Author: Lea-El
Era: Before the Saga, 800 B.B.Y.
Description: My history this is. – Yoda
Disclaimer: Many standard years ago I entered the world of Master Lucas. I have never completely left it, though it does not belong to me. I am just glad that we are allowed to visit our friends there from time to time. Especially since that is usually where my daughter is to be found. If it hadn't been for a Sci-Fi geek, that read the book, we might never have found our vacation home there. This is a sequel to Sprout of Dagobah this story would make more sense if it were read in order.
Grammar warning: English teachers beware. Grammar freaks run. This is a Yoda story. Use of English sentence structure will be suspended for the length of this story. You have been warned. I will not be responsible for damages to you ability to speak correct English. Proceed at your own risk.
YODA, Great Jedi Master
Chapter One
'Spring Meadow - no?
River Meadow - no?
Damar Meadow - no?
Mountain Meadow - no?
Where? Only meadows around?'
'At first coming by, I avoided. Then sprouts came and much to do. Lately wanted to savor remaining time, I did. Now where is it? In Damar Meadow near parents, landed there Tarbocca did. Also when visiting at Yona's Ceremony of Lights, Damar Meadow we landed. Spring Meadow when visiting Yessa, I landed. Know Mountain Meadow last landing sight, farther away, out of sight, it was. Yet, no ship do I see.' Yoda thought. Decades had passed since he had been here, ten decades. Now that it was time to leave and there was no ship.
'Yessa not using mind tricks to keep me here...? No.' Yoda sat back on a rock and tossed pebbles across the way. 'Force denying me ability to return? Maybe? Truth from a certain point of view always dangerous if point in wrong direction.' He tossed another pebble. 'Why did I not check by in last hundred years? Oh! Well look again tomorrow.' He thought as he tossed his last pebble. (Clank)
He turned and noticed a flash of sunlight in metal and ran over and brushed off the dirt and grass to find a corner. He brushed and scrapped until almost sunset before he got it all uncovered. Then there were the boulders and rocks pilled up all around it he had to move but not today. Yessa was waiting with supper. 'Supper! Late I am. Spoil her last dinner, in trouble I will be.' Yoda rushed back to his home and started cleaning up as quickly as possible.
"Yoda, look like you buried your ship, you do." Yessa mock scolded him, tonight was no time to fight.
"No, unburied. Apparently Yopa not like yard ornament so close to his home, camouflaged it. Covered it in dirt and planted grass on top and surrounded by boulders it was. Took all day to find, still not get inside to test it." Yoda said.
"Want to leave yet, you do not." Yessa said and snuggled her head on his shoulder.
"Not want to leave you, you mean." He said and buried his nose in her hair and breathed in the memory of her scent.
"Well I know, galaxy you have to save, many evils to fight and friends to protect. Miss you, I will." Yessa sighed.
"Always in my thoughts you will be, my beloved Yessa. Nyla and Gen will be with you to keep you safe for me." Yoda bemoaned.
"Safe from what a lightening bug or one of the fish?" She chided sweetly.
Yoda smiled. "Not everyone out there is friendly. Hard I worked to keep Dagobah free of 'off worlders'. Even Dagobah not safe if evil exist out there."
oOo
The next morning he slipped out of bed before the sun was up and continued his project to uncover the ship. He still had provisions to load and would the engines still work after all these years? This could be a very short trip. 'Stay with Yessa, No! I have to go to make sure our home was safe.' Finally he moved the last boulder and was able to open the ramp. 'Wow! Thought Tarbocca's ship smelled bad, come last week and opened a window, I should have.' He thought as he worked his way to the cookery and threw out molded plants and roots that had almost turned to dirt. He cleaned out the fresher and pulled the mattress off of the bed and set it outside to air out. Soon the smells of a Dagobah spring was circulating through the vents and it started to feel like home again. He found mementos from his adventures some happy and some sad, a drawing Nyla had made of Master Moth, a stone left over from when his making her a lightdagger after she became Queen, an out-grown robe that one of the twins left on board and his Wookie blanket Tarbocca had given his the first night he left Dagobah.
Now he was starting a new journey, a new life and he would have many more memories but also much sadness. He had spent much of his sabbatical learning to deal with loss, because loss and fear of loss leads to the Darkside. Master Moth had told him many years ago that he would not last long outside of Dagobah if he did not learn to deal with the loss of friends and loved ones. Death was such a different thing off of Dagobah, so tragic, so unwarranted.
