A/N: Let me just say this (in a sense) a continuation of the Star Wars novel 'Yoda: Dark Rendezvous' and if you hadn't read you'll still be fine. I recommend reading it though. I read all 329 pages of it in two days. I changed a few events in the novel to benefit this story a little. ANYWAYS, this story contains no Oc's and will stick to the cannon as closely as possible. I hope you enjoy reading.
The water didn't stir as not a single creature moved in the vast pond within the indoor gardens of the Jedi temple. Glowing beams of moonlight shined through the skylight and reflected off the gardens with magnificent beauty. Not a single water-skeeter danced across the perfectly calm pond as they were all sleeping just like the orb-spiders, collared-toads and the rest of the Temple. The few Jedi left in the temple that had not gone to war had retired for the evening, leaving the whole garden quiet; as quiet as the vast expanse of space with not a single shred of sound to be heard. It was peaceful here. No war, no conflict, no noise, just peace and quiet which was something she needed after her crucible of convictions.
Sitting high, perched upon a smooth black stoned rock on the edge of the pond, was a young padawan of her fourteenth year of age. Her light skin was complimented magnificently by her solid green eyes and scarlet-red hair along with the ever so beautiful moonlight. If one were to ask any youngling in the temple who was the loveliest female of all – and got an honest answer – most would say it was Tallisibeth.
Tallisibeth Enwandung-Esterhazy, a padawan of an unusual caliber. A trickster she is, often had to rely on outsmarting her opponent with tactics that seemed unorthodox (at best) to a traditional Jedi. Her skill in hand-to-hand combat was unparalleled to any Jedi, except for the Masters of course. She could and has dismantled training droids in the most brutish of ways: tearing its head and limbs clean off with nothing but raw muscle and technique to back it up. Her petit and slender body housed more muscle than what would seem natural as she was perhaps the strongest of her age. Along with sharp muscles, her mind was even sharper which made her excel when it came to hyperdrive mathematics, starship maintenance and of course droid physiology. She pushed herself to the fullest and got ever bit of effort out of her that seemed possible for a mortal being. The reason why she pushed herself so hard was known to every single Jedi that has passed within a hundred meters of her.
The force was weak with Tallisibeth Enwandung –Esterhazy. It was so weak in fact that she nearly didn't get accepted into the Jedi Order when she was just a small infant in the slums of Vorzyd V. Her mother, as the story she was told goes, practically begged the Jedi to take her away from the poverty stricken world and to be raised in a much humbler, safer way of life. Throughout her entire life in the temple she often was teased about it. Not being able to lift a certain object or not being able to see certain things with the force had caused many of the other younglings to laugh and snicker behind her back. The taunting of others had at first put her down but as she grew so did her confidence. She put her mind towards other things that didn't necessarily require the force to achieve. This is why she is exceptional at just about everything else other than using and controlling the force. With the use of her muscles and skills and perhaps at times a little of the force, she can swing a saber faster, run and jump with agility and grace, disassemble a R2 unit blindfolded, and also break any part of a bipedal sentiment's anatomy with a swift combination of unarmed moves that were so thoroughly drilled into her stubborn skull.
But it almost seemed like it wasn't enough. No matter how well she did in other aspects of her Jedi training the one fact still loomed over her like a krayt dragon ready to bite her head off. The force was weak within Tallisibeth Enwandung-Esterhazy! Most of the time when she would, for instance, call her lightsaber to her hand from a distance, it would make it but at a slow lazy speed or overshoot her hand entirely at an uncontrollable speed. Same went for lifting a glass of muja juice. It would either lifted lazily, or shoot straight up and crash into the ceiling, or just outright explodes and sends clumps of juice and glass everywhere. That certainly was an embarrassing moment for her. But at least she possessed one unique skill in the force that most other Jedi didn't have, or at least not as much as hers. When engaged in intense combat Tallisibeth would receive quick flashes from the force that alerted her to her opponent's movements and attacks. Battle Precognition it was called. In other words, she sometimes knew what her opponent moves were before they even thought of them. 'Sometimes' was the best it had ever gotten. She couldn't control it as she could control her muscles. It was random at best and could even come about in the most unlikely of circumstances, such as when walking down a long flight of stairs and just narrowly avoiding tripping over a training saber a youngling had dropped earlier. That fall would've seriously hurt if she hadn't had a quick heads up from the force. It was like a little gift, supplementing her weak affinity for the force if anything at all. Her innate ability to see her opponent's movements before they happened had given her nickname – Scout – which she is called by those who know her well enough.
