PRINCESS
Disclaimer: This story is about two characters from a series of Star Wars stories by Paul and Hollace Davids, whose stories I have never seen credited or honored online, and I would like to change that. Just like it's companion fic, The Headband, this story stars Kendalina and Triclops... when they were just kids, too. I did not create these wonderful characters that I love so very much, only the idea for this story belongs to me and I'm not even making money off of it.
Rating: R, for blatant abuse, violence, and just general insanity that goes along with the Star Wars universe.
Author's note: sigh This started off with a PG rating. Hard to believe how it's progressed. And all the stuff about Kendalina I made up about her family, her personality, her name, her background, etc... don't hate me for it. And, so you know, this starts off in 27 ABY, now...
Prologue
pro·logue /ˈproʊlɔg, -lɒg/ Pronunciation Key - [proh-lawg, -log noun, verb, -logued, -logu·ing.
–noun
1. a preliminary discourse; a preface or introductory part of a discourse, poem, or novel.
2. an introductory speech, often in verse, calling attention to the theme of a play.
"Master Retaw, do you really think that Master Yoda will let me train here?" Kendalina's tiny voice echoed quite loudly in the repulsor shaft. Mehgan Retaw, being not so sure herself, gave the soon-to-be padawan a glance that Kendalina had learned meant 'What does the Force tell you?' Kendalina, however, was one to want to hear reassurances from an actual person. Perhaps it was the mere level of trust she held in her teacher, or the lack of that same trust she held in the voices who she could not be assured were there. Mehgan still was not completely aware of this fact, but had also come to learn from Kendalina's glances when the child simply wanted to hear the words come out of her teacher's mouth.
"I am quite sure, or else I would not have brought you. It is whether or not you show capability and capacity to train that will determine if you will find successful training." The old Jedi lied, not looking at the face of the girl next to her.
Kendalina had brown hair, pulled into a braid on the side of her head like all other padawans. Her face was round, but thin, and her eyes, while still large and bright, were a kind of silvery color, never moving, and always unfocused. Her pupils were a pale shade of gray, compared to her irises, but it was difficult to tell, as they were already a very bright gray.
At last, the lift reached the top floor of the Jedi temple on Coruscant.
The Jedi didn't bother with buzzers or knocking on doors. If they were coming, the Jedi inside knew and were expecting them. Almost all of the Jedi council were already seated inside the round room.
Yoda's ears perked up at the sight of the six year old girl standing only as high as Mehgan Retaw's waist. He had seen in the future that this child would be coming, but the feelings he could sense from her through the Force were nothing like the feelings he sensed from other students when they came to be admitted into the temple. He had always felt emotions ranging from excitement to nervousness to sometimes impatience. This child was... blank...
It confused the tiny Master, to be frank.
"Ah. A young one, you bring before us today, Master Retaw." Yoda was not asking. He never asked questions except to test knowledge, and as he already knew about this, he needn't ask. Mehgan nodded, solemn as always, while the girl she had standing by her side continued to stare straight ahead, eyes unblinking, empty pupils boring into the air.
Master Windu on Yoda's right seemed to think she was staring at him, because he slightly gave her one of his looks. The girl didn't seem affected by it.
"Why don't you introduce yourself to Master Yoda?" Kendalina jumped as her teacher addressed her, then nodded and stepped forward, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she did so.
"Hi there, y'all! I'm Kendalina Orewahime from the Corellian System, ready to learn, and willing to train. Nice ta meecha!" Kendalina said, unusually chipper.
Mehgan hid her face in her hands. This is just what she had told Kendalina NOT to do.
::This is the littlun YOU brought in...:: Depa Billaba voice echoed in her head. It was a running joke between the two of them that the women Jedi were hopeless at finding apprentices. Mehgan threw the council member a look that bordered on being dirty.
"And a pleasure, for us, to meet you, it is." Yoda agreed, congenial as always. It had surprised a few of the council members at the girl's forwardness and chipper persona, but if Master Yoda approved, then there was no reason to consider her characteristics unusual or treat her likewise. The new padawan was very slightly puzzled.
"It's okay for me to do that?" She asked, her little brow creased in confusion.
"And why not?" Master Yoda replied, for almost all questions he answered with questions, himself.
"Because Master Retaw was really uncomfortable and if she's uncomfortable, that means I messed up." Kendalina explained, with the air of someone explaining the concepts of one and one adding up to two to an eight-year-old who didn't seem to understand it.
"But you still did." Master Yoda returned.
"And I know that it's okay, now. So there isn't any problem." Kendalina said, grinning and rocking back and forth on her heels.
Mace Windu raised his eyebrows and turned to his fellow council member, Ki-Adi-Mundi. The council member with the tall brow could only shrug at the silent question that passed between them. Neither Jedi Master was quite sure WHAT to think of this little girl before them.
If Yoda was having any troubles whatsoever, he was either hiding it, or saving it for later meditation.
"How long have you been under Master Retaw's teaching?" Mace Windu asked, leaning forward in his seat to see on a more eye level with the six- year-old and shooting a look at said Master Retaw, who was standing back, looking very uncomfortable.
"As long as I needed it." Kendalina's reply had a distinct edge to it, as though she could sense the subtle threat in Master Windu's voice. She stared fearlessly back into his eyes with a blankness that almost seemed to say that whatever penalty there was for a teacher to teach a student without the approval of the Council would NOT befall HER teacher.
