Waking up the next morning, Shem reflected that it had not been a normal dream and that Julienne was in the area and he might be able to see her soon. The few people he encountered noted that he seemed more contented than usual and that lasted for some time before he decided that Julienne was not going to contact him, or could not.
After seeing her, even in a dream, Shem was not prepared to just continue grinding through his daily routine. He sent a note to Nofa and Master Slocum that he would not be in that day and went to see the grand master. She was free long enough for a short conversation, but it did not go the way he had expected.
"So you are bored with your routine and want to do something different?" she asked.
He felt foolish when she put it that way, but shrugged and nodded.
"Does this have anything to do with Orosan being gone?" she asked, giving him a direct look. "You two had been spending a great deal of time together."
"Not really," he said. "It is … I do not really know."
"Oh, Shemric, you are terrible at dissembling," she said, smiling. "That means it is your Sith lady-friend." He colored and opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "Has she called you again, then?"
"No, she has not," he explained. "It was just an accidental contact. She guessed that her physical proximity combined with timing created the shared moment."
"And you want to go looking for her?"
"No," he said quickly. "She would not welcome that."
"But you miss her and you want a distraction from your normal routine." She did not phrase it as a question. Her smile was kindly but her words were jarring. "You begin to see why fostering attachments is not very conducive to feeling fulfilled as a Jedi."
He looked up in surprise. She had never taken him to task for his relationship with Julienne and when he saw her face, he realized that was not what she was doing now. She was just voicing his own inner thoughts. He said nothing.
"Well, Shemric, it seems that I do have a task you could do and I was just now pondering who I might ask to do it."
He waited. Tasks from the grand master that did not involve the Jedi Council might be concerned with internal Jedi politics, something he tried to avoid.
"We have here at the temple, a Zabrak youngling whose Master has just refused to continue to train her any longer. She has reached the age where she needs to begin her trials or she will be sent to work in some other Jedi capacity."
"And there is a reason her master discontinued his training?"
Shan smiled at him, but it was not full of humor. "This Padawan has been … difficult."
"Ahh," he said. "And I walked right into this."
The Grand Master turned to him. "I am not telling you to do this. I just think that perhaps you may be able to provide her with … mentoring and maybe a bit of discipline. I think, once properly shaped, that she will be an asset to the order. And I am not going to make this official, either, or long term. Just do it until you … well, can't do it anymore." A light on her desk started flashing. "She is here. Shall I introduce you?"
He stood and shrugged. "I can use a change."
When the door slid open, the female in question walked in and Shemric nearly groaned. It was his least favorite student, the Zabak, Sakrogi. From their first meeting, she had loathed him for the simple reason that Shemric was much better with a lightsaber. When she saw the grand master standing with Shemric, Sakrogi stopped dead and pointed.
"You want me to be his Padawan? Are you kidding?"
"So you two know each other?" said Grand Master Shan, not reacting to the disrespectful tone.
Now that he was watching closely, he saw that the grand master knew perfectly well the history between the two of them and was silently amused by the situation. Shemric gave her a scowl that was less than amused and she feigned wide-eyed innocence.
"He is the worst instructor I have had in all my years here at the Temple…" began Sakrogi.
"Meaning you can never defeat him and he embarrasses you?" said the grand master. He tone was so light that you would never have sensed the insult in her words. Sakrogi did and colored.
"A teacher is supposed to teach, not abuse you," said Sakrogi. "That is all I ever got from him."
The grand master's demeanor changed suddenly and it seemed that she loomed above the Padawan. "Padawan Sakrogi, you will not speak about Master Norm in that manner. It is not he but you, who has performed poorly during your time here. I am giving you one last chance to change my mind before I reassign you elsewhere. You may choose to be prideful and reject our efforts to teach you. That would be unfortunate."
Shem had not often seen the grand master project such a Force-enhance tongue lashing and found the sensation to be very similar to Julienne when she was in her no-nonsense command mode. For her part, Sakrogi looked thoroughly taken aback. She opened her mouth several times to complain, looked at the grand master's face and then said nothing. Shan continued to stare at her until she mumbled a quiet apology and thanks.
"You may go, Sakrogi; good luck," said Shan.
The door closed again and Shan turned to Shemric. "That is the best I can do for you, Shemric. Try not to do anything too severe to her when she inevitably annoys you."
