Personal Archives (Dasquian)

[Ryla Relvinian]

We walked slowly down the halls of the Living area, greeting those we knew with a smile and a nod. Finally, we arrived at my quarters, which lay down the end of a hallway.

"This is it!" I said, and keyed open the door. I had been carrying a datapad around with me, and set it down on the small table by the doorway.

"I'm sure it's very similar to your own quarters. Here, have a seat." I gestured to a couch that was a bit farther back in the room.

"What would you like to learn about first?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“It’s very nice,” Dasquian said politely.

Compared to where he lived, in a shared room with Corin and Sejah, it was fairly small, but seemed a lot roomier without three Jedi in it. Accepting the offered seat, Dasquian made himself comfy on the couch.

“What do I want to hear about first … well, whatever you want to talk about? There must be something, out of all the possible topics, that you’re passionate about.”

[Ryla Relvinian]

"Well...." I thought to myself, dredging up the most recent texts in my memory. "I have been quite occupied with the healing arts as of late. My own knowledge is still not as good as some, but I do find the topic interesting."

I walked over to the small shelf along the wall. It was strange in two ways. Firstly, it was made of wood... real wood, something of a rarity in this time and in this place, the great city-planet. It was also odd in that it held a box of spare lightsaber parts, several datapads and a few old books.

"I have something of an affinity for the antiquated book." I admitted shyly, picking up both a datapad as well as one of the books. "Well? Does this topic interest you as well?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Certainly… I’ve never quite gotten the hang of healing others effectively, personally.”

The book that Ryla lifted reminded him of those that he had collected over his lift, with a little help from his friend and apprentice Hrolthar. In fact, the book case was similar, although Dasquian had bought the wood for his from the wood cutters on the planet Pi III. It was made from fine greel wood, just like the bow he had commissioned.

“I imagine you’ve had to do quite a bit of travelling to accumulate those volumes,” he added as an after thought.

[Ryla Relvinian]

"Yes, I've... travelled." I replied, hesitant to give any more details, and then deciding that a few couldn't hurt. "I worked here on Coruscant for a while, when I was younger, and I got interested in books, partially because one of my best... customers was a smuggler of antique goods."

The thought was beginning to choke me up, and even after all these years, I still could not talk about him. I never truly felt that I was doing his memory justice.

I shifted back into what one Padawan affectionately called 'Master Mode' as I walked back over to the couch where Dasquian was sitting. "I've only been able to do a few minor wounds so far, but that's better than where I started."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Antique goods,” Dasquian smiled, “An incredibly interesting trade.”

Whilst thinking over the momentary apparent pang of sadness he had felt, the Knight absently brushed at the scar tissue on his palm – it was a trace from his training, where he had attempted to heal his hand and had succeeded only in creating a permanent mark on his skin.

As he was handed the book by the Jedi Master, and tested the weight and covers in his hands, he looked back upwards.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what did you work as? … I’ve never had any ‘job’ outside of being a Jedi.”

[Ryla Relvinian]

Something in my mind was whispering that I shouldn't reveal so much of myself, but I could not resist the innocent look that Dasquian had given me. We were both so far from home, and yet this was a home for all of us Jedi. I felt that he would not judge me, so I spoke softly. "I was a bartender, and then I danced for money for a while. Not with the Theed Ballet Company, if you take my meaning."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“A dancer,” Dasquian replied, with a hint of wonderment in his voice. This was something he had not expected, though it was far from shocking, and in fact more attention-grabbing. After a moments thought, he could easily picture Ryla in such a vocation.

“How remarkable. The variety of backgrounds and pastimes partaken in by members here never ceases to amaze,” he added, as he thumbed over to the next page of the book he had. Clearly the time that had past was not long enough for him to have read all that the first page detailed.

“Would you have ever liked to dance Ballet?”

There was pause, before Dasquian corrected himself having decided his words had come out in the wrong way.

“I mean… would you have liked to pursue being a dancer or did you grow … tired of it? Please stop me if I’m being too inquisitive.”

[Ryla Relvinian]

"No, no. You're not being too nosy." I smiled, and set my hand under my chin and rested it thoughtfully on my knee.

"I suppose I would have liked to dance... I mean really dance. It was one of the few things I did well as a child. I moved to Coruscant with the intention of... well, just making a better life, any life, for myself."

I smiled then, and turned back to face him.

"Life never turns out the way anyone plans it to. That's the first thing I learned as a child."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“I would have disagreed with you up until recently,” Dasquian sighed,

“My brother and I had the life we had always wanted up until our assignment to the Explorer project. Though the Force does work in mysterious ways for all of us … whatever happens to us I can only assume is intended to do so.”

