Proving ones worth

[Talia Imani]

Her whole body was tense, on alert, as she walked into the room. A mean looking sword was sheathed at her side, a hand on the hilt, ready. Dark eyes, almost black, scanned the seemingly empty building carefully. Talianaitanor-Kaben Imani, Talia for short, cracked her leather cladden knuckles anxiously. She had no way of knowing how these Jedi reacted to strangers and it was a custom on her planet to ambush newcomers, to make sure they were worthy.

She tried to walk as quietly as possible but her boots clicked softly on the floor. To her ears, it was excruciatingly loud but the extensive training of her mother had learned her to be sensitive to her surroundings.

She felt eyes upon her. Was there going to be an attack? If so, Talia was ready. She had waited long for this. If she had to prove her worth, than so be it. But her blood would not fall on this floor. Of that, she was positive.

[Salemn Lysce]

A figure dressed in brown Jedi robes watched silently as a woman walked into the Recruitment Center. She noticed the weapon the female carried, yet made no move. It was when Talia noticed that she was being watched when she moved.

Salemn stepped out from behind one of the grand pillars, her hood covering her face. She stopped infront of Talia and kept her head lowered, speaking out with the Force.

< Greetings, do you seek to become a Jedi ? >

The woman heard the words being spoke in her head as Salemn reached up and removed her hood. Soft, blonde hair spilled over her shoulders as brown eyes glanced over her. She radiated with a slight innocence and wisdom that she had acquired from over the years.

The woman seemed like a warrior - and if indeed she wished to join their ranks, would probably become a Warrior Jedi

[Talia Imani]

The sword was out of her hilt quickly, a blur in the air, and raised in defense.

"Parte traseira afastado! Eu não estou receoso!"

She spoke lowly, but there was warning in her voice.

"Eu provarei meu valor, provo que eu sou forte bastante!"

Calming herself, Talia switched to basic, though it was heavily accented.

"Yah... I wish to... and I will prove it if need be."

Talia was not familiar with the customs of other planets. She had spent most of her life training under her mother and aunts, only leaving the planet to visit her father for further training. The sword had not moved from it's position and she stood ready, rigid, preparing herself for the worst. Her body trembled, wanting to battle but she reigned in the insticts to fight, with difficulty.

[Salemn Lysce]

Salemn's brow furrowed as the woman spoke. She could not decipher the meaning of the foreign words, being that her Master hadn't taught her any other language.

< You need not prove anything, except patience, virtue, honor, and goodness ... >

The mute continued to speak through the Force, hoping that she could understand. She raised a pale hand and touched the sword's blade, then pushed it away, aided with the power of the Force. Although fifteen, she was a Jedi Knight.

< Greetings, I am Salemn Lysce, a Knight of this Order. And who may you be ? >

[Talia Imani]

Talia jerked back as the woman touched her blade, almost as if she herself had been struck. She looked shocked, greatly so.

"Não toque em minha lâmina! Do not ever touch my blade!"

Now tensing even more, Talia answered cautiously, keeping her sword out.

"Eu sou Talia."

Remembering that she wasn't home anymore, she repeated the phrase, in basic.

"I am Talia."

Her chest rose and fell heavily for adrenaline was now nearly bursting from her veins. It took a great deal of effort not to lunge at the woman. Closing her eyes, Talia murmered a prayer,

"Ajude mim, Senhora de Imani." (Help me, Lady of Imani)

It seemed to help her for when her eyes opened again, her grip upon the hilt of the blade was not so tight.

[Salemn Lysce]

This one was ever so tense. And alert.

Salemn frowned and clasped her hands behind her back, beginning to pace around the woman. She observed her curiously, repeating the foreign dialogue in her head.

< You must learn to control your emotions .. Tell me, do you wish to become a Jedi ? >

Talia had already answered this, but Salemn wanted to hear it again. To make sure she was correct in hearing ... For this one didn't seem like the others that came here.

[Talia Imani]

Talia watched carefully as the woman circled her. She was vulnerable with her back turned yet she did not move.

"I do control my emotions. I passed the tests, I have proved my worth at home. I shall do the same here."

In fact, from her point of view, she was keeping her natural insticts curbed rather well. It was not unusual to have several killed in a single day, by their own people, on her planet. It was survival of the fittest.

