Chapter 2:
Coruscant: Jedi Temple: Mace Windu's resting chamber.
Mace Windu, like all of the Masters of the order, kept a daily Holocron journal entry. As Mace sat down to begin his daily meditation he picked up the Holocron and focused his thoughts on the Nova-Crystal inside of the Holocron and began said daily entry.
"My former apprentice Echuu Shen-Jon has been in deep meditation for the past two months and yet the anger that is spilling around him has not dissipated and for this I am worried about sending him back to the front. However, as Master Yoda said, we are in dire need of Jedi and as a result we don't have a choice. With each planet we manage to reclaim the Confederacy strikes against another planet, recently Sarapin, our main source of energy output, has been silenced."
Stopping to collect his thoughts Mace continued, "This would not usually require the assistance of a soon to be Jedi Master, but the loss of contact with the Laboratories that housed our recent experiment the Decimator, coupled with the highly unusual increase in Trade Federation ships coming and going from Sarapin, has swayed the councils attention, there we will assess the situation and end this invasion of one of our most important recourses,"
Coruscant: Jedi Temple: Room of a thousand fountains.
The Room of a Thousand Fountains was a place of meditation and quiet reflection - it was due to this that younglings seldom visited this place because they found it to be too quiet. It was a resting place that apprentices and their masters would often come too after a difficult mission. The setting sun painted a rainbow across the room when it hit the rising and falling fountains, and the birds that had been allowed to live in this place twittered quietly among themselves as the gazed upon the lone occupant.
Except for food and bodily relief, Master Echuu Shen-Jon had not left this room since his return to Coruscant. The mighty Jedi Warrior that Echuu had been died that day on Geonosis and his sparkling intelligent eyes seemed to have burned out, to put it simply Echuu literally seemed to have withdrawn into hermitage.
"Echuu?" called Mace as he entered the room.
"I'm over here master," said Echuu quietly
Mace knelt next to his old apprentice and studied the younger man's reflection in the water and asked, "Do you intend to spend the rest of you're life here Echuu?"
"No, master" said Echuu
"I was you're Master, Echuu" said Mace "There need be no secrets between us," Mace smiled for perhaps the first time since this war had begun, "I can tell that was a lie,"
"I'm sorry master, I… can't seem to shake the loss of Stam," said Echuu "he was too be knighted that day, instead he was cut down in his prime,"
"There was nothing you could have done," said Mace evenly, "The communication's block was already activated when you landed, the only reason you intercepted Obi-Wan's call was because the Trade Federation had managed a short-lived power surge that nearly destroyed the blocks net, you did what had to be done, you couldn't have-"
"I could have done something!" shouted Echuu as he stood up, "He died because I damaged his Lightsaber! I can't even add the weapon to our hall of fallen hero's! That Sith Witch stole it, and now she's running around the Galaxy reeking un-told havoc because I couldn't stop her!"
"Echuu," said Mace softly
"I failed my apprentice," said Echuu sadly
"Echuu," said Mace
"I failed the Jedi,"
"Echuu," said Mace loudly
"I failed-"
Before Echuu could finish, Mace pulled the Violet Lightsaber off of his belt, activated it and struck at Echuu, the Jedi Knight whirled on his heel and blocked the hit, then he flipped over his master and tried to knock the saber out of Mace's hand, but Mace used a powerful swing to force Echuu onto the slippery rocks that lined the stream flowing through the Jedi Temple. Echuu tried to keep his footing but Mace used Echuu's momentary loss of balance to knock the Knight over and pull Echuu's saber into his hand.
"You did not fail Echuu," said Mace sadly, "Stam would not have wanted you to do this to yourself, you taught him everything, you even gave him that special saber-crystal I gave you, do you think he would have mourned you so much as to go into self imposed Exile?"
"No Master," said Echuu sadly,
"Then remember him as he was," said Mace "And do not let yourself be destroyed by your own sense of loss, I recommend you return to the front line,"
"But Master-" Echuu started
"Come with me Echuu, the council wishes to see you," Mace turned and headed in the direction of the Council chamber, Echuu could not disobey a direct summons, so he followed his former master.
Coruscant: Jedi Temple: Council Chambers
The chamber was pitch black, but as Echuu entered there was a flash of light and suddenly twelve Lightsabers appeared out of nowhere and Echuu realized what was going on - this was an ascension ceremony.
