Ask Tatooine The Force Surrounds Us...

Kyp Eridan

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Srota
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The Ship heaved and jerked from side to side as Kyp pulled up on the yolk to arrest their descent into the wilds of the desert planet. He heard things scattering around behind him in the living quarters. Hopefully it wasn't anything too important. Today was to be an important day, after all. He had an important task for his Padawan, after all. It was no good to study a lightsaber unless one knew what worked best for them, and for this reason, Kyp had set off to find a place where the pair could seek the ancient crystals. It was not easy to locate them, with the Empire's consumption of the minerals for their Death Stars and the loss of the planet ilum, finding a natural crystal required attuning oneself to the Force and listening very carefully. It would be a good test for his young apprentice, after all. She needed to work to open herself up more to the Force, after all. Where better to work on such a task than on a desolate planet such as Tatooine. He had selected a place near some ancient ruins, and hoped that perhaps they might have some connection to the Order of old. These were the first steps, and even if they did not find a crystal on this excursion, he was sure that his apprentice would learn much about herself while meditating in the scorching sun.

These thoughts ran through his head as the ship came to a rough landing, almost even a small crash, the landing gear creaking as it settled unstably on the sand dune. With that, Kyp turned around and smiled brightly. At least he hadn't karked it up as bad as he had before. Flying was harder than he had ever imagined it would be, and he was not showing many signs of improvement, and he was honestly pretty sure that even Altina could fly better than he could. Still, with enough trust in the Force, one could at least arrive at Point Besh from Point Aurek, after all. Kyp looked about for his apprentice, walking confidently out of the cockpit, and into what he assumed might be a book or holodisc or two on the deck of the ship, but was almost definitely worse.

He raised his hand and scratched the back of his head as he gazed about the mess. "Still not as bad as the last time I was here." He said with a grin and a chuckle. "Are you ready, Padawan? You will listen to the call of the Force, seek out anything it wishes you to find, and hopefully with time, you will know where your crystal is."

It had taken him a good week to get permission from the Council to have Altina obtain her lightsaber, but after pleading his case, and making note of the fact that she was a special circumstance given the visions and that he wanted to make sure she would be safe even with limited use of the Force as an aid, he had finally won them over. It had been the hardest task of his career. Even those Gundarks had been easier to win over than the Council. But still, he would not see his Padawan left behind while he went galavanting off on some new expedition, and his work could not remain on hold for an indefinite period of time, either. Plus, she had deserved a reward to help ease the hardships she faced even opening herself up to the Force.

Kyp could still remember the fear, the anger, the look on her face, the first time she had tried, and he felt the shudder run down his spine. It always served as a reminder to him of the good he could do for others even outside the realms of his books and histories. She was progressing, every day she improved, and it kept that broad smile on his face daily. But deep down, he wondered, was he doing enough? Would Altina have done better mentored by someone other than he? Perhaps someone who understood people better? And like that, the cold sliver of doubt returned, even for just a brief second before he pushed it down again.

@Lavi
 

Altina Tiramara

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She never thought that there would be something that scared her as much as the visions once did, but Master Eridan's piloting skills managed to do it. Master Eridan did tell her that he was not that good of a pilot, but Altina presumed that he was downplaying his skills. Seeing the mess that her master left on the floor, Altina quietly vowed to never decorate her quarters, in anticipation of the abuse they would likely find with him in the pilot's seat.

Only when the ship finally settled on the ground did Altina feel at ease in the co-pilot's seat. She had no experience piloting whatsoever, compared to Master Eridan, so there were few options for alternative pilots. Before she stood up to escape from the cockpit, Altina gazed out of the viewport at Tatooine's endless desert.

The whispers that she hears seemed different than the ones that she had grown accustomed to hearing on Ajan Kloss. On the forest planet, there was far more whispers of training, meditation, instruction, and other activities that Jedi would do at the planet's temple. On this planet, it felt like there was much more suffering, pain, and loss.

Altina already wasn't fond of this world, but her intuition, combined with Master Eridan's knowledge, has pointed the search for her kyber crystal towards this world. The homeworld of the grandmaster Luke Skywalker, whom Master Eridan had her study back at the temple. Why did the Force point her here?

