TheSagaContinues

        Master! Master? , Elyane voice had begun to penetrate the fog around Sachdev's mind. Elyane was shaking him violently now, trying to rouse him. Sachdev managed to get past the shock of Nedeal's last word and come back to his present. Sachdev put a smile on his face and looked to his Padawan. Elyane was covered in a coat of sweat causing her to shine in the light. Her hair was also plastered down to her neck with the weight of her sweat and her face wore a worried expression, making her in a way even more beautiful. Stop thinking like that. Form the fact she was not breathing heavily, and Elyane's look, Sachdev figured she had been trying to rouse him for some time. All this Sachdev absorbed in the split second of his glance.You've been a cop to long. Immediately followed by I am alright Elyane. Thank you for your concern. The look on Elyane's face softened slightly, replaced more by concern than the fear which had tainted it a moment ago. Sachdev was sure he wore a calming expression to help sooth his Padawan. Master, I have been trying to wake you for minutes. I know you where meditating but you seemed to be deeper than that. Elyane's voice was soft, almost like water over ice. Sachdev saw this side so rarely, Elyane usually kept it hidden under layers of attitude and her lightsaber. Sachdev smiled at her a genuine and warm smile not meant to be any other thing, only a show of joy. This. This is why I wanted to train you, this is the Humanity in you I want to preserve. If you trained under a solider they would have striped that from you, made you a machine. I couldn't see you made a machine, you're too good at being human. Sachdev reached up and touched Elyane's cheek. Never lose that humanity. Promise me that. To say Elyane looked confused would have been an understatement. All the same she said Yes Master. and after a moment, Is everything all right Master? Time to be serious again. Sachdev thought, standing he spoke Everything is perfectly all right. It was deeper than meditation but nothing to be concerned with. I assume you finished your task? Elyane stood from her crouch with Sachdev. She came to be about a hand's width shorter than him. Yes I have. I recited Tales of the Sky Wardens She still had a look of concern on her face and looked ready to move to him in a second. Apparently he still didn't look well to Elyane. Sachdev looked at his watch, it was late now. However only two hours had passed, time really did flow different in that place. We should retire to the Hall.

       They walked back along the hall almost completely empty at this time. Elyane continued to fallow right behind Sachdev apparently still worried he might fall over at any moment. They came out of the corridor and into the intersection which they parted with Hando at earlier. What was only hours ago completely filled with people was a thin comparison. It made sense however, this section of the station was dominated by Jedi and at this time only Jedi had a real reason to be here, an business other's might have with them would be saved for tomorrow. Even so most of the people Sachdev saw weren't Jedi, truly the station was over filled. Sachdev and Elyane went through the area unimpeded as they were earlier for the lack of people. The walk was short to the Jedi Hall form that intersection and the hall they were traveling down was much like the one to the gym. Another small intersection, completely empty except for Jedi and they entered the area of the Station known as the Jedi Hall. The name came from the fact it was a literal, and very long Hall. Some of the Jedi came months ago and with more and more Jedi coming the Hall was ever-expanding and now with the mission leaving tomorrow even the Jedi Hall had reached a point of over population.

