Ask Takodana From the Ground Up

[T'vani]

Location: Takodana
Time: 12:24

The challenges of space travel, including changing air pressures and the lurch into hyperspace, proved onerous to T'vani. Throughout the trip, she felt as though she was about to lose her mother's cooking, and despite how short the trip was, she was excruciatingly nauseous. When the poor girl reached Takodana's Jedi Temple hangar, she had to compose herself even after the ship landed. T'vani swallowed down the lump in her throat and steadied her breathing, eyes glued shut. Instead of emptying her stomach, she opened her eyes, stood, collected her few belongings, and slowly shuffled off the ship.

She was greeted by sights unlike anything she had ever seen as she stepped into the wide, open hangar area. The temple was entirely different from the settlements she had seen high in the trees, all constructed of wood. This place was stone—or was it steel?—and this one room was larger than any single building in her village. T'vani felt her jaw slack as her breath escaped her. Despite the sick feeling in her stomach, she was filled with amazement. The myriad faces milling about the hangar caught her attention as she moved through it. There was a menagerie of races mingling, talking, working, and taking care of their business as usual. How could they not be equally amazed as she was?

T'vani continued on, struggling to recall the directions she had been given. Despite knowing she had to visit somewhere, she couldn't remember where it was or how to get there. She dug deep into her thoughts while her nose scrunched and her eyebrows knitted together in contemplation. Her confusion was evident. She wandered in a daze in this labyrinthine temple, trying to piece together her scattered thoughts and pinpoint her direction.

 

[Mako Krim]

Takadona. The lakefront temple. Truly a tranquil place for an irresponsible Jedi Knight like Mako to spend time considering his misdeeds. Or at least it had been for the first few months. Long days spent in the peace of the meditation gardens, pondering his responsibilities as a Knight of the Order. He had made a few mistakes, misplaced a few items confiscated from captured criminals from time to time in ways that lined his pockets.

Was it so wrong to enjoy the finer things in life?

Apparently it was, especially when one's activities got a Padawan captured by poachers and smugglers. It had all turned out fine in the end, Mako had stormed to the stronghold of the villains and saved the day. No harm done... Except for a few busted faces, missing blaster hands... And the lost trust of his elders.

His crimes hadn't been so major to kick him out of the order, he was an exemplary knight otherwise. So Mako had been reassigned to Takadona, to spend time thinking about what he had done. A slap on the wrist. A minor punishment, but it stung. Mako did not enjoy sitting idle, preferred to be out and about in the galaxy, doing what he thought was right. The force seemed content with his punishment however, letting him sit idle. There were no gentle tugs of its current, no whispers of its voice.

So he played out his penance. Meditated. Trained. Researched. There was a matter of a certain crystal that he needed to attend to eventually.

Mako strolled the halls of the Jedi Temple, having just left the archives. He held a small holocron gently between his two hands, borrowed from the archive. It's contents pertaining to kyber crystals, their attunement, the construction of lightsabers... And their purification. It had taken him this long to recover the trust he had lost and be allowed access to such things. To cast darkness out of the heart of a kyber and return it to the light was no simple matter after all.

It was as Mako walked the halls, making his way back towards the meditation chambers, that he finally felt it's pull. The gentle tug of the force drawing his attention to where it might be better suited.

The Pyke Jedi glanced about the halls, heeding it's call. A young girl turned the corner of the hallway, her face scrunched in confusion. She wore simple clothes, not the simple robes of a Jedi though. If Mako didn't know any better, she seemed lost.

"Excuse me miss." Mako said as he approached the girl. He wore Jedi robes, a light purple hue that went well with his skin, or so he thought. "I couldn't help but notice, but you appear to be lost young one."

The Pyke Jedi started to smile a sharp toothed smile before cutting the expression short, not wishing to scare the young one with his startling visage. He knew how he appeared to some, his wide Pyke head, dark eyes, and a smile that looked more suited to tearing flesh than greeting a child. Instead he covered his mouth with a contemplative gesture of his hand, resting his thumb and forefinger on his face thoughtfully. "Do you need help finding your way?"