The padawan closed her eyes, allowing the whispers and visions to show her what they wanted to show. Sand people completely covered in cloth to protect them from the sun's rays. Hooded small creatures jabbering about whatever scrap they were able to find in the desert. Blaster shots. Anger. Sadness. But the whisper that seemed to resonate in her mind more than anything else was not a whisper at all.

It was the roar of a great beast.

She cringed at the sound as it felt as though it pierced her eardrums. The sound of the beast faded over time, allowing Altina to finally look at her master.

"A large creature might lead us to it. Whatever monster that lives on this planet," she finally said. "Though, I'm not sure where to look."

@Srota
 

Kyp Eridan

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Kyp waited by the ramp leading out of the ship. The harsh light of the twin suns beat down on him, even in the shade. Kyp could feel himself dehydrating already. But he knew that he would be able to survive, the Force would provide, after all, and he would make sure that Altina has enough rations and water to last for at least three days. He could feel the weight of his Journal slipped into a secure area of his robe and cloak. He would need it to record how Altina reacted to her meditations. In addition, this was Altina's trial, not his. It would be on her to lead the pair while listening to the will of the Force.

As she approached, he offered her a soft smile. "Well, Altina, a great beast? Sounds like a Krayt Dragon. If that is what the Force seeks from you, then that is what it will be. This is your personal task, Altina, you must use what I have taught you over the past weeks so that you can open yourself to the Force and let it guide you to the crystal. Be sure you bring two or three days worth of rations and water for yourself. I will be not far behind you, but I will not aid you. This is something all padawans must experience for themselves after all."

Kyp stood up and descended the ramp of the ship, pulling up the hood of his robes as his feet fell into the sand. He could feel his feet sinking into the sand with every step as he made his way out far enough from the ship before letting Altina take over. He watched as she passed him. It was up to her how they would proceed, and Kyp could not help but keep the flutter of excitement in check. This would be very new to him, a chance to see how she would be able to focus with a goal in mind. Coming up with that focus would be key for her skills with the Force, and he wanted her to have the experience he did not.

Slowly Kyp let his eyes close, in part to reduce the glare and in part to aid in the recollections as his memory recalled the events of his own trial...

@Lavi
 

Altina Tiramara

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Altina had gathered her belongings before following her master down the ramp, listening to what he had to say. My task?

Altina couldn't hide her shock. All this time, Master Eridan was the one to lead her. He was both mentor and father, giving both the instruction and warmth that she needed. And now, he let go of the reins.

How do I even begin? Where is the first step?

Her heart rate quickened as Altina quietly panicked. Master Eridan always had the answers for her, but now he expected her to find those answers herself. What is there to do if the answers are not clear? Her self reflection made her oblivious to the gust of wind that threw dust into her face. Grunting as the sand bit into every nook and cranny it could find, Altina instinctively covered her face with closed eyes and twisting out of the way of the sandy torrent. It was in that moment that she found her first answer.

"These are your first steps," a voice consoled her.

She opened her eyes and she saw, in the distance, what looked like a rocky outcropping. It did not seem to resemble anything in particular, but it seemed like she was supposed to be able to see it. Is this the way to the krayt dragon that Master Eridan mentioned? It seemed scary enough that the Force bellowed the sound of such a creature into her ears, but are they really going to run into a dragon?

Her fears and nerves relented just enough for Altina to take the first step. And then the next. It did not help remind her that she should have ensured that she brought the supplies that Master Eridan said that she should have, but her mind was already set on moving forward. With each reassuring step, Altina stayed focused on the path before her.

Little did either know that a sandstorm was brewing. By the time they knew it, they would be engulfed in the desert's fury, unable to see anything at all. It was the kind of storm that would force inhabitants to seek shelter indoors, but neither Altina nor Kyp had that luxury. Rather than offering reprieve from the blistering heat, the mighty winds made the feeling of dehydration feel even worse, drying what little moisture there was left instead of evaporating it.

It was only then that Altina remembered that Master Eridan had told her to bring enough rations to last the trip. However, she only had enough for a day. Being in the thick of the storm, that day's worth of rations is meaningless unless she wanted to fill up her stores with sand instead of her provisions. She desperately wanted to drink, but Altina did not want to risk losing more water than she bargained for in the storm.

Eventually, she found a rocky outcropping that was suitable for shielding her from the worst of the windy bellows. As she took her canteen, Altina realized her hands were shaking. Never in her life had she been in weather this harsh, essentially on her own, in search of something that she is not even sure is there.

