Open to All TLV style post

[ezra_of_lothal]

[Network; Video]

[A young man with violet-blue eyes, blue-black hair tucked away in a bun, dressed in green tabards with orange embroidery in somewhat organic patterns, over indigo tunics appears on the network. He solemnly tucks his hands into his sleeves, and bows toward the screen.]

Hello, Barge. My name is Ezra Bridger, and I recently arrived, as a warden. [A tiny pause, and only the momentary effort to put up a smooth, diplomatic front keeps him to wrinkling his nose a little, but one might perceive the hint of trepidation in his tone.] I haven't accepted a deal. At least not yet.

[He shakes his head slightly] Because I know there might be some here who at least know stories, I guess I should say that I am a Jedi Knight. Born at the same time as the rise of the Empire, on a planet named Lothal. I'm happy to answer any question anyone may have about that.[Some of the formality and calm even to his tone begins to fade.] But I haven't been in my home galaxy since I was 18, over three years ago, for me now.

I've traveled through several - I've taken to calling them nexuses? Experienced things rather like the floods and breaches, here, among other...well the last place I was called them Trials.

[His expression suddenly blossoms into a full, bright smile, as something occurs to him.] Oh! Are there any people here who do Jewish observances? I grew up Reform, in a life; I like to keep up with holidays when I can.

[A little more soberly-] And how well is the infirmary staffed? I have some medical training. Including mental health topics.
***
[Action]

DECK - Anyone who knows anything about the Jedi won't be surprised to find him folded into crossed legged sitting on the floor of the deck, hands in green cloth gloves on his knees but palm up, and eyes closed, in meditation. Any psychic, or the like, may notice that his mind is open, yet attentive, letting everything he senses flow around and through him.

Although - If someone's attention lingers on him for long, or he picks up a sense of urgency, he murmurs, without opening his eyes, yet, "Can I help you?"

OR

ENCLOSURE - Of course there's also lightsaber practice in the Enclosure, in varying landscapes, on different days, with his green blade. Anyone who knows much about Jedi lightsaber forms might notice Ezra's personal style is a core of Form III, with some Form IV, and Form I - in other words, a mostly defensive style. Anyone very familiar with the styles of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, or Ahsoka Tano might spot some specific influences.

Comments

Re: Video

[ezra_of_lothal]

[First a big smile.] Hello, Jean.

[And therapy office. Oh thank the Force. On the other hand-]

Well- [He grimaces a little.] I may be underqualified. But everywhere I've been lately has been thin on the ground for more qualified. [He shrugs.]

I picked up some very basic physical healing with my, um, native abilities with qualified...master healers with medical training, a little over three years ago.

And then I was in place, where there was something in the physical environment that, ah. We called it corruption and it was complicated and not completely understood, but it changed people, right down to the physical. Being emotionally unbalanced or socially isolated made people particularly vulnerable. I spent some time working in clinics there, doing both some general medical assistance, and also helping people with corruption. I used my empathic abilities to soothe and such, when best I could. I started doing a lot of reading of what I could get my hands on, with the thought that general mental well being was a good preventative for corruption.

One of the clinics was run by someone who was a licensed therapist in her world, but unfortunately I didn't get to seriously study under her before she left. Just her notes and trying to carry on her work by giving people a space to even try to tackle issues, really.

And then the last place I was, for the last year, had formal schools, and I basically went through the first year of a medical degree with a focus on mental health.

I also teach meditation, in a range of styles. It's a big focus in general Jedi training, to help us gain control over our psychic abilities. But I've taught plenty of non-psychics. It's not a cure-all, I know, but any tool in the toolbox that works, right?

Re: Video

[fireincarnate]

[ By the time he finishes, Jean is outright beaming. ]

Speaking as a psychic myself? Yeah, it definitely does.

[ She shakes her head, a little bit mystified. ]

I - the same thing happened to me, in a way, here on the Barge. The first time I went back home I started studying psychology, but I...ended up back here before I finished my degree. [ She'll save the part where she died for later. ] But we finally had a trained counselor by then, and I learned a lot from him.

[ Her gaze turns distant, for a moment, warm and wistful. It's been such a long time, now. ]

When he left I was the only one who could inherit the position. The Barge can get chaotic, but I'm glad I learned on the job here and not - do you know what that world was called?

Re: Video

[ezra_of_lothal]

[Ezra perks into straighter posture, eyes a little wide when she says she's another psychic, and stay wide as she describes her own educational difficulties.]

