Jedi Insurgence - a Star Wars RP

[Channelknight Fadran]

56 minutes ago, Justice_Magician said:

"Okay, okay,

"Uh,

"She just showed up one day, on the moon I was living on, just out of nowhere.

"She figured out I was magic really quickly, probably the same way you did. I had never met anyone else with 'the Force' before so I was curious. I wanted to know things about myself and how it all worked, y'know? I guess that blinded me. So, when she asked me if I wanted to be her apprentice, of course I said yes.

"It only took me a couple months to figure that she wasn't . . . a good person. Some the things she was teaching, and some of things she did where evil. 

"Once I realized the truth I told her I was done. I didn't want any part in what she was doing. Of course, it wasn't that easy. 

"I couldn't just walk away with all her secrets. She said I couldn't exist if I wasn't working with her so she . . . tried to . . . y'know."

Cloud closed his eyes.

"And well I- I'm still here so . . . yeah she . . . she didn't win."

Feisyyd projected her Intent before placing a hand on Cloud's shoulder - she didn't want to startle him.

"The Jedi Order is many things - perhaps, in many cases, it isn't much better than her. Before the Sith returned, it... became prideful. Awash in its own perception. It's far more difficult to remove an idea than to reinforce it, and without conflict you might not notice it consuming you before it's too late. Jedi are taught to avoid Darkness, and to blindly follow the light - but that's only a deception, told to comfort; and comfort, where it isn't deserved, makes one weak.

"That is why we were driven out of the Republic. Not by the Siths' power or the Mandalorians' force of arms, but because we lacked the discipline to defend ourselves. I was away from Coruscant at the time, leading a reconnaissance mission near the Mustafar system - and if I had returned sooner, perhaps I could have saved more lives. But amid the chaos there was nothing I could do, because no Jedi - no matter how strong - could defend everyone alone."

The memory still burned, a little. Her instincts said to take her eyes away, but she held her gaze at Cloud's face regardless.

"The only way to save everyone is to teach them to save themselves. That means to let them face the fear of death, the pain of loss, the horror of taking another person's life... and it's a dangerous path, but not one the Order wishes to cultivate. Master Royalos left the Jedi for that reason, I imagine - and for the same reason is why I've stayed. Because I love the family I've made here, and I would die for them without hesitation; and so I must allow them to burn themselves. In my mind, you cannot take the path of the Jedi if you're unwilling to face the pain: Nayla's already made that decision, as did I when my Master died all those years ago.

"So I'm truly sorry that you've been drawn into this. If you wish to leave, I won't stop you - but that Sith will. He would kill you without a second thought. In two days, if he's been defeated, you can stay or go; but until then you are trapped on the path I never meant for you to follow. Jedi, Sith; Light, Dark; Good, Evil; whatever you may be, you deserve a choice. And all I want for you now is to give you the chance to make it; and to do that, we are going to tear off that foul bastard's head."

[Ravenclawjedi42]

6 minutes ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

we are going to tear off that foul bastard's head."

“Or we could do it in a less violent manner…” Rajib suggests. “Never mind,” they say as everyone turns to look at them.

[Channelknight Fadran]

27 minutes ago, Ravenclawjedi42 said:

“Or we could do it in a less violent manner…” Rajib suggests. “Never mind,” they say as everyone turns to look at them.

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that's... technically godmodding. But it's pretty minor so who cares

 

[Ravenclawjedi42]

Just now, Channelknight Fadran said:

 

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Sorry. But I was referring to Rajib’s hundreds of pet Porgs that are my other characters. Definitely .

 

[Mags she/they]

46 minutes ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

Feisyyd projected her Intent before placing a hand on Cloud's shoulder - she didn't want to startle him.

"The Jedi Order is many things - perhaps, in many cases, it isn't much better than her. Before the Sith returned, it... became prideful. Awash in its own perception. It's far more difficult to remove an idea than to reinforce it, and without conflict you might not notice it consuming you before it's too late. Jedi are taught to avoid Darkness, and to blindly follow the light - but that's only a deception, told to comfort; and comfort, where it isn't deserved, makes one weak.

