New Adervez, Capital City of Nelvaan
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Rik Idannian
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 9:56 am
New Adervez, Capital City of Nelvaan
The old Adervez was in ruins, the last revolt saw to that. The white wolf had been dethroned, and Nelvaan has been blossoming ever since, its crowning achievement was New Adervez, a city was built on the ruins of the old capital. For the past 20 years, New Adervez has been kept hidden from the world. During that time its inhabitants have created a metropolis, a bustling and thriving city, dedicated to its people.
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Rik Idannian
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 9:56 am
Re: New Adervez, Capital City of Nelvaan
Again... Two to four months ago...
Rik Idanian made it to the city by nightfall. One moment the light was fading all around him and the next the never-ending light of city life sprang before his eyes as if a magician were revealing his grand finale. With a few questions to some local passers-by, Rik attained the location of the nearest public-use holonet terminal. He sat down at the display and happened to see the timestamp on the crono at the bottom of the screen.
"That can't be right? Can it?"
It read that roughly twenty years had passed since his last memory. It was unthinkable, ridiculous! But somehow, Rik knew it to be true.
"Damn, I sound like a Jedi already! All melodramatic and using strange diction. Who says diction nowadays anyway? Wait... I wouldn't know, would I? I've apparently been out of the loop for twenty years! Let's hope this call id still works."
He keyed in the recipient identification and pressed the record button.
::Hey Valor, it's Rik Idanian. Don't know if you still remember me but I've got some problems that are right up your alley. Or you know, at least in your bailiwick. I'm attaching my coordinance and where you can reach me when you get here, and Andrew? Hurry. I'm starting to get a bad feeling about all of this.::
Rik sat back and reviewed his message. After finding it satisfactory he toggled the encryption key, sent it to himself, then encrypted it seven more times just to be sure before sending the message. You're not paranoid if someone is ACTUALLY out to get you... at least that was one code to live by.
"Now to find someplace to lay low...or live it up... maybe a bit of both."
And with that Rik Idanian disappeared into the city.
Two to four months ago. On top of the tallest tower in New Adervez. Well… not exactly the tallest. At least the one with the best view. Rik Idanian sat cross-legged on the ledge. He was simply taking everything in. The view was spectacular and Rik was enjoying it and basking in the newness of being connected to it all. Time passed. He wasn't in a hurry. For the first time in a long time, he had nowhere to be. No obligations. No schemes to guide his mind, or his feet. Hours past. Days. Weeks maybe. None of that mattered compared to the stillness, the calm of resting in the living Force. At one point during his sit on the tower, Rik noticed that he was no longer alone. A pigeon had appeared. At least in Rik's mind, it was a pigeon. An interstellar fowl expert he was not. "Hi!", Rik said excitedly. The pigeon did not answer. "Oh, not much of a talker? I get it," Rik continued as he turned to sit facing the bird. "I'm not usually either. You DOOO look like a GREAT listener though! And man, have I been having the craziest couple of days!" It may have been possible that Rik was a little undersocialized at this point. "You know, up until a couple of days ago, I can't remember anything that's happened in the past twenty years? I KNOW! Crazy right! Anyway, the last thing I remember was I was on this cargo run... I used to find and sell rare commodities. Antiquities, old tech, pretty much anything you wanted I could get it for you. You know, all for the right price of course. So I had the thingy, strange Red and gold cube-like thing that looked like some weird volcanic glass that had been carved all over with aggressive, angular symbols. An exquisite piece, beautiful if you like that sort of thing. I was just about to contact the buyer and line up the delivery when the next thing I know is I'm falling from the sky of a strange planet a whole galaxy away from where I was with no memory for the past twenty years! And That's not even the best part!"
Rik stopped and took a breath. He noticed that the pigeon had backed away from him a few steps, likely from his increasing animation and volume, but Rik didn't seem to mind. Instead, Rik scooched himself even closer to the pigeon and continued.
