Fwurg

[Shebi Ajava]

Keeping her dagger active, as she had been tricked by the shadow once before, Ajava carefully kneeled next to the body.

She flipped over the body, to have a look at the face, and to allow her to check its equipment.

[Mercury]

The Veolian woman was wearing an Onyx Series 5 environment suit, complete with helmet. Looking through the visor, Ajava saw her own face staring back at her, though somewhat older and marked with several scars. Even in death, it did not seem at peace, still consumed with the hatred and anger that drove it in the battle.

[Shebi Ajava]

Ajava's first instinct was to jump away from the corpse, but she mentally clamps down on that impulse. That kind of behaviour wouldn't do for a veolian noblewoman, especially not if she intends to be predator instead of prey.

She was still unclear on the exact meaning of this, and she starts to doubt that this shade was actually a creature. Unsure whether this is an elaborate trick, or some kind of vision or illusion created through the force, a strange curiosity came over her.

Still keeping her lightdagger activated, as much for her own reassurance as for actual protection, Ajava quickly checked the pockets of the corpse's suit for items. If she found any, she lays them down beside the corpse. She paid special attention to whether the corpse had two lightsabers, and whether it carries a holocron.

Then, with a few slashes from the dagger, she cuts open the suit taking care not to cut the body itself. She quickly peels away the suit and inspects the body to get an idea of other injuries 'she' apparently sustained.

Finally, she sits down next to the body. She deactivates her dagger, and calms her mind. Slowly, she opens up her consciousness to the force around her. She meditates upon the force she feels in this place, how her presence changes it, and whether 'her' corpse somehow affects it. If she feels that there is some measure of power left in the altar, or in the corpse, she will try to bend the force to her will to acquire or learn as much about that power as she can.

((Check: 12 = 7 Force Level + 5 Intuition -- meditation to determine force influences))
((Check: 12 = 7 Force Level + 5 Energy -- acquire or learn about powers here))

[Mercury]

The body she found was far more muscular than her own, like a body-builder on steroids, several strange red tattoo's that emanated mystical power contrasting her blue flesh some interrupted by scars of what looked like old saber burns that had never been properly healed for some reason. Around the belly area, a part of the flesh had been replaced with cybernetics and though she wasn't sure, the location suggested an artificial uterus.

For some reason it seemed as if this was a Shebi Ajava from the future, though she was pretty sure there were no temporal anomalies here, and even if those were even possible, this was probably something else. Unable to find the lightsabers the creature had dropped, Ajava soon found herself staring once again at the creature before her.

Was this the outcome of the path on which she had taken the first steps today?

She settled down next to the body, deactivating her dagger and calming her mind. Opening herself up to the Force around her, the darkness she had felt earlier was gone and now all she could feel was emptiness, mirroring the large unlit hallway she was in.

In here, she was alone with her darkness.

[Shebi Ajava]

Although she is unsure what the creature's appearance meant, Shebi Ajava is sure that she does not want to end up looking like it. She is intrigued by the tattoos, but she is horrified by such cybernetics, especially if that meant she would not be able to bear children.

She takes a deep breath, and slowly exhales. She starts to contemplate and analyse her feelings, as master Screetor taught her. She still feels the grim determination and in her heart she knows that the Jedi Order is wrong. If the creature lying before her is a shadow of what is to come, the force is warning her of something.


A few hours later, Ajava opened her eyes again. A faint smile played on her lips before vanishing.

She stood up in the darkness, and activated her helmet lights to look around the room. She looked down to where the creature's corpse laid when she closed her eyes, half expecting it to have vanished. In either case, with the help of the light she searches the room. She pays special attention to writings and other informative details or places where a holocron could be hidden, as she plans on coming back her after searching the alter to take pictures to study at a later time.

After she is done, she goes to the room with the traps and the altar.

((Check: 11 = 7 Force Level + 4 Vision -- searching the room))

[Mercury]

As she opened her eyes, the creature was gone, no trace left there, as if it had never been there in the first place. The only thing left of the encounter with the monster was the lightsaber crystals she had found, it seemed. The room was empty, and though beautifully decorated, there was no trace of holocrons either. No doubt some archaeologist would have a small party if they had a chance to study the ruins though.

Leaving the empty room behind, Ajava made her way back to the room with the traps, the sarcophagus and the altar. Making her way there, she found the traps were gone. The statues were still there, but she soon realised her bouncing through the trapped area was needless as no darts were being fired from them. The sarcophagus was still empty, and the altar itself offered no further clues either. The Jedi searched very carefully, but as much as she did, there did not seem to be any holocrons.

This was rather disappointing: all that trouble and nothing to show for it but a pair of red lightsabers with the Twin Crystals of Tinnu. Actually, that was a pretty nice prize, but still, that Holocron would have been nice...
After searching for a while longer, finally the Veolian woman was forced to give up. The holocron she had searched for simply wasn't here. Maybe someone before her had found and stolen it... or something.

Turning to leave, she moved towards the exit. Outside the sun had risen after the hours of meditation, searching and running through the temple. But just as she was about to exit, she noticed a glint in the corner of her left eye. Turning her head, she saw a room to the side of the entry hall way opposite the exit door, cast in darkness as the light coming in from outside did not pierce that far in. And at the end of that side room was another altar, a red tetrahedral holocron floating above it, casting the only light in the area.

Before her lay two paths - right, out into the bright new day towards her ship and left into the shadowy room towards the tetrahedral holocron. She had made the decision twice already, drawn out by her visit to this place, but at no point had the choice between going towards the light and stepping into darkness been laid out this clearly. The Force, this place or perhaps her own consciousness had laid the choice before her as clear and bright as the daylight outside. In fact the only thing that wasn't clear was how it was possible that through all her careful searching and exploring she hadn't noticed the Holocron being right across from the exit glowing with red light before. That part would probably remain as shrouded in darkness as the holocron itself.