"That is why we were driven out of the Republic. Not by the Siths' power or the Mandalorians' force of arms, but because we lacked the discipline to defend ourselves. I was away from Coruscant at the time, leading a reconnaissance mission near the Mustafar system - and if I had returned sooner, perhaps I could have saved more lives. But amid the chaos there was nothing I could do, because no Jedi - no matter how strong - could defend everyone alone."

The memory still burned, a little. Her instincts said to take her eyes away, but she held her gaze at Cloud's face regardless.

"The only way to save everyone is to teach them to save themselves. That means to let them face the fear of death, the pain of loss, the horror of taking another person's life... and it's a dangerous path, but not one the Order wishes to cultivate. Master Royalos left the Jedi for that reason, I imagine - and for the same reason is why I've stayed. Because I love the family I've made here, and I would die for them without hesitation; and so I must allow them to burn themselves. In my mind, you cannot take the path of the Jedi if you're unwilling to face the pain: Nayla's already made that decision, as did I when my Master died all those years ago.

"So I'm truly sorry that you've been drawn into this. If you wish to leave, I won't stop you - but that Sith will. He would kill you without a second thought. In two days, if he's been defeated, you can stay or go; but until then you are trapped on the path I never meant for you to follow. Jedi, Sith; Light, Dark; Good, Evil; whatever you may be, you deserve a choice. And all I want for you now is to give you the chance to make it; and to do that, we are going to tear off that foul bastard's head."

"R- right," Cloud fell silent, processing everything. He very inconspicuously wiped his eyes and it was extremely obvious.

"I think . . . I think I need to stay here."

11 minutes ago, Ravenclawjedi42 said:

Sorry. But I was referring to Rajib’s hundreds of pet Porgs that are my other characters. Definitely .

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ITS CANON

 

[Channelknight Fadran]

39 minutes ago, Justice_Magician said:

"R- right," Cloud fell silent, processing everything. He very inconspicuously wiped his eyes and it was extremely obvious.

"I think . . . I think I need to stay here."

"Cloud, dear, you can stay as long as you like."

[Channelknight Fadran]

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[timeskip 'cause I said so]

((also I summoned everyone v sry that I couldn't really interact with y'all earlier))

The next morning came at a rapid pace, with how deep Aria slept that night. Anxiety had a way of keeping people awake, but she'd managed to reverse its effect over years of training - now, Feisyyd had reprogrammed her mind to prioritize energy conservation over alertness.

But it was the next morning regardless, and only one day remained until they were expected to face Darth Krarik.

The previous afternoon had been a bit quieter, though they'd gotten back to training before long. Rukk was quite hardy, even for a jawa; Nayla a little less so, but she'd come to soon enough as well. She was actually a little peeved at Rukk's strategy for awhile, but eventually gave up the argument in favor of returning to practice.

"Overloading your opponents' senses is an old trick, and to the untrained it's quite a good one," Feisyyd had explained, "but it is inherently weak against experienced Force-wielders. The essence of Truesight proficiency is in the ability to filter unnecessary thoughts and urges, which is perfomed by perceiving ahead of whatever might be coming.

"All Jedi and Sith alike present a fragment of their Awareness to the Force, and thus their Intent can always be predicted to some degree. How well you conceal your Intent - and how well your Perceive theirs - is something you can only improve with training. For now it simply means that trying something like Rukk did against that Assassin won't work in the slightest - he'll see it coming, and he'll filter it out without issue. In fact... very little of what you can perform now will be concealed from his Perception. Your experience with this area of the Force is simply insignificant compared to his."
 

So today, for their last lesson, Master Aria Feisyyd laid down their plan.

