Chapter 10: Birth of a Romance, Death of a Family Part 1
Hello, dear readers, I'm back. I apologize for the long wait for an update on this. Real life issues and updating my other stories came up. Hopefully, I won't take as long with my next update. Like I implied with my previous chapter, this will go over the back story of Asher's time in the Jedi and the relationship he has with his family and the one he forms with Jaesa in two parts(hopefully). I hope you all enjoy this chapter. R&R and enjoy!
***15 years ago, Tython Jedi Academy***
"And so, after Revan defeated his former friend turned Sith Lord, Darth Malak, he and his companions returned to the Republic as heros. Now, can anyone tell me how different the events of the war with the Mandalorians and the Jedi Civil War might have been if certain events might have changed from the beginning?" The Jedi Historian asked his class of younglings.
From the wide eyes and glazed looks the teacher observed from the many children, they had simply thought the lesson had been a very long story time and didn't expect to be quizzed on it. Then he noticed one hand raised in the back. The one person he hoped wouldn't answer.
"Yes, youngling Marr?" The master asked.
"I feel that if the Jedi had supported Revan and Malak when they initially approached the Council, they might have been less inclined to journey into the edges of the galaxy and could have been willing to listen to the Masters' concerns and advice." A young Asher replied. The boy's black hair was significantly shorter than what it would grow to in the future. His eye sockets were still covered by metal plates, albeit smaller.
"That is...one possibility." The master replied slowly. "But I don't believe the Jedi Council during the time of Revan and Malak would have ever approved or supported them. They were foolish to defy the will of the Order and lead to the deaths of countless Jedi and the corruption of even more."
"But..." The young Miraluka stuttered, "You asked us for what we thought might happen had things been different. I thought I had a good point."
"Don't let your frustrations get the better of you, youngling. Remember to control your feelings." The Master chided.
The class resumed but Asher was nonetheless annoyed. Why ask the students for their opinions if you are just going to tell them they are wrong? He didn't have much time to ponder these thoughts, however, when the door opened, revealing his mother. His face brightened at the sight of her before remembering her words.
"You must hide your feelings of love and affection while in public, Asher. Remember, though, that I will always love you no matter what the Council says." She had told him when he had started his Jedi training.
Schooling his features, he watched as she entered the class, followed closely by a girl around his age. She had brown hair that touched her shoulders, chocolate colored eyes, and tanned skin, dressed in the plain and unassuming robes worn by all younglings.
"Ah, Knight Marr. What brings you to our class?" The teacher asked, his eyes briefly flicking over to Asher before returning to the woman before him.
"Just wanted to introduce this new youngling to her class. Say hello, Jaesa." Sarah Marr said before turning looking down at the girl beside her.
The girl warily looked around the room before slowly raising a hand and waving it at the assembled children. Some of the younglings stared blankly back at her, a few said "Hello" back to her, but Asher was the only one to return the wave and smile warmly at her. She saw this and gave him a shy smile back.
"Why don't you go and sit by my son, Asher?" The Jedi Knight suggested, indicating the empty seat next to the young Miraluka.
Nodding her head, the girl slowly made her way over and sat next to the boy.
"Will there be anything else, Knight Marr?" The teacher asked.
"No." Sarah sighed, knowing the historian wished her gone by the tone of his voice. "If you have any questions or need help adjusting to life in the temple, you can always seek me out, Jaesa or talk to my son."
"Though it is recommended that you fist seek out the Masters and you teachers before then." The historian spoke up.
If the female Miraluka had eyes, they certainly would be rolling at this remark. As it was, she smiled reassuringly at Jaesa and gave a little wave to Asher before exiting the classroom.
Five minutes later, the class was excused. Many of the younglings rushed out of the room, either to get a quick snack from the galley or to run ahead to meditation. Only Asher and Jaesa remained.
The girl seemed fairly confused and lost, unsure of what she should be doing or where to go. Noticing this, Asher held out his hand to her.
"Want me to show you around?" The boy asked.
"But what about meditation class? Shouldn't we be heading there instead of looking around the temple?"
"There will be plenty more classes to attend. All you have to do is 'Close your mind.' and 'Use the Force.'" Asher chuckled. "Besides, it is a beautiful day and there is so much you probably haven't seen yet."