"I could feel something! I felt connected, plugged straight into the universe. It's amazing! I feel the Force! It's so bright and exciting and calming all at once. You know, before all this I was just worried about money? I was always looking for the next big payday. Come to find out that twenty years of interest on a couple really good investments later and I'm rich. I have more money now than I know what to do with." He sighed. "And it means nothing." They sat in silence for a while. Rik's voice turned contemplative, quiet. He turned again to look out at the wide world of Nelvaan. The city was once again alight, each life a spark, like a dot of paint on a canvas. They were beautiful on their own but together? Together they painted a masterpiece. "All that money. And I don't even want it. I tried spending some of it, you know. Went to the nicest hotel money could buy. I rented the fanciest room, the most comfortable bed. I couldn't even sleep on it. I ended up sleeping on the floor. I slept better on that floor than I can ever remember anywhere else. When I first woke up, falling through the sky, I had these clothes on." He pulled on the rough spun, simplistic robs of earth tones he wore. "I hardly thought of them as clothes. But now? Now there's a familiarity to them. They're simple. They lack pretense or hidden agendas. They simply are. What am I becoming? What have I already become? The Idanian twenty years ago wouldn't have thought these things. He hardly thought in comparison." Rik looked back to the pigeon. While he was talking it had moved to perch on his knee. It looked up at Rik, and he down at it. Rik could see the living Force flowing through the tiny bird, pulsing in time with its heart. Rik smiled and reached out a finger. The bird obligingly stepped onto it and Rik raised it up to eye level. "Thank you for listening," Rik said with a small smile. The pigeon bobbed its head with a coo and fluttered away. The Jedi closed his eyes in contentment and peace. The whole planet was still and calm. It was a place of rest, growth, and of learning. Rik turned his gaze toward the heavens and though his eyes were closed he could See. STARS! Millions of them burned in his vision. That was when he felt it. It was familiar but not in a good way. It was like remembering a bad dream or the ache of a not quite healed wound. Nelvaan may indeed be at peace but in that moment Rik Idanian knew that the galaxy was at War. And when stars waged war in the heavens there were those to whom it was given to bring peace. Those who could perceive the balance were duty bound to seek in in all things. Rik lowered his gaze and found that he was holding his lightsaber in his cupped palms. "Here I am," he wispered to the heavens. "Send me." And then, Rik got to training.
And training he did. ....Two to Four months ago that is... This next period of time in Rik's life found him doing little else than training. Instead of fancy hotels, the ever increasingly ascetic Jedi Knight slept under the stars in the cities many parks. Those passing by thought of him as nothing more than an eccentric, hippy homeless dude or some strange traveling yogi. His poses bordered on Epic! The Force flowed through him. Rik's once averagely fit body now exploded with strength and endurance. He took to stretching out his 5' 9" frame in the morning, doing some active stretching, breathing exercises, and then increasingly difficult poses including one-handed handstands. He didn't give much thought to what he was doing but simply followed his body and what felt natural. Though his mind couldn't recall the learning his body ached for it! And with the force as his ally, Rik was more in tune with his body than ever before. After stretching he ran. His lengthening, medium brown hair created a kind of short comet behind him as he did. Those seeing him would think it a bit silly looking but his own blue eyes shown with mirth as he continued to push his body to the limit. Rik took to doing laps around the city. He ran for the thrill of moving at all new breakneck speeds and for the calming, meditative reflection to be found in a quiet jog. Although his new jogging pace was almost twice his old sprinting speed was previously, something he would have thought of as non-sustainable before his newfound skills showed themselves. After his run, Rik would find a large tree and focus on his boxing. Bare-knuckled. Versus a Tree. The tree always won, but Rik was a good sport, bowing to his opponent after every bout. He may have taken a little too much pleasure in these mock battles. And then, It was lunchtime! And Rik had long since discovered that the best place for lunch was at Orvos' grill. The next hour of his day was spent stuffing his face with succulent meats and having the juices get lost in his beard. That and chatting it up with the friendly patron of course. Afternoons. Afternoons were for saber practice. Rik found lightsaber combat an... intuitive exercise. The practice felt both familiar and yet he couldn't remember doing anything like it before. Above all though, lightsaber practice was explosive. To the onlooker, it would have looked like nothing more than a blur. If that same onlooker had a highspeed holo-recorder the snapshot images would take the form of flying leaps, impossible handless cartwheels, and even more intense seemingly gravity-defying aerial maneuvers. To the untrained eye, it would have looked like chaos. To the initiated? It was a work of art. The blue flame of Rik's saber hissed through the air as he cut slice after slice, stab after stab. Sometimes it was with two hands, other times with one. The Jedi and his weapon were one. Such as they had been day after day. There was a deadly purpose to his movements, every strike meant to kill. For a Jedi never entered lightly into combat but his purpose should be clear. Rik thumbed the ignition on his lightsaber and the blade retreated. He sat where he was, panting with exertion. Such thoughts bore further reflection. And so he sat. Waiting. Listening. Communing with the Force. For everything, there is a time and place. A time for war, and a time for peace. A time for judgment, and a time for mercy. Such was the way of the universe. "And it's up to me to know the difference." Rik sighed. It wasn't easy, but it was his duty. And so he breathed in deep and set all doubt aside. The time for indecision was over, and the time for decisive action had come. Rik heard something behind him. Well, not hear precisely. Using the Force to reach out beyond himself and feel things wasn't exactly old hat for him just yet. But the feeling brought a smile to his face. An old friend had finally arrived.
