hi guys, my first ever fanfic. please be patient and give as much feedback as you're comfortable giving.
My goal here is to look at the character Kreia from KOTOR 2 TSL as a human being with reasonable-ish actions and motivations. I also want to pivot this into a novelization of KOTOR 2 depending on how time allows.
Kreia
Kreia couldn't remember anything about herself before she was brought to Dantooine. That's to be expected though, she was brought to the Jedi temple on her homeworld as a very young girl. Now she was 11 years old; almost a teenager. She was one of the most gifted younglings at the Enclave; even Master Vandar said The Force flowed strongly through her. He was the wisest Master on the whole Council (even though he's wrinkly and shorter than I am)
The Jedi Masters took turns teaching the Younglings. Kreia made sure to pay extra attention on days when Vandar was teaching the younglings; someday she hoped to be his padawan. Vandar knew everything there was about the force and was really, really old. Hopefully I'll never look old like him, she thought.
Kreia's walk to class from her dormitory wasn't a long one, but it did not go by easily. Another child approached her with malicious intent. Youngling Stefanus was always jealous that Kreia was smarter and more powerful than he was, so he always bothered her. He'd call her names like "Craven Kreia" or just "Ugly Kreia" because he was jealous. Today he didn't say anything, he only kicked the back of her heels as she walked. She could feel the impulse to hit him in his stupid face. There is no emotion, there is peace, Kreia reminded herself. It is good that I can ignore him like a good Jedi.
In the heart of the Enclave was a grassy hill with an old tree; it's leaves had turned red and fallen to the ground. This was where one of the Masters would give their lectures every afternoon. Youngling Stefanus ran ahead to make sure he'd get to the top of the hill first. Kreia climbed slowly and made sure to step on as many of the crunchy leaves as she saw on the way up; they made a very satisfying sound. Today Master Vandar would be the one lecturing.
Even with Kreia sitting down, she was still almost as tall as Vandar was. All of the younglings sat in a semi circle around him as he told his story. Kreia played back in the grass and looked into the sky. An orange leaf was slowly drifting to the ground. She always felt so at peace listening to the master's talk.
"...He had tried and failed 3 times to get his cell open, when finally he turned to his Sith jailer and used a Jedi Mind Trick to make him open his cell." Mind Trick?
"What's a Mind Trick?" Kreia asked.
"Grow in the force you will, learn to control minds you might." Master Vandar said.
"So wait," Kreia began, "you could control my mind?"
"Through The Force, possible, anything is." Vandar said.
Then Vandar did something Kreia would never forget.
He waved his hand and said "Be quiet and pay attention to the story, you will."
"I'll be quiet and pay attention to the story." Kreia repeated. My mind isn't safe, she thought. How violating.
After class, many of the younglings would play near the pond outside the Enclave. Sometimes they threw rocks into the pond and watched the way the ripples spread outwards, other times they'd play with sticks and beat each other mercifully. Today though, Youngling Stefanus decided they would play tag.
"Kreia's it," Stefanus said before he and the other kids ran from her.
This wasn't the first time Stefanus had forced her into this role; had ostracized her; had made her an "it." Kids ran from her, as perhaps they should. The Jedi Masters sometimes spoke of Sith Lords who could slaughter their enemies with storms of lightning; Kreia allowed herself a few moments to picture the children around her spasming from electric shock. There is no emotion; there is peace, Kreia reminded herself of the first axon of the Jedi Code. Then she chased Stefanus.
Youngling Stefanus was the fastest of the younglings and the meanest. Ordinarily she'd never be able to catch them, but Kreia had a secret technique. She found a Jedi hologram in the library that had taught her Force Speed. She used her balance and connection to the force to push herself faster towards Stefanus. He glanced beside and the look on his face was one of fear, Kreia liked that look. When she tagged him, she pushed him hard and he fell to the ground.
"That's not fair!" Stefanus shouted.
"Fair? Are there rules to the games we play Stefanus? Do you think your whims dictate our lives?" The other younglings stared at Kreia. Let them stare, they're fools if they can't see Stefanus for what he is: A future Sith. A failure of The Order.
"No one else uses the force in this game Ugly, that's cheating!" Stefanus was angry. Already this one has forgotten our code, Kreia thought.
"How can it be cheating when we never agreed to rules Stefanus? You're being dull and letting your emotions overwhelm you." Kreia smiled; nothing brought her more happiness than telling others that they're failures.
Stefanus pushed her and Kreia fell to the ground. She was strong in the Force but not in the body and when Stefanus started hitting her she knew she couldn't resist. Each blow sent a spike of pain into her but Kreia wouldn't let him see her cry. The other younglings just crowded around them and watched. What Jedi these ones are, she thought. There are no defenders of the weak here.
"HEY!" A voice shouted from the Enclave. A man in Padawan robes ran to Kreia's rescue. "Get away from her! Youngling, what are you doing?"
Stefanus stepped away from her, "She started it." He claimed.
"I did not," Kreia said, "It would be foolish indeed for me to fight someone so clearly my superior."
"Stefanus, why are you picking on Kreia again?" The padawan asked.
"Honest, I wasn't. She was cheating at tag."
"So you admit you hit her first?" The padawan said.
"No, you see-"
"I don't want to hear it, go back to the Enclave. I'll tell the masters about this." The padawan said.
The kids scattered and soon it was only Kreia and the padawan alone by the lake, "Are you okay Youngling?" The man asked Kreia.
"For now, though you must know that this is a temporary reprieve, Stefanus won't be stopped and there won't always be a Jedi around to protect me. Youngling Stefanus will never be able to control his emotions, at every turn he betrays the Jedi Code." Kreia looked at this padawan. He was probably 16 and as tall as any grown up.
"After I tell the Masters, they'll talk to him and sort it all out. You'll be okay."
"I've told the masters before, they're blind or apathetic to my struggle. They can't or won't see the pain and destruction Stefanus will bring." Kreia picked up a small rock.
"What do you mean pain and destruction? He's only a boy." The padawan frowned.
"Perhaps, but Exar Kun was only a boy once as well. I wonder how much war and bloodshed could have been prevented if someone ended him when he was still a boy. Before the Dark Side had a chance to take him in full. How many Jedi would still be alive?" Kreia threw the small rock into the lake and watched the ripples grow ever larger.
"Many of our order would still be alive," The Padawan nodded, "Exar Kun was a disgrace to our order. Go inside Kreia, I'll make sure that you will be safe."
Kreia smiled. From such small things, great ripples can be made. It was three weeks later when Youngling Stefanus went missing. They never told the other younglings what happened to him, but Kreia had a suspicion that her and the ripples she made were the cause. Now, she was safe.
end of chapter/prologue