A Tree of Life

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The Great Library on Ossus was an anachronism. And at the same time, it wasn't. Old architecture, which looked as though it didn't belong with the rest of Sanctuary. But at the same time it did belong. It was a Jedi place, and held whatever old artifacts and literature that the ancient Jedi hadn't been able to take with them before the supernova overtook the planet. The sight of it, from the very bottom of the grand stairs leading to the large front entrance, reminded her of a lot of the derelict buildings back on Schwartzweld.

It was just... timeless.

With a single, old-style datapad in one hand and a flimsi printout in the other, Teagan s'Ilancy sat on the bottom stair, on the far side. It was the sort of day that a person could enjoy outside, with whatever it was they chose to do. Engrossed in her reading of the old history 'book', she thumbed through Chapter 12, where she'd left off from the night before.

It was an old legend, or story... she hadn't quite figured it out yet. Her Jedi Order Histories teacher had said it was fact, but so much of what she was reading seemed so... unbelievable.

Her teacher had assigned her to research an old Jedi Master... Ood Bnar.

And everything she was reading, she was having a difficult time completely accepting.

Chapter 12 was the chapter that apparently, the great Master had turned... into a tree.

The concept of a metamorph was certainly not one that she was unfamiliar with, but a tree?!

And if she was to believe what this history book was saying, Master Bnar was still a tree.

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia didn't spend much time on Ossus, even though she visited on a semi regular basis in the last couple of years. She wasn't sure of how it felt to be among other Jedi, as most of her life had been under the radar, from Nar Shaddaa to wherever she had traveled by herself, or with her late mentor. She had been grateful for getting opportunities to work with the Alliance, including by her partner's side. She was glad that Dorian and her had stopped being dumbasses about what had been clear for years; and they both like having their own life. She had always been visceraly independent so it worked out just fine.

The black-clad redhead had been helping around with some lightsaber training earlier that day, then took some time to explore more of the enclave. She enjoying discovering it bit by bit besides having a general idea of what was where. She liked keeping some mystery to the enclave.

Reaching the Great Library, she mused on how fascinating the place was, even to an urban-raised soul like her. She caught sight of a familiar face. Familiar might be too strong a word, but she had encountered the padawan a couple of times in previous trips. The girl was engrossed in her studies, whatever the topic might be.

"Hey, Teagan."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

It was this terrible fact, of the harsh reality of the supernova bearing down on Ossus and all still left, that there would be no escape from the impending destruction. Whatever was left in the Great Jedi Library... it was all subject now to the whims of a cruel decision. The Jedi Master, Ood Bnar, knew what would be coming. With grim determination, he-



The voice that cut through her thoughts was unexpected, and the blonde girl started ever so slightly as she jerked her head up in the direction of the person who'd addressed her.

"Master Beltrak," the datapad was hastily switched off, and the young Lupine scrambled up to her feet, one hand going down to dust off her trousers. She'd forgone the normal padawan clothing that many on Ossus wore. Sometimes she would wear the strange-feeling tunic and pants, but they just felt... odd. However it was that Zem always seemed to enjoy wearing them was a mystery to her.

"I heard you were back on Ossus."

She could still remember the last group saber lesson that she'd been a part of that Master Beltrak had helped to lead. The girl had managed to make herself as unseen as possible, avoiding being called up to spar.

She hated sparring.

And she still hadn't even begun to think about building her own lightsaber. It just... it just didn't feel right.

"Are you staying for long, this time?"

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia was all about people wearing whatever made them feel comfortable but one thing she had quickly discovered was that Jedi robes were not her thing, at all. She was honored to serve the light and was relieved to see more of her kind alive and well in the galaxy; but she always stuck to her own clothing, even when teaching. She cared little that she might look more like some underworld professional than a guardian of peace. After all Jedi shall not judge by appearances only, and most didn't.

