Adeline Sha's Story

---

The morning brought a wind with a soft whistle through the trees and over the plains, in which the grass danced and the branches swayed. The sunrise extended beams of light that passed through the gaps of the leaves and branches. The sky was that of a light blue, with bits of white here and there. The avian life chirped while the mammals grunted and bellowed. The amphibians peeped and the insects chattered and buzzed along the following creaks. All coming together in the harmony of nature. This harmony would soon be broken by the loud and alien chirping coming from the Jedi Temple common rooms. Specifically, coming from the room of Karkun Kilbaine and his apprentice Atsa.

It was as if Master Kilbaine has been expecting this, for just after the Knights and Padawan finished yelling at the young lizard, Master Kilbaine was yelling throughout the halls.

"Everyone up! I want you all at the Temple Entrance! It's that time again!"

This was not only for the Knights and the Padawan. No, this was for Master and Vanguard alike. Only certain members of the council are exempt from this, which includes Kotsa, Votar, Jerosi, and Fe. No one knows why the others are required to attend, including the council members themselves. Master Zathris in particular has pondered this on many occasions. Votar, however, actually helps Master Kilbaine run the training regimen, and has a knack for making exercises look easy for an old master.

Koda, an honorary guest in the home of the Jedi, was offered a chance to join the workout. He was told it was his choice, and that they'd love to have him.

Master Kilbaine leads all of the Jedi to the forest, where the trees tower over head. Everyone seems to look up, admiring the height of the great trees. While the admiration is being performed, a few drops start to land on the heads of the up lookers. The drizzle turns to standard rain, and then a torrential downpour. This causes the ground to quickly become deep mud, and the amount of water coming down was in a very high quantity even with the trees sheltering from above.

"Perfect conditions for our workout!" Master Kilbaine exclaimed for all to hear.

For hours the exercises would continue, having both Jedi and Vanguards trudge through the mud, climbing the trees, and performing Olympic level conditioning and strength training. Team work skills are performed, taking a team to events such as chopping down a dead tree or performing running relays through the mud. This would last for 6 hours, with Master Kilbaine barely breaking a sweat.

After a final tug of war competition(in which a giant log was used), the outdoors workout was finished, and everyone was to clean themselves up and then head to the training rooms of the temple.

At the lobby of the training facility, Jedi are paired with jedi and Vanguards with Vanguards. Non-lethal weaponry is handed out to all, training grade sabers to Jedi and low power blasters(which would cause only a very minor burn on contact) and dulled blades to the Vanguards.

The rules are simple: No biting, clawing, spitting, breaking of limbs, over aggressive acts, or any form of lethal damage. Each time an opponent hits the other with what would be a lethal or disabling strike(Lightsaber hit, Sword hit, Blaster fire), the attacker gains a point. Once three points are reached, the one who acquired the three are proclaimed the winner, and the sparring ends.

The first batch of matches are announced, four matches for the four sparring rooms. The announcements echo throughout the hallways, and overcome the noise of the lobby's occupants. The first sets of matches go by, with Knights against Knights, Padawan against Padawan, and Vanguard against Vanguard. After around 10 sets of matches, the announcements come on once again.

"Kelios Shar-da and Maruc Revan at room 1. Katori Atsa and Adeline Sha at room 2.Jehaa Starcross and Valik Jitauri at room 3. Jackle Staki and Tuuk Braz at room 4.

Master Kilbaine brings Koda to the observation deck of room 2. Upon sitting down, he turns his head to Koda.

"Sir Koda'rai, if you wish to participate in a friendly sparring match, I'm sure we could find you a worthy opponent". He turns his head to the middle of the sparring room. "Don't worry though, you have time to think about it. For now, I must be sure our Temple can defend itself if ever necessary".

The combatants are given their weapons, and the doors to the rooms open. Combatants are instructed to face each other at the far ends of the room.. Once the pairs are in the room, the doors shut tight, and observation may only be made from the observation decks, which hangs down from the ceiling of each of the sparring rooms.



When the two combatants are ready, a bell is rung, and the fight begins.

---

The chirping. The loud and seemingly unending chirping was what Karkun awoke to. This wasn't out of the ordinary, but it never seemed to become any less annoying. Karkun just shoves his head into his pillow and does his best to ignore it until it stops. After that, he'd be able to go back to sleep, right? His thoughts were interrupted by the yell of his father, instructing everyone to go to the Temple entrance. With a snarled expression and crust still in his eyes, he grabs Atsa and heads to the entrance.

After six hours in the hell that his father called "training", everyone was to go clean up and head to the training facility. As such, Karkun heads to his room and cleans off in the refresher room. Upon finishing his grooming, he heads down to the training facility, as instructed.

"Kelios Shar-da and Maruc Revan at room 1. Katori Atsa and Adeline Sha at room 2.Jehaa Starcross and Valik Jitauri at room 3. Jackle Staki and Tuuk Braz at room 4.

Karkun, with cuts and bruises on his face and hands from the earlier training regimen, turns his head to his shoulder, where his apprentice had claimed as his personal throne .

"Alright Atsa, remember what I taught you. Don't let her out maneuver you, that's your biggest advantage here. I'll be watching from the observation deck".

He then guides Atsa off his shoulder and gently pushes him towards the room before turning to head towards the observation room. Just before he heads up the stairs, he turns back to his apprentice.

"Remember Atsa, no one will get hurt. It's to make sure we can keep ourselves from getting hurt in a real situation".

And with that, the Knight heads up the stairs to observe his apprentice.

Preparation Room

Revan stood overlooking a table in the preparation room. Upon it lay his robes, his two lightsabers, a set of dueling blasters, and a multitude of repair equipment. The most impressive item that lay on the table though, was a set of Phase I Stalker armor that his body shielded from view. Revan picked up the helmet and gazed into the visor....

"They will never let you wear that Commander" Valik said stepping in

"I know" Revan said rotating it in his hands

Valik nodded knowing the Commander wanted to be left alone "When I was born, my mother told me stories of the Jedi, how they were our enemy. I am glad she was wrong Commander. Good luck" with that the Mandelorian stepped out of the room and headed to his battle

"One day" he smiled and set it down. The Jedi were not locked in open conflict, and so the Council had forbidden any Jedi to dawn armor outside of their robes and garments. This frustrated Revan to no end, as a Jedi they should be prepared for any encounter, not simply idle by until conflict arrived. What would happen if the Sith attacked tomorrow? Three quarters of these Jedi had never fought in armor, they would be slow and clumsy....easy prey for a hardened enemy.

"I pray that day never comes" Revan reached back and pulled his hood over his head, his right hand slipping to his neck where he pulled his face cover up to the bridge of his nose. He reached down to the table and took his two blades, attaching them to his utility belt. He stopped at the presence that had entered the room, with a tilt of his head "Adeline. Are you ready?" he turned to face his apprentice "I have my own battle today, so I will not be there to oversee your work"

<But I will be here>

Revan tapped her head "Your opponent is young, but do not let that deceive you. He is agile and fast, but you can sense his movements this is your edge" he grabbed her shoulders "Let your opponents think they have already beaten you, let them show their hand. Then strike" he smiled at her, she had never let him down.

