Disclaimer: As always, all belongs to George Lucas and the authors...
Lessons From the Ancients
The brilliant sun rising above the forested horizon of Yavin IV chased away the night's rain with a glittering rainbow. Jacen Solo blinked awake then suddenly realized he was late. They had just gotten back last night from a mission and his Uncle Luke had let them get some rest before meeting with him and the rest of the Council. Jacen yawned. He hated changing time zones. As he was hurriedly getting dressed he noticed his friend, Zekk, was still asleep. The two shared a bunk-bed in the small room and Zekk had claimed the top.
Jacen told him, "Zekk! Wake up! We're late! Up! Now!" But to no avail. The dark-haired Jedi just moaned and rolled over. Jacen knew he was exhausted from the mission; none of them had gotten much sleep, least of all Zekk.
He finished dressing and gave a final, "Zekk!!!" before resorting to drastic measures. He grabbed two handfuls of the sheets and light blankets and gave a heave. They came down, along with Zekk who hit the stone floor with a large thud. He was finally awake, though now dazed from the impact.
"AHH!!!" A little delayed, he knew, but it was early. And the floor was very hard. He changed then staggered out after Jacen.
They were the last to arrive in the Grand Audience Chamber at the top of the Massasii pyramid. Jaina, Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, Luke Skywalker, Tionne, and Kam were already seated in a circle around something set in the middle. Jacen sat next to his twin, who jabbed him in the ribs for being late. On his other side sat Zekk, who rubbed the back of his head distractedly. They saw that the object of their attention was the small crystal the group had gone to Coruscant for. A Holocron of the Old Republic's Jedi Order, holding countless, invaluable secrets of the nature of the Force.
With a good-natured smile Luke Skywalker greeted everyone, his blonde hair like the sand of his homeworld, Tatooine, in the sunlight. "I congratulate you all on the success of your first mission. You know, it is true that together, as a team, you are stronger than the individual. I could name more than a few Knights who, over the years, have failed to locate -and obtain- this Holocron."
Each young Jedi all but beamed at this high praise. Jacen looked at Tenel Ka. In her silver-gray eyes he could tell that she was smiling, too, even if nobody else could tell.
"I thought you all should be present as the Holocron is first opened, but first if you could tell all about your adventures." Luke continued. He had already heard most of it last night, but wanted his fellow Masters to hear it as well.
Tionne's eyes glittered. She just loved stories. After all, she was the Academy's historian. Jaina pushed back a strand of brown hair and plunged into the story. Her and her brother's young faces combined their father, Han Solo's rouge readiness and their mother, Princess Leia's royal beauty. When she came to the part when they had ridden swoops at break-neck speeds through Imperial City's air-lanes she, being a pilot, demonstrated with her hands and 'whoosh!' sounds which only maybe Zekk and Luke appreciated. Zekk broke in and started to tell about how Tenel Ka, warrior princess, 'didn't like swoops.' Embarrassed, she cut him off a little angrily and told about the freighter they rode back to the jungle moon and its crazy captain. When the story was finished it was finally time to see what their precious Holocron had to tell them.
Kam reached over and moved a little section of the round many-faceted crystal and it activated. Floating above it a staticy holo appeared. It 'solidified' into the form of a tall, heavily tattooed man in old-fashioned Jedi robes. He had yellow eyes and a thick, almost saurian tail curled around his shiny black boots. The static dispersed a little as he bowed then began to speak.
The Jedi man's confident, deep and powerful voice resonated in the round antechamber. They listened to his words accented by distinct but unfamiliar undertones, words that were even more unfamiliar. This alien language sounded sometimes almost like a chant and sometimes dark and full of dread. But the truths were all but lost on the Jedi gathered around the lightly flickering holo.
Jacen saw the brief touch of disappointment on this uncle's face but it was soon replaced with renewed determination. Kam dialed the volume down.
Glancing at the others, who were just kinda staring at it, Zekk declared, "Holocron Lesson Number One. Not all Old Republic Jedi spoke Basic."
Lowbacca rumbled in agreement.
'Zekk seems to have picked up a sense of humor. Maybe from spending so much time with Jacen...' Luke thought to himself. Then he remembered what his sister had said over the holo-link that morning. The Jedi Master turned his light blue eyes to his niece. He was so proud of her, always doing all she could to be the best Jedi, pilot, and friend. "Jaina," he asked her, "Do you think your mother's protocol droid would be able to translate for us? She and Han are coming out in a few days on the Falcon. Maybe she'll bring Threepio or one of her other droids form work in imperial City."
"Ohm Threepio can do it! How many days?" Jaina assured him, excited to see her parents again. Sometimes it was hard to be away at school and she and Jacen could get lonely for the comfort of having their whole family together.
"I'm not sure. She was a little vague..."
And so a week passed and the group rested, trained, marveled at the foreign Jedi man of the Holocron, and wondered when Leia and Han Solo would arrive.