"He will see through it, without a doubt," she started, "but if we execute it well, it will be difficult to counter. All of you will be drawing his attention with a full-frontal assault, and I will hold a stalemate for as long as we need before a weakness shows. The moment he drops his concentration, even in the slightest, the battle will be over."
 

Nayla wasn't wearing her cloak today. Her eyes could be seen clear as day, though she still hung her head a little like she always would beneath her hood. She kept stealing glances at Cloud, and every so often Feisyyd swore she'd caught a little smile coming from her padawan - but right now she seemed nervous as ever, and for good reason.

"So... we're supposed to work together."

Aria nodded. "Today's training will be focused entirely on coordinating your attacks by shared Perception in Truesight. Your first step will be to acclimate to each others' Presence while in the state, and then to detect Intention without any need for words. If you can make it there... then perhaps we stand a fighting chance."

@Justice_Magician @Ravenclawjedi42 @Ancient Elantrian @Scars of Hathsin @The Bookwyrm @ΨιτιsτηεΒέsτ

Edited September 26, 2023 by Channelknight Fadran

[Guest Ψιτιsτηε Βεsτ]

Pucky was nervous. He didn’t know if he was powerful enough. When he had been in the temple, he had lost. The only option was to train. It reminded him of his padawan years. And so he readied himself. He went to find the others.

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He will show up in a second

 

[Through the Living Elan He/Him]

5 hours ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

The next morning came at a rapid pace, with how deep Aria slept that night. Anxiety had a way of keeping people awake, but she'd managed to reverse its effect over years of training - now, Feisyyd had reprogrammed her mind to prioritize energy conservation over alertness.

But it was the next morning regardless, and only one day remained until they were expected to face Darth Krarik.

The previous afternoon had been a bit quieter, though they'd gotten back to training before long. Rukk was quite hardy, even for a jawa; Nayla a little less so, but she'd come to soon enough as well. She was actually a little peeved at Rukk's strategy for awhile, but eventually gave up the argument in favor of returning to practice.

"Overloading your opponents' senses is an old trick, and to the untrained it's quite a good one," Feisyyd had explained, "but it is inherently weak against experienced Force-wielders. The essence of Truesight proficiency is in the ability to filter unnecessary thoughts and urges, which is perfomed by perceiving ahead of whatever might be coming.

"All Jedi and Sith alike present a fragment of their Awareness to the Force, and thus their Intent can always be predicted to some degree. How well you conceal your Intent - and how well your Perceive theirs - is something you can only improve with training. For now it simply means that trying something like Rukk did against that Assassin won't work in the slightest - he'll see it coming, and he'll filter it out without issue. In fact... very little of what you can perform now will be concealed from his Perception. Your experience with this area of the Force is simply insignificant compared to his."
 

So today, for their last lesson, Master Aria Feisyyd laid down their plan.

"He will see through it, without a doubt," she started, "but if we execute it well, it will be difficult to counter. All of you will be drawing his attention with a full-frontal assault, and I will hold a stalemate for as long as we need before a weakness shows. The moment he drops his concentration, even in the slightest, the battle will be over."
 

Nayla wasn't wearing her cloak today. Her eyes could be seen clear as day, though she still hung her head a little like she always would beneath her hood. She kept stealing glances at Cloud, and every so often Feisyyd swore she'd caught a little smile coming from her padawan - but right now she seemed nervous as ever, and for good reason.

"So... we're supposed to work together."

Aria nodded. "Today's training will be focused entirely on coordinating your attacks by shared Perception in Truesight. Your first step will be to acclimate to each others' Presence while in the state, and then to detect Intention without any need for words. If you can make it there... then perhaps we stand a fighting chance."

@Justice_Magician @Ravenclawjedi42 @Ancient Elantrian @Scars of Hathsin @The Bookwyrm @ΨιτιsτηεΒέsτ

Rukk quietly nodded. His head still pounded from yesterday. 

[Mags she/they]

6 hours ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

The next morning came at a rapid pace, with how deep Aria slept that night. Anxiety had a way of keeping people awake, but she'd managed to reverse its effect over years of training - now, Feisyyd had reprogrammed her mind to prioritize energy conservation over alertness.

