Updated: 6/4/17
Revised: 4/15/12
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars! The only thing I own is Ahri Elysar and any random characters that I add. I am not making any money off of this. Please don't sue me!
A/N: I decided to change things up, I felt that I was spending too much time creating chapters than advancing the plot of the story. So I decided to combine chapters 2 and 3 into one chapter.
A/N: Jedi Knight Tohno wears what I describe later on. She is an actual Star Wars character found only in the comic books.
Also I've gotten some questions about Master Fay. Master Fay is a canonical character of the Star Wars universe; she only appears in one comic series (6 pages I believe). She was modeled after the elves of LOTR. For more information just send me a message or go to Wookiepedia and type in Fay.
So without further ado here is the second chapter of Star Wars: Ahri Elysar.
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Episode 1: Chapter 2
Stagnation! After a thousand years of prosperity, the Republic is beginning to crumble from within. Corruption and crime spread and even the vaunted protectors of the Republic, the Jedi aren't able to stop it all.
To make matters worse, the power of the Dark Side grows while the powers of the Jedi wane. Five years ago Darth Maul was killed by Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. Though one Sith is dead, there is still the elusive Master on the loose. With their efforts divided between the increasing power of the Sith and the critical condition that the Republic is in no progress is made in solving either problem.
The most pressing problem for the Jedi is the decrease in available manpower. The Jedi Order is in a period of decline, but their responsibilities of the Order have increased. To say that they are unable to continue serving in a greater capacity would cause panic, so the Order says nothing.
New Padawan Learners were being instructed as fast as the Council can manage. One such Padawan is Ahri Elysar newly promoted and student of Jedi Master Fay.
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Three days had gone by since I accepted Master Fay's offer to be her Padawan Learner and we had yet to see the Council to make the Master-Padawan relationship official, it was driving me insane. When it mattered, I am always punctual, and this mattered to me.
At the moment we were currently walking back to her our room to have some dinner. Master Fay had been trying to teach me the finer points of meditation. Try being the key word, as it extremely was annoying. She was a practitioner of the Floating Mediation. Believing that physical contact with the ground detracted from connecting with the universe at large, she attempted to show me how to float and meditate at the same time.
It didn't go well, and very little mediation got done.
We got back to our room and proceeded to make dinner. It was Master Fay's turn to make it and my turn to clean up, so I sat down to ease some of the tension I was feeling with a history book about the Great War.
"Ahri?"
"Yes, Master?" I looked up from the book.
"I was wondering if you would be willing to tell me a little about your time with the Expeditionary Fleet."
Wonderful, this was the third time in as many days she had tried to get me to open up; she was acting like just another shrink. I put the book in my lap. "What would you like to know?"
"Well, I was just curious and was hoping you would be willing to tell me something."
I fingered the book, showing my impatience to being interrupted in the middle of a good book. I looked my Master in the eye and said, "It had its up and downs."
"Like?"
"Like getting to explore new planets, meet new cultures, make new friends, and learn new skills."
"What about the low points?"
"What about them?"
"I don't mean to pry Ahri I was just curious."
With that statement I snorted and leaned back in my chair, of course, she intended to pry. "Of course not Master," I said lightly, "but what other reason could there be to your asking questions."
Her face flushed slightly before resuming her neutral expression. I guess she didn't take being called a liar well.
She turned back to preparing dinner, and I went back to reading my book.
Gone was the happy, warm fuzzy feeling atmosphere, replaced it was a cold tension.
Dinner was the same, and I just wanted out of it. I admit I was in the wrong, but I wouldn't apologize if I didn't have to.
After I cleared the table and washed the food, I spoke up for the first time.
"If it's alright with you Master I'm going to hit the hay and try to make up all the class work that I missed since it is going to be Saturday."
"Very well Ahri, but tomorrow morning you had better have had an attitude adjustment."
"Yes, Master." And I bowed
I went to bed knowing that I had shouldn't have acted the way I should. But I had no desire to just right off the bat telling her my secrets, secrets that few knew…and I intended to keep it that way.
"Wake up Ahri."
"Ugh, what time is it?"
"It is 8:30 in the morning, Ahri."
Without looking up from my nice warm bed, I slapped my hand around to find my holo-clock. I knew I looked like a fool, but my biological clock said it was too god damn early. I finally grabbed it, and when I saw what time it was, I groaned. I then preceded to covered my head with my sheets. "This is revenge for yesterday evening isn't it?"
"Don't be silly, Ahri." "I am just waking you up so you can do your homework like you said yesterday at dinner."
"Fiiii(yawn)ne, I'm up." Deny it she may, my guess is that the thought most likely crossed her mind.
I got up and looked around. I had yet to finish unpacking, and my things were scattered everywhere. My duffle bag lied to the right of my dresser halfway unzipped. My backpack was at the foot of my bed opened. And random articles of clothing were stuffed into drawers half closed just to get them out of the way.
I went over to my closet and after a moment's thought took out a Baran Do Novice robes that I found on my journey. The robes were a combination of Brown's and dirty white, with dark brown as the outer robe, followed by light/dirty white on the inside. I looked at the mirror in the closet. Very stylish for a Jedi I suppose considering they were meant for members of another force organization. I twirled to see my back. They will do just fine I thought.
Once dressed, calf high boots and all I stepped out into the living room. Master Fay was already having tea at the table.
I went to the cabinet and got out some cereal, a bowl, spoon, and a carton of milk. I sat down at the roundtable, the bowl and spoon clinking as they hit the table. The carton of milk and box of cereal making a duller sound. I was ready to break my fast and begin the day. Before I did though I took one of the fruits in the bowl…a blumfruit and cut it into pieces, I loved blumfruits, especially when they were made into blumfruit muffins. The skin was orange-red, but the meat was reddish blue. The juice dribbled onto the table, and I kicked myself for forgetting to get a plate. Master Fay just looked at me, and I gave a quick apology and got a plate and a wet rag. I had to hurry the juice is known to stain.
Disaster averted I finished my meal in silence. I didn't feel like talking to anyone, and I knew after yesterday chit-chat wouldn't be coming.
We finished our breakfast in silence and I got up took my dishes…and Master Fay's to the sink and cleaned them up. I put them in the dishwasher and was going to make my way to my room when…
"Before you begin your homework let's take a look at what you brought from your room.
I gave her a rendition on what I brought with me, my backpack and my duffle bag.
"All you have is one military grade backpack and a duffle bag?"
Well, I am expecting three packages which hold a dozen holocrons from Admiral Starwind. As well as a few other things, other than that this is all I have.
"Holocrons? She put down her tea and gave me her undivided attention. "Where did you get holocrons?"
I proceeded to tell her the full story of how I found them, from the abandoned Jedi Temple to the hidden room in the Temple's archives.
"I am pleased that you were able to continue your education, but I am more concerned with the Sith Holocrons. What did you do with them?"
"I knew they were bad news the minute I saw them but I didn't want to leave them behind, and after some trial and error I had them locked up in the ship's safe."
"Where did you keep them at first?"
"I kept them in my room, but they kept giving me nightmares, headaches, and nearly corrupted my primary holocron. Once that occurred I got rid of them."
"Corrupting a Jedi Holocron, how is that possible?" She looked trouble at the thought of such a thing happening.
"My favorite Holocron had a function in which it could obtain information from other holocrons and add that information to its repository of information. When I failed to specify which holocron I wanted it to copy it tried to copy the Sith Holocrons as well. I had to purge the information from the Holocron and hope the Holocron wasn't corrupted. I do admit though I wasn't able every bit of information of the Sith from it. I noticed a slightly negative feeling emanating from it, and the gatekeeper who had once been very patient was a little more impatient with me. All in all everything else was the same."
"How much information can it store?"
"No idea, which is something I have been trying to figure out to no avail."
"Alright, so eight Jedi Holocrons and four Sith Holocrons… Next thing we need to do is to get you some Jedi robes."
"But I already wear the robes of my people. I have plenty of robes that are of my people, isn't there a way I could just obtain more of the robes that I already have?"
"I'm sure you could, but you are a Jedi, and still need to be issued the standard items a Jedi carries wherever he/she goes. You know comlink, food pellets, breather, medikit, as well as a pair of sturdy boots."
"I understand having to need the necessities, but I've seen many Jedi that wears non-standard robes."
"They are not me, and I want you to wear the standard robes."
"Yes, Master."
"Alright, before we go let's have a look at your lightsaber that you made."
I handed over my training lightsaber which was big enough to have a two and a half handed grip. Easy to use one handed if need be and capable of wielding it with two hands. The very bottom had a cross like clip that could be used when combined with its sister lightsaber (which I didn't make) to form a double-bladed lightsaber. I wasn't near good enough to use both at the same time.
Near the bottom was a black grip that was meant to allow for better gripping during combat. Near the top just below the emitter were two knobs and one subtle switch, one to adjust the power of the lightsaber, the other to control the length, and the switch was a safety feature since it was a training lightsaber. It lowered the power level so that the lightsaber would burn rather than cut. On regular lightsaber, the knob that regulates the power would do that.