Even with the howling gale, the sounds of the voices in her head never ceased to remind her of the struggles of daily life on the planet. The hardship of relying on moisture evaporators, trying to grow food in the few oasis that allowed for vegetation, the criminal life that thrives on the planet, and more.

After taking a sip of water, Altina capped it and tried to focus in order to temper her visions. It was a miracle at this point that her condition did not play the sort of tricks she experienced on Ajan Kloss, but she still could not let down her guard. Even when those voices seem to suggest that she should keep moving.

Why? One would naturally want to stay sheltered until this storm blew over. But those voices kept pushing her. She felt paralyzed, split between the options before her. All this time, Altina had rejected everything that the visions had been telling her, but those times were primarily nonsensical allusions that were safe to ignore. But now: it seemed as though the voices were trying to give her direction. Is this what Jedi normally experience when they rely on the Force? Master Eridan never really talked about how he experienced the Force with her: the lack of foresight to ask the question clawed at Altina's thoughts.

Without a doubt, Altina felt alone and helpless, but it was not as though she had not felt that way before. Back then, she did not have the training or knowledge to be able to do anything other than curl up in a corner and cry. But she is a Jedi now. She calmed herself, closing her eyes and rebuilt her focus. What would Master Eridan say that she should do?

@Srota
 

Kyp Eridan

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Jedi Knight Kyp Eridan stood at the bottom of the ramp to his ship, eyes closed, his mind wandering as she walked away, off to find her own kyber crystal. Was this trial really a test for his Padawan? Or was it a trial for him instead? He could not help but wonder, given the anxiety and concern he felt for her, out in the desert, a Krayt Dragon somewhere out on the sands. He could feel the dark tendrils of fear worming though his thoughts, and he took a deep breath, slowly letting himself exhale, his fears escaping on the breath and out into the whirling sands. A few moments later, he was coughing and sputtering, sand flying out of his mouth and everywhere. Well, this was starting to get worse and worse. But he had to restrain himself. Altina needed to do this for herself, she needed to have her independence, she needed to overcome trials on her own else she would never have the confidence to do so without him. Was it really for he best to leave her out there? Would this really be the right thing she needed? He really wondered, especially given how his own trial had gone.

Memories flooded back. Pain. Darkness. Fear. Worry. Calmness. Years of training flashed before his eyes. The memory of his Master, shoving him off the ship, letting him fall to the planet below. The Force coming, lashing out, helping him to land. The lack of emotion in the voice of his Master, the order not to return without the crystal. The forest looming around him at night, the vibrant life around him, the Force calling out to him, guiding him, bringing him through each hardship. It had been something he would never forget, nor something he had wanted to inflict on others. But now, he wondered, had that been the reason why his Master had put him through such hardships? He had come from a life of relative ease, a peaceful world, even a relatively high initial skill level with the Force. Had it been about showing him hardship, forcing him to overcome the difficulties he faced without the trappings of skill and wealth and ease he had relied on before? Just as he was doing now with Altina? Putting her through the hardships she needed to come out stronger on the other side?

Kyp collapsed to the sands, he had allowed himself to wander away from the ship some small distance without realizing it. It was still in sight, of course, but barely so, as the elements of the sandstorm raged about him. Kyp rolled over and sat up, shutting his eyes from the stinging sands. Slowly, he let his breathing slow to barely a crawl, entering a meditative trance such as he had learned so long ago on his own trial as he tried to survive without food and water for days on end. Now he would use the skills he had learned on his own trial. A trial of mentorship. He reached out with his senses, seeking her. Despite the desert, there was still plenty of life, animals and other lives could always be found in even the harshest climates. But he found her, alive. And then he withdrew his senses. Pulling them back to his own mind once more, he turned them internally.

Fear. Worry. Concern. Attachment. They raged within him. Each sentiment a storm akin to the one surrounding him, buffeting his soul much as the sands whipped across his face. He wondered if this was really the right attitude for a mentor to take. Was this a sign that he did not trust his own student? Could his unease be affecting her? He forced his presence down further. She needed no guidance from him. She was ready. Wasn't she? He had done his best to prepare her. But was that even enough to truly help her? Were his skills up to the task at hand? Was he the right mentor for her? The heat of the desert suddenly became chill as ice. Was it night? Was it day? He could not tell any longer. The trance had removed all perception of time. Instead, all he could feel were his fears, his uncertainty. He was not ready for this. He knew he wasn’t. Thoughts raged within him. Failure. Useless. Unprepared. They screamed at him, reminding him he had led to this moment. Sure that she would not return.