Adeline nodded. She would most certainly not underestimate Atsa because of his youth, after all, she was the same age as her opponent. While she did not look up at Revan, that would be rather pointless considering that she could see him just as well without doing so, Adeline offered a smile at his confidence in her. "Yes master. I shall do my very best." Like most of what she said, this was spoken in a monotone, but still seemed to convey some warmth.

Stepping into room two, Adeline frowned at the training saber resting firmly in her right hand. It mimicked an average lightsaber, rather than the dueling one she'd constructed. While this would not hinder her combat ability to any noticeable degree, it would still prevent her from using some of the advantageous moves that the curved hilt made possible. While she waited for her opponent, the Miraluka analyzed the room. The size of it would likely give Atsa an advantage, but perhaps offering the acrobatic Jedi some space to leap about and tire himself out in wasn't such a bad idea.

When the small being did finally enter the room, Adeline greeted him by igniting the saber and preforming a Makashi salute, which consisted of bringing the blade up vertically in front of her face, followed by drawing a quick "X" in the air with the tip of the blade. "On your go." she offered. This was meant as a gesture of courtesy, though it occurred to her a moment later that it could have been misinterpreted as overconfidence.

It's almost like a hypnotic trance, your body does what it does, and you're just happy about it. You don't know why it does this, but why is it bad? Wait, scratch that. You know why it's bad. Your singing at 5: 15 am Galactic Standard time in the morning. That, and Denak liked to use these early morning moments as a wake-up call. Atsa hated this, since it usually meant everyone ended up hating him. He couldn't help it, and it's not like it as always this early. Sometimes it was the middle of the day, and...... well, once in awhile it occurs in the middle of the night. Nobody, not even Atsa, is sure why he does this, but most know he can't help it. That didn't mean they were happy when it happened, that's for damn sure. While in the middle of his little "episode", someone had drug their pillow in to Karkun's room and launched it, likely with some Force enhancement, at the little lizard. The pillow burst upon contact with Atsa's beaked face and horns, sending a torrent of feathers around the room. After a few moment of trying to get the remains off of him (only making it worse by hooking his talon on the fabric), Atsa resorted to using the Force to collect the feathers.

Finally everyone grudgingly followed Denak's metaphorical marching drum, mumbling curses under their breath the whole way. The Master himself, of course, held nothing but the biggest smile on his face. He really enjoyed these exercises a little too much. Infact, if it made the students and Vanguards miserable while being able to at least be passed off as an exercise, it usually put a grin on Denak's face. Looking around the gathering crowd from his perch atop Karkun's shoulder, it was hard not to spot a few familiar faces. The most obvious of all was the giant cat-thingy with the huge, poofy hair. Atsa knew his name was Kelios, and knew that he was the tallest member of the temple, even bigger than Zalthuur. First instinct was to wave him over..... but Atsa didn't. He could literally feel that Kelios didn't like him, but had no idea why. When they first met, all Atsa did was ask about why his hair was so poofy. Did that upset him? Atsa hating the thought that he may have hurt someone, but this was different. Atsa himself felt uncomfortable around Kelios, like when you hold your hand near a tv or computer screen after you've built up a lot of kenetic charge. That tingling, itching feeling. That was all over Atsa's skin whenever he stood near Kelios, shortly accompanied by a deep felt sadness.

Still, when the rain started to come down in waves, the training began. Being a reptile, Atsa didn't mind being wet. The water made is clothes soggy and heavy, yeah, but it wasn't like the others who seemed to shirk away from the drops landing on their heads. With Atsa, the water simply beading off the side of his scales. Maybe it was a hair thing? Either way, for the most part the training went as usual. Atsa loved bounding through the trees, and even on the races where he may not have been the fastest, Atsa could just make a couple of quick leaps to keep pace with even the fastest Knights. On the few strength exercising where Atsa could use his head as leverage, he usually performed without too many issues. It was mostly on the tug-o-war that he fell short. Pun not intended, but he literally was too short. With most of the other, taller students holding the log at about four and a half feet off the ground, Atsa had to choose between either holding on with only his hand and no leverage, or having his feet not touch the ground. The fact that the muck offered nothing for his feet to dig into only made it worse. Finally the exercising was done, and everyone headed in to wash off the mud. Atsa didn't really understand this either, since the rain did a pretty good job of getting most of the dirt off, and being either on a tree branch or on Karkun's shoulder meant he could even keep his feet clean. Still, it was a temple rule.

After everyone was finished with their momentary reprieve, Atsa waited above the doorway, talons hooked into the edging and ceiling vents, for Karkun to pass underneath. Finally, donned in clean robes, Karkun stepped out and then to the side, easily avoiding Atsa's meticulously planned ambush. "Hey, come on!" Atsa whined, earning a smirk from Karkun as he let the bird-lizard on his shoulder.

".....We're going to be dueling again, huh?"

"Yes, Atsa."

"Whyyy? It's dumb, I don't like it. Why can't we use the droids?"

"Atsa, you can't use the droids forever."

"But why not? I like the one with the funny tube-head. He's really nice and-"

"Atsa, what if the temple were attacked? You have to learn to fight real people."

"What if we were attacked by droids?"

"Uhhh...... well, what if we weren't?"

"But what if we were?"

"But what if we- nope, not doing this. Atsa, you're dueling."

"Why?"

"Because I said so!"

"But I don't want to!"

"Tough poodoo! Do you think I wanted to be woke up at the crack of dawn and dragged through the forest on another one of my father's exercise routines? No! But sometimes we have to do things we don't like, even if we really, really, really don't want to do it!"

"That's dumb......."

"Yes. Yes it is. But your still doing it."

"....... I did say I was sorry for this morning."

"You're still dueling, Atsa."

"But-!"

"Atsa...."

"Alright......But I really don't want to."

"..... *facepalm* Atsa, just pick a training saber."

Finally, see no clear way to victory in this discussion, Atsa gripped one of the single bladed sabers with the force. Karkun brought him to the dueling chamber, giving him some last words of wisdom. "Alright Atsa, remember what I taught you. Don't let her out maneuver you, that's your biggest advantage here. I'll be watching from the observation deck."

"Alright.... but...."

"Remember Atsa, no one will get hurt. It's to make sure we can keep ourselves from getting hurt in a real situation."

But that wasn't it. It was more than that. He never could stand the thought of bringing a saber against a friend. The idea alone felt like sandpaper on his skin. He'd been hit by training sabers before, and knew that they didn't hurt him almost at all, but that was just because of his scales. Against someone else, especially another padawan, he'd much rather take a few hits than swing at someone with softer skin. But it's not like there was a way out of it. Master Votar and Master Jerosi both had been urging him to be more offensive with his form. Atsa's natural energetic style and agile body were a perfect compliment to Form IV, but it was by nature an aggressive style that urged the fighter to end the conflict as quick as possible. Against a droid, something that didn't care about being hit, or maybe even a total stranger, Atsa didn't have much problem with that idea. But these faces were all familiar, and that's what tore away at him. Still, saber in hand, he walked out into the arena and saw his opponent, instantly recognising her. "Hi Ady!" he shouted, waving at her happily. Then it hit him.... he'd have to fight her. That made his heart drop.

