The Quiet Shone

[Li Fenn]

The roar of a small passenger ship was sounded in the distance to shatter the moon's quiet tranquility as it lifted back up from the surface, its few disembarked travellers left seemingly alone to bask in the harmony of the early morning haze. Among these travellers was one Li Fenn. The Force was not something Li was new to, having descended from a number of great Force users. Something he was shameful for, however, was the nature of his ancestry, for much of his ancient family had dabbled with the Dark Side, including that of his own father. But Li had defied his father's desires for him to join the Sith or Dark Jedi, instead wishing to serve as opposed to conquer, but he could not shake the demons that plagued him and his family. Yet one could not deny how deep the Force ran in his blood.

It was to Li's surprise that the rest of the visitors were only here to hike the great mountains of the moon, and had no interest in the Jedi. Li, however, had his own desires. All was quiet as Yavin's dawn leaked in through the open doors of the Jedi temple into the Great Hall, the newly disturbed early morning dust reflecting the sun's growing light in such a way that caused light-streams to pour onto its floor. Li was silent with the room, and alone he stood, undirected and calm.

[Nafrayo]

A new day was beginning on Yavin IIIV. The sun just started to rise, it´s bright and comforting light already touching the roof of the Jedi Temple. Nafrayo, Jedi Guardian, had made it a habit to get up even before the break of dawn. He would go to meditate outside, no matter the temperature or weather, and wait for the first daylight to reach him...

Firmly rooted beside the entrance to the Great Hall, the Neti had resumed his more natural form of a tree. Currently standing an imposing 9 meters tall, he enjoyed to expose himself to the nourishing light on a clear day like this... which were somewhat rare on such an overall cold planet. Yet, to Nafrayo, it wasn´t just a way to greet a new day. As a plant, the light was vital for him... just like food was for most other beings.

The Guardian was aware of the hopefuls approach of the Temple. Watching the young human walk up the stairs and into the Hall, he decided to greet the newcomer, as no other Jedi were nearby right now. Though he remained unmoving, just as one would expect from a tree, he decided to sent a message to Li through the Force. Even if he couldn´t reply the same way yet, the potential student should at least be able to hear it...

~Greetings. And welcome, young one. I assume it is the Jedi you´ve come to see? If so, feel free to meet me outside...~, he invited him gently. Though if Li did so, he wouldn´t see any person standing there, but just a tree...

[Li Fenn]

The voice that echoed in his mind would have been a surprise to him, had the Force not run so heavily in his blood. For a moment, memories of his father causing his cruel criticism of him to ring in his mind came flooding back, and it was as though they were back on Dantooine. But he knew this was different. Turning, he exited the temple once more, and it came to no surprise to him that there was some sort of initiation to come, particularly considering the ambiguous introduction passed his way, with not a soul to meet him.

[Nafrayo]

Nafrayo couldn´t know how the human would react to him, if he was to reveal himself as a mobile, tree-like creature just yet. It wasn´t his intention to startle the newcomer or scare him away. Since Li returned outside a moment later, it became obvious the message was heard. That was all that mattered right now.

~Come and sit near the tree...~, the voiced echoed in the young men´s mind once more.
~And do not worry. For I will reveal myself, once the time is right. Now... please tell me about your journeys, your adventures. And what it is you hope to find here?~

[Li Fenn]

The voice continued to echo in his head, and he allowed it to as best he could, though it partially felt a little intrusive, not to mention overly ambiguous and theatrical. Regardless, he did as the voice asked, for he would not fritter away his chances of a better fate than the rest of his family. Sitting cross-legged beside the large tree that stood still, silent and brooding, he felt slightly uncomfortable speaking out towards what felt like nothing to him, yet he did so, no matter how much on the verge of ridiculousness it pushed.
"I am Li Fenn, only son and heir to the Fenn dynasty of Dantooine." His voice was calm, soft-spoken and elegant, such was the way he was brought up to speak almost as a minor noble. "My family's history is steeped in the Force, but not with inclination towards the Jedi." He was hesitant to speak of the ancient history of his line, the distant ancestry of his blood from which he ran. His face soured. "I differed from them all, and I come now with hopes of bettering the galaxy through the actions spoken of the Jedi."
He had within him a determination that burned bright, to wash away the sins of his blood and to forge a new and better destiny for himself, even if that made him a black sheep among his family. He cared not.

[Nafrayo]

The Neti watched Li curiously, relying on the Force for that, as he still remained motionless. To talk to another like this was a very practical way to communicate. Nafrayo wasn´t going to try and read his mind, that would not only be quite rude but a violation of his privacy. He noticed that Li was somewhat on edge and apparently feeling a bit uncomfortable. But the way he spoke, and his explanations regarding his family indicated he likely had enjoyed a well-educated and privileged upbringing. He seemed discontent with his families history though.

