"He is too old". Saesee Tiin's definitive tone sounded from the hologram, which flickered slightly in the council chair.
"There is precedent, Master Tiin." Eyes turned to meet those of the speaker, Ki-Adi-Mundi. The significance was not lost on his audience; Mundi was himself an example of one who was allowed to join the order after infancy. "It is not long, after all, since we last took in a mature student", he turned to face Obi-Wan, "and as I understand it, young Skywalker is excelling in his studies." A curt nod from Obi-Wan confirmed the query. The smooth voice of Kit Fisto was the next to receive attention.
"There is also the boy's power to consider. He very nearly brought a building down atop us during his capture. Had the security officer not seized an opportunity to tranquilise him when he did, I've no doubt that far more of the city would have been lost."
The jedi's large, black eyes scanned the room, gauging the response of his fellow members, before resting their gaze on the squat, green figure in the centre of the semi-circle. "Tell me, Master Yoda, has there ever been a case in which a force-sensitive's powers have manifested, without any apparent training, to such destructive ends?"
"If another occasion, there has been, know of it, the Jedi do not." The figure next to Yoda had remained silent in the debate, but Windu now spoke with a heavy tone of finality.
"The boy's power is evident, and it is obvious that he must be taught control with all haste. As to what is to be done with him afterwards..." The jedi paused here, hesitant of how he should phrase his concern. "The child bears the mark of the Sith, and it is possible that they already know of his existence. Although I think the boy may be too old to properly engage with the training, I dislike more the idea of our enemy making a disciple of him in the future. We still do not know the extent of their reach."
"Actually Master, our researchers have recently cast doubt on the meaning and origin of those tattoos", Obi-Wan commented. "But I agree with your assessment - the boy should join the order. If nothing else, we can hardly send him back where we found him." Yoda's voice followed quickly, but hesitantly.
"The only reason to suspect Sith involvement, the tattoos are not." He received puzzled looks in return. It was clear by the jedi's voice that he did not wish to elucidate further, and if any of the jedi wanted to dig more, their respect for the council's de facto leader held them back. Windu and Yoda shared a troubled glance, and the human spoke the last words of the debate.
"The boy's power must be brought under control, that much is clear. We cannot in good conscience teach someone to use the force but offer no other guidance. He will remain within our order, under our watch, and we will tailor his training as best we can. Any objections?" When he received only silence and shakes of the head, Windu relaxed back into his seat, satisfied with the outcome. "We had best go and fetch him then." He gestured to a figure at the edge of the room. "Guard -". Windu broke off, a slight frown coming across his face. He turned back to address Kit Fisto once more. "Tell me, do we now know the boy's name?"
"If he has a name, Master, he has forgotten it, along with everything else." A smile tugged at the jedi's mouth, which was never too far from a grin. "He was found with a necklace, though. A symbol of the old Tionese alphabet - Tau, if I'm not mistaken."
"Tau...", Windu pondered for a moment. "Very well." He turned once more to the room's perimeter. "Guard, see if our young ward has awoken, and bring him here if he has."
Across the temple, through bright, clean hallways and grand arches, in a small and secluded room, a young boy sat on a square of cloth. Dim light cast from a panel that framed the edges of the room illuminated a bed, a wash basin, a metal chair, and a mirror covered in a thin layer of dust. It had a slightly run-down feel about it, and the boy guessed that it was a temporary fixture.
Pushing himself off the floor, the boy grasped the sheet of cloth and wiped the particulate film from the mirror in front of him. He examined the person who gazed back at him with fierce, violet eyes. His expression was pinched into a contrived scowl, his jaw clenched tight, and his hands balled into fists, all of which hid the nervousness itching below the surface.
He raised a hand to his temple to examine a shallow cut, wincing slightly as he probed the flesh. The tail of the cut lead up to one of the small bone protrusions at the top of his skull. The leftmost protrusion (Horn? He supposed they might be called that, were they a little larger) was cracked, and he vaguely remembered receiving the injury from a falling stone during his capture.
The boy traced his fingers along the structure of his face. His features were stern for one so young, emanating defiance. His fingers moved lower on his pale skin, along the curve of his neck and scapula. Then he reached his torso, which, along with his arms, was covered in an elegant painting of thin black lines. He rubbed at one of the lines to no effect. Not a painting then - a tattoo.
As the boy focused on their image, a memory positioned itself at the edge of his mind, just out of reach. It was fragmented and too foggy to discern properly. A grimace settled on his face as he tried harder to retrieve the memory. A sharp recollection of intense pain came to him then, jolting him back to the little room.
He took a breath to steady himself and examined the last odd feature of his person. Just above his sternum, suspended around his neck by a plain silver chain, there hung a small, metal symbol, seeming to sit among the twisting lines of his tattoo as if the design had been made with the trinket borne in mind. He caressed its smooth edges beneath his fingertips. He did not recognise the symbol, but resting his gaze upon it gave him a familiar and welcome comfort.
The boy stepped back slightly, shifting his eyes up to meet the puzzled stare of his reflection. The boy stayed in that position, quite still, for a time that could have been as short as a few seconds, or as long as a few hours, before frowning at his discovery. Try as he might, the only memories he could conjure up before awakening in this little room were flashes of his pursuit and subsequent capture by the jedi.
The sigh of the door sliding open jolted the boy from his contemplation. He swivelled around to face the figure in the doorway, his body tensed to flee or fight. He narrowed his eyes at the man, but relaxed slightly when he saw that the man's expression was soft and devoid of malice. The man then spoke in a low, soft tone.
"You're awake. Good. I am to take you to the jedi council now." The man spoke again, seeing suspicion come back into the boy's stance. "No need to worry. Just a few questions, I imagine, nothing too taxing before you've had more time to rest and recover."
The man smiled warmly and held out his hand to the child. The boy glanced at the offered hand, straightened his back, and walked past into the hallway without taking it. The man gave a slight chuckle at that, before turning and leading the boy off to be assessed by the jedi council, after which he would be launched on a tumultuous and exciting journey as part of the Jedi order.
A/N Hi guys, thanks for reading. Comments and reviews would be much appreciated. This is my first story and just a sentence to let me know you're reading would really mean a lot. Thanks, next chapter will be up soon.