      The step between the intersection and the actual beginning of the Hall was palpable. The concentration of this many Jedi in such a small space left a clear mark to those who were Force sensitive. Those who could not touch the field of life also felt the same thing but as a shiver or chill more often than not. The lights in the Hall where tuned to a different color than the rest of the station. It gave off a more earthy feeling making the walls of muted brown feel like a glowing rock. The Jedi where the first to arrive and came before the renovation so the Hall was in a small way made more to Jedi liking, the lights, paint, and tiling all made to feel more like a temple or academy than a space station quarter deck. That was in part inspiration for the first people calling the area the Jedi Temple. The entire place had a feel of peace and clam, it almost made Sachdev yawn. Sachdev mused that if the mission was successful and the wild space could be tamed then the station would remain a logical jumping off place for travel to that area. If that happened then that would mean Jedi would be constantly stopping here on their way to a large section of space, the Jedi Hall might actually become a permanent Jedi installation in a few years if all went well. Jedi still walked the halls about business that had to be taken care of before they left the next day. As they were passing Hando's room Sachdev left a note saying if he wanted to talk to Sachdev he would be in the Garden of Roses. It was not an actual Garden. It was simply the name given to a conference room which had been emptied out for meditation and some of the female Jedi had begun to leave flowers, mostly roses, there to make the room, empty for years, smell nice. It was the Meditation chamber used by Masters with their Padawans, the Hall's equivalent of the Path of Water back on Tython. There were three more meditation chambers which all Jedi could use if they didn't want to use their rooms. They were, the Court of Peace for use by the Padawan's present, the Cave of Fire which was used by the Knights, and finally the Mountain of Serenity for the Masters. Sachdev had been in the Garden and Cave and seen into the Court and Mountain. They were all filled with things which helped contribute to their names. The Jedi had taken to donating an item to decorate the rooms when they came to the station and Sachdev had supplied a mirror to help reflect actual fire light for the Cave and Elyane had gathered fresh flowers form the shops for the Garden. This meant that although the Jedi where new to the station the rooms for meditation where filled and the tradition would have to stop soon for overcrowding an area meant for peace and order. These rooms where almost like a Jedi temple.

      Sachdev and Elyane entered the room called the Garden of Roses. The smell of the flowers hit Sachdev instantly. The room was large, meant to hold fifty people comfortably. There were three other pairs of Master and Apprentice spread about the room but with its size there was plenty of room to be apart from the others and be able to talk quietly without disturbing the other pairs. Sachdev guided Elyane to a low table with a focusing crystal in it. One of the Master's had brought and given it to the Garden. The crystal would glow slightly when the force was directed though it and depending on the direction of the flow the crystals color was changed. It could be used simply to "stretch the muscles" or as a precise exercise attempting to produce a specific color and switching instantly to another without passing between any other. It was a very difficult task and something Sachdev had only managed once after a near full day of trying. It required not only precise flow of the Force direction but instantounsly so that the crystal never lost its glow. The table had a wreath of flowers around the crystal and the table itself was worked with an intricate pattern of flowers with fanciful creatures dancing between the buds. Once they were seated Sachdev began the exercise. He produced a color, a kind of purple with streaks of indigo through it, he maintained the color for a while and then let if fade. Now. Feel the crystal, the way to Force flowed though it and match the color I just produced. Elyane sat straighter and breathed deeply her eyes closed. The crystal began to glow, slightly more indigo than Sachdev had made it but after a few seconds it flowed into the color he had produced. Elyane opened her eyes again. In this pattern Sachdev trained Elyane for some time.

The sensation registering with Hando was not a solitary event. One by one the other padawans in the room open their eyes and glance curiously around the room. "What is that?" One of them asks. None of the other two answer, offering little more than shrugs and raised eyebrows. The energy -if it could be called that- is very subtle, the faintest of ripples across the glassy surface of the Force. Strangely, the sensation was not limited to Hando's current room. Every head in the Jedi Hall, as well as the station, anyone sensitive enough to pick it up either slowed their pace, paused their conversation, or tilted their head, trying to 'listen' to the Force. Further, the longer each individual listened, the easier to ascertain that the sensation, instead of maintaining a steady signal, faded and ebbed like a radio wave...or a pulse? Either way it continued, leaving little doubt that whatever was causing it had-

-And then its stops. Each of the listeners is suddenly cut off, left in the ambient noise of the station once again.

Hando stood up and looked at the others. As they pulsing continued, they exchanged looks and Hando walked over to them. "It's strange, different." One of the other padawans; a female togruta Hando knew as a frequent sparring partner but whose name slipped his mind, shook her head. "Yeah, it's not the steady flow of a force sensitive individual, nor does it feel like the normal tides of the Force." Hando smiled, impressed. Given the Togruta's martial skills, he had thought her to be less attuned to the more philosophical aspectes of the force, but he had clearly been mistaken. He lowered his head, and closed his eyes, concentrating hard on finding and identifying the source and direction of the strange sensation.

