worried. Otherwise, he put up a good front on this one.

 

[Lucy Lou]

Lael watched quietly while Marcus closed his eyes for a few moments. At times she found it amusing that thy were both being trained by the same Master. They were opposites in so many things. The one that stood out at the moment was his use of the Force to try and see a glimpse of what stood ahead of her and Master Brax. He used the force to glimpse the future and her natural ability was using the force to glimpse the past. The teen looked down at the gloves, she just wore naturally now.

There'd been a few instances where she'd considered not wearing them. However, in the end, she'd always end up pulling the gloves on tightly every morning. The gloves had become a safety net more than anything at this point, but it was hard to give up a habit after so many years. Her attention was pulled from the fabric that wrapped her fingers as Marcus removed himself from his light meditation.

Artifact thefts. That sounded about right. She grinned and perked up more, if it was possible. "Holocrons?" She questioned almost excited at the thought of being able to see and study some artifacts, provided they were able to find them of course.

 

[Marcus]

Brax was a true warrior - he used sense and trance and foresight, but he also use acrobatics and telekinesis. He was a powerful Jedi, which is likely why he was given these to learners to train. He could handle the load, but he also had a diverse enough skillset to tackle multiple personalities.

Now a holocron - wouldn't that be something. "Have you studied any holocrons?" He honestly didn't remember her being around any, but then again Brax took them each on separate missions from time to time. "That would be a nice addition to one of the temples, for master and student alike."

 

[Lucy Lou]

Lael nodded. "I've handled a few in the Temple library." She said, "But that's about it. These could be new ones that no one has seen in thousands of years. Lost knowledge of the past Jedi Masters!" She was super excited about the prospect, even though there was a chance this wasn't even likely at all. "Oh I hope it is a holocron Marcus! To be the first to see it's knowledge again, after Master Brax of course."

The girl was nearly was trembling with excitement and couldn't wait to leave. It would be an exciting mission if it did result in their finding Holocrons. "What do I call you after the ceremony? Jedi Marcus? Master Marcus? MM?" She giggled a little amused with herself.

 

[Marcus]

Marcus had to admit - it would be quite exciting to find a holocron. They were rare, and occasionally had something that truly added to the archives in a significant way. That said, the probability of a holocron was probably equal to - and not disparate from the likely instance of - a Sith.

The Jedi shook out of that train of thought and shifted his stance to face her. He extended his arm as if to motion them to walk. It was time they headed back - Marcus needed to prepare in the main temple and she probably needed to find Master Brax. "I've heard the terms of sir or lady, but that's quite formal and not sure how common it is. I still call Brax master, even though he is technically a general at this point." Marcus paused after his thinking-out-loud. "Just Marcus, or Jedi Marcus in formal occasions is my guess."

The two made their way down the path but Marcus started to look around queerly. He walked slower a few steps and then stopped. "Something doesn't..." He suddenly reached out and grabbed her towards him as several small boulders fell from the cliffside surrounding them. He breathed in and sighed in relief. And while his senses were keen enough to help them with that, there was more rubble to come. More small rocks came and Marcus pushed Leal ahead. "Go!" he yelled as he ran himself, beginning to get pelted by debris.

 

[Lucy Lou]

Rolling over, Lael pushed herself to her feet and followed after Marcus while glancing up at the sky. It was nearing the time for them to leave. As well as nearing his time to start his preparations for the ceremony. "Jedi Marcus." She repeated with a grin. It was so formal and would probably take some getting used to. Suddenly and surprisingly, she felt herself pulled backward just in time to not be injured by some falling rocks. Then she was being propelled forward and running down the path away from further falling rocks. Pushing outward above her head, she managed to form an umbrella of sorts using the force. Little rocks bounced off the shield she created only to fall onto the ground on the other side of her.

Slowing she waited for Marcus to catch up. "Strange rockslide. I thought most everything was settled around here." She glanced back behind them and up the mountain wondering if a Flesh Raider had gotten too close to the Temple again. The creatures were bold sometimes and often had to be cleared out of the area for the safety of the Initiates and younger Padawans. "Should we let the Master's know of the rockslide so they can see if it may have been caused by others?"

 

[Marcus]

Marcus was amazed at her skill. Lealynn had shielded herself from those boulders and rocks. Marcus would have likely jumped around them in some fashion, or used some weaker telekinesis and lightsaber maybe to deflect. But he managed to stay clear of the mess. "Your skill has grown recently," commented the male.

As they walked a bit down from the rockslide there was an obvious curiosity with the rockslide. It seemed natural to Marcus - he had seen it happen before. Then again, as Leal spoke he began to think things may not have been purely accidental. He hmm'd audibly before replying, as they continued to walk down the mountainside trail. "We can report it - might give some of the newcomers something to investigate." He seemed a bit... not dismissive, but he just didn't put too much thought into the incident.

A they walked, the peaks of the temple structure came into view. "So are you nervous?" It was a somewhat cliche question to ask before a mission, but he did feel a tad bit of trepidation from her. He was likely feeling just as much anxiety, oddly enough.