The emitter was guarded by a piece of metal called the blade emitter shroud or the Shroud as I like to call it that began above three thin lines that went around the lightsaber. It didn't protrude out it just helped prevent accidents by giving me some extra space. And the lines told me when I had hit the emitter. It was another layer of protection for the wielder. The lightsabers were all silvery white except for the grip which is black.
She hit the activation button which was located just above the middle of the saber and was a small button. The saber's color was a sky blue color that lit up the room.
"Well done Ahri, take care of it, your weapon is your life." With that, she returned it hilt first to me…after deactivating it.
"I thought you didn't believe in fighting Master?"
"I don't, I believe the Force and diplomacy can be used to stop conflicts before they can begin. However, even I learned how to use a blade and so will you." There was a moment of silence before she added. "You will also learn to do what I do as well."
After getting my lightsaber, I gathered my things so I could put them away and then start on my homework.
…
"Done," I dropped my pen onto the holopad and reviewed my accomplishment with some satisfaction. I had finished my homework after four and a half hours of constant writing and now had the rest of the day off.
I exited my room to find my Master talking with someone on the intercom. I had no idea who and frankly as I was hungry I didn't care at the moment.
Deciding not to interrupt my Master's conversation I looked in the fridge for some lunch. Finding nothing that I wanted to have, I decided to head toward the mess hall to have lunch. I waited patiently by the door, so I could get my Master's attention that I was leaving, and after a few minutes I grew impatient and left. I decided that she knew I would still be in the temple if she needed me and thus wouldn't be in any danger. I proceeded down the hall when I had a chance encounter… if one could believe in chance encounters with the Force and all, when I stumbled upon a female Jedi Master whose name I could only vaguely remember, Master Gather, Gallian.
"Ah Padawan Elysar, how are you?"
"I'm doing fine Master…, I'm sorry Master, I know I have seen you somewhere, but I just can't remember where or what your name is." I hung my head feeling a little frustrated.
"Not to worry Padawan, my name is Adi Gallia, and I am one of the twelve High Council members."
"So that's where I remember seeing you," I bowed and then said; "how may I help you, Master Gallia?"
"I was going to tell your Master that the Council has moved up your appointment time to 10:45 a.m tomorrow morning instead of 2:30 in the afternoon as planned."
"Thank you for telling me, Master Gallia. I will be sure to tell her as soon as I can."
"Thank you."
She turned to leave and before she left I had to ask or rather blurt out, "Master?"
"Yes"
"I was just curious but what is that hat you are wearing?"
She smiled and said; "it represents my people. I am from Corellia, and we have certain customs and to honor them I wear this hat. It is just like why you always cover up your face with that veil of yours."
I nodded at that and began playing with the veil idly.
To not wear a veil at all is to be shunned and looked down upon. It is a moral decision that our community made long ago. Though every generation there are a few youths that choose to wear only a thin strip of fabric not to be considered immoral. The elders don't like that trend but can't put an end to it. Frankly, I think it's cool but not for me.
Smiling with her lesson complete Master Gallia left me to my thoughts.
Before she was out of sight, I hurriedly called out to her, "thank you!"
I was making my way to the mess hall when trouble hit me…again. It was the sickness I had experienced almost a week ago. My breath became harsher, my muscles went slack, and I was feeling faint and ill. I looked around to find a place to rest against or a place to sit down. I saw a little alcove with a bench and with all due …which was a drunken staggering here, and there I made it to the bench. I sat down and doubled over clutching my chest. I was in pain so much pain. I saw double which I thought was impossible for a Miraluka to experience.
I needed to rest and gather my strength again. While I was resting, I was hoping that the episode which sent me to the healer's wing would not be repeated anytime soon…or at all. This was the second incident in one week; I needed to figure out what was wrong with me and quick. The problem was I had no idea where to look; the drugs I took aided me but were not the cause of the problem. The problem was how I perceived and used the Force. It had changed, or I had, either of which presented potential problems.
When I was able to stand, albeit shakily I entered the hall much paler but just as hungry. I grabbed some food and was looking for a nice secluded spot away from anybody else so I could recover in peace when…
"So you are the elusive Padawan my apprentice has told me about."
I sighed and turned to face the speaker. He was fairly tall, middle age…or approaching middle age at least. His expression and face spoke of trials that haunted him still. His beard made him look older than he was…and he was the Master of…
"You have me at a disadvantage Master…"
"I am Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, master of Anakin Skywalker."
Sith's blood! Of all the people to run into it had to be the Master of the one person I had wronged. Though by the looks of it…he had sought me out…why I had no idea.
I bowed as low as I could without spilling my food, "pleasure to meet you Master Kenobi, how may I help you?"
"I see your eating lunch as well, and I was just sitting over there, why not join me?"
So much for a quiet meal I thought, and all I wanted was some peace. "It would be an honor Master Kenobi."
I followed Master Kenobi to where he was sitting. I noticed that Anakin wasn't around and there wasn't another spot with a tray of food on it. Had he planned this out? What was he after?
We sat down, and I waited to see what Master Kenobi would do. He noticed that I was watching him, but did nothing but raise an eyebrow and pick up his utensils and begin to eat.
Once he started to eat, I did as well.
We sat in silence eating for some time…I didn't enjoy the food as I had planned to. Master Kenobi's presence put me on edge, and I was nervous as to what he was going to say or do. Should I call for Master Fay to intervene on my behalf?
"Relax Padawan; I'm not going to hurt you."
"Yes, Master."
"Padawan, I was wondering if you would be willing to answer some questions that I have."
"What kind of questions Master?"
"I have no one topic that I wish to focus on."
…
"Respectfully Master I will answer almost any question that you might have. But there are some topics that I don't wish to talk about yet."
He raised an eyebrow leaned back for a sec while giving me a searching look.
"Fair enough, why don't you tell me what happened in the spar four days ago.
"What do you know about it?"
"I wanted to hear your perspective Padawan."
"I understand, I just wanted to know what I needed to tell you and what to skim over…"
"The fight began like any other spar. My skills were not quite up to speed, but I could manage for a while. By that I mean if I stuck to the route book I would have lost almost instantly. I am that rusty. I would be a practitioner of Form III even if it was a bastardized version of it. (Lightsabers clashing, sweeps, counter attacks, attacks). He used the Force on me (the dropping stomach sensation followed by a hard landing). I was on the ground; he wasn't giving me a chance to get back up. So I improvised. I hit him in the genitals with my leg. He staggered back in pain.
It was then that I realized something bad had happened. Anakin had given into his anger and hatred…"
"Anger? Hatred? What do you mean Padawan," asked Master Kenobi sharply.
"My people, the Miraluka, have the ability to see the Force at all times. We understand the subtle nuances and alignments of the people around us. For example, the auras that I see come in four colors, red, blue, white, and grey. Everything else is a variation of that aura. We are so highly attuned with the Force to the point that for those who study it we can feel disturbances light years away. When I kicked Anakin in the nether region, his aura took on a darker tone, signaling the use of negative emotions."
"I still find it hard to believe that he gave into his emotions."
"Frankly Master if you don't believe me look my species up in the archives… After his alignment shift, he went back on the attack with more ferocity than he had begun with. I was paralyzed I didn't know what to do. (Cold fear followed by unending assault). I was yielding ground fast, and then he got me in the chest. This time he was on me too fast. I blocked the lightsaber thrust, but he was too strong. It was getting closer and closer. (There was a rippling in the Force, this time from within.) I blacked out; there was a scream…then nothing."
"Thank you for telling me what happened Padawan. His voice trailed off into silence." He stood up abruptly, "it was nice talking with you Padawan, I hope you enjoy your day."
"Thank you, Master, I will and Master…I know you doubt my story, but I am telling the truth."
I stood and bowed and then sat back down to finish the last remains of my lunch.
I made my way down to my room; I was in no mood to wander now. All I wanted to do was to take a nice warm shower and then immerse myself in my books.
Waiting for me inside was Master Fay who expecting me.
"How are you feeling Ahri?"
"How…how did you know?"
"Our bond? Remember?"
"Oh…right," I remembered what I had been told by some of the Padawans on Rhen Var. They mentioned that the Master-Padawan relationship was more than just a title it was a relationship. Now I was feeling a bit embarrassed.
"I had a confrontation, gentle, with Master Kenobi. Padawan Skywalker is his Master. There was another episode, not as bad as last time, but they are happening more and more frequently."
She ignored the first part, no doubt knowing that nothing had come of it beyond a little stress on my part. "Are you okay? Do you need to go see the healers?"
"To be honest I am fine for now, but I am not sure what is wrong with me. And the healers don't know either. Or else they would have cured me or begun the process of rehabilitation."
"If this continues we are going to have to monitor you at all times. Your sickness isn't natural Ahri."
It felt like pulling teeth, but I had to be honest, or at least partially, not only for her sake but mine as well. "To be honest, that was my feeling as well; I think it has something to do with the Force. Maybe the aura of sickness I have been feeling for some time is a symptom of it."
"I'll look into that, in the meantime let me know, or the healers know if you experience another episode."
"Yes, Master…So switching gears how was your chat Master?"
"It was good; I believe you have a message for me?"