"I will do my best, Grand Master," he said. "Thank you for taking the time to see me."
"Always a pleasure," she said, smiling.
Shemric shook his head and followed the Zabrak out into the hall. She was waiting for him and only looked slightly chagrined at having been called down in front of him.
"They must have been desperate if you are the one they picked," she said.
"Oh, I volunteered," said Shem. "Before I knew who it was." She snorted rudely. He ignored her at the moment. "So, tell me, Padawan Sakrogi, do you wish to be a Jedi?"
The question clearly surprised her. "Of course I do!"
"And what does it mean to be a Jedi?" he asked.
"We fight our enemies, obviously," she said.
"That is rather vague," he pointed out. "What about someone like Jedi Master Slocum? He rarely fights anyone. Does that mean he is not a very good Jedi?"
She was mulling over in her mind how to answer that question, so Shem hoped that she was at least using her brain. "Let us go to the library," he suggested. That clearly did not please her and so Shem decided that was what they needed to do. Jedi Master Kehull was more than happy to help him out when he asked her to tell Sakrogi about the great Jedi Masters of the past. Knowing she was an academic, he assumed she would not focus on Jedi who had been more martial in their pursuits and he was right. To her credit, Shem thought she balanced the discoverers with the warriors pretty well. By the time they finished, Sakrogi was asking questions and engaging Master Kehull in a conversation. It was more than Shem had hoped might happen.
She said nothing as they walked to lunch until they had their food and were beginning to eat. He had just followed her to the general chow hall; he had come to enjoy the food in the Master's hall but he was not going to admit that to his Padawan.
"I assume the point of all that was to get me to think about the different roles of Jedi and their contributions to the Order?" she said.
"I just wanted you to think," he said. "This constant war with the Sith has put a premium on our fighting skills but there are many things a Jedi can do." He began eating and hoped she would spend a little more time pondering his words. The nerf was tough, but the gravy was not bad and the bread was the same. He was getting soft if he was complaining about the food.
"The problem is, I am not really good at any other Jedi pursuits, except fighting," she said.
"What have you tried?" he asked.
"All the basics, but I just wasn't very good at them," she said.
"Was not very good at them or was bored with them?" he said, looking up and meeting her eyes. She scowled and then looked away.
"I was bored," she admitted.
He smiled at her admission. "How about we make a deal? I will do my best to personally sharpen up your martial skills if you will pick two areas of study on which you will concentrate."
She appeared to be mulling that idea over while she ate. Shem went back to finishing his own meal. Finally, she seemed to come to some sort of decision. "I think I would like to study with Master Kehull. She was much more interesting than my history instructor."
"Very well, I will speak with her," he said. "Any other ideas?"
"I have always thought," she continued quietly, "of becoming a Jedi Peacekeeper." She looked unsure as if admitting that somehow meant that she was not willing to fight in the war.
"A worthy desire, but that requires a great deal of study of the Republic's laws," he said. "If that is your desire then I have a few ideas. Have you ever been to Coruscant?"
Her eyes were large as she looked at him in surprise. "Only in orbit," she said.
"Well, then I think we shall be taking a field trip," he said. This idea she greeted with enthusiasm and so he arranged passage off planet to the capital. He had not been in contact with his old friend Captain Greggson for some time, but he doubted the man would pass up on some extra help.
As she was want to do, the Grand Master found him alone before their departure.
"You seem to have changed her attitude in just a few days," said the Grand Master as she fell in step with Shem the morning he was scheduled to leave. "What are you planning on Coruscant?"
"I have an old friend there whose police department will appreciate some official support," he said. "I thought I would give Sakrogi a taste of actual law enforcement down in the trenches. She has expressed the desire, to me, to be a Peacekeeper. Why not let her see if she likes it?"
"I think it is a wonderful idea," said the Grand Master. "Thank you for doing this, Shemric. She needed someone she can't bully. There is some good material there."
"Well, I have some concerns about the longevity of the arrangement, but I will do what I can with her," he said.
"May the Force be with you, Shemric," she said.
"And you, Grand Master," he said.
Coruscant seemed as busy and pointless as ever to Shemric. So many people in a hurry to get places with a 'me first' attitude that always rubbed him the wrong way. Sakrogi was constantly spinning her head about in awe at this thing or that, which was to be expected. This was one of the most populated planets in the galaxy.
