Dantooine, Jedi Enclave
The Dantooine Enclave was one of the most prestigious academies of the Jedi Order in the entire Galaxy, second in prominence and renown only to the famed grand Temple on Coruscant. It is a proud monument of the Force and the Jedi, unmistakably distinguishable by the giant stone masonry fin-shaped structures encircling the main buildings.
It overlooked Dantooine's Khoonda river plains to the northeast, where all of its foot traffic gathered in and out of Enclave, connected by the small courtyard to the east wings of the building. On the south side of the central building lay the long roofless oval-shaped landing platform, adorned in six masonry fins on its exterior.
Having experienced a curious decline in passengers from Christophsis, the Ixion skipped its routine layover at Ryloth and effectively cut the approximated flight time in half. After an hour of a layover on Coruscant, the three Jedi boarded the Bevington, the only spacecruiser in the Core Worlds swift enough to contest the fantastic speed of its Corellian "cousin".
The Jedi now sat on stone benches spaced around the Enclave's giant circular planter beneath the cool comforting shade of a perennial ash tree with their kindred in the Order. They feasted heartily on fish freshly caught straight from the outback rivers beyond the academy, and related the entire tale of their mission on Corellia to the others, who listened intently without judgment or expectations.
Larring looked on with pride and amusement as Divan and Larina performed a blow-by-blow reenactment of their ferociously intense encounter with the ruthless Corellian swoop gangs. They explained their unified alliance with the forces of CorSec and even the Property Manager of Treasure Ship Row to take them down once and for all. Their comrades watched them with rapt attention and awestruck expressions. Larring temporarily left his bench to fill in his side of the story about protecting himself and Divan before Larina returned with CorSec.
Divan stood on the planter under the perennial ash tree and assumed a heroic pose. He raised his deactivated lightsaber hilt high in the air, dramatically imitating Director Tristanas' call to make their final charge word for word. Larring laid out the coordinated formation in which they stormed the enemy ranks. Larina elaborated on every single lightsaber technique they employed to force the swoop gangs into retreat. They told of how Tristanas shot down five gangsters one after another to save Feslar Kehamm. The Knights and Masters were collectively captivated. When the telling was over, the other Jedi enthusiastically acclaimed the courageous Master and Apprentices trio.
Divan touched his left shoulder as he stepped down from the planter. The blaster wound had long since faded away from the combination of his curato salva ability and his adeptness in Force Healing. He was able to touch his fur now without feeling the seething burns on his skin. It relieved and relaxed him immensely.
Larina showed the healed spot on her neck where the gangster with the vibroblade had almost cut beneath her skin. She indicated the shaved fur and how her Force Heal had regrown it. They, especially the female members of the group, gasped in horror as they felt the former wound, being very delicate in handling Larina's neck fur and showing their genuine relief at her safety.
After the debriefing, the Knights expressed their heartfelt sympathies.
"Don't feel bad about not findin' Tinarandel," Grundlink, a black-and-white Rat sitting on the planter, comforted them. "Ye can learn a whole lot from failure. Don't let it get ye down. Some things are just beyond our control, ye know? Ye've only got t' stan' back up an' try harder th' next time aroun'! Look on th' upside: ye saved an entire city from a domestic terrorist group that's plagued it for who knows how many standard years! How many Dantooine Jedi can say they've done that, eh?"
A male Kel Dor Jedi, Plu Sachuk, placed an empathetic paw on Larina's shoulder and entreated her through his helium breathing gear. "I sense something is troubling you, young Larina. Is everything calm in your mind?"
Larina opened her mouth as if to answer, but her voice was reluctant. She instead patted the Kel Dor's hand to ease his worries. "Yes, I'm fine, Plu. I'm sorry. But this is something I must keep to myself."
Plu Sachuk hesitated for a moment, then removed his hand. "I understand, Larina. If you need anyone to talk to, you can come to me."
Isozru, a female green-skinned Mirialan sitting on Divan's right, popped a black grape into her mouth. "Listen, both of you. Just because you failed in one part of your quest doesn't imply that you'll do the same at the rest of it. All you need do is keep trying. Perhaps there is something you haven't considered yet, some piece of the puzzle you're missing; or some small clue to the larger mystery you've overlooked. Don't give up. The Force is still speaking to you. You only have to…listen to it." She tapped their furry foreheads and smiled.
"What you accomplished on Corellia, against the swoop gangs and performing an immeasurable act of service that will be heralded for standard years to come; that's what you should focus your thoughts and energy on!"
But Divan shook his head in dismay. "I can't believe it. I can't believe that there is still more to this enigma than we previously thought. There is no more to be found. We've done everything, searched everywhere, and found nothing but a holopad and HoloNet news transcriptions."
His fellows hummed and shook their heads in disagreement, including Larina.
"You're no failures, none of you." a female sea-blue-skinned Faleen Jedi Sentinel named Fassal Gumiss reminded them. "You two are the best of our generation of Jedi Knights. Remember Onderon? How you two saved our butts in battle, twice?! We owe you both a great debt."
"Yes," Plu bent his head in gratitude. "Noble and selfless warriors such as yourselves mustn't despair. Such pessimism will get you nowhere. Trust in the Force, continually, and it shall direct your paths. Please do not give up. There is still more to be done, you'll see!"
Larina leaned over and put her paws on Divan's shoulders. "We can do this, Divan. We'll bring Tinarandel back to the Light. He'll come home."
On the opposite side of the courtyard, Larring sat with his fellow Jedi Masters.
