Disclaimer: The Jedi Academy on Yavin 4, Master Skywalker, Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, Em TeeDee, and any other recognizable characters and terms belong to George Lucas and/or Kevin J. Anderson. We are not Mary Sueing, Marty Samming, or in any other way trying to control Lucas's characters. It is inevitable, however, that some of them make some sort of appearance, due to the fact that they also live on Yavin 4. You can't exactly drive through Hollywood and not see some famous person.
T W I N S A B E R S
Chapter One
Composed by, The Nova Scribes
Aln-Mai Tekmi whirled and caught the blow aimed for his thigh with the stun rod. His face was dripping with sweat, and his black hair hung in his eyes, partially obscuring his vision. He blew his hair back as he continued to fight his opponent. He strained against the other stun rod, and grimaced as his opponent quickly spun and scored a hit on his forearm.
He had been training with stun rods for only a few days, but Aln-Mai was already doing well. At least, that's what he had thought until Master Skywalker decided to personally test his abilities.
Aln-Mai switched his grip on the stun rod, and stood back, waiting for an assault by Master Skywalker. The Jedi Master swung high, aiming for Aln-Mai's head. Aln-Mai parried and struck back at Master Skywalker, aiming for his left side. His swing was blocked immediately, and Master Skywalker followed up with three successive swings at his legs and torso. Aln-Mai caught them all, and swung a hard two-handed blow at Master Skywalker's unprotected right shoulder. His teacher danced backward, his weapon held low in a defensive position. Aln-Mai attacked from the left, slashing down at the Jedi Master's right calf. As soon as the stun rod began to drop, Aln-Mai altered his aim. He gave a shout of delight when his stun rod connected with the Jedi Master's wrist, which abruptly changed to a cry of chagrin as he received a blow on the neck--a fatal strike in a real battle.
"Very good," Master Skywalker said, deactivating the stun rod. "You've come a long way in a short time. I'd say you're getting close to constructing your own lightsaber." Aln-Mai's head came up in an expression of delight.
"But," Master Skywalker said, holding up a hand, "I want you to keep practicing for at least one more week more with stun rods."
Aln-Mai's respectful bow hid his disappointment. "Yes, Master Skywalker. Thank you for your instruction today."
"You're welcome," Master Skywalker said graciously. "Now, why don't you get something to eat before continuing? A Jedi must always be energetic."
"Yes, Master Skywalker." Aln-Mai switched off the stun rod he was holding and handed it over to the Jedi Master. He sighed, and headed out of the practice arena and into one of the many corridors inside the Great Temple. He had wanted for so long to make his own lightsaber, to feel the power of a refined weapon in his hand. Aln-Mai pushed the vision away. Master Skywalker had told him to wait, and so he would wait.
He entered the cafeteria and walked over to the food line. He served himself some unidentifiable glop and sat down by himself. He was a loner, really. Nobody had ever attempted to befriend him, but Aln-Mai was fine by himself. He admitted that although the phrase, "Strength in numbers," had always had merit, being in numbers should never encourage weakness of the individual. Besides, ever since he had left his parents, he had been on his own.
His parents. Sometimes he wished he was back with them on Malastare. His mother and father were rather poor, and Aln-Mai had had very little chance of being successful. That was, until a passing trader had stopped by the house in search of an old friend who used to live there. His mother and father had let him stay for a day, although it strained their meager food supplies. What no one had been expecting was what the trader had discovered in the house, or rather, in Aln-Mai.
The trader, who had made stops at the famous Jedi Academy, had recognized the Force in Aln-Mai. He had been potting plants outside when a pot broke off its stand. Aln-Mai's reaction had been so fast that the trader said later he could have sworn that Aln-Mai had known it was going to happen. The trader pointed out that unnaturally fast reflexes was a sign of the Force, and that Aln-Mai had potential to become a Jedi. The trader was willing to take Aln-Mai to the Academy, but Aln-Mai would have to work off the fare. Aln-Mai's mother and father, seeing the opportunity for a better life for their son, had agreed to let Aln-Mai attend the fabled school of the Jedi.
Aln-Mai sat down and began to eat, still thinking about how he had come to this fantastic place. Aln-Mai had left on the trader's ship, and for two weeks, the trader gave him various maintenance jobs to do. Aln-Mai was no technical whiz, but he had a knack for puzzles, and he was perceptive. He rarely forgot anything. After many replaced parts, tune- ups, and sidestops, the trader had dropped Aln-Mai off at the Jedi Academy. After a brief exchange of words with Master Skywalker, the teacher at the Academy, the trader had handed him a small box and immediately departed. Aln-Mai had been accepted by Master Skywalker and for five years, he had training vigorously in the Jedi arts.
