Chapter 1: The College
The ship was well lit, small, but comfortable for the most part. Vel had been on better transports, especially with his parents as diplomats. He had normally gotten private ships with body guards and servants but this was not bad by any means. Although it was more crowded than desired in his opinion. Vel was an 18-year-old boy with a golden light skin color and wavy brown hair down to the back of his neck and brow. It was well kept and neat, like the rest of his demeanor. His most prominent feature where his golden yellow eyes. They were what most people noticed about him upon meeting him. He looked down at his hands and thought about his decision to join the order. A girl next to him nudged him. She looked a year or two older than him. She had tan skin with dark hair and green eyes. She had high distinct cheekbones and her wavy hair was brushed back behind one ear.
"Hi there, I"m Khala. Khala vui kas. What's your name?" She asked with a comforting smile.
"Vel Moren, just call me Vel." He said with a nervous smile in return.
"You have very beautiful eyes." She said as she stared deeply into them
"Thanks" he blushed
"Are you nervous about joining the order?" She asked
"Yeah, I wasn't expecting to get a second chance at an opportunity like this until I found out about this order." He replied as he turned to face her
"Yeah, I know how you feel. I'm just glad that there were more options because it would be wasted potential." She agreed
"We will be landing on Marelas in 1 minute. Please collect your belongings and line up by the entrance of the door." The pilot said on the loudspeaker.
"That's us, let's go" Khala said before grabbing a duffle bag and got in the forming line. Vel quickly scurried to his feet and grabbed his stuff. He took his place behind the girl he met and waited for touch down. There was a bit of turbulence but no one was losing balance. They, shortly after, felt the hydraulics of the ship's landing gear support the weight of the landing ship. The door opened and the bright light bled in to the ship. They all started stepping out one by one and made a circle around two hooded figure standing on the landing pad. Vel disregarded the figures and took in the surroundings of the planet. The landing pad was a large circular platform that was attached to the side of a mountain with a large double door leading into the cliff. As far as he could see, there were mountains, hills, trees, and valleys. It was in the middle of winter there so it was all snow covered. There was wind from the altitude but it wasn't unbearable. He turned his attention to the two figures.
"Hello young and old. Welcome to Marelas. My name is Geran fae. I am pleased to welcome you to the order. Most of you here are gifted in the ways of the force, many of you may not have any capabilities at all. It does not matter, for the force is with all. We take the time to generate it within those who aren't born skilled with it. In or philosophy, everyone deserves the knowledge of the force and the ability to use it. Those of you who don't have a connection to the force will be separated from those who possess a connection. All of those who are force wielders come with me, all those who aren't, stay here with Master Keros. The group of mostly teenagers and children split quickly into two groups. Vel walked towards the capable line and noticed Khala was two people behind him.
"Very well, please come with me into the temple. You will be fitted with your robes, and introduced to the curriculum. They started walking to the large double doors that were carved into the cliff. As they neared closer, they came to a stop. The master turned around and said "Welcome to the College of Greys". Then they opened the doors. There were people dressed in the same robes as the master leading them. Some were going about their business while others lined the way for the new inductees so they knew the proper location. They bowed as the group walked by. Everyone was in astonishment as they looked at the large marble room in which they walked through. Vel was reminded of the Jedi Temple when he looked around, but everyone looked the same. He had also noticed that the robes they were wearing looked exactly like the Jedi robes but the tabard covered their entire body until a few inched before the ankle (like crusader tabards but with out the cross). It also had a hood attached directly to the tabard. It went down to about mid shin and they were a color combination of predominantly white robes with black accent or a similar color scheme with grey in places of either black or white. It had the same leather belt and obi belt underneath it as the Jedi. Beneath the tabard was the a tunic with baggy sleeves and an under tunic being very reminiscent of the Jedi's. Some of the members had golden trim which designated the level of Master. The Scholars(knights) and the students (Padawans) wore a combination of black with white without any trim and the length of the robes reached about the ankle. As everyone approached the rooms there were three glowing crystals in them suspended in a gravity lock that caught everyone's attention. There was a green, blue, and yellow crystal.
"Line up one by one and stand next to the one that you most feels call to you." Master Geran said from behind his hood.
