Part 1: The Prodigy
Prologue
There is a disturbance. I can feel it, for I feel everything. And this enigma is not merely a smalritt blossom, or a miota cub. This new being has potential, potential beyond any around it. It shall be highly gifted, and will change the domain in which it lives, forever. I can feel it.
Chapter l - 1
I concentrated. Focused my every particle on the walking staff before me, my father's and his father's before that. I had filched it from my mother's room because if she noticed it was gone, I would most likely be yelled at about my lack of respect for personal space. But I love how it looks and feels in my hands as I twirl it around, sometimes envisioning enemies swarming towards me from an imaginary world, trying to find a way through my indestructible defense. They never do, though. In my dreams, I'm just that good.
A scraping startled me as suddenly it wobbled, slowly creeping towards the edge of the table. Slowly, so slowly. I squinted my eyes at it, willing it to drop into my outstretched hand. Sweat beaded on my forehead and along my arm; my cheek twitched. It jerked again and I frowned, tugging at the tangible feel of power tickling my fingers. All of a sudden my nerves jolted as it fell into my open palm. I stared at the staff, breathing hard. I had done it. After weeks of infuriating concentration I had managed it. By Sanmo, I did it. I fucking did it!
When I looked around the room I saw everything was still the same; nobody here cared. Through the huge window the grey Coruscant sunlight poured, illuminating my early morning feat. Dust swirled in my grimy room as I my mind raced. Three and a half weeks!Why the hell
did it take so long? I know I have the Force flowing through me, shouldn't I be able to do this better? But then the anger settled as I remembered, today was the day. Today, I will actually meet him, the oldest living Jedi. Luke Skywalker himself.
I figure I have a pretty good understanding of the Force, from what I've read. It is pure energy that encompasses and fills every object, creature, plant, and microscopic organism. It can be used to manipulate anything between a rock, a star, or even someone's mind. It can be used to heal or inflict pain, to destroy or bring together, to control or to liberate. The Force has two sides: the dark and the light. Some people say that one better or worse, but I don't see why they argue so much. Shouldn't the Jedi determine their own power? The light side of the Force is supposed to be used only in defense; to learn and grow. It values all true emotions set deep into the core of civilization for millions of years, letting no one destroy or rewrite these sacred, unwritten laws. The dark side is supposed to corrupt and destroy and work towards the desires of the users. It causes chaos and confusion, flowing with raw power, but dominates its users for all eternity. At least, so I've read.
I got up and walked over to the door, stopping in front of the mirror for a quick look. Green eyes were a sign of mental incapacity, according to the locals. Some luck, you got kid I thought wryly. I looked closer to see if 17 years warranted a shave before the meeting. I decided that the stubble growing determinedly on my jaw wasn't worth worrying about. I winced when my eyes involuntarily flicked from wavy, dark brown hair to the long, thin scar clawing its way down my cheek. It was a reminder for me, "Keep your head down and stay out of trouble." "You are a dumbfuck" more like. Memories are the worst when they refuse to fade. Twelve years, damn it, give it a rest.
My mom was a fugitive from Dathomir, a planet where men are respected as much as bantha fodder and considered only useful as slaves. She had stowed away on a cargo hauler when she met my dad (a handsome, dark-haired worker on the ship). She had tried to steal a packet of food from the cargo hold where he was working. She was running because she had made a political statement for men and had been disowned by pretty much the entire planet.
They got together and moved here to Coruscant where they had had my sister. While my mom was taking care of my sister, my dad had to work overtime to support them. He rarely saw a moment's rest. Then I was born and everything was sent into a tailspin. My dad and mom had to both work to support us and that was just too much. I was way too young to understand their problems, but all throughout my childhood I felt a sense of taught commitment between my parents which was most likely their stale love barely keeping them together.
When I was five my father came home for my family birthday "party" drunk. Drunk like a San-damned cargo trucker. My sister saw him first and I watched as her eyes widened with fear. She gave me a look I'll never forget. The pity made my stomach turn. My mother came out of the kitchen where she had stashed my two-for-one store bought cake. She asked him to sit down and rest, and he got this look, he had heard too many times, too many orders. He hit her so hard she left a dent in the wall on the way down. My sister began crying and ran to my mother, but my father walked into her and his knee knocked her out cold. A weight born of guilt and bread in a childish sense of responsibility pushed to the back wall. I had been the one to throw our family into this horrible gutter of a life. If only I didn't exist.