@Remileah

 

[T'vani]

As unfamiliar voices echoed in the hallways, white downy ears fluttered erratically. Typically, T'vani could distinguish from one voice to another, but this experience was different. Echoes reverberated through the corridor, confusing her commonly acute hearing. Instead of the familiar tones of everyone she had grown up with, strangers' voices filled her sensitive ears.

As the clamour and droning overwhelmed T'vani's senses, she picked out a voice that was undoubtedly speaking directly to her. A pivot in her ears led her body to turn toward the voice. Her frantic fervour nearly caused her to stumble into the person addressing her as she turned towards him. She regained her footing and avoided a humiliating tumble into his body and, most likely, the ground. T'vani's head gravitated upwards to gaze at the person standing over her.

His likeness was something she had never seen before. In awe, the petite girl looked at him, her mouth agape. She didn't realise she was staring, but how could she not? T'vani's ears folded back against her head as her addled brain processed everything happening. His robes seemed to be a traditional Jedi Master's or Knight's, and although her connection to the Force was still undeveloped, she felt that she could trust him.

"Yes," answered T'vani quietly. "I'm very lost. I arrived just a little while ago, and I was told where to go, but I don't remember the directions," she explained, closing her mouth and averting her gaze when she realised she was staring. "Please forgive me. I've never met somebody like you before."

@Arcangel

 

[Mako Krim]

The young girl nearly stumbled into Mako, his sudden presence startling her. There was no need to catch her however as she found her own footing. She stared in shock at him for a moment, ears and eyes twitching through a variety of emotions and she processed the being that stood before her.

Mako nodded quietly as the young one confirmed that she was lost. A new arrival, he felt it now, the gentle thrum of the force that surrounded her being. A light whisper of power that matched her humble voice as she apologized, glancing away from Mako.

"I take no offence." Mako said with a wave of his hand, brushing away the girls momentary lapse in manners. "It is a wide galaxy we live in, with all manner of unfamiliar beings... I am not surprised you have never seen one of my kind." He was thankful for it. To be familiar with a Pyke in the wider galaxy likely meant involvement with all sorts of unsavory things. To say his species were all bad was wrong, but the Pyke Syndicate had an iron grip on his people and their homeworld. Mako was perhaps the first of his kind to ever walk the halls of the Jedi freely.

"Now let's see what we can do about finding your way young one." Mako said as he let a small, tight lipped smile spread across his face. He was careful not to let the teeth show too much. "My name is Mako, Mako Krim. I'm a Knight of this Order." He introduced himself, placing a three-fingered hand on his chest and bowing his head gently towards the young girl for a moment.

"What may I call you? And for where are you destined?" he asked, cocking his head ever so slightly at the second question. It was oddly phrased coming out of his mouth, the way words often did for him when guided by the insight of something greater. He listened, not just for her response, but for the greater will. Would there be a whisper, an answer to a question asked? Or perhaps not. Perhaps it was merely a question.

@Remileah

 

[T'vani]

"Thank you for understanding," T'vani murmured in reply. She looked up at Mako again, her large, red eyes gazing into his as he reassured her. In silent appreciation, she nodded, and the tension in her demure form relaxed, causing her face to adopt a more casual expression.

"I'm T'vani. I'm a Padawan, I think, unless that happens after I find where I need to go," the girl answered, her words faltering with uncertainty. The moment Mako bowed to her, T'vani's ears stood up rigidly. As she raced through the possibilities of how to return the gesture, her mouth fell open again. Was that a typical Jedi greeting? Would it be improper of her to reciprocate? How rude would it be if she didn't respond? In her uncertainty and indecisiveness, T'vani haphazardly leaned forward at her waist, hands against her thighs, into the most respectful bow she could muster.