Some of the students didn't even wait one by one, they were just inclined to go to either blue or green. Strangely enough, no one went to the yellow crystal. Vel noticed that Khala was in the line of the green crystal. He stood there and didn't feel drawn to any of them. He tried to feel something but he couldn't. He started to get nervous because everyone including the master was watching him.
"Is everything alright young one?" Master Geran said with a face hidden in shadow. Khala looked concerned for him. Vel started to get anxious and looked around at everyone.
"Calm you mind" he said to himself "Calm your mind" He took a few deep breathes and removed every thought from his head. He was struggling to. How could he clear his mind? Everyone is staring at him. Suddenly he heard whispers. They weren't malicious but they just seemed to be coming from one of the directions. It was hard to focus on the location so he closed his eyes and put his hand out to guide him. He started walked and the whispers got louder and louder and then suddenly… he felt a crystal. He opened his eyes and saw that he had grabbed the yellow one. He looked at it strangely.
"Hmmm, you are more powerful than I believe you think. Your balance in the force has led to you the crystal off balance." Guthi started walking over to him with his hand on his chin.
"What… What do you mean?" Vel asked curiously
"Each crystal symbolizes a specialty. Blue crystals are those who are natural warriors and fighters. Green signifies mental prowess and negotiation skills. Yellow falls right down the middle in terms of that. You seem to be a natural born negotiator and fighter." Geran smiled and rubbed Vel on the head.
"Very few get the yellow crystal. You are very lucky in that sense." Geran turned to the rest of the students. "Now, we will all converge in the main hall again and complete your introduction into the order. Then you will be brought to you dormitories where you can settled in. Now, let's go, the others are probably waiting for us." Master Geran waved for them all to follow. Everyone stuck close behind him and walked quickly, but Khala fell back to speak with Vel.
"Hey, that's pretty incredible. You got the best of both worlds." She said cheerfully at him.
"Yeah, I guess, I think your class suits you well. You seem like a very personable person who is good at talking to others." He came back with a compliment
"Thanks, maybe one day we will be on the floor of the senate together." She commented with a hope filled smile. Vel nodded and smiled. They arrived back in the main hall and there were the others who weren't force sensitive. They all sounded very excited as well as Vel's group. As they all mingled together again, Master Geran and Keros went to the front of the group and told them all to be silence. They started to speak about the curriculum but Vel wasn't paying attention. He was looking at the Architecture and the giant hall of building. This, he knew, was only a small portion of the building, as he had seen more as on the top of the cliff. He couldn't wait to get started with his training. He was too old to join the Jedi when he discovered his force abilities. He had only heard about the College of Greys though a friend of his. The college wasn't as well known as the Jedi, but they did one thing that the Jedi didn't put the time or effort into. Force cultivation in those who aren't natural born sensitives. People who don't have natural force abilities can study here and develop the force through meditation and practice. Besides, the force is around and in all living things, the Jedi just take those that would be easier to train. No force cultivation needed, and no need to deal with family issues because they were taken as babies. Here, age doesn't matter, nor does force sensitivity. As his thoughts wonder, he heard the masters instruct them all to listen closely as he was about to recite the code of the greys.
"There is no Dark side nor Light side, there is only the force. I will do what I must to keep the balance. The balance is what keeps me together. There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish. There is passion, yet emotion. Serenity, yet peace, Chaos, yet order. I am the wielder of the flame, the protector of balance. I am the holder of the torch, lighting the way. I am the keeper of the flame, I am a soldier of balance, a guardian of balance. I am a Grey Jedi." Vel listened in awe at the poetic and powerful words that rung in his ears. It is a true testament to the force and those who wield it. Vel knew he had found the right place for him. His new life was about to begin as a grey Jedi.
As the ceremony finished up, they were given room numbers in the student dormitories. Vel and Khala had dorms next to each other, both on the 5th floor on the top of the cliff. They walked together talking about their aspirations and goals as they made their way to their respective rooms. As they got there, they pushed the buttons and entered their rooms. He threw his duffle bag on the small couch next to the closet. He walked towards the window and saw that he had lucked out in terms of view. It over looked the mountains by the courtyard of the Temple. He walked over to the bed and noticed something laying on it. There sitting there were robes folded nicely with dark brown/black shin high leather boots at the foot of the bed. His tabard was black, his tunic and pants were white, and finally his under tunic grey as well as his obi belt. Next to the robes was a belt and a small metallic box. He put on the robes and was shocked at how light they were and how the breathed extremely well. It was like wearing air. He adjusted his belt and tightened it to hold his robes close together and then he looked at the box next to the robes. He flipped the switches securing it and opened it. Inside was a brand new lightsaber that seemed very familiar to him. He used to study lightsaber hilt designs when he used to go places with his parents. This lightsaber hilt was an ancient design, from the old republic days. It was a Gladius lightsaber hilt with black leather straps instead of the usual brown. It was a very basic but very comfortable and easy to use design. It is a hand and a half style hilt therefore users can switch between one handed and two handed use. He activated it, the deep surge of energy sounded as a golden beam launched from the hilt. He felt a sort of push or resistance pushing down, back into the hilt. That was the magnetic pull of the lightsaber which ensure that the beam stay consistent.