My father ranted, spewing saliva and slurring like a priest, blaming my existence for our family's troubles and I took this all in because I believed it. Images hit me in a new light, the cheap toy I had been given by my mother and my sister's collaborative efforts that I had so wanted, was now a symbol of my guilt; the cake melting in the kitchen a perfect example of just how much I had fucked this family. My mother blearily rose and tried to defend me, saying that we had no luck and that the promotion he had missed was the real cause for this. But then, quick as lighting, he grabbed her by the throat.
"Shut up, woman!" he growled. "I said it's his fault!" Then he threw her aside and turned on me, Sassa bottle clattering to the floor and shattering with terrifying clarity.
What happened next changed all our lives. My mother shouted that she would call in the local police if he took another step towards me. He rounded one her again and I scuttled past him and crouched by our green, beat up easy chair. My father stood there and glared with misted eyes at my mother. Then he lurched at her and said, "I'll kill you, spata !" Instinctively I
ran past him and knocked into my mother just as my father leapt for her. The best thing about our apartment was the fact that the windows were huge and allowed a panoramic view of the city, as filthy as it was. Ironic that my father had chosen the place based on that. He fell, off balance, and plunged through that cheap, half glass, half plasteel window. The fall would have taken several minutes had he not been hit by a speeder on the way down. And to remember that happy moment in my life I have a damned scar from my father's Sassa bottle which had provided the cushion as I hit the floor. Ahhh, the cheerful odyssey my life has been.
As I stepped out of my room I met my sister coming out of hers.
"G'mornin' Mia," I mumbled, not in the mood to talk, and surprised she wasn't downstairs already.
"Sup, little bro," she responded cheerily, stretching like a cat and yawning wide enough to let a bantha in.
"Aren't you going to work?" I asked. She was always on top of things and it was unusual to see her late. Maybe she was skipping, taking a well earned vacation.
"Oh, didn't mom tell you? She got the grant she needed to move to management. We don't have to work anymore!" My mood skipped and I stared for a second. This means I don't have to scrape and grovel at stupid fast food restaurants to earn tips! Hah! I don't have to work, I can't believe it!
"About time!"
"Yea…so, you want me to come to your little hearing or whatever? It'd be interesting to meet a Jedi."
"Okay, but he's probably like really old and boring. Not your type at all, right." She grinned.
"I see. In that case, I'll just have to make sure you aren't bored either…by tickling you every time he asks a question!"
"Why, did you find another beetle in your pants?" I said, laughing.
"Are you kidding?!" she demanded. "I spent half my day off trying to get rid of those things, I'll get even, just wait."
"Yea, you better…or these beetles might become a recurring problem!"
"You wouldn't…!"
"I wouldn't?"
"Unless you enjoy have every part of your body run through a carbon heating unit…individually!"
I winked. "Well, I'll be sure to remind you once you've finished screaming." She gave up and went downstairs to breakfast, rolling her eyes.
Yet even after hearing I may not have to work anymore, my mood began to plummet. My own father claimed he had the Force in him. Considering how he turned out, my mother had become suspicious of anything to do with the Force. When I said that I might have something and that I wanted to be tested for the Jedi Academy, she had done everything in her power to stop me.
"Trace!" my mom called.
"Yeah?"
"Are you all ready to go?" Her voice was strained.
"I guess so."
"Well come on down, I have to be at work soon."
Public transit systems have got to be the most pathetic excuse for safe travel I have ever seen. Not for the mode of transport, but for the people who use it. We had boarded the shuttle bus and were looking around for seats. All manner of grubby, greasy alien glared back, some with deathsticks hanging out of their mouths like they had been there for years soaking in the saliva. I found a few empty seats next to a dressellian spacer who was staring out the window.
"Hey, can you move over so we can sit here?" I asked. He was sitting squarely in the middle seat and seemed to like it that way. He growled something in a deep voice, but I took it as an okay.
