A Different Path, A Better Future [ OPEN ]

[Lycanthorph]

A hooded figure looks out through one of the view-ports on the transport ship heading towards the surface of Tython. He keeps to himself, avoiding contact with other passengers. Looking towards the surface, he begins to feel a strange sensation, energy passing through his body as the ship begins it`s descend. The ship descends with minor turbulences, the view-port revealing a planet filled with rich wildlife, numerous animals ... and the Force, so strong in this place. Kryos didn`t know much about the Force except what brief information his Jedi saviour gave him before departing. As the ship finally lands, Kryos re-adjusts his hood so it covers most of his head, making only a half of his face visible. The airlock doors open and the passengers begin walking out, Kryos following them out. He looks at the Jedi Temple and stares at it for a while, studying it`s architecture through the Force. He wonders what it would look like if he had eyes, functional eyes. Smiling faintly, he begins walking towards the Temple. His walking seems a bit odd, as he is still getting used to his cybernetic leg.

Few moments later, he enters the Temple, noticing quite a lot of Jedi. There, he stops and looks around again, not sure where to go.

 

[Lycanthorph]

After a few minutes, Kryos noticed a couple of men and women chatting near him. He slowly approaches the group, making sure his hood doesn`t slip off by accident. He turns his head to one of them and says : " Excuse me ... I was told that there is a Jedi Temple on this planet, am I on the right place ? " His tone of voice was rather cold, filled with anxiety, perhaps due to the fact that Kryos hasn`t spoken to anyone else in a long time save for the Jedi that rescued him.

 

[Siah]

Siah walked slowly down the stone companionway. He looked about the old stone building. The structure was worn, mossy and exuded an ancient air of unchanging stoicism. In Siah's mind if any place could hold the secrets of the Jedi it would be this temple. The grounds beneath the landing platform and companionway were well manicured and nurtured. But Siah was most pleased to see that at the edges of the temple grounds, the jungle was left unmolested to grow as it felt fit. Siah's black eyes travelled upwards, to the misty horizon. He'd never thought a world as lush as this existed beyond the Felucian jungles. To Siah, jungles of this magnitude had sat in the recesses of his mind as being but dreams and dreams alone.

Siah let out a contented sigh. He had travelled far from Ithor and his Herdship to be here, under the promise of being a great instrument for the good of the galaxy. Now he was here, on Tython, to begin his training in the ways of the Jedi.

In typical Ithorian fashion, Siah ambled slowly off of the companionway and made his way to a stone archway, etched from aged slabs of smooth rock. Siah paused just long enough to take note of how the plants' tendrils had invaded the cracks in the smooth stone. Siah had no personal belongings save for a small pouch attached to his belt. He plodded along the Garden walkway until he heard a cloaked figure speaking basic. He turned his head and waved slowly at the figure.

"A greeting to you." Siah said slowly, his accent very pronounced.
"I do believe you are in the correct place. In fact, I believe you are standing in the actual temple grounds themselves. As I was informed, the only structure on Tython is this." Siah waved his arms at the stone building in front of them. He smiled at the cloaked figure.
"My name is Siah Toan."

 

[Lycanthorph]

Kryos smiled faintly at the Ithorian, feeling a bit strange as he is not used to such kindness, even if it`s as simple as giving directions and answers. He turned his head towards Siah and said : " My name is Kryos ... Kryos Orbus. I was told by my Jedi rescuer that I might find a better future here. " . He pauses to quickly re-collect on the recent events that brought him here, the memory making him uneasy and slightly angry, the memory also reminding him how his leg was severely injured and had to be amputated, subsequently replaced with a cybernetic prosthesis. He snaps back to reality and says : " I just hope he was right. " .

Kryos looks around the temple, observing it`s architecture. He says : " This place seems ... unique, I can almost feel it`s energy flowing through it. It must be the Force or however the Jedi put it, I`m not too familiar with it. " . He brings his left arm to his face and scratches his chin.

He then cocks his head towards the Ithorian, saying : " You seem ... different from the others, not just by your accent. "

 

[Siah]

Siah blinked at the mention of a rescuer. No expert on human expressions, he could only assume that the slight discomfort he saw on Kryos' face was an emotional angst. He nodded slowly as the hooded Kryos mentioned how he hoped for a better future with the Jedi. For Siah it was different - he thought on how reluctant he was to leave the safety of the Herdship. He worried about the void his absence would create in terraforming Ithor.

When Kryos mentioned the force and feeling it, Siah merely nodded trying to understand. Although able to manipulate the force to some extent, he had never been able to feel it or sense it.

