revivalproject | One More Stranger

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One More Stranger

WHO: Ikora Rey & Others
WHERE: Around Coruscant
WHAT: A little temple and a little fighting
WHEN: The Coruscant trip.
WARNINGS: Some violence

I. The Jedi Temple

When she asked the locals where to go for help almost every single person directed her to a place called the Jedi Temple. "It's a beautiful building," she said as she ascended the steps with Ophiuchus floating at her shoulder.

"And heavily guarded," he pointed out with a nod in the direction of the guards at the entrance.

"If it's as important as the people here say it is it makes sense for it to be guarded." Ikora continued up the steps with her hands folded behind her back. "Perhaps you should stay more hidden for the time being."

"... as you wish." With a little hiss of Light Ophiuchus vanished though Ikora could tell he wasn't happy with the suggestion. She would rather her ghost was out of sight if these temple guards didn't turn out to be as friendly as everyone suggested.

When she reached the top the guards asked her what her business was with the Temple. Ikora explained she had recently arrived on the planet and was seeking knowledge of where she was and in what system. The guards exchanged looks and then seemed to have a conversation without speaking. One stepped away with a nod and Ikora watched him pull a communication device from his robes and speak into it.

She waited patiently for them to decide what to do with the stranger at their door Ikora looked out over the endless city. Golden Age Earth might have resembled this place at one point, she imagined. Flying cars, spaceships, and technology as far as the eye could see.

It was beautiful in a way but Ikora couldn't help but wonder what sort of secrets this place hid.

"Come with us," The guard said.

"Of course." She only raised an eyebrow as the two guards flanked her and led her inside the temple.

"Wait here." They left her in some sort of waiting room.

Apparently, her presence had caused some sort of stir. Ikora wondered just what sort of stir that was.

II. Pit Fights

After arriving in the strange seemingly endless city, Ikora found herself exploring the deeper, more dangerous parts. She was drawn to the secrets hidden in the shadows and unlike some other Warlocks she was not afraid to take physical risks as well as mental ones. Ophiuchus was against the plan, of course. He felt they could stay on the surface and find a way to contact home. They could feel the Traveler out there somewhere even though it felt very far away. There had to be a way to get a signal into deep space.

Instead, Ikora found herself in the middle of a pit with shouting voices in seemingly hundreds of different languages. Some cheering for her. Some against her. She tuned them out and focused on her opponent who looked like a large green pig humanoid.

There were no firearms allowed in the ring which suited Ikora fine since she hadn't arrived on this alien planet with any. She held a mid-sized staff with a hook on the end tipped with a sharp pike. Her opponent had a large bladed weapon and his form was awful. So open. So easy to read. He would have never lasted long in the Crucible.

He charged, clearly relying on his size and muscle mass to overpower her. Ikora sidestepped, hooked the staff around the alien's leg and pulled. He landed on his face as Ikora stepped back. When the alien got up a charged her again she threw her hand forward and a blast of Void sent him reeling back. Ikora followed up with a swift drive of the staff into the alien's gut and then a blow to the side of the head.

She put the spiked point of the staff to the alien's throat. "I recommend you don't get up."

III. Wildcard

Want something else? Go for it.

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"If I am not taking up too much of your time I would like to see more of your temple." She nodded, more relaxed simply to know a trusted ally was somewhere nearby. "I can sense some energy here. The whispers of it."

But it was not something she could use. It was like dealing with Hive magic though had none of the Darkness that clung to it. There was something very peaceful about the energy that flowed through this place.

Warlocks were more aware of these things than Hunters.

"Not at all, I would be happy to show you around." He then motioned for her to come with him just before he steps through the door of the waiting room.

"You have keen senses," he said as they stepped out into the hall. "What you are feeling is the Force. It is particularly strong here and is the reason the temple is built in this particular location."

He would take Ikora out into the Great Hall, its towering pillars rising high over them to hold up the ceiling to the room that was several stories high.

"A Warlock is driven to understand the mysteries of the universe and all the forces that work through it." Ikora folded her arms behind her back and fell into step with Obi-Wan. "Much of my order spends their days seeking out knowledge."

Even dark knowledge, forbidden knowledge. It was a drive in Warlocks, almost a compulsion. They could not leave something unknown.

"I can sense your Force but I don't think I can manipulate it. At least, not without a long time to study it." Which she didn't think she would be allowed. There wasn't enough time, she imagined.

