Darth Raven
Chapter 1
The meditation chamber allowed no light to enter its interior; no sounds could penetrate its circular walls. The round room sitting high in the Tranquility Spire, with perfectly smooth walls and floor, had absolutely nothing in it except darkness and silence – the companions of meditation. There was nothing here at all to catch one's attention or occupy one's mind. The only thing left to do in this empty world, closed in on itself, was to sink into your own mind and search it to its deepest core.
Alyse So was not troubled by the oppressive stillness. In fact, she was not aware of it. Motionless, she sat in a meditative trance in the middle of the room, dreaming.
In her dream she could hear great waves of water smashing against unmovable rock; she could feel the salty spray land on her ruffled feathers as she fought the gusty wind. A sudden burst tipped her off balance and she let out a screech, flapping her wings frantically to…
The next moment she was pressing herself to the ground, crawling slowly toward her unsuspecting prey with the elegant grace of a predator. As she got closer, she gathered her hind and middle legs beneath her, preparing for the final jump which…
The next moment he was wandering through Slum Street, collecting empty grog bottles and any trash that could be worth half a credit while drunkenly singing a woeful tune. He stumbled along with a limp, carrying his loot in an overflowing bag slung over his shoulder. The singing abruptly stopped, and a wide smile bloomed on his face. He picked up a bottle which still had some contents in it, and happily…
The next moment she quivered under the warm rays of a white dwarf star. Her stem rocked back and forth like a dancer; her roots probed the unfriendly soil, searching tirelessly for moisture that would sustain her for another day…
An invasive Presence in the Force ripped her out of trance. Her eyes snapped open and once again she was aware of the darkness, the silence, and of her own identity. She could sense a Force-user approaching on the other side of the wall. This could only mean that the sun has risen, the night of meditation has ended, and the day has come to receive her Knighthood. The chamber doors slid open. Her human eyes were blinded by the light after staring into pitch blackness, but she knew the intruder's presence in the Force – the High Consular of the Jedi Temple. "It's time, Padawan," said the elderly Ithorian in a gentle voice. "They are waiting for you."
Her pulse quickened as they approached the doors to the Hall of Knighthood. She retained perfect composure during the Trial of Spirit, yet now it almost failed her. The High Consular smiled. "Go forth, Padawan." With a push of the Force he opened the doors and the golden light of the morning sun flooded through the opening. Inside, some of the most revered Jedi of the Order were seated: the five Masters of the Council of First Knowledge, the Battlemaster, the Chief Librarian, Jedi Master Hanna, and the Grand Master himself. All their gazes, friendly but stern, were fixed on her. Master Hanna made eye contact with Alyse and gave her an encouraging smile. Protocol prohibited her smiling back, but the Padawan reached out through the Force to the Jedi Master with a sense of gratitude.
"Padawan Alyse So," the Grand Master's voice rolled across the Hall as he rose from his chair. The young apprentice approached him and knelt reverently a few feet away. "You have successfully passed each of the five Trials which tested your Skill, Courage, Flesh, Spirit, and Insight, proving that you may be ready to receive knighthood. Battlemaster, know you any reasons why Padawan So may by unworthy of knighthood?"
The Twi'lek Battlemaster shook his head. "So's lightsaber technique and form are flawless. She has precision, exquisite control of the blade, and light-footed agility. She passed each of my exams with a perfect score and I can confidently say she has mastered every skill I taught her."
The Grand Master nodded. "Master Hanna, know you any reasons why So, your Padawan of five years, may be unworthy of knighthood?"
The middle-aged woman rose from her seat and folded her hands in front of her. The brown overtunic of her Jedi Robes matched the color of her hair and her eyes, which gazed fondly upon her young apprentice with warmth and gentleness. "She is as worthy as any Padawan who came before her, Grand Master. Alyse is the most talented pupil I ever enjoyed mentoring on the path to Knighthood and a deeper understanding of the Force. She embodies the best qualities a Jedi can possess: honesty, integrity, humility, loyalty, and selflessness. Every challenge she encounters she takes in stride and commits her entire being to overcome. For her, no task is too daunting and no problem is unsolvable. She was a role-model for her fellow students and an inspiration for me. I expect her to do many great things for the Republic and the Galaxy." Everybody in the hall applauded as Hanna reassumed her seat. Alyse didn't dare lift her face, but she felt a reassuring nudge in the Force and she knew it was her Master encouraging her.
"Padawan So," spoke the Grand Master, and silence instantly returned to the hall. "In the name of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order, I raise you to Knighthood. May you guard the safety of the Republic, stand against the Dark Side, carry the legacy of the Jedi Order, and may the Force be with you." The Grand Master unclipped his lightsaber and approached the newly anointed Knight. The violet blade sprung to life and with a swift motion seared off the tie which secured Alyse's dirty-blonde waist-length hair in a Padawan's braid.