Or was he? He stopped. He picked apart each thought, applying the light of reason to each. Gazing inward, reminding himself to trust in not only himself, but in her. She was ready. She could do this. She needed to do this. Slowly, he forced the darkness down, his mind clearing. This was his trial. He would not fail. He would not fail her.

@Lavi
 

Altina Tiramara

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What am I going to do? The question repeated itself in Altina's mind as she curled up against her temporary shelter in the sandstorm. It mixed itself with the voices which, initially, she ignored. But as her contemplated options thinned, the words that they said became more clear.

Go on. Keep moving. Trust in the Force.

As long as she remembered, Altina had ignored those voices. Her training and her master's research were all devoted in figuring out how to control and suppress them. But, for once, the voices seemed like they were trying to guide her. Was this how Master Eridan perceived the Force? Altina never asked her master, which is a huge oversight in retrospect, but he isn't here to guide her. She has to decide for herself.

Trust in the Force.

At that moment, Altina felt the momentary presence of her master. She reached out instinctively, but the presence had already retreated. At the same time, it seemed like the sandstorm receded. Except Altina could clearly see the sand gusting around her. She looked around her. It was as though a bubble was keeping the sand away. Altina did not really understand it, but there was no point not to take advantage of the opportunity.

Trudging back into the sandstorm, Altina had the sense that the protective shield was moving with her. Was it her doing or was it the Force? Or was it both? The whispers did not give an answer, so Altina did not ponder the issue further. It was imperative that she makes it to her destination while a path is available to her.

Eventually, the rocky monument she saw back at the ship came into view but, at a distance, she couldn't make out anything in particular. The closer she got, the more apparent it was through the sandy veil that a cave entrance was right at its base.

Stepping inside, she immediately noticed it felt cooler than the outdoors, indicating that the cave reached deeper beneath the surface. It also may indicate that this cave could be a creature's home. Would a krayt dragon live here? Given the great roar that Altina heard, she did not want to have an encounter with one. But without any other options for destinations, Altina had no choice but to press on deeper into the cave.

The hot dry air eventually made way for cold dankness. Pausing only to take a drink from her canteen, Altina continued along the dark tunnel with only a glowstick for illumination as she passes beyond where the sun's rays reach. Even so, Altina still had no idea what she should be looking for.

A foul stench became more noticeable as she walked deeper. She was not entirely sure what it could be, but her instinct was to avoid finding out if possible. As it were, that would not be possible. When the cavern tunnel gave way to a clearing, Altina came across piles of bones and half eaten creatures in one corner. That was where the stench came from: death.

Surveying the area, Altina could not find anything immediately noteworthy. Her heart quickened as the seconds passed. There was no telling when the creature that lived here would return. The sound of heavy footsteps confirmed her fears. Hastily, Altina stowed her glowstick and sprinted towards the edge of the cavern in search for a place to hide. Without anything obvious to hide behind, she scrambled to the the next closest thing: the corpse of some other large horned, hairy creature.

The creature, probably a krayt dragon, came to a stop in the middle of the room. In the poor light, Altina could barely make out its outline as it put down its latest prey to begin its feast, tearing away flesh, meat, and bone. Drenched in a nervous sweat, Altina could only watch and wait as the dragon ate, unable to find a way out without illumination.

It felt like an eternity to wait, but eventually the dragon laid down, curling up in the middle of the room, to rest. Afraid to produce her glowstick again, Altina reached out into the Force, trying to get a gauge on the krayt dragon's state of mind. The calm, soothing feedback indicated that it definitely went to sleep.

She turned her body to keep the glowstick's light from catching the dragon's eye and slowly went along the cavern wall. Surely there is some kind of opening. Her slow, time-consuming search did eventually bear fruit: a small passageway, just large enough for her to go through, but far too small for a krayt dragon to follow. Sighing in relief, Altina laid down on the rocky floor to scoot her way through, when she heard a deep growl behind her.