Captain Greggson's name was still on the plaque out front of the same precinct headquarters where he had been a year ago when Shem had left abruptly. No one questioned a Jedi entering and so he made it most of the way through the building before anyone asked what he might need. "I just came to see the Captain, if I may."
"Did you have an appointment?" said the detective.
"I do not," he admitted.
"Well, I will give him your name … ?"
"Shemric."
"Very well," said the man.
"That one could have used a little more exercise," Sakrogi pointed out as the man walked away.
"Be nice," he said.
"I was; I did not just say that he was fat," she pointed out.
He sniffed and then folded his arms to wait. It was not very long before the captain came out looking for him and offered a warm handshake and a smile.
"I am well, sir, and you?" said Shemric. "Sir, this is my new Padawan, Sakrogi. She has expressed some interest in law enforcement and I decided Coruscant was the place to bring her. I was wondering if we might tag along in your department for a while."
Greggson smirked. "Tag along? Can you do that?"
"Not well," he admitted, "but she is a Padawan and I need to keep her from too much danger."
"I am not a youngling anymore," Sakrogi complained.
Greggson looked her up and down. "STS can always use folks with your skills."
"What does that mean?" asked Sakrogi.
"Special Tactical Situations," explained Shem. "They are usually former soldiers who receive special training for anti-terrorism, hostage rescue, forced-entry and some sniper capabilities."
"That sounds great!" said Sakrogi.
"Then I will introduce you to Sgt. Gormon," said Greggson.
Over the following weeks, they began to train with the STS squad and occasionally go out on missions. As they learned each other's capabilities, Shem began to suggest ways in which they could be more helpful. For his part, Sgt. Gormon started thinking of them as part of the team and included them in mission planning.
Shemric was pleased with the level of maturity that Sakrogi was showing now that she was being used in a way that she found fulfilling. Her disrespect had completely disappeared and she referred to him as Master Norm without fail. It really made him wonder about the effectiveness of the Padawan system. He had not done anything particularly special, except listen and ask her what she wanted. Perhaps Shemric was over-sensitive because he had been passed over so many times by Knights who did not want to deal with "the odd one."
As Sakrogi became more capable, she was assigned increasingly more responsible duties in the STS squad and Shemric began to pull back and function more as overwatch than an active member of the squad. It was good to see that camaraderie that she was building with the other members of the team, but as it grew, Shem felt his own isolation more keenly. He was on a world with billions of beings and he was not particularly close to any of them.
Shemric jerked abruptly out of his sleep as if he had been slapped. Julienne's presence in his mind had leaped into his consciousness so abruptly that felt like she was in his room. He looked around and realized she was not, but when he focused, she was on the ceiling of his building.
Come to me, she said. Our time is limited.
Shemric dressed quickly and left a note for Sakrogi if she came back from her patrol that he would be away for a short time. He hoped he did not have to leave her here on Coruscant. That would not be easily forgiven once discovered.
The elevator on the way up seemed to crawl as her presence grew in his mind and in the Force. She was waiting for him on the edge of the roof looking down over the city. She did not turn when he approached, but did hold out a hand. When their fingers touched, Shem nearly swooned at the blast of affection and concern from her.
I have only a few hours until I must be off-world, but when I sensed you here … well, let us just say that I had to see you and leave it at that.
I am not going to complain, said Shem. It was not hard to remark that she was keeping her thoughts very tightly controlled. He was only sensing what she was sending to him; it was not a complete sharing.
I cannot afford that right now, she said. I have been sent on a mission that seems contrived and it worries me. It worries me for us. I may have exposed you. Shem wondered what that meant, but for once was wise enough not to ask any questions. We are going to jump, she said. Keep hold of my hand. She did not wait for him to acknowledge her but stepped up and pulled him over the edge. In seconds they had accelerated to terminal velocity and were plummeting downward in a rush of wind and flapping cloaks. She steered them subtlety, this way and that to avoid aircars, buses, buildings and protrusions. Now! she said suddenly and let go of his hand to whip her cloak around her almost like a parachute. They landed with a strong blast of air on a platform below the skyline and she led him quickly to a dark entrance and down a hallway where most of the lights were missing. They came to an aircar that she entered quickly and sped off with him while his ears were still buzzing from the wind of the drop.
