Mediation, Meditation, Inspiration for Itineration [Open]

[jedimacguyver.livejournal.com]

Obi-Wan had done as he ought, he'd done what he could and then retired from the field. Too many hands for that pot, and not a one of them with as little sense. Still he was weary from his injury and his healing, and after a strange dream-addled sleep, what was needed most was perspective. The church was crowded, the city was an uncertain mess, and there was little enough peace to be had in the barracks— the Jedi had retired to the oft-praised sensoriums to look for a place of quiet. And he'd found in his choice of setting nothing less than what was unmistakably a Jedi Temple.

Oh, it wasn't the Temple, but the architectural style, the general layout were similar, all rounded, organics shapes an living stone. It resonated with him and so he found a cushion and a comfortable, bright lace where little but warm moist breezes and quiet birdsong reached him and began the quiet, measured breaths that were a prelude to the less combat-oriented meditation styles. Comforting quite, peacegiving pulse of the living Force in his very veins...if introspection were not so disquieting, they would have given greater balance. Obi-Wan sighed and began again. Anakin and Luke would know where to find him, when they were ready— and at least one of them deserved the lecture he'd be getting, and knew it.

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[restoresbalance.livejournal.com]

It was like a bright light in the ether, a star shining through a nebula. Stirred out of a contemplative mood, Luke unfolded himself from the squishy adipose couch and followed its glow, letting the Force tug him along until he stood before a Sensorium door. After only a moment's hesitation, the Skywalker stepped through, into a place full of peace.

He smiled, wandering the corridors for a bit. After everything that had happened lately, a little inner tranquility helped Luke find his center again, let the Force run through him freely rather than sticking in its flow.

And then he came across Obi-Wan.

The master looked calm, meditating in the warm light with the sweet scent of plants and life around them both. Not wanting to disturb his concentration, but knowing he'd been guided here for a reason, Luke hovered back a short distance, waiting for the other to call him forward.

[jedimacguyver.livejournal.com]

A slight tick in his concentration, the pressure of a springwell of power in the force. It wouldn't even have disturbed him, if it weren't that it was a change, however slight, in the directional flow. Luke Skywalker was very strong in the Force, and to anyone trained in it's arts, he'd never be a subtle presence.

For a few quiet moments, Obi-Wan maintained his relaxed, straight-backed pose, hands folded peacefully in his lap, and considered simply letting it go. But no, there was no point in dithering, and the other master had been standing there for nearly five minutes, already. Obi-Wan decided not to lean on subtlety, for now.

"He's your father, isn't he." Obi-Wan asked, softly, without opening his eyes. It wasn't a question.

[restoresbalance.livejournal.com]

Some part of him had been expecting this question. It was very difficult for Jedi to keep secrets from each other for very long (although his father had proved rather well that it was possible) and when they'd all been so open to each other during Arha's healing of Obi-Wan, it wasn't exactly a long stretch to think that that little tidbit had washed out with the wave.

He turned, the sound of his feet shuffling muffled slightly, and looked at the man who would be his first master. Or was. Or had been. Whichever.

"He is," Luke said simply. It felt good to speak of this with Obi-Wan. "What gave it away, beyond the last name?"

[jedimacguyver.livejournal.com]

Quiet acceptance...why was it that this Skywalker was so very different from the other? Ben would have liked to train Luke. He had a way about him, a surety that this was his right path in life. Every padawan has their challenges, but Obi-Wan was generally a good judge of character, and he thought that Luke must have been a pleasure to teach.

"You resemble each other very strongly," Obi-Wan replied without moving, "And come to think of it, your mother as well. I'm not sure why I didn't see it, before."

[restoresbalance.livejournal.com]

Luke smiled, padding the rest of the way over near-silently to drop into a meditative pose next to him. "Probably because we weren't in the same place in front of you before," he said simply. "From what I understand, Father kept it very secret."

And it had been his downfall. Luke thought of all the Jedi at home who now had spouses, families. It might not always be the best choice, but keeping secrets like that had only led to turmoil and bloodshed and the near eradication of the Order. Luke wouldn't let it happen again, despite that family disagreements within the Skywalker-Solo clan of Jedi tended to lead to interplanetary disputes.