Quietly cursing to herself, Altina quickened her pace, shoving her body into the narrow opening as the krayt dragon descended upon her, trying to dig its claw into the crevice after her. She winced as the dragon gave a loud roar that resembled what she had envisioned earlier, in apparent frustration as Altina continued on in the claustrophobic space.

Another eternity later, Altina finally crawled out of the space into a clearing, much larger than the krayt dragon den, but she did not need her glowstick to guide her. The room itself was already illuminated by the countless kyber crystals that dotted the room.

"Which one am I supposed to take?" Altina muttered to herself as she examined the nearest crystal.

Is the selection process also guided through training? What kind of training is supposed to apply to something like this? Altina walked through the cavern, eyeing each crystal as she pondered what to do. Was there something she should be doing right now? Why didn't she ask Master Eridan before coming here?

It seemed as though she answered her own question as she found herself drawn to a single kyber crystal in particular. There wasn't anything that she could say was special about it if she placed it side-by-side with any other crystal. But it, for some reason, felt like it was the one meant for her. She picked the crystal from its bed, which happened to be a lot easier than she imagined it being, examining it more closely in hand. It had a purple hue to it and felt like it has its own story, teetering on the line between two sides. As with everything that seemed to have happened so far today, Altina decided it was better to go along with it.

But now was the question of how to return to the ship. Since the krayt dragon knows she is here, crawling back through that opening sounded like a terrible idea. Altina continued through the crystal cave, looking around for another way out. Eventually, she did: through the ceiling above her. Maybe the physical training that Master Eridan forced her to do would come in use, after all.

Without any climbing equipment, the process was slow and arduous. The shape of the walls did leave some room to stand at certain points, but only just barely. Now and then, Altina also had to stop to catch her breath. She never felt these sorts of life-or-death experiences before and she just felt drained by it all. But she had to keep going: Altina didn't feel comfortable laying down to rest with what little room there was on any of the cliff faces she scaled to. She finished her skyward journey with a Force leap to the opening, grabbing and slowly pulling herself through the hole with some assistance from the Force as she kicked around to create the momentum to hoist herself up.

The sandstorm outside had completely disappeared and it was dark outside. The work she had done today left Altina feeling hungry and exhausted, but she didn't know about any other shelter to spend the night at and she certainly did not want to climb back down into the crystal cave only to make the same trip out in the morning. Instead, she took a bite of the food she had and a drink of water before beginning her long trek back to the ship.

@Srota
 

Kyp Eridan

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Kyp sat in the sands, his eyes closed, his thoughts raging. This trial was the toughest he had faced, concerns over his own abilities, over those of his padawan tore through him much as the sands tore at his skin. Confidence had always been something he had lacked. He had found it for a time in the Force, but his new duties were not governed by that relationship. Instead, they were governed by his own personality, his abilities as a teacher, his ability to control his own doubts and anxieties. Was he truly ready for this role?

Eyes fluttered as the sand continued to buffet him, the raging winds growing with every second. The whispers in the darkness of his mind grew louder and louder. You'll be the death of her! You haven't prepared her! You're not good enough for her! Shouting into the depths of his empty mind. He wanted to shut himself off, he wanted to curl into a ball, he wanted to make this suffering that his mind put him through come to an end. He wanted to abandon her for himself. This girl, abandoned by the rest of her family, without friends, seemingly abandoned by the council. Now he wanted to be the final betrayal. He wanted to shut her out! He was a failure and he knew it. Doubt raged through him. Hatred at himself for such thoughts. It gutted him, this weakness. This knowledge that he was not ready for her. The knowledge she might never return. Was he ready for that possibility? It was fast approaching dark, or so the rapidly dropping temperature against his ragged and torn skin told him. He could feel himself ready to break. He could feel the knowledge of his own failings drowning him pulling him into the abyss.

The wind grew, raging all the more, his robes tearing away in places as the sand blasted against him where he sat, on one side of him the sand was piling up, his body acting as a blockage for the wind which left the particles building ever-larger beside him. The dark began to surround him, the cloying tendrils of night embracing him as the storm raged.