Memory, an image steeped in emotion and... something deeper... nebulous... bled into his mind. There were no words, no sound, no names. Just faces. Familiar. Foreign. Lost... Time. A large cave, light from above. Growth on the rocks that encircled. Two girls. Young women. Sisters. Smiling. Why? Unknown. One was fair of face, a familiar face, one that another shared...Twins? No. The other dark of skin, eyes, hair. She seemed vibrating with energy. Even when still... Friends. Another approached. Silent. Pale. So pale that he was almost pure white...yet...in shadow. A Shadow. Dangerous. But good. A smile remembered. Not a tame Lion. Trustworthy. All of it was strange. Like impressions and reality had blended, merged. And then it was gone. They were gone. Lost to time. And he was falling...falling... falling...
More memories. Darkness surrounds. Fear, anger, suffering surround like a fog. Thick, swirling, choking. Alone. Lost. It was a forest, unlike anything he had ever seen. Massive trees raised themselves up to form a canopy but, somehow, they were just wrong. Bent. Twisted. No healthy tree looked like that. Felt like that. Those looming beings had an aura of oily blackness. It seemed to ooze from the bark, drip from the leaves, and puddle at the roots. An unholy, self-perpetuating cycle of evil, fetid decay. It was a forest of death. And Rik was alone. Surrounded. Consumed by this insatiable, vile jungle.
Panic began to set in. It gnawed at his sanity and threatened to send him to his knees in desperate, hopeless abandon. Then he heard something. Voices. People? He shouted, ran in the direction of the sound. There was no one there. The voices, the whispers circled him, ensnaring his soul in another attack on the fabric of his being. No hope. No rescue. No salvation. Just evil surrounding, looking for an opening. Searching for soil ripe for the planting. Rik was their soil. His fears, regrets, sins, their nourishment.
Rik gripped his blaster. Drawing it he fired at something, anything, everything. It’s familiar report as he squeezed the trigger was a balm to his addled, embattled mind. It’s crimson fire lit that twisted jungle, dispersing the fog of fear, of doubt, of infection. It left a smoking hole in one of the leering trees whose depth began to weep evil onto the forest floor.
Well, that’s creepy, he thought regaining some of his levity. Using humor as a shield and his blaster as a sword, the beleaguered smuggler chose a direction and started walking. The looker-on would have seen a man, slightly crazy around the eyes for his experiences quipping rye comments at the darkness, firing his blaster at shadows but above all making progress in a direction. The right direction? That was yet to be seen. But at least it was a step forward.
Another memory slips in.
Rik was in a cave. Not as big or as well-lit as the one from his previous memory but it felt more solid, less peripheral. It was as if his memories were returning to him with greater detail and clarity. The cave was of medium size, neither large nor small. The stone floor was smooth as if someone had shaped it to suit their present need. It felt of food and of companionship but also of learning. There was indirect light coming from the cave's opening and a few candles along the periphery.