But it was the next morning regardless, and only one day remained until they were expected to face Darth Krarik.

The previous afternoon had been a bit quieter, though they'd gotten back to training before long. Rukk was quite hardy, even for a jawa; Nayla a little less so, but she'd come to soon enough as well. She was actually a little peeved at Rukk's strategy for awhile, but eventually gave up the argument in favor of returning to practice.

"Overloading your opponents' senses is an old trick, and to the untrained it's quite a good one," Feisyyd had explained, "but it is inherently weak against experienced Force-wielders. The essence of Truesight proficiency is in the ability to filter unnecessary thoughts and urges, which is perfomed by perceiving ahead of whatever might be coming.

"All Jedi and Sith alike present a fragment of their Awareness to the Force, and thus their Intent can always be predicted to some degree. How well you conceal your Intent - and how well your Perceive theirs - is something you can only improve with training. For now it simply means that trying something like Rukk did against that Assassin won't work in the slightest - he'll see it coming, and he'll filter it out without issue. In fact... very little of what you can perform now will be concealed from his Perception. Your experience with this area of the Force is simply insignificant compared to his."
 

So today, for their last lesson, Master Aria Feisyyd laid down their plan.

"He will see through it, without a doubt," she started, "but if we execute it well, it will be difficult to counter. All of you will be drawing his attention with a full-frontal assault, and I will hold a stalemate for as long as we need before a weakness shows. The moment he drops his concentration, even in the slightest, the battle will be over."
 

Nayla wasn't wearing her cloak today. Her eyes could be seen clear as day, though she still hung her head a little like she always would beneath her hood. She kept stealing glances at Cloud, and every so often Feisyyd swore she'd caught a little smile coming from her padawan - but right now she seemed nervous as ever, and for good reason.

"So... we're supposed to work together."

Aria nodded. "Today's training will be focused entirely on coordinating your attacks by shared Perception in Truesight. Your first step will be to acclimate to each others' Presence while in the state, and then to detect Intention without any need for words. If you can make it there... then perhaps we stand a fighting chance."

@Justice_Magician @Ravenclawjedi42 @Ancient Elantrian @Scars of Hathsin @The Bookwyrm @ΨιτιsτηεΒέsτ

Cloud listened intently. He still didn't know what he was doing, but he got the feeling he'd figure it out here. 

[Channelknight Fadran]

4 hours ago, ΨιτιsτηεΒέsτ said:

Pucky was nervous. He didn’t know if he was powerful enough. When he had been in the temple, he had lost. The only option was to train. It reminded him of his padawan years. And so he readied himself. He went to find the others.

Quote

okey

 

4 hours ago, Ancient Elantrian said:

Rukk quietly nodded. His head still pounded from yesterday. 

2 hours ago, Justice_Magician said:

Cloud listened intently. He still didn't know what he was doing, but he got the feeling he'd figure it out here. 

"Enter a meditation," Feisyyd said, relaxing her shoulders and closing her eyes. "You have more senses than just your eyes - teach yourselves to wield Truesight without them. Once you can all feel each other, we can begin."

[Guest Ψιτιsτηε Βεsτ]

Pucky walked to them. They were meditating, and he felt drawn in, so he joined.

[Ravenclawjedi42]

Rajib meditated, and quickly felt overwhelmed. But they tried a technique they had read about last night, and tried addressing each and every object separately, after he had done that he felt his connection to it wane as he willed it to.

[Channelknight Fadran]

"Remember that this is not a traditional Force Meld - sensing each others' thoughts and actions is unspoken."

[Mags she/they]

21 hours ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

 

"Enter a meditation," Feisyyd said, relaxing her shoulders and closing her eyes. "You have more senses than just your eyes - teach yourselves to wield Truesight without them. Once you can all feel each other, we can begin."