"Hey, over here," I said to my mom and Mia who were searching farther down the crowded cabin. "Two minutes until departure," announced a voice from the front.
I moved to sit but the dressellian cut me off.
"You tryin' to take my seat, boy?" he growled in a threatening voice.
"No, I'm trying to sit next to you," I said, motioning to the empty seats. He got up slowly and started to step forward when I his hands creeping upwards. I looked up and saw his eyes glinting with anger, and the warning bells went off. All of a sudden his arms shot out to push me when a strange feeling came over me. In my ears I heard a rushing sound, like a waterfall. Time slowed to a crawl and when I moved I felt like as though a current were passing by me, like a pebble in a stream. I stepped to the side and watched as the man flew past me and crashed into a rodian nearby.
"Ee chuta nai, posau wanta!" he cursed, but my heart was racing, what had I just done?
Everyone was watching now, eyes in all shapes and sizes turned our way. I could half see my mother trying to push here way through the crowd to me and I scratched my cheek angrily as it twinged; adrenaline flowed like blood through me.
"You tryin' ta make a fool outa' me, boy?!" the spacer yelled.
"No, I was trying to get my own damned seat!" I shouted, infuriated by his idiocy. Talk about your attitude problems.
Then a blaster appeared out of its holster and my heart did a double take. Out of impulse I threw my arm out, reaching desperately for the power that had saved me only seconds before. Nothing happened. I backed away, but I could see him squeezing the trigger and I had nowhere to go. Then, like a coin in a bar, his gun flipped out of his hand and he was thrown back into the far seat of his row. His head smacked the wall and he looked up groggily for a second before passing out.
When I looked around I saw that even the pilot was staring at me. He seemed to become suddenly aware of what he was doing, because he lifted the ship so quickly I was knocked to my knees. A black, shiny boot stepped into view. Slowly I stood, recognizing with a rush of adrenaline the robes of a Jedi.
"You wouldn't happen to be on your way to meet a Jedi, would you," Luke Skywalker said with a smile.
"I guess I found one," I said thickly as I clambered to my feet.
"That you did, Mr. Arcana, that you did. What do you say we head to the old Jedi Temple to talk more?" I nodded, not knowing what else to do. My mother finally caught up, and with a stern look to me, thanked him for his help. I could tell by the look in her eyes, I was in for a good lecture later on.
When we arrived at the temple the first thing I saw were the massive stone columns stretching infinitely high like pillars of light. Inside the temple library, Luke found a quiet side-room which had been used for the training of young Jedi in the days of the Old Republic. He sat on a cushioned stool and motioned for us to sit with him. We waited in silence for a moment and I suspected that he was considering what to say next when my mother blurted out, "Does he have to go away to the Academy?"
Luke looked at her for a second and then responded, "I haven't yet decided, Celia, whether he will be allowed to go or not. As you know, he will not be allowed to leave if he does, as our training is rigorous. There are large expenses involved, but I am willing to help with that. I'm sure he is capable of making this decision, if I feel he meets, or exceeds," he looked straight at me, "all of my requirements."
"What kind of tests will you do?" Mia asked, looking slightly suspicious.
"Well first there is one basic test, for…" he paused. "Record purposes." This seemed to bother him, a memory flashed below his eyes.
"What test is that?" my mother asked looking worried.
"It is a measure of a Jedi's abilities, I'm afraid," Luke responded in a measured tone.
He took out a syringe from his belt pouch and said, "This will hurt a bit." He stuck it in my upper arm and the prick felt like fire, but I flexed my jaw and kept it to myself. Next he took out a small device with a glowing blue screen and pressed it into the same spot on my arm. The screen flashed once. Luke's eyes narrowed and he pressed a button. Again he pressed it into my skin and the screen flashed.
Slowly he put the device away and he seemed to have aged visibly. What's going on here, what's that look for? Luke took a breath and looked up again with an easy smile.
"Well?" my mother asked impatiently.
"Your son," he began evenly, "meets that requirement." I breathed a sigh of relief. I was safe.