He was surrounded by children. Well, children to his middling twenties at least. An older figure was standing in the entryway backlit but not really visible. The one, obviously in charge by their bearing, had just given instructions and had left them all to it. From the looks on the kid's faces, it was definitely a chore. There was some grumbling and Rik watched from the back row as the kids set about the assigned task: cleaning up after the meal. A quick idea brought a smile to his face.
Hey, kids gather around.
There was some hesitation. Rik was a grownup but most of them had known each other for a long time. Time enough for familiarity. But Rik? He was still unknown. Weird even. Why hadn't he been trained earlier? Why was he just learning to sense and use the Force now? Who was he to give instructions? But, after a little more coxing, they did as he asked. He knelt down in front of them.
Alright here's the deal. There's a lot of work to be done but you know what? I think everyone needs a little break. Don't you? Good because here's what I want you to do. Ready? I'm going to stay here and make sure everything gets cleaned up but you.... get tooooo... PLAY!!!
At his antics, the younger children burst into giggles and the older smiled openly at the prospect of no chores. They all ran from the room at Rik's gestures to do all those amazing things that only children can think of to do.
And have FUN! he called after them.
And then Rik got to cleaning. The dishes were first. There were a lot of dishes! They were of various sizes and shapes. Some carved of wood, some chipped from stone. All were made for different hands and the range was broad! As he worked Rik let his mind rest. He recalled the exercises the masters had been trying to teach him. Calm your mind. Listen. FEEL the Force. Hours past. Dishes finished. He now had a twig broom in hands and was carefully sweeping every speck of dirt and dust he could find. Rik closed his eyes. He felt the rhythm of the broom the measured, steady pace. His steps slowly began to take on a form. Soresu. Each stroke of the broom, a stroke of the lightsaber. Each step planted carefully but not slowly. Precision. Waiting.
Rik stopped. His eyes were still shut. Though he couldn't see anything he was beginning to get a grasp on feeling. The floor was all but clean. He could feel it. There was just one spot on the floor that was obscured. Rik frowned. He felt sure he had gone over that spot thoroughly just as he had all the others. He opened his eyes to where he had missed. Not dirt. Not pebbles did he find. But feet!
I blush of sudden and overwhelming self-consciousness washed over him as his eyes shot up to meet eyes with the one who'd watched him work. In the back of his mind, he knew who it was. Even without looking he knew. Master.
But as quickly as it began, his memory began to fade once again. The face of his Master, that one person who had believed in him, blurred. Their name? Lost as the rest. All lost. Gone.
Yet another memory slips into existence. It's remembrance of warm flush rising from Rik's tows to the crown of his head.
It was night. Darkness had again conquered the light. But it had not succeeded. Not entirely.
Rik stirred on his pallet, unable to sleep. Something called to him.
He sat up. Though it was night and all were asleep he felt ALIVE. Sleep could not hold him. Darkness held no dominion this night. For there was a light in the cave.
There, deeper, a glowing.
The Nexus.
Drawn by a pull he couldn't explain he walked toward it. Transfixed.
The Light pulled him, the Force compelled him. Not against his will, but with it, beside it, in perfect concert with it.
The darkness of the forest he had been subjected to had no place here. Though powerful it was evil, corrupt. This was LIFE.
This was the Living Force. The Force as it should be. Truth.
Rik walked on. He knew in his head that this was crazy. He was no Jedi. The Force couldn't possibly need him, want him.
Could it?
The answer came to him as he came face to face with the Nexus.
YES!
Rik has obviously seen this cavern before. It was round, open, the arched roof of the cave swept up to a glorious skylight. It's walls were covered in greenery so that during the day the hall had a verdant cast. But at night... at night it was dark. Just as any cave would be.
But not this night!
There Rik beheld a cascade of light! Brighter than any star but with no pain. White light so pure it stripped away all shadow and darkness, but also as warm as a campfire or a solitary candle.
And it called to him.
Come
Rik came.
Closer
Rik stepped to the center.
He was bathed in it, suffused with the LIGHT. He was light.
Sit
Rik sat.
Rest
Such rest he had never had before. Nor never would again.
He and the Force,
the Living Force,
were One.