~So... you have heard of the Jedi... and thus you came here to become one, yes? But... have you ever met a Jedi in person? If your family has known of the Force, could you tell me what you know about it?~

[Li Fenn]

Discussion on his family set him uneasy, yet he knew that it was a necessity if he were to ever join the Jedi. The post-dawn blur that smothered the mountainous horizons around the temple were enjoyable to set eyes on, and Li found a comfort on this planet that he never had anywhere else, lest of all Dantooine where the pressure of his family was ever present. Li closed his eyes as the voice returned to ask him further questions on his family. He took his time responding.
"I have not met a Jedi before, no, but I know well of the Force. I understand that it is the energy that binds, steers and drives all things in existence, and that practitioners of it use their abilities to alter the Force in certain ways in order to achieve certain goals. My family... We descend from a long line of Tund Sorcerers, ancient practitioners of the Dark Side. My father is obsessed with this lineage, but I am not so proud of it or the things my family boasts to have done. In truth, I am ashamed to have the blood of such men, and so I chose to disobey my father and come here." His brow furrowed as he thought more of his family. His father, he held no desire to see anytime soon, but his mother he loved, and he left her with few parting words. But his sister, he missed most of all...

[Nafrayo]

The young noble had a basic knowledge on the Force. And his words confirmed what Nafrayo had expected. The Dark Side was running strong in this man´s family. And yet he came to seek the path of the light.

~You cannot choose the root from which you grow. Still, you can choose another path to walk for yourself. I´m curious. What would you think are the ideal qualities needed, to become a Jedi and follow the Light?~ The tall Guardian moved a little, his body creaking and rattling as the upper part seemend to turn and bend a bit. The branches moved slightly.

[Li Fenn]

Li's attention to the mountains beyond were averted as the tree beside him twitched gently. He inspected the curiosity of its movement for a short while but took little more heed of any peculiarity it may have held, instead returning his attention to the questions at hand. It was a challenging question to be sure, for he had been raised in an environment heavily biased against the Jedi and their beliefs. And so he strove to adapt his knowledge from such bias inclinations and general opinion towards a more informed notion.
"They... strive to protect those in need and maintain equilibrium. Those who follow the Dark Side are followed by discord and unbalance, and so a Jedi must strive to prevent that from happening."

[Nafrayo]

~Yes, we protect. We do not use our gifts in the Force to harm or destroy, but to serve and to heal...~

Turning his trunk around more, Nafrayo eventually choose to reveal himself to the newcomer. He began to transform his body into a more humanoid, but still rather tall shape. Vine-like tendrils started to move, forming arms and legs, and the head revealed green eyes looking down at Li. A gentle smile appeared on the aliens face.

"We stand against the Dark... Are you really sure you have the commitment to train for a life like this? There are no rewards, no wealth to be gained, other than to help those in need... and not use the power granted by the Force to merely satisfy your own needs and desires...", the Neti continued in a clear, deep voice, speaking just as gentle as before in the young man´s mind.

"I didn´t want to startle you... I´m Guardian Nafrayo", he introduced himself. Pulling the roots from the frozen ground, the Neti bent down in front of the young human, watching him curiously.

[Li Fenn]

Li sat silent for the longest time as the tree beside him grew into a sentient being. It took a few moments for the young man to recognise the creature's species, but it was not alien enough to him to not recognise a smile when one was put his way, and in turn he gave a small smile back.
"No, you didn't startle me. I have just never met a Neti in person, but I know of your people." He turned his attention back to the questions he posed him. "I understand that there is no reward with service as a Jedi, and I don't want any reward. I can't stand the selfishness of the Dark Side, the corruption it causes. I've seen it grow inside my father like a festering wound, and now he cannot see what he has become. The... darkness has him." He took a moment to breathe heavily. "I do not wish to become that. I have no interest in reward, no interest in gratitude, no interest in wealth. I want the chance to help the galaxy."

[Nafrayo]

Keeping a calm gaze on the young human in front of him, Nafrayo eventually nodded slightly at the answer he gave. He´d been forced to watch his father fall to the dark... and now the son was seeking the light instead. Perhaps there was a spark of hope in Li that, once he was a Jedi, he could possibly help his father return from the path he was walking now. But only the future would tell if such an endeavor could be successful.

"If you wish to help others, this option is now presented to you... I welcome you into the Jedi Order, Padawan Li Fenn...", the Guardian proclaimed in a serene tone, but a moment later, the smile returned as he gently placed his hand on Li´s shoulder. He was surprised and pleased the young man displayed such determination. Hearing that he knew of his race also rekindled the spark of hope to one day be reunited with his kind... some Neti had to still live out there. Somewhere. But this was for another time.

"I hope that you will find what you came here for... and walk the path that is meant for you. Now... I will take you to your quarter to settle in and rest...", he said to Li, pulling the roots out of the ground to return with him to the temple. He changed his body while they walked, shrinking in size to a mere 2.4 meters. Nafrayo had left his robe at the entrance, now picking it up and searching through the number of pockets.

"Ah... here it is... this will help you on the way."

Eventually, he pulled out a datapad he handed over to Li. It contained all required informations, a map, and instructions for the new Padawan.

[Li Fenn]

The young man bowed humbly to the Jedi in deep gratitude to his welcoming. He admitted to himself that he had been nervous this day, for he knew he could not mess up this single opportunity he was to have, and yet here he was now a Jedi Padawan himself. He smiled warmly to himself in anticipation of what was to come from this point on, to what he would learn, to who he would meet and to where he would go.
"I thank you wholly, Guardian Nafrayo."