A Jedi's Love: Chapter 12

Sorry for the wait. I've got so many stories I'm writing at the moment that this one has been pushed to the back of the line. Well, now I'm going to try and get this fanfic going again.

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Tao sat, beside the place where she had found the love heart scratched into the wall of the Enclave. She always seemed to find this place best for meditation as it calmed her more so than anywhere else. It was as if she had some sought of connection to this place and now that she was a Jedi in training that meant a lot more than it used to.

The smuggler or Jedi now, had been training for about a month and apparently was achieving highly in every aspect of her training. She could now out match Bastila in a melee fight easily but she still didn't have as good of a control over the Force, yet.

There was no doubting that Tao was good at using the Force but she and her Master, Zhar, believed she could do better and so the twi'lek had made her meditate quite a lot in the last few days. Tao had to admit that it was helping; she seemed to be finding using the Force a lot easier, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

It was a lot of fun, telling the crew of her accomplishments, especially showing Mission. The two hadn't really spoken any more about the little 'thing' that had happened between them on Taris but Tao was sure it would eventually come up some time soon.

Thoughts of Mission however always seemed to make her think of Bastila. The two of them had become a lot friendlier with one another over the past month although the Padawan always seemed tense when she was around her. Tao didn't know whether that was just how she acted but something inside of her, perhaps womanly intuition, told her that something bad had happened to her in the past.

Tao looked up at the scratching again. She had never actually looked at it properly and so she read the letters. The first set of initials began with an R but she couldn't make out the final letter while the one below it could have either been a B or a D with an S after it. She was about to investigate it closer when both Zhar and Bastila came over.

"Good morning Miss Fel". Tao rolled her eyes at Zhar. He still continued to be as formal as he could possibly be with her name. Tao simply nodded in reply. "I wish to speak with you for a moment".

Tao got to her feet and walked over, wondering what he was doing. "After dedicating yourself to training, and achieving greatly in all fields, we are deciding to welcome you fully as a Jedi of the Order".

"Well, eh, thank you" Tao answered, wondering what this meant as she had thought that she already was a member of the Jedi.

Zhar smiled slightly. "There are only a few more things you have to do before you are promoted to Padawan. These things are tests that will allow us to see whether you are ready to face your destiny".

Yeah, cryptic talk: everyone loves it, Tao thought with a groan. "What are these tests?"

"The first will be your knowledge of the Order itself. You will be asked a few questions and you have to answer simply with what you should do, as a Jedi, in this position" Zhar explained. "If you feel you are ready, we can begin now if you wish".

"We might as well" the red-head answered.

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The test hadn't taken too long and Tao had passed with flying colours, which had surprised even her as she would have thought that her Smuggler's part would have taken over at some point. Now she was in a small training room with Zhar leaning over a workbench doing her second test.

As her second test Tao had been told to build her own, unique, lightsaber completely from scratch without any real help. Zhar still gave her assistance if she got stuck now and again but luckily she was good enough with tools to do quite well on her own.

The lightsaber itself was beginning to form and Zhar kept telling her how advanced it was for someone as new at being a Jedi as Tao. The hilt was a brilliant silvery colour that almost gave off its own natural light with red tendrils crawling up the outside. It looked deadly yet beautiful which is what Tao had wanted when she had begun.

The crystal she had been given was blue, which she had been told was for those in the Order that were Jedi Guardians. The Master's had told her that she was best suited for this role and so she had become one. She didn't particularly like the colour and so Tao decided that she would probably try to look for a crystal that better suited her, and besides a Jedi was supposed to know when a crystal was truly theirs.

It didn't take her that much longer to complete the saber although now she had to hope that the thing actually worked. If that were to happen the best she would get would she'd have to take the entire thing apart again and at worst she would explode in a ball of fire.

"It will be fine, Tao". That was the first time she had heard Zhar call her by her first name. Tao took a hold of the hilt and pressed the ignition switch. She was relieved when the blue blade of energy appeared and the noticeable hum of a working saber hit her ears.

She smiled at her accomplishment and gave her new weapon a few practise swings. She couldn't wait to show Mission this. Sure the twi'lek had seen Bastila's but she had never actually seen the Jedi Princess using it.

"Well done, once again, Miss Fel. You have but one final test. This will test your ability in the real world" Zhar went on. "You must go to the Ancient Grove, a dark taint is there that you must remove. Other than that I can tell you nothing other than be careful".

"You can't even tell me where it is?" Tao questioned.

"No, this test also allows us to find out your resourcefulness. However you can ask any non-Jedi for directions or a map but you cannot take any Jedi along to help you". Tao just gave Zhar a confused look. Well that's pretty stupid, why not just tell me where it is if I can just walk outside and ask someone else? She thought as she walked out of the training room.