"And did Master Retaw warn you that you would be questioned before the Council?" Asked the bat-eared Even Piell, who sat on Yoda's left. He too gave Mehgan a disapproving look. Kendalina's head turned and she ended up returning his gaze, square in the eye.
"That depends- how would you define a warning?" The girl answered, again with a tone in her voice that caused a few raised eyebrows. This girl... certainly had a kind of bite to her that no one was really used to, especially in a beginner. Indeed, it was a kind of confidence, as though something was advising her what to do, and, if anyone were to judge by the look on her Master's face, it wasn't Mehgan Retaw.
"Why have you been under her instruction up to this point?" Asked Ada Gallia, whom was watching Kendalina with concern.
"Because I would have died if I hadn't." Kendalina answered, with a bland shrug.
All eyes in the chamber turned on Mehgan Retaw, who was beginning to feel extraordinarily uncomfortable, before Depa spoke to Kendalina.
"Why don't you go sit outside, little one?" She offered, gently. Kendalina's head swiveled in her direction, a slight frown creasing her head.
"I'm okay standing- and there's still things you need to ask me..." Kendalina responded, before her teacher put a hand on her shoulder.
"Kendalina, she's excusing you from the room so we can talk about you behind your back." She said, flatly. Kendalina looked up at Mehgan, snickered, and then walked out, narrowly avoiding the door as it closed.
"Master Retaw, why did you choose to take this girl on as an apprentice, despite the Council not giving you permission to do so?" Mace Windu asked, almost as soon as the door had shut. Mehgan breathed and steadied her self for a reply. It was concise and blunt.
"I was sent on a mission to find Force adepts by the Council. I found her, but her family would not have permitted her to be taken from the house, so I was required to stay behind if she was to be trained." Mehgan explained, suppressing the desperation in her voice, and trying not to let her nervousness show at the look Mace Windu was giving her.
"In cases such as those, a Jedi will move on to find a new student- lingering behind like that prompts attachment." He told her, severely. Mehgan swallowed, a little too audibly.
"Her family was unnecessarily strict- I have no doubt that if I had done just that, she would have been killed by her own parents." Mehgan protested, firmly, but bland of tone, and didn't wait for the information to sink in, "It's not the Jedi way to allow infanticide and not prevent it."
The Council all passed a glance around among themselves, and finally seemed to accept it.
"And you have further reasons to continue training her?" Evan Piell asked, ears twitching with curiosity. Depa Billaba turned a similar questioning gaze upon her fellow Jedi, whose expression was either grim or perplexed.
"I believe that she will become a fine Jedi- she's shown an adept, natural talent for some of the minor arts without being instructed, and only needed a few weeks of training to develop control over her abilities. She's mature for her age, even compared to other padawans in the Temple and learns quickly enough that she can make suitable progress without being impatient." Mehgan insisted, and the Council passed around another glance.
"Perhaps if she was kept under the guidance of different Masters, simultaneously, it would give us a clearer idea of whether she was suitable- Several different teachers spending portions of their time surveying her would keep any one master from developing a bias and give multiple perspectives on the situation." Suggested Depa Billaba, and several other members of the Council nodded.
"Kendalina's told me that she's especially interested in the Healing arts... I hear that Master Yaddle does not have a specific padawan at moment..." Mehgan offered, gladly taking the chance of Depa's arrangement. Yaddle smiled a little, but glanced over at Yoda, with a thought similar to his.
"So certain, is she, at such a young age?" Yaddle asked, curiously, "A difficult skill, healing is. A long time, does it take, to train in medicine."
"That might be beneficial." Mehgan noted, hesitantly, "Kendalina's a little... TOO active... training to be a medic might teach her a little patience to... temper her fire..."
"If so difficult to train healers, it is, then more padawans to healers, there must be." Yoda added, nodding sagely.
The Council voted, and there was a relief that Mehgan felt that they'd voted in favor of the decision.
"You may leave now, Master Retaw." Mace Windu's voice cut into her string of thoughts and Mehgan bowed before gratefully leaving- she did not enjoy the presence of the Council, or even some of it's members, as they almost always seemed to be staring at her as though seeing through her.
In the eyes of the Jedi, it was normally not favored if one was as Mehgan was, but the semi-approved Knight had proved many times over that she was a capable Knight... even if it was only halfway. Mehgan found Kendalina huddled outside the door and put aside her unpleasant thoughts.
"What upset you in there?" The child asked, not meeting her mentor's eyes. She'd heard the whole thing through the door, and Mehgan was not surprised that Kendalina knew that something was upsetting her.
"It was nothing serious. I simply took a few words too personally." Mehgan lied, knowing Kendalina wouldn't believe her, and gesturing for her student to follow her.
"Which words?" She asked, abruptly. Mehgan didn't respond, but did change the subject, knowing that 'It's none of your business' never had effect on Kendalina.
"Master Yaddle agreed to teach you about being a medic. She's one of the best healers in the Jedi Order." It got Kendalina's attention.
"Really?" Kendalina's eyes shone with delight at the information and Mehgan allowed herself a smile.
"Thinking about your eyes?" She asked, and Kendalina looked down.
"Not... really..." Kendalina whispered, but Mehgan smiled and ruffled Kendalina's hair.
End Prologue.