"So, Cristo." the female Selonian Master Chuta Baé prompted him. "You said you and your Apprentices found something of…special interest, for want of a better word, in Tinarandel's apartment on Corellia?"
"Yes, Master Baé. We did." Larring verified. He neglected his pond trout and proceeded to elaborate in laconic detail about the discoveries at Treasure Ship Row.
Chuta extended her claws and scratched her fur-covered chin thoughtfully. "An evocative act indeed and violently unorthodox on the part of Tinarandel. In any case, the Council will want to hear about it, Cristo."
"You haven't a choice," the male Nautolan Master Zasserreh Bimparr added, peering rather pointedly at the Badger with his large dark maroon eyes, almost as if scrutinizing him. "You never know. This might change our fortunes, perhaps influence the chances of finding Tinarandel, for better or for worse."
"We won't know until we try, I reckon." As Larring drank his water, his ears twitched at the sounds of his Apprentices' voices.
"Master," Divan told him. "Larina wanted to let you know that we will be hanging out with the others at the Khoonda Plains."
"You go on," Larring granted his permission. "I'll meet you there after I report to the Council."
The Knights filed out of the courtyard in an eager herd. As soon as they were out of sight, Larring finished his fish, put his empty plate aside, stood up from the stone bench, and began pacing around the courtyard.
"What do we do now?" the Badger anxiously asked himself, pacing back and forth in front of the ash tree, his paws behind his back and his muzzle low. He knew the other Masters watched his meditative pacing but didn't even care.
"What do I do now? I must set an example for my Apprentices. I cannot give up, not for their sakes nor my own. What next? Where do I look now? What actions do I take from here?"
"Don't give up, Cristo," Zasserreh called after him standing at the exit through which the Knights had only seconds earlier disappeared. "The Force is abundant with answers. You simply have to ask the right questions."
"But what questions, Master Bimparr?" Larring debated to the Nautolan, turning on his heels with a quizzical look on his face. "Please do tell me what I'm missing. After what myself, Divan, and Larina endured on Corellia, after the swoop gangs, surely nothing can surprise us anymore."
"Have you deafened yourself to the voice of the Force, Cristo?" Chuta shamelessly criticized the Badger. "Surely your experiences on Corellia came as a result of your failure to listen to the promptings of the Force? It would have shown you the correct paths to the correct choices to make on Corellia, to lead you to the most beneficial outcomes and results. Yet, it seems you did none of the sorts, and that is why you failed to find Tinarandel on Corellia, and why you'll fail to find him anywhere else."
Larring clenched his fists and bit his lips to keep himself from lashing out in anger at the two other Masters.
"And you expect me to just stand passively while Tinarandel drifts further and further away from the grasp of the Jedi? Every single day, the distance between us and him grows ever greater. For what we can speculate, he may be traveling on the outskirts of the Unknown Regions by now, in pursuit of the Dark Side of the Force and its unspeakable mysteries of untold power. You want me to act as though everything is normal? Our inaction and indecision will one day be our undoing." He crossed his arms at them, frowning in displeasure, his whiskers bristling in annoyance.
"Secondly, for your information, I did not deafen myself to the Force. I used my abilities to their fullest to grant strength to my Apprentices and my allies that was needed in order to combat the swoop gangs. Divan and Larina felt their threat coming before I did. Would you dare accuse them of deafness?"
Never had the Masters ever heard such silence so earsplitting. Since neither could answer Larring, they sat back down to finish their food when a new sound drew their attention.
Exiting from a stone bunker came a short male Shrew dressed in silver-gray Jedi battle armor over his thick dark brown robe. He tapped the butt of a long maple cane rhythmically on the grassy ground. The others at once stood up from their bench and bowed low.
"Grandmaster Tipuka," Larring addressed the Shrew respectfully.
Grandmaster Tipuka smiled and bade the Badger stand straight. Although seriously short, as was typical of his species, his gray eyes reflected the glittering Dantooine sunlight, standing on his toes to place an encouraging paw on Larring's shoulder.
"Welcome 'ome, Cristo. I sense much despondence in ye. I warrant yer mission on Corellia was no success?"
No longer inclined to dishonesty, Larring nodded. "Aye, Grandmaster – I mean, no. I my Apprentices blundered in our quest for Tinarandel. They have gone to the Khoonda Plains with their fellow Knights. I intended to follow them after I'd finished my meal. But since your appearance, I have had a change of mind. With your permission, Grandmaster, I wish to present my findings to the Council. There is also an incontrovertible matter concerning a harrowing experience that we had that unavoidably must be heard."
Tipuka nodded sympathetically and withdrew his paw, placing it atop the other on the head of his cane. He rapped his fingers on the cane, thinking at nearly the speed of light. Finally, he beckoned his company to follow him into the bunker.
"Let us go to th' Council Chambers. Debrief th' Council, Cristo, beginnin' ta en'."
Jedi Enclave Council Chambers
"Swoop gangs? On Corellia?"
The male Bothan Jedi Master Vyr Chizil reclined in his tall cushioned silver steel armchair, scratching his chin in confusion.
"Homicidal swoop gangs killing innocent civilians in Coronet City? They killed Tinarandel's parents, too? And he avenged them? In a quest for bloody retribution, they returned in their revenge and sought to kill once again?"
Larring, standing in the middle of the Council Chamber, his paws humbly hidden in the sleeves of his robe, nodded respectfully.
"Aye, Master Chizil. You are correct in all your questions."
Chizil, having been gratefully answered, nodded and fell silent.
On the Bothan's right, Safillas the Ottermaid from Manaan raised a paw to inquire. "Why would Tinarandel do such monstrous thin's? Make such an un-Jedi-like choice an' take drastic action th' way 'e did?"