"I'm sorry to bother you," T'vani said, maintaining her clumsy bow. "I think I was supposed to register that I was here with someone and talk to them about everything I needed to do," she pleaded, still in her apologetic bow to Mako. "I'm sorry I don't remember better. I've been so lost since I got here, and the trip on the big ship was making me feel really sick."

@Arcangel

 

[Mako Krim]

Mako watched as another flurry of uncertainty and emotion made their way across the young girl's face. Oh he had made a mess of things hadn't he. Uncertainty and anxiety radiated off the girl in the force as she nearly threw herself forwards into an remorseful bow as she apologized to him repeatedly.

"There is no need for that T'vani." Mako said as he gestured for her to rise up. "It is not a bother, though i accept your apology all the same." He said in the gentlest tone he could muster, though not with a small amount of amusement leaking into the words. So formal. His amusement turned into the slight furrow of a frown as he remembered many such beings making similar gestures to his father, not out of respect and apology, but out of supplication and fear.

No, that just wouldn't do at all.

"It can be disorienting, traveling to a new place, so far from home." Mako shook off the uncomfortable memories as he tried to reassure her, only to replace them with more. "Many years ago I too came to the Jedi for the first time, that was quite a trip. I didn't know what to do with myself for days." Perhaps a little more eventful than hers, full of adventure that he had been unwillingly thrust into. Some of it was still a mystery to the Pyke, he had tried to track down leads on how it had all happened, but it seemed that great pains had been made to cover things up.

"Walk with me T'vani, we will find you this registrar. Or perhaps we should take you to the medical center first, get you something for that space sickness." He gestured to a spot by his side, intending for her to occupy it as he began to walk in the direction they needed to go. He looked at her curiously for a moment before asking, "Was this your first space flight, coming here to the temple?"

@Remileah

 

[T'vani]

T'vani rose when Mako gestured for her to do so. Her body straightened up as she looked up at the man again, silently nodding her appreciation for his unconditional forgiveness. As the man described his journey and initial visit to the temple, she listened attentively, noticing parallels between their experiences. T'vani occasionally hummed or grunted to acknowledge she was actively listening, allowing Mako to speak freely. When the girl saw him gesture for her to follow, she skittered forward to follow him.

"I feel a little better," T'vani said. "I don't feel sick anymore, just... my head is fuzzy because of all the noise. My ears are really sensitive, and this place is nothing like home. It was quieter there," she continued as her ears pinned back against her skull in what could only be an attempt to stifle the auditory assault they were experiencing. "Everything echoes here. The footsteps, the voices, and I'm not used to it," the girl said with a sigh, reaching up to grasp the tips of her ears and pull them down further.

"Yes, this was my first time flying in space. That was what made me feel sick," she grumbled. "Does that sick feeling go away, or is it something you always have to deal with?" T'vani asked, casting a sidelong glance over and up towards Mako as they walked together.

@Arcangel

 

[Mako Krim]

Mako listened to the young one intently as he started to lead them back towards the more inhabited parts of the temple. The girl had nearly wandered all the way out to the more isolated meditation gardens, perhaps intuitively seeking a place of silence and solitude away from the business of the temple proper. He watched in sympathy as she flattened her ears against her hair with her hands.

"Perhaps you'd prefer to visit the meditation gardens first? to enjoy a little bit of silence before we bring you back into the busier parts of the temple. I think that might be for the best " Mako suggested, having seen how frazzled and disoriented the young one had been. It was of course inevitable that she would have to face the rest of the temple and all that came with it, but surely it wouldn't be too great a sacrifice to allow her a moment of peace and quiet.

He pondered her question for a brief moment as he led them around the halls, taking the detour he suggested towards the meditation gardens. He frowned. It was rather up to the individual, though most got used to the rigors of spaceflight and hyperspace with time.

"Mostly, it goes away. Some people are particularly sensitive and struggle with space sickness often. There are treatments available for them however, medications and the like." It would be rather unfortunate if the young T'vani was such an individual. The life of a Jedi was often one on the move, it would be a difficult adjustment if she needed medicine every time just to travel. Certainly with a Jedi's training and attunement to the force one could overcome such a handicap though.