[Ryla Relvinian]

"I always wanted a brother." I replied, watching his hands rest gently on the book on his lap.

"I don't think I've heard that much about your past, or your brother. Besides, the things I have heard are always in need of verification from the source, don't you think? What was this Explorer project, if you don't mind me asking?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Well… Aaron, I and some other Jedi Knights were assigned, by the Council, to make peace with the Outer rim. AT this time the Republic was not quite so cordial with many of the planets it is now and we were to act as ambassadors of peace. Since the distance between Coruscant and our target planet was so far off, we were going to be held in cryo sleep for the journey, and automatically awoken on arrival.”

Now, after having had time to grieve for the tragedy that had occurred, Dasquian was quite open with his past. However there had been a time when he could not have said a word about it without breaking down.

“The mission was sabotaged by Sith, all but myself and my brother were killed. It’s how we found ourselves here, so far into the future.”

[Ryla Relvinian]

"Oh my." I responded, sad again that so many Jedi had been lost during seemingly harmless diplomatic missions.

"I suppose... we all know the risks of our Jedi dedication. Still, that doesn't make the loss of a comrade any more easy to bear. How are you liking the future, then? Is it what you expected it to be?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“It was a little… unwelcoming at first. We had an unfortunate run in with a cadre we thought to be part of the Republic, but were really Imperial allied Sith. By brother was held by them for some time without my knowing his location…”

Dasquian realised the conversation had become somewhat depressing, and thus smiled, to lighten the tone.

“Now it’s excellent, of course. I have made a few close friends here and seem to have been accepted on the whole… I would say I probably have enjoyed my time here more than I ever enjoyed my training with Master Yoda and Aaron, in the Republic.”

[Ryla Relvinian]

"Really?" I arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Was Master Yoda as tiring of a master as the history archives show?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“I think the archives do not fully do him justice,” Dasquian said with a smile, full of pride at having once been taught by the wise Jedi.

“We didn’t get to train with him often, as we worked ambassadors to other nations in our training most of the time, but when we did it was incredible. His techniques of tutelage were like none other I have ever seen.”

[Ryla Relvinian]

"Really? An ambassador partnership for training? I didn't realize that the Jedi have always been so politically oriented. But then again, I have only recently begun to do missions for the Jedi again. For the longest time after my Knighting, I just did combat training. I would have loved to see your training techniques with Master Yoda. Tell me, what sorts of training did you do?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“It was,” Dasquian said, spreading his hands apart, “Unusual for Knights to be sent out so often on diplomatic missions, but the Council felt the need to do such things at the time.”

He continued,

“We trained mostly in Telekinesis and some mild Telepathy, but Master Yoda would have us doing unusual things as training. We very rarely stayed inside the Academy training rooms with him. We would work in a cadre, no more than five of us, with him on the streets of Coruscant, in the jungles of Yavin and in the swamps of Dagobah… each time the session changing so that we never knew what to expect from him.”

[Ryla Relvinian]

"Hmm, interesting indeed. I will have to remember these things when I continue with my own Padawans. These days, it is often better to start with the essentials, since attacks from hostile groups are allways popping up, and history often gets left aside for defense."

I thought for a moment, then continued. "So, do you like the combat aspects of training, or do you prefer the more subtle arts of Force-manipulation?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Combat has always been where my strength has lain, and although I do enjoy my studies into the Force, I don’t think there’s anything more exhilarating than a duel.”

Bringing his hands together, Dasquian flexed each finger on one hand; a little to occupy his mind and draw it away from being embarrassed.

“It’s hard not to get lost in battle, though. I think I should be less eager to enter into it, though I can’t seem to stop myself.”

[Ryla Relvinian]

"Really? I never saw you as a fighter type... Though I will agree about the thrill of battle. I suppose it is good that your passion lies along the same lines as your talent then. That way, you can put skill to good use and enjoy it."

I thought for a moment, turning my head down and looking at the book on my lap. "I guess... I guess I've just seen too many deaths to enjoy battle any more. In that moment, you see the person, not the dogma, you know what I mean?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian gave an emphatic nod. He recalled vividly battles with Sith, and in particular the one that had picked apart his family.

“Often, there is no convincing an opponent of his wrong doing and the only way to end his or her rampage is through battle, however unfortunate it is. I would like to be able to calm them in a more passive way, but I’m … not strong enough the Force, as of yet.”