 

8 hours ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

"Remember that this is not a traditional Force Meld - sensing each others' thoughts and actions is unspoken."

Cloud reached out with his mind towards the others. He could feel their minds easily as before. Was he supposed to be reaching further?

[Channelknight Fadran]

On 9/27/2023 at 9:15 AM, Justice_Magician said:

Cloud reached out with his mind towards the others. He could feel their minds easily as before. Was he supposed to be reaching further?

Nayla was a little calmer today. Before she might've flinched a little at Cloud's unfamiliar Presence, but not now. And... he seemed more comfortable too.

@Justice_Magician

Edited September 28, 2023 by Channelknight Fadran

[Mags she/they]

On 9/27/2023 at 10:04 AM, Channelknight Fadran said:

Nayla was a little calmer today. Before she might've flinched a little at Cloud's unfamiliar Presence, but not now. And... he seemed more comfortable too.

@Justice_Magician

Cloud could feel Nayli reaching out with her mind, connecting them. He waited for the others to reach out too.

@Ravenclawjedi42 @Ancient Elantrian @ΨιτιsτηεΒέsτ (I tried bro)

Edited September 29, 2023 by Justice_Magician

[Through the Living Elan He/Him]

17 hours ago, Justice_Magician said:

Cloud could feel Nayli reaching out with her mind, connecting them. He waited for the others to reach out too.

@Ravenclawjedi42 @Ancient Elantrian @ΨιτιsτηεΒέsτ (I tried bro)

Rukk tentatively reached out with his mind, sensing the others.

@ΨιτιsτηεΒέsτ

 

[Channelknight Fadran]

20 hours ago, Justice_Magician said:

Cloud could feel Nayli reaching out with her mind, connecting them. He waited for the others to reach out too.

@Ravenclawjedi42 @Ancient Elantrian @ΨιτιsτηεΒέsτ (I tried bro)

2 hours ago, Ancient Elantrian said:

Rukk tentatively reached out with his mind, sensing the others.

@ΨιτιsτηεΒέsτ

 

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It's occurred to me that I wrote us into a corner by avoiding a Force Meld. The idea is to avoid direct communication... in an RP

 

[Ravenclawjedi42]

Rajib meditates and reaches out with their mind.

[Mags she/they]

7 hours ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

 

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We could just go "yay wooo everybody connected how cool" and move forward?

 

[Channelknight Fadran]

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kay imma forcefully put the thread on hiatus (at least until the weekend's over) in an attempt to streamline my attention span

 

[Mags she/they]

2 hours ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

 

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sounds good

 

[Channelknight Fadran]

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Took us a week to progress a single day irp...

honestly, that's pretty good time

anyway, imma hit y'all with a massive superpost because there's really no way to RP this meditation bit and we need an excuse to fight the Sith Boi again

feel free to not reply for a bit. If you want to take your time with a fancy followup post, go ahead and take it; if you just need to clear your head for a bit, feel free. I'm going to see if I can work on real stuff tomo -...today, so I might not be all over the Shard to reply.

Also imma ping everyone

@Ravenclawjedi42 @Justice_Magician @Scars of Hathsin @Ancient Elantrian @ΨιτιsτηεΒέsτ @The Bookwyrm

 

The morning came through the fog that day. Light shone in beams through wisps of mist and dew - obscured, but not hidden. It still reached through Aria's window and shone against the far wall, striking just shy of the shelf holding the hologram she'd finished recording the night before. In fact, she'd barely slept a wink up until at least midnight, running her mind through the same impossible choices over and over again. What to do, what to say, what to think; how terrible that here and now, the thing she knew best was uncertainty.

Because, after all, Darth Krarik was expecting them. Aria thought she could sense his anticipation from here - it was a sharp, heavy sort of feeling. Like clinging to the top of a jagged cliff.

