Dantooine : Surik's bedroom.
The two figures were like dancers. Constantly moving around each other, neither giving up ground to the other. Two crimson lights constantly hissing trough the air at each other like deadly predators just waiting for the opportunity to make the fatal strike.
Meetra didn't know how much time had passed since their duel had started. She felt like it had been an eternity and wanted to rest. But every fiber in her body screamed at her not to loose focus and she was constantly forcing her will to stand strong and never give up ground to the tall man in-front of her. Her mind was also constantly nagging at her at the thing he had said just as he had attacked her. "What in the Force did he mean by "My stance"". Meetra sidestepped the man to the right all the while trying to counter his ridiculously fast and precise strikes. The padawan didn't know what would happen if he tried to kill her while her mind was connected with the holocron but she didn't have intentions to find out. "This guy is a monster! I can feel that he is holding back and I'm still barely managing to hold my ground." She unleashed a flurry of attacks at him, followed by a kick in the torso which to her amazement connected and sent him flying backwards. The hooded figure managed to roll trough the air and landed on his feet. Then he was in-front of her again in an instant. She barely managed to counter his strike forcing the two lightsabers in a lock. Meetra saw the amused expression on the man's face:
-"What's wrong little jedi!? Is that all you've got?" -he said and began forcing her back. One step, then another. Her lightsaber was almost touching her face and she felt the heat from it. She was forced to close her eyes. "Blast it! You will not beat me so easily!" her anger began rising. Meetra tried to focus her will around it trying to turn it in to strength. The man increased his power and she was forced on her left knee. "NO! I will have that power! I won't let anymore friends get hurt because I am weak!" She screamed inwardly. Her vision becoming a haze of light red. The padawan concentrated with everything she had. And then she felt it. A whirlpool of energy surging all around her. Instantaneously binding it to her will she felt strength and power spreading through her body.
Her eyes shot open. The tall jedi/sith managed to see them only for a second - two whirlpools of power - before the young girl raised on her feet and pushed him with force enough to make him make a few steps backwards. His vicious smile returned on his face:
-"Excellent! Now lets get a bit more serious!" -he said and jumped at the girl like a savage beast.
Meetra instantly changed her grip on the lightsaber going from Trákata to Juyo and met him head on. His strikes were now stonger and faster than before. The padawan noticed that the strikes he was making had a small lag to them. Giving her just enough time to block or counter him. She also felt that even though his strength had increased her own was also almost at the same level.
Both figures were like whirlwinds. Never staying in one place for more than a second and constantly exchanging blows with their deadly weapons. The girl constantly spinning and jumping around the tall man who on his part never lost her from his sight. After a while of constant fighting the padawan managed to force another saber-lock. The hooded man smiled and freed his left hand from the grip. He pulled it backwards and the padawan felt a high concentration of the Force gathering in it. Meetra realized immediately what he was going to do. She concentrated hard and enhanced the strength in her right arm. Then pulled her left and also began gathering power. When the man shot his arm forward she met him with her's. The two forces collided and the white room began to shake. The padawan was using every ounce of force left in her now, barely managing to counter his push. She looked at the man and saw yet again that he had the look of someone who was enjoying himself quite a bit. Suddenly the opposite force grew immensely and she found herself flying trough the empty space. She landed on the ground with a heavy "grunt" and felt that her lightsaber had disappeared. The padawan rose up and saw the tall man standing next to her.
-"You are a strange one, jedi. You fought like a master and yet your external force technique was rather weak." -he said and gave her an appraising look.
-"I ... I saw you movements ... almost like in slow motion." -answered the padawan trough heavy breathing.
-"Good!" -the man's face changed to a faint smile. -"This will be enough for today. You know where and how to find me. Good bye for now little jedi." -he finished and the white room disappeared.
Meetra blinked and saw that she was back inside her bedroom. She let the holocron drop in her hand, stood up and placed in on her desk. After taking a quick peek at her watch she realised that her interaction with the holocron had only taken a few minutes. The padawan felt exhausted even though she knew that she hadn't actually done anything. She went near her bed and literally sploshed herself on it.
She didn't know how much time had gone since her training with the jedi or sith - she wasn't sure what he was - when a ring came from her door. Meetra forced herself to stand up and went to see who was looking for her. The padawan was rather surprised to see The Revanchist standing in-front of her room.