Their path took them further away from the activity of the temple, down stone carved steps and into a lush and tranquil garden. Equal parts wild and cultivated, it always amazed Mako how the gardeners of the Jedi Order were so able to tame nature in a way that appeared so natural. The gentle sound of a meandering stream was punctuated only by the occasional rustle of small animals and chirping of birds. And of course by their footsteps on the stony walkway, and Mako's voice. "Tell me T'vani, what made you decide to travel all this way to join the Jedi?"

@Remileah

 

[T'vani]

"Meditation gardens?" T'vani inquired, her ears perking up in curiosity. "Is it quiet there? Would you mind taking me?" she asked enthusiastically. In addition to gaining some degree of silence in this deafening place, nature had always been something the girl deeply cherished. After all, she had grown up surrounded by it, deeply ingrained in Cathar culture. She followed closely by the man's side throughout the temple, never straying too far away lest she get lost again.

"I hope I don't need medicine for it," the girl said with a contemptuous groan. "Medicine is gross," she continued, clearly illustrating her age and that she was indeed little more than a small child taking her first steps into the universe.

As they continued through the temple's hallways and corridors, her ears perked up as they strayed from the busy thoroughfares. T'vani was once again finding some semblance of peace as they approached the gardens, the intrusive noises receding and becoming more manageable. After the drone of chatter and the hammer of footsteps receded into the background, T'vani emerged into the garden surrounded by birdsong and the quiet babbling of the stream.

"Wow," she gasped, turning in a slow circle to absorb the minutiae of it all. "This is so pretty," the aspiring Padawan cooed in awe. As mesmerised as she was, T'vani was brought back to reality by Mako's question, focusing her attention on him again. A faint blush filled her cheeks, her burgundy eyes darting away with embarrassment about allowing herself to be so easily enraptured by their surroundings.

"It's a long story," T'vani replied quietly. "The short version is that a Jedi visited my village, and everyone was excited to see him because he had helped everyone before. I was able to meet him," she said, opening the pouch hanging at her waist to rifle through it. "When he discovered I could never become a hunter like my sister or the rest of my tribe, he told me I would make a good Padawan because I was sensitive to the Force or something."

T'vani pulled her small hands out of the bag and raised them to Mako, opening her palms and saying, "He gave me this. He wouldn't tell me what it was. He just said it was very important and that I would learn what it was if I became a Jedi."

To any Jedi Knight, it was readily apparent what it was. It was a kyber crystal.

"Do you know what it is?"

@Arcangel

 

[Mako Krim]

Mako stopped a small smile from growing too big on his face as T'vani marveled at the beauty of the gardens. Even he wasn't immune to their charms, but it was always something special to see someone truly appreciate the harmony of nature at its surface level, before the thoughts of the greater forces that worked behind the scenes began to fill their minds and distract them from the beauty right in front of them. One day too this young one's mind might be filled with pondering the greater mystery, too lost in thought to see what lay right in front of them.

But for now it was enough.

T'vani's story was a simple one. No adventures, no sudden discovery of her power. Just a Jedi informing her of her potential. It was heartwarming to know that there were still some out there that simply got to be, instead of living lives of trauma and misadventure as so many young force sensitives did. Mako almost wished the young child would have gotten a chance to live simply, away from all of the troubles of the galaxy. But that was not the lot of someone touched by the force as they were.

One thing did take him off guard however. Mako's dark eyes widened slightly as T'vani produced a crystal, of pure kyber. The whisper that had drawn his attention towards the wandering youngling was so plain to him now as his eye caught the crystal's glow.

"I do." Mako said with a nod a they neared a meditation stone. The flat round slab that lay surrounded by the gardens was smooth and cool to the touch as Mako gingerly found a seat near the edge of the large slab, gesturing across from him for T'vani to join him. He marveled at the crystal she held as it gently hummed it's song in the force.