He heard a noise behind him and turned to see friends and family bringing in containers of foodstuffs and new blankets. Yessa and Yara scrubbed, organized, stocked and even cooked him something to eat on his trip. Yara had made him a new robe in the Jedi style to wear. Yessa came in and made his bed with bedding, mattress and all, she had made just for him. Yav made him a new flute and Nyla and Gen, his sprouts had carved a figurine of the family including their sprouts now almost as tall as their grandfather, he had imparted as much knowledge as he could to them, in the all to short time he had with them. All Yendell knew how to use the Force but the Jedi training fine tuned it and offered new possibilities and protections for them to learn.
He had told stories of the outside galaxy to the people he loved and they respected his decision to go, realizing it was for their protection. Yet there was sadness in seeing him go. His in-laws had listened to his stories with special interest and the father of the root had named the sprouts Jedi names in honor of his son-in-laws friends. Yoda was pleased with his choices and thrilled to be a father. He taught his children many of the things he had learned in his years at the library and under Master Moth's tutelage.
Now they were showing their support by assisting his departure. This was so different from his first departure as a sprout; then he had left in the night hoping to finally see the stars that had fascinated him for so long. The efforts of his family warmed his heart and he took a few minutes with each member until finally only he and Yessa remained on board. "Think your Jedi Council would believe your housecleaner I am?"
Yoda smiled and said. "The outside world, I don't think you would like, to disorganized and the foods they eat." He shook all over. "Promise to come back when I can." He held her for a moment then she joined their sprouts and their families. They sang to him as he closed the ramp and headed into the sky. He could hear them in his head long after the sun of Dagobah was a point of light.
oOo
For some reason he headed to Verrell even though he knew Moth was long gone and so was Taryn and they didn't have children on Verrell when he last saw them. He flew into the meadow near Taryn's place and got out and walked toward the house. As he approached the garden wall he heard a woman singing, a song he had heard Taryn sing to her children on many occasions. She looked up and smiled. "Hello, Master Yoda. Grampa said to tell you Hi!"
She escorted him into the house and pulled a stool up to the table and offered him a plate of roots and bulbs that family tales had passed down were his favorite of all Verrellian delicacies. Yoda bounced up on the stool, picked up a root, tasted it and asked. "How know I was coming did you?"
She pulled Grandpa's letter out of her pocket and showed it to him. I was a long tale of their adventures and a time line of when to expect him. He was early by about six hours. On the wall behind her was a framed drawing Nyla had made of him when she was still a Padawan. Yoda smiled and handed the letter back to the woman, just then the door opened and a young boy came running in and stopped cold when he saw Yoda. "You 'ere all weady. dreat dreat dramdpa said you wo'dn't be here til tanight."
"Came straight here just to see you, I did." Yoda said to the boy almost as tall as he was. "Promised Great great grampa, I would."
"Gama sa's I goin' ta tha tem'le wif ya to be Jadi like dreat dreat drampa. I'm Wan. I'm way ofer two. Gama sa's I ta'k to ma… to ma… a lot.'
The door opened again and a young couple came in, they hadn't been able to keep up with the boy in his haste. "Hello, I'm Kotn. You have to be Master Yoda. As Wan was saying he is going to go to the Temple and be trained to be Jedi and we had hoped you would be the one to take him."
Yoda smiled and said. "Yes. Love to take him, I would."
"As I'm sure Grama Cali has said we make a point to send someone from each generation to the Temple in honor of Great Great Grandpa Moth." The Father said proudly.
An older girl, about ten stepped in and said. "And someone, usually a girl, stays and becomes a healer like Great Great Grandma Taryn, that's me. I'm Nyla."
"Happy to meet you, I am. Look like another Nyla I knew a long time age, you do." Yoda said puzzled.
"Grama's mother was Quianna and her father was Ben. They sent Grama to live with Grama Taryn when Grampa Moth died." She said matter-of-factly. "I am going to be a Sage like the women in my family."
"Granpa Moth was great healer too." Yoda said. "Taught me many things, he did."
oOo
Yoda finished his visit on Verrell and he and Wan headed to Coruscant, it was a lively trip with Wan chattering all the way. "Wha's tis button for? When'll I gets a wightsaber? When'll you gets big? What's dat you cooksin?"
'This one will be a problem for the Master of the creche.' Yoda thought.
On arriving at Coruscant Yoda and his charge headed to the Temple, everything was familiar yet somehow quite different. The attendant outside the Council Chamber was very young and unknown to Yoda. As he approached she looked up from her paperwork and said. " Ah! Master Yoda, the Council is expecting you go right in."
"Thank you. See that my charge gets to orientation for younglings, would you. Come by later to answer questions on origins, I will."
"Yes, Master Yoda." She said and took Wan's hand. "Hello! Little fellow, how are you today?"
As Yoda entered the Council Chamber he could hear Wan. "I'm goin' ta be a dreat Jadi 'ike my dreat dreat drandpa Mof. He wus Mafter Oda's mafter."
