Running. From What? Where?
An unfamiliar jungle alive, vibrant, lethal.
The thrum of lightsabers.
"You must go."
Go? Where?
A black armored form with red blade blazing. "I knew you'd come."
A young lady with two colored eyes. "I knew you'd come."
The white eyes of blindness. "I knew you'd come."
Again the woman with two colored eyes. "I'm waiting…."
With a start a young man's eyes open as his meditation ends. The auburn glow of the planet above casts odd shadows upon the stone step he sits on. Checking his chronometer, he lets the Force fill him, seeking a familiar presence. He's surprised to find it already moving towards the temple's enterance, and hastily runs down the stone steps till he is on the jungle floor. Just as he gets there the presence he was waiting for emerges from the door way.
"Good Morning." His baritone voice carries in the stillness of the morning. The blonde and orange form walking out the door shoots him a grimace in response. Even without the Force its evident his companion did not sleep well. They walk away from the temple but stay in the clearing not going into the jungle proper. They stand apart two full yards between them. The quiet is deafening as both reach to their belts, unclipping familiar cylindrical objects. With a snap hiss the blue blade snaps into existence, being held in both hands by the blonde. The young man stares at the cylinder in his right hand, depresses the button, letting the orange blade spring to life. He steadies the blade in one hand pointing it at the person in front of him. "Your move Barefoot princess." Green eyes flare as they lock with his brown.
"I'm so going to get you for that, Kathil." As the afformentioned 'princess' speaks, she charges at the now named young man with a simple overhead strike. Kathil swings his blade up to meet her strike and redirects it off to his side, stepping in where she can't bring her blade back and rams his shoulder into her chest knocking her to the ground.
"Temper, Temper Tahiri," Kathil's voice continues to tease, "if that's all you've got for this morning's session you should have stayed in bed." Tahiri picks herself up off the ground as he's speaking and lashes back verbally, "Well whose bright idea was it to spar every morning? If we did this in the evening, I'd be better." A chuckle is the first response. "And that is exactly why we're doing this now. Besides, since all the other trainees are gone, we're the only two other then the master's with lightsabers. So unless you can find a way to get more time from either of the Master's Solusar to practice with you, we're kind of stuck with each other. Okay verbal sparring for the session complete, so come at me again." With that Kathil raises his blade in the traditional two handed grip and braces for Tahiri to come at him again. Tahiri glares at Kathil, but then takes a breath to steady her self and launches herself at him again.
Two Hours. Two hours of non stop lightsaber combat and drills have left Kathil and Tahiri exhausted and panting for breath, but still as focused on the task at hand as they could be. Just as they are about to begin one last pass, the sound of hands clapping break the mood, startling the two out of their focus.
"Nice Showing, both of you." The two turn to see the man Luke has left in charge of trainee's till they're ready for a master, Kam Solusar. "Tahiri you've improved greatly since we let you build your blade 2 months ago, you've mastered the basics of the three rings of defense from the exchanges I saw before I made my presence known." He then turns to look directly at Kathil. "You're still wild, but now it's wild with a purpose. When you asked to look at the ancient lightsaber files that Luke had recovered from various sources, I was nervous to let you, considering your history and why you are here." Kathil scowls slightly and Tahiri turns to look at him expectantly, he just shakes his head showing that he doesn't wish to talk about it and motions for Kam to continue. "But in tracking down those forms and finding one that fit you seems to have done wonders for your focus, even if it isn't traditional." Kathil brushes his damp hair out of his face. "I don't have the skill with placing redirected blaster bolts to follow tradition. And it's only considered tradition because people with blasters are the most common foe we face."
Tahiri interrupts at this point. "What do you mean traditional? Kathil I thought you were found and trained by one of the loner Jedi and they sent you here, when they felt they couldn't teach you anymore?" Kathil looks to Kam, Kam's knowing nod in response cause's Kathil to sigh and look at Tahiri. " I don't want to talk about this, but I'll fill in enough gaps for you little miss barefoot, so you'll get most of the picture. What do you know about the Jensaarai?"
Tahiri looks away for a second gathering her thoughts "Jensaarai are a Force tradition with many similarities to Jedi. While we have knights they have defenders. And every now and then one of them has come around and taught for a little while or one of the Master's has gone to them to teach." Kathil nods "You know a lot more then most do. You are right in the ranks of knight and defender, a Jedi knight right of passage is the building of their lightsaber, for the Defender it is the building of a suit of armor that has cortosis woven into it and shaped similar to an animal the Defender identifies with. A Defender's role is to protect the people of our world, keeping them safe from the threats of the galaxy. Almost all Defenders practice the ancient lightsaber style Shien, because we are always outnumbered and blasters are the most common weapon employed against us. It helps to keep us hidden when all the bodies involved in an altercation have blaster wounds not lightsaber wounds. I don't have the skill with blaster deflection that most of my breathren have, so while I was here I asked to see if the Jedi had any other of the ancient forms recorded, and between what I had found at home and here I think I've pieced Juyo together again into a passable form, fitting because of my armor." Tahiri again interrupts "You're only two years older then me and you are already a Defender?" Kathil's eye's dim slightly "I earned the right to be called a Defender because of the events that brought me here. The Saarai-Kaar sent me into exile here to try and help me get perspective on what happened. Look at me, I'm starting to ramble, but I think I've told you enough Tahiri."
