The Embrace, Aing-Tii homeworld [weeks later in GFFA but Friday, Fandom time]

Ben had not been pleased to hear that that place where Aing-Tii artifacts was called the Embrace (a word that was going to be followed by "of Pain", at least for the next little...decade...) and had been even less pleased to learn that Taran'Do's "few kilometer" walk to it was a three day hike up mountains on a planet already too light on oxygen for humans. The rift between Ben and Luke about Ben's flow-walking training had become tense to the point of uncomfortable silence.

Finally they had gotten to the passageway, where their only instructions had been: "Inside, you will find all the artifacts we have painstakingly gathered over many thousands of years. Tread carefully, for this is sacred ground to us. Go to the relics. Be with them. Please...find answers for us that we cannot, so that we might heal this terrible rift that wounds us as a people so deeply."

They had descended into a cavern lit from within by glowing stones in every color along the spectrum and imbued strongly with the Force--not the dark energy Ben had felt on Ziost, but one that refreshed.

...or it had a week ago. Now, as they lifted and stared at relic after relic, no closer to an idea of what they were looking for than when he'd began, Ben wished that the words that reverberated in his head weren't his father commenting that he still had nine years and a few months of his exile to fill.

"They couldn't have narrowed it down to blue things, or something round?" he complained.

( Will they be stuck in a cave FOREVER? )

[OOC: All power and glory to Christie Golden's Omen and preplayed with the amazing endsthegame. NFB, NFI, OOC welcome!]

Aing-Tii homeworld [later Friday Fandom-time]

Ben wondered if he should have had a sanisteam and something hot to eat before attempting what he was about to do, but it was too late now. He trudged slowly to the spot where he, Luke, and Ender had spent so many days learning from Tadar'Ro. It all looked as it had before, the time-smoothed stones warm from the sun, the taller stones casting cool shadows. But didn't feel the same to Ben.

Here was where Tadar'Ro had taught Luke, and Ender, and Ben, and Jorj Car'das.

And here was where Tadar'Ro had taught Jacen Solo.

( Hello again, Jacen. )

( Where Ben has a long-delayed nervous breakdown )

[OOC: And we're done with Christie Golden's Omen. Many thanks to endsthegame for the preplay on this one. NFB, NFI, OOC given donuts. Man, I want a donut.]