It took about fifteen minutes before she parked at a seedy looking hotel and led him inside to a room that was surprising clean and well-furnished. She closed the curtains quickly and pulled her hood back from her face. She looked paler and more Sith-ly than ever with a black tattoo that circled her cheek and ended in a claw. His eyes must have widened when he saw it and she noticed.
It seemed appropriate at the time, she said. I trust you will be able to remove it when the time comes.
I suspect so, he said. So does that mean that you are a Sith Lord now?
She shook her head. Not now, she said. I do not wish to discuss any of my goings and comings. We have a few short hours. I do not wish to talk. I simply wanted to be near you for a time. To have you hold me.
What could he say to that? He took her in his arms and they lay on the bed, fully clothed and dimmed the lights. She wrapped his consciousness in hers and they faded to sleep without any further conversation.
That they ended up on their imaginary beach was not a surprise to Shem, but Julienne still said nothing and seemed content to walk the perimeter of the island hand in hand. At the end of it, she merely said, That was lovely, thank you, before they faded away to normal sleep.
They awoke to the sound of an explosion that blew glass fragments into their room.
They rolled off the bed quickly to the side opposite the exterior and Julienne already had her lightsaber in hand. When the Sith marauders entered the room with their own blades lit, they were met with the whirlwind of coordinated efficiency that was Shem and Julienne when their minds were joined. As such, the fight was short and brutal and at the end the attackers were the ones who were down.
Sorry, she said hastily. I knew that was a possibility, but hoped they would not be able to track me. They must have paid off someone to scan all those security cameras. Well, my dear, this is a parting for us. Be very careful, as I have said before. I don't know if we will meet sooner or later, but you will know when. She pulled him into a fierce embrace, kissed him thoroughly and then shoved him towards the door. They left the room hastily and she pushed him into the elevator without her.
He had time to shout out a quick Goodbye, and then her mind was closed to him. Shem did not encounter anyone leaving the building, but he did spend the better part of two hours crossing and backtracking and looking for anyone to follow him before he keyed up his communicator to contact Sakrogi. She did not answer and he hoped that it was because she was sleeping and that nothing had happened. Shem spent extra time and care on the way back and was pleased to see that her stuff was on the counter and her room door closed.
Shem was exhausted and decided to see if he could sleep as well, but it was useless. He wanted to reach out to Julienne while she was still close but knew that she would not welcome it, so he resisted the urge and knelt down to meditate. In the depth of his Force contemplations, he felt the lightest brush of her consciousness against his. Be well, Shemric.
After that, he slept.
With so much going on at the police precinct, Sakrogi did not even question him about his being gone. She had remarked that he was allowing her a surprising amount of freedom and he had countered by telling her that she had been showing a surprising amount of good judgment in the missions she had and had not involved herself.
"I will take that as a compliment, then," she said.
"You should," he said.
When they had been on Coruscant for more than six months, they were summoned back to Tython and a meeting with the Grand Master. Sakrogi was very nervous and kept asking Shemric if she thought this was about him or about her.
"I would imagine she may deciding to transfer you to a different Master," he said. "I have been sending regular reports and recommended some time back that you needed more specific training if you are going to continue in this path."
She groaned. "You mean legal training and investigative science."
"Well, you can't just spend all your time working with STS," he commented as they were taking a shuttle up from the surface of Coruscant. "That is only half the job if you are going to become a Peacekeeper. I took you to the city to see what some of peacekeeping is like, and to motivate you in your future studies, but no one is going to actually approve of your career choice unless you go through the other training."
She looked glum but shook her head as if she understood.
It was always a shock travelling the short distance from Coruscant to Tython as the two worlds could not have been more opposite. Sakrogi's agitation increased as they entered the temple again and reported their arrival. Soon, a master that Shem had met but with whom he had never really talked, came for them.
"There you are," he said politely. "I have been asked to interview Sakrogi about her fitness for a place among the Jedi Peacekeepers. Before I take her away, is there anything you would like to add on her behalf?"
Shemric looked between Sakrogi and Master Niemi before addressing Sakrogi. "Would you like me to tell him in front of you, or give us a moment?"
"I would prefer to know your evaluation rather than guessing what you might have said," she replied.