The knight bowed lightly and greeted her: -"Good evening padawan Surik! Can I come in?"
Meetra bowed to him respectfully and answered : -"Of course!" -she waved her hand in an inviting manner. -"What can I do for you!?"
The older jedi moved gracefully with silent steps inside. He looked around curiously. After a few silent moments his attention turned towards the girl:
-"I hope I didn't interrupt your training Meetra!"
The padawan looked at him questioningly: -"No, I was just resting." -she answered him.
-"I could have sworn that I felt a strong disturbance in the Force coming from this direction a little while ago." -he said with uncaring tone but Meetra could feel trough the force that he was still upset from the news he had received earlier this day.
-"Well you could say that I was practicing my saber techniques in a way, but that's all." -she answered him. "And in a way I really did."
The Revanchist nodded courtly: -"Nevermind. I am actually here to invite you to join me and Alek in our expedition." -he said with full seriousness.
Meetra just stared at him speechless. It took her a few moments to come to her senses. "From where in the Force did that came from!?" -she asked herself. The padawan looked at the jedi knight who was standing relaxed as if nothing had happened.
-"I am flattered that you are asking me to join with you. But why? Everyone here at the academy knows that I can't use the force properly yet." -she said still a little shaken by his invitation.
The knight gave her an appraising look: -"Do not underestimate yourself Meetra. Being strong in the force isn't the only thing that a jedi needs. I have eyes and ears. The reputation you have made for yourself through the year you have been living here is quite something. Most of the younglings, many of the padawans and even some knights talk with a very high regards of you." -Meetra looked at him surprised. -"Don't look so surprised. They say that you never turn down their requests to train with you and you are always helping when you see someone practicing sword techniques the wrong way, and even some of the more simple force techniques." -he explained to the girl: -"And I saw you sparring with master Kavar last week at the ruins of the shrine. I dare to say that you would make quite the challenge even for Alek in the dueling ring." -finished the hooded jedi.
The younger jedi raised her brows: -"Well ... that's something .. coming from you.." -she didn't know how to respond to his remark. Meetra wanted to go with him and the other jedi to fight the Mandalorian Clans, but she knew that she still needed training. She felt that she would be of more use at the front after finishing her training: -"I really appreciate that you belive that I can be useful on the front. But I must decline your offer. I must complete my training first, it will be foolish of me to go unprepared. I know that many padawans are going to join you but I also know that their masters are going also with them. Mine has made it very clear that he has no intention to go without the support of the whole council. I am truly sorry!" -she said in one breath.
The jedi knight mulled over her words for a few moments and then looked at her:
-"I understand! But I say this to you now - The jedi order and the republic have ignored the mandalorians far too long and now they are going to pay for it. I hope that the jedi council will see reason and join the war when I speak with them. If they do not, there will come a time when you will have to make your choice- to uphold your oath to protect these which can't protect themselves or ignore it and let the Republic burn. Farewell padawan Surik! May the Force be with you!" -he said and left in a hurry. Meetra shut her door and returned to bed. The words of the young jedi didn't leave her thoughts until the next day.
Next morning:
Meetra watched as the military shuttles which had landed near the enclave were being filled with jedi. She was astonished how many were leaving with Alek and his Master. There were more masters than she had expected at first. "Probably the news of the war changed their minds." She saw masters Lamar, Tokare, Dorak and Kavar watching from a near balcony. Every one of them had dark expressions over their faces. Her attention turned back towards the shuttles and she saw that Alek and The Revanchist were just boarding the last one. A few minutes later Meetra watched as the shuttles slowly raised from the ground and made their way towards the planet's orbit. She heard the sound of trailing robes on her left and turned to see Atris stopping next to her. The female knight didn't say anything but by her face Meetra judged that she was also displeased with the actions of the departing jedi.
-"I don't know why, but I have a very bad feeling about this!" -said the older girl.
Meetra turned her head towards the sky again: -"The news announced that the Republic has lost three systems in the initial attack of the Clans. I can't believe it. Three systems in only two days." -she said darkly.
The two jedi remained silent as they watched the last of the shuttles disappear. Meetra then turned back and headed in to the enclave.
