[This was going to be in Loose Threads but I feel like no one actually reads those and this is very important for Liera's character development.]

Before she even set foot on the surface of the planet Liera knew she was not going to enjoy whatever it was her master had in mind. He had been quiet the entire trip, reminiscing she believed. When asked he told her he would explain everything once they were there and she trusted him to keep to his word. After all there was no reason to not believe him.

"Welcome to Tarrasi, a planet in the Adega system." Stepping onto the ramp she looked out at the barren wasteland and a shiver of dread ran through her. No matter how much she strained her senses she could find no signs of life. Not in the air, on the ground, or below it. Every once in a while she thought she could sense a small echo of something but by the time she zeroed in on it- it was gone.

"Master?" He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

"It is a tradition of our lineage to come to this system and search for our crystals. Starting all the way back before this world was stripped bare. Before you can come with me into the field you will need to build your own lightsabers." He looked at her and smiled, trust and belief clear in his eyes. "I know you can do it, little starlight. I have faith in you." She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, looking out into the void of hazy static that was a world entirely dead to her senses.

"I won't let you down." Gathering her things she checked over her medkit, grabbed a small stash of rations and canteen of water, and made sure her knife was safely tucked into her boot. Her master handed her cloak to her and she quickly threw it over her shoulders. No doubt the planet would be cold and windy with nowhere to hide from the bare elements. Standing on the very edge of the ramp she turned and bowed to her master. "I am grateful to you, Master, for all of your hard work and dedication. Thank you for choosing someone selfish like me." With that she turned and took her first step onto the dead planet, reaching to the force for guidance.

At first everything seemed alright. Every now and again she would reach back and feel her master's steady presence in the force and would let out a sigh of relief before putting one foot in front of the other once again. But the farther she walked the more apprehensive she became. Her master was so far away and her sense of him was becoming strained. 'I'm sorry, padawan. This is something you must do alone.' She felt the brush of his mind suddenly and jumped, turning on her heel to look back.

Then she found herself alone. Utterly, completely, alone.

Her master's presence, even in her mind, seemed to vanish completely and she stood rooted to the spot. Her eyes strained against the backdrop of grays and dark browns, though they all seemed to blend into one another making her feel a little dizzy. There was nothing for her to cling to, no life signs in the force to guide her path. It was like standing in the midst of a yawning void and all at once she felt completely blind. Her breathing became quick and shallow, cold sweat chilled her skin, and she began to shake.

She wondered how long she stood there forlornly, unable to take another step for fear that she would fall into nothingness. 'You are not alone.' Gasping she turned toward the source of the whisper, wondering if she was hearing things that weren't there. From her training she knew that those exposed to deprivation of the senses could begin hallucinating. 'We are waiting.' Another voice, similar yet different, called out to her.

Tentatively she took a step towards the voices. The force rippled around her and she let out a shuddering breath. "I am not alone. The Force is with me." She had to have faith. This was the path she chose herself. She couldn't quit just because she feared what lay ahead. One day she would have to continue on without her master to guide her. One day she may lose her crechemates to a mission gone wrong. Faltering now was as good as giving up. Clenching her fists around the fabric of her cloak she took another step. Then another.

She walked until exhaustion finally caught up to her and she had to take a break. Sitting in a small rocky alcove out of the wind she ate one of her ration bars and drank as much water as she felt she could get away with while keeping a good amount for emergencies. She would have to make the trip back and she couldn't be certain there was any water to be found on the planet. Even if there was she couldn't be certain it was safe to drink.

Leaning back against the rocky wall she pulled her knees to her chest and bundled herself up in her cloak. She wasn't aware of when she fell asleep but she woke immediately when a voice called out to her. "Ad'ika? Ad'ika! Motir, gar nu'morut'yc olar." She didn't understand the words, although they felt warm and familiar to her. Slowly she got to her feet and peered out into the wasteland. A figure in very familiar armor stood there and she had to blink multiple times in confusion. To all of her senses save her eyesight there was no one there. If this was some sort of force ghost wouldn't she be able to sense them? "Slanar. Mhi cuyir parerla." She swore she could feel a hand press against her back, urging her forward.

Time did not seem to pass as she continued her trek across the wasteland. Static tickled the edges of her senses and she became more aware of her own self than she had ever felt before. It was almost as if she were a foreign entity, something she had never encountered before. Her heartbeat, her breathing, the feeling of her clothes brushing against her skin as she walked. It was as if she were being lit from within and it was all too much.

At some point she must have collapsed, though she didn't remember tripping over anything or hitting the ground. Opening her eyes to the face of a kind older man he smiled and held out his hand to her. "You cannot falter here, padawan. There is much for you to do." Without a second thought she took the man's hand and stood. She bowed once she was back on her feet.

"Thank you master…" She waited for an introduction. When none was forthcoming she looked up to find the man was no longer there. Only the same barren land as before, although the gray was starting to overshadow the brown and the ground was a lot less stable now.

She stopped for another break and wondered how far she had traveled. She wished the planet had wood so she might make a campfire as the sun finally seemed to dip below the horizon. She at least felt lucky there were no lifeforms on the planet for her to be wary of, although the idea of no life at all still made her stomach want to cramp with anxiety. Closing her eyes she tried to meditate on the force but found it difficult over the overwhelming sense of her own presence.