Two to four months ago. On top of the tallest tower in New Adervez. Well… not exactly the tallest. At least the one with the best view. Rik Idanian sat cross-legged on the ledge. He was simply taking everything in. The view was spectacular and Rik was enjoying it and basking in the newness of being connected to it all. Time passed. He wasn't in a hurry. For the first time in a long time, he had nowhere to be. No obligations. No schemes to guide his mind, or his feet. Hours past. Days. Weeks maybe. None of that mattered compared to the stillness, the calm of resting in the living Force. At one point during his sit on the tower, Rik noticed that he was no longer alone. A pigeon had appeared. At least in Rik's mind, it was a pigeon. An interstellar fowl expert he was not. "Hi!", Rik said excitedly. The pigeon did not answer. "Oh, not much of a talker? I get it," Rik continued as he turned to sit facing the bird. "I'm not usually either. You DOOO look like a GREAT listener though! And man, have I been having the craziest couple of days!" It may have been possible that Rik was a little undersocialized at this point. "You know, up until a couple of days ago, I can't remember anything that's happened in the past twenty years? I KNOW! Crazy right! Anyway, the last thing I remember was I was on this cargo run... I used to find and sell rare commodities. Antiquities, old tech, pretty much anything you wanted I could get it for you. You know, all for the right price of course. So I had the thingy, strange Red and gold cube-like thing that looked like some weird volcanic glass that had been carved all over with aggressive, angular symbols. An exquisite piece, beautiful if you like that sort of thing. I was just about to contact the buyer and line up the delivery when the next thing I know is I'm falling from the sky of a strange planet a whole galaxy away from where I was with no memory for the past twenty years! And That's not even the best part!"
Rik stopped and took a breath. He noticed that the pigeon had backed away from him a few steps, likely from his increasing animation and volume, but Rik didn't seem to mind. Instead, Rik scooched himself even closer to the pigeon and continued.
"I could feel something! I felt connected, plugged straight into the universe. It's amazing! I feel the Force! It's so bright and exciting and calming all at once. You know, before all this I was just worried about money? I was always looking for the next big payday. Come to find out that twenty years of interest on a couple really good investments later and I'm rich. I have more money now than I know what to do with." He sighed. "And it means nothing." They sat in silence for a while. Rik's voice turned contemplative, quiet. He turned again to look out at the wide world of Nelvaan. The city was once again alight, each life a spark, like a dot of paint on a canvas. They were beautiful on their own but together? Together they painted a masterpiece. "All that money. And I don't even want it. I tried spending some of it, you know. Went to the nicest hotel money could buy. I rented the fanciest room, the most comfortable bed. I couldn't even sleep on it. I ended up sleeping on the floor. I slept better on that floor than I can ever remember anywhere else. When I first woke up, falling through the sky, I had these clothes on." He pulled on the rough spun, simplistic robs of earth tones he wore. "I hardly thought of them as clothes. But now? Now there's a familiarity to them. They're simple. They lack pretense or hidden agendas. They simply are. What am I becoming? What have I already become? The Idanian twenty years ago wouldn't have thought these things. He hardly thought in comparison." Rik looked back to the pigeon. While he was talking it had moved to perch on his knee. It looked up at Rik, and he down at it. Rik could see the living Force flowing through the tiny bird, pulsing in time with its heart. Rik smiled and reached out a finger. The bird obligingly stepped onto it and Rik raised it up to eye level. "Thank you for listening," Rik said with a small smile. The pigeon bobbed its head with a coo and fluttered away. The Jedi closed his eyes in contentment and peace. The whole planet was still and calm. It was a place of rest, growth, and of learning. Rik turned his gaze toward the heavens and though his eyes were closed he could See. STARS! Millions of them burned in his vision. That was when he felt it. It was familiar but not in a good way. It was like remembering a bad dream or the ache of a not quite healed wound. Nelvaan may indeed be at peace but in that moment Rik Idanian knew that the galaxy was at War. And when stars waged war in the heavens there were those to whom it was given to bring peace. Those who could perceive the balance were duty bound to seek in in all things. Rik lowered his gaze and found that he was holding his lightsaber in his cupped palms. "Here I am," he wispered to the heavens. "Send me." And then, Rik got to training.