She couldn't not notice how empty suddenly the building felt. Only a handful of masters had remained now. A few knights, a lot of padawans which didn't yet have appointed masters and the younglings were all that remained. The girl headed towards the central garden where the corridor for the council chamber was positioned. She bowed respectfully at two masters which passed by her and entered the garden. Going past a few padawans(she noticed the girl named Shan talking with a blonde boy around the same age) she headed towards the council chamber.
The corridor was dimly lit and had the strange feeling of abandonment about it. After a few turns the girl finally reached her were two jedi knights standing like guards on both sides of the door unmoving and with cold expressions on their faces. They nodded to her when she approached and let her inside. The place was more spacious than she had imagined. There were two figures waiting for her inside. One was master Kavar and the other was the chronicler of the enclave - Master Dorak.
-"Masters!" -she greeted them and bowed lightly. The padawan then looked around the dim room. The whole place had no windows except for a small opening in the form of a circle on the top of the roof. She noticed a smaller door few meters to her left.
Master Dorak bowed to her in return while Kavar only nodded in acknowledgment to her presence. The padawan noticed that the first was holding a small box in his hands. She proceeded towards them.
-"What can I do for you Masters!?"
Kavar took a long look at her. He had an pensive expression like someone who was in deep thought. After a few seconds his eyes brightened a little and he spoke to her: -"Meetra! When I was confronted by the Jedi council they were all but ready to expel you from the order..." -he began and the girls eyes narrowed. She knew that things had looked bad for her but never truly expected that she was so close to expulsion. -"...I do not know if it was the will of the Force or just a coincidence that your powers began manifesting themselves after I became your mentor but honestly I do not care." -Meetra was confused. Why was her master saying these things.. it made no sense to her so she decided to stay quiet and listen. Kavar looked her in the eyes and continued: -"In the past year you have proven to me that the jedi on Coruscant couldn't have been more wrong about you. You are brash, and sometimes even reckless. But I can say that you are one of the most dedicated padawans I have ever had the privilege of tutoring. Your ability of learning new things is nothing more than astounding. I confess that your lack in Force strength is still something we do not understand, it is strange that you can use "It" to enhance your physical condition with the skill of a master and yet at the same time being unable to do the same with other force techniques but we believe that in time you will also overcome this problem." -Kavar saw the expression of confusion on his padawan's face and decided to cut to the chase. -"The whole point in all of this is that due to recent events, and watching your progress for an entire year I have talked with a few other masters here in the enclave and we decided that you are ready for your first trial as a padawan.
Meetra's eyes shot wide open. "My first trial!? But that means.." she couldn't finish her thought because Kavar continued:
-"Today you will begin construction on your first lightsaber." -he finished and a faint smile appeared on his lips after seeing his apprentice's face of astonishment.
-"I .. I do not know what to say Master. I am truly honored that you believe me to be ready to wield a lightsaber of my own." -answered the padawan still a little stunned after hearing her master's decision.
Master Dorak stepped forwards while opening the small box he was carrying. Meetra saw that it was filled with small crystals in different colors. Green, blue, yellow and even a few in purple. "These must be force crystals." -the girl thought. She had studied about them many times.
-"By your expression I can tell that you are aware what these crystals are, am I right padawan?" -asked the dark skinned jedi. The girl nodded in agreement. -"Good, then I do not need to explain to you about them. You can proceed right to the choosing then." -he informed her in a calm tone. -"Do not hurry, take your time and choose the one which resonates with you the most. Usually we send the padawans for their crystals on Ilum but the system in which the planet stands is in the far outer rim territories and it's too dangerous to go there with the mandalorians about." -the master finished his explanation.
Meetra began touching the crystals one by one while inserting small amounts of the force in them each time. After a while her eyebrows narrowed slightly. Each crystal had unique feel to it but somehow they didn't feel right to her.
-"Excuse me masters, but are those all the crystals in here?" -asked the padawan with with a slight frown.
Dorak looked at her apologetically: -"I am afraid these are the only crystals we have her at this time. You do not like them?"
-"No, it's not like that. I feel strong resonating pulses from each and every crystal. But they just don't feel right to me somehow." -answered the girl.
Kavar's smile disappeared instantly when he heard his padawan. He counted that the girl would find a suitable crystal in their reserves but it seemed that it wasn't going to be so. He began thinking about persuading her to use one of the present crystals for the time being but ended killing the thought almost instantly. The padawan deserved a crystal of her own.