Spoiler:  UtF roll (hover to show)

UtF to Sense Force 20 + 15 = 35

When the pulsing suddenly stopped abruptly, Handos eyes flashed open and he looked at the other two Padawans, whose expressions mimicked the confusion he felt. Hearing movement from outside the Court, Hando moved towards the door. "Come, let's see if anyone else knows more about this." He said, motioning the two other padawans to follow him. He did by no means have seniority over the two and he hoped that what he said came across as the suggestion he intended it to be and not as an attempt to bark orders. He reached the door, which slid open with a silent hissing, and stepped out into the hallway. The corridor was a lot more crowded than it had been when he went in to the Court and more jedi kept coming out through doors all along the hallway. He caught sight of Elyane two doors down, took a glance over his shoulder to see if the other two padawans had joined him, and then started towards her. "Elyane." he said, his voice slightly louder than usual to carry it through the crowd. "I take it you felt it too." As they came closer, Hando noticed that Elyane had her lightsaber in her hand, and prowned slightly, before turning his face neutral again. "Do you know what it was?"

Askrik accepted the filter without further argument, realizing too late that he had pushed this human too far to be useful any longer. "I thank you Jahumba (friend) for this. Truly you are without equal on this forssaken sstation." He reached into one of his pouches and pulled out 50 credits and tossed it to the young woman. "For your trouble and then some misss. I would have happily paid for the filterss at regular pricse but for you today I will pay double. May the payment clear your conssciencse."

With that he turned and walked away. Half way out the door he paused, considering reminding the staff of the medical center of their inability to clean, then thought better of it. Instead he called out, "If you happen to need anything, I can be reached at hanger bay 215 or if you are dessperate on channel A232" He winked back at the young woman, hoping to see her frustration give way to mere irritation.

Once out in the corridor he shook his head. The people here were frustrated by the sudden influx of people, that much was obvious to his eyes. He couldn't wait to get off this station. He was sure that the reactor was leaking somewhere. He had no destination right now, only to avoid his hanger bay. He made his way to a view port near a cantina and took a seat. He had always liked looking at the stars.

Hando considered Elyane's proposal for a little while before answering. While he hadn't been able to find any clues to what the pulsating force sensation had been, he HAD felt a strong, precise surge of Force connecting to something. While he of course couldn't be sure, he had a feeling that it was one or, more likely, several experienced Jedi doing what h had attempted: finding the direction and origin of the strange pulse. Chances were good that Sachdev was among them and he would not want to intrude on their work.
"That sounds like a good idea, Elyane, you go ahead; I'll stay here and see if anyone else knows more." He said, nodding slightly and then, as a last thought, added: "Good luck, and let me know what you find out, would you?"

Elyane simply nodded at him and took off, and Hando turned around to the other two padawans, who had indeed followed him out of the Court. "I'll stay here in the hallway for a while and see if I can help out with coordinating the fact finding: I bet there will be a lot of jedi buzzing around here, just as confused as we are." He smiled slightly at this, and then continued. "Do you wanna stay and join me or are you going to find your masters?"

"I'll stay." the togruta female said. " I have no idea where Master Deriv is and I have just a good a chance of finding her here." The other padawan muttered something along the lines "Gonna check the Garden", nodded to them and took off. Hando nodded back and turned to the Togruta. "Thanks." He held out his hand. "We've sparred many times, but I have never caught your name. I'm Hando."
The Togruta flashed a white smile at him and took his hand. "Oh, I remember you: your Ataru have a nasty trickiness to it. For a padawan, I mean. I'm Sasee."

