Chapter 1: A gift or a curse?
Nelo Hivaarr. Born on Alderaan into the family ofmerchant captain Tuskal Hivaarr and lieutenant of the naval security forces, Ella Hivaarr, he was uniquely gifted in the Force. This human child with deep, contemplating, purple eyes, red hair, fair complexion had manifested his talent at an early age. He was only two years old when he started levitating objects in his room, which included his bed, his closet and the nearby table, one by one and soon after, all of them at once. When his parents found out about this, they decided to hide his talents and instead tried to raise him as a normal child. However, they were only partially succesful, as they young boy, just like another force-sensitive, was a fast learner; in his case, he practically abosorbed any sort of knowledge akin to a buffer, prompting his parents to hire personal teachers of higher and higher qualification, much to their annoyance. Not too long after he turned four years old, he even took his father's ship for a joyride, earning himself a beating and was grounded for two full weeks, locked in his room. With regard to weapons, he built himself a blaster from all sorts of leftover parts that he found scattered around his house. Setting it on stun, he played with it for a while, until his mother came to check on him. Scared by her unexpected appearence, he shot her. His father, having witnessed the whole scene, barged in the room, disarming Nelo and slapping him hard.
Feeling cornered and threatened, he used the Force to push his father into a nearby wall, hitting him so hard that bone-crushing sounds could be heard.
The five year old child that was Nelo Hivaarr couldn't take it anymore and did one of the most reckless things one may think of. He packed as many stuff as he was able to: food, clothing, his makeshift blaster, a map of Alderaan's port cities and some credits, leaving a note behind, begging his parents to forgive him for everything he put them through and not seek him.
Alone and afraid, but not looking back, as it would have been to painful, he lived his self imposed exile in an unusually dangerous way. Going from city to city, doing small jobs, like carrying messages and crates, smuggling weapons parts and illegal credits, using his powers to aid others in gambling, the like. That was why people wanted to kidnapp him, either for his skills, or for a potential ransom. Other times, he was subjected to pickpocketing attempts and violence. Imagine their faces when he either revealed his now upgraded, deadly blaster or force-pushed them into walls, on the ground, or over the edge of platforms. Luckily enough, such incidents happened at night, so the local police wasn't able to track him down or charge him for anything.
Four days before he would have turned six years old- and celebrate that moment in a tent on the edge of the market town of Aisilio II- something unexpected took place. A hooded figure, a ... zabrak man in his late thirties, by the looks of it, approached him. Naturally, Nelo went for his blaster and aimed it at him, but the stranger seemed... amused? Unimpressed? He couldn't really tell, but he wasn't stopping.
When the hooded figure was less than a meter in front of him, Nelo retorted to his incredibly strong force push, sending the zabrak seven meters aback.
" Keep away, if you don't wanna end up like the others!" he warned him with his childish, yet menacing voice.
There was no one else around them that night, in that shady part of the town. Streets were empty, quiet, the wind had stopped blowing and the air was chillier than usual. Nelo would have liked to enjoy the atmosphere of the cozy tent that he had built himself, but it seemed like fate had other plans. Why wouldn't the universe leave him alone, at peace, for once?
The zabrak man, visibly impressed, did not relent. Instead, he approached the boy again, while he finally answered the human's silent question:
" You may not believe it, but it was you that called out to me, even if you didn't realise it!" he spoke with a friendly, low pitched voice.
" I didn't call for you! If anything, I implored fate to give me peace for a while, not any more nuisances like you!" the boy answered with an unusually agressive tone.
" That's just it, young one!..." the zabrak said as he pulled Nelo's blaster out of his hands and pocketed it.
" HEY! That's mine! Give it back!" the boy shouted, not realising that he had a jedi in front of him.
" The Force- or fate, as you've called It-, through it, you have called for help in controlling your powers and finding a purpose for them and yourself; it's no use denying it! I have answered that call and have decided to take you to the Jedi Temple!"
" What's a jedi?" Nelo asked with a suspicious tone, eyes still on the blaster.
" The Jedi Order is a group, call it an organisation, or people gathered from all parts of the galaxy, that serve the Light side of the Force, the entity you often regard as fate. By abiding to a strict code and deeply rooted traditions, we learn how to detach ourselves from our feeling, thus mastering our powers and using them for the greater good. We become attuned to the will of the universe!"
"... aaand, where do I fit in that cheme of yours?" Nelo asked pessimisticly.