And with that the formalities of the event were over and a murmur of conversation rose in place of the ceremonial silence. Hanna rushed over toward Alyse and captured her in a bear hug. "I'm so proud of you, kiddo." Alyse felt her eyes stinging, as if tears were about to form there, but her Jedi mental discipline saved her from crying in front of the whole council. "Thank you, Master Hanna," she murmured.
Their embrace was interrupted by the approach of the Grand Master, a tall Iktotchi who carried himself with the dignity and grandeur of authority, but who now wore a kind smile. "Congratulations on your accomplishments, Jedi Knight So. The Academy acknowledges your outstanding performance. Any idea of what your next plans will be?"
Alyse smiled bashfully, though there was a glimmer of pride in her eyes. "Thank you, Grand Master. I would like to continue my education and pursue the rank of a Master." He nodded approvingly. "A worthy goal, Knight. Hark, I think the Battlemaster wants to speak with you." Alyse turned around and indeed, there was the Battlemaster. He shook her hand and beckoned her away from the gathering, leaving Hanna and the Grand Master tete-a-tete.
"She is a very promising Jedi Knight," remarked the Grand Master. "Her examination scores are incredibly high. But now that she graduated from the Academy, we have to decide which mission to assign her to, and I wanted to consult you, her Master, before making a decision."
The smile faded from Hanna's face and her features hardened. "Please don't assign her to a combat mission, Grand Master."
He raised a hairless eyebrow. "Why is that? The Battlemaster spoke very highly of her skill."
"It's true, Alyse is very accomplished with the lightsaber, as with everything else. She's very smart, and strong with the Force, too… much stronger than me… But she doesn't have a breath of fighting spirit in her. Yes, she dutifully learned all our drills, as she does with everything, but she has no assertiveness in battle. She holds back and I am afraid it will get her killed in her very first battle."
The Grand Master furled his brow in a look of deep contemplation. "A pacifist she is? Perhaps, then, her talents should be directed into diplomacy and negotiations?"
"That's what I thought too, at first." Hanna let out an exasperated sigh. "But she's just as reluctant to socialize as she is to ignite her blade. She treats interaction with her peers like an assignment she must execute, and a challenging one at that. She would, of course, perform her duty to the top of her remarkable abilities, but she would loathe the task."
The Grand Master made no reply, lost in thought. "She would make a great researcher," continued Hanna after a moment of silence. "It would put her best qualities, her intelligence, diligence, persistence, and mastery of the Force, to good use, and I think she would be happy. Assign her to a research laboratory, Grand Master."
The Grand Master looked intently at Hanna, then nodded and called out for Alyse So. She politely excused herself from the conversation she was having and walked toward the Grand Master. "Jedi Knight So," he said, "We have decided that your mission will take place in the Commenor system's MidiTEC research facility as a Class A research assistant."
The young Jedi's eyes widened. "Isn't that the newest, most advanced midi-chlorian research lab in the Republic?"
"The exact one, and just recently they filed a request for new talent."
"I… don't know how to thank you, Grand Master."
"There is no need to thank me. Your accomplishments granted you this position, not I. I hope to see you soon in the High Council Chamber as a candidate for the rank of a Master. May the Force be with you." He shook the new Jedi's hand and took his leave. Meanwhile Hanna turned toward her former Padawan and ran her fingers through the girl's loose blonde hair. "The braid is finally gone. You look beautiful with your hair down, Alyse."
"Thank you, Master Hanna," was all Alyse managed to say.
"You have such an amazing journey ahead of you, I know it. You will excel at the research lab, and you will achieve the rank of a Master in no time, and you will train many talented Padawans…" Her voice trailed off, and suddenly Hanna hugged the girl again.
"Stay safe, kiddo," she whispered. "And stay clear of the Dark Side… but who am I telling that, you of all people I need not worry about." She pulled back. "You leave for Commenor tomorrow."
Had she not had the Jedi mental discipline training, Alyse would surely have burst into tears. "We'll see each other again before I leave, though, right?"
"Of course. I'll be the last person to leave the landing platform tomorrow. Now go, you need to get ready. Go."
Alyse smiled sadly and hesitantly turned toward the exit.
"May the Force be with you, kiddo."
Thank you for reading the first chapter of "Darth Raven". All characters and events are based directly off my real life, adapted as closely as possible to the Star Wars universe. The purpose of this fanfic is to express the things I feel but don't know how to voice otherwise.