"How did you… Yes, Master, Master Gallia asked me to tell you that our appointment has been moved up to 10:45 am."
"You should have told me right away."
"Sorry Master, but I knew you were busy, so I thought I would wait a bit."
"Alright, why don't we discuss some of the aspects of the Force before dinner?"
"Sweet!" But despite me eager words I was still feeling uneasy. I kept replaying the fight, my conversation with Master Kenobi, and the worry about another episode. They seemed so random.
I refocused to hear Master Fay begin. I hope I didn't miss very much.
"…to progress to Knighthood they must have mastered the three aspects of the Force. The first is Control; the ability to modify a person's state even under duress. "
"So the Control point is where I use the force to control myself, or rather regulate how I use the force on myself?"
"Basically yes, some of the techniques of this are Force Comprehension, the ability to learn something in a fast manner. Another technique is Force Speed; the ability allows your body to transcend its normal limits and go faster. The key to this branch of the Force is all about Control as the user dictates it, it is typically used defensively but not always."
"The second of the three aspects is the ability to Sense or know what is going on in the world around you. The information could come by way of emotions, physically, force, or by other means."
"So this area is all about information and using the force to gain an understanding of it."
"Correct, notable techniques of this area are Force Comprehend, the ability to understand a foreign language or acquiring large amounts of information in a short amount of time. Another example is how you see, which is called Force Sight. Force Sight is notable in that it allows you to counter force blinding and persuasion techniques."
"This method allows a person to see through walls as well as show a person's aura dead or alive. It is also notable to say that those who use Force Sight are more in tune with the Force in general, and those who specialize in it can see the Force move, flex. As a beginner, you already have the basics. To master it though, you would need to devote more time to meditating and focusing on seeing the Force as it is. Finally, another example is Battle Precognition, the ability to know what a person is going to do even before they do it."
"Would seeing visions be a part of this area?
"Yes, having a force vision would be a part of this area."
"The third and final area is called Alter. Alter is the ability to use the force to change your surroundings at will. This area can be the most difficult to master just because to change something into doing something else takes a lot of effort."
"Seems easy enough, all one needs is patience, a strong will, and a robust affinity with the Force to accomplish it."
Ha-ha. "We'll see about that, though a high will most definitely help. Most of the offensive and defensive Force techniques are here. For example Force Jump, Levitation, Deflection, and Push/Pull. Other techniques are Telekinesis-moving inanimate/animate objects around, and Battle Meditation which is when a Jedi instills hope and confidence to your ally and despair to your enemy."
"Now it is just past two let's do our daily routine of meditation. We are going to work on your ability to gain a state of clairvoyance while floating."
…
After three hours of painful meditation lessons that left me with a headache, it finally came to an end when the clock struck five.
We prepared dinner, green salad with almonds, pecans, and chopped updates in it, along with some noodles in a peach-colored sauce. As we prepped the food, we continued talking about the Force.
"Master, can a Force technique belong to multiple areas instead of just one?"
"Why yes, Force Protection controls and alters the area around you to protect you from a wide range of physical attacks. Another example is Force Immunity-an ability that protects the user from other force attacks."
"Okay… thanks for telling me."
"My pleasure Padawan, my pleasure."
After a moment of silence, I came up with another question. "Why don't you carry a lightsaber Master?"
"By having a weapon you give yourself an opening to be able to fight rather than to reach a settlement. When you leave your weapon behind you, only give yourself the option of peace, and so you strive for peace no matter what."
"Interesting," I couldn't think of not carrying a lightsaber, but I did understand her logic.
"Master?"
"Yes, Padawan?"
"Why me, you told me how you could help me, but still why me?" "Why not pick somebody else?"
"I have been alive for hundreds of years, and I to be honest never felt the need to teach. I decided to wander the Outer Rim Territories helping those in need while I followed the Will of the Force. Well, the Force called me back to the temple and you. It told me that I was the one that should teach you and that I should start right away."
"You're not going to ditch me when the Force calls you away are you." A per petulant question, I knew, but I had to know.
"What!? Why would I do that?"
"You follow the Will of the Force, what if it told you to leave me."
"It wouldn't, and besides you're stuck with me, you might as well get used to it."
"Then why did you wait so long to finalize the Master-Padawan relationship?"
"To be honest, I wanted to give you a chance to get used to me before making it final. Give you an opportunity to back out if you so choose to."
I just nodded
After finishing dinner, I decided to I decided to ask one more question before heading off to bed.
Master?
"Yes, Ahri?"
Could you teach me how to give off the aura that you do?
"Right now, isn't it a bit late?"
Please, just a little bit?
"Okay, let's sit in the middle of the living room."
"Sit like this Ahri, cross-legged."
I sat down, hoping that my headache which was still around from lunch would taper off. Or that I would have the time to take my…medication.
"To give off the aura that you feel you must first find inner peace. To do that you must quiet yourself, let go of all your feeling. Become one with the Force, become the force."
I tried to do as Master Fay suggested I was. I was just having too much of a hard time.
"Don't think Ahri just act, let your mind go. Be like a flowing creek and let all thoughts and emotions run down its path."
There was too much sickness within, and I couldn't find my sense of peace and balance. Then there the whole feeling of nausea that overcame me.
"Listen to the Force within you, let go of your feelings."
When it became apparent that I wasn't going to make any more progress, she called a halt to the exercise.
"I think that this is enough for one day Padawan. We'll try again tomorrow after we see the Council."
"Yes Master, thank you for teaching me and thank you for choosing me as your Padawan."
"You're welcome Ahri. It is my pleasure to teach you and to guide you on your path to knighthood."
Though she had a troubled look on her face as she said that.
As I settled down for the evening, I had to remember that my stomach was feeling queasy so I laid on my back instead. Hopefully, tomorrow would be a better day.
"Ahri? Ahrii? Time to get up, Master Yoda told me that he rescheduled our appointment with the Council for today and it starts in an hour in half."
"Whaaat, what's with all the early wake-up calls? Five more minutes" came my voice which was muffled by the pillow."
"No, you need to get up, you have to get ready."
So much for sleeping in, "alright I'm up."
"Good, I advise you to take a shower; it always helps me wake up."
"Ye *YAWN* okay."
"You need to hurry; we need to prepare to go see the Council. The shower is yours, so hurry."
*About ten minutes later*
"Ready Master Fay!"
"Good! I'll be ready in a second."
…
"Ready to go Ahri?"
"Ready five minutes ago Master," I said bowing.
"Then let's not keep the Council waiting, especially since you were late to your first Council meeting," said Master Fay with a teasing voice."
"That wasn't my fault Master! The Council gave me no notice at all! They…"
*I spotted her grin* "Hey! You're making fun of me aren't you?"
"Who me, why would I do that?"
*Humph* I didn't make me feel any better that I knew she was laughing at me.
"Oh cheer up Ahri! It's a beautiful day!"
"Yes, Master."
We reached the top of the tower; the only thing separating us from them was a short walkway.
"Ready Ahri?"
I took a deep breath, "yes Master."
"Then let us go inside."
"Greetings Master Fay, how are you? Asked Master Windu."
"I'm doing excellent Master Windu, how are you?"
"I'm doing fine. I believe you wanted to see us about a potential Padawan?"
"I do Master Windu. I would like to take Ahri Elysar as my Padawan learner." And she put her hand on my shoulder for extra emphasis.
"Very well Master Fay. Initiate Ahri do you accept the task of being Master Fay's apprentice?"
"I do, Master Windu."
"Initiate Ahri will you please turn to face your new Master? Asked Master Yoda.
I couldn't help but be nervous. This was it; I was going to be a Padawan learner, at last.
"By the Will of the Force, two people stand before us to be united as Master and apprentice."
"Will you the High Council of the Jedi Order sanction this Master- Padawan apprenticeship?"
*we do chorus 11 voices.*
"Then as is the tradition of the Jedi Order will you Master Fay take this ring, and tie it on the end of a strand of braided hair as a symbol of your bond to each other."
Master Fay took the silver and dark blue patterned ring and tried to tie it to a strand of braided hair carefully. I noticed that she hesitated for a split second and so I raised the right side of my veil so she could gain access to my hair.
It was done, no backing out. I was now the apprentice of a centuries-old Jedi who was charged with teaching me and to be his light in the darkest of days. A master who would revel in my accomplishments and to chastise me when I make mistakes, no backing out now, it was done.
"By the authority of the High Council Master and apprentice you are."
It's done; I am officially a Padawan learner. And not just to any Master but to a kind, caring, wise, and thoughtful Master
"Thank you Ahri, that was very sweet of you to say about me."
I groaned mentally; I had to remember to isolate my thoughts from my now established Master. In the future, I may not want Master Fay to listen in to what I might say or think to myself.
"May the Force be with you on your new journey, Master Fay Padawan Elysar." Said Master Windu.
A clear dismissal, I followed the lead of my now official Master, thanked the Council, bowed, and then left the Council Chambers.
I waited until we had entered the turbolift to take us away from the Council's tower to talk.
"What now Master?"
"Now we need to get you your equipment and some standard Jedi clothes."
"But I already have my own set of robes Master!"