A feint smile crept across Siah's countenance at the mention of him being different.
He could only shrug, "I do not know why I would be different, I am Ithorian if that is any measure of difference." The Ithorian followed Kryos' gaze and tried to figure out where he had seen the force.
"You feel the force here, now? Does it move within the stone structure?" He looked carefully around and could not fathom how the force, a living thing as it was explained to him, would move within a stone structure.

The Ithorian stepped forward and touched a smooth stone wall. The stone was cool to the touch... nothing... just stone... Siah stepped back slowly and looked questioningly at Kryos.

 

[Lycanthorph]

Kryos nodded as the Ithorian explained the " difference " between him and the other nearby Jedi. Kryos chuckled softly as he spoke : " I, uh... I apologise, I didn`t mean to insult, it`s just that... my species perceive the world in a different way. " Kryos moves his hands towards his hood which covers most of his face and removes it. His face fully revealed, it is immediately noticeable that young Kryos has a crimson bandanna wrapped around the eyes area, indicating that perhaps he is blind. However, he can perceive the world around him, just not through regular sight, which he has not, but rather through the Force. Unfortunately, such sight can be ... limited at times, at least until he can learn to use to Force to improve his vision. His long, gray hair is tied in a ponytail, a few locks hanging over his face. The bandanna seems to be covering not just the eyes area, but also most of a scar crossing the left eye socket. He continues : " I was born this way. I don`t know much about my species besides what the Jedi explained to me : that we`re born blind ( at least in the physical plane ), but that we`re also naturally Force-sensitive. ... I was curious about you being different as your shape stood out compared to the others. "

He then gazed towards the stone structure, then to the other structures, saying : " It`s hard to describe, it`s like ... it moves within and through the stone structure. I am curious to it just as you are. " He smiles faintly at the Ithorian. He could get used to smiling.

 

[Siah]

Siah nodded solemnly as Kryos removed his cowl. He listened with fascination at the Miraluka's explanation of how he perceived the world. This force was more intriguing with each new discovery than the last! Siah looked intensly at the stonework around them... he could not see anything moving anywhere. He closed his eyes and tried 'looking' around, nothing.

Siah recognised the smile as a good sign, this human... miraluka was pleased and that meant Siah had a possible friend. Being away from the herd, Siah craved company and friendship.

A moment later Siah returned the smile and wondered if Kryos could even see him smiling.
"What exactly can you see? Can you see colours? Faces? Textures?" He shrugged, "I cannot fathom how to sense the force."

Siah walked into a small grassy patch and knelt down. He dug away a few blades of grass and exposed some soil. Feeling the soil between his fingers, Siah nodded and smiled. He stared intently at the small sample in his hand, before looking up at the young miraluka awaiting an answer.

 

[Lycanthorph]

Kryos turned his head upwards, thinking how best to answer the Ithorian`s questions. He then turned his head forward and said : " It is ... not easy to describe with words. I can distinguish organics from the surroundings, but I cannot see colours. As for faces, I cannot see them ... at first. I don`t know how, but with time I can somehow conceive the face of the person I am used to. Perhaps the image is gained through the Force. As for textures, it is difficult to distinguish them. I guess you could say that I do not see the world around me, but rather ' feel ' it. " .

He observed Siah as he shrugged, saying that he " cannot fathom how to sense the Force. " . Kryos is unsure how to answer, as he himself is naturally Force-Sensitive. He thinks for a moment before speaking : " I am sure it will come to you with time and training, Siah. " . Kryos already began to feel relaxed, he only felt this calm only once in his entire life.

 

[Siah]

Siah smiled at Kryos' hesitation, he too was new to this it seemed. The Ithorian would have to be content with what knowledge the miraluka did know. Siah had already learned that the force was actually contained or emanating from everything, organic and inorganic. This intrigued him, brought more questions to surface. But questions he did want to exasperate Kryos with.

Siah placed his right index finger into the ground where the soil was bare. He took in a sharp intake of breath and felt his hand growing warm. "I want to show you why the Jedi brought me here. Maybe you can see something I can't." Siah looked down at the soil wherein his finger was placed and waited for the warmth to grow. A moment later his hand was hot and Siah closed his eyes.
"Grow." He whispered.

The grass around his finger began to grow. At first it was slow, but the grass was knee-height in a half meter radius in less than a minute. Siah looked at the grass and with his left hand he began to stroke the long blades of grass. He felt the warmth move to his left hand now and the knee-high grass was soon growing in strange ways, following the movements his hand.