He never had a true purpose in life, truth be told. He lived for himself, caring only for his well being, his only concern being getting past each day. He tried making friends, but, between his parents's jobs and his freaky Force powers, he didn't manage to bond with anyone at all. Even if he felt content with his lonely life, he yearned for something more. So, perhaps this jedi in front of him really did say the truth, about being called here by him.
The zabrak sat down, close to Nelo and watched him as he was insistantly looking for an answer to his daily problems over his last months, if noyt years. Finally, the jedi spoke:
" My name is Krav Erladin! i am a jedi Knight serving the Gallactic Republic and the Order by searching out force-sensitive children like you. So, to answer your question, Nelo Hivaarr, you would be taken to the Jedi Temple, trained as a youngling for your first years. After that, you would become a padawan and shall be appointed a master to guide you through the mysteries of the Force and hone your battle and mental skills."
After some more talking, which extended up until dawn, Nelo Hivaarr accepted master Erladin's proposal of joining the Order. He was brought before the High Council of the Jedi, which was composed of: Master Yoda, the green, gremlin like creature that was the wisest and oldest of jedis; Mace Windu, his second in command, a severe, black skinned man that must have had a superiority issue, Masters Plo Koon, Saese Tiin, Agen Kolar, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Kit Fisto, Shaak Ti and Obi Wan Kenobi. As strange as it may seem, the tenth place was empty.
They tested him in various ways. He had to lift many small components of a machine- all at once- and assemble it, without dropping even a piece. After that, he had to sense hidden panels scattered all over the room and use the force to push them in a certain order; again, nothing too difficult. Some time later, after finishing another phyisical test by force jumping over hologram obstacles, he saw that every one of these masters were carrying a strange bar shaped object, that was probably a weapon. Intrigued, he used the force to pull master Kenobi's lightsaber from its belt support. Quickly inspecting the strange weapon, he unwittingly activatd ot by pressing a button and, with a hissing sound, ocean blue light filled the now silent room. Both scared and curious, Nelo touched the blue plasma with his left hand before anyone was able to stop him. He let out a scream of pain and dropped the lightsaber on the ground.
Quickly grabbing his hand, master Yoda inspected it, only to find out that it was unharmed, save for a minor scar two inches long on Nelo's palm.
" Intriguing, this new situation, is! Your powers, youngling, many of our students's, outweigh! Fast, instinctive, healing powers, you have!" he said with his usual backward talking habit, as he went back to his seat.
It was master Windu's turn:
" I also sensed a strong aura surrounding your palm, as it made contact with the blade. Care to explain that?" he asked, accusatory.
The soon to be six year old was confused. He didn't know how or what to answer. He was afraid of the severe, brown coloured bald man talking down on him. His gaze seemed to be piercing his heart, his soul even...
" Master Windu, please, let's not make this seem like a judicial trial!" Obi Wan Kenobi interrupted.
" It wasn't an accusatory tone, master Kenobi! This youngling here has powers that shoudln't have surfaced into any other force-sensitive! We must discover their nature, their origin and guide those powers towards the better future of the galaxy!"
They started debating as to how to approach this issue. Nelo Hivaarr, as they've just witnessed, was able to use force push, force pull, force powered jumps and sense hidden objects of interest around him. Unusual for his age- without proper training- but not impossible. Obi Wan's padawan, Anakin Skywalker, 10 year old, had manifested similar skill when put on his padawan trials.
But the fact remained that Nelo Hivaarr posessed a special power, one that could both protect and heal him, even subconciously.
Deciding that he would make a great addition to the Jedi Order, the Council took him in and appointed his rescuer and protector, jedi knight Krav Erladin, as his master. The latter would be the one to teach him what being a jedi meant, the Code, the galaxy's history and so on, and, most importantly, guide him in his use of the Force( while also monitoring him on behalf of the Council).
The first two years have been hard on Nelo. He was too smart for his own good, too superior to his peers. He knew most, if not all the lessons that were being taught in class beforehand. His ego was only tempered by his thirst for knowledge, books and lectures of all kind. This had prompted his master, Erladin, to take him under his personal care and continue his education through private classes, a privilege only a few other students might have received.
" Control your feelings Nelo!" Erladin said, as they were once meditating. " Your anger must go away; push it down into the deepest parts of your being and seal it with kindness and fairness!"
Nelo Hivaarr had some difficulty in learning how to manage his emotions. His master told him that he neeeded to let go of his darker tendencies, which included anger, resentment, remorse, fear, regret, thirst for revenge, pride and attachment. Love was as dangerous to a jedi as was hate or fear, for passion was a one way ticket to the dark side, the guidance of the sith. Compassion was the way of the jedi.