"We talked about this earlier, and I said that even though you do have your own set of robes, it is best to wear the robes of a traditional Jedi. Even if it is only for a little while, plus you might even like them; there are a lot of variations to choose from."
"Yes, Master."
…
"Aren't we finished yet?" I wined, "it has been over an hour!"
"Stop whining and continue trying on the clothes."
…
"How do I look Master?"
"You do know that typically only females where that variation, right?"
"…"
"Well if you're happy with what you're wearing, I'm fine with it as well."
"So if I say yes then I don't have to try on any more clothes right? ...I like it."
"…"
"I mean I like the robes that I am wearing right now."
The robes I was wearing were made up of three parts. The first part was from the neck, which had a stiff collar that was to protect the neck from attack to the stomach was a white tunic and was made of a synthetic material. It looked like it could be used as a nightshirt, except that it was more durable and not see through. Of course, it felt softer at the chest area, so that explains a few things. The rest of the first part was the color of dirty white on the outer layers and light brown on the inner layers. The first part would continue all the way to the feet.
The second part went from the stomach down to my feet and was a dark cream color. It overlapped in layers two times in front of the stomach leaving a V shape while the articles of clothing went up and behind my body which formed the body of the V. It then attached to the small of my back in the middle.
The third part was a big piece of leather that kept the robes firmly connected to the waist of the body and also prevented the belt from digging into the waist. It was widest in front and back, while thinnest on the sides.
On top of the piece of leather was a belt which rested on top of the leather and was the color of mud except for the center of the belt which was a small silver disk that had the insignia of the Republic pressed into it.
The belt which was secured by clips on the sides contained a comlink, breather, medkit, and food pellets; it also had multiple places to allow for more things to be added.
From the waist down the robes spread out (with the two layers, exterior dirty white color, and the inner light brown.) and stop just above the top of my feet.
Then instead of an over robe, there was a red clock which contrasted very nicely with the colors. The robe had the same purpose as the over robes just that it was lighter and was pinned beneath the neck with another piece of metal with the symbol of the Republic on it. Because it was pinned, it formed a reverse V with the point pointing towards my neck. If a female were to have worn it, it would have accented my breasts very nicely.
I couldn't help it, I hadn't worn robes that had this much volume to it, so I spun around real fast and watched as the ends flared out. Master Fay just smiled and laughed.
"Since you are in such a happy mood let us do some mediation in one of the chapels the temple has."
We continued to walk down the corridor up to a flight of stairs to the central hall. It was here that I got my first glimpse of the inside of the temple when I first arrived. From there we crossed over to the other side, and looking around I could see Jedi of all ages and species moving about doing one thing or another. From the central chamber, we moved into one of the antechambers. Then we moved on to a side corridor passing paintings, statues, and other pieces of art. In fact, I realized that they were found all over the temple. Before I knew it, we were on a turbolift taking us up a few levels.
"How do you know where everything is Master? I thought you hadn't been to Coruscant in decades if not hundreds of years."
"I'm not as old as Master Yoda you know."
"Of course not Master!" I hastened to say. It is never good to tell a female no matter how close you are to them that they are old. "I am just curious as to how you remember where everything is."
"Repetition, memorization, and by recalling that the temple is divided into four quarters each housing specific things."
"For example, the High Council quarter is essential for communications, while it also houses the hangers, lightsaber crafting areas, conference rooms, and holomaps."
"The Reconciliation quarter houses all the non-force sensitive caretakers who are in charge of maintenance including all the droids, the headquarters for temple security, and the acquisition division which seeks out new members for the Order."
"The third section is the First Knowledge quarter and it where all the Initiates, Padawans, and Younglings learn about the force. It holds the Jedi Archives, as well as Sith containment cells for those who have fallen to the Dark Side. At this moment the Order has five of the cells being occupied by those individuals. The Jedi Service Core headquarters can be found here as well along with the infirmary, the Room of a Thousand Fountains, training rooms, and research labs. It also is home to the Jedi Archives Library which is different than the Archives because it holds reading material from all over the galaxy, some of it forbidden to be read as well, and then there is access to the Holocron Vault which houses the majority of the holocrons the Order has. There is always a guard on duty to guard the vault. Very few Masters outside the Council are allowed access to the Holocron Vault."
"The fourth and final section is the Reassignment quarter which is home to the Reassignment Council which is in charge of the Jedi Service Corps. This section overlooks the main public entrance. To be honest, I know little about this area, but I can assume at least it has rooms for training and practice which is where we are headed now."
"Oh and around the perimeter of the temple just inside is a covered walkway the Jedi use for thinking hence the name; Meditative Walkway."
"What about the spires?"
"There are five spires, and each has its hanger whose entrances have two bronze Jedi holding lightsabers out over the entrance. This excludes the center town though. The four outer spires have a security mechanism in the shape of twin robed Jedi with lightsabers ignited. They are made of bronze and over fifteen feet tall. And while the hanger doors are locked the lightsabers brace the door like an old padlock."
"A what?"
"Never mind, There is also communications center to monitor all active Jedi and hot spots in the galaxy. Plus there is a meditation chamber as well."
"The northeastern tower is the Reassignment Council Tower, the High Council Tower is located in the Southeast corner of the Temple, and the Tower of First Knowledge is the top of the First Knowledge and is the northwestern corner of the Temple. The Tower of Reconciliation is located on the Southwest side."
"The most prominent tower is the one in the middle. It is called the Tranquility Spire, and it houses the Orders most sacred documents which are accommodated in the Pinnacle Chamber, as well as the Hall of Knighthood. You will not go there until you complete your trials. At the base of the tower is the Chamber of Conclave. Each year representatives from all Jedi academies and outposts come to discuss matters of current events, refocusing of the academies education goals, as well as a time to exchange information."
"That Padawan is the majority of the Jedi Temple."
"…Wow."
We exited the library and headed to an elevator which took us to the ground floor that had a Rotunda chapel.
"Since you are having some trouble with this type of mediation I am going to go over the purpose of the exercise one more time. The exercise that you will be doing is called Floating Meditation. Floating Meditation is where you use the force to levitate yourself into the air while going into a meditative state."
"What is the purpose to levitating when one can meditate without using the Force?"
"Some use it because they feel the feeling of the ground would distract them, others use it because they feel more in tune with the force because they are allowing the force to surround them and flow within them."
"How does one go about achieving this state of mind and body?"
"First you need to relax, let everything go, be like a flowing creek."
"Then reach out to and lift yourself into the air and stay there. Once we reach the Rotunda Chapel from the Meditative Walkway, we will begin. The purpose of the chapel is for newly selected Padawans to meditate before starting their training under their Master. I believe it will be a perfect place for our first official lesson."
"I thought the plan was to go to the training yard Master instead?"
"Eventually we will, but first we will meditate. Then we will burn off your excess energy."
"Yes, Master."
We went inside the Chamber, and there was only one other Padawan there who was meditating in a "corner" of the chapel. Which was impossible because the rotunda is by definition round, but who cares about that detail, he is off to one side and thus in a "corner."
I tried I did, but it is harder than it looks. All I did was exhaust myself trying to relax and levitate myself at the same time. By the time we finished, I was exhausted, agitated, and in need of some nourishment.
"I have to say Padawan I've never met somebody who had so much difficulty meditating as you. It looks like I have my work cut out for me."
"Nobody said teaching would be comfortable Master," I said wryly.
"It just means we need to find a different way for you to find inner peace, that's all."
"My stomach will find some inner peace once we grab a quick lunch."
"It will huh; well let's not keep your stomach waiting shall we?"
We ate lunch in silence, which I admit isn't unusual for us; we don't converse very much while we eat.
We exited the mess hall for our room, elsewhere, I have no idea. But I do know that I dislike not knowing what we are going to do next.
"So what is next on the agenda for today Master?"
"Well after your little incident with Padawan Skywalker the Council decided it would be better to test your skills with a higher level Jedi."
"A higher level Jedi, like a knight?" I blanched.
"Most likely, I know you didn't mean to hurt Anakin, but the Council felt a Knight would be in a better position to defend themselves should you lose control."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that.
"Before we go to the practice courts could we stop by my room so that I can prepare for the test Master?"
"Sure, but what do you need, all you need is yourself and your lightsaber."
"I need my gloves."
"Alright, if we hurry there should be enough time to get there and to the practice courts on time."
…
"Just in time!"
"Nearly late you were. Dependable you need to be, without it a basis of trust there is not."
"My apologies Master Yoda. I looked around the room. We were in one of the training yards in the temple. It was the same one that I had trained in earlier, the one with the droids coming out of the Jedi.
I raised an eyebrow at all the people nearby. How many people are going to watch me?" There were dozens of Jedi in the stands in the sidelines and standing on the balcony above.
"A distraction they will not be, your challenger is ready. Ready are you?"
"I just need to stretch, and I will be ready, Master Yoda."
"Waiting we will be, hurry you should, not polite to keep us waiting."