Yet she always noticed when fellow Jedi didn't opt for the robes, like Teagan was on that day. She was also still unused to be addressed by her rank.

"You can call me Satkia, you know," she replied with a smile.

She was glad to help with mentoring others but decorum had rarely been her style.

"I will be here for a few weeks. They even managed to convince me to take up some of the available quarters in the living area."

On shorter trips, she had stayed aboard her ship, her home for most of the past decade.

"How have you been doing?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

How she'd been doing was a strange thing to think about. She spent a fair amount of time with Xan, she tried to stay as focused on her studies as much as possible, and there were at least a few of the other padawans around that she could call friends. She still missed Wyl though, and sometimes she'd go out alone to sit in the woods and be by herself in those times. She did the same whenever she found herself missing her mother and the Major. The times that she did so with her fa- with Dan in mind however, had become much fewer. The first time she'd struck out alone to pine over him, she'd come to a heartbreaking realization.

He'd stopped being her father long before he'd died.

Now it was Zem. From the time that she and Markos had moved in with the Jedi Master, he had been attentive, helpful, patient, kind, thoughtful, even sometimes stern when she'd done something she wasn't necessarily supposed to do. He had stepped into the fatherly role as though it was a natural extension of who he was. She could still remember when he'd professed to not knowing how to be as such (since he'd not known one himself), but Teagan found herself seeing him as more of a father than Dan had ever been. It took time of course, as all things did.

The girl blinked, suddenly brought back into the here and now. She was aware that a healthy pause rested in the air between them, as Master Beltrak was still waiting for an answer.

"Oh, well, you know. Just a bunch of reading and studies. And training."

'Training'. That was an understatement.

There was always meditations, Jedi histories, learning about the Pillars, about the saber styles, and more meditation. About the only thing that Teagan felt eager to engage fully in were the history lessons - which would explain why she was at the old Jedi Library now, reading about the disaster that befell it and the old Jedi on Ossus when the Cron Cluster Supernova happened.

"Learning about the library," she gestured with her free hand to the dauntingly large front edifice carved into the mountainside.

Another silence as her mind raced to try and find something worthwhile to say. She stood, gangly and awkward. She'd been going through a growth spurt, and now was a good few inches taller than her own mother.

"So, um. Yeah. Normal boring stuff. Probably not as fun as whatever you've been doing off-world."

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkai didn't rush Teagan for an answer. She had asked the question out of genuine care and curiosity. As they stood in silence for a moment, she was amused how yet again, she happened to be the short one. It had been a common occurrence in her life; but the feisty Jedi master had never let her lack of height get in her way. And looking like she posed no threat had also come in handy on multiple occasions.

"Training, mmm? It still seems so foreign how you have organized training and classes here. That's so... Different."

It wasn't a bad thing at all; but she had been traveling most of her time with her late mentor. The lessons were ensconced while in hyperspace, as well as during many visits to other planets. She had loved how it had been part of her life without formality. It had been challenging more often than not but it was how one grew .

"You didn't seem bored when I saw you engrossed in whatever you were reading."

She quirked a brow as she looked up at the padawan. Also, being at the Jedi enclave meant she was okay with "boring" for a while, even though she welcomed the breaks now that she was certain of her liberty to come and go as she pleased.

"Is there anything I can help you with while I'm on Ossus?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The notion that Master Beltrak saw organized training - the way Teagan herself had only known - as foreign, was strange. But, she wasn't ab out to bring up that fact in the time being, since the question asked caused the girl to look down at the datapad she still held tightly.

"Oh, well."

And it was true, reading about the history of Ossus and the ancient Jedi there was fascinating.

"I was just reading about what happened on Ossus way back when. During the supernova."

Some of her classmates seemed less than excited to learn about those old times, and only looked forward to whatever grand acts they might perform. But for her, the old times was a call that she couldn't help but heed.

She thumbed the 'pad back on, keying it to where she'd left off.