Hando's smiled widened and the two of them hurried down the corridor, trying to collect information from the other Knights, padawans and Masters appearing in the hallway. Most of them were either as confused as Hando and Sasee themselves, or they were in too much of a hurry: "Must find my master", "The other knights are waiting for me", to be of any assistance. After about an hour, Hando had had enough and Sasee also seemed to be getting bored. "I'm going to turn in. Hopefully the masters will provide us with something tomorrow, before launch." Hando said, motioning towards his room.
"Hopefully," Sasee agreed. "Nice snooping with you, Hando." She flashed another smile at him and went off in the other direction, likely towards her room.
"Likewise." Hando returned the smile and headed into his room, where the three other bunks now were occupied. The two bottom bunks held snoring padawans, the third a Zabrak who was reading something on his datapad and greeted Hando with a wave and a finger over his mouth. Hando nodded in return, undressed and put his padawan robes back into his bag and hopped onto his bunk. He lay back, his arms behind his head and stared into the ceiling, contemplating what had transpired in the few, short hours since he'd arrived at Koda Station. He'd been a witness to a theft, had a pleasant chat with a guard, been told off by the Diviner himself and told him off in return, felt the strangest force tremor of his life and made a new padawan acquaintance, if not friend. He shook his head: if this day was at all indicative of the coming journey, he would be in for the adventure of his life. He smiled, shut his eyes and drifted slowly off into sleep, visions of sparring with Sasee and debating with the Diviner upon his mind.

      Sachdev's dreams where confusing, lost in turmoil of random thought. At one point he even thought he was in the temple watching Hando duel another Padawan. However the turmoil was not caused by the idling muck of a mind on stand by, but by the persistent and inescapable haunting, thing. Malice. The emotion so strong, so vivid and loud he thought it must come form him. But there was a nebula of swirling and orange, beautiful but for the emotion coming form it, and made more horrible for the beauty it should have possessed. What ever it was, it was the source of his torment. Sachdev did not have a restful night.

     He awoke in the morning, in his quarters. They room was stark, Sachdev didn't have personal effects. It had the bed and a small table with a chair and computer. Elyane sat asleep in the chair. Sachdev was grateful for her presence. Sachdev guessed she most likely didn't fall asleep until sheer fatigue overtook her. He didn't feel rested at all but their was much to do in the day. Sachdev took the blanket form his bed and placed it carefully on Elyane. She would need rest. Although Sachdev already began to prepare himself for her later, she would not be happy to be left alone. Sachdev looked at his chrono, breakfast was still being served. However he needed to speak to the masters on the station. He went to the Mountain of Serenity, the most likely place to find several at once.

    It wasn't far form his room. Many of the Jedi in the Hall asked him how he was. Apparently news of what happened to him last night had spread. He asked the first Knight, a Wookie,  that spoke to him how the other Jedi with him where doing, they where fine apparently nothing but a headache. Thanking the impressive figure of the Knight Sachdev continued to the Hall being as the same questions time and time again. When Sachdev arrived at the Mountain he went strait in unbidden, it would cause a ruckus but he had no time. Sachdev steeped into the room and the doors shut behind him. The Mountain was the smallest of the meditation chambers, for Master's the rarest. The room was brightly lit form lights embedded in the circling. Where as the cave gave an impression of being underground the Mountain was the opposite.  One side of the room, whose wall was painted brown, held all the heavy objects, the other side painted blue none. The tiling again was meant to simulate stone, however Sachdev didn't have time for looking at the room, the only thing holding his attention was the five meditating Masters. Master's I needed to speak to with you. The nebula where the colony was, where we are planing on going is filled with a evil presence. A great danger fills that place and we would be foolish to enter their. Sachdev waited for the Master's reply.

     Sachdev took a second to recover form the shock, he was expecting a more hostile reaction for barging into the Mountain unbidden. Sachdev breathed in deeply to balance himself. He sat down as near a center to the Master's as he could get but keeping them all in one field of vision. Looking Master Nozho in the eye he began to speak; he allowed a calculated amount of a tremor into his voice to add effect to his words.I will start form the beginning. Yesterday when we felt the tremor in the force I and a team of Knights attempted to combing our farseeing to get a view of its source. However with my unique abilities with its power I was able to use the other Knights as an anchor and used a technique called roaming. In this state I was able to travel the light years between here and the source of the tremor. It was the nebula which the expedition is going to and when I touched it, it was like nothing I had ever felt before. Pure malice, a hate beyond anything. It is by far the greatest evil I have ever encountered. It was simple contact with that evil which put the two Knights into their condition and me in a medical bay. Simple touched tainted me and it took hours to purify it form my body. It may have been a metaphysical experience but that evil is a real and close as we are now. Sachdev scanned the room trying to judge their reaction and await their response.