Battle Precognition aside, she was still weak in the force. She was being considered to be reassigned to the Agra-corps, plainly stated – a farmer – who would go world from world and assist in agricultural development. A fate, said by the Jedi Masters, to be an honorable one but to the younglings it was their worst nightmare. Not being made a Jedi, not being able to carry a lightsaber, not being able to become a hero of the Order. That was ever little youngling's worst nightmare indeed. If it had not been for her first master taking her as a padawan, she would've been plowing fields of corn. Tallisibeth was an exceptional Jedi; she knew it, her first master knew it, even Yoda recognized the burning spirit within her. When she had become a padawan those short years ago, she nearly cried from joy of not being sent away. But alas those tears of joy soon turned to tears of sadness as her first master, Chankar Kim, was killed in the First Battle of Geonosis which kicked of the Clone Wars. For days she had cried, her tears seeming endless until one old, little green Jedi Master showed her that grief was not the way to remember her master and that she must rejoice that she had become one with the force. Tallisibeth took Grand Master Yoda's wisdom to heart and soon after applied herself beyond limits to her training. This ultimately resulted in her winning the 'Jedi Temple Apprentice Tournament' and being chosen by the greatly skilled swordsman, Master Jai Maruk, as an apprentice. It was quite a show of irony. Maruk was the person who insisted to Yoda that she'd be assigned to the Agra-corps. The wise old master made a deal with the young knight. If Scout came in the bottom half ranking of the Apprentice Tournament' she would be sent away but if she was in the top half, she'd stay as a padawan and finally, if she won the entire tournament he'd have to take Scout as a padawan. Jedi Knight Jai Maruk was of course doubtful of Scout's abilities so he accepted the bargain. What a sight it was to see Maruk's face when Scout beat ever last padawan in the tournament. It made Yoda laugh like a giddy youngling who had too much Fizzy-Bip to drink. Scout again had shed a few tears when Maruk told she was to be his padawan and the Knight said it to her with a warm, accepting smile. But yet again, those tears of joy quickly turned. Master Maruk was killed on their first mission together. Yet again she was orphaned, yet again she cried oceans, and yet again Yoda had been there to catch her as she fell.
That is what brings her to the garden pond on this moonlit night, to be at peace. Nearly a month has passed since she witnessed her second master's death along with others. Simply staring at a motionless pond brought her more peace then 'pretending' to try to exercise or practice saber forms. On that mission with her master, she'd lost more than just her second master, she had lost someone she considered far more important and dear to her, someone she wished she had never let go of… It was so lonely for her… so dreadfully lonely…
Tap! Tap! "So gloom you are, feel it across the temple I do!" A short grunted voice from behind surprised the stars out of Scout. She gasped and nearly fell off her perch. Master Yoda certainly knew how to sneak up on someone.
"Oh, hello master Yoda." Scout said with her best acting-normal face and tone but she couldn't hide anything from the Grand Master who had practically raised her in the temple along with a thousand other younglings. "I didn't feel you coming." Which was true, though week in the force she was, she could still sense his presence a parsec away like any other force-sensitive… that is if she wasn't so gloom to not feel him coming.
The short alien snorted. "Not sense me you say, not able to put you mind at peace you are. Dark emotions still plague you young Tallisibeth." He said looking up at her from the ground.