Larring shrugged. "Why must we ask questions that have no answers, Master Safillas? The truth of the matter is not Tinarandel. The truth lies in the former presence of swoop gangs on the planet of Corellia, and their scattered existence across the Galaxy, bringing terror and leaving all manners of violence in their wake. I say former for lack of a better word. The gangs are either exterminated or imprisoned now."
He knew he had to choose his next words carefully.
"Myself, Divan and Larina, Director Tristanas of Corellian Security and his three Squads and Tactical Response Team, and Feslar Kehamm of Treasure Ship Row all defeated them together. I sincerely apologize for our resorting to…non-pacifistic means."
"The fault t'ain't ours, Master Larrin'." Safillas shook her head. "What Tinarandel did completely violates tha Jedi Code. 'E must be brough' back t' Dantooine t' stan' before th' Jedi Council an' answer fer 'is crimes agains' th' Code."
"Crimes for bringing justice where it was needed the most?" Larring unfolded his sleeves and hung his paws down by his sides. The Badger was concealing a scowl, but the Masters saw the faintest portrait of irritation in his face. "He did what he felt was right. Are we, the Jedi of Dantooine, not the guardians of peace and justice to the Galaxy? Are we not supposed to stop oppression and fear and terrorism wherever it may dwell? Those gangs were thugs, terrorists, criminals! Murderers, plunderers, and pillagers! I could go forever with a list of adjectives! The Galaxy is safer without violent oppression! We secured a permanent peace on Corellia that will endure for decades to come!"
"It does not matter, Larring." Master Bimparr leaned forward in his chair on Chizil's left. "Tinarandel is still guilty for disobeying the Jedi Code. We will try him for his defiance. He leaned too close into the precipice of the Dark Side and it consumed his every sense of reason. We only want to pull him back into the glory and the purity of the Light."
"For the last time! That is not our priority at the moment, Zasserreh." Larring argued in a restrained tone bordering on stoic disgust. "You must understand that Tinarandel was desperate and at a loss with what to do with his life. He did what any violated Creature or Alien would do in such situations: he became a vigilante, Corellia's protector, and its hero. I would not drag him back to Dantooine to stand trial before you even if it cost me my own life. Besides…what if he no longer wants the glory and the purity of the Light? What if he fell into the precipice of the Dark Side exclusively of his own volition?
"Does it matter that Tinarandel exacted vengeance on swoop gangs? Is he a criminal like them for doing what he did? Or was he in his right logical mind and rational thinking with the strategy and tactical reasoning of a Jedi? He did leave our Order, and by extension, Dantooine. That is undeniable. Yet he still retained the wit and strength of a Jedi. He was – and still is – revered as Corellia's savior. I cannot deny that; nor can my Apprentices. Are we too at fault for choosing to fight furiously to subdue the gangs' newfangled threats to Coronet City and its established moral civilized society? Would you put Director Tristanas and Feslar Kehamm on trial as well? I will not stand to see such hypocrisy present within these hallowed halls!"
"What do you propose, then, Master Larring?" Chizil asked, dismissively as if trying to distance himself and the Council from any semblance of guilt. "Please, speak your mind."
"Having reached the very end of my patience, I feel I have spoken enough, Vyr." Larring folded his paws back inside his sleeves and gave the Bothan a sour look, sighing in exasperation. "The evidence likewise speaks for itself. Tinarandel is not the issue. Let us forsake conceit and closed-mindedness and turn our attention to the true plight of the Galaxy. Let us focus our energies and efforts on cleansing the Galaxy of these swoop gangs, so that none may suffer the horrific tragedies that Tinarandel and countless others before him have suffered. That is my mind."
"What say you, Grandmaster?" Baé turned to Tipuka. "You've been uncharacteristically quiet so far."
Tipuka was sitting back in his chair, slightly slumping and with his fingers together in a triangle shape across his robed chest. His maple cane lay vertically on the floor beside him.
"Larrin' is correct," the Shrew declared. "Tinarandel is outta our grasp. He has been for this past year an' a half, unfortunately. There's nuthin' we can do about him now. But that doesn't mean that we can give up hope."
Tipuka put his paws down on his armrests and looked up at Larring with a kind but noble authority.
"Cristo Larring, ye and yer Apprentices are ta continue yer quest to fin' Tinarandel. Let not yer mistakes an' lack of desired results on Corellia deter ye from findin' tha truth. Whatever traumas may have been inflicted on ye as a result of yer recent combat against tha swoop gangs of Corellia, cast them aside now, for they are in tha past. They are no more a pressin' or pertinent crisis. Wherever Tinarandel is, whatever he is up ta, he must be foun' at all costs. If an' when you return him, tha Council shall decide what is ta be done. Ye must not fail. Do ye understan'?"
Much as Larring wanted to argue, he could only bring himself to nod and bow. "Yes, Grandmaster. I understand."
Tipuka nodded back his approval. "Good. Then this Council is adjourned."
As the Masters filed out of the Chamber, Tipuka took Larring aside.
"A private word wit' ye, Cristo."
They later stood atop a low grassy stone balcony overlooking the south end of the Plains. Below them, the group of Jedi Knights either sat under the shade of a fully-grown oak tree or dipped their feet into the serene flowing rivers in the background. Larina and Divan were bathing in the riverbanks.
Tipuka and Larring shared a bowl of roasted chestnuts and watched the relaxing Knights from their perch. The Shrew lightly tapped the butt of his cane on the grass underfoot decorating the stone, a thinking habit of his. After a full wordless minute, he turned to Larring with empathy.