"That, young T'vani, is a kyber crystal." He informed her before reaching forwards with and open palm. "May I?" He asked with a questioning look. If she placed the crystal in his palm, he would inspect it, holding it between thumb and forefinger to look at it in the light. The crystal's depths hummed a vibrant liveliness to his attuned senses, and he wondered if T'vani could hear it to.

"The kyber is a sort of semi-organic crystal, rare... highly attuned to the force." He said before placing it on the cool surface between them. He gingerly retrieved his lightsaber from its place on his hip, holding the dark hilt gently on the palms of his hands. "It is also the heart of a Jedi's lightsaber." He said, closing his eyes and concentrating for a moment.

The lightsaber in his hand began to come apart slowly, pieces lifting away to hover in the air as the deep purple crystal of his own lightsaber revealed itself, glowing softly in the garden light. A few more moments passed as the lightsaber reassembled itself and Mako put it back on his belt. He stared at the kyber crystal T'vani had presented, thoughtful for a moment.

"Close your eyes, listen." He saiid as he gestured to the crystal. "It is said that a Jedi can hear the song of the kyber crystal."

@Remileah

 

[T'vani]

T'vani joined Mako as he sat down.

"A kyber crystal?" she asked, her ears fanning out. "What's that?" she wondered as she held it out for him to take. The young girl watched with rapt attention as he retrieved it and held it up against the light, causing her to cant her head to see if she could catch a glimpse of whatever he was looking for. For her, it was only a pretty stone she kept close by for good luck.

"Lightsaber," T'vani echoed quietly. As Mako removed the hilt from his waist, her attention turned to his hand. "The heart of a lightsaber?"

There wasn't much time for T'vani to ponder the meaning of all of it. Her face lit up with wonder as the lightsaber disassembled itself before her. As the pieces drifted through the air, the girl's large, burgundy eyes followed them. Eventually, her eyes settled on a crystal, not unlike her own but purple in colour. Hers, on the other hand, was pale and had no colour. T'vani snapped back to reality when Mako told her to close her eyes and focus as the lightsaber reassembled.

The girl remained silent as she listened. At first, there was nothing but the chirping of birds and the rustle of leaves in the wind. After a few minutes, however, nature's sounds faded into the background. Silence.

She heard it. It was faint at first, little more than a low, dull drone of something incomprehensible. It swelled into a crescendo, still impossible to understand but beautiful in its own right. It was difficult to understand, being a cacophony of sounds compounded together: humming, static, something entirely surreal and almost mystical, but it wasn't unpleasant. In a way, it was soothing. It was calm.

T'vani let the song permeate her ears and mind, losing herself in its esoteric music. After a few minutes, her eyes fluttered open, bringing her back to the real world. She looked up at Mako, her jaw slack from the experience she had just gone through. A faint smile tugged up the corners of her lips.

"It was beautiful," was all she could say, her words quiet. "Was that the Force?"

@Arcangel

 

[Mako Krim]

Mako waited patiently as T'vani closed her eyes, letting the silence of the meditation gardens overtake the pair. The gardens seemed almost in tune with the needs of it's occupants, the birdsong and chittering slowly quieting, fading into a soft rustling silence as nothing but the wind disturbed them.

It took a while, a long while. But not as long as Mako expected. He could see it on the girls face as her eyes fluttered behind their lids. He let her listen to it for as long as she pleased, until she finally blinked her way out of the trance. A small smile tugged at her lip, not quite the match of the large smile on Mako's.

"Yes!" He exclaimed excitedly, his heart soaring to have witnessed the girls first look into the wider mystery of the galaxy. He coughed, covering his mouth for a moment before toning it down.

"Yes." He said with a small chuckle before continuing. "That was the Force, and it wasn't." He furrowed his brow at this before elaborating. "A small facet, the little song of a Kyber calling out to it's Jedi within the grand ocean of the force. The sparkling of a minnow among it's school. A single strand of seaweed waving among the forest." He waxed metaphors for a moment before clearing his throat.