-"It seems we will have to make a trip to Ilum at some point after all." -said the master with a "sigh".
Meanwhile Meetra's mind was invaded yet again by the entity she kept in her pocket. "Little jedi. There is another way for you to get a crystal." The girl blinked startled. "What do you mean another way? Master Kavar just said that the planet with the crystals is in the outer rims, which are under attack right now. It will be beyond foolish to rush there just so I can make my lightsaber!" -she answered to the holocron and thought to herself grimly "I can't believe all this bad luck I have been having these days!" "I am not talking about crystal caves here little jedi, I am talking about the third option!" Suddenly Meetra's eyes dilated in understanding. "I can feel that you have remembered! You have studied the technique!" said the voice in her mind and she felt that he was quite pleased with her realization. There was indeed a third option she could take in this situation she had found herself in. She could create a synthetic crystal through the force. The padawan was just about to open her mouth and tell the masters what she wanted to do when realization hit her hard. The technique was extremely difficult and required a very strong affinity to the force. Something that she lacked and was constantly reminded in defeat after defeat. "Oooh... What!? The little girl doesn't have what it takes to complete her trial!?" Said mockingly the voice in her head. Meetra slapped herself mentally. "I will pass this trial ... SITH... even with your constant intrusions!" -she snarled at the entity and looked at Kavar:
-"Master! I have another suggestion." -she said to the jedi in-front of her.
The two masters exchanged curious looks and turned their attention to the padawan.
-"And what might this suggestion be padawan?" -asked Dorak. Meetra felt that the dark skinned jedi was fairly intrigued at what she was going to say.
The padawan took a deep breath before answering him: -"I want to create my own crystal masters!"
Kavar blinked once not quite sure what he had just heard. He was a renown jedi master, a council member even, yet for just a microsecond his brain refused to comprehend what his padawan had just said. He turned towards Dorak and found that the other jedi was just as astonished.
-"Excuse me.. you What?" -asked the dark skinned man who was literally caught off-guard by the response of the young girl.
Kavar on his part and to his credit managed to conceal his amazement: -"If you are suggesting this then you are familiar with the procedure?" -he asked the padawan. Meetra nodded calmly and answered him:
-"Yes master Kavar! I have studied every information stored in the Halls of Knowledge in the jedi temple on Coruscant regarding the construction of lightsabers."
-"Then you know what is required for this technique to work?" -aked Dorak.
-"Yes master Dorak but I still want to do it!"
Kavar felt that his padawan was dead set on doing what needed to be done. WIth a "sigh" he waved his hand for her to follow him and headed towards the small door standing on the right side of bigger one. Meetra followed him quickly.
They entered a smaller room filled with comfortable looking stools. At the far end near a window was positioned a large workbench which was probably where she was going to create her parts for the lightsaber. Kavar stopped at the entrance and turned to her:
-"You will find all the materials you need for your parts on the workbench. I will be back there meditating until you finish up. I have left a gift for you there. Call me when you finish with everything." -he said, turned back, left the room and closed the door behind him.
Meetra headed slowly towards the end of the room. She seated herself in-front of the workbench and began inventorying her materials. There were power lenses, focusing crystals, cycling field energisers, power conductors. Everything she needed. Her attention turned towards the metal plates from which she would make her external parts. She noticed that the metal was rather lighter than usual plasteel and took a closer look. "Is that cortosis?" "Quite the gift little jedi. Your master must really care for you!" -said the holocron. "Well.. that will take quite longer than anticipated." "Yes! I agree. Cutting the cortosis will be a bitch!"-laughed the entity in her head. The padawan ignored the improper language of the holocron and began her work enthusiastically.
Around fifteen hours later:
Meetra finally finished the engraving over her new parts for her lightsaber. After she had finished cutting them the girl had painted them in black gloss color and decided to engrave it in silver with the sith words "Kraujas Ne Raiskus"which she found somehow appropriate for her. The padawan let out another heavy "sigh". All that was left for her was the creation of the force crystal.
Meetra pulled away from the workbench and took a seat in one of the stools in a cross-legged position. -"Do you know what you have to do little jedi?" -she heard the holocron in her mind again. -"Yes! Now I want you to keep quiet!" -she answered him. The padawan placed her hands one against the other with a small space between them like she was holding a small cube or a ball and began concentrating while closing her eyes. She began gathering force energy in the space between her hands all the while imagining the form of the crystal she wanted. The padawan began increasing the power she was inserting after each minute or two. Meetra felt trough the force how the crystal began forming slowly and concentrated harder.