Yoda smiles at Wan's bravado. 'Runs in family, it does.' He thought.
"Master Yoda, we have been expecting you." The head of the Council said as Yoda entered.
"Master Ahanu, pleased to see you, I am. Not aware your species lived this long, I was." Yoda said to his former Padawan.
"You remembered I wasn't sure you would." TJ said to his former Master. "We had just changed our names when you were leaving."
"Well I hope your brother is." Yoda said.
"Yes, Ahava's on Alderaan on business. He had hoped to be back for your return. He says, "Hello."
"Tell him happy to hear he is well, I am." Yoda said and watched as Ahanu smiled the smile that Yoda had come to recognize as message had been sent and received.
"I hear you brought someone with you, who is our latest charge?" Ahanu asked.
"Family of someone we knew, he is. Master Moth's descendant, Wan Kenobi, talkative little fellow, he is." Yoda informed the Head of the Council.
"Productive family Master Moth has, already several Knights they have produced. How did you manage to find him so quickly?" Ahanu asked.
"Promised to look up family when came out of seclusion, promise fulfilled, I did." Yoda said.
"Would you like time to rest up before you start on an assignment or are you ready to be assigned now." Ahanu asked.
"Rested for one hundred years, ready to work, I am." Yoda answered.
"Go pick out a Padawan and I will give you your next mission." Ahanu said. "There are some good choices. I look forward to seeing your pick."
oOo
Yoda went to the creche to provide the Master with the information about their newest charge. The Master of the creche looked strangely familiar. "Know you do I?" Yoda asked.
The kindly older lady smiled and said. "Know my grandmother you did, Master Yoda. Her name was Delila; she was Nyla's sister. I am Alexa Jinn, when I gave up my place in line to the throne the -el was dropped."
"Well I hope the Pyotr side of the family is doing. One of your family of Quianna's line, Wan is." Yoda explained.
"Yes, he has been telling me all about the family, a vocal little fellow he is." Master Jinn said imitating Yoda speech to which Yoda smiled.
"Apparently runs in family, it does." Yoda said thinking about how Nyla and Delila had loved to imitate his speech pattern.
"Master Yoda was that an insult from you." Master Jinn asked.
"Never such a thing to a fellow Master, would I do." Yoda said. "Looking for a Padawan I am, any suggestions do you have?" Yoda carefully changed the subject.
"There is someone that you should see a young woman almost thirteen that is looking for a Master and I think you two would be perfect for each other. Follow me." Master Jinn said and headed down the hall at her usual pace causing Yoda to have to double time it to keep up.
'Forgot how fast 'off worlders' walk, I have.' Yoda thought.
Master Jinn got to the sparring room and turned and remembered Yoda's short legs and started to apologize but he waved her off.
"Ah! See what you mean, I do. Fine young lady she appears to be." Yoda said as he watched the two sparring.
"How do you know which one I am suggesting?" Alexa asked.
"Obvious it is, the Wookie." Yoda said. "Related to Chabocca, I would presume."
"Yes, his daughter, I am told you know the family. They especially asked for you to be her Master, if possible," Master Jinn told him.
oOo
Ahanu was waiting for Yoda when he arrived to get his assignment. "How did your selection turn out?"
"Picked the Wookie, I did." Yoda informed him. "Tanacca, picking her up as soon as leave here, I am. Wanted to talk to you in private first, I do. Still playing switch game, you two are." Yoda said to his former Padawan.
"We were wondering if you would figure that out." Ahava said and laughed the obvious twin's bonded laugh. "They wanted one of us to be on the Council and one not, so this way we all get what we want." Ahava added. "Now for your assignment. I waited one hundred years to say that to my former Master."
"Master Yoda, there is a turf war on Duken, a planet close to Kashyyyk. I thought you might want to be assigned to deal with it since it would allow you to make a brief visit to see your old friends and give Tanacca a tour of her home world."
oOo
Yoda and Tanacca set down at the Kashyyyk spaceport. Yoda shut off the engine and headed to the ramp. Tanacca was puzzled as she watched her Master creep down the ramp as if he was going into battle. Then around the corner burst Chabocca and as Yoda had expected he grabbed him and under protest threw him about twenty feet into the air caught him by the leg, shook him and threw him up again caught him then gave him a Wookie hug. All the time Yoda was hollering "No! Master I am! Not appro…priate! No!"
Tanacca Brayed! "Master! What are you doing to my Master? The Shame!"
Chabocca almost dropped Yoda when he realized who his Padawan was. "Tanacca!" He brayed.
Tanacca flinched as her father grabbed her. Braying, "Don't throw me!"
oOo
AN: I hope to post on Fridays. Twice a week was a little hectic.