"Such incomprehensible acts o' rage Tinarandel performed on Corellia. I shudder ta think what tha swoop gangs might've done in retaliation had ye three not been there ta stop 'em. I see why ye reacted th' way ye did ta Tinarandel. This was not like him in tha slightest. Never even durin' tha Wars did he display such explosive tendencies. These facts do vex me greatly, I ain't ashamed ta confess."
"We still did not find him," the crestfallen Larring sighed. His ears drooped with hopelessness. "I know you depended on us, Grandmaster, as did the entire Order."
"We did depen' on ye, Cristo." Tipuka popped another cashew into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. "But circumstances occurred simply beyon' yer control, as some are made ta be. Did ye expect ta fin' tha news on Tinarandel's vigilante actions against tha swoop gangs? Did ye expect them ta make their dramatic retributive return? No, ye did not expect either, an' yet, there they are." His eyes moved not a centimeter from Larring's as he took another chestnut.
"But I want ye ta understan' somethin', Cristo. Failure is only in yar perspective. Any Jedi worth their Dantooine grass knows that. Divan an' Larina may feel that they failed. In reality, they have not, an' neither have ya. Much as ye may choose ta believe, so is tha reality oftentimes exactly tha opposite. All ye need do now is take tha first step into tryin' again. Take tha initiative ta try a different approach."
"So…that's it?" Larring growled in his chest irritably. "We give up? Just like that?"
"I never said ta give up, did I?" Tipuka gently chastened Larring. He pressed the head of his cane into the Badger broad chest. "I'm sorry, I should've spoken plainer. I suggested ye give up on lookin' at yer problem from one perspective, an' learn ta view it from another."
Tipuka rapped his cane on the ground and stared far out across the plains, lost in thought.
"Tinarandel was indeed meant to be the best of us," Larring commented, nibbling on his last pawful of chestnuts. "Remember the Second Battle of Althir? He was the first to charge into battle. Even before that, he used his Force Cloak to sneak past enemy lines and strike the Mandalorians unawares. On his initiative, without orders."
"Graduated top o' his Clan, too," Tipuka added, putting the empty bowl on the ground. "He studied an' mastered both Soresu an' Force Cloak in only two an' one-half years…He must be found, Cristo. Foun' an' taken home where he belongs." Tipuka stomped his cane hard on the stone to emphasize the seriousness of his words. "There can be no contendin' against this. Tinarandel must be returned ta tha Jedi. I promise ye we shall welcome him wit' open hearts an' arms."
"But what are we supposed to do now, Grandmaster?" Larring furrowed his brow and scratched his muzzle. "I don't understand where we are to go from here."
"Do as I said," Tipuka winked and turned on his heel. He picked up the bowl in his other paw. "Take my advice. Somethin' might happen if ye put yer min' ta it. Good day."
The Shrew descended the stone staircase from the balcony to the entrance of a bunker. Larring rushed to the top of the stairs to call after him.
"Wait, Grandmaster! What do I do? Tell me what to do!"
"Follow yer feelings, Cristo!" the Shrew called back over his shoulder. "The Force shall show ye tha way!"
Tipuka disappeared into the stone bunker that led back to the Enclave, leaving Larring alone on the balcony, feeling defeated.
Khoonda Plains, Dantooine Outback
At the bottom of the stairs, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply the fresh pure thin air of the outback. He'd missed such cleanness and healthy oxygen during his time on the industrialized and mechanical Corellia. The hot air of the Dantooine summer clashing with the cool breeze blowing from the nearby river created a calming relaxing contrast in the Badger's body. Larring exhaled peacefully and opened his eyes, and began making his way to the riverbank to join the Knights.
Larina stood up at the sight of his approach, drying her nape with a towel. "Master, I wanted to ask. Where are Masters Vrook Lamar, Kavar, and Zez-Kai Ell? Divan and I were hoping to see them here."
"Bpfassh," Grundlink answered with a disapproving shake of his head. "Somethin' about a search for an ancient Jedi Praexum there. Th' details are quite foggy. They never talked too much about it. I only heard about it by eavesdroppin' on their hushed whispers. They just up an' went without a trace while ye guys were on Corellia. Th' current Council is actin' in their stead."
"Bpfassh?" Divan standing behind Larina scratched his chin musingly. "Could that be perhaps where Tinarandel has gone? If he wanted to do something else with the Jedi, or perhaps form his Order? That's a real shame that the Masters aren't here. I do pray they're safe."
"That's a wild theory of Tinarandel, Div," Larring countered, seating himself cross-legged under the oak tree. "Difficult to support. We must take great care of how we speak of the Dark Side in this sacred place. It will bring us all bad luck."
"But we couldn't find him on Corellia, either, Master." Larina reminded the Badger. She passed the towel to Divan and folded her arms thoughtfully. "Where else is the most logical place to look aside from his homeworld?"
"No one knew where Tinarandel disappeared to after he spent a year on Corellia, remember?" Larring brought the concrete fact to mind. "Not Tristanas, not Feslar; not even the general populace of Coronet City found any evidence of where he went. He knew how to cover his tracks well. The task is left to us to sort out the pieces of the mystery, Rina."
"After our conflict with the swoop gangs," Divan shuddered as he hung the towel on a low oak branch. "I never want to go back to Corellia again, even if it is our homeworld." His two traveling companions both nodded in wholehearted agreement.