Folding his hands in the big sleeves of his robe, they walked along quietly and at a leisurely pace. Which was what many of the Jedi did here. Everything seemed very peaceful and relaxed indeed. This would give Ikora time to soak it all in as they went.

"My order is much the same," Obi-Wan says as he nods in understanding. "Though we are also tasked with serving others who are less fortunate. As well as keeping peace where and when we can."

Unfortunately, no, they would not have near the amount of time she would need to study it. At least not in this place. "Cayde has told me some of the workings of your world. Of your Light and Darkness. Which of these do you ascribe to?"

"I am trying to guide my order into a more active role in protecting others. Sometimes... we can get lost in the mysteries and forget there are real people relying on us to do more than think." It was an old argument among Warlocks, what truly was their purpose scholar or warrior. Ikora chose both and she felt that was the most important thing one could do as a Guardian.

She thought about reaching for this Force just to see what happened but... she felt it would be like oil and water. Her power unable to mix with the Force without violence which would not go well, she imagined.

"All Guardians walk in the Light of the Traveler," she explained patiently. "The Darkness can tempt us, especially Warlocks but very few Guardians have ever fallen to it."

It was coming though. They heard its song and its power had reached out to them. She held her hand up and charged the Void in her fist, her hand glowing with intense purple light. "I wield the Void, the energy in the space between space. The breath between atoms. It's not Darkness, no more than Solar is Light."

Obi-Wan listened intently as she explained, trying to tie what he'd heard from Cayde to what Ikora was saying now. There was definitely some links, but it seemed obvious to him that this woman knew more about how things worked than the Exo did. So the Jedi's curiosity was piqued as she went on. His eyes going to that purple light that formed around her hand.

"The Force also has a light side and a dark side. We Jedi are followers of the light. Just as the dark side may tempt us, we are taught to resist it. Though I have seen a few of us fall."

His tone became more melancholy towards the end. But its not something he wishes to dwell on.

"But your light and darkness seems to work quite differently from what I've heard. What is this traveler exactly?"

She closed her fist and dismissed the Void. Reaching for the Light too much exhausted her, a feeling she was not used to. She had yet to try for the other elements as well. It might be that she couldn't change them.

"The Light and the Darkness are both paracausal powers," she explained as she once again folded her arms behind her back. "They allow the Guardian that wields them to change their fate. Those who wield the Light change it for the better. Those that are corrupted by the Darkness use it selfishly."

At the question about the Traveler Ophiuchus floats forward and projects an image or a large sphere. "The Traveler arrived in our solar system hundreds of years ago and through its powers humanity ushered in a Golden Age. When other alien presences began to overwhelm us it was only through the Traveler's sacrifice that we were able to survive. It grants us Guardians powers over the Light and our ghosts as companions. What it is depends on who you ask. Some think it is a large vessel. Others an artificial intelligence. Or a living being. No one is certain."

Edited (one of these will work i can code i swear) 2021-03-30 14:50 (UTC)

"Actually, that does sound remarkably similar to ours," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully, a hand resting on his chin. Even if not from the same source, it wasn't all that different from the light side and dark side. "However, Cayde mentioned that there are those with ill intent who also wield the light." Was that incorrect? An exception? Or somehow a contradiction?

When the ghost projects an image in front of him, the Jedi blinks. That's certainly a curious looking thing. "So the traveler gave humans an advantage. But to what purpose? And how did it sacrifice itself? That would at least imply that it has some form of intelligence."

"Yes, sometimes those with the Light can use it for the wrong purpose. There is always a chance power will corrupt whether it is Light or Dark." Ikora knew that perhaps better than some being a Warlock. Her kind were vulnerable to such things.

The Traveler wasn't as impressive as it once was having been destroyed and captured and currently in the middle of repairing itself. "It is sentient but whether that's living sentience or artificial we don't know. We know that it has chosen various races over the years and has abandoned them as well, taking its power with it. The Eliksni, for example, used to worship it as the Great Machine before the Darkness came to attack the Traveler and drove it away."

A future that looked more and more possible in her reality. "We don't know why it chooses or what its purpose is. We only know without it we would be lost."

"That seems like a rather precarious relationship," Obi-Wan points out. "If there's the possibility of it leaving, it would seem unwise to rely fully on it." Granted he understands they probably don't have much of a choice, but surely they would at least be looking into a way to become more independent of it? If they didn't, it could lead to their ruin.

