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The ride from D'Qar to Ilum wasn't a long one, barely lasting a week thanks to hyperspeed. Still, Sildarg couldn't help but feel nervous. Her leg bounced quietly under her Jedi robes as she recalled the last time she was in a ship that moved this fast. Even after this much time living among other Jedi apprentices, far from Korriban and Hadrig's teachings, Sildarg couldn't help but feel antsy about the idea of setting foot in a Jedi temple. Her eyes flicked to one apprentice after the other, trying to determine if they felt nervous this themselves. If they did, no one said it out loud. These people just weirded her out, some of them were former rebels, that one guy over there looked blind but didn't [i]act[/i] like it, and no one was outwardly making digs at each other. Sildarg still didn't feel like she could trust them beyond not stabbing her while she was asleep, but every passing day slowly reinforced that it was possible.

They finally touched down, and Sildarg had a feeling this day was about to get inconvenient. It was [i]snowing.[/i] She wasn't a fan of snow. Once the door opened, Sildarg felt the frigid wind cut through every layer she had, and she was still the second to step out, eager to get indoors again. Jedi were supposed to be connected to the Force in every way. The Force flowed through all things, it [i]was[/i] all things. It was the weave which every soul was connected to, the river of the universe. And yet, right now, Sildarg didn’t feel anything but cold. She impatiently shuffled inward towards the temple, which didn’t feel a lot warmer.

[color=red]”Great, my arm’s cinching up now”[/color] Sildarg said, frustrated at how the cold make her shoulder ache. [color=red]”Seriously, whose idea was it to build this place in a frozen [i]wastela-“[/i][/color]

The words were taken out of her mouth when Sildarg stepped into the circular chamber where everyone had gathered. It looked ancient, but it felt… Different. The statutes of former masters, the unmoving, unfeeling atmosphere that made every footstep sound like thunder, it all felt peaceful. There was something here, something that could be neither seen nor touched, but could be felt. It was the Force, and it was strong here.

But it felt wrong.

Sildarg was used to a strong feeling of the Force, but not this one. Back on Korriban, the Force was a sinister feeling of dread that crept up the spine and leaned over the shoulder. Here on Ilum, the Force was stasis. It was empty silence, not because there was nothing there, but because the very air recognized the presence of something greater. Sildarg felt anxious in the wake of that presence, as if the statues could see into her heart and kill her on the spot. She felt like an intruder, a heretic on holy ground who failed to blend in. 

Vulnerable.

Sildarg paid attention to the quick words of the masters. Master Aerros gave them a break, which was nice. Master Reni was talking to Toryn, and Airus didn’t seek to be bothering her or Mala. Sildarg considered bugging Mala, but she wasn’t confident she could mask the trepidation she felt from being in a place she had a reason to be in. But distractions helped, so she decided to approach her master.


[color=red]”This place feels different,”[/color] she said, addressing Master Mala and keeping her voice down so it wouldn’t echo. [color=red]”It’s the Force, right? It’s not like D’Qar. D’Qar felt quieter.”[/color]