"Wow, you got a yellow saber?!" Khala surprised him, causing him to jump slightly.
"Yeah, I am assuming yours I green. Right?" He responded as he deactivated his saber.
"You would be correct." She smiled and brandished her lightsaber hilt. Vel noticed that she had the same hilt as him.
"Your lightsaber hilt is the same as mine." He said point towards hers.
"Yeah, everyone else that I saw had the same one, I guess we don't construct our own like the Jedi do. I'm not complaining, this is very comfortable in my hands." Khala stated while taking a firm double handed grip on her saber hilt. Vel nodded to agree. As they were speaking, a woman walked up behind the two of them.
"I see you guys have gotten your robes on with no issues." The woman's smooth voice got their attention. A purple Twi'lek female looked at the two and put her hand on her hips. Vel immediately felt the force around her. It was a very caring and loving personality. She smiled at them both and waved for them to follow.
"I am glad to have someone with a green lightsaber. I find the those with a blue one tend to be too…unpredictable." She said with her back facing them as they walked.
"I can honestly say though I've never trained a yellow saber. At least you won't be completely loose cannon. My name is Vera Suul. You can call me Master Suul." She opened an elevator as she finished her sentence. The three of them got in and went to ground level. They left and walked towards the courtyard of the complex.
"I will be the one training you from you passage as a student, to a scholar." While she was talking Vel and Khala both had a glimpse in their mind of Master Suul lunging at them with her lightsaber activated. Then they saw her reach for her saber and lunge at them, activating it in the process. They both activated theirs just in time to block the attack. They held her back and they both jumped back and took an unstable defensive stance. They have no experience using these sabers and aren't prepared for a fight with a master.
"I see your premonitions and reflexes are good." Master Suul said as she deactivated her lightsaber. It was a pure white colored saber.
"I didn't mean to startle you, I just wanted to test you. I wouldn't have harmed you." She reassured them with a soft smile.
"Why is your saber white?" Khala asked
"It is what signifies me a passing the stage of student. As you know, grey Jedi don't pull strictly from the light or the dark. We believe in the balance of them in order for us to learn about it in greater scopes. Those who chose one side, blind their true understanding of the beauty and capabilities of the force. It is graceful and powerful fed by inner peace and emotion. Learn to balance them, and you will have a more fulfilling life and connection to the force. The crystals that you are using are natural grown and they represent the light side of the force. The trial from becoming a student into a scholar is creating your own synthetic crystal. If you have truly reached balance within the force, the crystal will come out white, signifying you lack of association to one side of the force over the other. If it becomes a color, then you are to try again at a later time and see if you have reached balance by then. Colors represent aspects of the force, that is why traditionally Sith had red lightsabers before they went extinct and the Jedi have blue and green primarily. They do get your occasional yellow, but it's rare. You can tell if a crystal is synthetic or not by the sound a lightsaber makes when it is activated. Natural grown crystals have a deeper sound when activated, while synthetic have a high pitched shriller sound to it. Also, the lightsaber hilts and types can be changed once you reach the level of scholar. Every student gets a Gladius hilt because of its overall simplicity and balance. Some scholars and master do end up keeping their student lightsabers, but a decent amount construct their own hilts later on." She rolled up her sleeves as she finished up her speech.
"What do the Jedi think of us?" Khala asked as she placed her lightsaber on her belt.