After a while the padawan began breathing more heavily and even some drops of sweat formed on her temple. The small room began shaking lightly from the energy the padawan was concentrating around her. -"You have to put more force in-to it girl!" -told her the holocron. "I know damn you! I told you to keep quiet!" -she shouted mentally and increased her force energy. Her breathing became very heavy, as if she had ran all day without stopping, more than a few drops of sweat were now trickling on her face but she didn't interrupt her concentration. The familiar feeling of coolness surrounded her and she instantly reached to grab it with her mind. She felt her power increase drastically and directed all of it in-to the force crystal. The padawan opened her eyes and saw red and blue energy in the form of lightning coming out of her hands and being absorbed by the crystal. The tremors created by her power were quite strong by that moment and few stools fell over around the room. She felt her grip on the force energies failing slowly and cursed inwardly. The girl forced every bit of energy she had left in to the crystal and tightened her jaw in tension. She didn't know how much time had passed since she had started on the crystal but to her it felt like whole hours had passed. Finally when she was almost at the brink of passing out from exhaustion the crystal made a strange sound - like something had created a space full of vacuum - and fell on the ground in-front of her. Meetra threw herself on the ground with a heavy and relieved "sigh", breathing heavily and totally exhausted.
She was just about to stand and take to inspect the crystal when the door opened and three figures rushed inside. The padawan managed to place herself in to a sitting position and stared at master Kavar, Dorak and Vandar as they made their way towards her with confused expressions on their faces.
-"Aaaahm... Has something happened, Masters!?" -she asked them and took the force crystal in her hand. When she lifted the small object Meetra felt strong resonance from it and smiled. She knew that she had succeeded. The Force Crystal was colorless which she found a little strange.
Kavar looked between his padawan and the crystal she was holding. -"That is what we were going to ask you. What happened here? A little while ago master Tokare called me with news from Coruscant and I left. We were talking with the other council members when we suddenly felt a tremendous disturbance in the force coming from here. We made haste in this direction but when we were almost here the concentration in the force disappeared and I feared that something might have happened to you." -he said in one breath.
Meetra blinked confused: -"Well.. I didn't do anything else beside creating my Force Crystal. I was going to call you when I was done just like you instructed me."
Dorak blinked and asked her surprised: -"Surely you do not mean that you have managed to create it already?"
-"Well, yes. I believe so Master Dorak. Here you can check it yourself." -said the padawan and levitated the crystal towards his now stretched forward hand.
The master lifted the crystal with two fingers and she felt his astonishment which he concealed immediately. The little dark-green jedi spoke in his stead:
-"Rather impressed I am by you, padawan Surik. Not only you have managed to create the crystal in it's full size but you have imbued it with the force at the same time as well." -said the little jedi master with his warm and calm voice.
-"Indeed, such a feat is no small thing to accomplish." -said Kavar. -"Usually it takes several days just to create a crystal artificially and another few to imbue it with the Force! You never cease to amaze me Meetra!" -he said proudly. He looked at the workbench: -"I see you are finished with the construction of your parts also. Then our rush in here will not be so in-vain."
Master Vandar straighten the fallen stools and sat on one of them: -"Good! The process we will observe Padawan!" -he said and the other two masters took thir places beside him.
Meetra pulled all of the components and left them levitating in-front of her. Then she pulled the crystal from Dorak's hand and placed it at shoulder height.
-"The crystal is the heart of the blade.." -she began reciting the code of the lgihtsaber quietly. She began assembling the lightsaber on top of the Force Crystal. -"The heart is the crystal of the Jedi..." -she was slowly placing part after part. -"The Jedi is the crystal of the Force and the Force is the blade of the Heart.." -the focusing crystal, cycling field energizers found their places smoothly. -"All are intertwined... The crystal, the blade, the Jedi..." -the three black metal plates surrounded the levitating item and each clicked in place forming the now complete Lightsaber. -"We are one!" -Meetra finished and took her lightsaber in her right hand. "Now for the grand finale" -she thought and formed a fist with her left arm from the anticipation. The padawan imbued the new weapon with the force and the blade hissed to life with a red color.