"Leia--my twin sister--resembles our mother more," he said. "In appearance and the fact that she's twice the diplomat of anyone in the Galactic Alliance now."

[ignitethestars.livejournal.com]

Anakin didn't really go to meditate. He had just found a spot to pace back and forth for awhile as he tried to think of what he could do. He still lacked answers, and he would need to talk to Luke again. But first he needed to find out exactly what it was Obi-Wan knew. If he could find that out he could better formulate stories and information around what he wanted his master to know and thus keep his secret safe.

However, there was a part of him who just wanted to get it all out. The part that stopped caring. That was disgusted by hiding the truth.

He would, however, keep that part at bay.

Seeking out Obi-Wan, he knew the Force would lead him to his former master. But he was almost hesitant to approach. But Anakin was not one to ever show fear, so he walked in. He shoved his emotions aside for now and tried to focus on his task at hand.

"Master...?"

At first his voice was softer, but as he approached he forced himself to smirk a little bit. If he fell back into the game, so would Obi-Wan, at least he hoped. "I should have known you would be here. You're always meditating." It didn't seem to matter to Anakin if he was disturbing him or not. He was known to just interrupt things when he wanted to, so this was far from a first for him.

He shifted his gaze to the surroundings for a moment as he took the whole area in.

"Are you feeling better?" He finally asked as his eyes shot back to Obi-Wan. It was best to start out with pleasantries, just as nothing was wrong.

[jedimacguyver.livejournal.com]

Obi-Wan was not in the mood for games, not today. He could feel the turmoil in Anakin from the entire distance of the ship— and might have been able to do so from Coruscant, for all he knew. It wouldn't be the first time. Nor would this, the cheeky way his former padawan interrupted his quiet meditation as if he hadn't a care in the world. He knew better than that.

"I noticed something, recently," he began, wishing almost that he could simply laugh it off, then frowned and shook his head. Obi-Wan began again, this time with open eyes, and he turned to pin Anakin where he stood with a piercing stare, "It was Padmé, wasn't it?"

[ignitethestars.livejournal.com]

Anakin was expecting a lecture about him running off in anger. He was not, however, expecting that. He literally froze for a mere few seconds, his gaze locked upon Obi-Wan's own. His thoughts twisted and turned, quickly trying to formulate an answer, an excuse, something.

"What? You're not making any sense, Master." He began, his outer expression was nothing but calm, though inwardly it was a raging storm. "The senator isn't even here. I don't know why you would bring her up, or even what you are talking about."

He causally broke off their locked stare and started to move around the room. He didn't even bother looking at Obi-Wan anymore. It was taking all of his will power to stop himself from radiating a fit of simple panic.

"Look, I know you're going to lecture me for my actions earlier. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I just -- I let things go to my head. I wasn't thinking straight. It was reckless, I know. And I'll try to do better." If all else fails, change the subject.

[jedimacguyver.livejournal.com]

"I know," Obi-Wan acknowledged his apology with a deceptive mildness, "You do always try, and for that you are not given enough credit. To be honest, Anakin, I don't know what's gotten into you, lately. You should have been down there with me, not off arguing about— I don't even care what. Your actions have been erratic, driven by anger and frustration, poorly thought out— even by your own standards."

He paused, this wasn't what he wanted to talk about. This wasn't the topic at hand, this was tangential— a symptom, if not of Anakin's attachment, then of the stress it brought on him. Obi-Wan took a deep breath to calm himself down and recentered, "Now, I always knew you and Padmé were attracted to each other, but I didn't know how far it had gotten. And don't you dare deny it!"

With decisive hand-motion he cut off whatever Anakin had been about to say. Quietly, Ben continued, "I'm Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, I've trained you since you were nine, and I know you, Anakin Skywalker. We're...we're practically brothers, why did you feel the need to hide this from me?"

[ignitethestars.livejournal.com]

Anakin turned sharply. Obi-Wan had struck a nerve. Couldn't Obi-Wan understand why he needed to hide it? Why he couldn't tell anyone? It was in that moment that something snapped inside Anakin. His expression grew dark. If Obi-Wan wanted to hear the truth, so be it.