Jaesa thought about this for a moment before taking his hand.
The young Miraluka led her through the halls, down the grand staircase, and out of the temple.
"This is where the weapon masters use the dueling robots to train apprentices and padawans in combat." The Miraluka said, indicating the small arenas where different models of combat droids were fighting students. Jaesa looked upon the fights in awe as the students blocked blaster bolts with their blades, jumped and flipped over sword strikes, and dealt damage or completely destroyed the dummies.
"Over there..." Asher indicated, pointing to the bridge near the waterfall and the path leading uphill, "Is the path to the original temples built on Tython and the domain of the Flesh Raiders."
"What are Flesh Raiders?" She asked.
"Really ugly and nasty humanoids that are native to Tython and occasionally mount raids on the temple." He replied. "But I still have to show you the best part!"
He continued to pull her along while she followed as fast as her legs could carry her.
A few minutes later, they reached the bank of the small river that flowed by the temple.
"A creek?" She asked skeptically.
"No, silly!" He giggled. Asher lead her upstream towards the waterfall that birthed the stream.
"It does look nice but what makes this waterfall special?" Jaesa asked.
The boy gave her a knowing grin. He released her hand, backed up a few paces, then jumped into the waterfall. The girl saw him pass through the curtain of water but didn't see him bob to the surface of the creek.
"Asher?" She called, quickly looking over the surface of the water in an attempt to find the boy.
"Over here!" Jaesa heard him call. Squinting her eyes, she was barely able to make out his shape standing behind the waterfall.
"Come on! You can make it through!" Asher called to her.
"I...I don't think I can." She replied, backing away from the waterfall.
"You can make it! I know you can!" The boy encouraged her.
"Are you sure? That looks like an awfully far jump. I'm not even sure how you made it." Jaesa countered.
"Don't think about how far it is. Just tell yourself you can do it and jump!" The boy encouraged.
The girl was hesitant to do as he said. This was her first day and she wasn't sure if this boy was being honest with her or simply trying to put her in a foolish situation.
"You can do it! I know you can!" Asher said.
The girl took a deep breath before backing up a few steps. Upon her exhale, she sprinted towards the bank of the stream before leaping into the air, She soared above the water towards the waterfall but saw that she wouldn't make it past.
Her limbs began to flail wildly, willing herself to continue further yet to no avail. She saw the bubbling surface of the water directly beneath the falls rapidly approaching her. Jaesa closed her eyes, not wanting to see her moment of failure. Yet, as the seconds passed by, she still hadn't hit the water. In fact, the only water that was now hitting her was coming from above and moving slowly across her body. Opening her eyes, Jaesa saw that she was floating above the pool of water and passing through the waterfall. There, standing in the cave hidden by the falls, was Asher, his hands outstretched and seeming to struggle with some invisible force. Then she realized that he was the one that prevented her from falling into the stream and was currently holding her up in the air.
With one final grunt, the young Miraluka pulled the girl through. She flew threw the air and landed on the boy, causing them to land in a crumpled heap on the muddy cave floor.
"I don't care what the masters say." Asher groaned, "Weight makes a difference when trying to lift an object with the Force."
"Are you saying I'm fat?" The girl teased.
"No. I'm saying that compared to datapads and chairs, you are much more difficult to carry." He countered cheekily.
Jaesa blew a raspberry at the boy for his comment to which he returned.
"Come on. You still haven't seen the best part." The boy said.
The two got up and began to walk through the cave. It was fairly large and seemed to go through the hill. The cave itself was covered with stalactites and stalagmites while the occasional small rodents crawled around the floor. Eventually, there came a bend in the tunnel that led uphill and back towards the waterfall. By the time they reached the top, the children were huffing and puffing.
"What...is so...special...about this...cave?" Jaesa panted. She was bent double with her hands on her knees as she tried to regain some air.
"This." Asher replied.
Looking up, Jaesa saw that the cave opened up again. Water was still falling past the opening but it appeared to be more condensed and in a thicker sheet than at the bottom. Around the edges of the falls, she could see the tree tops, an overhead view of the dueling rings, and a better view of the temple. To top it off, a little rainbow was being formed from the spray coming off from the falls.