The one thing he loved to do more than anything else was pore over the extensive records at the Jedi Academy of the history of the Jedi Order, all the way back to the founding of the Order. He had studied the individual lives of many Jedi and Sith, including Darth Sidious (more commonly known as Emperor Palpatine), Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Count Dooku, Yoda, and other great Masters of the Force, both evil and good.
Aln-Mai slurped up the last of the bland-tasting food and placed his tray in the sanitary cleaner. He trudged through the corridors aimlessly, and found himself at the entrance to the Great Temple that led out to the jungle of Yavin 4. He smiled to himself and began to stretch.
Aln-Mai's concentration on the Force had been extremely loyal. The one thing that had always haunted him throughout his youth on Malastare was his being short and skinny and easily harassed by local gangs. However, when Aln-Mai had hit upon his growth spurt, he had transformed into a tall, slender, muscular young man. It was not enough for him, though.
Aln-Mai had always dreamt of being the best athlete wherever he went. Now, with the use of the Force to aid him, he had honed his body to the brink of perfection. For one full year, he had concentrated on the use of the Force as a physical aid in battle. He was extremely devoted to any project he undertook, and always worked harder for the extra fruits of his labor, and his single-minded training in the Force had paid off. Aln-Mai prided himself on being the most able body in the temple in terms of outright ability...except for Master Skywalker, of course.
Aln-Mai walked out a way from the temple and looked up. There was a ledge some twenty feet above the entrance of the doorway. He took a deep breath, concentrated deeply on the Force, and leapt straight up. He soared above the entrance and past a window in which he glimpsed another student resting. He performed a flip and landed squarely on the ledge, panting only slightly.
He looked up again, and saw another ledge, this one roughly thirty feet above him. The temple itself was several hundred feet tall, and Aln-Mai was only scaling a small portion of it's height. He concentrated once more, and again he leapt. He soared past the observation window in which he glimpsed Master Skywalker looking out at the dense jungle. The view streamed by, but Aln-Mai's ascent began to slow. He concentrated fully upon the Force, using it to propel him upward. He realized he was going to fall just short of the ledge, and so improvised on the spot. He grabbed the edge of the protrusion and hauled himself up. He sat, wheezing slightly, but exhilarated. He loved the life of the Jedi. It seemed nothing could tarnish the happiness that Aln-Mai felt.
Aln-Mai returned to his quarters after a brisk run through the jungle surrounding the Massassi Temple, and took a brief shower. He was just putting his plain brown jumpsuit on when Tionne, another teacher at the Jedi Academy walked in. She fixed Aln-Mai with a penetrating stare. Aln-Mai detected a glimmer in her eyes...sympathy?...sadness? Aln-Mai was immediately suspicious, with a growing dread in the pit of his stomach.
"Come with me," Tionne said, ushering Aln-Mai out the door. She walked silently ahead of him, taking him up to the higher levels of the Temple, past rooms Aln-Mai had never been in. Storage lockers lined some of the corridors, and several rooms had abandoned equipment in them from when the Rebel Alliance had occupied the small jungle moon. She strode into a room...the same room that Aln-Mai had seen Master Skywalker meditating in when he had scaled the Temple only a few hours before. Master Skywalker was sitting on a ledge that was raised up several feet from the floor, and tall windows at the far end of the room overlooked the lush jungle moon.
"Come in, Aln-Mai," Master Skywalker said. Again, Aln-Mai detected a note of compassion in his voice.
"I will be in the hanger, preparing a shuttle, Master Skywalker," Tionne said. The Jedi Master nodded, and she left silently.
"What's going on?" Aln-Mai asked in a suspicious voice, forgetting his respect for the Jedi Master. "I mean, what's with all the sadness and secretiveness? And why is Master Tionne getting a shuttle ready?"
"Sit down, Aln-Mai," Master Skywalker said firmly. Aln-Mai bowed his head and strode to the opposite end of the long room. He sat down cross-legged next to Master Skywalker on the ledge. He performed a quick Jedi relaxation technique, then faced Master Skywalker.
"Things change, Aln-Mai," Master Skywalker began, staring out at the jungle. "Our lives change, and we have little control over many events that are painful for us. You may have noticed this in your studies. The reason I summoned you here is to tell you that one of these events has happened in your family. The shuttle that Tionne is preparing is for mine and your trip to Malastare." The Jedi Master's face took an unmistakable look of sadness and weariness. "There's been a death in your family."