And training he did. ....Two to Four months ago that is... This next period of time in Rik's life found him doing little else than training. Instead of fancy hotels, the ever increasingly ascetic Jedi Knight slept under the stars in the cities many parks. Those passing by thought of him as nothing more than an eccentric, hippy homeless dude or some strange traveling yogi. His poses bordered on Epic! The Force flowed through him. Rik's once averagely fit body now exploded with strength and endurance. He took to stretching out his 5' 9" frame in the morning, doing some active stretching, breathing exercises, and then increasingly difficult poses including one-handed handstands. He didn't give much thought to what he was doing but simply followed his body and what felt natural. Though his mind couldn't recall the learning his body ached for it! And with the force as his ally, Rik was more in tune with his body than ever before. After stretching he ran. His lengthening, medium brown hair created a kind of short comet behind him as he did. Those seeing him would think it a bit silly looking but his own blue eyes shown with mirth as he continued to push his body to the limit. Rik took to doing laps around the city. He ran for the thrill of moving at all new breakneck speeds and for the calming, meditative reflection to be found in a quiet jog. Although his new jogging pace was almost twice his old sprinting speed was previously, something he would have thought of as non-sustainable before his newfound skills showed themselves. After his run, Rik would find a large tree and focus on his boxing. Bare-knuckled. Versus a Tree. The tree always won, but Rik was a good sport, bowing to his opponent after every bout. He may have taken a little too much pleasure in these mock battles. And then, It was lunchtime! And Rik had long since discovered that the best place for lunch was at Orvos' grill. The next hour of his day was spent stuffing his face with succulent meats and having the juices get lost in his beard. That and chatting it up with the friendly patron of course. Afternoons. Afternoons were for saber practice. Rik found lightsaber combat an... intuitive exercise. The practice felt both familiar and yet he couldn't remember doing anything like it before. Above all though, lightsaber practice was explosive. To the onlooker, it would have looked like nothing more than a blur. If that same onlooker had a highspeed holo-recorder the snapshot images would take the form of flying leaps, impossible handless cartwheels, and even more intense seemingly gravity-defying aerial maneuvers. To the untrained eye, it would have looked like chaos. To the initiated? It was a work of art. The blue flame of Rik's saber hissed through the air as he cut slice after slice, stab after stab. Sometimes it was with two hands, other times with one. The Jedi and his weapon were one. Such as they had been day after day. There was a deadly purpose to his movements, every strike meant to kill. For a Jedi never entered lightly into combat but his purpose should be clear. Rik thumbed the ignition on his lightsaber and the blade retreated. He sat where he was, panting with exertion. Such thoughts bore further reflection. And so he sat. Waiting. Listening. Communing with the Force. For everything, there is a time and place. A time for war, and a time for peace. A time for judgment, and a time for mercy. Such was the way of the universe. "And it's up to me to know the difference." Rik sighed. It wasn't easy, but it was his duty. And so he breathed in deep and set all doubt aside. The time for indecision was over, and the time for decisive action had come. Rik heard something behind him. Well, not hear precisely. Using the Force to reach out beyond himself and feel things wasn't exactly old hat for him just yet. But the feeling brought a smile to his face. An old friend had finally arrived.
Memory, an image steeped in emotion and... something deeper... nebulous... bled into his mind. There were no words, no sound, no names. Just faces. Familiar. Foreign. Lost... Time. A large cave, light from above. Growth on the rocks that encircled. Two girls. Young women. Sisters. Smiling. Why? Unknown. One was fair of face, a familiar face, one that another shared...Twins? No. The other dark of skin, eyes, hair. She seemed vibrating with energy. Even when still... Friends. Another approached. Silent. Pale. So pale that he was almost pure white...yet...in shadow. A Shadow. Dangerous. But good. A smile remembered. Not a tame Lion. Trustworthy. All of it was strange. Like impressions and reality had blended, merged. And then it was gone. They were gone. Lost to time. And he was falling...falling... falling...