Minutes later Siah stopped and left the tall grass as it was, long and strangely sculpted.
"See... that is why I was brought here. I have called it 'the warmth'. Its how I've always felt it as a child. I've never seen it, but I've been able to use it to make plants grow. I can also heal wounds, but small wounds." Siah paused, "Can you see the force in that? Was the warmth I feel and use similar to the force you know?" He waited patiently for Kryos' answer.

 

[Lycanthorph]

Kryos observed as Siah knelt down and placed his finger upon bare soil. While he could not fully see the grass grow, he could sense energy flowing into the soil, effecting it. He walked closer to Siah and knelt down near him, turning his head towards the soil. He observed it without saying a word as the grass slowly grew out of the soil.

Few minutes later, he turned his head towards Siah as he spoke, listening to his statement. He seemed amazed that the Ithorian had not only the ability to influence the grown of plant life, but also to heal wounds. It seemed somehow familiar, as Kryos himself had the ability, but was unaware of it. Many times he sustained injuries which agony was felt only for a few moments before he pain was gone. He remembers that he always focused on the pain, trying hard to stop it and after a while he was successful in such attempts. While he was not able to fully heal the wounds, he was at least able to stop the bleeding and the agonizing pain, requiring medical assistance after a battle.

The Ithorian`s question was a good one. He took a moment to think about the proper answer before replying : " I am not sure, Siah ... but I believe it could be the same Force that flows through us, the Force that we both use, but in different ways. " Kryos hoped it would answer the Ithorian`s question properly.

 

[Siah]

Siah got to his feet slowly and shifted the bag at his waist. He nodded as he heard Kryos's reply.
"Then the force must be one form, one energy... perhaps with unlimited uses?" The young Ithorian asked rhetorically. He wondered about the blind Kryos. What powers did this young man have, what powers did he possess of similar origin to Siah.

The Ithorian motioned towards the structure of the temple proper. Perhaps it was time to get to know their new home. He extended a hand to help the miraluka to his feet. The moment he did he regretted it, he did not want Kryos to think he pitied him. However, the action had been done and Siah stood there arm outstretched.

"What abilities do you possess, other than your sight? Can you also heal and grow plants? Maybe I could one day see as you do..." Siah's words trailed off. Siah glanced up at the sky, he saw clouds building on what he guessed was the Southern horizon. Dusk was not far off and the wind shifted, to an experience terraformer is meant rain was coming. Much rain.

 

[Lycanthorph]

Kryos listened to Siah`s statement, nodding in agreement. Indeed, the Force must be in one form, one energy as the Ithorian put it, but with unlimited use? Perhaps. Perhaps not. An interesting inquiry it is, though.

The Miraluka noticed the Ithorian`s hand extended towards him without turning his head, his view of the world around him unhindered by a line of sight. As he was not used to such gestures, Kryos was reluctant at first, but ultimately felt that the Ithorian had good intentions. Thus, he took his hand and allowed Siah to help him up on his feet. His face showed a faint smile once again, this time accenting the scar on his right cheek slightly more than usual.

The Ithorian then asked Kryos what other abilities did he possess. He was slightly surprised by the questions as he did not fully know the abilities he had or was capable of performing except those he used in every day life or in combat. Back on his feet, he adjusted his cloak as he spoke : " Other than my sight, I am able to move objects with my mind. It has proven very useful in the deathmatches I was for-... I had to undertake. I am also able to heal my body of minor wounds or at least preventing the more serious ones to affect my combat efficiency, but only for a limited time. In such moments, I have to end the battle quickly lest my wounds will take a toll on my body and become a weakness, giving my enemy an advantage over me. I never really tried interacting with plants as my life had no place for them, instead serving more sentient beings ... one way or another. " . The Ithorian also wondered if he could achieve the sight Kryos possesses . He paused for a moment before speaking : " Perhaps. I do not know myself, as it is natural to me. It has it`s advantages and disadvantages, but I believe if one would possess both sights, he or she would have a major advantage. " Kryos noticed that Siah glanced at the sky, yet could not know what he was looking at.

 

[Siah]

Siah slowly plodded towards the temple structure. He listened intently to Kyros, he was in awe at his ability to move objects with his mind. This was strange for Siah and bordering on the magick he had read about in the classical literature.
At the mention of death-matches Siah stopped amid strides. He turned to Kryos, pain very evident on his face. Siah just stood there, unable to move. His every law, every tenant of the Ithorian priesthood, even the Law of Life itself was opposed to such... action! His mouths agape, Siah stared blankly at Kryos, unable to form a reply of any sort. He hardly heard the rest of Kryos' words as the whole worlds sounds seemed to drown out into nothingness.