It was ah - Earth. A Earth. Maybe splintered off from another timeline in events tied to the corruption- [He waves a gloved hand, vaguely.] Unclear.

But most we talked in terms of the region - Deer Country. Or the town we arrived in and most of stayed, because travel was so dangerous. Trench.

Re: Video

[fireincarnate]

[ Oof. Her grimace is troubled but not surprised. ] Earth has a lot of very bad offshoots. Maybe that's why the Admiral likes it so much, there's a lot to work with.

[ Then her expression lightens a bit, a rueful smile tugging at her lips. ] But I say that with love.

[ezra_of_lothal]

[Ezra winces, in turn.]

Yeah, it's popular with the powers that be, I've noticed.

And like I kinda touched on, I do have memories of growing up there. Lower East Side, Manhattan, early 21st century on the Julian calendar. And they've become pretty important tome. Can I ask where you're from? [She sounds maybe American, but it can be hard to tell.]

[fireincarnate]

[ ...Yeah, she's grinning again, with a glint of amusement. The coincidences are really stacking up, but she can't say she minds. ]

I grew up in Red Hook, near the Hudson River. We're in the late nineties, right now. [ Probably-maybe. ] The school I work at is in North Salem.

[ezra_of_lothal]

[The corner of Ezra's mouth curls up in amusement, as well.] Oh, very cool. I didn't spend a ton of time outside the city aside from trips to family, or so my memories say, so I'm not personally familiar, but yeah, that gives me some idea.

Which is part of why I've tried to hold onto those memories; they're so useful.


Anyway. If you don't mind taking a newbie under your wing, I'm happy to continue on the job training in a hopefully slightly less dire setting.

[fireincarnate]

You'll definitely do well with breaches.

[ Oh, she's excited. It's nice for that to come without the usual element of life-threatening danger. ]

Have you seen the library yet? The amount of information can be pretty overwhelming, but I've still got my old book lists, and notes from Dr. Cambridge -

Did you ever meet anyone from Starfleet?

[ezra_of_lothal]

[Well, there was danger- the whole thing came from Billy Kaplan repressing trauma and it being triggered, and creating a world to be 'safe and normal'. The world started to unravel, as Billy's own true memories started to resurface, but honestly it barely registers for Ezra as worth explaining. Ezra got solid high school education, a wealth of Earth culture, and a brother out of it, he feels like it was a gift, danger or no.]

I have not had a chance to really explore the library, here, but there was an entity in Trench that collected something that strikes me as similar.

[Then he goes quiet, racking his brains. Starfleet.]

I don't think so, no. Sounds interesting?

[fireincarnate]

It can be a maze in there, but it has books from - well, everywhere. Across time and space, across the multiverse.

[ Her expression warms even further, because - look, most futures haven't stoked her optimism. ]

It's from a universe where Earth gets it right, eventually. They reach the stars, they befriend other species, they build an alliance dedicated to peace and equality. There are mistakes and gaps, no one lives up to those ideals all the time, but - for the most part, a lot of good choices were made.

[ The mirrorverse certainly shows how differently it could have gone. ]

Starfleet is - what it sounds like, really, a fleet of ships made for deep space. Their main purpose was exploration and diplomacy, but defence was a part of it too. ...In some eras more than others.

[ezra_of_lothal]

[He listens smiling gently, but his smile getting warmer as well.]

Hearing about timelines where people tried so hard to get it right is always welcome.

The Jedi has something like that, at points in their history. Well, the diplomacy and peacekeeping was their main public function for the Republic almost all of the last thousand years before the Empire was established. [He makes a slight face, because the Clone War is just...complicated to talk about.]

But there were Corps, too, with other focuses. Including the Exploration Corps. Hyperspace mapping, first contact and re-establishing content with worlds that have fallen out of touch, and archeology.

[fireincarnate]

[ Jean is already making that expression as he does. Yeah, it's - probably about time to drop that little bombshell. ]

I - well. In at least one timeline I know how the Jedi were manipulated.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ah.

[The corner of his mouth twitches.]

Well, I did say I knew that was a possibility. [He did his head in acknowledgement.]

Manipulated, yes. Nearly all slaughtered. Not to be too dramatic, but quite literally as I was being born. I didn't think that's like, of cosmic significance, just cause and effect. I'd be willing to bet there are a few Force sensitives who were born a little early around then.

[In fact, he knows so, although the circumstances were different for Luke and Leia. But if Jean is psychic...he bets she'll get it.]