The spiraling continued, his mind looking back on those times he had let others down, let his master down. His inability to make connections with other Jedi at times, the deaths of comrades whose back he had never had in the first place, too obsessed in his research and his histories, he had not learned to deal with others well. He had not learned to teach, he had only learned useless, pointless facts. He wanted to cry out, he wanted to reach out, to let the universe know how much pain he put himself in. To know he had let them down, to show he needed that help he was supposed to provide to others. Instead, the silence of the abyss muffled his cries, and they were lost to the void.

He wanted to be better, he wanted to do better, but he was not good enough, not strong enough. Failure of a Jedi, failure of a teacher, failure of a person. He knew all these things were true, deep within him. The abyss consumed him at last.

Kyp fell back, his body still, his mind nearly broken, his chest barely rising and falling. The eye of the storm had arrived, that moment of brief respite that would only be consumed once more by the raging storm.

Memories flashed by in Kyp's mind, surrounding him, beating him down. Until one moment caught his eye. A simple mental image, a smile, on the face of his padawan, hope flickering in her eyes for what must have been the first time in years. And it all seemed to fall away, the darkness raging at him, the self-loathing, the fear, a simple smile, shelter from the raging storm. A brief hint of light in the darkness of his own mind. His own test for himself. His failure. The bittersweet moment hung in his mind as the black consumed him once more.

The storm raged ever onwards, the eye passing over Kyp and the shuttle, and the sands blasted at the Jedi once more....

@Lavi
 

Altina Tiramara

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The journey back to the ship was remarkably uneventful. Altina checked each landmark as she passed them, to make sure she was going the right way. The disappearance of the sandstorm made the barren landscape just as foreign as the sandstorm itself. Once the ship started to come into view, she felt a rush of energy, changing her walk into a jog as she closed the final distance back to Master Eridan's ship.

After lowering the loading ramp, Altina dashed inside with the most excitement she ever felt. "Master!"

She looked around, but did not see or hear Master Eridan. Where is he? Altina's excitement turned to worry as she checked the cockpit. Then his quarters. Missing. Altina dashed back down the loading ramp, looking around.

"Master!" she shouted.

It was only then did Altina notice someone laying on ground nearby. Was he attacked? Did she take too long to get back? Altina ran to his side.

"Master!" she called to him again, giving him a firm shake of the shoulder.

Her breath was tinged with fear. Losing Master Eridan now would be a disaster. The voices and whispers threatened to sway her again. But nothing mattered right now other than Master Eridan.

@Srota
 

Kyp Eridan

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Kyp awoke to the sound of Altina shouting for him. But his apprentice was nowhere to be seen, instead, the winds howled and sand buffeted him. Was he still in the desert? Where had he heard Altina calling from? Had she succeeded after all? Raising a hand, he shielded his eyes from the sand as it lashed at him, stinging his skin with every gust. There was nothing but the roar of the sad. Even the ship had disappeared. He had to get back. He had to make sure his padawan was safe. And so, he set off walking, plunging into the winds as they howled.

"You failed her..." The whisper seemed to come from behind him, and Kyp spun, reaching for his lightsaber with the Force, sending it flying into his grasp and turning on the blade with a single motion.

"Who said that?" He shouted out into the wind, only to find it drowned out by the roar of the storm. He cast his gaze out behind him and yet there was nothing there. Whatever had said that to him was gone. Now was not the time for games, so he turned and set back off in what he thought was the direction from before. It all looked the same, a great howling wall of sand blocking his view even just meters from his nose. This was getting dangerous, he needed to get out of the storm, he needed to find Altina.

"Altina!" He shouted to no avail, "Altina!!" He yelled again, even as he began the slow, heavy march towards anywhere that might provide him with some semblance of shelter. It seemed like hours, his voice growing hoarse and cracked from the shouting and the dryness of the desert. There was no end in sight, it seemed.

"You aren't worthy of being her master..." Kyp spun once more as the voice seemed to whisper into his ear. "Who said that? Come out and show yourself!" He shouted in reply, not even bothering to spin around and face what he assumed was no longer there. there was something ancient in this voice, and yet it seemed all the more familiar for that age. Some small amount of the voice rang alarm bells in the back of his mind. He knew it was someone he had spoken to before... but where? How had they called up this storm? How had they abducted him? Why had they left him his lightsaber? But that was neither here nor there, he had to get back to the ship. He had to make sure she was safe. He had to make sure that his Padawan was ready for the next steps in her training. There was so much he wanted to show her, so much he wanted to teach her. She had not had an easy life, he knew, and she deserved better, and he wanted, in some small way, to make sure she had a chance at that better life.