"Why? You dare ask me why?" He approached slightly. "You would have gone to them. You would have had me thrown out of the order. You pretend to care about my feelings, but you don't. All the lectures, all the the times you knocked me down, never once have you simply tried to understand me!"

He broke off his movement and paced to the side.

"You didn't have a family, you didn't know what it was like to lose mine."

It was clear that his anger was rising with every word he spoke.

"You know what? I don't care anymore. So what if I love her. Love isn't something that should be shunned. It should be celebrated! She is the only thing in my life that makes me happy. And you would take that from me. You wouldn't care, you would do what you thought was in your duty."

He paused for a moment, his eyes were almost ablaze.

"And I will not let you or anyone else tell me its wrong. You will not take her from me." And as Anakin paused to stare at his former master, it was clear that his words were very much a threat.

[ladyofthesands.livejournal.com]

Arha moved, slipping quietly along the corridors, her fingertips trailing against the wall for the minutest of support, until she wound up where she was supposed to be, though weary and shaky at best. She had risen because she was restless.

She had risen because someone else could not settle.

And she arrived as Obi-Wan let out a sigh.

[jedimacguyver.livejournal.com]

Obi-Wan sighed. He'd expected Anakin and Luke, but Arha? Unless he missed his mark in recognizing her life-signature— and how could he, after that experience— it was Arha. Did her curiosity know no bounds? For a handful of breaths he considered speaking, but decided it would be more pertinent to stay silent. If she had something to say, she'd say it. If she had nothing to say, she would either act, or she wouldn't.

[ladyofthesands.livejournal.com]

"Obi-Wan," she said quietly. "What troubles you the most?" She ducked to peer at him in a position that ought to have been awkward, but for her, was not. "Is it that Anakin possesses a child? Or is it something else?"

She was not teasing him in the least, not now and her blue-within-blue eyes were very serious. Arha considered everything that had transpired and made a soft sound.

"I will go if you wish me to do so," she offered.

[jedimacguyver.livejournal.com]

"It's not uncommon for a healthy Jedi to father a child," Obi-Wan replied, and if he was a little stiff over it, it was because this was not something you spoke of. It was simply something that happened. Jedi were people, not saints, and a night of weakness could be forgiven, even if it resulted in illegitimate children. More often those same children grew strong in the force and became excellent Jedi in their own right, "But what Anakin has done is...it clouds his judgement, and if there is anything Anakin Skywalker does not need it is more things that will make him act irrationally."

And that was true. But it wasn't what bothered Obi-Wan the most. Obi-Wan trusted Anakin with his life...more than that, Obi-Wan had trusted Anakin with his own career. Anakin had been there, when Siri Tachi had died. He'd Seen Obi-Wan's weakness. A word to the council of how very close Obi-Wan had come, and—

No, what bothered Obi-Wan was that he trusted Anakin implicitly, and as he had discovered: that trust was not returned.

"You may stay, if you like, Arha," He continued more softly, "If it is turmoil the Force sends me rather than peace, then so be it."

[ladyofthesands.livejournal.com]

Arha hrmphed softly. The little angry Jed-Eye had done well in provoking. That was the obvious thing. She was not Bene Gesserit for nothing and she caught the way the issue swirled about him. The Force itself revealed the way it tugged at him so. She had see this in another face, in another dream.

This was not to be so and she did not approve. Her eyes flicked to Obi-Wan's and she cupped his cheeks gently, pinning him with a frank, searching look as her palms warmed. Perhaps she was too close, but it mattered not.

"I am not here to cause you turmoil," Arha whispered very softly, her voice pitched soothingly. The energy, that of the desert, warm like the sands brushed out, mixing with the calm of the Force. There was only the subtlest hints of the Voice, a quiet prodding, the suggestion of complete freedom. "Let it go. This will not do. Anakin with his anger, Luke with his pain, you with your own pain. You forget. It is not supposed to be pain. That is death and sorrow and darkness."

She blinked up at him, her touch light against his cheeks.

"One day, you will let what cannot be changed go."