More memories. Darkness surrounds. Fear, anger, suffering surround like a fog. Thick, swirling, choking. Alone. Lost. It was a forest, unlike anything he had ever seen. Massive trees raised themselves up to form a canopy but, somehow, they were just wrong. Bent. Twisted. No healthy tree looked like that. Felt like that. Those looming beings had an aura of oily blackness. It seemed to ooze from the bark, drip from the leaves, and puddle at the roots. An unholy, self-perpetuating cycle of evil, fetid decay. It was a forest of death. And Rik was alone. Surrounded. Consumed by this insatiable, vile jungle.
Panic began to set in. It gnawed at his sanity and threatened to send him to his knees in desperate, hopeless abandon. Then he heard something. Voices. People? He shouted, ran in the direction of the sound. There was no one there. The voices, the whispers circled him, ensnaring his soul in another attack on the fabric of his being. No hope. No rescue. No salvation. Just evil surrounding, looking for an opening. Searching for soil ripe for the planting. Rik was their soil. His fears, regrets, sins, their nourishment.
Rik gripped his blaster. Drawing it he fired at something, anything, everything. It’s familiar report as he squeezed the trigger was a balm to his addled, embattled mind. It’s crimson fire lit that twisted jungle, dispersing the fog of fear, of doubt, of infection. It left a smoking hole in one of the leering trees whose depth began to weep evil onto the forest floor.
Well, that’s creepy, he thought regaining some of his levity. Using humor as a shield and his blaster as a sword, the beleaguered smuggler chose a direction and started walking. The looker-on would have seen a man, slightly crazy around the eyes for his experiences quipping rye comments at the darkness, firing his blaster at shadows but above all making progress in a direction. The right direction? That was yet to be seen. But at least it was a step forward.
Another memory slips in.
Rik was in a cave. Not as big or as well-lit as the one from his previous memory but it felt more solid, less peripheral. It was as if his memories were returning to him with greater detail and clarity. The cave was of medium size, neither large nor small. The stone floor was smooth as if someone had shaped it to suit their present need. It felt of food and of companionship but also of learning. There was indirect light coming from the cave's opening and a few candles along the periphery.
He was surrounded by children. Well, children to his middling twenties at least. An older figure was standing in the entryway backlit but not really visible. The one, obviously in charge by their bearing, had just given instructions and had left them all to it. From the looks on the kid's faces, it was definitely a chore. There was some grumbling and Rik watched from the back row as the kids set about the assigned task: cleaning up after the meal. A quick idea brought a smile to his face.
Hey, kids gather around.
There was some hesitation. Rik was a grownup but most of them had known each other for a long time. Time enough for familiarity. But Rik? He was still unknown. Weird even. Why hadn't he been trained earlier? Why was he just learning to sense and use the Force now? Who was he to give instructions? But, after a little more coxing, they did as he asked. He knelt down in front of them.
Alright here's the deal. There's a lot of work to be done but you know what? I think everyone needs a little break. Don't you? Good because here's what I want you to do. Ready? I'm going to stay here and make sure everything gets cleaned up but you.... get tooooo... PLAY!!!
At his antics, the younger children burst into giggles and the older smiled openly at the prospect of no chores. They all ran from the room at Rik's gestures to do all those amazing things that only children can think of to do.
And have FUN! he called after them.
And then Rik got to cleaning. The dishes were first. There were a lot of dishes! They were of various sizes and shapes. Some carved of wood, some chipped from stone. All were made for different hands and the range was broad! As he worked Rik let his mind rest. He recalled the exercises the masters had been trying to teach him. Calm your mind. Listen. FEEL the Force. Hours past. Dishes finished. He now had a twig broom in hands and was carefully sweeping every speck of dirt and dust he could find. Rik closed his eyes. He felt the rhythm of the broom the measured, steady pace. His steps slowly began to take on a form. Soresu. Each stroke of the broom, a stroke of the lightsaber. Each step planted carefully but not slowly. Precision. Waiting.
Rik stopped. His eyes were still shut. Though he couldn't see anything he was beginning to get a grasp on feeling. The floor was all but clean. He could feel it. There was just one spot on the floor that was obscured. Rik frowned. He felt sure he had gone over that spot thoroughly just as he had all the others. He opened his eyes to where he had missed. Not dirt. Not pebbles did he find. But feet!