Larring stretched his legs out in relaxation and leaned flat against the oak tree, putting his arms paws contently behind his head. A certain light brown Ferret wearing a khaki shirt and breeches came over to him. He had a black mask-like fur covering on his face and held his dark brown robe over his shoulder to keep cool in the summer heat.
He sat down beside the Jedi Master and folded his robe in his lap. "Afternoon, Master Larring."
Larring kindly smiled and nodded at the Ferret, a Jedi Consular like himself. "Good afternoon, Fernleaf. I hope you're doing well. I didn't see you at lunch."
"Very well indeed, thank you, Master Larring." Fernleaf nodded back gratefully. "I'm sorry for what happened on Corellia. I was truly praying that Tinarandel would be there and that you would be able to return him home to Dantooine." He fidgeted with a green oak leaf on the ground, thinking deeply. "Your Apprentices told me the details of your mission. I was researching neutral worlds of the Force. I wanted to try to pin down the most likely worlds Tinarandel may have traveled to after he disappeared from Corellia."
"That is very dedicated of you, Fernleaf." Larring admirably complimented the inquisitive Jedi scholar. "It is like Tinarandel to seek out worlds rich in the Force. Perhaps those of the Light? But where? There are too many to consider."
"Maybe it's because we're looking in the wrong place." Fernleaf tilted his head to one side and scratched his scalp, pondering. "Tython? If Tinarandel wanted to discover the Force in its purest form, then Tython is the place to go. But even that seems most unlikely. What about Coruscant?"
Fernleaf straightened his head and moved his paw down to his chin. "Nah, that's impossible. If he abandoned the Jedi of Dantooine, he'll abandon them of Coruscant, too. Same doctrines, same ideologies, same teachings, same concepts of the Force. It's no wonder he became so disaffected with us. If we failed him, they'll fail him, too."
"Pardon my interjection," Isozru stood in front of them, raising a thoughtful finger. "But wasn't there a Jedi Tower on Taris once upon a time?"
"That's right!" Fernleaf snapped his claws. "You're right, Isozru! Perhaps Tinarandel went to Taris to try to find that Jedi Tower? A different sense of the Force may dwell there, it's probable!"
"We can sit here all day and write out a list of possibilities late into the night, Fernleaf." Larring sighed and put his face in his paws. "We'll never make any headway, no matter how many ideas we come up with."
"We must at least try," Fernleaf entreated the Jedi Master. "How about Alpheridies, the other school for the Force mystics? Although I can't ever imagine Tinarandel ever wanting to do anything like that. Mysticism never was his type."
"I remember Tinarandel telling me once a few standard years ago about his interest in becoming a healer after graduating from the Enclave," Plu Sachuk proposed, standing against the tree, his arms folded casually. "His siblings told me the same thing. So, he definitely would've gravitated to the academies on Rhinnial or H'ratth to learn the healing arts of the Force. What if he stuck to that dream – and maybe even fulfilled it? When he lost his loved ones on Dxun, might he have become determined to heal wounds of every kind and ensure no other suffered as he did?"
"Yet he was of the Guardian rank, too." Fernleaf debated matter-of-factly, pointing at the Kel Dor. "It's not far off to guess that he joined the academy at Socorro." Unoffended, Plu shrugged it off.
"Come off it already!" Divan grumbled and stared at the group with a rather unnecessary amount of dubiety. "We're going nowhere with this!"
"Divan is right," Larina agreed, wrapping her brown Jedi robe around herself under the shade of the oak tree. "Too much to think about. We're just wasting our time."
"Who's to say Tinarandel did continue to pursue the Light Side of the Force?" Fernleaf suggested, laying his paws in his lap and looking up at the other with a serious expression. "What if…he's already turned away from it? What if – and I hate to mention it again – he has already turned over to the Dark Side, and decided instead to quest after the darkness of the spectrum?"
"As absurd as that sounds, Fernleaf…" Larring muttered with major trepidation. "…I fear you may be right."
When none answered, he lifted his palms defensively and shrugged. "Something to meditate on. I'm of a mind to meditate now. My Apprentices, would you like to join me in meditation in the Garden Rooms down in the Sublevel?"
All the Jedi Knights separated into their respective activities. Larring, Divan, and Larina descended into the Sublevels of the Enclave.
Behind the other two, Larina snuck her paw into the collar of her tunic and removed her purple Kyber Crystal necklace. She turned the gem over and over in her paws, pondering on it. The crystal's glow had never once dimmed during their mission on Corellia. The crystal had guided her every action during their battle with the swoop gangs. Even against the one who'd almost had their way with her with the vibroblade; the Force prompted her through the crystal to sever that gangster's arm. It never failed her. It showed her visions of how to destroy the swoop bikes, and what maneuvers and techniques to use in her chosen discipline of Ataru during the entirety of the battle. Deep in her heart, she hoped it would continue to guide and protect her.
"Rina? Are you keeping up?"
Divan came walking back down the corridor. Larina hastily tried to stuff the necklace back beneath her tunic. Divan stopped in his tracks, turning his head to one side and staring at her dubiously with narrowed eyes.
"Hey…what was that?" The tone in which he asked was one of surprisingly genuine curiosity.
Larina jumped in fright. The necklace fell from her paws and dangled conspicuously on its chain. Divan walked authoritatively over to her and caught the heart-shaped Kyber crystal in his fingers. He recognized it immediately, then looked at Larina, who was hanging her head in shame.
"What is this, Rina? How did you get it?" Divan's tone was firm but not angry.
Larina gulped and trembled on the spot. Divan could sense she was losing her composure. Her Force aura was beginning to slip and she looked almost on the verge of tears.