Suddenly a violet Lightsaber was ignited and out of the shadows came Mace Windu. Mace proceeded to say, "Master Echuu, because of your heroic acts in rescuing Naat Reath and the wealth of knowledge you gained us in acquiring the Nemodian Hal-Rakko, the council have decided to allow you to ascend to the rank of Jedi Master and allow the possession of a seat on the-"
"No," Echuu interrupted flatly.
"Something to say have you?" asked Yoda leaning on his gimmer stick, his Lightsaber had remained inactive as if he had seen this coming.
"My Padawan was to be given the rank of Knight upon our return to Coruscant," said Echuu "but he was killed, I can not help but feel that the masters of this council are being swayed by the sudden lack of Jedi,"
"Then worried you should not be," said Yoda evenly, "For many months have we been discussing your ascension to master, and trust our decision you should"
"But master-" Echuu started
"Our own council decides who is ready," said Yoda "Decided we have, that ready are you,"
"I understand the councils right to choose who will and who will not be allowed the ranks of Knight and Master," said Echuu "but I do not believe that I have no choice in my rank or lack thereof,"
"You refuse your new rank because of the death of your Padawan, am I right?" asked Ki-Adi-Mundi
"I do not-" Echuu started
"But you do," said Yoda, "Your Padawan's death, filled you with fear of failure it has,"
When Echuu had become a Knight Yoda had cut of his small Padawan Braid and had dubbed him a Knight of the Republic. But this was different; he was being accepted as a Jedi Master and even more importantly, a member of the Jedi Council.
As soon as most youngling could understand the rather confusing traditions of the order, they wanted the responsibilities that the wise and just leaders of the order possessed, such dreams would change with age, but it wasn't unusual for a Jedi Knight to take great pride in their new rank; such was not the case with Echuu for he was worried about his path… and where that path would lead.
"I suggest a probation of sorts," said Mace
"A what?" Ki asked
"A probation," Mace said, "Echuu shall be given the rank of master but will remain off of the council until as such time that he feels he has proven himself,"
"Ah," said Yoda, "Probation, rarely done is this, but unheard of it is not. Agree do you master Shen-John?"
Echuu nodded, he knew that he had pushed the council far enough and it was there right too make this decision.
"Good," said Ki-Adi-Mundi "Another thing we must discuss is the predicament we have with young Naat,"
"Naat Reath?" asked Echuu, "What problem would that be?"
"Well she is experiencing… mixed feelings," said Ki-Adi-Mundi, "About her brother, and with the death of her Master we are unsure about finding her another master,"
"Untrue that is," said Yoda, "Know exactly what we must do with her I do, transferred she should be, too the Jedi Pilot Groups."
"But she'll never reach master rank!" said Echuu, "The pilot groups are separate from the standard Jedi ranks, they aren't allowed too be on the council,"
"True that also is, but nothing about it can we do," said Yoda "another master we do not have for one so late in training,"
"I will train her," said Echuu
"What?" asked Mace, confused at the Jedi Generals request
"I will train her," said Echuu
"I wouldn't recommend that," said Master Ali "I don't think you are ready for another apprentice so soon, the bond between a Master and an Apprentice is hard to forge, and once it is destroyed it is hard to recover from." Ali turned her head and looked directly at Yoda, "Especially if the one who could be apprenticed is so close too the deceased,"
"True, but forget you should not, both Naat and Echuu have lost someone who was important too them… together, perhaps, would she and Echuu be good partners,"
"A good point," said Ki-Adi-Mundi ponderously, "What say you Echuu?"
"I will accept Naat as my new apprentice, but only if she feels she is ready too continue as a Jedi,"
"I don't see how I have much of a choice," said a voice, Echuu spun on his heel and too his surprise Stam's young sister, clad in her leather Jedi battle-suit, was standing right at the end of the council chamber.
"Ah young Naat," said Yoda, "A good apprentice you should make to Echuu, like him you are stubborn and do not head temple rules,"
Naat blushed and bowed her head, "Thank you master Echuu, I will do my best,"
"That is all I can ask," said Echuu as he shook Naats hand "Come," he said as they left the council chamber, "We have much too do,"
To Be Continued…