At a loss for words and almost trance-like, Siah's senses heightened to a level never before experienced by the Ithorian. He felt great sadness for Kryos, but he noticed the miraluka and actually 'saw' him for the first time.
"You do bear the scars of combat. Your body is slow to move because you're learning to use your legs. You feel deep pain when you speak of your past and your rescue." Siah spoke softly, his words barely audible to Kryos who was a few feet away. His tone was even and calm, surprising himself.

"I cannot expect to understand why you'd take a life nor would I ask if you did, Kryos." Siah paused, his emotions were calming down. The priest had warned him that he would encounter death out in the galaxy and that he should control his own responses to it. Siah sighed and shook his head.
"You are of another place, another way. It is my way, the Ithorian way, to give two lives where one was taken. And while death is not new to me, the taking of a life is." Siah shrugged slowly.

"Are you alright?" Siah asked sincerely, surely such a tumultuous past would have some detrimental effects on the miraluka.

 

[Lycanthorph]

The Miraluka noticed that Siah grew silent, unsure for what reason. He then noticed or "felt" that the Ithorian was disturbed by his statement about deathmatches and the fact that he had to take a life or lose his own.

While Kryos could barely hear what the Ithorian said first, he replied to his second statement : " I do not expect you to understand my life, Siah ... but I wish you would understand that the deathmatches in the arena were not my choice. I was a slave since I was very young. Forced to do the bidding of others. At first I was just a servant, serving the needs of a rich family and their brat son. There was another slave, a Twi`Lek girl, with whom I felt a connection, the two of us being bonded to the same fate. When the bastard son tried to rape her, I could not stand by idle. I attacked him, inflicted severe wounds upon his body with my fists and then ... I wrapped my hands around his throat and squeezed until his breathing stopped and his aura disappeared, leaving only a dark, lifeless form in my sight. That was the the first time I killed someone ... and the only time I chose to kill someone. While I do admit that I have taken joy at times in the arena, it was my way of survival. It takes both the body and the mind to survive. " His thoughts went back to that young Twi`Lek girl. I wonder what happened to her, he thinks to himself.

He snaps back to reality and listens to the Ithorian`s second statement. Few moments later, he speaks : " You are correct, I am of another place and of another way of life. I do respect your way, Siah. It is noble, but there will come a time where you will have to take a life. I just hope you will be able to save lives while taking that life. " .

He then answers the Ithorian`s question : " Yes ... I am. There is a saying : ' Whatever does not kill you makes you stronger. ' . Many have tried to kill me and failed in the attempt. "

 

[Siah]

Siah's countenance was shadowed as he kept his head bowed. He faced the Miraluka and listened intently to his explanations. Never would an Ithorian have forced such a fate on someone. He could scarcely believe that someone as young as Kryos was had taken life, multiple times. Siah kept his head bowed his long neck craning towards the ground. The cobbled walkway beneath his feet seemed to echo every syllable spoken by Kryos and the Ithorian heard the words and understood the pain that must've come with their telling.

After Kryos mentioned his friend whom he had lost, this was another sore point for Siah... the herd was important and the loss of an individual was to be prevented at all costs. Siah shook his head again and again as the Miraluka recounted his story, in the process opening up Siah's eyes to a harsh reality. Siah wanted to ask what had happened to the Twi'lek, but he thought too much pain would be brought to surface. Instead he listened as Kryos told him of the saying... 'What does not kill you makes you stronger'. Siah has read about this saying in the literatures he studied. He nodded as Kryos finished his retelling.

"You have imparted knowledge to me, kryos." The Ithorian's accent was still pronounced, but his words coming out slowly as he thought.
"I see that one as young as you, as us, should not have to make such choices. It is not the natural order of things that the young defend themselves, we are to be defended." Siah shook his head and manoeuvred his heavy cloak around his shoulders. The hood was down, but he held the cloak shut in the front. "There is a storm coming, much rain and maybe even lightning." Siah smiled at the thought of seeing lightning. He loved storms and the energetic forces they embodied.

Siah looked at Kryos and a feint smile crossed his face, for the first time since hearing about the death-matches. "Do you have any clothing able to withstand rainfall and cold weather? Perhaps I could show you the Law of Life, in the Tython jungles." Siah looked past Kryos into the Tython jungle. He wondered if he would be allowed to venture there without permission... I doubted it would be dangerous surely the Jedi would have removed any threats...

 

[Lycanthorph]

" Sometimes you have to make a choice. Sometimes ... the choice is made for you. ", Kryos spoke softly to Siah.