"You doubted her when she needed your faith the most..." The voice whispered in his ear again. This time, he had no retort, doubting her was not his job, he was to encourage her, to guide her to help her grow. He had let himself become weak and this entity had stolen him away as a result. What must she be thinking now? What must she be wondering? Did she think he had left her on purpose? He would never have done that. No, he was better than that. The council had chosen him to train her for a reason. Perhaps it was his tenacity? He didn't know, but they would not have chosen him if they did not think it beneficial to both. "No!" He roared back to the sands. "Not her! Never her. Only myself!"


"You think she is too far gone for your skills... You doubt she can ever be healed... You're... afraaaaaaaaid...." The voice continued on in its ever more ominous whisper "You would abandon her in your fear, like the others before. You would give her up..." Kyp could not deny his fear, he had been scared, been afraid he wasn't going to be enough. He had wanted to give her up, he had cared only for himself, not for her. Justifying his fear with concern for his padawan. That was not the action of a good mentor. He shook his head. "I did! I admit it!" He shouted back at the voice. "But I will do better going forward! I will make it right!"

"No.... you will fail her... you will let her down in her moment of greatest need..." Kyp shook his head at that. Sure he had thought it, but he would never have acted upon it, he would never have tossed her aside. This young one was too kind, too caring for that.

"Its too late for you to make up for failing her..." The voice whispered from behind Kyp and he spun, catching the glimpse of a dark figure in the sands. Kyp ran at it, screaming, wanting this to end. He had to get back, he had to find her before she thought him gone forever, he couldn't let her go through that again. She would be waiting at the ship, smile on her face, kyber crystal in hand. He knew it, he could feel it. He begged the Force for aid, and it gave it freely, and his feet found purchase where they had only slipped before. He could see himself gaining on the shadow.

"You're a failure of a teacher..." Kyp plunged fully into the wall of sand and found his progress stopped.

"You fear her..." The voice called at him as Kyp stepped once more, moving closer to the shadow. "I am not afraid of her!"

"You fear yourself..." The voice called out again, a bit louder this time. Kyp took another step forward. "I trust in the council, they would not have chosen me if they did not think I could train her!"

"You fear failure..." Kyp moved closer once more, two steps further this time. "Failure is just a way for us both to learn more!"

"You will abandon her..." Kyp felt that one more keenly than the others, but he pushed onwards. Coming even closer, soon he would be able to see the features on this foe, soon he would be able to reach out and touch it. "Never! I will always be a confidante for her, I will always be there for her!"

"It is too late... you already have..." The voice whispered keenly to him, and Kyp felt himself struggling to maintain control, to keep himself from giving into anger at himself, at this voice, at the galaxy as a whole. He was a Jedi, and he would know peace. He would bring peace to all once more. Kyp stopped, he let go, he let the winds carry him away. Peace was the Jedi way, acceptance, growth, knowledge, compassion. He would not lose sight of them again. He let his eyes close as the winds slowed and he fell to the sand once more...

"Master!" Kyp's eyes opened, the twin suns glaring down at him and Altina. He sat up slowly, his face wrinkling and squinting as he looked about. He smiled warmly, genuinely as he saw Altina kneeling beside him. He sat up and brushed some sand off of his face.

"You're back, the quest was a success I take it? Sorry if I worried you... I was lost in my thoughts..." He said with a wry smile. "Come come, we have much to discuss..." Kyp stood up and offered his padawan his hand to help her up. "Let's head back to the temple, I have had enough of the sand for one lifetime..."

@Lavi
 

Altina Tiramara

Character
Jedi Order
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Jedi Padawan

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Lavi
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Even when he raised himself to his feet, Altina couldn't help feeling worried. Looking around, Altina could not find any sign of a struggle. She could not fathom why he laid out in the sand, but her excitement buried her thoughts of the matter.

"Yes, I have the crystal," she answered, raising it for him to see.

The fact that he looked pleased was enough to please her. It felt good to be the center of attention every now and then. She took Master Eridan's hand to be raised to her feet.

"For two, even," she agreed.

There was still the ever present fear of Master Eridan's piloting skills, but at least the worst has passed.

// END THREAD

@Srota
 
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