No one get's hurt, it's just a game. No one get's hurt, it's just a game. No one get's hurt, it's just a game....... Nervously, Atsa took his stance. His feet spread apart, both hands clasped on the hilt of his saber, and the blade pointing perfectly straight at the ceiling. In the observatory deck, Jerosi and Votar watched the fight. "Oh moi moi, hesa doing it again. Hisa grip on da saber isa too tight. Master Votar, do yousa thinks wesa should..... Master Votar?" Looking around, the Gungan noticed that his short friend had just done his signature vanishing act. Again. "(Sigh) .....Mesa hates it when yousa do that." Noticing that their Besalisk council member was approaching him, Jerosi gave a barely audible groan.

"So the lizard is up again, eh? Twenty credits say he doesn't score a single hit."

"Nerf Herder" Jerosi muttered under his breath.

"Wait, what was that?"

"Mesa says nothing...."

"I heard you say something..."

"Nope. Yousa goin' senile."

Back down on the ground, Atsa barely moved an inch. He did not want to fight Adeline, but.... he could just test her defenses, right? Karkun said he had to learn how to fight, so even if he didn't land a hit, knowing he could would be enough, wouldn't it? In a real fight, that wouldn't do at all, but this wasn't a real fight. No one had to get hurt. So as long as Atsa knew he could've got a hit in, that'd be enough, at least for him. This could really be a game. That did put a little bit of a grin on Atsa's face, let gave him the courage to launch himself past Adeline. Of course he wasn't going for a strike, though his saber did clash with her's. He'd fought Mikashi users before, and knew that possible openings usually led to a parry, so if he was there and gone before the counter stroke could be made, he'd eventual get a lucky "hit" in. At least, in his head. Though after three bullet-dives not throwing Adeline off at all, he had to change his tactics. On the next leap, he knew she'd be ready. Clashing against her saber, Atsa used his momentum to spiral around behind her, leading to what he thought was an opening, though the sudden warning from the Force told him otherwise. Atsa was barely able to flip away, Adeline's training saber being only and inch away from the tip on his talon. Perching on the arms of one of the statues, Atsa remembered two things that'd be massively against his favor. 1: She was a much better duelist than him....

And 2: Unlike Atsa, she held no qualms about hitting back really hard.......

(Captain, if you wish anything up here changed, I will edit it)

"Hi Ady!"

Adeline couldn't help but smile at Atsa's cheerful greeting, and even replied with a friendly nod, though his cheer seemed to lessen a moment later. Like most, she found the small reptilian to be quite fun to interact with, although his nature as a virtual beacon of Light Side energy could become a bit overwhelming at times. Adeline watched as he adopted the traditional Ataru ready stance. His grip on the blade was a bit too tight to allow more controlled strikes, but that didn't mean he wouldn't just loosen it shortly.

After a long pause, in which neither of the combatants moved to attack the other, or much at all, truth be told, the Miraluka began to grow concerned that she might have to make the first strike. While she was perfectly capable of attacking first, it would likely be odd for the both of them, considering their respective forms. Finally, a small grin appeared on Atsa's features and he dashed past her. While she deflected his blade with ease, he was out of her reach before she could execute a riposte. After this happened twice more the Contention Form was beginning to show some of its merit, as Adeline was expending minimal effort in her defense, though Atsa didn't seem to be slowing down either. On his next leap the smaller Jedi spun around behind her after swinging, further demonstrating his agility. However, this meant that he remained within Adeline's reach long enough for her to retaliate with a low sweep, which just barely missed as he leaped away up to nearby statue.

Well, there was no way she was going to attempt to follow him up there. The higher vantage point would prove to be too strong an asset to the one defending it, and though it was possible that she might land unscathed, it wasn't a risk the guardian-in-training was willing to take. While she looked around for a way to get him down from there, Adeline decided to voice her approval. "Nicely done, taking the high ground. Very Sokan of you." With that said, she levitated one of the nearby pieces of "rubble" placed about the room, and hurled it toward Atsa. She expected him to dodge of course, or possibly catch the thing. Either way, it would provide some means of retuning him to the fight. It was important to deny him the chance to rest, as Ataru was a taxing form, and its practitioners could often be tired out over the course of a continuous duel, but that would only work well if it was, in fact, continuous.

(Likewise)

Oh moi moi, hesa doing it again. Hisa grip on da saber isa too tight. Master Votar, do yousa thinks wesa should..... Master Votar?.....Mesa hates it when yousa do that.""

Karkun, upon hearing the usual complain from Jerosi of Votar's disappearance, turns his head back as if to see if Votar was going to be standing right behind him. After seeing that Votar had indeed vanished, and the unamused face Jerosi made(the same look he had made coming out of the bathroom when Karkun put a firecracker in Jerosi's toilet. Needless to say the screaming Gungun had put the whole floor on high alert and earned Karkun a month of cleaning duty, along with a public scolding and hidden smirk from Denak), Karkun then focuses his attention back to his apprentice, tightening his muscles every time he sees a missed opportunity.

Karkun leans his forehead against the cold glass, his breathe forming small water particles to slowly cluster together and then dribble down towards the floor. His mind begins to wander off..

The giant chamber of room he finds himself in is dead silent, the darkness preventing him from seeing the walls. Appearing in front of him is the Dark Lord of The Sith, the most feared villain in the galaxy. Their eyes lock onto each other, the Sith's evil gaze doing nothing to the unbending will of the mighty Jedi Karkun. The stare down is ended when the two combatants simultaneously draw their blades of light, twirling their respective weapons about themselves. When the blades came to the front, they charge. The Sith bring his fiery red saber up above his head and slams it down to Karkun, whom brings his own saber up to meet the enemy's. A flash of light from the clash pushes out the dark of the room, only to consumed by the darkness a moment later.

The two lightsabers held their positions, neither budging an inch. A light gloss of sweat began to form on Karkun's forehead as he strained to push his opponent's weapon away. The Sith brings his right leg up and out to try and cave Karkun's knee, but the Jedi uses the sudden moment of unbalance to let go of his lightsaber with his left and and catch the foot by the ankle and stepping in with his own right leg to make the sweep. Anticipating this, however, the Sith sends his grounded foot to Karkun's head with a roundhouse, using the grip Karkun has on his other ankle for balance. The stunned Karkun falls to his side and rolls back to his feet, separating the two by a short distance. With a quick breath from both parties, another charge commenced, with blades meeting on the left, then the right, followed by the left, and so the pattern of clashing and crackling continued. After a period of no true advances or gains made from either side, they withdrew attacks once again began a stare off. Karkun then raises his lightsaber, ready to bring it down with a force that could split Durasteel. The strike comes down, and the Sith brings his defense up...

His world was ripped away from him with the sudden shove that came to his side. Already gripping his lightsaber hilt and ready to ignite it.

"Oh, excuse me. Didn't see you there bud". It was Valik, he had bumped into him while not paying attention. Valik's eyes caught the silver hilt of Karkun's lightsaber. "Whoa, let's not get over zealous here". While walking away, Valik turns his head one last time. "Maybe one day we'll end up down in the pit. See ya kid". And with that, he winked and made his exit.