[worm-dancer.livejournal.com]

Sheeana's footsteps almost never made noise. She was often compared to a desert mouse that snuck in and out where it wished. Still, the Jed-eye might have been able to detect her by her life-signature, if not any clue to the senses.

She also preffered not to use the sensoriums for her own training. Reliance on thinking machines shifted the burden of thought away from you, paved the way for dangerous dependencies. She could not, however, stop others from using them. And when they did, it often revealed so much about them. Their aspirations and wishes lay bare in the choices of their architecture.

She was sillhouetted in the doorway in a little square of reality. The humidity on the breeze and the lack of quiet (all those singing birds and insects!) did not put her at ease but she could instantly tell that it did for the elder Jed-eye.

"The Posture of Calming. Returning to the roots of your teachings?" That was the Bene Gesserit name for it anyway, but it was essentially the same thing.

[jedimacguyver.livejournal.com]

"There's always room for the basics," Obi-Wan replied smoothly, neither turning nor opening his eyes. He'd felt her approach, and was not startled when she spoke— of if he was, he hid it well, "Too many get caught up in all the trappings and flourishes and forget that the root of their training is what gives the rest it's power."

[worm-dancer.livejournal.com]

"Very wise." She regarded him with a curious eye. "Do you wish to be left alone, Master Kenobi?"

[jedimacguyver.livejournal.com]

"Not necessarily," said Obi-Wan, smiling though he held his pose, "Do you wish to ask me any further questions? I can answer them."

[worm-dancer.livejournal.com]

Ah, good. He was in a talkative mood. She resolved to learn what she could from him...but also from the brooding one, Anakin.

A single well-asked question reveals far more than just its answer. That was a mentat rule Duncan often said aloud to himself. It seemed relevant here.

"What is a Jedi forbidden to do?" The first thing that came to mind. She was satisfied with the question.

[toariversodeep.livejournal.com]

Roxie has spent her time since all the trouble in the City died down--well, 'fuming' might be the right word, though she'd never let it show on her chill face. She may be a child, but she thinks herself as far more than that, and the basic unfairness of what she was put through (or what she thinks of as unfairness) has left her emotions on a low, unhesitating simmer.

But this temple has drawn her interest: Roxie has had an interest in religion, modern and not, for a lomg time, and it feels to her like an old place despite the upkeep. Her presence in the Force, as she shuffles in to take a better look, is a strange one: there is the hiss and crackle of her bubbling emotions, and the unpleasant darkness of long-alloyed violence and hate, but a certain spine of meditative self-assurance buried under it all, and pinpricks of power under that, awakened chakras from which some unknown breed of strength flows. And a connection, spanning off from herself, that dims and vanishes into the aether but holds the faint promise of connecting to something far greater...

And there's a flowing quality of proto-presences wrapped against her, things that might be independently living someday but aren't now, laid out against her underneath and throughout the oversized, many-pocketed denim jacket she wears over the plantsuit.

[jedimacguyver.livejournal.com]

Would the distractions never cease?

Obi-Wan turned to face the new ripple int he force, intending to give whoever it was a sharp word, but found himself taken aback to face...a little girl? He blinked, then tried to put on a more friendly visage and a greeting that came out as, "Er...hello, there."

[toariversodeep.livejournal.com]

"... Hello," Roxie says, looking over at Obi-Wan. It's not quite intentional, that's easy to say—maybe even a little reflexive—but something about her demeanor that's rather bit cold and impersonal, despite the emotions roiling underneath.

She shuffles forward to get a bet a better look at the temple's interior.

[jedimacguyver.livejournal.com]

He frowned, at the bubbling emotions he sensed in her, but left well enough alone. She wasn't accompanied by any guardian, that was certain, but it seemed few of the rare children aboard this madhouse were. It was only a simulation, she couldn't hurt anything, and Stacy had made quite sure that there was as little as possible to hurt yourself on.

[toariversodeep.livejournal.com]

Roxie moves to touch one of the Temple's pillars, fingers tracing along the stone in a way that suggests either familiarity or curiosity.

At the corner of her eye her gaze keeps covertly flicking over to Obi-Wan again, though.