"Now I want you to relax, Trace. This is a simple test involving perception. I will ask you what the object shown on this screen is, but of course you will not be able to see it with your eyes." He pulled another data pad out of his pouch. "Relax, let the Force flow through you. Some feel it as a pull in the navel, or a tingling in the finger tips, or even a simple breeze through your mind. You will feel it when it happens." I took this in and concentrated, but nerves raced my mind around like two competing drag flies in a breakneck race. Luke was waiting; I breathed deeply and let my mind sink. I squinted at the screen's black case, but only saw with my eyes. A wisp, an itch on my right cheek, caressing the scar and diving below the skin to spread throughout me in a shiver, and suddenly I saw, "A T-23 Skyhopper," I blurted out. Luke cocked an eyebrow and said, "Correct. Next…" The image changed, a haze above my vision, an aura of double vision. The shiver rolled back to the scar on my cheek and intensified to a warming sensation.
"A landspeeder. X-32, maybe…"
"Yes, a landspeeder, but not the X-32. And next…" His eyes were locked on my and I lost my concentration. My scar felt oddly hot, not painful, but almost…comforting. I squinted again, and brought it all back, slowly, feeling the Force poke and prod, examining me, wanting to flee, but being held by my will alone. It was like directing ripples in a pond.
"A gas planet."
"Which planet?"
"…Yavin?"
"Correct. Next?" And so we went, probably a dozen different odds and ends, as my scar caressed my body with chills. This is unlike anything I've ever done. Why does my scar feel this way? Oh my San, I'm doing it! Simple as that, I'm doing it!
Finally Luke set the screen aside. "I think you are ready for the last test now, no?" He had a look in his eye, he could tell I was already learning. In a way, it was scary.
"You will have to move these marbles from here," he indicated a spot on the floor as he pulled a handful of glass balls from a different pouch, "to here," he indicated another spot, "and then arrange them in a circle. Take your time," he said, resting his chin on his hand and watching me closely.
I closed my eyes to relax, imagining the room, the windows and furniture and floor. Then the marbles. In my mind's eye, they were rolling, knocking into each other and jostling as they went to and fro. Sweat beaded on my forehead as they stopped shakily and formed themselves into a jagged circle. I breathed out and I looked up slowly. There they were, gone, halfway across the room and arranged in a circle. I sank back into the chair with relief. This is a day to remember. And you were happy when you moved that staff I thought with a grin.
Everyone was looking at me with mixed feelings. My mom's eyes said she was both glad for me, but sad in her own way as she realized she may not see me for a long time. My sister was glowing with pride as she always did. Good old Mia, she really is a great sister. And Luke, sitting there with a calculating stare that was almost unnerving.
"Have you practiced touching the Force on your own?" he asked.
"Yes, but only recently," I said nervously. My legs were starting to shake; was he going to say I couldn't go?
"I see," he said. My stomach plummeted and by his tone I could tell me was worried about something. My dream, my desire to become a Jedi. This was it. If he didn't say yes now, he never would. I sat there hoping beyond hope that Luke Skywalker, the savior of the Republic, last of the true Jedi, would grant me this one wish.
"He's not going," my mother said flatly, eyes shifting from Luke's to my own.
"What…?!" I growled angrily. I was about to speak, but Luke cut me off.
"Trace, calm down. We can talk about this, there's no need to be angry." That look was still there, what was he afraid of? But I took a breath and nodded.
"I need you to support us," my mother said. "You can't just go away and leave us, we need your help." She seemed desperate, and yet, she had just gotten her promotion. They didn't really
need my help. I knew she was dying even coming here and letting me be tested, she wanted me to stay. But I wanted to be free, I wanted to be on my own, living my dream!
"Mom," I said neutrally, "I know this is hard for you. But please understand, this is my dream! I've wanted to do this for so long, today is my chance. You just got promoted, you don't need me to help with rent any more." She looked down sadly. "Please mom. I'll come back, you know I will. I just…there's so much I want to learn, I want to be free."
"I just don't want to lose my only son," she said quietly and I knew Sassa bottles and two-for-one cake was flashing through her mind. This time Luke interjected.
"He will be safe, Celia. My academy has become self sustaining and the curriculum has grown, along with the structure. There is no harm for him while I and my trainers are there." My mother held her head in her hands, and then looked up.
"How can I know, for sure?" Luke looked to the floor, then back at her.