Karkun stared him out the door, and then took a deep sign. Scanning the room, he took notice of the big scaly alien that was next to his father. Well, might as well get to know the guy. Try to save him from my father at least. He casually trots over and sits down next to Koda, making sure to look over to Atsa whenever he could.

"Hey, I'm Karkun." He presents his hand. "My father is the old fart that's been walking around with you. How about after the sparring sessions here, I take you around and show you the temple?".

Atsa still stayed perched upon his statue, pleasantly smiling back at Adeline. "Thanks! Master Votar taught it to m- Whoa!" he chirped, swinging his body backwards to avoid the large stone hurled at him. His talons clawed into the statue's arm as best they could as Atsa swung his way back around, letting go at the last moment in a sort of under-slung trebuchet-toss at Adeline. His saber was held over his head in a classical Falling Leaf style, a staple of most aerial assaults. There was a difference, though. Atsa had swung down too soon, the tip of his saber smashing against the Miraluka's defensive swing and inadvertently skipping Atsa off of the clash like a stone off water. The impact was enough to actually launch him to the chest area of the opposing statue. Instinctively he kick-flipped off of it, landing back within the engagement zone.

"Whoah! Ady, did you see that? That was- Uh oh." Nearly taking a training saber to the back, Atsa barely managed to spiral over the blade, the tips of his looser garments sparking from the shield contact. In truth, he probably deserved to get a hit for forgetting he was in combat. This now, however, was an issue. Atsa was locked within Adelines engagement zone, being forced to bounce and flip around to avoid receiving a well-placed smack. The sharp and precise strikes from Makashi followed by the preserved defence of Soresu gave her an air of invincibility. At least from Atsa. On level ground, she was much faster with her attacks, forcing Atsa to swing back as more of a distraction than an actual counter assault. Though he was not without his own advantages. His small size meant that his opponent had to either swing low when he was on the ground or attempt to bat him out of the air. Neither of these was an easy feat. Also, his light and agile body was use to playing the endurance game from his earlier years of avoiding Aklay and Nexu on Felucia. That, combined with the force guiding his movements gave him a fluidity which made these small jumps and bounces much less taxing. Though the combination of evasion and offensive was starting to take it's toll.

Finally he perceived a moment to escape the combat zone, leaping over a low sweep and employing a Hawkbat Swoop to cover his retreat. Of course Adeline looked as though she'd seen this coming a mile away, deflecting the attack with ease. Atsa made contact with the ground, enjoying his moment to actually take a breath. Surprisingly, even though things weren't going great for him, he was actually starting to have fun. It was actually starting to look like a game. At this point, Atsa wasn't worried about hitting Adeline anymore. She'd shown that any attack he made wasn't going to get very far, so there wasn't really much harm in swinging back. At this, Atsa did something new and took to the offensive, diving in to strike range with an evasive roll. Though another low swing made him pop back into the air, followed by a second attack which forced him to land awkwardly in a handstand. Reflexively, he tossed his saber up and caught it with his..... foot. His bird-like foot curled it's toes around the hilt, holding it fairly comfortably. Spiraling over another precise strike, both sides were caught off guard when the saber in Atsa's foot almost made a hit. He'd usually held his saber like this when he was climbing, but never did he try attacking with it.

Adapting to his new tactic, Atsa spun, swirled, and twirled with his saber changing from hands to feet in between jumps. Finally something was pushing Adeline out of her "aggressive defense" and into just plain defense. Using yet another newly found tactic, Atsa tried bouncing off of her defensive saber clashes, attacking from above and then ricocheting off like a ball. He warbled and chirped merrily as he counted how many times he could rebound in a row. Once again he front flipped into a vertical attack, dropping his saber down to his foot. Though he'd planned this attack rather poorly, as only the topmost part of his blade made contact with her's, resulting in not simply bouncing off like he had planned, but rather tumbling down like a falling wooden board that had just made contact with the edge of a shelf and spiraled to the ground. To keep himself from accidentally landing on his saber, Atsa tossed it up into his hand before landing. Though there was a good deal of surprise when sparks flew from the tip. Atsa unwittingly landed a blow across Adelines midsection. The lights lit up for him, as he instantaneously got on his hands and knees. "Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!"

In the observatory, a certain Gungan may have had to face palm at that last bit, if there wasn't a little matter to clear up first. Jerosi, lips curled into a cheap smirk, glanced over at Resodisk. A not-so-subtle clearing of his throat was all he needed. "Hey, that was a lucky hit and-" he was cut off by a yet louder and more demanding "Ahem", this time with Jerosi giving the universal hand gesture of 'hand it over'. With an extremely annoyed groan, the Besalisk handed over the cred-stick to Jerosi's eagerly waiting hand. "Oh! Mesa thanks you." The defeated Jedi Master walked off, grumbling the entire way.

Room 1

Revan looked up at the beast now perched upon the statue. He tilted his head to the side, watching as the animal mocked him. It was clear that it would not strike at him first, which would inevitably lead to a very long, and dull day. As Revan never landed the first blow in open combat with his blades, he found the current situation an issue. He was one of the few Sentinels that were trained to attack from the concealment, protecting the galaxy from the shadows while the Guardians and Consulars reaped the glory within the light. Some would call him an assassin, others a hitman, but the truth is he was a Sentinel. Then an idea came to him, one that allowed him to continue his defensive fighting style....

Who said that I had to land the first strike with my blades

Revan spun his training blades around, as if preparing for an attack. Then they powered down, attacking back to his utility belt. He continued to watch the beast as it gazed upon him. Revans hands reached out to either side as if holding something in each, after a brief moment the air became cool as if life was simply leaving the air itself. His mind was split, protecting itself from the Guardians Battle Meditation, another focusing the force to due his will, and the other bracing his muscles to act in the event of a counter attack....

Behind him, two fairly decent sized pieces of rubble shook free from the grounds floor. It was taking more of his focus than he had thought to pull the pieces of fallen rubble off the grounds floor itself. As the last of the dirt fell from them, they launched forward towards Kelios......

Observation floor

The doors slid open as another Jedi entered the Observation platforms. Her form fitting gray robes clung to every move her body made. Her movement was fluid and flawless, and often caught the attention of others. As Valik left the floor he noticed the Master Sentinel, he quickly stepped to the side and gave a small bow with his head out of respect. After she passed he stepped out of the room.

The Jedi made her way around the crowd of Masters gathered watching the combatants. Some trying to gain the attention of their new guest, others betting upon the students. It was not something she was interested in doing, she came to critique her students, nothing more, and nothing less. Instead of walking towards the room with the two Knights, which had seemed to catch little attention outside of a few students and a Vanguard. She had had seen her before, Stark....Starlet....Scarlet....Starcross! That was it., she was a charming Corporal. She walked towards the room with two Padawans dueling, one small and energetic, the other calm and collected. She smiled as she watcher her sons student fight with the defiance of a guardian, the speed of a counselor, and the will of a Sentinel.....

