[EE8] - The Call of the Wild

[Tranq Sayzin]

He approached the pair, before speaking up. "You know, you shouldn't steal from others." Tranq was stern, without being frightening. "Stop picking on him. Now."

[Honor]

"Why should I! He's a nobody, doesn't even know who his father is!" the bigger kid looked up at Tranq, whined.

[Tranq Sayzin]

"Because he's a person. Just as you." He looked to the older boy. "A person's history isn't what is important, but what they do. You both have such opportunity."

The large Karkarodon knelt. "Anybody is somebody. No one is nobody."

[Honor]

For a moment the scene flashed, the face switched and he once more saw the sergeant on the end of his spear. Every emotion he felt then came running back to the surface as he saw the blood pour into her lips and her eyes go blank. Then, it was him scolding the child, and then it was her again. These images flashed until they became one, the same, but different and then vanished.

"Phroth," her voice was gentle and when he turned to her she was bigger than him again. Once more he was little more than a child, it seemed, "Phroth, are you alright?" she asked, Scylla Kem leaned down and knelt before her new Padawan.

[Tranq Sayzin]

"Master." He looked up to her. How could this be? Theast time he physically looked up to her, he was twelve. Then he hit that growth spurt.

"These times are dark. The Empire. It shrouds everything." He shook his head, breaking his look from her. "Taken everything. Made it wrong. I've... killed because of my hate for it. For what it did. For what it took." Yellow eyes looking back up to her large black ones.

"I miss you."

[Honor]

"I'm right here, Phroth," she said, patting his head affectionately. "I always have been. Always will be. Right at your side. Even when I'm not physically there. That's what it means right? Being Master and Padawan? You'll always have me," she smiled.

"So," she sat down cross legged in front of him, looking right ahead to him. "This Empire you talk of.. it sounds dark," she said, looking to him with a slight sorrowful look, but maintained with hope. "But, you don't have to let it in. Even the darkest pits can be lit up if we just give the galaxy our heart," she smiled.

[Tranq Sayzin]

He tried to not look despondent when she reminded him of what that meant. How the Force connected them, always. "It... is dark. There's not very much light left out there. The flame of the Republic, of the Jedi, is gone. Yeah... there are embers. Here on Kamda, the people are beginning to fight back. But..." The Karkarodon looked away, shaking his head.

"Do you know how many systems support the Empire? How many people? The Clone Wars were so horrifying, the damage was so terrible without a real decisive victory until the Republic was reorganized? They gladly give up liberty, freedom... for security and peace. The Galaxy hasn't known war since the end of the Clone Wars, and so many billions are just... fine with the new regime. They don't have a reason to stand up against it, because... things are okay for them."

He closed his eyes. "It's hard to not be swallowed by the darkness when there are so many who don't mind it... It's hard to live up to the ideals of what being a Jedi was supposed to be. To be guardians of peace, of justice, of freedom... when that didn't stop a war. And so many believe we are traitors, power hungry monks who tried to usurp power. We give our hearts... the galaxy wants our heads."

[Honor]

Scylla listened, attentively, looking concerned and thoughtful throughout. When he finished, she gave let the truth of what was said settle into her understanding.

Then, "You live in a dangerous world Phroth, one that wishes to only condemn and hunt you because of the power you have. However, it is not the power that so many think the Jedi have. It was not our ability to jump further, higher, than anyone else. It isn't our ability to sense a person's true intentions, or when a strike was coming. It isn't even how we are guided by the force to do ever greater things. It is that we have spent our lives cultivating something small, something simple."

"In our hearts, a Jedi's heart, lives the fire of hope. Our sensitivity to the force, our understanding of how each of us is connected so thoroughly.. it is a power that threatens even the greatest of Empire's. For so long.. we fought as generals, soldiers in a war against oppression and we forgot ourselves. We believed that our strength was in our ability to stop those who would oppress others. However, that's never been the truth. For the true power of the Jedi is to use their life, their words, to inspire the galaxy to stand up for themselves. We risk losing this power every day we forget it, but when we remember it.. it can never be taken from us. Through our guidance we give them the courage to be better, do better, we teach, we guide, we lead," she said, she smiled at Phroth and then patted his head.

[Tranq Sayzin]

The touch was warm, inviting, despite knowing that she was part of the Force, and wasn't physically here. Yet it was mostly comforting. "I... I tried not to forget. But it is so easy to. Especially when you're just worried about survival. Finding a way to stay alive, even if you want to fight back, or inspire them." He looked to his Nautolan master, breathing in deeply. "I've not been a Jedi for so long. Just a Seeker. A Hunter. A Killer. The only way to stay a step ahead, to be hidden in the wilderness, and take down threats to people as quickly as I could."

His mouth curled. "How am I supposed to inspire anyone?"

[Honor]

"It's easy," she said with a playful grin, poking him in the chest. "Right there, just hold onto your own light and it'll shine into the next, and the next, and the.. well," she smiled, "you get it, don't ya? Trust in the Force, Padawan, and it will show you the way."

[Tranq Sayzin]

"It's all I can do. I mean, trusting it led me to you, here. In this place." He nodded, smiling at her. He'd forgotten just how jovial she was, how easy to talk to. He brought his hand up, feeling where she had poked. "The Force is probably the only reason why I came here, seems so long ago now. A feeling that said this place was important, that I was needed here."

He smiled, a big, toothy thing.

"I met the Clones, not... all committed that evil. Some resisted, they did. I've met some really good friends. And I've met... someone."

[Honor]

"That makes me so happy!" she smiled, gave him a quick hug. "Hold onto that, Phroth. When you look at them, find that light that embers even now.. hold onto it, and let it spread. Let others, even those who might not deserve it, let them feel that warmth," she smiled.

"I believe in you Phroth, you've never let me down. Face your demons, rise to the challenge, you.. my Padawan, have always been capable. You just needed the reminder to focus on that big beautiful heart of yours," she pat his shoulder. Behind her the room, the vision of it, started to fade.

[Tranq Sayzin]

The embrace was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. He squeezed back, tight. To his surprise, a tear fell down his cheek. "Thank you, Master. For everything. I couldn't do this without you." He quietly replied, surprised at how quickly the vision began to fade.

"May the Force be with you, Master." He stood taller, feeling the warmth of the Light bathing them.

[Honor]

"May the Force be with you, Padawan," she said, smiling, and then vanished.

Alone, again, in a cold room in the deep dark depths of the temple. Tranq was before an ancient pedestal. Ancient, as it was, he was able to make out the instruments and importance of this spot. Some time, many millenia ago, Jedi came to this spot and crafted their lightsabers. Locked into a pedestal was an ancient Kyber crystal, but he knew it was not for him, but another.

Whomever would come after.

[Tranq Sayzin]

"You'll sing your song, soon." He nodded, before offering a reverent bow to the pedestal. He didn't know who eould find that, but he knew the Force would guide them there.

It didn't take long to leave the place, and return to the Clones. "This place is a place of peace. An ancient Jedi temple." He looked to Lucky, then to the others. "We're gonna have to lead someone here, sometime. They will have their own tests inside, though."

[Honor]

"As you say, Phroth," Tux said, acknowledging. "Not my first time around this type of thing with a Jedi. Didn't think we'd find an ancient temple all the way out here though..." he said, looking at the thing. "Doesn't quite look the way I expected it to."

[Tranq Sayzin]

"No. Not at all." He turned to look back up at the thing with the others, a peaceful smile on his face. Eyes blinked, as he turned to look at the Clones. "It's nice to be someplace so peaceful, when tomorrow is going to be anything but."

[Honor]

"Reminds us what we're fighting for," Stinger said, a solid grin.