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After having gone back to the ship, not wanting to go out onto the plains alone, Tao was now walking beside a pleasant stream a few miles south-east of the academy. Mission and Carth had been the two who had come along, mainly because the smuggler still couldn't stand being with Canderous.

Mission was the first to notice Tao's new lightsaber and asked her quickly if she could hold it. Tao brought it to her through the Force and held it out to the twi'lek.

"Wow" she spoke as she looked it over in her hands. "And you built this yourself?"

"Yes, down to every last component" Tao responded proudly. "I don't particularly like the colour but it'll do for now". With that Mission held it out and ignited the blade, showing a blue beam of energy. She looked at it for a moment in awe before turning it off and handing it back to the smuggler.

They had already found out about where the Grove was supposed to be so now all they had to do was find it. They made idle chat for the trip before Carth finally spoke for the first time.

"Tao, why did the Council decide to train you?" the pilot questioned.

Tao shrugged. "Because I'm apparently strong with the Force".

"Yeah, I can see that but you're a little old to be beginning your training as a Jedi, aren't you?"

"That is true" the former smuggler agreed, "but they've made an acceptation for me. Maybe it's because of the war going on but... well... I sure as hell don't know".

Carth seemed deep in thought for a moment. "What about Bastila?"

"What about her?"

"Well, won't she know something about why you're being trained, and why they're letting you out after only a few weeks of training?"

She shrugged again. "Maybe, you'd have to ask her".

It was a few more minutes before anyone really spoke again, as all three were busy looking at the peaceful scenery and enjoying the quiet. It was Mission who broke the silence.

"So what are we doing out here, Tao?" the twi'lek asked.

"Not really sure. Zhar didn't like the idea of giving me details so all I know is where we're heading and that there is some sought of dark taint that we need to get rid of".

Mission answered with a 'heh' before continuing. "So, this 'thing' could be anything?"

"Yep. Wouldn't surprise me if we ended up fighting some killa' Gizka". Both girls laughed at Tao's joke while Carth just remained passive, in his own thoughts.

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Tao and company had finally reached the so called 'Ancient Grove'. All the former smuggler could see were a bunch of old pillars that looked like they had made up a building that had fallen down millennia ago. However, there was no sign of any 'dark taint' and Tao kept having to strain her senses in order to try and find it.

She had just begun this when suddenly a figure jumped at them from one of the hills and landed in front of the three of them. Just as Carth was about to reach for his blasters the figure, which Tao recognised instantly as being a Cather, as they were often used as slaves, froze both Carth and Mission in a stasis field.

The Cather woman growled when she realised that Tao had not been affected by her power and so ignited her lightsaber and attacked.

"For goodness sake" Tao mumbled as she reached for her own weapon. "Nothing's ever easy".

The Cather was practically furious and Tao couldn't figure out why, all she could keep doing was try to block the mad woman's attacks. Hey, I'm supposed to be the mad one, Tao thought to herself as she began to hit back at the Cather. The woman's eyes widened in response to the sudden change in Tao's fighting and it wasn't long before the Cather was at the new Jedi's mercy.

"Damn you" the Cather growled. "You... you are too strong for me".

"I'm glad you noticed. Now who are you?" Tao asked, her saber still in her hands just in case.

"Juhani, and this is my Grove. It is mine, and you have trespassed on that which is mine!" the Cather made clear.

"Embraced the dark side, why?"

"I slew my Master, Quattra, and I knew that once I had done this I could never go back to the Jedi. I came here and revelled in my dark power, power that I could use to crush someone as weak as you... or so I had thought". She sighed. "Why are you really here? Have you come to kill me?"

"Zhar told me to rid this Grove of a dark taint" Tao made clear.

"So you have come here to kill me" Juhani challenged.

"I have no desire to kill you". Tao stopped for a moment. Did I just say that?

"You... you do not?" Juhani pondered, hope reflected in her eyes. "I am truly pathetic: kill me now!"

Tao sighed. "If I were here to kill you I would have by now, believe me. Add to that that it is not the Jedi way, even if I don't follow the Code blindly. Juhani, you deserve another chance no matter what you have done".

"Maybe so but... but I cannot go back there now. Not after killing my Master". Juhani lowered her head. "I just can't go back there".

"Yes you can. Show them that you have rid yourself of your anger" Tao explained.

Juhani's head rose. "Do you think they would accept me, if I were to show them I was free of anger?"

"Definetly. Now go, they are waiting". The Cather gave Tao one last smile of appreciation before running off back towards the Jedi Enclave. After she had left Carth and Mission came up beside her.

"Are you sure you're Tao Fel?" Carth questioned, looking at the former smuggler with a look somewhere between shock and awe.

"Yep, maybe I am good enough to be a Jedi" Tao responded before following after where Juhani had just gone.

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