"I was just getting to where Master Ood Bnar was about to do... something. With the shockwaves of the supernova coming to Ossus, he didn't have much time, so he got his lightsaber collection."

She had no idea what happened after that, as that was when Master Beltrak had arrived.

"Did you ever learn about Ossus when you were a Padawan?"

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia perked up as Teagan talked about what she had been studying. While she was no historian, she had always found it interesting to learn more about the history of the Jedi. She kind of knew she should make use of her time on Ossus to do some research at the Great Library; but she had generally been helping with some mentoring. She could hear her late mentor chiding her about being more of an action person than sitting and reading type, in her mind. Maybe that was why the Force had nudged her towards the padawan.

"That sounds like something I should know about," she replied with a self-deprecating chuckle.

She shook her head at Teagan's question.

"Natalia Sal-Koron, my late Master, used to tell me lots of story about her upbringing at the temple on Coruscant, as well as tales of the Corellian Jedi from centuries ago. She was a gifted storyteller, and she had a knack for remembering lots of details. But she didn't say much about Ossus."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

"Oh."

Not quite the answer she was hoping for, it was still an answer that held more questions. Which strangely made it the more preferred response.

Tucking her datapad under her arm (she'd seen her mother do the same motion many times before, and it always looked so official), Teagan started up the grand stairs that led up to the yawning main entrance of the library.

"My mother told me a little bit of what it was like for her at the Temple on Coruscant, but to hear her talk about it she didn't seem like a very popular person."

The girl's interest had been piqued though, and the thought of possibly hearing about other sorts of stories about the Jedi of years past was too good of a chance to pass up.

"What sort of stories did your master tell you?"

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia walked by Teagan's side and listened to what the padawan shared about her mother and her experience at the Coruscant temple. The redhead had heard different stories about that place but she was happy she had learned during travels, even though it had meant living in a galaxy that didn't look upon her kind with great kindness. Having grown up on Nar Shaddaa, the petite Jedi knew that the world they lived in was complex and held as much darkness as light, with a whole lot of grey-ness in between what was often presented as a tale of opposites.

"Master Natalia got into trouble multiple times when she was raised and trained at the temple on Coruscant. She was a fierce Corellian and still believed that the way the Green Jedi had done things - including with allowing intimate relationships and marriage - was a good thing. She had only taught a few classes when she found me years after surviving the purge, but her experience as a survivor and her views made us a good fit."

She was happy that her late mentor had died of old age instead of murder; but she still missed her sometimes.

"She loved telling everyday stories of life at the temple. Lots of anecdotes rather than grand tales; but I liked those better. It also helped me stay grounded and in touch with reality."

She chuckled at some memories passing through her mind. "Granted, I loved seeing her talk about the Green Jedi tales. Those were the bigger than life stories she loved sharing, and she was a gifted narrator."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Green Jedi? That was a strange term, if it didn't directly refer to Jedi who were - you know - green. But, the way that Master Beltrak spoke and the tone of her voice... it was a fair bet that the color of skin was not the reason for the name.

Cresting the last step, the young Lupine couldn't help but turn her gaze from the magnificent library doors to look at Master Beltrak.

"That sounds lovely, to have a master who was so good at telling stories," she mused. It really gave her a sense of how diverse the Jedi were, and that wherever there were narrators and storytellers, there were warriors and healers.

Zem was good at telling stories, but her mother was hit-or-miss. Usually when it came to her time at the Temple, the elder Lupine was dry and uninteresting.

Of course it wasn't but a few moments before the girl dove into the true object of her curiosity.

"What... what do you mean when you say Green Jedi?"

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia didn't have a strong interest in architecture and older sites; but she loved the aesthetic of the Great Library. Having been trained on the go made her appreciate how important having a repository for knowledge was. And more work was always ongoing besides the studies many members of the Order conducted. It was peaceful, encapsulating living history in its walls and hundreds of shelves.