I went through some basic stretches, and once that was done, I took out a metal box and opened it. Inside was a pair of black gloves. The gloves were pure black and had grooves that wrapped around the gloves in a circle vertically from each finger to the very top of each glove. When I put them on, they went nearly all the way up to my shoulder stopping when they were reaching the armpit. I had to use the force to get them on because there was no zipper and the farther I pulled the gloves up, the harder it was to get them on.
"I wonder just how much the gloves will make a difference I murmured to myself."
Just as I was about to turn away from the box, I noticed a datapad lying in the bottom of the box. I activated it an inside was a message that read:
"Ahri, these gloves belonged to one of our own called Visas Marr. She was a Jedi Knight during the Dark Wars and the Jedi Purge. She used these gloves during her travels with the Jedi you would know as the Exile. The gloves are Cortosis-weaved, which means they can block lightsabers for a short while. Beware prolonged contact with a lightsaber will damage them and they are difficult to repair. She gave these gloves to us when she died. I foresaw that you would need them, use them well."
Cortosis-weaved huh, well that will come in handy. Remind me to send a thank you letter to the museum director when this is over. *Sigh* "Might as well get this over with. "
"I'm ready Master Yoda."
"Then step into the ring and let us begin."
The practice courts were a series of four large circles with bleachers on the sides for spectators. It had a high ceiling and had lights that could be dimmed or brightened at the flick of a switch.
I stepped into the ring and faced the other side. At the center of the ring was my opponent, a Twi'lek female knight with, Hazel eyes, teal skin, and a charming smile. She carried two lightsabers on her hip, and wore next to nothing; I think that was to distract all the males.
Well, this ought to be interesting, I thought. Though I couldn't help but feel worried, I wasn't capable of taking on a Jedi Knight for long. My headache had returned from my failed attempt at meditation.
To her right and my left was the instructor Jedi Master Ilena Xan the unarmed combat teacher for the temples students. She had gained the nickname Iron Hand among her students for her prowess and attitude. She was also the one Master I didn't want facilitating the match. She beckoned me to come to the center.
I approached the center of the ring, and once I was there, Master Xan began to speak.
"I am Master Xan; I will be monitoring this battle. Several rules must be observed at all times.
1. This is not a fight to the death, so no fatal or mortal blows.
2. The contest is over, and a victor declared when one of two things happen
You are touched by your opponent's lightsaber three times
Or
You are forced to yield the battle to your opponent.
3. You are to stay in the ring at all times and are not to leave it, or there will be repercussions.
4. When I say the battle is over it is over don't continue fighting.
Now if you would hand over your lightsaber(s)."
I gave up my lightsaber, and my opponent did the same with her two lightsabers. Master Xan examined them; made sure they were in training mode, not that my lightsaber had any other mode. Once she had established that they were in the correct mode and good repair, she then returned them to us.
I was about to turn around and return to my spot at the end of the ring when my opponent asked me a question, "So what happened a few days ago with Padawan Skywalker?"
I went red in the face, and hissed out, "He's not dead last I heard, but being a knight and all one would think that you would have better things to do than to gossip like an old maid."
Her cheeks blushed, and I could tell she was embarrassed.
"Padawan apologize to Master Secura!"
"With all due respect Master Xan I will not. Master Secura will have my respect when she earns it not before. To be honest, it is none of her business, and to ask her question now reflects poor judgment or plain stupidity neither are qualities that I admire."
"I see your tongue is as sharp as ever Padawan."
"With all due respect Master, you hardly know me to make that assessment."
"Padawan! Apologize this instant!" Said voice came from the sideline where my Master stood with an annoyed look on her face.
"What? Ahh, everyone can hear us." "I apologize Master Xan I was out of line, and I will work on curbing my tongue in the future."
It was evident though that I wasn't sincere, but Master Xan decided to ignore that and proceeded onto the duel.
Master Secura and I bowed to Master Xan and then went to our places at each end of the arena.
Once I saluted and was saluted in turn, we both went to our assigned spots. Once we were in the position, we awaited the signal to begin from Master Xan.
"Begin!"
Fight like there is no tomorrow, fight on my terms, what I lack in strength, skill, and finesse I will make up in surprise and tenacity. Fight on my terms.
I immediately ignited my lightsaber and in a clash of light battle was joined, her sky blue lightsaber versus my sky blue lightsaber. She had forgone using her other lightsaber. Honorable, but a weakness I could exploit.
I could see her face bathed in the light of our weapons. I began to twist my lightsaber in intricate maneuvers that made it look like it was going in a circle all the time moving around so not to let her get the drop on me. While I was going, I would parry my opponent's strikes and then make my own, while she parried my strikes. It went that way for a few minutes before I decided to shake things up. I leaped back, and when she leaped forward to re-engage, I used the force to create a blinding light temporarily blinding her.
While she stumbled trying to regain her sight and focus. I cut her legs out from beneath her and then pinned her to the ground before she could react. I used my left hand to keep her lightsaber out of the way while my right hand punched her in the stomach. Now, this wasn't just any old punch I had focused the Force into my fist and used it to injure her as much as I could. My fist glowed blue and when I struck it followed, the Force at this moment was radiating power and flowed like fire.
I followed up with a left hook to the stomach again and to round things out, I brought the heel of my right foot crashing onto her head. First blood was mine; I could see that she was bleeding from her nose and mouth.
I knew I was acting like a brawler instead of a swordsman, but if it got the job done, I didn't care. The more she was weakened, the better my odds would be at coming out on top.
I moved to hit her again in the stomach, but she recovered quicker than I anticipated from my blow to her head and had thrust her palm at me and moved her lightsaber towards me propelling me off her giving her a chance to get up.
While I was getting back up, she fell to her knee vomiting the contents of her stomach…including blood. I gave myself a grim smile in satisfaction, so I did hurt her and badly at that. That will teach her to underestimate me. Though by the murmurs and grumblings in the crowd the audience didn't appreciate my move, what does it matter all that matters is the match itself.
Back to square one, I as we both got back into the ready position. My opponent nursing her stomach looked a lot less serene and confident than before. This time I would be more careful, there is a reason the Council chose her to test me.
Now that there was a lull I could hear what some of the audience was saying.
"He has improved, but what was that technique he used?"
"He was focusing the Force into on particular location, very dangerous. He could have killed Knight Secura."
"He isn't acting like an honorable Jedi Master, why is that?"
"Hush little one, watch the match."
I snorted and refocused on the match.
It became apparent that even with her injury I wouldn't be able to keep up with her in a straight on the attack. It would be like the duel with Anakin. I needed to shake things up again.
I was slight in stature, and I couldn't beat her directly, so I had to do it indirectly, stealthy even. I took what I had learned about the three areas of the Force and applied them. There were a select few techniques that I found out about for just this sort of occasion.
The plan was blind her again by creating light from my hand and then conceal myself in the Force while she was trying to regain her position. I had seconds to make myself scarce the trick wouldn't last as long as last time. While I was doing that, I could create a replica (illusion) of myself to attack Secura making it seem nothing happened. She would be none the wiser giving me a huge tactical advantage.
The crowd was none the wiser, or at least they were kind enough not to say anything to Aayla. I lunged to the right let of the flare and then leaped back. Once I landed again, I vanished and reappeared in an instant…at least that was what the crowd would see. While my double went on the offensive, I was ten feet away keeping the illusion going, but to do so, I folded my hands together and made the appearance of a gun pointed upwards while I maneuvered out of Secura's way.
The one side effect was that it drastically increased the amount of Force I used; it was a constant drain now. The more I used the Force, the worse my migraine feet…and eventually I would begin to feel ill, and if I ignored that warning, I would start to harm myself in more… extreme ways. I hadn't forgotten my… episodes from earlier. I had to end this fast, and the high-risk technique could help me or doom me…either way, I would know in the next five minutes or so.
I was doing fairly well…alright I was, my doppelganger was getting thrashed.
Eventually, it broke down for both me and my other me.
"Game! The Match is over Knight Secura is the …what!?"
What happened was this, Secura had just gotten "me" for the third time, and just as she was being given the victory, my "condition" took a more critical turn.
My strength failed me, and I dropped to my knees and coughed blood.
Everyone turned and looked at me and then turned to look at the other me who vanished.
"What is the meaning of this! Explain yourself Padawan!"
"For those who are learned in the Force, there is a technique that allows a person to cloak themselves to point they are invisible to all. I knew despite my early hits that I had no chance of victory, so I had to find a new path. I took advantage of Master Secura's arrogance to create an illusion which apparently you fell for as well. As it was a doppelganger, she faced and not the real me I haven't lost yet."
"That is for me to decide Padawan, and besides you are looking worse for the wear."
She was right, I was already coughing blood, and I knew that if I didn't stop this instant something bad would happen. I had hit the proverbial wall; if the wall broke, I would be in serious trouble. But I couldn't lose this way. "Ahh, I see… this is a saving face technique. You don't want to be seen as a fool jumping to conclusions and are making excuses to justify your decision."
"If you want to continue then…
"I don't."
"But you just stated that you wished to continue."
"I did no such thing I just pointed out a few hard facts and besides I know when my limit has been reached. There is no reason for me to prove anything more to you or the Council. Beyond the fact that the Council wanted to give our fickle friends here," and at that, I waved at the assembled Jedi dripping blood as I went, "their daily dose of entertainment. All that matters is that I know that I gave it my all. Now if you excuse me I need to sit down for a while and rest."