[Shebi Ajava]

Her choice discernable only as a slight hesitation in her tread, Ajava walked into the darkness, toward the power promised to her by the holocron's contents.

[Mercury]

Several hours later, Shebi Ajava had made her way back to the Jedi Temple where she was greeted by Master Screetor.

"You have returned." he noted, though he did not seem surprised. He did not ask what had happened, nor what she had found there. Instead, he waited to see if Ajava would volunteer anything while leading the way deeper into the temple.

((OOC: I jumped to the Epilogue. I presume you don't mind - there is nothing left to find at the temple and you can always return later if you wish.))

[Shebi Ajava]

"I have indeed.", was her terse reply.

She remained silent while the master led her into the Jedi temple.

"It was an enlightening experience.", she said finally, just before they arrived.

[Jedi Master Screetor]

"I can sense it has affected you. There is a change." the Jedi Master nodded, guiding the way deeply into the temple, stopping at a changing room.

"In this room you will find the Jedi Robes of a knight. Change into them, then go out through the doors on the other end. I will wait for you there."

Master Screetor waited for Shebi Ajava to enter before locking the door behind her. The room was small, and a side path led to some public showers as if this were the changing rooms for a team of basketball players. On the central bench, a folded set of robes was waiting for her.

[Shebi Ajava]

Sensing no particular urgency in the Master's voice, Ajava decides to take a quick shower to freshen up. She quickly disrobes, making sure that the holocron's projector was carefully put away in one of her belt pockets. Putting her sabers on the bench next to her armour, she walks into the showers and turns the closest shower on...

Five minutes later and feeling much cleaner she walks back into the small changing room, her eyes on her grimey armour. 'I am most definitely not going to wear that until it is cleaned', she thought to herself.

She quickly disconnected her belt from the armour and put it on, checking for the presence of the holocron. After taking the slightest of moments to enjoy the sensation of cold metal on her skin, she pulled her lightsabers to her hands with the force, and put them on her belt as well. She finished her tenue by putting on the knight's robes, and adjusting them to fit.

Wearing nothing but her hidden belt with lightsabers and the holocron under her robes, she softly walked towards the other door and opens it.

[Mercury]

The knights robes had been made to measure and fitted the Jedi perfectly - likely thanks to a stored size pattern from the Jedi Temple clothing printer.

The door opened up into a large, circular hallway, with patterns drawn on the ground. Jedi Masters and Knights had gathered, standing in a circle around Master Screetor. The circle had one open space on the side of the door, which allowed Shebi Ajava to enter it easily.

Motioning to her, Master Screetor indicated for her to join him in the center of the circle. Had they all figured out she had chosen the dark side and were they now preparing to surround and kill her? Shebi noticed each of the Jedi Knights and Masters there was carrying one or more lightsabers...

[Shebi Ajava]

Even though she was not at ease here, Shebi Ajava did not think the assembled Knights and Masters were going to kill her. After all, if Master Screetor would have wanted her dead, he could have easily eliminated her when she was taking a shower.

Confident in her ability to keep up appearances of being a good Jedi, she approaches Master Screetor and participates in the ceremony.

((OOC: Go ahead and make my character kneel and such when it is necessary for the Knighting ceremony, that should prevent us from ping-ponging several posts.))

[Jedi Master Screetor]

"We are all Jedi. The Force speaks through us. Through our actions, the Force proclaims itself and what is real. Today we are here to acknowledge what the Force has proclaimed."

Master Screetor sounded dead serious and as he spoke the Jedi surrounding Ajava closed the hole in the circle through which she had entered, leaving her in the dead center as she kneeled before Master Screetor, recognising the words of the knighting ritual.

As he completed the words, each of the Jedi activated their lightsaber, casting the room in a bright light of multiple colours, mixing to white in the center.

Master Screetor brought his lit blade down above Ajava's left shoulder, then her right shoulder, then moving to the left again.

With the last move, he cut off the Padawan braid, in Shebi's case likely a string of beads or a piece of jewellery of some sort as her species did not have natural long hair.

"Shebi Ajava. By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, I dub thee, Knight of the Union."

With that, Shebi Ajava had officially become a Jedi Knight. Her final part of the ritual was to exit the circle in silence, the Jedi that formed it moving aside to make way for her.

[Shebi Ajava]

Ajava stood up again from her kneeling position, and left the circle in silence.

[Mercury]

((OOC: Congratulations! You are now a knight. Don't forget to finish up your report though for official approval!))

[Shebi Ajava]

((OOC: Done. The report contains a note at the top that it is private. Bring on the rewards!

@other readers: have a look at Knight's trial note.))

[Mercury]

((OOC: Your report is approved. Yay!

Though there was a lot of combat, I do not believe a combat style or manoeuvre adequately represents the direction Shebi is developing, especially with the new holocron crystal. So instead, I give her a point to spend on a Force Power, with the note that I would prefer - but do not require - that it be spent on a dark-themed force power.))

[Shebi Ajava]

((OOC: Cool! It'll probably turn out to be Force Lightning, if I can't cook up another force power in the direction of Choke or Drain (so many dark powers are combat-related O_o)...

How do we do the 'taking on a padawan thing', or is that cancelled?))

[Mercury]

((OOC: You are now authorised to take on a Padawan. However that is up to you to initiate. You can either contact a specific padawan and make the offer, or you can let it be known you are willing to accept a Padawan and they can request one. Finally, one could be assigned to you by the Jedi Council, but in such a case, I'd like you to tell me (or a different Storyteller) to arrange this and with whom to do so, because I dont want to OOCly make someone stuck with a padawan they don't want. Either way, you have the initiative in this, I think.))