"I can take you to the Academy with us and you can see what it will be like for him, if you wish." My heart glowed. Thank you, thank you, thank you! My mother thought for a while, looking at me at last. I gave her a small smile and mouthed the word, "Please?" Finally she sighed.
"Okay. I was given a week off before my promotion takes effect anyway, I suppose that's fate for you," she said wryly. "But, I have to ask, how long will my son have to stay at the Academy?"
"Most students stay anywhere three to eight years before they are full Jedi Knights. At that time they are allowed to leave the Academy and visit family. If they return they may continue learning and training. I and the Academy work very closely with the Galactic Office of Protection, and they send us assignments they feel they may need help with. Of course, our numbers are limited, but Jedi are sworn to protect and defend, and thus, we help as much as we can.
"Ultimately, though, it is up to Trace how long it is before he can return here to visit. His training may pass quickly, but he may decide to spend time among the archives, learning and even helping to teach before he becomes a Jedi Knight and is allowed to leave." My mother nodded and seemed to take this in as best she could. I could barely breathe, was this truly happening? It is, it is! You're going to be a Jedi!
"Well," Luke said, watching me, "if we have all that sorted out, I can have all your tickets if you meet me at this platform." He handed my mother a small data pad and said, "Does that work for you, Celia?" My mother nodded without speaking. As we got up to leave, I gave her a hug, and said simply, "thank you!"
The next morning I woke up earlier than usual. Probably because my alarm blared annoyingly where usually there was silence until 12, when I liked to wake on my off days. Excitement jolted me out of bed as thoughts of Yavin IV's lush jungle and crumbling ruins permeated my mind and tempted me to yell with joy. Surely I'm going crazy. 'Yell with joy'??
I had packed my few belongings the night before, stuffing changes of clothes and a few odds and ends that I may or may not need, such as lights and books. Lived here my whole live, and this is all I've got to show for it.
"Trace!" This time it was my sister calling me.
"Yeah?"
"Hurry up and eat, we need to go soon!" She was cooking breakfast for me. She's a great sister.
"Okay, I'll be right down," I said, grinning as I pulled on my shirt, pants, and boots.
After I had dressed, I hopped down the stairs two at a time and turned left into the kitchen. Mia had set out a platter of wafa cakes and some syrup and butter for me. I thanked her and wolfed them down two at a time.
My mom walked in and leaned against the door frame, watching me eat.
"You ready?" she asked, smiling. I saw two other bags out in the front hall. This was all happening so fast, and yet I didn't want it to stop. I wanted to go, I wanted to arrive already.
"Yeah, I packed and everything. Are you sure about this, mom? If you ask me, I'll stay." I meant it, too. As excited as I was, I knew how much she'd miss me.
"Hun, this is your time to shine. Do us both proud." I grinned and finished as fast as I could.
We met Luke at the landing platform; he stood there, black robes billowing in the updraft from Coruscant's lower levels, and greeted us with a wave. We stood there, bags on the metal platform and waited for our cruiser. My first ride off planet, and it was to the place of my dreams. Yeah, you can go ahead and wet your pants now. I rolled my eyes to myself and shifted from foot to foot as energy billowed through me. I felt so alive.
The cruiser was a simple transport on a cyclical route around a section of the galaxy. We boarded with thousands of others, humans and aliens alike, all in their own life and off to their own adventures. We were supplied with food and drinks so it was a pretty carefree environment. Of course, the occasional ex-convict that walked by was a little intimidating, but who was to worry? A Jedi Master has my back, so you all better back off I thought proudly.
'Approaching Cloud City, Bespin,' said a computerized voice. 'Please submit ticket cards and wait near the ship's entrance.' I looked around, confused.
"I left my ship here for…safekeeping," Luke said to us. "I'll fly us to Yavin IV from Bespin."
When we had departed the ship Luke called a family sized cloud car taxi to transport us to the docking bay. As I looked around I was awed by the audacity of whoever decided to build a city floating among the clouds. I gazed up and around at the enormous cloudscrapers and took in the iconic burnt orange color of the paint. I could see only the sky in all directions, even down.