Dorak suppressed a startled "yelp" when he saw the red blade. He didn't like the red color because it reminded him of Exar Kun and Quel'Droma but remained silent because he knew that having a red lightsaber didn't mean you are a Sith or evil.
Kavar blinked surprised at the red blade his padawan had activated. He had seen that the crystal was colorless and he had to admit that this turn of events was rather troubling. He looked questioningly at his fellow jedi and was startled to see that short jedi was unfazed at all.
-"Very interesting development of events. Padawan did you make you crystal in this color?" -asked the green alien.
Meetra blinked surprised: -"No master Tokare. It's like that on it's own. Why? Is something wrong? I rather like the red color." -she said apologetically.
Kavar looked at his padawan intrigued. He knew that even natural force crystals could change colors depending on their master's mental condition and connection to the Force but hers was artificial- made entirely from her force energies: -"Oh!? And why do you like red?" -he asked her.
-"Well, red is the color of my blood Master. And blood represents Life!" -answered the girl as if it was the only reasonable explanation.
Master Vandar let out an amused laugh. -"The way this padawan thinks, I like." -he stepped closer to the girl and extended his hand: -"May I?" -he asked politely and Meetra handed her lightsaber to him.
The small jedi activated the blade and made a few swings with it: -"Excellent balance... the focusing crystal and the power conductors are perfectly crafted and positioned. The Force Crystal is just a tiny bit misplaced." -he said and made a small arch with his free hand towards the lightsaber. "He probably adjusted the crystal." -thought the padawan. Vandar looked at her: -"Superb work padawan Surik. The only other person I have seen crafting a better lightsaber was The Revanchist..." he paused for a moment as if thinking of something: -"..and Ulic Qel'Droma before him." -he commented.
Meetra was overly pleased with herself but she couldn't stop herself from asking: -"Masters! Why does everyone call him "The Revanchist" and not his name?!"
Vandar laughed again: -"Well because he asked us not to call him by his name. And since it doesn't do any harm to anyone we agreed to his request." -answered the green alien.
Meetra tried to see the logic in his answer but failed miserably and decided to let the matter go. Tokare returned her the lightsaber:
-"Remember! Never loose your lightsaber. It is not only a weapon but also a token which recognizes you as a member of the Order. Conflicts can be avoided just by showing it to the hostile party. In this trust me you must!" -he told her and winked mischievously.
Meetra swung her weapon a few more times testing it's balance, then turned it off and hanged it on her belt.
Kavar saw the small engravings on her hilt and arched a brow. -"Are those Sith letters?" -he asked sharply his padawan. -"What do they say?"
-"Amm... They say " Blood is power!" master!" -answered the girl a little shyly.
Kavar's eyes narrowed: -"Well, that's not a very jedi like verse. Why have you engraved this on your weapon?"
-"Well... It looked kind of cool?!" -she answered as if she was goodness itself.
Kavar shook his head as if he was facing a two year old but a faint smile appeared on his face. -"Alright then. Go and rest. You have been here for over seventeen hours. You will have two free days before we begin our training again. The Masters and I have things to discuss now." -he said and almost pushed her out of the room.
Meetra remembered that they had mentioned some-kind of news from Corsucant. "Probably Alek and the others had their meeting or something." -she thought and headed towards her quarters. It had been a long and eventful day and she wanted nothing but to jump in to her bed and surrender to blissful unconsciousness.
Coruscant: Few minutes before the events on Dantooine:
Alek was trying to catch up to his friend who had stormed out of the room of the jedi council. He could feel the displeasure in him. There was also the faint trait of anger which he hadn't felt in a long time. The tall man couldn't blame him thought. The jedi had but literally smashed the door in their faces. First they had to wait a few hours for the damned meeting. Then they had treated them like imbeciles or something of the sort. His master had explained to the elderly jedi that he had seen a pattern in their colonizations years ago. He had told them that the Republic was not ready to face this threat alone and that they needed the Jedi to help them but they didn't want to hear a thing from it. "The council at this point has decided that the jedi will not participate in this war. Our decision is not final but we simply do not have enough information on the mandalorians or their motives!". His friend had predicted that they would be hesitant but he had hoped that they would send some jedi with him. Instead they had even forbidden the jedi from Dantooine to go and help the Republic. At-least he had managed to convince them to let him and his followers go as a scouting party if he was to promise not to engage the mandalorians in frontal attack. Alek knew that The Revanchist wouldn't follow their instructions and a faint smile appeared on his face. He finally managed to catch up with him:
-"So... What are your plans now Master?" -he asked the hooded figure.
