I don't own Star Wars, this is a fan fiction only.

Dantoine was described by our fellow shipmates as peaceful, serene, a farm world and a good place to hide from Malak. I looked at it after we landed on the Enclave and I was pretty sure my good friend and I had the same impression.

"Canderous, I never thought in my worst day these words would come out of my mouth. This place looks so utterly boring, and devoid of challenges. It makes me miss fighting rakghouls believe it or not. What are we going to do while the Princess is wasting time talking with her emotionally dead Jetti shaman?"

He walked in and I followed suit. He began putting on armor, and picking up his heavy blaster. "Well we aren't going to find anything worthwhile standing in this port like a pair of hungry gundarks. Speaking of hungry why don't we hunt ourselves a real meal instead of the junk in those tubes?"

I grabbed my weapon and smiled as we walked off the starport. It turns out it was a major mistake. As soon as we walk out we are met with a severely irate local.

"Like I don't have enough bad luck. First those beast eat my cattle, then those stinking thieving Mandalorians kill my wife and child, and worse the council will not do anything against those brutes! Now I meet two of them here in the garden of the Jedi Enclave!"

Canderous was upset and rightly so, I simply walked over to him and glared into his eyes. "I don't know what it's your problem but you clearly are too lazy to solve them yourself! We got here and I am not a Mandalorian! My friend is and even I am upset after hearing your insulting words."

He looked at me and then at Canderous. "What do you expect me to do against Mandos with half a dozen Duros. I am a simple farmer!"

Canderous just marched right up to him and he was looking at him like he was a bug. "I expect you to fight and defend that which you value and hold dear, not runaway and begging others to do your fighting for you. If you don't defend what is yours then someone stronger will eventually come and take it from you!"

"Come on John we just found our first challenge on this place. Let's find out why my people are wasting their time on this mud ball!" I glared at the stupid farmer and want to kick him in the family jewels, I didn't but I really wanted to.

"Great just great, I was finally going to have a decent meal but we run into a yellow belly, sap sucking, crying, worthless piece of garbage that tries to look like a farmer." Canderous was amused by my reaction to meeting the farmer.

"Hey John calm down, we might get our lunch anyways. You really need to control your temper! Your implants are overheating again. I don't think this dump has anyone to repair them."

A few wolf looking monsters dead and much needed stress relief I was feeling much better. "That's the ticket! Some combat, a few pieces of roasted meat and I feel a whole lot better. Still want to wring that idiot's neck for insulting you like that."

He laughed as I took a drink from my canteen. "Then you will be trying to kill most of the republic. After the Mandalorian Wars my people were not as shall we say well liked. I mean you are one of the few who actually took his time to know me, and even before that you never considered me being Mandalorian a bad thing."

I put my canteen away and laughed. "Well it would be pretty stupid. It's like hating a twi'lek for being a twi'lek. You saved my life, and have been my best friend ever since we met. I hate people insulting my friends, always have and more than likely always will."

I looked down a few hundred yards thanks to my eye. "But enough resting Canderous we got a situation. A bunch of those beast we just finished eating are trying to eat some lightly armor farmer by the looks of it."

We ran and kept on blasting the beast. If the situation was not so desperate for the guy. I would be laughing my head off. The guy was up a tree like a cat that been chased up there by a few dogs.

A few moments and we taken care off the beasts. "You can come down from there. It's safe to climb down." The young man climbed down and looked like he been chased for quite some time.

"I don't have much but how much do I owe you for saving my life?" We both looked at each other and couldn't help laughing our heads off.

"No keep your credits, we just wanted to help you. This is my good friend Canderous Ordo and I am John Walker? And you are?" this made him realize by the look on his face that he forgot to introduce himself.

"I am Casus, Casus Sandral my family owns an estate nearby." I was doing a scan of him with my eye and was quite relieved to see he had no major injuries.

"So, Mr. Sandral why are you out here without proper armor or at least a blaster? You know you were quite lucky to find that three those beast were trying to make lunch out of you."

He sat down and began showing us a detailed map of the area. It looked ancient must have been a family relic. "I was trying to explore this cave on the map. These beast were always as aggressive as they are now. I guess you are right, I should wear some armor and carry a blaster for self defense. What are you two doing if you don't mind me asking."

I smiled and saw my friend nod in agreement. "We just helped a Jedi escape from possible captivity by the Sith. She is talking with her council at the enclave. Since we figured it had nothing to do with us. We decided to take a small walk, maybe hunt us some lunch."

Canderous then pointed out that we were in fact finishing our lunch when I saw him through my ocular implant. "I never knew that having an implant would be so useful." Casus looked at my head.

"I rather still have my original parts but that isn't here or there. Now do you need help making it back to your family estate?" He looked at the old map for a second and then at us.

"Actually, would you mind exploring this cave with me. I might find something to better my family's standing with the Jedi Enclave. I think my brother will definitely need their help one day."