"I suppose we are fortunate in that we don't have that worry. The power of the Force is from life itself. It's simply that some beings are more sensitive to that power and are able to wield it."

"Not everyone is a Guardian. And we proved ourselves capable of protecting our home without the Light during the Red War." Ikora understood his concern. It was something that slept in the back of every Guardian's mind since the Red War. They might have to fight without it one day.

The Force did sound more... reliable. She would give Obi-Wan that point. "And what do you do with that power? How do you help your system with it?"

Because she was curious what the Jedi order did besides study in a temple.

Nodding in understanding, it was at least good to know that they were capable of defending themselves without the light. Obi-Wan certainly doesn't know what he would do without the Force. He would survive certainly, as other humans do so, but he can't imagine not being a part of his life.

"The Jedi have been defenders of the Republic and guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy for millenia. There are many things that we do. Some are scholars, some are diplomats, others are medics and some help struggling planets to fend for themselves. We are also warriors who can defend those that cannot defend themselves. Whatever good we can do, we do it to the best of our ability."

That wasn't to mean the Jedi Order was perfect. No organization made of living beings would ever be perfect. But Obi-Wan had always felt proud to be a member and had great faith in his people as a whole. It was evident by the way he spoke.

The Jedis sounded very much like Guardians though more organized. It had to be easier to defend the peace when there was still a lot of infrastructure and government in place.

"It sounds like a noble order," she said with a little incline of her head towards him. "My biggest problem with some Warlocks is their lack of interest in the real world. They're scholars that never leave their libraries. Full of power and help no one."

She hoped her leadership had changed that attitude. In some ways it had. In others... not. "I think we are obligated to help when we're given power. To do otherwise is thoughtless."

"I agree," Obi-Wan says easily. "There is a time and place for learning, but also one for action." He motioned ahead of them as they came upon the entrance to the archives. "We have a library here. Considered to be the most extensive one in the galaxy. I spent much time here in my youth."

He smiled a bit wistfully as they entered the hall with its seemingly endless shelves of books, holocrons, and data storage.

"My master was more of a scholar, and often had me work on projects for him while my peers were out having adventures and doing good. I resented him for it until I came to realize the importance of it all. One can not focus too much on one or the other. As in all things, there must be balance."

With a slight tilt of her head Ikora signaled her ghost. He flew off on his own and started to scan the shelves for any data he could download. Hopefully... that was allowed. Ikora wanted to learn all she could while on this planet.

"My master was a scholar as well. And something of a rebel. He ended up leaving the Vanguard to study more dangerous subjects." Ikora could smile a little now when she thought of Osiris. They had fixed things before coming here. Thankfully.

"Balance, yes, but one can't be afraid to learn from the Darkness. To defeat your enemy you must understand it."

At the mention of her master being a rebel, there was a bit of a twinkle in Obi-Wan's eye as he chuckled softly. "My master was a rebel as well. It was very frustrating at times." Though he speaks of it fondly despite that.

"That is true, to an extent," Obi-Wan says as he watched the ghost zoom off. "There is information about the ancient Sith here. They use the darkside and have been enemies of the Jedi for generations. It's this information that is used to teach us why we must never touch the darkness. It has only ever ended in tragedy."

And he spoke from experience on that one.

"Osiris is... considered a heretic. He was exiled and at the time, I believed it was right. He was studying a dangerous enemy and I thought him lost to it." Ikora bowed her head for a moment. She raised it again with a little shake. "But he always said he was meant for that fate and he's become a valuable ally even in exile."

There were some in the Last City who still didn't trust Osiris. They weren't even swayed by the return of Saint-14, who was without question Osiris' biggest advocate.

"I wouldn't say we should use the Darkness. It is dangerous and consumes everything in its path. Including anyone who would use it." Ikora hoped Ophiuchus would pull the information on the Sith for further study. "But we cannot escape the Darkness. It is in all of us."

“Oh I see.” Certainly a strange twist and Obi-Wan isn’t sure how he would feel if his master did something like that. “Qui-Gon never went that far, though he often defied the council. I think he enjoyed it. Instead he found a boy he thought to be the chosen one. Unfortunately, he didn’t live to train him.”

Obi-Wan sometimes wondered if things would have turned out differently if Qui-Gon had lived. Surely he would have done a better job in training the boy and not failed the way he had.