He took in deep breaths. With each one of them, he was abandoning his emotions, one by one, and reaching for inner balance.
" When you're at ease with yourself, you'll be at ease with everyone around you; with creation and life itself! Be always- and I emphasize- ALWAYS, careful of the Dark Side. Its temptations span far and wide and don many masks, even the mask of apparent goodness. Watch it!"
" But master, I have a question!" Nelo said with his eyes closed, still maintaining concentration.
Master Erladin watched him with a hint of pride in his eyes. His padawan often brought up the most peculiar of issues- many of them regarding the Force and its users and uses- so he was positive that he will have a hard time ahead of him.
" Ask away, my padawan! What is on your mind?"
" I was thinking. What happens if a jedi makes use of passion- of the Dark Side- to save those around him?"
The zabrak jedi knight went silent for a few moments. He didn't expect this question until perhaps later, but still, he was responsible for the boy's education and would rather have him insistently ask questions about anything, than leaving him open to foreign and potentially dangerous influences.
" Let's see... you are one of the most promising students and have delved into any kind of archives you were allowed to. Master librarian Jocasta Nu told me of how you would pester her to let you read practically anything. So I'll ask you instead. What do you think?"
The boy opened his eyes and met his master's gaze with serenity in them.
" I think some of the rules here are too strict. Based on what I've seen in my lectures, there have been a number of so-called " gray jedi", that have used their connection to the dark side for the greater good, but not losing themselves in it. What harm can come out of that?"
That's one thing Erladin knew he'd be mentioning. He had to ponder his next words carefully.
" Have you ever wondered why they have been expelled from the Jedi Order? The answer is both simple and complicated, as many things in life are, my dear padawan! Gray Jedi walk a thin line between the two opposing sides of the Force. One miscalculation on their part could throw them eitherway- usually to the dark side. Also, there is a high possibility that they might one day become dark jedi – fallen justice bringers that harbor nothing beyond their self interest."
Nelo Hivaarr was taken aback by the explaination and the other details that his masters later reminded him of.
Chapter 2: A show of skill and surprises
Two more years would have to pass, before master Erladin deemed him ready for constructing his very own lightsaber. He would have to find parts of his own choice, plus a lightsaber crystal to match his character. There were plenty of blueprints and instructions in the giant library, so finding what he required didn't seem that difficult.
Practically, it wasn't as easy. Accompanied by his master, Nelo scoured the marketplaces on Coruscant, looking for metal and plastic components, plus the necessary circuitry. It took them two full days of rummaging through all sorts of market stalls, shops and what not, but they were succesful. Then came the tricky part. Being stubborn and a bit of a snob, Nelo had chosen the a rare colour for his lightsaber: golden yellow, despite the Council's reluctance about the idea. Yellow was the colour used by the Temple Guards and only a handful of other jedis, but the boy had made up his mind. He would go to Ruusan and take one of the crystals that were being mined out of there. Expensive and rare, Ruusan crystals provided the jedi a little help in concentrating his powers, as they were more attuned to his nature and aura than standard Kyber crystals. Again, it took him a long time to convince the Council to let him go there, but it finally worked. He returned nine days later, succesful in his search.
With everything in his posession, he sat alone in his room, parts spread all over the floor. Quieting his emotions and lowering his heartbeat rate, he let the Force guide him into building his Praetor- shaped lightsaber. After a few unsuccesful tries, he was able to finish the process. The completed lightsaber lay in front of him, ready to be used.
Grabbing it cautiausly, Nelo pressed the button and, with a *hiss*, the golden plasma light appeared. He gave it a few swings, starting to accommodate with its weight and grip. By accident, he cut through his bedside table, earning himself a scolding from his master.
On the other hand, this recent achievement earned him Krav Erladin's gratitude. His master started teaching him the seven lightsaber battle forms:
" By getting accustomed with each one of them, it will be easier for you to choose which form best suits you. Every jedi makes his own choice and usually sticks by it. Remember that the course of a battle may suffer unpredictable changes. Thus, you must prove to be unpredictable, adaptable, as well!"
They continued to train for the next two months, interchanging all the seven forms, until Nelo settled on Form IV, Ataru- an offensive, even acrobatic battle form- and Form VII, Vaapad- a form that included tapping into your own traces of dark side energy and even your enemy's. Why he'd chosen those paritcular forms was anyone's guess. Master Windu was unsettled some would say annoyed- by this development, but master Yoda had taken a liking in this strange padawan and thus, Mace had to relent. Master Yoda spoke with the promising student:
" Some time since you came here, has passed!" he chuckled.
