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WHEN SHE TOUCHES DOWN outside of the walls of Jedha City, her soul swells with the singing of the Force. It flows through every single atom of her body, inviting her in and telling her that this is the way; this is the path she must take to find answers to questions that she hasn't even asked yet.
She leaves her ship where she landed, walking the fifteen minutes to the entrance to Jedha City. The call of the Kyber that rests under her feet roots itself within the stardust of her soul, reaching out and becoming one with the Force radiating from within her cells.
As she approaches the wall surrounding Jedha City, the sensation of being drawn in is only amplified. Lyssa becomes steadily more and more convinced of her choice, pulse racing in anticipation as her entire body ripples with waves of reassurance that emanate from the Force.
The gate is open, freedom of movement demonstrated clearly by the light trickle of people coming and going from the main city. She joins the inward-bound crowd and her eyes fall upon the temple that has been ingrained in her mind. Stretching above every other structure, the energy radiating off of it is unlike anything she's ever felt before in magnitude. Moving out of the stream of traffic, she closes her eyes, connecting with the energy of the Kyber in the same way she did so many years ago on Ilum when sourcing her own crystal, which sings from the place on her belt, calling out to the foundations of the Temple. Reopening her eyes, she starts towards it purposefully, the concept of a temporary visit slipping further away the closer she gets, but permanence still far from her mind.
Narrow streets, crowded plazas and bustling marketplaces define the Holy City, but nothing holds her attention for long. With so much to see and so much to sense, she decides that touching base with those inside the Temple should be her priority. Her fingers dance over the cold metal of her lightsaber hilt momentarily, the chill and the familiar metal a comfort her with so many unfamiliar external stimuli assaulting her senses.
The crowds lessen as she gets closer to the Temple. She doesn't have to go in to meet those who are faithful, though, as they wait outside the Temple. A quick look over them and Lyssa identifies them as Guardians of the Whills. Their handcrafted lightbows, native to Jedha, are of slight envy to Lyssa. She's only ever held one once, but their balance and relative ease of use for a bow was, and still is, second only to lightsabers. The Guardians stand outside of the Temple stoically. She approaches, coming to a halt a few steps in front of them and bowing respectfully.
"You are a Jedi Knight." The man in the front of the group is intimidating in stature, a feature only exacerbated by his dark and wild hair and beard. He is not asking, but she provides confirmation all the same.
"I am," she answers with a slight nod, "but I come on instruction from the Force only." The Guardians and the Jedi have not had the best relationship over the years. Founded a few years before the Invasion of Naboo, the Guardians are partially a split-away group from the Jedi and partially a collection of Force worshippers with no connection to the Jedi. The man surveys her, clearly sceptical.
"I come on pilgrimage at the will of the Force. My intention is to learn, to deepen my connection to the Force," she continues.
"Pilgrims are always welcome," another Guardian says, this one's eyes a pale, milky blue that indicates a lack of sight. "Do you need a room?"
"That would be appreciated," Lyssa nods. "I'm not sure how long I'll be staying. As long as I'm welcome or until the Force shows me a different path, I suppose."
"However long you stay with us, we will provide you with shelter and food," the intimidating man concedes. "I am Baze Malbus. Welcome to Jedha City." He leads Lyssa inside, her eyes taking in her new home with interest. He gives her a brief tour as he passes places— the cafeteria, the meditation rooms, the paths to the Kyber tunnels under the Temple. Eventually he arrives in a hallway.
"This is where we house pilgrims," he tells her. "It is empty now, so choose whichever room you please. We will introduce you to other Guardians as time passes."
"Thank you, Baze," Lyssa says with a faint smile. "I hope that I can perhaps be as helpful to you as I think my stay here will be for myself."
He bows respectfully before leaving her to choose a room. She selects the first one to her right— her Padawan room was the first one to the right in the Padawan hallway— and places her bag on the floor as she sits on the edge of the slightly raised mattress. It's not too different from a Jedi room she notes with fondness, plain, bare and simplistic, but she reminds herself with a small jolt that this time and right here, she's completely alone.
No Master, no Council, no Anakin, no friends. It's just Lyssa. But this time, unlike when she was still young and abandoned by her first Master, she feels secure in herself. She is a Jedi Knight and one day, she'll return to the Order knowing that she'd fulfilled her duty to the Force by following its pull. Knowledge lingers just out of sight, but it becomes clearer every second that she sits on the edge of that bed, every second she spends of Jedha's surface.