We were no more than halfway to the docking bay when a loud explosion jolted the taxi and we were sent into a tailspin. My mother screamed and the driver slumped against the controls, unconscious, buttons and dials flashing wildly. Smoke flared from the engines and we all held onto anything we could for dear life. I saw out of the corner of my eye that Luke was looking out the window at something below us. An impact so hard I felt my jaw unhinge rocked the tiny craft. We were stationary.
"Follow me!" Luke yelled tensely. With a flick of his wrist a green glow filled the cabin and we got our first glimpse of a lightsaber before he was slicing through the wall of the taxi.
We followed him shakily out of the taxi, and Luke ran around to the front to pull the driver from the wreckage.
"We…we're on a garbage hauler!" Mia said shaking. My mother put her arms around her and comforted her over the roaring wind.
"Come here," Luke shouted to me, and I ran over to the remains of the taxi where he stood. He pointed between the engine array and said, "What do you see?" There were burn marks and shrapnel scoring all along the engine casings, and near the hull of the craft there was a two foot blast mark. The engines had been sabotaged.
"It looks like-" I started to say, but Luke cut me off, yelling to Mia and my mother to get low. He pushed me down and I hit the metal hard. I scrambled around and looked ahead as a tunnel loomed closer. A tunnel that was barely going to fit this hunk of junk, much less the junk on top and us.
"Stay down!" Luke shouted, and with determination he turned to the tunnel and held his hands out, palms down. With a lurch, the hauler jerked downwards, the driver no doubt wondering what the Hell was going on. Luke's eyes had taken on a look of pure concentration, and I started in amazement. A roar of speed and the tunnel was upon us, smashing into the wrecked taxi and whooshing just inches above Luke's hair which whipped around violently. I looked back to see the demolished taxi rebound from the tunnel roof with a deafening crash and begin its infinite descent.
Sudden brightness and a whoosh of openness brought us out into the sky again.
"Always handy, the Force," Luke said smiling vaguely and dropped next to my mother where she lay with her eyes clamped shut.
"It's okay, Celia. We're safe." The hauler found the first bay to park and slid into place at the speed that the driver most likely didn't notice. Instantly the man was out of his hauler and yelling and cursing this and that, about the damned crazy drivers in this town, and something about twice in one week.
We all clambered down on liquid legs, my mother in tears and Mia simply staring out at nothing. "It's okay," Luke kept saying. "I'm here to protect you, we're okay." Luke and I carried
the heavy taxi driver to the wall of the docking bay and once Luke had called a medic for him we set off on foot for the Shadow Chaser.
The bay doors opened into a long, busy hallway, pure white with windows everywhere. It was like being at a mall the day before a large celebration. There were people of all kinds bustling about without so much as a thought of anyone else. They were on their own, alone in a crowded room, and they had a mission to complete: buy, buy, buy, and return home to consume. I'm really a cynical person, aren't I?
"Follow me," Luke said, and walked off to the left. We walked on for about twenty minutes before we reached the docking level. Mia and my mother seemed to have recovered and were cautiously admiring the city, and my own heart rate had returned to normal, if reluctantly.
Luke turned sharply and reached a door pad. He pressed the entry code nine-nine-nine-four-three-five-seven-nine at bay thirty-two. We came out into a cavernous hall filled with all styles of ships and transports. Cruisers, buses, cargo haulers, yachts; a ship's heaven and a spacer's home. And a thief's dream I thought as I saw all the expensive and blissfully unprotected ships of playboy millionaires who hadn't enough sense to hire a guard.
And, tucked away in a corner, was the Shadow Chaser. She was a diamond in a rock quarry; nothing here even compared. With full plate quantum armor and some of the best systems in the galaxy, she simply glowed. As soon as we boarded, Luke started up the liftoff cycle, not wanting to attract any more attention. I could tell his mind was racing over all the possibilities: what had happened to the taxi, why, and who had done this? I wanted to talk to him about it, but I let him think; at any rate, it seemed obvious to me what had happened: someone had tried to kill us, or him. I guess that may be normal, as he had probably earned a lot of enemies due to his public heroics in the Rebellion.
Even still, something was off. My eyes drooped, but I checked on Mia and my mother before heading to the small cot at the back of the ship. Trying to figure out who wanted to kill us was making me sleepy.