She nodded to Teagan's remark about her late master's storytelling talents.

"It was. She is one with the Force now, but if I still myself enough I can still hear her voice weaving tales and history."

Natalia Sal-Koron would have loved to see how the Enclave had grown in the past years. Maybe she witnessed it from the great beyond, who knew?

She grinned at the padawan when the question about why Corellian Jedi were called the Green ones.

"This is how they refer to themselves due to the color of their robes. Where most favored beige and browns, or even greys, Corellian Jedi were known for their green garbs."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

It made sense. Jedi that preferred green robes to the normal brown robes would of course be call 'Green Jedi'.

"That makes sense," she murmured as the two approached the grand arching entrance and the impossibly large doors that would lead into the library.

"So then, it's just because they wear green robes."

It was a probing statement, since surely the color of clothes - while obvious - couldn't be the only reason.

The great and ancient doors groaned at their approach, letting out echoes of ancient wood and power as they opened before them. It was always a stunning thing to see, and the young Lupine couldn't help but wonder just what her mother would say to such a sight. Loklorien s'Ilancy was always so... strange when it came to things of this nature.

Stepping past the threshold, Teagan looked to the side and up, at Master Beltrak.

"Did your master ever... " for a moment she hesitated, trying to think of the best words to use. When Basic wasn't your first language, or even your second, sometimes things came with a bit of difficulty.

"... Did she ever turn your question back to you?"

It was a strange sentence she realized, as soon as she'd spoken it.

"I mean, if you asked a question, did she answer plainly or did she give you another question that made you frustrated?"

[Satkia Beltrak]

"At first glance yes, although green is an important color for Corellians. Their wedding attires, especially gowns, were traditionally green too. Given the significance of the Jedi commitment, it made sense for them to favor green as the color of their robes."

Satkia had only been to Corellia once or twice with her late Master and they had to keep a low profile given what they were.

"I was able to be at a local festival in one of its mountain regions many years ago. There definitely was a lot of green during that time too," she mused, memories playing before her mind's eye.

The Great Library was a far cry from where she had grown up on Nar Shaddaa. She still was a rather urban kind of woman, but she had learned to appreciate other places, and outdoors, as well as more historical and quiet sites could bring her joy and also peace at times.

Teagan's next question had her burst out in laughter. She cleared her throat after catching a couple of stares from people in the library.

"A mix of both, but more of the latter. We could drive each other quite crazy at times; and I have always asked too many questions by some people' standards. Master Natalia was set on making sure I thought for myself as much as possible, which always meant a lot to me, even when it frustrated me because I wanted a straight up answer."

She quirked a brow at the padawan.

"What about your mentor?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

"I've... well... "

The girl trailed off as she cut her eyes to the side, staring away from Master Beltrak.

"I've had a few Masters," she mumbled, "... but both are off-world right now doing other things, and since I need to stay here on Ossus, I can't really go with them."

It was a strange arrangement, but one that her mother seemed strangely insistent on.

"My Dama... she doesn't really want me leaving the planet right now, since she says it's not safe for me. So that means I gotta stay here."

Letting out a long, pent-up breath then, Teagan gave a strange sort of helpless shrug.

"I think that it has something to do with her being in the Alliance."

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia was surprised that Teagan had to stay on Ossus; but she had grown up on Nar Shaddaa where she and her late twin had run into trouble at times and also learned when to avoid the more dangerous kind. Many hated her home world but she still was fond of this hell hole because it had taught her a lot and there was a weird freedom when you knew how to handle yourself.

"A few masters?"

That was vastly different from her own training. "I guess it makes sense as you're at the Enclave and many Jedi are here. Learning while keeping a low profile and traveling still has me a bit baffled by being here."

She shrugged, smirking a little. "I never thought I'd see so many Jedi in one place. I mean it's good it exists but it's a bit unsettling for me."