"Larina…" Divan closed his fingers around the Kyber crystal. "It's okay. You don't need to be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to know what this is and how you got it. Did someone give it to you?"
Larina opened her eyes tentatively. She dared not look at Divan in his own. Instead, she drew on the Force to push Divan away. Not seeing it coming, he stumbled back a couple of feet and nearly slipped on a patch of grass underfoot. He steadied himself and stood straight, folding his arms impatiently.
Larina turned away and closed her eyes again. She clutched her necklace and held it to her lips. She still trembled, more noticeably this time.
Behind her, Divan gasped in realization.
"Rina…did Tinarandel give that to you?"
Larina did not answer for half a minute. Finally, she spoke through her closed fist.
"Y…yes…But…his sister Isidith made it. Tinarandel gave it to me…before…before we joined the Wars."
Divan heard her through the Force. He knew she could hear him through the same.
Larina opened her eyes, but did not lift her head and only held the necklace to her heart. She channeled curato salva to placate her shaking body and her anxious heart. Divan recognized the same Control technique that he'd used to heal his shoulder wound inflicted from the swoop gangs. He had no choice but to word his next question mindfully.
"Rina…was there something going on between you and Tinarandel that we don't know about?"
Larina's breath caught in her throat. For half a minute she did not answer. Divan, though loath to ask again, repeated his original statement.
"Larina, I don't want to hurt you. Please…just tell me the truth."
"That…that is the truth, Divan." Larina choked. "I have told you nothing less than the truth." She found her courage and turned around to face him.
"Tinarandel and me…are – or were – in love. Truly and deeply."
Now Divan's breath stopped short in his throat. His mind filled with a thin fog of surprise and perplexity – but only briefly. Larina had indeed been honest. The fog lifted from his eyes, and they were opened to the truth of everything.
Sighing in despair, Divan gathered his emotional faculties. He slowly came abreast of Larina and placed his sympathetic paws on her shoulders.
"Who else knows, Larina?"
"Both Isidith and Vadrieriand knew…" Larina whispered tentatively. "And now you. Master Larring doesn't know. He wouldn't understand. We shouldn't tell him." She slipped from Divan's grasp and turned around to face him, dropping the crystal from her fist and letting it hang just above her breasts.
"Do you think it's easy for me to keep it secret? After what we went through on Corellia, I don't worry more and more about Tinarandel's safety. I too wouldn't have thought to search for my birth parents after you brought it up at CorSec? Remember what Director Tristanas said about our parents? Yours are on Coruscant, Divan. That means, Force willing, you can perhaps visit and be reunited with them, work with them in their metal foundry if you wanted to! But mine are dead, Divan, deceased! Just like our Jedi brothers and sisters and the countless Republic soldiers whose bodies to this day still litter the battlegrounds of the dozens of planets we fought across in the Mandalorian Wars! I lost everything after Tinarandel left the Order. I thought I could at least find the parents who birthed me. But it seems…now I never will."
She stared deep into Divan's warm consoling eyes, his face crestfallen and riddled with tangible guilt.
"I'm sorry, Rina. I shouldn't have asked. I'll never ask about it again."
Divan turned to resume walking the corridor, but Larina grabbed his paws. He stared back into her eyes full of tears, begging, pleading.
"Divan, this isn't your fault. You didn't know. I forgive you. Please don't dwell on it, okay?"
Divan nodded wordlessly. Larina reached out and placed her paws on his shoulders.
"Now that you know the truth, please promise me something." Her voice was a cracked breathless whisper. "When we find Tinarandel – if we find him – promise me…you won't hurt him. Promise me, Divan."
Her entreating words penetrated Divan's mind, piercing through the shell of his skull and into the core of his brain. Larina was making a genuine advocation for Tinarandel, and he knew it. Her and Tinarandel, their love was true and romantic. They knew the risks and chose to take them anyway.
Divan turned around and grasped her paws on his shoulders, staring deep for the last time into those hazel eyes tainted by the darkness of the stone corridor.
"I promise, Larina. I won't hurt Tinarandel. I'll spare his life. You have my word."
Larina hesitated for a short moment, then nodded and removed her paws from Divan. She stared at him solemnly and exhaled, her chest falling in defeat.
"I have your word, Divan. I'm holding you to it."
They resumed walking the corridor to catch up to Master Larring in the Sublevel.
"What do you think our parents would've been like, Div?" Larina wondered aloud.
Divan was staring ahead across the hallway, his mind wandered off into far-fetched thoughts. He wrenched his paws together and sighed sadly, looking down at his feet in shame.
"They would've loved us, Rina…At least, I'm certain yours would've loved you than mine ever did."
Jedi Enclave Sublevel, Garden Chamber
Beneath the Jedi Enclave's central courtyard dwelt the large Garden Chamber, decorated by wide basins of summer flowers hanging down over the stone edges of the containers. The Chamber itself sat on a raised dais, illuminated by natural sunlight from the world above and a short stone bench in the center.
The Jedi sat cross-legged on the dais in a closed circle in front of the stone bench. Larring had his back to the bench, his albino fur glowing under the sunlight. Divan was on his right, flowering vines wreathed over his shoulders. Larina sat between the two, facing the enormous stone planters.
Divan's mind dwelt on what he'd just learned from Larina, about her and Tinarandel's secret forbidden love. He had to admit: he admired the shrewdness of their secrecy. How they gained the mental and emotional fortitude to maintain their secret for the entirety of the Mandalorian Wars was something far beyond his understanding. Try as he might to distract himself and think of something else, he could scarcely keep the troubling thoughts at bay, and they dwelt at the forefront of his mind like phantoms of the Force.