We had nothing better to do, so we both agreed to help him. Canderous handed him a blaster to keep himself safe.

The exploration of the cave was in a word, fun. I never in my life have I met such vicious, intelligence and utterly ruthless spiders in all my life, fighting against them was a joy. I even took the head of the spider matriarch as a trophy to remember this moment.

I knew exactly why these beast were so vicious. The crystals in the cave were being as sort of energy emitters. My ocular implant was picking up the surge of energy from the crystals.

"If my guess is correct these crystals are emitting force energy and that force energy is making the normally docile animals more aggressive if not lethal. I can further say it's because these are focus crystals. I read about lightsabers in my spare time."

Casus put the two together and he smiled like he discovered an incredible treasure. "The Jedi Enclave will want access to these crystals. This could mean that I could improve our social connections with the Enclave! I will be able to help after all."

Canderous and I escorted him back to his family estate. Casus thanked us profusely for our help, our advice and helping him one step closer to solving a private matter, that was indeed to private to reveal.

By the time we made it back to the Ebon Hawk it was high noon. Bastilla looked even less friendly than the spiders as we walked toward the ship.

"By the force, where have you two been all morning?"

For a minute I felt like I was a kid being scolded for breaking my curfew. "We went out to hunt some lunch, get some exercise and enjoy the fresh air. I don't think that is a crime. It's not like your council wants to speak with us."

I had to agree that small hunt made me feel a lot better, at least better than how I felt when we first landed on the Enclave's starport.

She smiled at us and looked quite pleased that my friend said that. "Actually Canderous you are only half right. They wanted to meet both John and Athena after I explained about my thoughts on my discoveries on Taris. Since they managed to talk to Athena, now they are waiting to speak with you John."

I was tempted to tell her that I hope they have very comfortable seats, cause I was under no obligation to even talk with them. I however knew that this would affect negatively some of the people around me.

"Just tell me where to go. I will meet your council. I just promise I will be as civil as they are." Bastilla instead insisted that she escort me to and during the meeting.

As I walked I began to wonder something. Why would the emotionally dead Jedi need such a beautiful garden. I stepped closer to a flower and gently bent down and smelled it. "You are truly a very sweet smelling flower. May your offspring be as lovely as you."

Bastilla looked confused. "That is a plant John, she can't understand what you are saying." I told her that she was wrong. "All life is connected Bastilla for good or ill. This beautiful flower understands me better than you do."

I kept walking towards the council room. It was a large room with several seats in arranged in a semi circle formation. There was a twi'lek, a species I never met before and two humans.

I walked to the center of the open space to be able to look at them directly and make eye contact. "It seems I was needed to discuss something. I was unaware of me being needed to attend any meeting. I apologize for keeping you waiting."

The alien that looked like an extremely old man was the first to speak to me.

"More polite than what we were told to expect, you are. Jedi master Vandar, I am, my fellow council members, next to me are. My fellow Jedi Masters, Master Vrook and Master Zhar. The historian and keeper of our archives here on this enclave, master Dorak is. Who are you, now the question is, hmm? Yes, hmmm."

I looked straight at him and answered as direct as I could. "I am a man that through chance or misfortune came to crash land on Taris. I suffered great injuries, and learned as much as I could to adapt to a galaxy that is clearly not the one where my planet is from. My name is John Walker."

I saw as a seat came floating behind me. It was a clear indication of two things. First that this discussion was not going to be short, and at least someone cared enough to try and make me comfortable.

"Curious, very curious. Told us of things you done on Taris, Bastilla has. This planet we felt your presence since you landed on. You might realize this but you are strongly connected to the force not. As to offer both you and Athena an opportunity to receive Jedi training such we decided. Athena accepted, to know your decision now we on!y need."

For a second I didn't like the sound of this one bit. "I have heard your Code and quite frankly while I thank you for your offer I must decline. There are many parts of your Code that simply do not agree with me."

Master Zhar apparently was the twi'lek. He looked at me with an almost questioning look. "Since we are just having a discussion mind telling us how does the Code come into conflict with you."

I tried to relax somewhat, "There is no emotion, there is peace. To say there is no emotion is to me to say there is no life. We need our emotions to motivate, to focus, to guide us, to make us feel alive. I am a warrior in my world. I fought in too many conflicts. To me peace is as short as the time it takes both sides to reload their weapons."

"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. The fact that you ignore your own emotional health is ignorant. We can't learn or improve unless we first acknowledged we don't know everything. To remedy our ignorance we pursue knowledge."

"There is no chaos, there is serenity. Life is chaotic by nature. One can find moments of serenity in the most unlikely places. Like I did just a moment ago smelling the sweet scent of a flower I have never seen before."

"There is no death, there is the force. If life starts it will eventually end and nothing as far as I know can stop that. My spirit may last forever as an apparition, but that doesn't mean I will never die or in fact as an apparition am I not dead?"