Tilting her head to the side, she looked at the teenager. "So, what kind of adventures do you get to do on Ossus then? You can't really just be around the temple all the time, right?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The girl was quick to shake her head.

"Oh no, I don't always spend my time here. I spend a lot of my time at home studying and doing the assigned work from my classes after they're done."

She didn't mention her persistent avoidance of the sparring rings. To this day she just... she just had no interest in any of the martial arts that the Jedi employed.

"I like to read about all of the different places that other Jedi have gone, and my Da... Master Vymes... he tells me lots of stories about all the places he's been."

And it was the utter truth. It was also a sobering truth as well. She had gone from a little girl that traveled all over the known galaxy to a young woman relegated to a single planet. In that moment, it was a though that sat poorly in her thoughts. It was a realization; that maybe her mother's lingering fear of... things... was what kept her here? Was it even warranted?

"I used to travel a lot though, before coming here," she tried to offer in compensation, "... my Mother and I used to live on a ship and we went to a lot of other planets."

[Satkia Beltrak]

As she listened to Teagan, Satkia thought she really must have been the hellion many thought she was when she was younger - even though some would argue that even as a "respectable" Jedi Master, she was still a pain in the ass getting into trouble oh so easily. It wasn't that she wasn't a hard worker; but she had never been a huge book worm. She had always been hands on, and she marveled at anyone's patience to spend hours studying texts.

"You are quite the reader. I bet you'd put some of my knowledge to shame," she replied with a warm smile.

"What about practical classes? How do you like them?"

She grinned at the mention of Master Vymes - whom she had only met in passing, and his travel stories. She quirked a brow at the teenager's mention of former travels with her mother.

"What are some of your favorite destinations you went to? It's still a bit weird for me to stay in one place after having spent so many years traveling with my late master or on my own."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Master Beltrak's last question gave her pause, and Teagan looked thoughtful for a few moments before slowly finding her voice.

"I really liked Cloud City when I was there. It wasn't for very long though. The Empire found us, and so we had to leave really quickly."

Another bit of thinking, and the girl couldn't help the wistful look on her face.

"After that the Jedi all went to live on a fleet of ships called The Wheel. I was living with my mom and real dad during then, and really only visited. But I remember really liking the times that I was there. My best friend and I used to have the best adventures there, on the Whaladon. There's this one time... "

She couldn't help herself - it was one of her favorite memories, and with happy eyes and a wide smile, the young Lupine regaled Master Beltrak with the time she and Wyl had terrorized Loki so thoroughly... (https://theholo.net/forum/showthread.php?21765-This-Message-Will-Self-Destruct&highlight=Teagan)

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia had only been once to the Bespin system, pretty much in passing, as it was during her time traveling with her late master.

"Depending what you liked on Cloud City, you may enjoy some parts of Nar Shaddaa," she pondered with a pensive look in her eyes.

Her smile turned mischievous. "Many people on share horrible stories about my home world, but there are some good people and interesting places there." She had many great memories there no matter what horrors had also happened. Pain and suffering had occurred everywhere across the galaxy and finding the good and the hidden gems made life worthwhile to her.

She listened with rapt interest when Teagan talked about the Wheel. She hadn't been there during that time. Hell, the only reason why she had sought the Order was because she had promised to do that to a dying Natalia and she might be a rebellious pain in the ass but she still honored her promises.

The redhead chuckled at what the Lupine shared about that one episode a few years ago. "I'll have to share some of the antics my late sister and I did when we were young. My twin... Sarya, I'd say she was worse than me but I know enough people who'd say I was the handful."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

For a moment, the girl looked off into the distance, wondering what sort of trouble Master Beltrak could've possibly gotten into.

"I have a younger brother... he's still a baby, though."

Of course, the notion that Master Beltrak had a sibling - and a twin at that! - was enough to bring her back.

"I heard my mom tell a story once, about how Master Skywalker had twins. She also told me that there's different kinds of twins. Some look like each other, and others don't. Did you and your sister look the same?"