Meanwhile, Larina recited the primary line of the Jedi Code to herself repeatedly during the meditation, to suppress her emotions and keep her thoughts leashed from Tinarandel. The Kyber crystal necklace pulsed beneath the collar of her tunic, almost like a beating heart, reminding her of him. But she didn't want to be reminded, trying to recite the Code in its entirety in her head. It seemed to grant her some sufficient measure of comfort and composition. Her sorrows from earlier drifted away, as if expelled out into hyperspace. The beating of the Kyber crystal hanging from its chain just below her collarbone lessened, glowing unnoticeably dim beneath the fabric of her robes.
Tinarandel…Isidith…Vadrieriand…I will keep it safe, for you. I promise.
Larring cast his broadened vision into the future, to foresee how to find Tinarandel, and where to search across the Galaxy. He thought back on Grandmaster Tipuka's advice.
Stop looking at the problem from my current perspective, and learn to view it from another.
He cast his consciousness further, into the very void of the Force. Suddenly, his mind's eye opened, and a peculiar vision materialized, tangible in both nature and shape.
He saw a world of thick orange dust and abrasive brown sands, of towering conic structures and gigantic statues of faceless beings with their heads hung and their bodies forced into humble, submissive poses; a world that pierced through his body with the aura of the Bogan, the very essence of the Dark Side of the Force. It was a half-world of darkness lit only by the fire of a fading sun. Dotting its landscape were ancient tombs and crypts of unspeakable malicious beings from millennia past, their identities long lost to the ages. The very air was torn asunder with screaming winds and terrible storms that scratched through Larring's fur and into his skin. A world of the Dark Side itself, and no welcome presence of the Light.
In the middle of it all, a brown-furred Squirrelan, garbed in black Sith robes and a red tunic and holding a crimson lightsaber in his left paw…and a strange pyramid-shaped artifact in his right paw.
As Larring raised his paw to shield his eyes from the sandstorm, the Squirrelan too looked directly at him. He closed his paw over the artifact and gripped his lightsaber tighter. His eyes glowed a penetrating fiery yellow. His body was filled with Darkness.
The Squirrelan raised his lightsaber above Larring and swung it straight downwards.
Larring awoke to the sound of his short heaving. He slumped back against the stone bench, holding his head and chest. He could feel cold sweat streaming down his temples.
Divan and Larina hurried over to their Master and helped him sit up straight.
"Master! What happened?" asked the unsettled Divan.
"Did you see a vision, Master?" Larina placed her paw on Larring's chest and channeled the Force to calm the Badger's palpitating heart.
Larring placed his paws on his Apprentices' shoulders. He stared at them with a grave demeanor.
"I know where Tinarandel is. I know where he's gone."
He moved to stand, and the two Squirrelans helped him to his feet. He fixed his robe and stepped off the dais, his serious expression unchanging.
"Master," Divan and Larina both held his arms, pleading. "Tell us what you saw!"
Larring hesitated. Dare he reveal the terrible truth of the planet he witnessed, the answer to all their questions since Corellia, and the culmination of Fernleaf's tireless studies?
"We must go to the Jedi Archives. Grandmaster Tipuka lifted the exclusivity to Masters and has allowed Jedi of all ranks to enter it as they please. Let's see if we can reserve ourselves a map table."
"What's wrong, Master? You saw Tinarandel in your vision?" Divan stared quizzically at his Master as they started down the stone tunnel to the Archives.
"Why must we speak of the Dark Side in the Enclave?" Larina asked fearfully, shaking her head in disbelief. "Haven't we done that enough today already? There are too many worlds of the Sith to consider. Where would Tinarandel possibly go?"
They eventually gathered around a map table, inputting galactic coordinates into its database.
"When Fernleaf suggested that Tinarandel could've gone on a quest for the Dark Side, he wasn't wrong." Larring did not look up from his keyboard and continued typing meticulously. "What we dreaded has come true. Tinarandel is indeed searching for the Darkness. For what reasons and why I dare not imagine."
"But where?!" The other two demanded.
Larring integrated his completed code.
"Here."
The holotable surface projected the spherical image of a planet above and around the Jedi, titled diagonally on its axis. It was colored by burned orange sands and ringed by layers of asteroid belts, suspended comets, and space debris. The rings encircled the Jedi and floated threateningly around them.
Divan and Larina named the planet without a second's reluctance.
"Is that…Korriban?!" Divan's face was chalk-white.
"The birth world of the Sith?" Larina added, her voice breathless with fear.
Larring stared sternly into the depths of the dark world and nodded. "Yes, this is Korriban, in the Stygian Caldera. Tinarandel may be on his way there if he is not there already. This is where the Dark Side is born, and Tinarandel is on a quest for it. This is the place the Force showed me. It has never lied to us. It has shown us the truth about everything."
"Tinarandel…" Larina whispered under her breath, putting a paw to her mouth in disbelief. "What are you doing, my love?"
"I'm sorry, Rina, what did you say?" Larring asked apologetically. "My apologies, I wasn't listening."
"Nothing, Master." Larina shook her head. "Nothing at all."
"Well, now we know where Tinarandel is!" Divan switched the holotable back to its default mode. "That's it! We're going to Korriban!" He made to leave the Archives and re-ascend to the surface of the Enclave.
"Wait!" Larina called after the male Squirrelan. "How are we going to get there? We don't even have a ship that can survive a trip to the Stygian Caldera!"
"Yes, we do!" Divan was already grinning pridefully over his shoulder. "Mine!"