He smiled as the Ithorian mentioned that there is a possibility of rainfall. For some reason the rain, even the storms followed by it, brought calm and peace to young Kryos. He spoke : " I believe the cloak and hood I am wearing will serve the purpose of protecting my body from such weather. I would also like to hear about this Law of Life you speak of, it sounds interestings. "

 

[Siah]

Siah walked towards the edge of the temple grounds where the jungle grew unruly and the manicured lawns melded into the brush. He looked about at the plants and noted a few species he recognised while taking in the multitude he did not know. The Ithorian looked back at Kryos and pushed aside a large leaf, exposing a mass of tendril-like vines hanging from the treetops.

“Come, this way. We don’t need to go far.” Siah reassured the Miraluka. He took a determined step into the jungle and craned his neck to see his way through the vines. He followed a gap here and a gap there. Always following the route of least resistance, as he'd done countless times before on Ithor.

Eventually he started speaking again, “The Law of Life is our code. It’s the rule all Ithorians live by, no matter where they are. It’s a law in the way it inhibits our activity and its also a means of absolution. See as an Ithorian life, all life, is precious and sacrosanct. If we harvest a plant, for example, two must be planted in its place.” Siah got to a dense portion of brush and paused momentarily to move some leaves and mosses aside. When the path was cleared, he continued walking and speaking. “Of the Law of Life - that’s the law part of it, no life taken unnecessarily and no life taken without payment.” He stated matter-of-factly. “As for the atonement part,” He paused before continuing, ”If a life is taken, it must be replaced by two lives of equal value. So if one does take life, there is a way to bring balance.”

Siah stopped explaining to navigate his way deeper into the jungle, the tree trunks were thicker here. He could tell the trees were old, very old. There were no animals about and he guessed that they were preparing to rest as dusk was upon Tython. Siah came to a small grove where some dappled sunlight danced about the ground. He knelt on the ground.

 

[Lycanthorph]

Kryos followed the Ithorian towards the jungle in a pace slightly slower than his. Still getting used to the cybernetic prosthesis which replaced the lower part of his left leg, Kryos walked with a slight limp. While the prosthesis was not as noticeable, being covered by clothing and a boot, his limp was ... if one paid attention.

Unable to notice the textures of plants with not being able to distinguish one from another, Kryos could only feel the presense of life around him as he followed Siah into the jungle of Tython. He listened with attention as the Ithorian explained the Law of Life and it`s rules. After the Ithorian explained his code, Kryos said in a joking matter : " I guess I have a lot to atone then. " He stepped around the tree trunks, trying not to trip.

 

[Siah]

“No, my friend. These are my beliefs." Siah looked up at the Miraluka. "You have your ways and your beliefs, and you did what you had to do. You made choices you consider the correct ones.” The young Ithorian explained to Kryos.

Siah cleared a small patch of earth by moving some moss aside. The soil was thick with plant matter, dark and moist. The Ithorian smiled, “No one can fault you on something you were forced to do.” He dug a small indentation within the earth and then moved a meter away to repeat the action. Once he was done the Ithorian stood up and looked about then small grove. Happy with his handiwork, Siah looked up at the setting sun, it was almost through with its descent beyond the horizon.

“Two lives created, for one taken.” Siah scratched around in the small pouch on his waist. He extracted a small yellow bag and opened it. Walking up to Kryos he extended his arm, holding the small bag open. In it were hundreds of little yellow seeds.
“Here, take two. Plant one in each hole.” Siah nodded slowly to Kryos.

 

[Lycanthorph]

Kryos stood by the Ithorian as he talked while he cleared a small patch of earth and then began to dig small indentations in the earth. He then watched as Siah approached him, holding something in his hand. When he came closer, he noticed that he was holding a small bag towards him. As Siah instructed him, Kryos placed his hands inside the bag and took out two seeds, relying more on the sense of touch to retrieve them. He then walked to the first hole and planted the seed into it. After that, he stood up, walked up to the second hole and repeated the process. After he was finished, he smiled, thinking to himself : No wonder his kind seems so peaceful .


At the same time, a young man is walking through the Tython jungle, apparently looking for the Miraluka and the Ithorian. Before the two departed into the jungle, the young man just walked out of the temple and noticed the two leaving. Before he could run up and greet them, he was stopped by another Padawan. After helping the Padawan out, he went into the jungle to find the two. After a few minutes of walking, he mumbles to himself : " Blast ! Why didn`t someone tell those two that it˙s not safe to travel through the jungle alone ? " He then paused and thought to himself : Well, to be exact, they`re not really alone, they probably can protect each other ... at least from small beasts. Wait a minute ... I am on my own. Blast ! He then continued to traverse the jungle.