The woman nearly swung her blade as Salemn passed her other side, as she would have done had it been another of her race. But she merely passed the sword to her other hand, the weaker of the two, and waited.

"I have said already... Yah... I wish to be a Jedi..."

[Salemn Lysce]

< Then why do you wish to strike me down ? >

She stopped infront of Talia once more and unclasped her hands, spreading her arms slightly to open her chest for attack.

< If that is what you desire, then do so now. Nobody will stop you. >

Salemn waited, watching her more intently. What would Talia do, she wondered.

[Talia Imani]

Was this a trick? Talia made no move for several moments. Finally, after an agonizing silence (for her at least), she sheathed the weapon and gave a nod.

"Forgive me. I am a Nutara. We are trained from birth to fight. It is an instint."

[Xazor Elessar]

"Dar ped adaneth...."

A voice rang out from the shadows. It was gentle yet laced with power. The figure stepped forward and allowed the light to bathe her. The words were intended for the one who spoke a language unknown to Salemn. Xazor knew it.....yet did not speak words of it yet.....she instead, spoke in one of four forms of a language spoken by only a few around the Jedi Order.

Walking over to the two young women, the Knight placed a hand upon the newcomer's shoulder and held it there with the Force, not afraid of what she would or could do to her. Her gaze set upon Salemn and she smiled.....then moved her eyes slowly over to the one who wished to become a Jedi.

"Greetings......I am Warrior Jedi Knight and Council Member, Xazor Dawnstrider......"

She said softly, taking her hand from the woman's shoulder and then stepped to take Salemn's side. The Garou crossed her arms over her chest and eyed the Nutara curiously.......

[Salemn Lysce]

After Talia had sheathed her weapon, she let her arms drop at her sides and smiled. She hadn't struck, passing the one test that Salemn needed.

< No need to apologize when doing something that comes natural ... >

Dar ped adaneth.

She didn't have to turn around to see who spoke the words, for the voice was none other than the respected Lady Dawnstrider herself. Obviously someone else spoke Talia's native tongue ... Once more, Salemn felt like a young child, new to the world. Making a mental note to one day ask for someone who could teach her a new language spoken in the galaxy, she bowed to Xazor before returning her attention to Talia.

[Talia Imani]

Talia jerked away with startling speed as Xazor placed a hand on her shoulder. She crouched low, hand immediatly on her sword hilt.

"Não toque em mim!" (Do not touch me!)

Her eyes seemed to change change colors from dark to an odd whitish color. She shook terribly, teeth gritted together. Once again, she closed her eyes and murmed to herself, speaking rapidly.

"A senhora, senhor do nome de Imani, dá-me a força de meus antepassados para aproveitarar meu poder. Dê-me a paciência à liberação tchindi."

(Lady, Lord of the Imani name, give me the strength of my ancestors to harness my power. Give me the patience to release tchindi)

[Xazor Elessar]

"Queta te quenesta?" (what is the language you speak?)

She said softly, lofting a brow as she combined several words of different languages that she knew. The girl was awefully jumpy, much to Xazor's surprise. She smiled, nonetheless, and stepped back.....giving her the space she needed. For some reason, the Knight understood everything that she was saying.....yet did not know which language it was. This puzzled her so and if she knew, she had a chance of being able to speak to her in that tongue as well.

"Please, tell me....."

[Talia Imani]

The womans chin shot up, proudly.

"I speak Anslin, the highest form of the Anmarja speech. My family are of noble descent, among the purest of the Nutara people."


Talia's eyes flashed again, gold this time, a trait among her people. She eyed the two in front of her carefully.

"Perhaps if I explained more it would help you to understand. My people are divided, the women and the men. The women are typically considered more valuble, for we are stronger. Once a year the women go to their husbands to reproduce. I am third female offspring of my parents. If the child is male, it stays with the men. If however it is a female, it is sent away back to the womens half of the planet. From infancy we are trained to fight, to kill."

She paused to collect her thoughts before continuing.

"At the age of thirteen all Nutara youths are injected with a series of chemicals and steroids. These make us sensitive to touch, very much so. Children quickly learn to take hits that feel much harder than they really are. Naturally this makes us defensive. Nutara are naturally born with quickness and a certain amount of aggresion but the injections increase this drastically. We are created for war. There are few left that have not been shaped for this purpose."