"The Jedi order and the College of Greys have differing philosophy, but we both have a level of mutual respect for each other. If one of us see each other out somewhere and vice versa, we don't lock blades, we bow to each other and continue our business. There have been a few conflicts between the two of us, but for the most part, and as of now, we are on good terms. We are like a cousin to them. We have our own family issues but overall we are friendly. They do invite us to their temple as we do to them and have council meetings if we sense a strong disturbance in the force or if we need assistance from each other." Master Suul began taking a type of fighting stance upon finishing her words to her new apprentices. The apprentices began to brace for another attack.
"One more question before we start." Vel quickly stated. His teacher nodded
"Are we welcome in the senate as a free standing and independent group?" Vel inquired
"We are allowed to send ambassadors to the speak on behalf of our order and on our propositions for action. The Jedi aren't actively involved in the senate, and we tend to speak in it more than them. We also do cooperate with Jedi and the senate when being sent as ambassadors. There is a tendency for a Jedi to get a Grey Jedi as their secondary ambassador. We do believe in a republic and we work with it and the senate like the Jedi. People should have a voice because all people are equal in the eyes of the force. Now, speaking of force, let's see how strong you are in it." Master Suul throws a punch while standing about 100 feet away. The both of them got knocked back, but Vel landed on his feet after turning the momentum into a backflip. He threw his hand out with an open palm and master Suul was caught off guard by his quick recovery. He struck her and sent her flying back but she too landed it. She threw a few more force pushes at him put he either dodged them or put up a force shield to absorb some of the impact. He force jumped into the air and upon hitting the grown used a push to knock her feet out from under her, but she too recovered again. This went back and forth for some time. Khala made her way back into fray and didn't contend as much as did Vel. Eventually they subsided.
"His force abilities are unbelievable; he is incredibly advanced beyond most Scholars in combative force." Suul thought to herself.
"Didn't expect that did you?" Vel said to Suul in a slightly sappy tone
"Don't get too full of yourself. I will admit your abilities are amazingly advanced beyond most people's." Suul said panting from their encounter
"I had a lot of time to practice for the longest part of my childhood. I also never let myself fall to emotions too much but didn't fear letting my feelings influence my convictions with the force." His explanation blew her away. He used the balance of the force to increase his abilities.
"He may be one of the strongest force users this Order has ever seen." She thought while rolling her sleeves down. She signaled for them to go inside. The snow was starting to come down harder. As they were walking insider, Suul was describing the curriculum.
"We will start with lightsaber form 6, Niman. It is the balance form. It has no strength nor weaknesses. It incorporates aspects from all other forms. The Niman form that we teach does answer some of the questions that the jedi use. We do work more with using it in lightsaber dueling whereas it isn't as strong in dueling in the Jedi form. It also doesn't address issues with blaster fireas well and dealing with multiple enemies. Our version of Niman deals with that as well. The reason why we start teaching Niman is because it incorporates force abilities into saber dueling. Jedi don't use the force for combat like you guys and I just did in our duel. We use the force incorporation in our lightsaber dueling to help maximize our fighting capabilities. After Niman you can chose from any of the other forms, but niman is where we start all of our students because it is the most balanced of all the forms. We will also be discussing the origins of our order as well as our unique form of force martial arts. That is our agenda for tomorrow. Get your rest, It is going to be a busy day tomorrow." She finished her schedule by leaving them at their dorms. She waved them off as she left.
"Tough day" Khala said as she was recovering from the force attacks still.
"Yeah, this only marks the beginning I guess. I gotta get some sleep." Vel said while taking off his belt.
"Agreed, see you tomorrow." Khala walked into her room.
Vel took off his boots and sat on the edge of his bed. Using the force he levitated his belt and saber to the couch and took off the rest of his clothes. He had on only his underwear and sat there to mediate. He needed to clear his mind and tried to focus on the force around him. He started to focus on what Suul said about the Jedi. If he went with them, he wouldn't be able to increase his force abilities to the level that he wanted to. Upon thinking of the Jedi, he began to see a man in Jedi garb. He had long brown hair and a short beard and he was with a little boy. He could hear the Jedi speaking.
"His cells have the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have ever seen in a life-form. It was possible he was conceived by the midi-chlorians." The man said in the middle of a circular room filled with other Jedi and a little boy. The image shocked him and he decided not to focus too much on it now but rather ask his Master the next day. It probably wasn't important anyway. Besides what could be so important about a Jedi and a little boy. He was tired and knew that his day would start early whether he liked it or not. Therefore, he got into bed, and pulled the blankets and sheets over him and closed his eyes.