"What did you feel?" He asked thoughtfully. The force felt different to every being who was able to dip their fingers farther below than the surface. To some it was a grand orchestra, to others, an ocean. Many experienced it as simply an all encompassing aura, the energy field that surrounded all things. Yet others felt it as the winds of a great storm. The experiences of the force catalogued among the limited archives of the Jedi were endless. And he had little doubt it was far vaster beyond that.

@Remileah

 

[T'vani]

Mako's fervent enthusiasm sent T'vani's tail in an erratic fit of waggling. It swished excitedly behind her, and if the stone they sat on had any dust, it certainly wouldn't by the time she was finished. As he confirmed that she had experienced the Force, the girl nodded emphatically, even if only what was heard and felt was a tiny part of it. It was a new and exciting experience that she couldn't wait to feel again.

"What did I feel?" T'vani echoed Mako's inquiry. "I felt comforted. I felt connected to everything around me and like everything was speaking to me, telling me its story," she explained, raising an arm to point at the trees ahead of them. "I felt the strength of the mountains, standing there for years. I felt the miracle of flowers fed with sunlight, the trees rooted deep in the earth, stretching to the sky, bearing silent witness to the world around them. I felt awe and joy, I felt quiet peace and strength, and—"

T'vani stopped. She could prattle endlessly about how the Force made her feel right in that moment, but there was a realisation deep in her heart that no words would ever suffice. Instead, the girl lowered her hand into her lap and stared at the surrounding flora. The sensations of the Force were so broad that it left her grasping for more. What was it about the Force and her relationship with it that brought her so much joy? She had only experienced it for a fleeting moment, and somehow, in that brief period, she had felt more than she did during her life on her home planet.

"Most importantly, I felt like I belonged. I've been scared since I left home, thinking I should have stayed. When I listened to the kyber crystal and felt my connection to the Force, all that fear went away. I knew I was supposed to be here," T'vani concluded with a quiet, dreamy sigh.

@Arcangel

 

[Mako Krim]

Mako listened thoughtfully as T'vani spoke about what she felt in those moments listening to the Force. He tried to remain passive but it was hard to not let her positive spirits infect his own, a small grin plastered on his face as she elaborated on not only what she had felt around her, but also within her.

"This is good." He nodded as she finished. "You have done well." He said, adding in a bit of praise before continuing. "This was your first time truly opening yourself to the force?" He asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer. The fact that she was able to so easily hear the kyber, to perceive the hidden world around them, to take comfort in the presence of the light.

He wondered.

"Have you ever had such feelings before? That you were in the right place, or that you suddenly found yourself where you ought to be?" He asked her, curious. Many Jedi felt the force strongly, were guided by it and perceived what they could of it's will in moments of great need. It was rare to be one of those who were so attuned to the living force however to let it guide them in the little moments. Mako was once such Jedi, for better or for worse. It was a strange thing, to often feel your own will was not the one behind the steering wheel. It often brought hardship, though sometimes it brought opportunity, such as the whispers that he brought Mako to T'vani.

@Remileah

 

[T'vani]

As Mako inquired about whether or not this was her first time genuinely opening herself to the Force, she nodded. His follow-up question gave her girl pause, though. There were often times back home, during her myriad endeavours of learning and honing various skills and crafts, where she felt compelled towards what turned out to be the correct answer or method to do something. The times she failed at any particular activity were few and far between.

"Yeah, kind of," T'vani responded with some uncertainty. "I... I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging, but every time I tried to pick up something new, I was always really good at it," she explained. "There were also a lot of times when I would feel like I should go to a certain place or do a certain thing, and usually something good happened because of it. I always showed up right when someone needed help."