 

[Lucy Lou]

"Lots of practice." Lael replied. "And lots of mediation." She nearly groaned at that, but use and finesse with the force meant having to be able to center oneself easily, to have near perfect concentration. Every morning and every night, she forced herself to meditate, to practice the force. She'd gotten better then she'd once been when she was younger and had difficulties generating large manifestations of the force. Really large manifestations were still difficult, she sometimes even had problems with force pulling and pushing, since it was a constantly moving manifestation, like her shield but thrust forward to push the person ahead of her. I wonder if thinking of it like that will make it easier.

"I remember clearing out the pathways once or twice when I became a Padawan. It wasn't too dangerous." She said with a grin as they walked, growing nearer to the temple. She tilted her head to the side at Marcus's question as she considered for a moment. "No. Not nervous. Excited? Hopeful? I mean it's just a normal mission right? Every mission has it's problems that pop up once you get into it. Worry just leads to a disconnect with the Force." She flashed him a reassuring smile. "I'm sure we'll both make it back fine. And you'll be jealous that you weren't with us when we discover a long lost Jedi holocron."

 

[Marcus]

Marcus smiled as she recollected her training. There were many fond memories and stories from Tython, even with its strange and veiled past. As they got closer to the temple, having given her reassurance, Marcus couldn't help but feel something... indescribable. He shook his head and went on into the temple proper, over to the main docking area.

Master Brax was there, going over a pad, appearing deep in thought as usual. "Ah, my two young pups."

Marcus hated that term, given he was not much younger than Brax. "General," he said with a bow of his head. "I trust you are prepared?"

Brax chortled a bit. "Always so serious, Marcus. You need to lighten up a bit." There was a tone in his words that did not match his usual timbre. Mayhaps a forced joke or an odd ignoring of Marcus' polite, albeit chit-chatty, question.

"Of course," the pupil said almost dismissively, but more out of continuing on to his next point rather than disrespect or disregard of the comment. "I did want to give heed to something today, master. Portents in the foothills."

Brax cocked his head, his smile waning a bit. "Oh?" He looked over at Lealynn. "Pray tell?"

Marcus nodded and match his gaze on Lealynn. "Some might dismiss it as happenstance, but I have other feelings."

@Megilwen

 

[Lucy Lou]

"Morning Master Brax." The girl greeted with a cheery grin as she listened to Brax and Marcus talk. It was always so silly. Whenever Marcus got around their Master he seemed to grow more serious. She was sure it had to do with Marcus wanting to make Master Brax proud of him. There was always urge for Padawans to live up to their Masters expectations and beliefs. Something that more often then not, they were already doing. Lael was aware of how Master Brax took pride in Marcus's achievements, in his earning of the rank of Knight. She could see it, feel it nearly and with Marcus being so attuned in ways she wasn't. It kind of surprised her that he didn't already know that. Mayhap one was blind toward things directed or about them. She'd always heard it was the most difficult to truly see one's own future, yes there were the awareness and warnings that Jedi received through the force, but to truly see one's future.

She looked over as her Master spoke to her. "Oh there was a rockslide on our way back from the hills. Probably accidentally started by an animal, or something else. Something that might need to be checked out, but no immediate concern." She finished as to Marcus's other feelings she couldn't speak to. He'd said nothing about feeling something in the Force while they were sitting and talking before.

 

[Marcus]

Brax nodded as she explained. "Aye, most likely creatures up in the hills." He tilted his head slightly as he examined Leal, and then looked over at Marcus. "But you two could learn much from one another."

Marcus nodded, not really understanding what Brax meant by that. There was truth - she was innocent and unbiased in many regards, but Marcus was truly gifted in knowing and understanding his surroundings, even the surroundings of others... even events yet to unfold. The seer, as one might call him, added to her tale.
"The concern is indeed past. But I would agree that an inspection is warranted."

Brax waved his hand at Marcus. "Very well, report it once we leave." The man hefted his satchel onto a shoulder and went closer to Marcus, reaching out and putting a hand on his learner's shoulder. "I know there is more to this," he said quietly. "Tell me more when I get back."

Marcus just looked at Brax. "Of course, general."

Brax closed his eyes and sighed.

"Brax." Marcus grinned, as a bit of his concern washed away with Brax's lighthearted (albeit firm) nature. Marcus then turned to Leal and gave a sincere half-smile. "And take care of our master, you hear?"

 

[Lucy Lou]

Lael grinned up at Marcus. "I will, promise." Reaching down next to the ramp, Lael picked up the bag she'd packed earlier and slung it over her shoulder. It was unlikely that she'd need to keep Brax safe and if anything were to happen then it would be more likely that he'd be the one to protect her. However, it even more likely that nothing was going to happen at all.

The young girl moved to stand next to Brax as the final boarding preparations were made and the ship's engines started up. "We'll see you when we get back. You still owe me a spar Marcus." She joked before waving and skipping up the ramp of the ship. She could hear chuckling behind her and then the sound of Brax's boots against the ramp. It didn't take long and soon the ship was taking off from the planet toward their destination.