"Impressive Adeline" she smiled

Adeline's attempt at getting her opponent down from his vantage point had worked better than she had anticipated. Not only had he leapt from the statue, but his counterattack had allowed her to prevent him from retreating. After which, she was certain that it would only be a matter of time before he slipped up and allowed her the opportunity she needed to land a strike. Still, despite all the acrobatics required to keep her from landing a hit, Atsa seemed to be tiring much more slowly than she had originally thought he would.

Eventually, just when Adeline believed she saw him beginning to falter, the smaller Padawan countered one of her low sweeps with a Hawkbat Swoop. The counter itself didn't surprise her in the least, after all it was one of Form IV's signature moves, but it did let Atsa gain some distance and a moment to regain his breath. Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, depending on how you looked at it, he then switched to offense rather than draw out his moment of rest as long as possible.

The real surprise came when Atsa began trading the saber from hands to feet, a tactic that made his strikes far more unpredictable and unorthodox. In fact, the only record Adeline had read of a technique like this was in the ancient holocron from a Jedi who had fought in the Clone Wars, detailing his encounter with a Separatist general by the name of Grievous. This bizarre tactic forced Adeline to rely even more strongly on precognition to deflect the attacks, and her stance shifted into that of a Soresu practitioner's to accommodate the the exclusively defensive style it required her to take.

Still, for the moment she wasn't too worried. The plan was mostly unchanged, He'd get tired soon enough, and then she'd retaliate. The Miraluka was even having a bit of fun sending her opponent into the air with each block. She actually let out a small chuckle at the thought that it was something like a children's game. "See how long you can keep him in the air." His last swing was nothing unusual, at least when the style he had adopted was taken into account. As with all the previous strikes, the Force alerted her to what his attack was, and she reacted accordingly. However, since the attack did not go as planned, it was also not in accordance with the warning she received, and a brief flash of pain slashed across her stomach, and she fell to the ground.

Adeline was stunned for a moment, less due to the pain and more to the fact that the Force had mislead her. Atsa had dropped to his hands and knees beside her, and seemed to be apologizing profusely. Looking up at him, she realized that she still had the training saber in her hand, and that the match was not yet decided. Revan's words echoed in her mind...

"Let your opponents think they have already beaten you, let them show their hand. Then strike."

In a flash, the guardian spun to her feet, her blade sweeping across the floor and through both of Atsa's wrists as she rose. Her master expected her to win this duel, and she nothing would make her do otherwise, short of the will of the Force itself. Pressing her advantage, she struck at her opponent repeatedly, her measured lunges, feints, and occasional telekinetic shoves seeking to direct his movement and drive him back against the nearest wall. If she could deprive him of the room to maneuver the battle would all but end there. In contrast to her previous amused expression, she was now clearly extremely serious. She bore no animosity toward Atsa, but refused to allow something like that happen again.

Jehaa watched the duel taking place between Marcus and Kelios intently, expecting one of the Force-fueled, saber-crashing, 'Luke-I-am-your-father' spectacles that the holovids made Jedi combat out to be. It doesn't exactly play out like that. At least not yet. When rocks spontaneously lift from where they'd been swept aside from previous duels and rocket through the air... THAT gets her attention like someone waving a red flag around a mad Reek. The Vanguard smiles like a kid in a candy store, completely failing to acknowledge the Master that wanders in and floats passed her to observe the padawan fight.

At least until the noise of poor Atsa begging eternal forgiveness and the reply of a brutal counter-attack from the Miralukan. Harsh. She casts a glance to the assembled Masters to see if any if them have the same reaction. Then again, wasn't all fair in love and war? Combat training -was- why they were all doing these exercises.

Speakinv of exercises, with her bout finished and plenty if sparring still going on around her, Jehaa fought the urge to fidget. A run after this was definitely in order. But not before she sw the outcome of the Marcus/Kelios fight. It was only just starting to get good...

"Koda'rai also expresses curiosity about these 'sparring' sessions. Amongst this one's people, Combat training is just learning forms and meditating so the Divine Ones may guide our actions should conflict occur during Pilgrimage."

Karkun smirks at the outsider's curiosity. With a deep breath of fresh air, he stretches his back, which lets out a few popping noises. Upon the satisfaction of the comfort, he begins to speak to Koda'rai.

"The more you practice something, the better you will become at it. The closer to the real situation, the better the quality of your practice will be. This allows us to stay in control and not panic if the unfortunate actually were to happen." His head leans forward a bit more, getting a better view of his apprentice's duel. Atsa had just hit Adeline, and was on his knees, begging for forgiveness.

"Oh by the force, stand up and hit her again." Once more he turned his head to speak with Koda'rai.

"The weapons we use are harmless, really the most they can do is leave a slight...", just as the ladt word leaves Karkun's lips, Adeline begins beating the unarmed Atsa with her lightsaber. Over...and over...and over again. The energy of the weapon may not do any harm, but the raw force that she used to hit Atsa was another thing. For a few moments all Karkun could do was watch in a stunned state before finishing his sentence.

"...burn." At that moment Karkun stood up, not very happy with what he was watching.

"What the hell is this? This is not how she should be trained to fight. Who would teach her...Marcus." His face was in a scowl. He intended to have a few words with the knight later on. The announcement for the next match sounded.

"Kakun Kilbaine and Hori Doba at room 3."

The snarl on Karkun's face quickly changed to a smile. Hori was the bully of the temple. He was a human, a few years older than Karkun, and was a skilled knight, taking the guardian title. He was a user of form IV, Ataru. Karkun and Hori have had a long time rivalry, and their matches were always high stake battles.



Upon receiving his weapon and asking for Koda'rai to excuse him for a moment, Karkun walked down the room 3. Hori was already there, with a look on his face that radiated pure determination. Karkun walks right up to him, standing directly in front of him. They stood eye to eye, staring each other down in the anticipation of the bell.

---

Denak was watching the fight between Kelios and Revan, sighing at the lack of combat. Master Kilbaine could easily respect defensive fighting, as he had mastered the defensive form. But this was...this was more like a lack of combat. When Marcus faded his physical image from the room, Denak's eyebrow raised. If no good attempts to score were made soon, he had a plan to make things interesting...

Atsa was on his hands and knees, eyes sealed shut and praying to hear Adeline's voice in some sort of acceptance to his apologies. What he received was a swift slash across both his wrists. The sharp pain wasn't really that bad, Atsa's scales made him fairly resilient against the minor burns, but the sudden surprise of it was almost enough to make him drop his saber. In a blur of realization, the Force screamed at him of the coming assault. Atsa himself was partially dumbstruck, barely able to activate his lightsaber in time to do much of anything. The sheer determination Adeline showed in defeating her opponent was frankly rather frightening, and Atsa saw her expression, which bore amusement before, fade into one of sheer cold seriousness. This wasn't a game, at least not from her perspective, and Atsa didn't want to be here anymore. With every swing he tried to evade, but always he was forced back down to earth by Adelines use of the Force. The surgical precision and speed of her attacks battered against a lacking defence, landing a second strike across his beak.