Uh-Oh, She thought as he used her first name. He's serious this evening. "Yes master," She said with hidden reluctance. She still had dark emotion clouding her mind, emotions that should not exist within a Jedi. All thanks to that one mission and now her life had been wrenched into pieces. How she hated the face of that bald headed witch, the very person who'd slain the ones close to her with a sadistic, sickening grin. "I am still mournful of those who have been killed." She said now sitting in position reverse to the pond and facing Yoda.
"Mmmmm, strong emotions you still possess young one. Do away with them you must." He said and then, in an awkward fashion, clambered his way up the large rock that Scout was sitting on. Scout scouted over a little to make room for the elderly master as he climbed upwards using his cane as a support. He could've just used the force to push himself up on the rock but then again he was perhaps the most… no, actually he is the humblest Jedi to walk the galaxy, only using the force when there is no alternative. "Torment Yoda with your gloominess you do!" Yoda said suddenly and loudly, shattering the perfect silence of the garden like a dinner plate striking against a starship hull. "Feel it worlds away, I can."
Scout grimaced slightly, ever so slightly. "Forgive me master. It is difficult to accept that he… they are gone." She corrected herself hastily hopping master Yoda didn't pick up on that. He did but not fully.
"Miss Master Maruk you do. As do you miss fellow padawan Whie." Yoda said in a calm and collectively voice that reflected seriousness.
By the force, tears grew in Scouts eyes again. She ever so wished Master Yoda didn't mention that name, the name of Whie Malreaux; her dear friend and her lost love. On that same mission she and Master Maruk went on, Whie and his master accompanied them as well. Just like her master, he too was cut down before her very eyes by the wicked bald witch with twin blood-red lightsaber. In the short time they had together Scout and Whie had fallen for each other silently. It wasn't until near the end of the mission, and Whie's life, had his love for her been revealed. Whie sacrificed himself to keep the witch at bay and buy Scout a few more precious minutes of life before being she was saved at last by master Yoda who had also accompanied them and their masters on that same mission. She never learned the bald witches name until the news of her death during the Battle of Sullust had reached the temple. Asajj Ventress. How she hated her and every fiber of her existence and Yoda knew she had hate within her… almost like a permanent tear.
Yoda took the tip of his cane and gently but sternly wacked Scout on the head. "Ow!" She said, breaking away from her dark thoughts about her masters and lovers murderer. "Master Yoda that hur-" She was interrupted when Yoda put the tip of his cane over her mouth to silence her.
"Too loud are your thoughts of hate. Wake the whole temple you will!" There was that loud abrupt voice again. If he kept that up he'll certainly wake the whole - *whack*
"Ow!" Again Scout said as Yoda put an even harder whack to her head.
"Don't mock me with your mind young one!" Yoda said waving his cane for what threatened to be another innocent but hard blow to the head.
"How did you know?" She said with slight alarm as she thought if he can tell exactly what her thoughts were then he might even know about her and Whie.
"Just now, told me you did," He said with a short alien laugh.
"So you hit me for no reason?" Scout said, cocking an eyebrow and tilting her head at him. So he hadn't known…
"Reason you just gave. Justified, my act was!" He said, again aloud with a sudden burst of vocal power. "Fix your head you will, before Master Yoda fixes it for you!" His cane was waving in his hand again, threateningly.
Scout quickly lowered her eyebrow and straightened her face. But then all of the sudden, she laughed with such uncontrolled giggles. Leave it to Yoda to somehow make her laugh during anytime. Yoda grinned and joined in laughing. They made loud noises that surely disturbed a few sleepy Jedi down the hall. Scout laughed until she was practically out of air. The last time she had laughed it was with Whie, oh how she missed him and his dashing smile and quick wit to crack jokes.
"Amazing what a few bumps on the head could do, agree young Scout?" Yoda said in a calm voice. How he kept changing his tone so randomly was beyond Scout.