"You've got a ways to go yet, ad'ika. Don't give up now." A pale skinned man with salt and pepper hair, wearing armor, crouched across from her. He gave her a curt nod and stood. "We're waiting for you." A gust of wind threw sand into her face and she closed her eyes instinctively. When she opened them again the man was gone.

Why had she seen two men in armor? And who was the jedi master she'd met earlier? Were these hallucinations or visions? Liera's connection to the Unifying force had always been exceptionally weak. If anyone back home had told her she'd seen a vision even she would laugh it off as ridiculous.

Night fell but it didn't matter much to her. If anything the softer light made it easier to keep her footing over the increasingly rocky terrain. Climbing up a steep incline she found herself standing in front of a dark maw. It was some sort of cave, she was certain. Something in her peripheral made her stiffen before she turned to look up at a tall man with blonde hair. He glanced down at her and smiled sadly, a scar across one very blue eye.

"It'll be dangerous. But I know you're up for the task. The men believe in you, and I do too. We'll be waiting for you on other side." Then he just faded into the moonlight, as if he had never been there to begin with.

'This way.' Twin voices called as one, bringing her attention back to the opening of the cave.

Taking a deep breath she followed the urgings of the force and with careful steps entered into the all encompassing darkness of the cave.

If she thought the loss of the ability to sense living things was bad then the loss of her sight on top of that was almost debilitating. Hands against the wall she stumbled as she crept along, wholly reliant on the faint sense of something calling to her. Her hands felt raw as she slid them along the rock, too afraid to let go in case she was swallowed by the darkness.

"Just let go, my dear." She jumped as a sultry voice spoke right next to her. "The dark has much to offer you if you only let go." Shaking her head she kept moving, ignoring the cold that seemed to seep into her bones.

"I-" Her voice cracked and she coughed. How long had it been since she'd spoken aloud? "I am a healer! I w-won't fall to the dark."

"I could help you escape this place. We want the same thing. To bring life back to dead worlds like this one. With my power you could fix this." Liera shook her head emphatically.

"That is not the way. Death is a part of life." There was a disappointed sigh before what felt like sharp nails dug into her arm. She let out a hiss of pain and her feet seemed to slow of their own accord, almost as if someone was holding her back. Struggling to pull away she felt tears at the corners of her eyes. She was so close to reaching her goal, she knew she was. But this cold cloying thing wouldn't let her go.

Suddenly a light from ahead blinded her and she had to blink spots out of her strained eyes. The thing holding her arm shied back, their grip loosening.

"Come on! This way, while she's distracted!" The voice of a child called out to her and she latched onto the voice as if it was the only thing in the world. Lurching forward she fell when the wall she was leaning against suddenly disappeared.

"It's okay now, you're almost there!" A little boy with soft blue eyes said as he wriggled under her right arm.

"We're all waiting for you." A little girl with brown eyes added as she slipped under her left arm. As one the children helped her to stand and she took a couple of steps forward. It was only after pausing for breathe that she realized the children were gone. She had been walking alone.

Ahead of her she sensed something calling to her. This was the final stretch, her goal was in sight. 'This way, we're here!' Entering a small chamber she fell to her knees before a rocky shelf. The force sang and she felt relief sweep through her. Resting on the shelf were two faintly glowing crystals that reached out to her in welcome.

'You are not alone.' They seemed to say. 'We are here.' Reaching for them she cradled them in her hands and felt their warmth fill her with strength. 'We will protect you.' It felt like a solemn promise.

She cried in joy.

[Ashfurr]

Three days. His padawan had been gone now for three whole days. Looking at himself in the fresher mirror he grimaced at his disheveled appearance. How many times had he run his hands through his short hair? How many times had he paced around the outside of the ship hoping for a glimpse of the ten year old girl he had sent off into a force forsaken wasteland? He had thought she was ready. But what if he had sent her to die? Alone… in the middle of nowhere.

His anxiety was hitting an all new high and meditation was becoming difficult. Whenever he consulted the force it would brush against his mind in what he thought might have been a manner meant to soothe. But it did not bring him calm or peace of mind.

Stalking out of the ship again he paced back and forth, trying to disperse his nervous energy as best he could. Reaching out with his senses he felt something at the edge of his awareness and stopped. Far off in the distance he saw something fluttering in the wind, white and ashy gray. He was running before he even registered what it was he was seeing.

When he reached Liera she was an absolute mess. There was blood on the knees of her leggings, torn as if she had slipped and fallen hard. Her hands were clutched tightly to her chest and her hair was plastered to her skin. Looking up at him she blinked, as if unsure. Opening the bond with her he felt it snap back into place and she startled before a wide smile lit up her face and eyes.

"There you are, master. I thought you were another mirage…" She wobbled and he reached out to hold her shoulders, making sure she didn't fall over. Slowly she pulled her arms away from her body and unclenched her hands. In the middle of her palms were two clear crystals that sang into the force with such a strong presence he was surprised he hadn't sensed them first.

"I'm so proud of you, padawan." Pulling her into a gentle hug he felt her melt into his side, trembling faintly with exhaustion. Picking her up he was careful of the bumps and scrapes as he carried her to the small medbay aboard the ship.

He didn't know what she'd meant by mirage but he had no doubt she'd had a vision of some kind. It wasn't really important in any case. His little Starlight was home now, and that was all that mattered.