Pinned up against the statue by his opponents continued siege, Atsa did his best to avoid taking another hit. Having to rely on the Force to enhance his strength just so he could bat away her strikes, he could feel his abilities fading. Why was she doing this? That was the one question which ran through his head a hundred times. She no longer acted like a friend, but more of someone who only wanted to win. And with one feint, his defence was subsided leaving him open to the last attack. "No!" he barked, using the last of what he had to Force Push her away. The wave was only strong enough to carry her to the center of the room, where she landed on her feet rather gracefully. Atsa was hunched over, saber deactivated and breathing heavily, using his sleeve to try and wipe away the tears as they started to well up in his eye. He was clearly upset by this little turn of events as he looked up at Adeline. ".....I said I was sorry, Ady." Atsa dropped his saber, a pretty clear signal that he forfeits the duel, before walking off.

Behind the glass of the observatory, Master Jerosi held one hand over his face, shaking his head back and forth. He could feel the presence of Master Votar behind him once more. He didn't even need to turn and face him, sighing in annoyance over what this meant.

"Yousa know hesa going to run off again...."

"Hmm.... Go far, he will not. Worry, we shouldn't."

And they were right, at least as far as horizontally. Vertically, Atsa was already about 400 feet off the ground. Having got out of the temple in no time flat, he was already half way up on of the monolithic trees outside. Sitting rather pouty on a solid branch, three birds flew over to him, singing almost instinctively as if trying to cheer him up. Normally, it would have worked, but this time was different. Atsa sat there, thinking of what Karkun had told him. "It wasn't a game....." In truth, it wasn't the fact that she hit Atsa, or that she shoved him around. It was her emotions, the sudden flick from friend to foe. Atsa was able to feel it, and it scared him a little. He couldn't help but feel like he'd caused it. After All, she did it right after Atsa hit her. And then of course came the thought that he may have hurt her, which was almost enough to bring the tears back.

Unfortunately for Karkun, Atsa was accidently sending his emotions over the Force Bond between the two. Well, that duel should be a little more interesting now.

".....I said I was sorry, Ady."

Atsa had then dropped the training saber from his hand, and walked out of the room. By the time she recovered from her initial surprise, he was already gone. This had been quite a blunder on her part. She knew Atsa well enough to know that he wouldn't react well to her sudden change in demeanor. Like as not, he was even blaming himself for it. In retrospect, it would have been better if she had at least accepted his apology first, but she had been too focused on winning the duel like she had been expected to, and stunned from her momentary feeling of betrayal by the Force, to even do that much. Well, hopefully she have the opportunity later to make this right.

With a heavy sigh, Adeline picked up the discarded saber and returned both the training weapons to their places. After that, she entered the observation room, expecting a lecture from at least one of the beings within, but for the moment there was none. It was possible though, that they just hadn't noticed that she was there yet. Walking over to the side that overlooked Revan and his opponent, whose name she'd not yet learned, she noticed what appeared to be the end of the fight. Technically, she couldn't see it any better through the transparisteel window than she could through the wall, so she was unsure as to exactly why she'd stepped forward at all.

Observing through the Force rather than eyes, she was at first unaware that her master was cloaking himself, realizing it only after several glances around the room made by his opponent. Adeline observed as he dashed forward, aimed his blades and then... stopped. He was throwing the match. A sinking feeling overtook the Padawan. If he would deliberately lose his own match, than perhaps they weren't as important to him as she originally believed. If that was the case, then her own duel could have been take much less seriously, and thus avoided upsetting Atsa. Then again, there was the possibility that he only cared about the outcome of her duels. She would need to speak with him about this later.

Wandering away from the window a bit, Adeline began to take notice of the other beings present. Aside from the usual Masters, and the noticeable absence of the younger Kilbaine, there was a seemingly non-Force sensitive woman, likely a vanguard. The Miraluka nodded to her. Most vanguards didn't come up here, especially the younger ones, possibly due to the intimidating aura of the Masters. Aside from her, there was the guest, who she chose not to disturb, and... was that the Master Sentinel?

Immediately, Adeline gave a low bow of respect. "My apologies ma'am, I didn't notice you standing there." Technically the bow was no more required for Rebecca Ryan than any of the other Masters, the main difference being that they seemed to be watching the duels, while the Master Sentinel was facing her.

Observation Room

Jehaa doesn't need to be sensitive to sense the mild tension at Adeline's tactics, especialy when Atsa flees the Temple entirely. But the winner is clear, and the Miraluka emerges into the group.

When she makes eye contact - er... well, Jehaa assumes it's eye contact - the vanguard returns the nod and grins gamely. Speaking of intimidating masters, though, when Adeline gets the attention of Master Ryan and the two step closer to the match between the Knights, Jehaa slides back out of the way with a knuckle to her brow and some mumbled form of respectful acknowledgement.

View blocked, and not really up to potentially becoming the sole focus of several high-ranking Jedi, Jehaa drifts out of the observation room quietly and back down into the Vanguard wing. She spends a while fixing up her gear and getting the mud out of her good boots before heading back outside.

Observation Room

Adeline nodded in response to Rebecca's assessment of the duel. The note it had ended on prevented her from truly enjoying the praise though. "The Masters tell me that a Jedi does not choose their path until achieving knighthood, though I must admit my current path of learning leans more towards that of a Guardian. The saber forms fascinate me." After a moment, she followed the Master over to the window, although it was more of a formality than anything else.

It would seem that Adeline had been a bit more obvious than she had thought, either that or Rebecca's senses were truly exemplary. Usually her emotions did not register in the Force. "He's throwing the match." she stated simply. "I know not his reasons, but he has decided to let his opponent win. Before we parted, he seemed to have great faith in my victory." The Padawan paused, shifting anxiously. "I didn't want to disappoint him, so I won, but I fear that, in putting that goal first, I may have damaged what friendship I had with Atsa. If Revan is deliberately losing his own match, would he have cared if I'd lost mine?" After a moment, her attention seemed to return to the present, and she turned to Rebecca. "I'm sorry master. I shouldn't be troubling you with such things, particularly when there's nothing to be done about them at the moment."

Observation Room

Adeline nodded again to show the she understood, at least mostly, before biding Master Ryan farewell. "Thank you for your time. You've given me a lot to think about." That said, she turned and left the room to join Revan.

Joining him outside the training rooms, Adeline smiled at Marcus, relieved to finally be away from those rooms, and their occupants. Not that she had any problem with them, but she didn't feel like being chastised by one of the Masters now that she had finally gotten the chance to speak with Revan. "Are you hurt?" The question was more of a formality than anything else, given the fact that she had observed him throw the duel before the attack connected, and she was fairly certain that the Knight was tough enough to withstand such a strike without becoming truly injured. "I watched the end of your fight with Master Ryan." She hesitated, unsure of whether or not to mention the fact that she had also noticed how her had deliberately lost, Eventually, Miraluka decided to wait and see if he would bring the matter up himself.

Recovery Room

Adeline thought for a moment about what she'd observed during her Master's duel with the Gorvan-Horansi, before answering. "Well, I noticed that you adopted a rather defensive fighting style, in direct contrast of your normal usage of Form V. This forced your opponent to fight more aggressively than he normally might, since, from what I could tell. employs the dual-bladed variant of Soresu. While this granted you the benefit of fighting outside his comfort zone, it also forced you to sacrifice most of the benefits of your favored form as well." There was a short pause. "I also noticed that you refused to press your advantage, and instead chose to forfeit after a strike that did you no real harm."