"Yes Master, thank you," The feeling of hate and loss now lessoned for the moment. "Still I-" *whack* "By the stars!" She almost yelled which wasn't a good idea around Yoda for apparently he was the only one allowed to raise his voice.
"Beat the bad thoughts out of you all night, I will." He said, getting his thin wooden cane ready for another thump. "As the saying goes, beat you senseless I will!"
Scout felt another laugh coming on but she managed to suppress it into a few short giggles. "Okay I felt that one Master and I'll keep the 'bad thoughts' out of my head." She said. He certainly had a way of transferring wisdom. Yoda's probably the only person who could successfully do it with a wooden cane and a few good whacks on the head.
"Good that is, getting tired my arms are." He said and rested the cane on his crossed-legged lap. "Be mindful of those close to you young Scout. Do not remorse, only pain it will cause. Lure you to the darkside, it will. Rejoice by living with honor in their memory. Attach to the past, you must not, hold you back it will. Strong Maruk and wise Whie, passed into the force they have. In order to move one, let go of them you must." Yoda said in his now 'everlasting-wisdom' voice that just about every Jedi has heard at one point or another.
Scout nodded. "I understand master," She said with a grateful smile. "But I-"
Yoda raised his cane again and held it up in the air. Scout pulled her head back like a turtle retracting into its shell. "Another word of 'wisdom' do you need?" He said, playful yet serious.
"I wasn't going to say anything about that master. I was only going to ask a question." Scout said, hands raised and ready to intercept the cane strike.
"Oh," Yoda lowered his cane back into his lap. "What question do you have?"
Scout took in a breath. This wasn't going to easy say so she was just going say it plainly. "What will I do now? I'm a padawan without a master. How will I learn?"
Yoda closed his eyes and looked like he was thinking methodically about the question. Scout held her breath, waiting for what the ancient Jedi had to say… *whack!* *whack!* *WHACK!* Yoda hit her in the head like a drum player. It had happened so fast Scout nearly lost her balance on the rock they sat on.
"For the love of crushing black-holes Master Yoda!" Scout exclaimed and put two hands over the top of her head where it hurt the most.
"Obvious, is it not!" Yoda said even louder. "Find a new master for you, we will!"
"But who Master Yoda? Who would be willing to take me as an apprentice? My weak force connection bluntly advertises me as a 'poor' student in the eyes of others." Scout said, not letting go of her head. No way was she letting go as long as Yoda had his 'cane of wisdom'.
To Scouts surprise the old hutched back green alien grinned. "Know something I do," Yoda said. "Come to the Council Chamber tomorrow if wish to learn you do." He said ominously in what felt like a good way to Scout. Whatever that meant.
"Okay Master," She said, hands still on her head. "I think I'll go to my quarters now. That is before the infirmary." She joked with a smile.
"Hmm, very well young one. Help master Yoda, down will you?" He said, extending his free hand.
Scout smiled and was about to take his hand before… *whack!* "In all the worlds!" Scout hissed and pulled her hand back to her head to cover the now aching skull.
Yoda giggled like a kid, yet again, before skillfully sliding down the smooth side of the rock and landing gracefully on his three toed feet. "Another word of wisdom, just in case." Yoda remarked with a smirk.
Scout rubbed her head as she remained on top of the rock and out of Yoda's 'whacking zone'. "Did that on purpose, you did!" Scout said in her best Yoda impression which was fairly decant when compared to the other Younglings who attempted it.
Yoda smiled again. "Best of dreams, young Scout." Yoda said as he walked away and exited the garden.
"You too master Yoda," She whispered, knowing he wouldn't hear her. Turning around in her spot on top of the rock she looked back at the pond one last time. "So much for calming water," She remarked, rubbing her head a little. Standing up on the rock with expert balance, Scout outstretched her arms and jump backwards, performing a perfect twist in midair before her feet touched softly on the ground. Another perfect landing; she wished she could say the same about the time she crashed on Vjun on a trashed B-7 freighter. What a mess that turned out to be… but at least, at the time, she was still with Whie. She would've done if all over again if it meant seeing him one more time… Then the image of Yoda's cane came into her mind and she shuttered.