"Beautiful." The girl said as they sat down and enjoyed the scene before them.
"If I could, I would come here to meditate over going to that stuffy classroom and listening to the teacher repeat 'Close your mind.' and 'Let go of all feeling and distractions.'" Asher said.
Jaesa giggled at the boy's statement.
"So what are you? Why do you have those plates over your eyes?" She asked.
"I'm a Miraluka." He replied, bringing his hands to his face and removing the plates covering his eye sockets. Behind them was flesh. The sockets were sunken in, giving the appearance that eyes should be there but weren't. Jaesa extended her hand to touch the skin but quickly hesitated.
"Don't be afraid. Just think of it like touching your eyelids when your eyes are closed." Asher said.
Nodding her head, she gently touched the skin.
"So how do you see?"
"The Force gives us our site. Our kind are more in tune with the Force and no longer need eyes to see. As for the plates or the sash in my mother's case, it is both to cover our eyes for those that may be disgusted by us and for the individual's style."
Jaesa simply gaped in awe at this new information while Asher put his plates back over his eyes.
"But enough about me, tell me about yourself. Where are you from?" The boy said.
The girl was hesitant to reply. Her parents were servants to the Organa Family on Alderaan and she didn't want to lose a new friend because they were disgusted by her origins. Still, he had been the only person her age that had made a connection with during her brief time on this planet.
So she told him her origins, both of her planet and her parents. Instead of disgust, he became absorbed in her few memories she had with her family and her time on Alderaan. Asher seem especially attentive in the positive interactions between her and her parents. Why that was, she couldn't understand. He seemed quite attached to his mother from what she could tell but the boy hadn't said a word about his father.
Before they realized, the sun had begun to set.
"Guess we should head back." The boy said, receiving a nod from his new friend.
They made their way through the tunnel and back to the lower cave entrance behind the falls.
"Think you can make it this time?" Asher asked.
"I think so." Jaesa replied.
The girls backed up a few paces, a look of concentration on her face before sprinting to the edge and leaping. She passed through the curtain of water and despite the distorted view, Asher could tell she made it.
"I did it! I did it!" Jaesa exclaimed, jumping up and down while waving at Asher through the falls.
"Ok, here I come!" The boy called back.
Backing up a few paces, Asher rushed towards the edge. But just as he was about to leap, his front foot hit a damp spot on the cave floor and began to slide. Panicking, the boy jumped too soon. He flew out of the falls, his arms flailing around in the air before landing face first on the muddy banks of the river with a splat.
Groaning, the boy picked himself up before looking around. A few feet in front of him, Jaesa was giggling at his not so graceful exit and landing.
Asher huffed before a mischievous smirk bloomed on his face. Jaesa noticed this too and was about to inquire about it before a ball of mud splattered the front of her robes.
"Hey!" The girl cried indignantly as the Miraluka began to laugh. Wanting to get even, she scooped up a fist full of mud and tossed it at the boy, hitting him in the chest. They stood there silent for a moment before the fun began. Asher tackled Jaesa and pulled her into the mud with him. Laughing, the girl flipped them over so she was on top of him, smearing mud into his face and hair. Their little fight continued for five minutes, the two of them ending up covered head to toe in muck before an irritated and annoyed voice rang out from the top of the hill.
"ASHER!" The voice of the boy's father called.
The children stopped their fight and looked to see who had called. Upon seeing who it was, the boy groaned.
They were in trouble.
***A Few Moments Later, In the Temple***
"Skipping class! Taking a new student with you! PLAYING IN THE MUD AND TRACKING IT INTO THE TEMPLE!" Jonathan Marr said, his voice getting louder and louder with each point he made.
"We were fine being dirty outside the temple. You were the one that marched us back into the temple." Asher pointed out. Jaesa giggled but quickly quieted herself when she saw the disappointed looks from the various knights and masters in the room.
"Do you know how irresponsible you have been? You've not only hampered the progress of your training but also that of our new youngling." The elder Miraluka chastised.
"But it was a nice day out...can't really concentrate on meditation when the teacher rambles on." The boy mumbled.
Before his father or any of the other occupants could respond, there was a knock at the door.
"I hope I'm not interrupting." Sarah Marr said as she entered the room and walked over to the group. She chuckled into her hand when she saw the state of the two children.