The question about her own duel caused Adeline to hesitate, unsure of exactly how to word what had happened. "I won, but I think I took the match too seriously, especially considering my opponent. He got the first strike and was apologizing, when I took the offensive. I just hope this doesn't end up reflecting negatively on you, and that I can make amends with Atsa." Apparently, that would have to wait however, as the Padawans were sent to their rooms. Never one for unnecessary rule-breaking, even though it did seem quite early from her perspective, Adeline said goodnight to Revan, and returned to her room.

Recovery Room

Revan was preparing to respond to Adeline, when the call for the Padawans to return to their rooms was heard. "Good night" she said to him before turning to leave the room. "Good night" Revan whispered, something was different about his apprentice. Any other day he would see her spark of purity and devotion to the force. Yet now all he could see was a disturbance, as if she was unsure of her own actions. He watched her move to the door...

"Commander you wont believe.." Valik and his party barged through the door with purpose, almost knocking Adeline over "Oh my apologizes Lady Adeline" He looked to Revan "Sir if I am interrupting?"he paused

"No, she was just leaving" Revan leaned against the table, and crossed his arms "Come in". They waited for Adeline to leave the room, Revan focuses in on Valik "What word do you bring old friend"

Valik motioned for Syrina to hand over the data pad "Latest transmissions from our field agents"

Revan took the data pad and scrolled over it "Go on"

"Bardoona is making fast progress. Most of the population currently willing to work, and eventually convert over. A few speak of rebellion but my agents are handling that" Valik said with a smile. Most of his agents were fellow Manalorians, his own clan since the other clans had no Mandalor to unite under.

"Nar Shadaa?" Revan said skimming the updates "Has progress been made there?"

"As you commanded sir. Profits rise, and the..." Valik started to lower his head

"Are they safe?" Revan asked raising an eye brow

"Yes sir, most have been sent to Baradoona" Valik knew when to keep his mouth shut "There is the issue with Kamino sir"

"Issue?" Revan handed back the data pad

"Well" a smirk came across Valik and his mens faces "More like a blessing. Liara found what we had been looking for"

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Vanguard Barracks

As Jehaa made her way to her room, a figure sat in the rafters and watched her pass beneath. Her clothing was dark, even by Jedi standards, though it had become a trend amongst the sentinels that served along Knight Revan.



"Jehaa" the figure jumped down "Heard you got your cute little butt, kicked by a gruffy old man" it was Elyssia. Elyssia was a sentinel in the Jedi Order, but more importantly she was the closest person to Marcus Revan other than Master Ryan. Elyssia was his most treasured companion, and she thoroughly enjoyed antagonizing the Vanguard "Maybe next time you and I can have a go" she put up her fists in a mocking way. She flicked her hair back and placed her hands on her hips walking around the Vanguard "Ah well, maybe when your less wanting. And Revam doesn't have his sights set on you" she smirked at her.

Karkun, upon seeing that the approaching individual was Koda'rai, and not some monster or murderer, deactivated his lightsaber and relaxed his muscles. He did not, however, put the lightsaber on his belt. He was far too cautious in this forest, especially with the dark vibe it was giving off. He was not going to feel comfortable until they were back in the Temple. And even then..

"Koda'rai happened to observe Karkun Kilbaine in a vision and Guidance brought this one here in all haste. There was another Jedi, in this vision...one with a woman and it was around him the lines of fate were behaving most strangely. Sadly, this one has not the ability to accurately tell where, when or even if such an event is unfolding."

Karkun's mouth opened, and there was barely even time for that before Atsa began shooting off questions left and right. And it literally was left and right, because he was bouncing all around Koda. Atsa was practically talking to himself at that point, poor Koda probably didn't even know what hit him. Karkun was about to grab Atsa by the shoulder and tell him to calm down, but he didn't need to. Atsa just...stopped.

His focus went into one direction of the woods. It was the first real time Karkun had ever seen him focus on something so strongly. What was weird about it though, was that Atsa seemed devoid of all energy, and you could feel the happiness of finding people vanish.

"Atsa? You alright bud?"

His words didn't even seem to reach Atsa. Instead, the padawan began walking deeper into the forest, the dark itself seeming to try and wrap around him. But there was more to it, the tentacles of darkness could not seem to make actual contact with Atsa. It was as if there was a bubble around him.

Karkun was stunned. He couldn't seem to move a muscle, his mind trying to shake off the confusion and fear that was coming over him.

The realization that his friend and apprentice was disappearing into the dark was enough to break him of the trance and fuel his determination. He began to run after Atsa, who hadn't gotten too far. He quickly caught up to Atsa, in fact without any difficulties. He reached his hand out to attempt to grab Atsa's shoulder.

"Atsa, wha-"

But before Karkun could lay his hand on Atsa's shoulder, he must have blinked. Atsa was gone. Karkun swore he didn't blink, but it's all he could think of. Quickly, he stepped forward, just past a row of trees, and looked to the left. There was Atsa, still walking. He was a good distance down the way now, and Karkun was Not going to loose him.

Karkun sprinted this time, using the speed of a Jedi to reach him this time. Karkun attempted the same action as last time, reaching out his hand. Once again, an instant of darkness interrupted Karkun's vision. Karkun lunged forward instantly, attempting to tackle Atsa if he had to. Nothing. Atsa had vanished. Atsa? I'm coming buddy.

Karkun looked around once more, and saw Atsa a ways down his left. He tried to catch up to him again, but when ever he ran, Atsa seemed to become further away. Karkun knew he was moving at immense speeds, but it felt like he was moving in the wrong direction. Like he was staying in place, and the forest just became longer and longer. He stopped and instead began to walk, which actually was working. He gained ground on Atsa, but once he came within 20 feet of him, he could not get any closer.

"Atsa! Atsa! What are you doing? Atsa!"

Trying to take advantage of the proximity he had gained, Karkun leaped to one of the tree trunks, and began leaping from tree to tree, kicking off each tree to get closer to Atsa. What he did this time though, was different. He bounded in front of Atsa, trying to serve as a wall.

"Alright Atsa, it's time to-"

Karkun couldn't even finish the sentence before being blasted backwards. He went through a solid tree, and then heavily impacted one behind it. Karkun fell to the forest floor with a thud, his consciousness fading.

---

As soon as Karkun bolted after Atsa, everything about the two seemed to vanish. Koda could no longer sense them, see them, or even hear them. The darkness literally ate them. The forest seemed to have gained a unique ability to play mind games, because Koda also couldn't figure out where the Temple was. All attempts were foiled, and the darkness and loneliness was enough to drive a person insane.

No matter what he tried to do, he would end up at the clearing. The clearing with the tree. It was inevitable, and the Forest would be sure to enforce it.

---

Jehaa had just gotten back from her run, and was ready for a well deserved nap. She couldn't shake a nagging feeling in the back of her mind. She couldn't identify what it was either, although the forest seemed to keep popping into her mind. Once her head hit the pillow, she was out.


Dreams of the forest swept into her head. Beginning with the forest brightly lit by the morning sun, the dream took her through her normal paths through the forest.



