I Am Jedi
A brief account of a young Jedi Knight in the days of Revan
Author's Note: Hey everybody this was my first fanfiction and now I'm making some edits to make it a little better! Please oh please R&R!
By ETERNAL FURY
CHAPTER 1
He stood at the far east end of the grounds, looking across the vast prairie and farmland that was Dantooine. The Jedi Enclave stood behind him, and Jedi and settlers alike used this pavilion as social quarters. Many years had he resided here, it was all he knew. The scent of the farm filled his nostrils, and he could hear the wind in the wheat. He saw many kath hounds roaming in the distance, and he wondered of their savage activity of late.
His fellow Jedi friends had all come and gone; Juhani, a Cathar and an older Padawan, had lashed out at and struck down her master, Quatra. Immediately after she fled into the south, and she hadn't been seen for weeks. He worried for her, for she was a beautiful and gifted Jedi, and the taint of the Dark Side had taken hold of her.
Whether to join the fight against Malak and the Sith, or join their cause, he and his friends had to decide. He worried and grieved for Droc, his closest friend, practically his brother, who had been missing in action above Dremro VII since the first of the month. A brutal and bloody battle had occurred there; the Republic had emerged victorious, but Droc had not been accounted for.
A Jedi seeks not adventure or excitement, nor does he seek glory in battle. Master Vrook and Vandar had always counseled him of this, ever since he was a youngling all those cycles ago. But Droc had wanted to battle the Sith, he had wanted to kill them, brutally, maliciously. The night before Droc's shuttle arrived, he had come to him and told him many things. Droc wanted to punish them, and avenge the innocent lives that had been taken. He counseled Droc to control his emotions, but Droc would not heed him. Instead Droc asked him to join him and conquer the Sith. He respectfully refused and Droc left in a rage.
He never wanted for this to happen. Countless Jedi were lost in this war; Darth Malak was a former Jedi, just as his predecessor Revan. Revan and Malak were heroes in the Mandalorian Wars five years previous. They had joined the Republic Fleet without sanction of the Jedi Council. But Revan was a natural leader and strategist, and he almost single handedly defeated the Mandalorians. But after the final battle on Malachor V, Revan and his fleet, along with Malak, who was then called Alek, and disappeared into the Unknown Regions for many months. They then returned with an enormous fleet and then began their conquest. What was out in those reaches of space that had made them snap? What drove them to do the terrible things they did? Curse them; curse them and their thirst for conquest!
He now saw a Telosian freighter soaring in from above; it was an older model, a Dynamic-Class, he believed, with maroon and grey stripes lining the round shaped hull. It landed in the hangar bay behind him and he turned to one of the fully fledged Jedi, a large and dark skinned human male.
"Whose ship was that? Isn't that a smuggling vessel?"
"Yes, it is," the Jedi replied. He had very deep voice and it was commanding. "The Ebon Hawkis its name, and Bastila Shan is aboard her."
"Bastila Shan!" he said. Bastila was no older than he was, but she was considered one of the most powerful Jedi in the Order. "The woman who can use Battle Meditation?" Bastila was also famous for killing Darth Revan less than a year ago.
"The very same." The Jedi replied. "She just escaped the destruction of Taris, along with Carth Onasi, a respected Republic soldier."
"By the Force!" he exclaimed. He knew not the soldier but was indeed astonished by the news of the death of an entire planet. "Taris has been destroyed! How? When?"
"No more than seven galactic standard hours ago. Darth Malak assembled a whole armada of Sith ships and bombarded the surface."
An entire planet, gone? Taris, wiped off the galactic charts like a speck. The Sith were ruthless; countless lives had been lost and he knew that Malak would scour the Galaxy, destroying every being who opposed him. And that is why it was so crucial that the Jedi and the Republic emerge victorious in this war.
He was alone in his thoughts for what seemed like a long time. He could feel the emptiness that was Taris, thousands of links in the Force, innocents, slaughtered. Pain, devastation…anarchy.
"Corran?" someone said from behind him. He turned and looked at Belaya, a young woman and a fellow Jedi. She had a fair and attractive face, with features like mahogany brown eyes, a sharp chin and long cinnamon colored hair tied back into a tight bun that rested on the back of her head. She wore standard Jedi robes, as did he.
He smiled and replied, "Hello, Belaya. What can I do for you?"
She returned with a warm smile of her own and said, "Deesra requires someone in the Archives; he needs assistance looking up something on Xim the Despot. I told him you would oblige. So naturally, if you refuse, he would think of me a liar. You wouldn't want that, would you?" She smirked at him and Corran laughed. Belaya was in between Juhani and himself in years, and she was most likely his closest friend apart from Droc.
"Of course not!" he replied jokingly, "he already holds you in a low esteem." He laughed again and she rolled her eyes.
"Well, I've volunteered already, and I supposed you were done with your studies, I hoped you would accompany me."
"With pleasure."
They walked along the grounds to the sub-level, where only Padawans and up were allowed to go. Apprentices were denied access, to prevent irrelevant searches into Sith lore and myths. A young mind is wild and untamed, like a vast ocean, and the Masters wanted to prevent a future scenario like what happened to Revan and Malak.
Belaya stepped forward and opened the Enclave door. They stepped down into the sublevel and it had a different atmosphere than the main level; it was very much cooler down here but some sunlight penetrated the rooms. A fountain surrounded with flora and fauna stood in the main room, and Jedi roamed through, either in deep conversations, meditating, or studying Jedi curriculum.
Belaya spoke first. "Did you see the ship land a few minutes ago?"
"Yes I did." Corran responded. He was meaning to ask her the same question. "Did you hear that Bastila Shan was on board?"
"Well I came across one of the crew members. I took him for a Padawan at first, for he was teeming with the Force. I asked him why he was not wearing the garments of our Order. I took him for a rebellious student."
Corran rolled his eyes. Belaya was known for being brash and judgmental at times; in fact he and fellow students would tease her for it occasionally. "Belaya, I most certainly hope you didn't scold the poor traveler!"
Belaya nudged him, annoyed. "He informed me that he indeed was not a Jedi, but he had traveled here with Bastila."
"Was his name Carth Onasi?" Corran asked, his curiousness growing.
"No, he was not Carth. I recognize Carth from old Holovids. No he was a soldier with the Republic, and he had survived the attack on Taris, like Bastila and Carth had."
So this man was not Carth but had indeed survived the conquest of Taris. "What else did he tell you?"
"Well," Belaya continued, "he said he had come here with Bastila and that the Council had requested to see him."
Corran wondered if there were others aboard the ship, who had also survived.
Belaya answered his question before it had made its way out of his mouth. "I also saw other companions who had come along. I saw them wandering around the enclave; separately, talking with the settlers and purchasing supplies from the departments by the Hangar."
"Who exactly?"
Belaya thought for a moment and then said, "A Mandalorian, a Wookiee, a Basic speaking Twi'lek, and a T3 astromech droid."
So there hadbeen survivors or a handful at least. His heart began to felt relieved, for he knew some of Taris had survived.
They know had rounded about the Enclave and entered the Archives. A green Twi'lek in standard Jedi robes greeted them in Huttese. "Greetings, Padawans. Let us begin in our scholarly pursuits."