"Mother!" Asher said, taking a step forward to wrap his arms around her legs before he felt his body being restrained by the Force.
"Dirty boys don't get to hug their mommies, Asher." She tutted before releasing him and getting down to their level. "Now, what did you two do while you were supposed to be in class?"
"I think it should be obvious what..." The teacher of the meditation class began to say before he was cut off.
"I'd like to hear it for myself, Master." Sarah stated cooly before turning back to the children and adding in a warm voice. "Go on. You can tell me."
So Asher explained their little adventure, showing her the outside of the temple, leading her through the cave behind the waterfall and the lovely view they had at the top, and ending with their impromptu mud fight.
"Sounds like the two of you had a lot of fun." The female Miraluka chuckled. The two of them nodded their heads in reply.
"Did you enjoy yourself, Jaesa?" She asked the girl.
"Yes...I liked playing with Asher." The girl replied shyly.
"I'm happy to hear that." Sarah said.
The two children smiled.
"However..." She added
Their smiles fell again.
"We were still worried about you two. As unlikely as the occurrence my be, what if a band of Flesh Raiders had penetrated the Temple perimeter and had found the two of you? Where either of you carrying weapons?"
Asher and Jaesa shook their heads no, realizing the point she was trying to make.
"We're sorry." The two said.
"Just make sure you don't do it again. Mommy would be very angry if her darling boy and his new friend were kidnapped by the nasty Flesh Raiders."
Asher and Jaesa giggled at her statement before nodding their heads.
"Now, the two of you need to go wash up before dinner. It wouldn't be wise to anger the Masters anymore by tracking mud throughout the rest of the temple."
Nodding their heads, the two rushed out of the room.
"You went easy on them Sarah. Not even a punishment for the rules they broke or the class they skipped." Her husband spoke up, and frown on his face.
"They're still children, Jonathan. I think they are entitled to act as such every so often." She countered.
"They are Jedi Younglings. They are supposed to be held to a higher standard and discipline than others. They will be the next guardians of the light and can't waste their time doing trivial things such as mud fights and skipping class." He replied.
Before Sarah could fire back another response, Grand Master Shan decided to step forward.
"While I agree that they shouldn't have skipped class, I do concede that younglings are allowed their moments of adolescence." She said in a neutral tone.
This seemed to appease the two parents for the moment.
"Now, I think the bigger issue here is what should be done about our new youngling. Master Karr has brought to us."
"She has only just arrived and you wish to ship her off?" The female Miraluka asked. "Shouldn't she have some time to adjust to her new living situation, get to know some children her age before shipping her off to who knows where to be trained by another master?"
"I believe she has a special ability that not even your species possess. She can see the true alignment of someone rather than the feelings and alignment they project on the surface." Master Karr stated. "We must capitalize on this ability and use it while the Sith are still in the dark.
"Jaesa is not a weapon we can use! She is a human being. A child, no less! She must learn and grow up around children her own age." Sarah continued.
"Master Karr has a valid point, Sarah." Jonathan stated. "With this power, we could turn the tide of this new war. Save countless lives and stop the spread of the Dark Side."
Before a full blown argument could erupt. Grand Master Shan interrupted.
"How about a compromise? Once she finishes her preliminary training, which should last around a year, we will send her to one of our masters on Tatooine who specializes in the art of Force Sensing and alignment. If she proves her abilities have merit, she will train their until she has mastered her ability. Once complete, Jaesa shall return to Tython to complete her final trails before receiving her master."
This seemed to appease the two Jedi, if only just, as they nodded their heads in agreement at the compromise. While Master Karr wished the time would pass by as quickly as possible, Sarah wanted the opposite. From the little she saw of her son and his new friend, the mother could tell the two children had taken a shine to one another. This brief period of basic training would be both a blessing to them, in terms of building their friendship, and a curse, due to the fact that Jaesa would be leaving Tython for an indeterminate amount of time for her special training.
One could only hope their friendship would survive.
"Why must you keep arguing with me? Especially before the council?" The voice of her husband spoke up from behind her as they left the room.
"I was sticking up for my son and his new friend, unlike you." She fired back.
"We are Jedi, Sarah. We agreed that we would emotionally detach ourselves from both Asher and Levi once they began training so they could concentrate." Jonathan said.