Aln-Mai sucked in his breath, horror written all over his face.
"Your mother has died," Master Skywalker said.
T W I N S A B E R S
Chapter One
Composed by, The Nova Scribes
Aln-Mai Tekmi whirled and caught the blow aimed for his thigh with the stun rod. His face was dripping with sweat, and his black hair hung in his eyes, partially obscuring his vision. He blew his hair back as he continued to fight his opponent. He strained against the other stun rod, and grimaced as his opponent quickly spun and scored a hit on his forearm.
He had been training with stun rods for only a few days, but Aln-Mai was already doing well. At least, that's what he had thought until Master Skywalker decided to personally test his abilities.
Aln-Mai switched his grip on the stun rod, and stood back, waiting for an assault by Master Skywalker. The Jedi Master swung high, aiming for Aln-Mai's head. Aln-Mai parried and struck back at Master Skywalker, aiming for his left side. His swing was blocked immediately, and Master Skywalker followed up with three successive swings at his legs and torso. Aln-Mai caught them all, and swung a hard two-handed blow at Master Skywalker's unprotected right shoulder. His teacher danced backward, his weapon held low in a defensive position. Aln-Mai attacked from the left, slashing down at the Jedi Master's right calf. As soon as the stun rod began to drop, Aln-Mai altered his aim. He gave a shout of delight when his stun rod connected with the Jedi Master's wrist, which abruptly changed to a cry of chagrin as he received a blow on the neck--a fatal strike in a real battle.
"Very good," Master Skywalker said, deactivating the stun rod. "You've come a long way in a short time. I'd say you're getting close to constructing your own lightsaber." Aln-Mai's head came up in an expression of delight.
"But," Master Skywalker said, holding up a hand, "I want you to keep practicing for at least one more week more with stun rods."
Aln-Mai's respectful bow hid his disappointment. "Yes, Master Skywalker. Thank you for your instruction today."
"You're welcome," Master Skywalker said graciously. "Now, why don't you get something to eat before continuing? A Jedi must always be energetic."
"Yes, Master Skywalker." Aln-Mai switched off the stun rod he was holding and handed it over to the Jedi Master. He sighed, and headed out of the practice arena and into one of the many corridors inside the Great Temple. He had wanted for so long to make his own lightsaber, to feel the power of a refined weapon in his hand. Aln-Mai pushed the vision away. Master Skywalker had told him to wait, and so he would wait.
He entered the cafeteria and walked over to the food line. He served himself some unidentifiable glop and sat down by himself. He was a loner, really. Nobody had ever attempted to befriend him, but Aln-Mai was fine by himself. He admitted that although the phrase, "Strength in numbers," had always had merit, being in numbers should never encourage weakness of the individual. Besides, ever since he had left his parents, he had been on his own.
His parents. Sometimes he wished he was back with them on Malastare. His mother and father were rather poor, and Aln-Mai had had very little chance of being successful. That was, until a passing trader had stopped by the house in search of an old friend who used to live there. His mother and father had let him stay for a day, although it strained their meager food supplies. What no one had been expecting was what the trader had discovered in the house, or rather, in Aln-Mai.
The trader, who had made stops at the famous Jedi Academy, had recognized the Force in Aln-Mai. He had been potting plants outside when a pot broke off its stand. Aln-Mai's reaction had been so fast that the trader said later he could have sworn that Aln-Mai had known it was going to happen. The trader pointed out that unnaturally fast reflexes was a sign of the Force, and that Aln-Mai had potential to become a Jedi. The trader was willing to take Aln-Mai to the Academy, but Aln-Mai would have to work off the fare. Aln-Mai's mother and father, seeing the opportunity for a better life for their son, had agreed to let Aln-Mai attend the fabled school of the Jedi.
Aln-Mai sat down and began to eat, still thinking about how he had come to this fantastic place. Aln-Mai had left on the trader's ship, and for two weeks, the trader gave him various maintenance jobs to do. Aln-Mai was no technical whiz, but he had a knack for puzzles, and he was perceptive. He rarely forgot anything. After many replaced parts, tune- ups, and sidestops, the trader had dropped Aln-Mai off at the Jedi Academy. After a brief exchange of words with Master Skywalker, the teacher at the Academy, the trader had handed him a small box and immediately departed. Aln-Mai had been accepted by Master Skywalker and for five years, he had training vigorously in the Jedi arts.