I looked at the shocked look in one of the Masters faces. It was bald, and had a look like he was constantly eating something extremely sour. "I do not concur with my fellow council members. I was told you recited the Sith Code several times just because Bastilla was proving her surroundings as she was trained to do."

He got up and walked right in front of me. "To put it plainly I do not trust you. I think it would be a mistake to train you. This could end up creating an even worse threat than Revan ever was."

I waited to hear from Master Vandar, since he seem to be the least hostile at the moment. Ironic I know, but this was the feeling I was getting from them.

"Chose to follow the teachings of Revan many of our Jedi have, and by extension Malak. To recruit new members to our order we need, given us much to think about, you have. We must discuss this in private and, inform you on our decision, will we. Thank you for coming and worry not we will not make you wait long."

I got up and said my farewells. I could feel the glare of Bastilla on the back of my head. I was sure my friend was going to simply love to hear what this was about. I went towards the Ebon Hawk but not without saying my farewell to the flower I smelled before. I could almost feel like someone was watching me with a smile.

As I entered the Cargo bay. The former slaves had found someone to provide them transportation back to their families, so compared to before we had more space. Canderous made a small armory next to a swoop bike Athena used in her race.

"So John what did the great and powerful Jetti Council want to talk with you about?" I walked over and sat down on a stool next to the armory maintenance table.

"Well my good friend get ready to laugh, they offered me, me of all people to train to be a Jedi! They apparently need to talk about it between themselves in private to come up with a final decision."

Sure enough Canderous was laughing so hard he fell down from where he was seated on top on the swoop bike. He just had a bit of difficulty breathing, he was just laughing that hard.

Bastilla left looking rather unhappy about something, but I knew better than poke an angry Kraytt Dragon with a photon stun stick.

"They must be insane or desperate to invite you to join their Order John, and coming from me it means something. Don't tell me you actually plan to accept their offer. I can still remember how you thought their code was a contradictory mess that just didn't feel like you would ever agree on it."

I smiled as I saw him get off the deck and look at me. "Well yours made a lot more sense to me my friend, wear armor, defend that which is important, fight to defend those that are precious to you, speak mando'a which I never been able to learn, and care about your fellow Mandalorians. See simple, no contradictions and clear and to the point."

Canderous was smiling as I said that, "You forgot the part to heed the call of Manda'lor." I simply said why mention the obvious?

We both took turns remembering our most embarrassing story, he always beat me with the story how he met his wife. I could never figure why didn't she track him down, trap him and drag him back into her life. From what I heard about her I wouldn't put it past her.

I went to my seat and tried to take a nap. Bastilla was seated on it so it sort of put the nap on hold. "Why did they offer you to join the Order? I mean you are pretty close to being something I would call Sith! So why did they offer you to become a Jedi?"

I sat down on the deck and yawned as she finished saying that. I looked at her, "Do I look like a fortune teller or a mind reader? If it's because I know the Sith Code. Here is a surprise for you Princess, all the council members must know it too. As to me being close to the Dark Side? It's simply not true. I am just not emotionally repressed like you or them."

"Name one thing I ever done that could be considered me evil incarnate, just one and I will happily accept whatever your Council decides but it has to be pure utter, greed, vile, malevolence, without any possible reason. Give it your best shot Princess."

I waited to hear her, "Well you murdered a who bunch of people in the lower city of Taris." I tried hard not to laugh when I heard her say that.

"You mean the gang that attacked me and left me for dead after they robbed me blind and butchered me, those people? Need I tell you how many of the same lower city they killed, made junkies, or force their daughters into a whorehouse?"

She spent thinking some more, "You killed animals for fun in the under city and took trophies!" again with another joke. I was quickly developing the idea if her being a Jedi didn't work out for her, comedian was a good second choice.

"I killed rakghouls! I lowered their attack rates on the outcasts, and what is wrong taking something to remember a worthy opponent! I value my trophies, they remind me of things I value and memories I treasure."

She was going to tell me another joke. "You got a world destroying mando as your friend, insult the council and even me. I helped you leave Taris and probably saved your life."

"Canderous saved my life, and let me do some good for a lot of people, I was very polite to the council. I have my point of view and so do they. I call you Jetti Princess as a term of endearment, as for getting me off Taris and saving my life I did the same for you and quite a few other people. How am I evil incarnate?"

I found a corner in the cockpit and tried to go to sleep. I knew tomorrow was going to be rough and I was not going to like the council's decision.

"Why don't you sleep in a bunk? Like everybody?" Will this Jetti Princess ever just let me sleep.

"No empty beds, we got Zalbaar, Mission, Canderous, Carth, and you and we got only six beds. Before you even say it, your not counting that kid stowaway. I was not about to let such an innocent little girl sleep in a what I call a closet! I just hope to bump into her folks while Athena trains."

I looked at her face and saw the surprised look on her face. "Now if you don't mind. I need to sleep. I wouldn't want to keep your Council waiting to deliver their decision, or more likely my sentence by the things you just mentioned to me and probably told them."