"I can't and won't do that! My babies will know that their mother loves them and will support them throughout their journeys."
"These types of attachments are dangerous! One wrong choice that is influenced by their love for you and it could take them down a dark path they may never come back from."
"Which is why they need to be taught by us how to handle those types of situations. When the time comes, they will know the right choice to make because of how we raise them." The female Miraluka replied.
The husband sighed. This was a conversation he and his wife had gone over dozens of times and would probably have hundreds more of. Every time it would end at the impasse they were currently at.
"They need to know love, Jonathan. The love of family and friends. That is the greatest anchor to the Light that I know of." Sarah said softly.
"But at what cost?" He whispered back.
The mother shook her head before closing the distance between them and embracing her husband. She could feel him stiffen at the contact initially before relaxing into her embrace.
"I love you." She cooed.
"I know." He replied.
"Please say it back, John." Sarah whispered.
The man hesitated. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed their contact or had heard or would hear their conversation. Only when he was satisfied with their privacy did he reply.
"I love you too."
***One Year Later***
"Does she have to go away, Mother?" Asher asked.
"Unfortunately, she does. The council feels that her power could be vital to ending the newly restarted war between the Sith and the Republic."
"But...but can't Father do something? Couldn't he convince them to change their minds now that he has been placed on the council?"
"I was the one to second the motion to send Jaesa off to train on Tatooine." Came the voice of his father from the entrance to the suite.
"You...Why?" The boy asked, his voice cracking, betraying his feelings of pain.
"She is more important than any of us, even herself, can comprehend. With her power, we can finally have peace in the galaxy."
"But she is my friend!" Asher yelled. "You can't send her away!"
"The decision has already been made. She will be leaving tomorrow. In the meantime, you must have better control over your feelings, Asher."
The boy stood there, stunned at what his father had told him. Then his face contorted into a snarl.
"I hate you!" The boy yelled before Force pushing his father away from the door and running down the hall.
"Asher! Asher, come back here now!" Jonathan demanded, recovering from the push and making his way to the door before it slammed closed. Turning around, he saw the annoyed look on his wife.
"You should have expected this. Now you have to accept the consequences of your actions." She said.
"What I do as a Master on the council is for the good of everyone."
"Does everyone included the family you are starting to neglect thanks to your new position?"
"Your thoughts betray..."
"No! Your thoughts have betrayed you! You seem to be so caught up in your new position and ego that you assume I am jealous of you. All I want is what's best for our family."
"I have not forgotten about you but being a Master on the council comes with more responsibility than simply watching over you."
"Why are you and Daddy yelling, Mommy?" Came a small voice from one of the adjacent rooms in the suite. Out of the room came their three year old, Levi.
"Mommy and Daddy were just having a little disagreement, sweetie." Sarah said, walking over and scooping up her second son in her arms.
"We still love you and each other very much." She said before taking him back to his room, leaving her husband standing alone.
Meanwhile, Asher was running through the halls, trying to find his friend. She wasn't in her room. She wasn't in the cafeteria. She wasn't in the meditation room. Thinking hard, the boy could think of only one other place she could be.
Exiting the temple, he made his way over to the waterfall. There he found her, sitting in the shade of a tree by the stream.
Catching his breath, he walked over and sat down beside her.
"Hey." He said.
"Hey." She replied back. "So...You heard the news?"
"Yeah...I just...Don't want you to go."
"I don't want to go either. You think I want to go training on a ball of sand for who knows how long?" Jaesa asked, giving him a small smile.
"Think of it as going to the beach without any water." Asher retorted.
Jaesa blew a raspberry at him to which he returned. The two giggled for a moment before sighing.
"I'm...going to miss you." The boy finally said.
"I'm going to miss you too." Replied the girl.
Before he could react, he felt her lips softly peck his cheek. Turning to look at her, he saw her face had turned crimson.
"I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't..." Jaesa began to say before she felt his lips on her cheek. Turning her head, she saw him grinning cheekily at him.
"There. Now we're even." He said.
They began to laugh, both at his statement and to break up the tension that had built up over Jaesa's up and coming departure.
"Come back soon." He finally said once they calmed down.
"I will." She replied.