The more T'vani thought about it, the more curious it all seemed. Was that the tug of the Force guiding her this entire time? For the longest time, the girl had been led to believe it was simply good fortune from the mythological blessing she was born with. Even if her parents had constantly insisted that no such thing existed, everything always lined up so that she seemed to be in the right place at the right time. This, however, made much more sense to her.

"Was that the Force, too?"

@Arcangel

 

[Mako Krim]

T'vani went on to describe almost exactly what Mako expected to hear. Not that he had any sort of premonition or foreknowledge. It was just the sort of thing that one who was highly sensitive to the ebb and flow of the energy field known as the Force might experience, even without any sort of particular attunement.

"It was." Mako nodded, though he paused after a moment, frowning as a thought hit him. "And it wasn't. The Force can help to guide us, help to steer the path we tread. But it is with our own two feet that we walk that path." There. That was better. He didn't want to give the girl the wrong impression, that the force was the sole guiding force behind her actions. It also was important for a young Jedi to understand that thought the force might guide them, they were still responsible for their actions and the consequences of them.

"But the force has a mind of its own, and sometimes if we heed it too closely, we end up in a meditation garden listening to someone who tries to act wiser than their years, instead of registering with the Order." Mako said with a laugh. The force truly has an odd way of doing things. Still, he was content with the current situation, the peaceful sounds and inquisitive company.

"Do you have any questions?" He asked abruptly as he reached out almost absentmindedly to float a handful of small stones to his hand, stacking them next to the kyber crystal gently with a thumb and forefinger.

@Remileah

 

[T'vani]

"So it was the Force that made me feel like doing those things, but it was still my choice to do them," T'vani murmured. It was a lot of information to process for the young girl, but she was slowly beginning to understand. The Force was a suggestion, never a requirement, and it only inclined people towards a direction, but never forced them. Her thoughts, her mind, and her heart were still her own. The Force may attempt to nudge her in a direction, but it was still up to her to follow it.

"I think I understand," she said with a smile. The smile blossomed into a joyful, melodic giggle as Mako joked about their predicament and the events that led them there. As he asked if she had any questions, T'vani shook her head.

"I don't think so. The Force might try to guide me, but it's still up to me to choose to listen. I still have to make my own choices," she recited, echoing her previous sentiments. "It doesn't control me or force me to do anything. It lights the way like a flame on a path, but there are different paths, and it's always up to me to decide on the direction I want to go," she concluded. She beamed with pride, hoping she had done well in understanding the lessons Mako was attempting to teach her.

"Oh! Actually, Mister Krim, I have one question," T'vani chimed. "May I have the kyber crystal back? Is it okay for me to keep it?"

@Arcangel

 

[Mako Krim]

Mako nodded as T'vani came to her own conclusions, using what he had said as the foundation. The youngling had a sharp mind when it came to such things it seemed. She was mostly correct. There was of course more nuance. And as one gave themselves over more and more to the Force, they would often find themselves acting without thought, riding the current that the Force lay before them without conscious will.

These were things she would learn one day, if she chose to walk the way of a Jedi.

"Of course." Mako said with a small smile as he took his hand away from the small tower of pebbles he had stacked between them. He reached for the kyber crystal and plucked it from the ground between thumb and forefinger, regarding the tower for a moment before placing it gently on top.

"It is yours to keep, but first, an opportunity has presented itself to explore what other talents you might have." He said with amusement in his voice as he glanced between the kyber stop the tower and T'vani. He was feeling lighthearted after all the successes the girl had had, wanted to push her further, to test her. Perhaps it was mean spirited to keep the kyber from her even a moment longer, it was hers. But perhaps it would open her further to the force and it's mysteries.

"A game of sorts. Simply remove the crystal from the tower, without touching it." He said before waving his hand and willing the kyber crystal to rise slightly in example before setting it back down gently atop the stones. He regarded his handiwork, cocked his head and then added. "Preferably without sending the whole thing tumbling."