"Very well," he said and turned back to Master Niemi. "Sakrogi is an excellent Jedi and fulfills all the martial requirements of being a Peacekeeper. Over the last six months of working with STS on Coruscant I have trained and observed her in action. She is decisive, has learned to not be overly aggressive and is extremely gifted as a warrior. However, she does not like to study and is going to have a hard time focusing on the coursework required to become a peacekeeper. It is not that she lacks intelligence; she just lacks focus at times. When properly directed, she learns quickly, but the teacher has to be creative in keeping her attention. If she applies herself, I forecast that she will become an excellent peacekeeper."
Master Niemi nodded and looked at Sakrogi as if he was asking her if she wanted to add anything. She shrugged.
"I can't really disagree with anything Master Norm said," she replied. "I have learned a great deal in six months of on-the-job training and realize there are other studies to be undertaken."
Niemi nodded and gestured for Sakrogi to follow.
"Come find me afterwards, Sakrogi, and let me know how things go," he said quietly.
She nodded and left.
The temple was no so full yet that they had needed to give away his room, so he went back to drop off his things and then decided to go and find the battlemaster. It was a time of day where she would be on the training floor and sure enough, she was standing on her stool observing a couple of knights at work.
"And how is my favorite assistant now that he has had a six-month vacation at the capital," she said without turning.
He snorted loudly. "You think any day with Sakrogi was going to be a vacation?"
She cackled and turned to tap him with her stick on the shoulder. "I suppose not. Is all well with her?"
"I think they may take her in the Peacekeepers," he said. "I recommended her well to Master Niemi. Now she needs to buckle down and study. I think she can do it."
"Well, file that under another of your miracles," said Nofa. "No one else ever got through to her."
"She needed a different kind of teacher," he said.
"I am sure she did," said Nofa. "A teacher that would kick her in the butt when necessary."
"And listen," said Shem.
The smell of the training floor was so familiar that he felt guilty about not getting out there and sweating with the rest of the Jedi, but Shem was tired from travel and spent the afternoon talking with Nofa and helping run the floor. They shared a meal together and several masters greeted him, much to his surprise. The food was certainly better than he had been cooking himself on Coruscant.
"You should keep an eye out for Orosan," warned Nofa. "She has returned as something of a hero."
"Really?" he commented between mouthfuls. "As a healer or for her martial skills?"
"A little bit of both, apparently," said the Jawa. "There was an attack on the medical center where she was working and she fought off the enemy, cleared the area and then went back and saved several of the wounded from certain death. They gave her a commendation."
"Good for her," said Shem. "You trained her well, and Master Slocum."
"You did as much for her as I did, Shem," said Nofa. "I tell you to keep an eye out for her because she has been asking about you. Apparently she is not mad at you anymore and wants to find out where you went. She was in a bit of a huff when she heard you took an attractive female Padawan."
"I did not 'take an attractive female Padawan,'" he said in disgusted tones. "I took a headstrong, rebellious Padawan who needed a firm hand."
"Still, she is quite set up with herself these days and more forward than ever, so don't say I did not warn you," said Nofa smiling.
"I will keep that in mind," he mumbled. Orosan was going to be a problem again. Lovely.
They finished eating and Nofa asked if Shem would be back to the training floor the following day. When he agreed they parted ways and Shem tried not to act like he was sneaking about as he returned to his room. It occurred to him that changing rooms might have saved him some hassle, since Orosan knew exactly where he had been staying before.
She did not find him that day, but she was waiting for him as he left the training floor the following afternoon. At least he was sweaty and stinky, but apparently that was no deterrent because she threw herself into his arms and tried to kiss him full on the mouth. He had turned at the last moment so that it landed on the side of her face, but she did not seem perturbed at all.
"Welcome back, conquering hero," he teased.
She giggled into his ear and nibbled at it. Shemric had a feeling this was going to get out of hand fast. His backing only worked for a moment until they thumped against the back wall and he had nowhere further to go. "I don't know why you are not welcoming me home a little more enthusiastically," she said and finally released him to step back.
He noticed she had a new outfit from anything she had worn before. It looked traditional and was quite attractive. Maybe a little too much so. "Are you taller?" he asked in surprise. She was wearing a healed boot, but he did not think it was just that. "I think your horns are bigger, too."