"Right," She said to herself. Turns out Yoda beat more wisdom into her then she had thought. But still… she will never forget dear Whie…
*Tap* *Tap *Tap*. Scout's footsteps were heavier than usual as she walked towards the Council Chamber atop of the central spire in the temple. Bright golden light of the rising sun was in her eyes as it blazed through the large open windows. Scout was slow to get there. She had gotten hardly any sleep the previous night since she was up all night wondering what Yoda had to say and even worse… the whole Council! She has never been in the Council Chamber with the other Master of the Order but she's heard from other padawans that it was both scary and exhilarating.
She gently knocked on the large ornately carved wooden doors to the Council Chamber.
"Come in, young Scout." Yoda's unmistakable voice came from behind the door.
Scout took in a deep breath, stood up straight, stuck her chest out, and put the most plain-and-serious look on her face. She pushed the door open and walked in. To her mild surprise and relief, the Council chamber was empty except for Yoda who sat in his chair which was considerable smaller than the others that lined the room. Scout let out the loudest sigh she had ever heard and went back to her normal posture.
"Relieved it is only me, are you?" Yoda asked which really was self-explanatory.
Scout nodded. "Um, yes master," Even with the room being all but empty she still couldn't help but feel nervous. What was the Master going to tell her?
"A moment we must wait for not arrived the other has not." Yoda said and Scout raised her eyebrow but jerked it back down at the memory of what happened last time she did that.
"Who master?" Scout said now more nervous than ever. What's he going to say!
Yoda grinned. Oh yes, she knew that grin. Something big was going to go down. She can just feel it at the bottom of her gut. "Your new master, arrive shortly, he will." Yoda said and Scout nearly fell off her feet.
Just like that she had a new master. No difficulty at all like the last time. That had to be a dream and that she was about to wake up on the rock Yoda may have left her unconscious on from all the blows to the head. This had to be a dream. Nothing was this easy. Nothing for me is EVER this easy! Her thoughts blared.
And then… *Knock* *Knock* *Knock*. Someone was at the door.
"Enter" Yoda said and Scout can hear the door open and close behind her. Her heart was about to burst out of her chest. All she had to do was turn around and see who it was. All she needed to do was…
"Aw, I trust you are Tallisibeth?" A male voice said from behind in a rather sophisticated tone. Scout heart was really about to explode from excitement, it nearly paralyzed her. With an effort she forced her feet to turn her around and face the Jedi Master face to face.
If Scouts jaw wasn't attached to her head, it would've crashed into the floor. "M-master… K-kenobi!" She said a little too loud, even for excitement. Right before her was the legendary Obi-wan Kenobi. The Obi-wan Kenobi! The Negotiator! This had to be a dream and Scout was just getting carried away. No way in all the stars of the Republic would one of the most respected and strongest Jedi in the entire Order want her to be his padawan. He must be here to see Yoda about something else and happened to walk in. He must be…
"Are you…" She managed to speak. "My new… master?" She said with all the nervousness stopping her heart for a brief second.
The Jedi Master nodded with a heartwarming smile that could've inspired hope in anyone. "Indeed, I've been told a great amount about you Tallisibeth and I look forward to teaching you." He said.
"T-thank you master!" She almost yelped and bowed deeply before the master, trying her best not to make the same mistake before and shred tears of joy. "And please," She said in a now calmer voice then before but not quite so calm still. "Call me Scout,"
A/B: Complete, the chapter is. Grateful you have read, this I am. Leave a review if the force wields it so! *cough* *cough* A geez, sorry about that. I kinda got overly active in the whole Yoda voice. If I kept that up my voice would've stuck like that. That would make life fairly interesting though… ANYWAYS thanks again for reading!