82 BBY

Arya felt satisfied. She had done well with the last one of her Initiate Trials. There was no way the Council would tell that she had not passed it. Now she only had to report to the Jedi Master who was responsible on seeing how it went.

Shi-sha...

Arya stopped. What had that been?

Shi-sha...

It came from a lower level, Arya sensed. She felt the urgency to go and inspect it and she could not stop it. She turned from the way to the Jedi temple and went to the nearest turbolift. She did not know which level the "voice" had come from. She went down along the crowd in the turbolift.

Shi-sha...

The voice was a bit louder now, as she was on the 4892th level. But it came from far lower. A level where normal people would not go even in their worst nightmares. Arya had heard of the horrors which dwelled there.
"Hey child," asked a female Toydarian. "Where are you going?"
"To a lower level," Arya answered simply.
"Why?" the Toydarian asked.
"I can't explain it," Arya told. She was not lying; she could not explain the "voice" she heard and the urgency to go to its source.

When the turbolift reached 4853th level, the last sentients left and Arya pushed the button 516. She did not know why she chose that one. She trusted that the Force would guide her. The turbolift reached its destination.

Shi-sha!

This was the level. Arya stood out of the turbolift, which then left to upper levels. It was dark, but she could see a little bit even without the Force. Somewhere onward seemed to be some light. Trusting that the Ancients would guard her, Arya walked to the direction of the light.

Shi-sha! Shi-sha!

Arya reached the light. It was a small campfire which lighted two extremely wrinkly human-like figures who turned their empty gazes towards Arya. The girl did not feel any threat from them but stayed on guard, making sure that her training lightsaber was near her.
"Shi-sha," whispered another one of the figures. This figure sounded like a male.
"Shi-sha," repeated the other figure with a female voice.
"Who are you?" Arya asked.
"Shi-sha," whispered the female. Arya wondered if these two figures could not say anything else, but then the other figure handed a small scroll to her.
"Shi-sha... Take it..." it was the male figure.
"You want me to take it?" Arya asked.
"Take it... Shi-sha..." the figures whispered. The male figure reached closer to Arya with the scroll in opened hands.

Arya hesitated for a moment, but then she approached the figure and took the scroll to her hands. It was made from familiar-feeling leather and there was something inside it. The scroll was tightly shut from every part of it.

The figures suddenly collapsed into dust just as the campfire went out, and Arya backed off. It seemed like the figures had stayed alive only to give the scroll away.

Shiiiiiii-shaaaaaaaaaa...

That whisper was the last one. Arya put the scroll to the space between her two tunics and rushed to the turbolift. She was not supposed to be there.

As she was returning to the temple, she swore to herself to never talk about this incident. Not even to her closest friends like Gomorrah and Qui-Gon.

She was being waited by Jedi Masters Cki and Yoda.
"The results are ready," Master Cki said. Arya snuffed the question which nearly came out of her.
"Passed, you have. Chosen as a Padawan, now you can be," Master Yoda told.
"I passed? I truly passed?" Arya asked. She had been confident, but hearing it being said aloud made her disbelieving.
"Yes. You passed," Master Cki told. "Congratulations."
"Thank you!" Arya said, smiling widely.
"Now go to meditate, you should," Master Yoda reminded her about the daily meditation sessions Jedi Initiates were required to have.
"I'll do that right away, Master Yoda," Arya said, bowed to the Masters and left to the Room of a Thousand Fountains.
"Considered taking her as your apprentice, have you?" Master Yoda asked Master Cki.
"I have. But her familial background worries me. Her connection to her biological family may become a big problem if she continues," Master Cki answered simply. "I am not going to be the one to try to train her."
"Do, or do not. There is no try," Yoda noted, tapped the ankle of the Besalisk with his cane and left.
"Fine, then. I will not be the one to train her. Better?" Master Cki asked. Master Yoda did not answer and Cki shrugged, then left to meditate in his quarters.

/Author's note: Star Wars (c) Lucasfilm, any characters you cannot find on Wookieepedia, Veledos, Veledosians and their language (c) Me/