She crossed her arms beneath her breasts and gave him a withering look. "They are called montrals, as you very well know; don't be culturally insensitive. And yes, it seems I went through a growth spurt while I was gone. None of my old clothes fit." Her tube top and short skirt were gone and replaced by a knee length battle skirt, knee-high boots and a top that was … well, it kind of covered her.
"I hear congratulations are in order," he said. "Hero of the mission to the Sertar System."
She pouted. "Who told you? I was going to tell."
"I spent an afternoon with the Battlemaster and she may have mentioned a few details," he offered. "Actually, she only said something about you saving the medical wing when they came under a surprise attack. And then saved some of the casualties."
She looked pleased with herself and launched into the play-by-play of the fight. He could only smile at her descriptions and obvious pleasure. When she wound down, she surprised him with thanks.
"No one else thinks it is seemly to tell the story," she said. "I have this feeling that they think I am not sufficiently humble."
"Well, you are not, but I always enjoy a good fight, so I do not mind," he said. "I am glad things went well for you. One can only train for so long before you start to get stale if you are not tested."
"And I hear you replaced me at the first opportunity!" she said in mock outrage. Or maybe she really was angry.
"First of all, I did not replace you," he said. "The grand master asked me to take on a Padawan and that is entirely different."
"Not just any Padawan, but an attractive Zabrak with large breasts," she said.
He rolled his eyes and tried to gauge how irritated she really was. "Sakrogi is coming along nicely after a little time on Coruscant and was actually taken on recently by a Jedi Peacekeeper who will be her permanent master. She is not even my Padawan anymore."
"Then your sidekick position is open again," she said as she sidled up to him.
He danced away quickly. "You are a Knight, Orosan and I don't have a sidekick."
"Well, you have not gone back to your Sith lover, so there is hope for the rest of us," she pointed out.
Shemric sighed. He really had no desire to mention to anyone his encounter with Julienne on Coruscant. It had been entirely too short and the parting too abrupt for his liking.
He did not need Orosan's growing physicality as a distraction right now. Or maybe she was more than a distraction. She might develop into a full-grown problem.
"Are you going to come and train with me again?" she asked.
"I'll be taking up my post as assistant battlemaster tomorrow afternoon," he pointed out.
Her pouty look told him that was not sufficient attention for her. "Come and let's eat dinner together," she suggested. "Now,I finally have a few stories to tell."
He tried not to appear too reluctant as he agreed, but said he was off to clean up first. That was a mistake as she offered to join him and he had to politely decline. She only gave him a predatory smile and then made him promise to meet her in thirty minutes. She was going to be a problem; that was certain.
Dinner turned out to be surprisingly pleasant as she regaled him with stories from her mission and all the things she had seen and done. He had only heard rumors, so he was surprised to learn that they had actually been exploring in the Unknown Regions of the Deep Core. With no Hyperspace lanes and limited navigation information it had involved a lot of sub-light travel and mini-jumps to get anywhere. The end result had been the discovery of a resource-rich world that had been the province and haven of pirates and other outlaw types who sought refuge from Republic justice. A number of pitched battles had been fought by the undermanned mission thus leading to Orosan's heroics.
To his relief, she parted ways with him without fanfare and wished him a good night. He wondered what nefarious plan she was cooking up but gladly went to sleep alone and exhausted.
Sakrogi found him the next morning after he had checked in with Master Slocum and they walked for a bit while she outlined her new training regime. She was beginning the Peacekeeper training later than most, but Master Niemi had been happy with their interview and her responses and so had agreed to take her into the program.
"I will still be coming to afternoon training with the battlemaster, so hopefully you can continue to train me," she said.
"There are many others now and you are further along than most of them," he pointed out. When she looked disappointed, he promised he would find her a worthy opponent. He smiled inwardly as he imagined Sakrogi and Orosan clashing on the training floor. Let someone else sweat buckets instead of him.
"Master Norm, I … I need to thank you and apologize," said Sakrogi suddenly. They had stopped at a viewpoint that looked out of the temple and had a bit of privacy.
"For what?" he asked in surprise. "You have been an excellent student these past months. It has been a pleasure to train you."
"I know, but I said many things… " she stopped. "I was very disrespectful in the beginning and I have never apologized for it. I lacked maturity and was very headstrong. I appreciate that you had the patience and foresight to guide me where I might be happy. You could have easily given up."