She knelt upon a rug, watching herself in the mirror. There wasn't much to see, really - save perhaps the little sunken crevices that age had given to her, and the scar across her left eyebrow from that Assassin all those years ago. For now her hair was down in a choppy bundle, drooping just across her shoulders. She'd gotten it cut recently, up to the top of her neck... except, of course, the one braid that now hung halfway down her spine. She usually kept it hidden; not out of embarrassment, but rather because no one else really needed to know. It was a decision she'd made for herself, and one she would maintain until the time was right.

Rikani Holnogar: her Master. He had tied that very braid for her when she was only nine years old, and again every morning they trained and worked together. Seven years he had done it, until his hands weren't so good for it anymore. Now, every morning, Aria Feisyyd tied it herself. Not because she was ashamed; not because he had never seen her become a Jedi Knight; not because of any obligation or creed or doctrine, but because she'd made a promise to herself the night he died.

I've always wanted to see, he'd said, the next generation of Jedi. I want to see what they learn from what we left behind. I want you to become your best self, so that someday you can want your own padawan to do the same.

Two lightsabers lay before her as she tied her hair back into its regular shape. Normally she might've wrapped the ends with her braid, but today she just held them up with a pair of long pins. The braid hung down across her shoulder, and she watched the hilts in deep contemplation. On the left was her own lightsaber, made years and years ago... she had found the dark green Kimber Stone in nearly under five minutes, and was the first among her fellow younglings to forge a blade over the span of about an hour. Even the Masters would remark on the stability of the saber, and in friendly bouts often struggled to tear their blades off hers.

The one on the right had been his. How it was found, why it was brought to her... all that, she did not know. That last she'd seen of Master Rikani was his vicious duel against the Assassin, and in the ensuing shipwreck it was nowhere to be found. Yet three years ago - the very same day she'd taken Nayla as her Padawan - it had wound up on the shelf of her wall. Indeed, he had always taught her that a Jedi's blade is more than just a weapon, and so she had tended to it with every day as carefully she would an ancient holocron.

But today, she realized, was the climax. In fact, she'd suspected it might be from the moment she'd first felt Krarik's arrival; perhaps even when Cloud had wandered into their lives. A strange sense of finality, like the ending of a book. Aria was growing old; her body, slowly but surely, became weaker. Deep connection to the Force had made the symptoms barely noticeable, but over the years she swore she could feel her bones steadily grinding under the weight of gait and posture, and the muscles at the ends of her limbs creeping ever so quietly into disruption. It had become difficult, recently, to tie the braid every day.

Aria Feisyyd could feel it: the shift in the tide, the settling clouds over a once-stagnant sea. In all the Force it sounded, ringing distantly to her soul both in sleep and in wake. She felt it resonate through all the young friends she'd trained - Nayla, Reel, Rukk, Cloud. It touched them with its Will, lying in wait for this new generation to carry out the change. It would be years before they were as powerful as a Jedi Master; decades, perhaps, to grow as experienced as herself. But they would surpass her without a doubt, sooner or later. She wondered if it was the quiet touch of Rikani's memory that told her that she could not become a part of it.

"That's all I've ever wanted," Aria said aloud, reaching for her master's old blade. "Rikani, all I want... I want them to be strong."

An old memory spoke in her mind.

I want to be the last grateful ember, or the shred of flint across a stone. I wish to set your soul ablaze, so you can spread the light across the stars... so you can share the warmth with whoever comes next, so they can learn to burn even brighter.

That had been the last lesson he had ever given her; the night before he died.

 

---

 

When she emerged, Master Aria Feisyyd wore a hard cuirass over her robes. The pads and studs wouldn't do much against a lightsaber blade, but they helped to focus her form. She strode with a taller posture, a steadier gait, harder gazes; because today, she was going to need every last ounce of her strength.

Her braid had been cut from the stem, and two lightsabers hung from her belt.

"Is everyone ready?" Master Feisyyd asked.

[Ravenclawjedi42]

7 hours ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

"Is everyone ready?" Master Feisyyd asked.

“As ready as I can be,” Rajib responded.