“You are right,” Obi-Wan says quietly. “Each Jedi has ways of dealing with their own inner darkness. One contemporary of mine developed an entire lightsaber style to answer his.”

"Osiris was part the Vanguard, which I imagine acts very similarly to your Council. He could not balance his responsibilities with his research." Ikora had thought she could save him but in the end she had to accept that Osiris chose his own path. It had been difficult. She could understand some of Obi-Wan's struggle. "So, he left and I took over for him. He never found a chosen one, though, he did bring someone back from the dead."

Her ghost wizzed around their heads for a moment, shell spinning rapidly. "There's so much here!"

Then he was gone again to scan more data. Ikora would read it herself slowly once she was not in the Temple.

Ikora chuckled briefly at her ghost. "Lightsaber? Is that a type of power?"

His brows rose at that. “Back from the dead? That’s... quite impressive.” He’s not sure if that’s a good thing or not. No Jedi has certainly been able to do it. “Like you, I took over for my master. I trained the boy he found.”

Though he leaves it at that since talking about Anakin was still very painful. Plus he had failed his master in not preventing him from turning to the dark side. The ghost’s sudden exclamation being a nice diversion from those thoughts and drawing a little chuckle from the Jedi.

“No, it’s a weapon.” Obi-Wan pulled back the him off his cloak so that Ikora could see the hilt that hung at his side.

"Death is... a suggestion to a Guardian. We can always be brought back as long as we have our ghost." Ophiuchus spun his shell as he was recognized for his abilities. "Warlocks even die on purpose to study the moment between life and death. Thanatonautics, we call it."

She had dabbled in it when she was young. It had taught her a few things but in the end life taught more than death. Death had only brought her grief.

Ikora looked at the... flashlight? hanging from Obi-Wan's belt and raised an eyebrow. "Forgive my ignorance, but it doesn't look like a weapon."

The Jedi looks a bit horrified upon hearing that particular part of it. “While I understand the appeal in wishing to study such a mystery. Isn’t that a bit excessive?” It doesn’t sound at all pleasant to purposely kill yourself.

Her skepticism is met with amusement as he understands that the hilt itself is not much to look at. “I would be happy to give you a demonstration, but this is not the place for it.”

"He gets it!" Ophiuchus called from a distant shelf.

"We are fundamentally changed by the Light," Ikora explained, ignoring her ghost's comment. "Not only does it make us tougher, more agile, and able to control great powers it changes our minds in some ways. Hunters are driven to explore the wild places of the world and hate being tied down. Titans are driven to stand watch, protect and to protect with extreme prejudice. Warlocks, we are driven to find knowledge wherever that knowledge might be even in death."

She could not explain that drive to anyone who did feel it. It was a pull like a magnet always there. Even know, she felt it. Her ghost was taking data for a reason.

"I would like that. There was a time when I was quite the fierce combatant." Ikora still was but she did not let it drive her like before. "I could demonstrate some of mine but my connection to the Light is... strained. It would leave me powerless for a long time I believe."

Glancing towards Ophiuchus, Obi-Wan can’t help but think he’s coming to like that little droid thing.

“Well, even though we are taught not to fear death, somehow I think I might not make a good warlock if death is a prerequisite.” He’s joking. Somewhat. He still doesn’t see himself wanting to take his own life to gain such knowledge. Some things were better left as mysteries.

When Ikora expresses her interest in a lightsaber demonstration though, he chuckles. “I’m willing to bet you still are. And while you’re perfectly safe here I wouldn’t ask you to make yourself that vulnerable. We can go to the training halls once your ghost is finished here.”

"Not everyone studies thanatonautics. Besides, you don't choose what the Traveler makes you into. When you are reborn a Guardian the Light chooses." Ikora didn't remember her life before being a Guardian. That was the price of it. She knew some heard whispers or had dreams of their former lives but... she didn't have any memories. She was just... Ikora Rey.

"I could leave him here."

"You're not leaving me here."

Her ghost circled back to them and floated in front of her. She could tell he was glaring at her. Ikora pushed down her initial wave of annoyance. He shouldn't worry. This temple was safe. No one would hurt him here. No one would hurt her. But... she was trying to be more understanding of her ghost.

"Alright, then we'll wait for you to finish." She inclined her head to her ghost. He hesitated before floating away slowly like he expected her to run. She might have in her younger days.

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