I wandered off to the nearest bench which was to my left. The room was dead silent. I could feel the gaze of all the Jedi who had come to watch me, it made the hair on the back of my neck stick up, which made me anxious. Which was not good for my medical issues at this stage in the game, what I need to be at was peace and calm, not constant tension.
Not even the younglings were talking, something was wrong, and I was the source. Once I reached the bench, I bowed my head and attempted to open myself to the Force at large. I decided that I needed to cleanse myself of this ailment quick. Burn it away. If this were a real fight, I would have died. I was being foolish, but I couldn't hide this from the Council any longer. They would demand answers, and if they didn't like what they heard that they could get rid of me. That wasn't going to happen.
If it couldn't be cured my condition would force the Council to put me on limited duty which would comprise of things not related to combat. That was unacceptable.
I calmed myself, and let the energies of the Universe flow through me, I then directed it in such a way as to burn off as much of the sickly feeling that was crippling me. Then trouble occurred...again. Apparently, I was moving in the right direction to healing meself. Without the proper knowledge though as to keep my equilibrium my ill feeling became worse.
I felt like I was going to faint, the pain was that intense, in fact, it forced me to stop using the Force. What I did though was even scarier; I doubled over and fell to my knees again and began to vomit uncontrollably. My mouth, robes, hands, boots, and floor were covered with it, and it was dark red…the color of blood...my blood. I had vomited blood earlier, but that was a one-time thing. This time the blood continued to flow with no end in sight.
I stared in disbelief and got up stumbling to my left and right, looking at my hands while my vision swam. I had to get out of here, and I had to… to…
In silence so thick you could hear a pin drop I made my way to the door, in the hopes I could do, well I don't know something.
I didn't even get halfway, when I fell to my knees. I had to do something; I had to heal the injuries fast, and so I opened myself completely to the Force. I got back onto my knees and set my hands in a praying position head bowed mouth open to let the blood flow out. My body began to glow a soft aquamarine color as I began to heal myself, and I could feel it working. I was shocked; it hadn't worked this well in the past, maybe it was because I had opened all the "doors" and let go.
However, I compounded my mistake by using the Force again. It was the over utilization of the Force that caused the problem, and I was trying to use the Force to heal myself, again. No brainer, I had just made the situation worse.
I dropped the priest like stance as I fell forward; the only thing keeping me from falling flat on my face was my hands bracing me.
I gurgled as I had to watch the bloodstream out of my mouth in an ever-increasing amount. The pool of blood on my hands was increasing in size by the second, with no end in sight.
I had no idea how much blood I had lost, but if I could think straight, I would say it didn't matter, to lose the amount of blood I had is a terrible thing…really.
Then something strange occurred…one minute I was cold the next I felt warm and comfy. I stopped bleeding from my mouth and found I could breathe again. I felt so unclean from the spilled blood and the illness that I had inadvertently exasperated. Nobody was helping, so much for the idea that Jedi were supposed to help their brothers and sisters in need.
A finger touched my head ever so gently, and I knew no more…
I woke up in an unknown room, my eyesight all blurry, and when I tried to sit up the room spun. The room was sickly white, so I assumed I was in the Healer's Wing. I groped around for the call button which I found off to the right on the table. I used the Force to levitate the button and then was forced to drop it hurriedly as I was overwhelmed by the pain causing me to scream and cry.
There was a flurry of loud footsteps, and many people rushed over. Having seen the beginning of my screaming fit in a fetal position screaming my voice raw. They must have done something because next thing I knew I was awake. This time with a naked torso and heartbeat monitor attached above my heart. I began to move about, and I could hear the monitor start to get louder. A healer rushed in, "You're awake, stay still I need to do some tests."
"Yes, Master Healer," I said groggily.
He poked and prodded me and then wrote it down on his datapad that he brought with him. "I'll be back; I need to give you another dose of painkillers. In the meantime don't get up."
"Could you contact my Master, tell her that I am awake?"
"No need."
In walked my Master. She moved to the left side of the bed…my right side and sat on the edge of the bed. She then touched my face gently.
Even now she still smelled like the outdoors, I don't know how she did it, but it was very soothing.
"What happened Ahri, you were doing so well in the duel and then all of a sudden you quit. Then you suffered a brain hemorrhage, do you have any idea as to why this happened?"
"It was…"
"Don't say it was nothing because you almost died."
"Alright, I won't talk like that. What I will say is that it is the end of my Jedi career."
Just then the Healer came back in. We both stopped talking and watched as she put an I.V. drip in my arm and turned a screw to begin the drip.
"Ahh!" I sighed in contentment; no longer was I feeling dehydrated.
She cocked my head to the side so that I was facing her, "What do you mean? You're fourteen; you have a long life ahead of you."
"Not as a Jedi I don't."
"Why don't you start from the beginning?"
There was no point in keeping my past a secret, that secret is what almost got me killed. The one secret I hadn't told anyone about, however, I needed her. She was my one lifeline to remain a Jedi. She had to know, and I had to convince her that I could still be a Jedi. So I spilled my guts and told the story I wanted to keep to myself, the one where I witnessed the death of a friend, and how it affected me.
At the end of the story, she leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. "I am sorry that you had to experience all this, but what does this have to do with the ending of your career as a Jedi?"
"What is the hallmark of a Jedi?"
"There are too many to name Ahri."
"Then how about this, what characteristics did you have to show as a child to be considered to becoming a Jedi?"
"You have to have a high enough Midi-chlorian count?"
"What does the high number manifest itself as?"
"By the ability to use the Force?"
"And if a person couldn't use the Force?
"Then they are not chosen… are you saying you can't use the Force?"
"Oh I can use it, but you saw what happens if I use it too much. To answer your next question, it is because of the psychological trauma that I suffered. The more I use it, the worse I become."
"You know what would happen and you still did it anyway!"
"I didn't know that I would begin to bleed out. I protested. I typically suffer from migraines because of my use of the Force. That is why I have a big container of painkillers in my room and a smaller one on hand.
"That explains the reports of you being on suicide watch. It wasn't suicide you were trying to live a normal life."
"You saw my reports? I thought those were classified?"
"Because you returned to the Order, the Republic transferred them to the Order, and I was able to look at them. Using a drug though isn't the right way to go. You will cease immediately."
"Although I don't consider myself a drug addict isn't going cold at once result in withdrawal symptoms? Then there are the other psychological effects that need to be taken into account."
"It does, and since you use it to block the pain, it will result in your mind being tenderer than usual. Right now you are on a ton of painkillers to prevent another backlash. As soon as you are discharged, we will begin to wean you off it."
So no going cold, right, thank the Force. "Yes, Master."
"Now go to sleep with any luck within the week you will be in your bed."
She made to leave, but before she could, I grabbed her hand.
She cocked her head as if to say what.
"Please, please don't tell the Council, if they were to find out it would ruin me."
"They already know something is wrong Ahri, you have been the subject of at least two meeting, three since I am off to meet with them right now. Besides, it wouldn't be that bad, Ahri. They are not as bad you think."
"Yes, it would," I could feel my eyes tearing up, "please don't say anything. They will sideline me; I'll do the treatment, I will even see a shrink, just don't say anything."
I was crying by this point, and Master Fay just held me, resting my head on her arms. She made soft cooing noises, and just waited for me to exhaust myself, and then quietly left, leaving me none the wiser.
The next few days were hard, I never found out all of the details of the meeting, but I wasn't kicked out of the Order. I was given put a particular set of instructions, one of which included a shrink. Apparently, my experiences had 'unhinged' me to an extent.
The shrink would either be Master Fay or a member of the healers specializing in mental injuries.
I got out of the medical wing week later with a clean bill of health. Then came the fun part, Master Fay demanded that I show her where I kept all the pain pills, which according to our agreement I did give up, and a few hours later I felt like I've been run over by a hoverbus. I had a headache that wouldn't go away, and I felt all achy because of my accident.
Then there were the meetings with the shrink, which began two days after being released from the hospital. Of course, there was the stereotypical couch that I laid on. Force! I hated those meetings, everyone ended the same way with me either storming out in anger or crying my heart out of something I was sure I had forgotten. Then, of course, there were the headaches and shakes.
You see ever since I had to give up the pain pills I found myself having a hair-trigger temper. I was irritable and even more close-minded than before. I hadn't realized until now just how much I depended on the painkillers. I was suffering from withdrawal and having the shakes, shivers, and dry heaves were agonizing. What suffered the most were my burgeoning friendships. As a result of the detoxing I cloistered myself up in my room, or the archives when not in class and read.
I missed being able to read for leisure, and the archives the Fleet had were limited at best, nonexistent for the most part. Now that I was back in the heart of the Republic why not take advantage of the vast information stored in the Jedi archives. My favorite topic to read about was the conflict no struggle between the Republic and the Sith Empire. But that was just a proxy war the real heart of the conflict was between the Jedi and the Sith. And with 24,000 years of conflict between the two sides chances are that one day the Sith would return.