" Four years, master Yoda... almost half my life!" Nelo added jokingly, smiling at his superior in wisdom and rank.
" Young, you are, but talented as well. The time has come, your battle prowess, one of us, will test!"
The room went silent right after that. The Council members took a minute to make their choice. Nelo was secretly hoping that he would cross sabers with Master Windu or at least Master Yoda. That way he'll prove his worth to the highest ranking jedis and earn a respected place amongst them, if not now, then later.
Master Yoda shook him out of his thoughts with his almost funny- but, nonetheless wise- gremlin voice:
" An understanding, we have reached! Master Windu, your adversary will be!"
Later, in the Jedi Temple's training arena...
Nelo Hivaarr and Master Windu force jumped into the arena. For the two thousand or so spectators of all ages and ranks( younglings, padawans, knights and masters), it was a sight to see.
The arena resembled an amphitheatre, albeit a giant one, sturdy, specifically built to resist the ferocity of force-fueled duels. Located beneath the Jedi Temple, it was made out of a special, brownish-greyish stone, decorated with statues of former jedi masters and prodigies. Most of the Jedi had been trained or tested in this place on multiple occasions during their lifetime, so it wasn't unknown to them.
Also, the two opposing duelists were by now well known around there: Master Mace Windu, Yoda's former apprentice and now second-in-command, strong, determined, creative, to say but a few of his qualities and, most importantly, the creator of Form VII, Vaapad, of which he was the most experienced user alive; Nelo Hivaarr, jedi knight Krav Erladin's padawan. Smart, witted, avid for knowledge- bookworm, by some- student, that posessed some kind of freaky force powers that the Council had taken an interest in. Plus, he had a bright yellow lightsaber, something that annoyed the usually stone-like Temple Guardians.
" Let Nelo Hivaarr's trial begin!" Master Kenobi announced over the speaker.
And, with that, the battle began!
Master Windu lit his lightsaber and proceeded to attack his adversary with ferocious, yet calculated strikes. Nelo Hivaarr could only barely defend himself against that. He had resorted to gripping his lightaber with both hands for added strenght. Windu made for his head, his torso, his hands, then doubled back and used force speed to continue the attack, almost in a mathematical order. The witty padawan took notice of that and retaliated when the master jedi wasn't expecting.
Forced into defence by the boy's Form IV Ataru attacks, Windu started to retreat, using his Vaapad to siphon both his small dark side sparks and Nelo's still uncontrollable Force energy. That strategy was paying off, as Windu wasn't tired anymore, as opposed to his adversary, who was beginning to feel winded.
Back in the Council's tribune, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi asked his fellow masters:
" Do you think it is over? Padawan Hivaarr has resisted honourably, but it appears he will collapse in short time!"
" Master Mundi has a point there!" Agen Kolar, the zabrak jedi master answered. " Windu is using his Vaapad now, so it's practically over!"
Master Obi Wan Kenobi did not mind them. He had retreated into the left corner of the tribune and was talking with his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, whom he had brought with him to observe the duel.
" Be mindful, Anakin, for you have just completed your lightsaber; and are four years older than him! Maybe you'll pick up a thing or two from Erladin's padawan!" he said with a smirk that " The Chosen One" returned.
" Don't you worry master! I'd wipe the floor with him some other time, provided that Master Windu doesn't hurt him too badly!"
" I, for one, believe that this Nelo Hivaarr is more than he lets us see! Things are bound to get interesting, so be mindul and watch!"
" Yes master!" Anakin replied, slightly bowing his head and turning to the battle scene.
As if on cue with Kenobi's words, Nelo stopped his offence and replaced it with a Form V Shien, especially made for defence and counterattack. Windu saw that and switched to acrobatic, Form IV Ataru strikes, repeatedly slashing at his opponent.
Nelo began to feel the strain on his body. His knees and feet were hurting from the sudden jumps and stances that he had to take. Not to mention his arms and hands. Luckily, his ego and determination kept him from collapsing.
" Now, if only I could find a way to get past his guard..." he thought and then searched his mind for one of the lectures about offence that he had read, all the while evading Windu's menacing purple saber.
Suddenly, he jumped back a few meters. He had the answer to his problem. Concentrating the Force powers inside his body, he coated himself with a green, protective layer, followed by a blue one. Right then, he looked like he was clad in an aquamarine armor. The spectators were left speechless. So were the masters; Anakin as well.
Nelo Hivaarr sped up to Windu's position, switching to Vaapad this time. Every slash he made was quicker, stronger than the other and he felt the energy coming back to him, siphoned from his adversary.