Jedi Enclave Landing Pad
The Wyvern Disciple is a Corellian-made XS stock light freighter, repurposed and redesigned from its original smuggling purpose into a Jedi-styled miniature spacecruiser. It belonged to none other to Divan Tonaka. He knew how to manage it, how to care for it, and of course, how to fly it.
The freighter had seen extensive use during the Mandalorian Wars, serving as both combat vessel, home base, and sanctuary. It had traveled to Althir, to Duro, to Onderon, and Dxun, among many other planets during the bloody brutal conflict. It was perhaps by some divine miracle of the will of the Force that it managed the disaster at Malachor V. Now, after a period of inertia, the Wyvern Disciple was ready to fly again.
"While we were on the Ixion coming back from Christophsis," Divan explained as they stood on the Enclave's landing pad, waiting for the ship to be brought to them on the apron. "I made a long-distance call to Dantooine asking for my ship to be tuned up. I had a strange feeling that we'd need to use it sooner or later, whenever we left again to search some other planet for Tinarandel. So, I wanted it prepared ahead of time." He sighed and shook his head skeptically. "I just never imagined we'd use it to fly to Korriban."
"Overcoming your dislike of hyperspace travel now, are you, Divan?" Larring jested with a harmless smirk.
Divan stuck his tongue out at the joking Badger. "Very funny, Master. Consider it therapy. Besides, I'm the one doing the piloting now. I'll decide what happens in hyperspace this time."
"'Fear is naught more than a mere determinant, a powerful motivator to give everything you've got to a situation to achieve your wanted results.'"
"Is that an ancient Jedi proverb, Master?" Divan put his paws behind his head and furrowed his brow. "I've never heard that one."
Larring chuckled and ruffled Divan's headfur. "No, I didn't come up with that, Divan. It was something that the leader of CorSec's Sarlaac Squad said to me before we left Corellia. She was a Rat if I remember rightly. Her words have stuck with me ever since. Her statement was very thought-provoking and evocative. It made me wonder about the dichotomy of fear and courage. Which emotion, which state of mind do we allow to rule us and influence our actions? I've been waiting for the right time to say it to you two ever since then. Besides, a day at our sacred Enclave wouldn't be complete without some Jedi wisdom imparted, now would it?
"One more piece of wisdom I wish to give to you, my children…" Larring warmly placed his paws on the two Squirrelans' shoulders. "My son and daughter in the Force, my Apprentices…Please do not be afraid to be afraid. Your feelings are valid, and your emotions are real. Your thoughts, too, can guide your ways through the Force. They are the keys to the doors of your instincts, and in turn, your actions. Listen to them, pay attention to them. Anything will be possible if you follow what your instincts say.
Meditate on what I have said. Never stop searching for your own enlightenment. Nothing is impossible with the Force."
Larina patted Divan on the back. "Don't worry, Div. I'm sure you'll get comfortable with it someday. It just takes one step at a time." She pointed out to the landing pad's west end. "Look, there she is!"
The three Jedi climbed the loading ramp and entered the mighty Corellian freighter. Divan instantly rushed to the cockpit.
He swiped away a thin sheet of dust in the air and shook his head nostalgically. "She's seen much better days. I haven't had the chance to even take her out for a joyride since the Wars ended."
He sat down in one of the pilot's seats, pressing a few buttons, pushing and pulling a couple of levers, and flipping about three or four switches. The ship responded to his every command, beeping, squeaking, and chirping to life, ready to be flown by her old Jedi master.
"Good to see you again, girl," Divan whispered to it, fitting his paws around the controls and running his soft palms across the dashboard. "I've missed you, too. Time for a new trip into the unknown."
"She's never let us down," Larring slid into the other seat. "I have faith in her abilities to make it to Korriban."
Larina booted up a navigation console and proceeded to enter the proper coordinates into the navicomputer. "The sooner we get going, the sooner we can get there." She turned to the other two, her face confident and hopeful. "May the Force be with us!"
Divan retracted the landing gear and lifted the freighter into the air. It wobbled slightly in place, almost as if tentative to fly after years of rest.
"Come on, don't fail me now!" Divan prompted the ship. "You can do it! Do it for me!"
Larring and Larina held onto their armrests for dear life while Divan straightened the ship. Finally, it shook with the full power of its activated thrusters.
Divan laughed out loud triumphantly. "Yeah! She's back in action! That's my Wyvern Disciple!"
His company watched in awe at his expert ability to handle such a massive spacecraft with relative ease. Out of the window on the landing pad, the rest of the Order waved farewell to them. They made sure to wave back before flying out of sight of the Enclave.
Larina settled into her sleeping quarters after the Disciple had left the Dantooine atmosphere She hung up her robe on a wall hook beside her locker and stretched her limbs to relax. Leaving her locker, her eyes fell on a picture frame sitting in the bookshelf beside her bed. It contained a picture of her and Tinarandel from so many standard years ago, long before the Wars, standing together underneath the very same oak tree by the river which she and the other Knights had today hung out.
Tinarandel had his arms folded casually and was smiling contently, leaning against the trunk beneath the hanging leaves. Larina was standing to his right, slightly closer to the sunlight with a wide-eyed sunny expression, her paws folded formally over each other in front of her. Flanking them from above, two pairs of Squirrelan legs dangled from the edges of supportive tree branches: Tinarandel's siblings.
Larina reached out and caressed her love's face longingly.
Hold on, Tinarandel. We're coming for you.
The Wyvern Disciple exited Dantooine orbit and nailed its first-attempt jump into hyperspace, its course set straight for Korriban.