I blush of sudden and overwhelming self-consciousness washed over him as his eyes shot up to meet eyes with the one who'd watched him work. In the back of his mind, he knew who it was. Even without looking he knew. Master.
But as quickly as it began, his memory began to fade once again. The face of his Master, that one person who had believed in him, blurred. Their name? Lost as the rest. All lost. Gone.
Yet another memory slips into existence. It's remembrance of warm flush rising from Rik's tows to the crown of his head.
It was night. Darkness had again conquered the light. But it had not succeeded. Not entirely.
Rik stirred on his pallet, unable to sleep. Something called to him.
He sat up. Though it was night and all were asleep he felt ALIVE. Sleep could not hold him. Darkness held no dominion this night. For there was a light in the cave.
There, deeper, a glowing.
The Nexus.
Drawn by a pull he couldn't explain he walked toward it. Transfixed.
The Light pulled him, the Force compelled him. Not against his will, but with it, beside it, in perfect concert with it.
The darkness of the forest he had been subjected to had no place here. Though powerful it was evil, corrupt. This was LIFE.
This was the Living Force. The Force as it should be. Truth.
Rik walked on. He knew in his head that this was crazy. He was no Jedi. The Force couldn't possibly need him, want him.
Could it?
The answer came to him as he came face to face with the Nexus.
YES!
Rik has obviously seen this cavern before. It was round, open, the arched roof of the cave swept up to a glorious skylight. It's walls were covered in greenery so that during the day the hall had a verdant cast. But at night... at night it was dark. Just as any cave would be.
But not this night!
There Rik beheld a cascade of light! Brighter than any star but with no pain. White light so pure it stripped away all shadow and darkness, but also as warm as a campfire or a solitary candle.
And it called to him.
Come
Rik came.
Closer
Rik stepped to the center.
He was bathed in it, suffused with the LIGHT. He was light.
Sit
Rik sat.
Rest
Such rest he had never had before. Nor never would again.
He and the Force,
the Living Force,
were One.
Last edited by Rik Idannian on Tue May 19, 2020 11:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Rik Idannian
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 9:56 am
Re: New Adervez, Capital City of Nelvaan
Rik approached the spaceport deep in reflection. And with some regret.
Why didn't he come? He asked himself.
Not that much has changed in the past few years, has it? He's still Andy, right? He stopped and looked down at his own clothing. His lightsaber that was once his blaster. Well I guess a few major things have changed for me at least...
He continued on his way. The way of the galaxy was indeed different, but strangely the same. For example, Rik noticed that the prices for starships were continuing to rise significantly with only vague seemingly superfluous improvements to form and function. Rik shrugged.
Then he spent all his money on the shiniest, sleekest, fastest little dart of a fighter he could find. As he popped the canopy and climbed in he could just make out the sound of the salesperson bragging to all his colleagues how much he had marked the little ship up for and how much of a chump Idannian was for paying such a high price. Huh
You only live once, I guess.
And before he knew it, Rik found himself rocketing toward the stars. The similarity in visceral reaction to his assent reminded him a great deal of his recent plummet to the surface below. But going up was a heck of a lot more fun! So off he soared in search of a particular Jedi friend in a particular Jedi temple.
Why didn't he come? He asked himself.
Not that much has changed in the past few years, has it? He's still Andy, right? He stopped and looked down at his own clothing. His lightsaber that was once his blaster. Well I guess a few major things have changed for me at least...
He continued on his way. The way of the galaxy was indeed different, but strangely the same. For example, Rik noticed that the prices for starships were continuing to rise significantly with only vague seemingly superfluous improvements to form and function. Rik shrugged.
Then he spent all his money on the shiniest, sleekest, fastest little dart of a fighter he could find. As he popped the canopy and climbed in he could just make out the sound of the salesperson bragging to all his colleagues how much he had marked the little ship up for and how much of a chump Idannian was for paying such a high price. Huh
You only live once, I guess.
And before he knew it, Rik found himself rocketing toward the stars. The similarity in visceral reaction to his assent reminded him a great deal of his recent plummet to the surface below. But going up was a heck of a lot more fun! So off he soared in search of a particular Jedi friend in a particular Jedi temple.