-"We will contact the Admiralty and request of them to give a few ships under our command. We will see from there what will happen." -came a quiet answer.
Aleks's eyes narrowed: -"I still can't believe they are going to do nothing! Several billion lives have been lost already. And only the force knows how many will die if we do not act now." -said the young knight passionately.
-"Be mindful of your feelings Alek! It is not me you have to persuade in to action. The council acts like a bunch of old and scared fools!" -said the shorter jedi. Alek let out a "sigh" of defeat. His friend looked at him from under his hood: -"Do not be discouraged. This is just the beginning. We will go from system to system, temple to temple, academy to academy and gather supporters amongst the jedi for our cause. And when the time comes we will join this war and win it! The mandalorians will regret for ever invading the Republic!" -said the hooded jedi with menacing tone.
The two jedi left the temple and proceeded to find transport to take them to the senate building.
Suddenly Alek spoke: -"It's strange but I kind of miss Meetra."
The Revanchist looked at him: -"Indeed! That girl is a mystery to me. She has a special presence about her. She has spent quite some time with us, but I have only spoken with her a few times. And yet I feel her like a close friend."
Alek let out a light laugh: -"Yes, that's quite the feeling I have, but I couldn't have explained it like you. Have you noticed how fast she made friends on Dantooine? I do not know if it's a Force thing or if it comes to her naturally. Many of the knights with us already miss their conversations and duels with her."
-"Hmm. I think it may be both. Actually I believe I heard Vrook mention something to master Vandar about Force bonds... or something of the kind." -said the hooded man.
-"Force bonds? Is it possible to create force bonds so fast ... and I doubt that she knows that she is creating them at the same time ..." -Alek arched a brow.
-"I am not sure but I have a theory of my own."
-"Yes? I would like to hear your theory." -asked the taller jedi.
-"I believe she has a talent in battle meditations. Also with her personality I believe she can become quite the leader." -came the response from the hooded man. Alek quirked a brow.
-"Battle meditation?! Well... that's a rare gift among us force users. If she can master it..." -his sentence was left unfinished but his friend nodded in agreement.
People were making a way for the two jedi as they walked which amused Alek. The people were probably making a way for them because his friend looked rather intimidating with his black hooded robe on. They found a free transport speeder and hopped on in it. Alek gave the droid directions and relaxed in his seat taking the environment around him in. Coruscant always amazed him. The whole planet was turned in-to a never-sleeping city. The buildings were hundreds upon hundreds stores high and they were supported by gravity generators positioned at the distinctive levels of the city. He had heard that there was only one other planet like this one - named Taris, but that - Taris wasn't as prosperous and peaceful as the Republic's capital world. After a while the speeder began it's approach on the senate which was even bigger than the jedi Temple. Alek frowned because he knew that they were going to waste at-least a few hours convincing the senators and the military to give them command of the ships they needed.
Dantooine: Next day: 13:09 Coruscant time:
Meetra exited her shower and began dressing herself with her usual black-grey padawan clothes(no cloak and hood). She had slept for over ten whole hours and was feeling great. The exhaustion from the creation of the crystal was already but a distant memory for her. The padawan pulled her lightsaber from the little night-drawer and hung it on her belt. She gathered her hair in a ponytail, took a quick glance in the mirror and rushed out from her room smiling slyly.
The padawan headed towards the cafeteria to grab an energy bar or some other light food.
When she reached her destination the padawan found it rather empty. "Probably it's going to stay like that given that most of the jedi left for Coruscant." -she thought to herself. She stood behind two knights at the food line and took a closer look around the place. Meetra recognized the padawan named Bastila. She was sitting with the blonde boy from the previous day along with master Vrook. It seemed like he was explaining something to them. The boy looked in her direction. Suddenly his eyes grew larger and he whispered something to Shan while pointing towards Meetra's lightsaber. Vrook turned around with a frown, looked at the padawan which had moved to make her order, turned back towards the padawans on his table and said something to them with a scowl which made them quiet again. "Grumpy as ever. People might think that he lives for scolding people." She grabbed two energy bars, a bottle of water and disappeared towards her favorite three in her favorite garden.