Master Solusar takes this opportunity to speak up "Kathil's right, and Tahiri you should go get cleaned up, Master Ikrit is expecting you in the audience hall." Tahiri nods and runs back to the temple, Kam turns to face Kathil. "You made the right choice telling her what you did, and in choosing what not to say. Both myself and Tionne were made aware of some of the issues surrounding your arrival and I have to say you seem a lot less worse for wear then you should be." Kathil lets a self depreciating smirk cross his face "some of your students refuse to let me be down in their presence, the twins Maerna and Daemos in particular constantly pestering me for help and if they see a frown they have a tendancy to flick small rocks at me though the force just often enough to be annoying, but at heart they're good kids with a knack for reading people, can't wait to see what kind of Jedi they will become." Kam nods thoughtfully "What will you do when your people recall you?"
"I'll go home. I am a Defender first and foremost so I must answer to the Saarai-kaar, but I do feel like my sphere of responsibility is greater then my home system. I hope she will let me travel and do what I can outside of Susevfi system. The Yuuzhan-Vong are a threat to everyone in every system, other threats to my people may come from beyond our system and might be impossible to act on if we wait for them to come to us."
Kam looks thoughtful "I know you have a Hawk class transport at your disposal here, so that part is not an issue, but what about your identity? You walk around in armor and carry a lightsaber and you're going to raise a lot of eyebrows."
Kathil chuckles at this "You should know that most of us try to maintain some semblance of a cover identity, with the Traveler I can pass as a courier of legitimate items and messages because it doesn't have the threat profile of a smuggler vessel. And if that doesn't work I can always pretend to be a Jedi, yes that's tough considering the building anti-Jedi sentiment in the New Republic, but that also gives me the clearest access, and I can use most of my abilities without a second glance. But for at least my next trip home it will be as a courier delivering some gems that were traded from the Hapan Cluster. Mirax Horn is the one who procured them for us on her last stop through that region but we set it up so that, my nav comp, course and identity all say I went there and the records of the sale aren't dated yet, they will be when I head out."
"When will that be?"
"Soon"
As the star in the system reached its peak on Yavin 4 Kathil found himself outside the temple again. This time alone he sits legs crossed his lightsaber hilt lay on the ground in front of him. With a breath Kathil closes his eyes and reaches out to the lightsaber with the Force. The blade springs to life a meter above the ground, its amber blade parallel to the ground. The blade lifts itself higher and then starts to dance. As if some ancient spirit had possessed the blade it went straight vertical as if in salute of a fellow ghost and started to swing as if dueling against another spirit.
"WOW!!" a pair of young voices break Kathil's concentration causing the blade to shut off and fall to the ground. Kathil sighs, stands up, turns around and sees two students in orange jumpsuits , blue eyes wide with amazement. "Daemos, Maerna shouldn't you be with Tionne right now?"
The female of the two speaks up "It's lunch break silly! Daemos felt you were doing something out here so we came to look! It was amazing! I can't wait to build my own lightsaber and try that!!" Daemos nods his head in earnest agreement.
Kathil rolls his eyes at this, a small smile fixed on his lips because of the energy of the two youngsters. "I know your both good with telekinesis, because of all those pebbles you keep throwing at me," after a half-hearted glare he continues " but be careful. What I was doing is highly dangerous and shouldn't be attempted till you've mastered your lightsaber on your own. If you try it too soon and get hurt, Master Luke will send either Master Mara or Master Sabatyne after me to 'correct' me for showing you, and you don't want me to get hurt do you?" Two affirmative nods answer the question.
"Good. Now ready for our usual game of tag?" Again two nods. "Alright." Kathil walks a few paces away. "Come get me!" with that and a Force enhanced boost of speed into the temple the chase was on.
Sleek, deadly, preadtor. The traits of the Vornskyr. My traits but not those prized by the order.
Kathil stares at the pieces of armor laying on cot in the Jedi Praxeum the matte black armor pieces and cloak staring at him. Mocking him. Kathil steels himself and reaches for the right leg's armor and starts to lock it into place on his leg. The next leg follows suit. Kathil pulls the breastplate over his head, snapping the waist connections shut and sealing the side locks. Next the left arm is locked in at the shoulder and forearm. The right arm follows. Kathil grabs the helmet in his gauntleted hands, staring at the red eyes in another wise blank mask the few vertical silver slits from the breath mask giving the lower half the look of a preadator's closed jaws.
I need to do this.
Kathil rasies the helmet above his head and sets it into place. The seals locking it into place
I am a Defender first, regardless of what happened, what I've become, I'm still Jensaarai
"It is good you wear your armor this night." A melodic voice comes from the doorway revealing the Praxeum's greatest story teller spoke the words.
"Master Tionne" the words sounded toneless out of the armor's ventilator mask "what do you mean?" Tionne motions for Kathil to follow, he starts to remove his armor. Tionne motions for him to stop. "There is a communication for you. The Saarai-kaar is asking for you to speak with her." Kathil nods and follows in the hallway, most of the students are asleep as they make their way to the communications room.
In the com room the screen is filled with the impassive gaze of a cotorsis woven woman's face. Kathil bows at the waist to the screen.
"Saarai-kaar" the Kathil's voice rings toneless in the room "what is it you wish of me?"
"It is time to come home."
AN: This is my first fanfic any reviews are greatly appreciated. It will be more then a one-shot. It is an OC-centric story, but the story will be woven into EU timelines and events. This is starting two weeks before Conquest from the NJO series. I'm hoping to write this though till the end of legacy of the force, and will focus on the Jensaarai as this character devlopes, first story arc focus a bit more on him as an individual, the second arc will focus more on his role within the Jensaarai, third arc will be him becoming the Saarai-kaar during Legacy of the Force.