"Persisting through the early days with you is hardly the worst time I have had in my life," he said smiling. "You needed to find your boundaries. I just pointed them out."
"No one else had the wisdom to show me," she said.
"No one else had the martial skills to humble you," he corrected. "Finding humility was the first step on your journey. Someone with your battle skill that lacks humility becomes a tyrant."
"More wisdom from a master," she teased.
He returned her smile. "It has been a pleasure at times, Sakrogi. Just not all the time."
"Thank you again, master," she said and surprised him with a kiss on the cheek before quickly striding off. He admired her retreating backside and was glad she had not pressed him for more, as Orosan did. The last think he needed was another female warrior seeking his affection.
His promise to Sakrogi was fulfilled that very afternoon as Orosan arrived to train within a few minutes of his former Padawan. Nofa let out a wheezing laugh and purposely vacated herself to leave him in his own mire. Fortunately, Shem had already given it some thought and he immediately set them to sparring against each other. As he had suspected, they both attempted to show off and the result was an intense session of back and forth sparring that would have been hard to duplicate outside of actual combat.
In truth, they were quite evenly matched. Sakrogi was younger, but equal in size and she had just finished six months of one-on-one training with Shemric. Orosan was a bit more skilled and now had real-world experience at fighting enemies who wanted to kill you. Both were overly aggressive and could have used a dose of Sorensu humility to tone them down, but he watched them with amusement and gratitude that it was not him out there sweating. They were both very athletic and combined Ataru and Makashi to good affect against each other. As he had hoped, they were evenly matched enough that they both won a similar number of bouts if they did not end in a draw.
When he finally called a halt, they both looked exhausted and displeased that they had not prevailed over the other. With both of them there, he did not have to give special attention to either and after evaluating their work, he sent them off without giving either a change to corner him. When Nofa sauntered over to leap up on his shoulder, she complimented him on his handling of the women.
"You truly deserve your title of Master if you can mediate a conflict between those two she-cats and come out unscratched," she observed.
"Thank you, battlemaster; I appreciate the compliment," he said. "I spent more than a bit of time last night wondering how I was going to resolve those two. I am sure they will both give me an earful later, if they can find me."
"You can always sleep on my floor if you want to hide," she said and then cackled at her own humor.
"I will take you up on that if you really mean it," he said.
She only laughed more loudly and told him to start walking about the training floor. "I would tell you something a wise man said to me long ago about how to deal with two pretty women, but you might not be amused. Not when you have three that are chasing you about."
He grunted. The one he wanted was off being a Sith Lord and he knew he would not like knowing what that meant. The other two would have been wonderful friends if they did not seem to want to be more.
Shemric spent most of the evening with the battlemaster but none of it had to do with training or the Order. He actually ended up telling her stories from his youth and camping with his family. The battlemaster had fought in many conflicts but rarely liked to speak of them. She much preferred hearing stories of family and normal life.
"We give up many things when we agree to this life, Shemric," said Nofa. "Don't be surprised that some of us miss them."
"Well you look rather grim this morning, Master Norm," said the Grand Master at breakfast. Shem had not seen Master Shan in some time and he was surprised when she greeted him at breakfast. As far as he knew, she often had something simple to eat delivered to her room. Too often she spent public meals listening to the other Masters who wished to pass on ideas beyond the scope of regular council meetings.
"I have been sleeping rather poorly of late, grand master," he said. "My dreams are troubling."
"Just regular dreams, or do you think the Living Force is trying to tell you something?" she asked as she sat across from him.
"I have never been particularly adept at Force visions," he said. "Maybe that is the problem—lack of interpretation skills."
"Perhaps," she said and continued eating.
Shemric wondered if this was a chance meeting or if she had sensed his unease. With Shan one never could quite know what she knew. He knew if she wished to say something, she would get to it eventually. They both finished without further words and then she looked up and gave him a warm smile. "Shemric, I have been feeling over the past few weeks that a change was ahead for you and that you would need to be free to follow what comes. As such, I have created a phantom position for you that will allow you to come and go as you wish, without anyone wondering what you are doing. I don't understand it all, but I suspect it has to do with your Sith lady."
Shemric nodded grimly and thanked her. If the grand master was having premonition about it, he suspected the galaxy was about to dump him back into the fray.