"Padawan! You had better not be reading by yourself again."
*sigh* "greaaat." I looked up from my hiding place, which was a secluded area in the back of the Archives to see my Master coming towards me with a displeased look on her face.
Force! She just doesn't give up!
I shut down the holopad that I was reading from, put on a neutral face, and stood respectfully as I said, Master.
"Padawan!" "What am I going to do with you?"
She had her hands on her hips, eyebrows raised, and an exasperated searching looks that all parents and teachers seem to be able to do so well.
"This has been going on for weeks. I know that you are in a large amount of pain and that it makes you irritable. But you can't stay cloistered you have to get out you have to make friends."
"I just don't know what to do; she said, and she had a pleading look on her face. Please, Ahri, please, talk to me. I want to help you. But I can't if you don't talk. Your teachers say that you are a good student, but are either nonresponsive to your fellow Jedi or are impatient with them."
What could I say, she was telling the truth.
She cupped my chin with her hand and raised it so that I was looking her in the eyes. "You are free to go. But please try to make some friends, I'm begging you."
"I'll do my best Master."
"And Padawan."
Yes, Master?
"If you want to talk you need only to ask."
"Yes Master," I said, then I bowed and then turned away to exit the archives.
I meant it; I did, it is just difficult. It clashes with my personality because I am by nature standoffish. I want to have friends it is just so hard to make them that once I have one I don't want to find any more. It is almost a paradox.
I decided to head to the Room of A Thousand Fountains. Maybe during my meditation, I'll make a new friend. *humph* like that would ever happen.
Exiting the Archives, I found myself at the top of a steep set of stairs. I couldn't help but take in the sights. I saw the hum of activity. All the students, knights, and masters were going about their business, even in early hours of the afternoon the temple is a hive of activity.
"Disturbed you are Ahri?" "Hmmm"
I groaned mentally. Coming up the stairs towards me was the one Council member I would rather not talk to.
"Master Yoda, I said while bowing my head respectfully. You are correct; I have been greatly disturbed of late."
Don't get me wrong he is wise and all, but he isn't capable of speaking straight, even if his life were depended on it. I don't need a saying that has many meanings hidden within them; I need someone to speak in a way normal people can understand without having to give too much thought to it.
"Need to meditate more, you should. Clear your mind it will."
Meditation! Is that all he thinks of! Well, at least that was clear enough.
"With all due respect Master, meditation is a passive method that encourages a lack of action. One does not need to meditate to think clearly. It only serves as a guide to clearing your mind, and it is not through meditation that one gains clarity but by thinking things through rationally."
"Humm, meditate you will on the proper respect you should give your elders."
"Yes, Master." As I simultaneously rolled my eyes or did the similar thought process of rolling my eyes since I don't have any eyes to roll.
"Crazy old toad," I muttered to myself. I wish I had a pain pill right about now. I could use one.
I wandered over to the turbolift and took it up till I got to the floor. Of course being the new kid on the block meant I had to ask directions about every other hallway just to get to the turbolift.
"How does anyone find anything in this place I muttered?"
Eventually, I managed to get to the turbolift that would take me to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, and as I was ascending I saw the Room of a Thousand Fountains for the first time. Through the glass was a place untouched by the corruption of today. A place where time seems to stand still, in short, a place of solitude and healing…like that would help me. I was starting to get a headache from the sheer light sidedness of the area.
I entered the garden and felt for what seemed like the first time since I met Master Fay; a sense of peace.
Then like the all the other times that I had been in here I grew ill, unlike what happened last week when I vomited behind some bushes, this time it was the shakes and feeling like I hadn't gotten enough sleep.
"What is it with this place that affects me so?" I thought.
I had no choice but to do as I was told to do. Despite my nausea, I got into a comfortable position to think of the error of my ways. But then I had an even better idea.
Earlier this week one of the things Anakin reluctantly told me about was the incident on Naboo, where Obi-wan killed a Zabrak from Iridonia who had just killed his mentor Qui-Gon Jinn. I admit I was curious since this was the first time since the Ruusan Reformation that a Sith had been seen let alone killed. The incident alerted the Council to the return of the Sith and the fact that there was still one Sith Lord still alive. The only problem was nobody knew where to find him/her…
I shook my head I to clear my head, and then let my mind wander. Time to find a Sith Lord.
"You have the gift young one."
I "opened" my eyes to see an elderly Jedi Master looking at me. I stood and bowed to him. "Greetings Master, it is a pleasure to talk with you, how may I help you?"
"I am Astaal Vilbum, I am the Caretaker of First Knowledge, responsible for directing the teachings of all Padawans.
"Pleasure to meet you Master Vilbum."
"I was in the area and felt your attempt at using Foresight. You were about to make a mistake. Remember this; the Dark Side is strong and insidious. Remember, when you look at the dark side the dark side looks back."
"Thank you for that reminder; I will take heed of that warning and be actively aware of the Dark Side."
He looked at me for some time as if trying to ascertain whether or not I was being honest or just trying to get rid of him.
"Since you have the makings of a historian how about, you come by the archives, and I show you some reading that I think you would like?"
He takes one look at me and says historian material?
"It would be an honor, Master. However, where did you come to the idea that I loved history enough to be a historian?"
"Your Master told me, she felt you needed to, and I quote, "Get out."
"That…sounds like her…in any case, I accept Master Vilbum, when should I come by?"
"Come by tomorrow afternoon Padawan."
He took a step back.
"Have a good day, and may the Force be with you."
"And you Master Vilbum."
I bowed, watched him disappear…I wasn't sure what to think of Master Fay's intervention. After all, he wasn't exactly my age. In the end, I banished all thoughts of him out of my mind and then got back to the distasteful chore of meditation. This time I decided to forgo looking for the elusive Sith and concentrate on letting go…
Maybe…, Master Fay is doing me a favor. I do love history, and now I can focus a good portion of my time on the past, though I will need to get Master Fay's approval first.
"Don't get too caught up in the past; we need you to stay rooted in the present if you are to be a good knight."
I looked up again to see Master Fay standing in front of me. How does she do that? I swear I block off my thoughts and yet she can read me as clear as day.
I stood up and bowed. "Master," I murmured.
"We will talk about this later, continue with your mediation and then meet me back in our room."
"Yes, Master Fay."
She wandered off, and I went back to my meditation. My last thought before I let go was how she managed to sneak up on me like that.
It was full of visions of things I couldn't even comprehend. Monsters, dark worlds, soldiers in white armor, faceless, it was all so terrifying. The only thing I did understand, could understand was that the darkness was back and I had much to do if I was to survive.
I jerked out of the meditation with a gasp and stood up, to shake off the vision I had experienced.
Visions by nature aren't always clear even under the best of circumstances. Try to prevent a vision from happening, and you could cause the vision to occur. Try to force a vision to occur, and bad things could also occur.
Point in case the Padawan Massacre during the Mandalorian Wars.
Four thousand years ago during the Mandalorian Wars, A group of seers stationed at the Jedi Academy on Taris had a vision of the return of the Sith. They then had a second vision of each of their Padawan learners. Assuming that one of the Padawans would become a Sith Lord, they killed their Padawans. That is all but one Zayne Carrick. He escaped, and the Masters pinned the blame for the killing of their Padawans on him. It turned out the Masters were wrong, and Zayne was eventually exonerated, but the whole problem began with a vision, all that just because of a vision.
Looking at my Chrono and seeing that two hours had passed. I decided that I had had enough meditation for one day and hurried off to prepare for my next class. Trying to walk straight even if I had yet to recover from the shakes, in fact, it looked like I was drunk the way I staggered this way and that.
When I go to class ten minutes later, I was the center of attention again.
"What happened to you, said a Padawan whose name I couldn't remember."
"What kind of trouble did you get into this time asked Ferus."
"You haven't heard Ferus? I'm surprised I replied." I liked talking with Ferus; he was cool.
"It is always something isn't it Ahri. You would think you would learn to stay out of trouble exclaimed Barriss."
"Oh, you know me Barriss I am always in the thick of things."
"If you don't stop and think before you act you will never become a knight. You need to rethink what it means to be a Jedi and how you want to become one."
I felt lots of indignation swell within me. Yes, she meant well, but she hardly knew me!. Before I could respond, the teacher came in, and everyone turned their attention to her and forgot/ignored me…for now.
"For millenniums the Republic and the Jedi have waged war against the Sith and their respective allies. What few know is that the original Sith were fallen Jedi who became the first Sith Lords. They and their ancestors have waged wars that have nearly destroyed the Jedi and the Republic.
Why the teacher took a breath, I looked around for a sec, and in an instant, Anakin and my eyes locked. I knew that he hadn't forgotten, and he wasn't going to let go. The emotions around him swirled for a brief second, and I knew he was fighting down his wish to show his anger towards me visibly. He would bear watching from now on. He was someone to avoid.
I looked away and thought of the proper course of action. I could apologize, or ignore it.
I snapped my attention back to the lecture at hand.
"… have left our ranks to join the Sith as Dark Jedi and Sith Lords. So I ask you this, in the face of the resurgent Sith and the problems the Republic now faces what should we do? How will each of you face the growing darkness? Will you conquer the darkness around you or will you fall?"