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia debated asking Teagan about her baby brother, but the expression in the teenager's eyes made her decide against it for the time being.

The redhead nodded at the mention of Master Skywalker's twins. She had heard about it once too, and she grinned at the question regarding her late sister. It was also ironic that her partner was also a twin. While Dorian and her had had different relationships with their siblings, and his was still alive, it was still something they could relate to, in their sometimes own messed up way.

"Sarya and I looked the same."

She pulled a small datapad from one of her pockets, and searched through some old pictures, and then showed Teagan a few of two identical redheads from ages 5 to 15. Of course, she could tell the difference, but many people couldn't.

"We joked that when we illegally got our first tattoos at fourteen, it was to help people tell us apart. It still got us into trouble, but it was worth it."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Tattoo? What was that??

There were still a few gaps in her grasp of Basic and what some words meant, and the young Lupine hesitated for a moment as she tried to suss out what that particular word - tattoo - meant.

A few moments passed, and she finally gave up trying to understand.

With a studious look etched on her features, she asked the next logical question.

"What's a tattoo?"

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia quirked a brow at the girl's expression. She wondered what she had said that might have puzzled Teagan, but she simply waited to know what was up. While she was known to run her mouth like the freaking Kessel Run, her late master had nevertheless taught her some patience. The redhead swore she could hear a faint chuckle in the Force, and she knew it had to be her mentor's spirit.

"Oh," she responded when the teenager asked her what a tattoo was.

Without hesitation, the petite Jedi rolled up her sleeve and revealed an intricate design (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8c/5e/1d/8c5e1d8c44e2c44b912542685f7c2581.jpg) that started on her wrist all the way up her forearm.

"My very first tattoo was the central gem, and I had another artist expand on it years later."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

A tattoo... so then, it was a form of art that was imprinted on the skin? She would have to carefully ask Zem about the practice, though not anytime soon.

Instead, the girl stared at the intricate design with a healthy amount of interest and awe. It was so detailed and beautiful!

"It's so pretty... " she finally managed to whisper out.

And with a suddenly questioning look, her eyes returned to Master Beltrak's.

"Did it hurt?"

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia smiled fondly at Teagan's interest and appreciation. The redhead loved all the ink on her body and it had brought her a sense of comfort over the years, whether the designs had been a spur of the moment thing or a way to honor certain important people in her life.

The teenager's question about the pain was a common one. The petite Master shrugged. "Some others I have hurt a bit more due to the placement on my body, but not this one. The sensations of the needles can be unexpectedly calming. My late master used to tease me that if I was even half as good as sitting meditation as staying still while getting a new tattoo, it would have made her life easier."

She chuckled, remembering Natalia's immense patience with her, especially during her early years as a padawan.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Passing through the ornate arching doorway that would lead into the library, Teagan thought about what Master Beltrak had said. It was strange - she'd heard her own mother say somewhat the same sorts of things, about what it was like with her own master back on Coruscant and the Jedi Temple there.

Now out of the direct sunlight, the young Lupine's eyes took a bare second to adjust. It wasn't a drastic change, but it was always different going from natural light to the illumination provided be glowpanels. The brightness was certainly there, but it was just... different somehow. The foyer of the old library structure was always a lovely place, with murals of carvings carefully excavated and cleaned. The care to preservation had been the best, and Teagan always enjoyed spending a few minutes just staring at the old artistry. Tales in illustration, etched into stone and with enough detail to arrest any passer-by. It was like reading one of her mother's old family tomes, only there were no words; only pictures.

"I think," she finally mused, her eyes traveling over the carvings and their depictions, "... that if I got one, I would want it to be a story."

Stopping before her favorite part, the young Lupine sidled up to reach out and run her fingertips across the indented lines and old, chipped paint that'd been clear-coated to keep it from flaking off any further.

"I dunno what sort of story it would be, but I think it should be a story."