To his horror, Windu found out that his force pushes, force pulls and any other force powered strikes that he was using were being rapidly abosrbed by the padawan, who was getting bolder and bolder. One miscalculation and Windu's robe was cut to pieces. Discarding it, the master jedi jumped back a few meters.
The two Vaapad practitioners clashed yet again, offering a beautiful spectacle of lightsaber skill, bright lights and multicoloured sparks, that could be seen from the distance. They went at it for a good half an hour, not one of them giving way to the other.
" Impressive, youngling, but you have much to learn!" Mace Windu told him as he extinguished his lightsaber. Not a second later, he used both hands to draw in a large amount of energy from his body, channeling it into a giant Force Push.
The attack was vicious, mainly because no one expected this kind of tactic. That much energy overloaded Nelo's already pushed over-the-limit body. It filled him with more energy than he could possibly have handled, sending him crashing into a nearby wall. Master Windu then assumed a meditative stance and waited.
Five minutes later
Nelo felt his body ache like never before. It was as if he had been hit by a planet. His torso, his neck, his legs, hands and pretty much everything else was twitching uncontrolably, as if struck by lightning.
" AUUUUU! Stang it! This h-h-hurtssss as h-he-lll!" he cursed, trying to get up. He gathered himself out of the rubble and tried to walk out, only to fail miserably by falling flat on his stomach, causing more pain. He looked up. Windu was just sitting there like a boss, in the middle of the arena, just meditating and waiting for Yoda to announce him as the winner.
" Not... in... a... thousand years!" Hivaarr said and right there and then, his right eye sparked yellow for a moment, before returning to its usual purple colour. It was strange, but he could feel his body slowly regenerate. His freaky healing powers kicked in.
However, he could see that, in the distance, Master Yoda was coming to the Podium to end the fight and announce the victor; he couldn't afford to wait.
Gathereing himself up yet again, he grabbed his lightsaber and lit it. With one last effort, he made a giant leap at Windu, cathcing him off guard. The audience gasped in amazement. He shouldn't have been able to do such a feat, not with the damage he previously took.
The Vaapad master was thankful to the Force for the silent warning it gave him. That's how he was able to parry that which appeared to be a last ditch attack on behalf of Erladin's padawan. Nelo Hivaarr's moves were increasingly sluggish, up to( or, rather, down to) the point that he was missing his target. Finally, the boy collapsed from exhaustion, not dropping his lightsaber though.
Windu looked at him carefully and waited a minute before he exhaled, relieved that it was over. He extinguished his own lightsaber and gave Master Yoda the signal. The latter nodded his head in agreement, before motioning to the message board. He pressed a few buttons, calling for the healers and directing them to the arena to tend to the wounded and exhausted padawan.
The other master jedis started discussing the duel, making plenty of remarks and underlining key facts. Jedi Knight KRav Erladin was quiet. He wondered why they didn't feel that one moment of dark side energy surge in his padawan. He most certiainly felt it and was worried because of it. The dark side was very tempting. It could take hold of someone when he was least expecting it. It fed on misguided feelings: ambition, anger, such as those that he felt growing in his student ever since the battle began, growing exponentially before and during that last strike. They would talk about that later, when Nelo would be feeling better.
Back in the arena, the healers treated Nelo's urgent injuries and infused his body with small amounts of force energy. Surprisingly yet again, the blue layer coated Hivaarr, absorbind more and more energy. A mere five minutes later, Nelo's hands were moving, if only slightly. A couple more minutes went by and then he opened his eyes, only to meet Mace Windu's severe gaze. He frowned. Obviously, he lost. He was another loser to add to the counter.
It was then that Master Yoda, whom he had not noticed until now, move from beside his makeshift hover-bed and hit him with his cane, bringing more pain to his still hurting right knee.
" Hmmph! One of our most promising students, you are! Still, much discipline, you have to learn!"
" You would make a powerful jedi knight soon!" Master Windu assured him and then raised him to his feet.
" Thank you, master!" he answered with a disappointed tone, avoiding his glare. Just then, he felt his body shatter. It was only a sensation, albeit a strange one. The healers helped him stand.
" This duel, over is! Master Windu and padawan Hivaarr a promising show of skill, offered you, have!"
The audience got up and started to applaud them. Nelo could hear them and his spirits were finally lifted. Watching each and every one of the spectators, he couldn't help but feel that he finally belonged to some place; that those around him accepted him and recognized his efforts. And, with that, he let his head fall backwards. He smiled as he was embraced by the comfort that a well earned sleep was offering.