"To battle the darkness effectively you need to be a rock, so would you please go to page 46 of your data card and read in silence the writings on what it means to be a Jedi and dealing with the Dark Side. "
I found the readings assigned to us by the teacher in the past to be interesting, but this topic was oddly unique. I had read about the Force Wars of Tython, the First Schism that created the first Sith Lords, I read all the way up to the Great Galactic War that began three hundred years after the end of the Jedi Civil war and lasted for over three decades before the Republic prevailed. But just what does it mean to be a good Jedi? Is it prowess in battle, your knowledge of the Force? Or is it something else.
I stopped reading and raised my hand to get the teachers attention.
"Yes, Ahri?"
"What does it mean to be a Jedi, Master?"
She frowned, "That is the objective of today's lesson, and if you read the assigned pages you will have a clearer sense of how to be a good Jedi."
"Well in doing my research I have read many stories about the heroism done by countless Jedi, read stories of Jedi Sages, listed to audio recordings of Jedi who ferreted out injustice and darkness. Thinking about it, who would be upheld as the model for all other Jedi who would come after them?"
"To be honest, that is a question that can only be answered by you. Nobody else can tell you what it means to be a good Jedi. Reading about the past is informative, but only you can decide what direction you are willing to take."
By now the class had stopped reading as was watching the exchange between the two of us.
"Say I choose the warrior who battled the enemies of the Republic over the Sage who brought peace to countless worlds. Would I have picked the wrong idol?"
"The Jedi Order first and foremost is about peace Padawan."
"Then why did they take up arms? If they valued peace so much why didn't they follow the role my Master does?"
"I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you Padawan."
"Respectfully Master I believe you do. I believe you would have me chose the peacekeepers over the warrior."
"Why would I do that Padawan?"
"First, of all, you told me the Order is first and foremost a peacekeeping organization. Second, because war is hell, and while the Order can control how and what you learn here at the Temple, it is unable to monitor what a Jedi will learn on the battlefield when their brothers and sisters are dying."
"That is a pretty harsh assessment Padawan Elysar; do you have any evidence to back it up?"
"I do, when I arrived here after spending five years with the Republic Fleet in the middle of know where the Council was reluctant to let me continue my Jedi Training for fear of what I had experienced and learned while outside of their control.
The ability to choose what a Padawan will and will not learn is crucial to guiding the next generation into thinking about an issue a certain way. It is also why the Jedi no longer accepts adults into the Order since adults, unlike children, are harder to influence."
"Was there a question in that statement Padawan?"
… "No, I have my answer, thank you."
There was a long pause; I knew that my speech would be making the rounds within the grapevine once more. No doubt the Council would hear of this.
"Then carry on with your reading Padawan."
In an instant, everyone was back to reading, but I knew they were thinking of what I had said. I had planted seeds that would grow, be ignored, or uprooted. I hopped it was the first.
I spent the remainder of the class not reading but going over what I had said. What kind of Jedi would I be? Would I decide to be a Consular like my Master, a Guardian like Master Xan, or a Sentinel like Master Shan? I didn't know for certain, but I was leaning towards Sentinel. I liked reading about the Jedi who traveled the galaxy, exploring the mysteries of planets lost, rediscovered, found, and then lost again.
After class was over, I was supposed to go on to my next class in twenty minutes, but I decided to go to my room to drop of the additional materials. What I found was three packages waiting for me inside the living room. All had the markings and seals of the Republic Military.
Figures I thought it should have been here at least a week and a half ago, that's bureaucracy.
Wanting to deal with them right away the packages and my holocron with me, not sure why I did that, I just felt like. Hopefully, the Council wouldn't take it up from me. The plan was to take the packages and deliver them to the Archives after my last lesson for the morning.
So I stacked them on my lap and carried them to my next class on my lap. It was First Aid, so the fact that I had packages on my lap instead of my first aid kit was a dead giveaway that something was up.
"Ahri?"
"Yes, Master."
"Why are there three packages on your lap?"
"This is the last of my materials that the military sent me; I was going to drop them off as soon as I could."
"Aren't packages sent directly to your room?"
"They were I took them out of the room so that I could bring them to the Archives. I wished to save time and energy by not having to go back to my room, and then backtrack to the archives. So I brought them with me."
"Do you want to share what's inside with the rest of the class?"
"Sure, their Holocrons Master."
*Silence*
"Or rather Jedi and Sith Holocrons to be exact.
"Holocrons…how, where, impossible," spluttered the Master finally getting his voice back.
"On my journey, I found a derelict temple that had been hidden away on a remote world. It had been plundered, but there was a secret room that housed a dozen Holocrons."
"May we see them?"
"Sure" I opened the boxes, and the room was instantly bathed in a soft glow of luminescent blue light.
Everyone crowded around to see them even the Master, I took them out and passed them around so that everyone could see them.
"Aren't you going to open the third box Ahri?"
I looked at the third box apprehensively, "Sorry but it is for the best that I don't. They need to be locked up right away."
"Why, are they dangerous?"
"…In a matter of speaking yes. These are Sith holocrons I mentioned earlier. I found four Sith holocrons and eight Jedi holocrons in the safe room."
"But there are only seven Jedi holocrons out here where is the eighth?"
"The eighth I use as my holocron, I use it to record my thoughts and knowledge that I gain." The fact that it was the size of a plumberry and actually with me was something I was going to keep to myself. I wasn't going to give it over if I didn't have to.
"May we see your holocron Ahri?"
…
I put on my most apologetic look and smiled, "I am afraid that I left it in my room for safekeeping Master."
"That's alright Ahri."
"Master? I know that you have a lesson plan for today but could we talk about holocrons instead and talk to the gatekeepers of the holocrons I have brought? While I have had years to talk to them, I plan on taking the eleven holocrons to the Archives, and this is a once in a lifetime chance for the rest of the class to see one up close."
Put on the spot with the entire class gazing longingly at the dark blue holocrons our teacher relented.
"Well okay."
With that the entire lesson became about holocrons, how they are made, what they are designed to do, the characteristic shape of Jedi holocrons, etc. Then the class was shown how to activate them and for the remainder of the class asked the holocrons questions. It was interesting to see groups of my peers huddled around one of the seven Jedi holocrons asking the Gatekeeper questions about this and that. It was amusing, and I made a note of some of the unusual questions asked.
In fact, the entire class wanted to see me drop off the holocrons, so we made it something of a class field trip. We all went down to the Archives, and since I found the holocrons, I got to talk to Master Nu.
It was funny really; when I tried to give her the holocrons, Master Nu gave me some spiel about not missing any holocrons. When I explained that they were new ones her attitude went from barely attentive to watching my every movement.
I motioned for my classmates to show her the holocrons and Master Nu was stunned. Apparently, she was a former member of the Exploration Corp and was delighted to see that I was taking an interest in the affairs of the galaxy. I ended up having to explain in minute detail the events that led up to the finding of the holocrons and on what planet were they on. I gave as much information as I could which included the planets location and the temple's location on the planet.
The highlight of the entire "incident" though was that Master Vilbum my mentor in regards to the history of the Jedi, Force, and the Sith allowed me to go into the Holocron Vault. I couldn't help but preen as I was told that I was the first Padawan for years to be allowed into the vault. It was wonderful; the main entrance was the center of the four main holocron vaults. The main intersection had a square table for Masters to examine and question the holocrons gatekeepers. He activated the seven Jedi holocrons. I didn't tell him about the eighth, as I wanted to keep that one. The gatekeepers told Master Vilbum their names along with the name of their holocron and Master Vilbum then sorted them into one of the vaults. He then took the package with the four Sith holocrons and had them tell him their names. They were very rude, and one only spoke in the guttural tones of the Sith.
Activated they were even more menacing, they reeked with power, and you could feel the dark side rolling off them. Inactive it was contained somewhat, now it was unleashed. I felt whispers, whispers of secrets, powers, tempting me to take them for myself. They wanted me to use them, to learn their secrets, to use them for myself and only myself.
I was rapidly feeling nauseous. When I bent over using the table for support Master, Vilbum looked up saw my condition and promptly turned off the holocrons.
"I'm sorry Padawan I got caught up in my work. I am sure you wish to get back to your studies with your year mates."
"Normally I would say no, but the nausea is making me dizzy. Is there any way I could find you to ask you questions I may have?"
"I am fairly busy but if I am not available to ask for one of the archivists and they will assist you. As for today, I recommend reading the basics. Start with the history of the Order and the formation of the Republic."
"Thank you, Master."
I left to return to my room; the Holocrons had triggered the initial stages of my 'issue.' The sooner I was out of the public's eye the better.
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End of Chapter Two
A/N: As always if you see any major mistakes or want to tell me how I am doing drop me a line or write a review. Please write a review.
A/N: First of all I must give a big thanks to WhyMustIWrite for giving me some very helpful pointers, without them I would worse off.
Also if you spot any major errors let me know I do try to keep my story clean and concise. And finally it would make my day if you would tell me how I am doing. Just click the green button that says Review.
On to Chapter 3!
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