@Remileah

 

[T'vani]

T'vani watched as Mako placed the kyber crystal on the top of the pebble tower. As he explained the details of their 'game,' she tilted her head, her ears flitting inquisitively. How was she supposed to remove the crystal without touching the tower? The absurdity of the challenge caught her off-guard, but before she could ask Mako how she was supposed to do that, T'vani felt the same nudge she did back on her homeworld. This was a challenge to utilise the Force.

Although she had no training in harnessing the power of the Force, she could feel it guiding her, telling her what to do. T'vani lifted her arm and reached out towards the crystal, focusing intently on it. She needed to stretch her will to take a physical hold on it and exert that strength to make it do as she wished. The crystal wiggled as she focused on it, causing the tower to wobble but not fall. T'vani's brow furrowed as she intensified her focus, concentrating harder on the crystal, blocking out the distractions of the world around her.

The crystal wobbled again and then lifted from the pebbles. The young girl's face lit up with amazement, causing the crystal to droop back down and tap against the tower. The wonder on T'vani's face melted away instantly as she refocused, stabilising the crystal to prevent it from toppling and sending the entire stack collapsing. It once again lifted higher into the air, the tower underneath still in one piece.

T'vani kept her hand suspended, outstretched towards the crystal as it sluggishly floated closer to her. The progress of its movement was slow, but it was steady. The young Fiani maintained her intense concentration as the crystal slowly inched closer, and after only a few minutes, it was within her reach. T'vani stretched her arm out further and captured the crystal from the air, bringing her hand down to her lap to open her hand and see it lying safely in her palm.

"I did it," she murmured in disbelief. "I... I did it!" T'vani stated again, louder this time. "Mister Krim, I did it!" the excited girl finally exclaimed with glee, looking up at the man with an expression like she'd just been given a priceless treasure. She held out her palms for Mako to look, her attention again diverting to the crystal. However, the crystal in T'vani's hands differed from when she had begun to levitate it towards her.

The hue of the kyber crystal she held began to shift. The once-grey, almost transparent gem slowly flooded with a rich, vibrant purple. The wash of colour stained every inch, starting from the top before cascading down, and as it progressed, it lightened. It was almost like the warmth emanating from the girl was bleaching it, causing the gradient to soften from purple to violet, then violet to magenta. The entire time, T'vani stared with disbelief.

"Is that normal?" she asked, her perked ears folding back dejectedly. "D-Did I do something wrong?"

@Arcangel

 

[Mako Krim]

Mako watched patiently as T'vani puzzled out first what exactly was being asked of her, and then, how to do it. It took her less time than he expected to figure out how as she focused on the crystal, reaching an arm out towards it.

To say he was surprised when the crystal moved, wobbling slightly on her first attempt, would be an understatement. She was a natural. It took her a few tries, some trial and error, but she overcame each of those obstacles slowly but surely as she lifted the crystal, prevented it from falling or knocking over the tower. It drifted over to her hand, slowly, but it did as she willed it to.

"Yes, you did it." Mako said, rubbing a thumb and finger against his chin thoughtfully as he regarded the still standing tower, the crystal in the young girls hand, and the girl herself. She had an innate connection to the force and he was surprised that she had never tapped into it more actively in her life before coming to the temple. Perhaps she had merely never needed to.

Mako's dark eyes widened ever so slightly as the crystal flashed and shifted in color. Though not in as much surprise as the girl. He watched it turn to a purple hue that nearly matched that of his own, before lightening, warming to the girl's individual spirit as it shifted down to a more magenta hue. He chuckled slightly as she looked up at him with questions.

"Not at all. In fact." He started as he leaned forwards slightly to stare deeper into the kyber crystal. It's facets were pure with the color it seemed to feel best matched it's master. Mako leaned back to his original posture. "It seems this crystal truly is yours, and it has changed it's color to match." He said with a smile. It was curious that it had first shifted to match that of his own crystal before changing to match the young girl's personality. He had never really considered why kyber crystals chose the colors that they did, but he always suspected it had something to do with their wielders.

@Remileah