But the light began to fade from the forest, a the dark of night took hold. The trees' shapes were twisted and demented. The ground was devoid of life, dotted with dry, dead plants and twigs. Jehaa could see Atsa walking on his own, down the dark aisles the trees created. He face was blank, and his body moved like on auto-pilot. There was a dark figure leading him. Jehaa's focus begins to get closer to the figure, and as soon as her perspective is just behind the figure, it turns its head straight towards Jehaa.

She awakens in the same place she had just dreamed about, on the cold floor of the forest. A constant chill is felt, but it doesn't come from any wind or cold air. No, not any normal wind. Barely even 10 feet away from her is Marcus, who is standing across from her, facing her direction.

---

Elyssia gently broke from the embrace after a while of silence. She held eye contact, and then began to back away.

"I must get to bed. It is late". She then turned and started to pass through the doorway. "I'll see you tomorrow", she said with a grin, before exiting the balcony and going to her room.

Once the bump of the door shutting passed, the silence once again ensued. The silence was a killer silence, an unnatural lack of sound. It was piercing, and it seemed to turn seconds into an eternity.

A presence was instantly felt by Marcus. A presence that was very...disturbing. It was coming from behind him. But what Marcus found, was that he couldn't turn to face it. He couldn't even bring his hand to his lightsabers. The lack of control over his muscles, lead to a painful pressure being exerted on them. He was being compressed, and it did not feel good. The pressure built until it felt like he was going to be crushed, but instead it was all released. The end of the pressure came with an explosion of pain and darkness, an experience unlike any other.

Marcus then found himself in the forest, directly in front of Jehaa. She was laying on her back, and looked like she was just starting to wake up.

---

Kelios was sleeping in his little hut that he had made. It resided just at the edge of the Forest boundary, and consisted of a single room that served as his bedroom. The masters allowed him to reside here because he found much discomfort sleeping inside, and the hut was the closet thing he could get to his old home.

His sleep was disrupted, however, by the sound of a girl crying. It was feint, but sent a chill down the sentinel's spine. Kelios was eaten by curiosity, and so he went out to investigate. The crying stopped as soon as he stood just at the forest boundary, and it didn't seem to come back. With a shrug, Kelios turned and passed it off as his mind playing tricks on him. He didn't take one step before both feet were pulled out from under him, and he was violently dragged back into the forest. The crying began again, and it became louder and louder as he was pulled in.

---

Adeline had left her master and headed to bed, as instructed by the masters. She fit right in with the crowd of padawan, who were all going to their rooms. And just like the others, Adeline opened the door to her room, and walked in. She was about to close it herself, but it instead shut on its own. The slightly confused Adeline turned to examine the door. The transparency that the door and walls usually had was changing. Black was slowly seeping down them, a black that looked like ink leaking down the surface. Adeline's first reaction was to back away, her head spinning around the room.

The blackness slowly reached the floor, and then began moving towards Adeline. She yelled for help, trying to gain someone's attention, but she received no response. She could not see past the room, and failed in her attempts to push the blackness away with the force. The blackness reached her foot, and slowly traveled up her legs. It was cold, in fact, it was blistering cold. The poor padawan had no defense to it, and as it consumed her face, her screams became gurgled.

Her scream suddenly pierced throughout the forest. She stopped once she realized she was alright, but the fear she felt was still immense.

She found herself in a clearing, with a giant dead tree in the center. Further down around the clearing was Atsa, and Karkun behind him. Koda'rai was past them, but she could barely make them out with the darkness clouding her vision. Kelios was on the ground not to far behind her. He wasn't moving.

Adeline meant to go and help him, but she was frozen in place from the horrible darkness that made up the tree in front of her.

---

Karkun's eyes slowly opened. Wha...where am...

"Atsa!"

Karkun was quick to his feet, and began walking around, searching for Atsa.



Karkun was walking through the rows and columns of trees, looking left and right, back and forth for Atsa. The sound of his own footsteps, and the occasional rustle in the area was all that could be heard.

As he was walking, he swore he caught a glimpse of Atsa turning at a tree in the distance. Karkun walked over, stepping on a twig here and there. The darkness around the trees seemed to bend and wave at times, causing the eerie feeling that something is there.

He did indeed arrive at the tree he saw Atsa turn right at. His right arm brushed against the trunk as he passed it, making the turn right. His head first looked left to be sure Atsa wasn't that way, and then he turned his head back right. His heart stopped. He was immediately face-to-face, with the woman that Atsa had seen.




Impulse forced him to jerk back, but he tripped. She was leaning over him, staring at him. She remained motionless. Karkun attempted to grab his lightsaber, but he was moving immensely slow as not to provoke the...thing.

The tip of his middle finger touched the hilt, and she noticed. Karkun blinked, and she was in his face. He grabbed his lightsaber now and swung it upwards. He found that he was swinging at air.

While standing up, lightsaber still activated, he spotted Atsa straight ahead. He, as always, walked over, his heart racing and lightsaber ready. He spotted Jehaa and Marcus off to his right. They were talking, or something. As he became next to Atsa, he could see Adeline also down to his right, with Kelios on the ground behind her. She was in the clearing, which Karkun just now noticed. Koda'rai was on the other side, facing the tree. The tree was...evil. That's all he could think of to describe it.

Atsa seemed to snap out of the trance he was in, but began walking towards the tree. He could see that woman at the trunk, beckoning to come in.

"Kar.... kun..... I.... can't.... stop.......!"

"Atsa, no!"

Karkun attempted to grab him and hold him, but once his hand came too close to Atsa, a surge of electricity was sent through the hand. He fell to he knees in pain and then looked back up towards the woman. He ran around Atsa, and charged the woman. You won't get him.

Lunging forward, Karkun attempted to bring his blade to the woman's neck. This attempt, unfortunately, was foiled when the blade when right through her, doing nothing. All Karkun had time to do was shift his face into that of confusion and fear before being pulled into the tree...

For a moment, Adeline almost began to panic again. Of course that hadn't worked out very well last time, though she was still alive, so that much could at least be said for that course of action. All the same, rather than try to use the Force to perceive or manipulate her surroundings, she instead focused it inwards, to assist her in calming herself.

There is no emotion, there is peace.

Finally, she began to regain her normal state of calm. The success of this allowed Adeline to think more clearly than she had been previously, and she was able to recognize that a great deal of the fear she'd felt was not her own, or rather, it did not originate from her. Unfortunately that knowledge did not free her from whatever power was holding her in place.

While she did not believe in the Dark Side as most Jedi did, the Miraluka could not deny that whatever was doing this was most certainly negative in nature. The tree seemed to be the most likely culprit, if the aura around it was any indicator, and the fact that Karkun had just been pulled into it lent further credit to that theory. Attempting to catch the attention of one of the others, though the ones she was aware of didn't seem much better off than she, with the Gorvan-Horansi, whom she recognized as Revan's opponent from the match earlier, and whose name she'd still yet to learn, unconscious, Atsa seemingly unable to stop his march toward the tree, and then being pulled in, and Karkun already inside of the thing, Adeline called to anyone in earshot.

"Hello? Can anyone that retains the ability to move freely hear me? If so, we who do not would greatly appreciate your help."