She passed a small training room filled with younglings training under the watchful eye of master Vandar. In the garden she passed the two knights that had guarded the council chamber the other day and bowed lightly to them. They returned the bow and continued with their business. Meetra noticed how one of them took a sneak peek at her before whispering something to his friend.
The padawan's lips curved in to a large smile when she saw that a familiar white figure had seated herself near the large tree. She walked towards her casually.
-"Hello Atris!" -she greeted her friend.
Atris looked at her beaming friend questioningly. The padawan seemed in a rather good mood today. -"Hello Meetra! How are you feelis that a Lightsaber?!" -she stumbled in her speech when she saw the elegant gloss-black lightsaber hanging on her friend's belt.
-"You said it!" -answered her the younger girl. Atris wondered how she was restraining herself from hopping around like a tach monkey.
-"Well... by the looks of you, you do not have burned brows or missing limbs so I think congratulations are in order?!" -asked the knight teasingly.
Meetra smacked her lightly on the shoulder with her palm: -"Ha ha! Very funny! If you must know master Vandar praised me for my craftsmanship. Said that in his life he had seen only two better crafted first lightsabers than mine." -she announced proudly.
Atris arched a brow. -"Let me guess one of them is our enigmatic R knight right?"
Meetra laughed: -"Yes you got it from the first try. Very nice perception knight Atris!" -teased the padawan in return. The older girl smiled lightly.
-"Did Master Tokare say who was the other one?"
Meetra's face darkened slightly at the question: -"Hmm yes. He said that the other one was Ulic Qel'Droma!"
-"Well... show me!" -she prompt the padawan.
-"Umm.. show you what?" -asked the younger jedi.
Atris looked at her as if she had lost her mind: -"The lightsaber... activate it.. I want to see it!"
Meetra slapped herself mentally. "I have bantha food for brains!". With a fluid move of her right hand she pulled her saber with the force and activated it. The red blade came out with a hiss. Meetra heard a faint "yelp" and looked at a rather startled Atris looking back at her.
-"It ..it's red... why is it red Meetra!?" -Atris stared shocked at the red lightsaber.
-"Um.. I don't know.. Maybe probably because my force energy make's it like that!? After all It's an an artificial crystal. I made it myself!" -explained the padawan a little confused at her friend's reaction.
Atris looked her friend sharply in the eyes. "Wait..What!? Artificial.. and she said she made it herself!?". : -"Amm from how long have you been making it? Did you know that you would be getting a lightsaber anytime soon?"
-"Um..Noo!? I made it yesterday when master Kavar told me to." -explained the younger girl.
Atris blinked astonished: -"You mean you managed to create it and imbue it with the Force in one day at the same time!? That's...well that is amazing! I spent five days making mine usable for a lightsaber... and mine was a natural crystal." -she paused for a moment: -"So the disturbance in the force we felt yesterday was caused by you!? Simply astonishing! And yet I do not feel a very strong presence of the force in you... I feel you like always." -The older jedi was quite puzzled by her friend yet again.
Meetra just shook her shoulders: -"Master Kavar, Vandar and Dorak were also rather surprised. I confess that I had never done anything so hard before. When I finished I thought that I could sleep for a week. But now I feel rather fine and rested." -she explained.
-"I am still a little unnerved by the color of your blade... It's like you are a Sith or something..." -said the knight.
-"Oh come on.. that's bantha shit you are talking right now. I have heard that there have been other jedi with red blades before. It's not like the color makes you a dark jedi Atris... you of all people should know this.. you are just being ... I don't know a little stupid right now."
Atris laughed lightly and relaxed. Then she forced her face in to a serious demeanour: -"Oh so I am stupid now!? Come to the training room and we will see who is stupid!" -she baited her friend.
The padawan abrked a laugh in return: -"Oh oh! Have you practiced knight Atris? Are you going to educate me in the fine arts of lightsaber combat today!?" -she smirked at her friend.
Atris stood up, waved a hand towards the padawan to follow her and disappeared in to one of the corridors. Meetra thought something for a moment and ran after her.
I am still looking for beta readers and people with knowledge about The Old Republic era. If anyone is interested PM me here or E-mail me. I see that there is interest in my work so far and I hope you will continue to enjoy it. (Btw holding thumbs for a good new Star Wars movie in 2015).