The one thing he loved to do more than anything else was pore over the extensive records at the Jedi Academy of the history of the Jedi Order, all the way back to the founding of the Order. He had studied the individual lives of many Jedi and Sith, including Darth Sidious (more commonly known as Emperor Palpatine), Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Count Dooku, Yoda, and other great Masters of the Force, both evil and good.
Aln-Mai slurped up the last of the bland-tasting food and placed his tray in the sanitary cleaner. He trudged through the corridors aimlessly, and found himself at the entrance to the Great Temple that led out to the jungle of Yavin 4. He smiled to himself and began to stretch.
Aln-Mai's concentration on the Force had been extremely loyal. The one thing that had always haunted him throughout his youth on Malastare was his being short and skinny and easily harassed by local gangs. However, when Aln-Mai had hit upon his growth spurt, he had transformed into a tall, slender, muscular young man. It was not enough for him, though.
Aln-Mai had always dreamt of being the best athlete wherever he went. Now, with the use of the Force to aid him, he had honed his body to the brink of perfection. For one full year, he had concentrated on the use of the Force as a physical aid in battle. He was extremely devoted to any project he undertook, and always worked harder for the extra fruits of his labor, and his single-minded training in the Force had paid off. Aln-Mai prided himself on being the most able body in the temple in terms of outright ability...except for Master Skywalker, of course.
Aln-Mai walked out a way from the temple and looked up. There was a ledge some twenty feet above the entrance of the doorway. He took a deep breath, concentrated deeply on the Force, and leapt straight up. He soared above the entrance and past a window in which he glimpsed another student resting. He performed a flip and landed squarely on the ledge, panting only slightly.
He looked up again, and saw another ledge, this one roughly thirty feet above him. The temple itself was several hundred feet tall, and Aln-Mai was only scaling a small portion of it's height. He concentrated once more, and again he leapt. He soared past the observation window in which he glimpsed Master Skywalker looking out at the dense jungle. The view streamed by, but Aln-Mai's ascent began to slow. He concentrated fully upon the Force, using it to propel him upward. He realized he was going to fall just short of the ledge, and so improvised on the spot. He grabbed the edge of the protrusion and hauled himself up. He sat, wheezing slightly, but exhilarated. He loved the life of the Jedi. It seemed nothing could tarnish the happiness that Aln-Mai felt.
Aln-Mai returned to his quarters after a brisk run through the jungle surrounding the Massassi Temple, and took a brief shower. He was just putting his plain brown jumpsuit on when Tionne, another teacher at the Jedi Academy walked in. She fixed Aln-Mai with a penetrating stare. Aln-Mai detected a glimmer in her eyes...sympathy?...sadness? Aln-Mai was immediately suspicious, with a growing dread in the pit of his stomach.
"Come with me," Tionne said, ushering Aln-Mai out the door. She walked silently ahead of him, taking him up to the higher levels of the Temple, past rooms Aln-Mai had never been in. Storage lockers lined some of the corridors, and several rooms had abandoned equipment in them from when the Rebel Alliance had occupied the small jungle moon. She strode into a room...the same room that Aln-Mai had seen Master Skywalker meditating in when he had scaled the Temple only a few hours before. Master Skywalker was sitting on a ledge that was raised up several feet from the floor, and tall windows at the far end of the room overlooked the lush jungle moon.
"Come in, Aln-Mai," Master Skywalker said. Again, Aln-Mai detected a note of compassion in his voice.
"I will be in the hanger, preparing a shuttle, Master Skywalker," Tionne said. The Jedi Master nodded, and she left silently.
"What's going on?" Aln-Mai asked in a suspicious voice, forgetting his respect for the Jedi Master. "I mean, what's with all the sadness and secretiveness? And why is Master Tionne getting a shuttle ready?"
"Sit down, Aln-Mai," Master Skywalker said firmly. Aln-Mai bowed his head and strode to the opposite end of the long room. He sat down cross-legged next to Master Skywalker on the ledge. He performed a quick Jedi relaxation technique, then faced Master Skywalker.
"Things change, Aln-Mai," Master Skywalker began, staring out at the jungle. "Our lives change, and we have little control over many events that are painful for us. You may have noticed this in your studies. The reason I summoned you here is to tell you that one of these events has happened in your family. The shuttle that Tionne is preparing is for mine and your trip to Malastare." The Jedi Master's face took an unmistakable look of sadness and weariness. "There's been a death in your family."
Aln-Mai sucked in his breath, horror written all over his face.
"Your mother has died," Master Skywalker said.