CHAPTER TWO
"Hey, Aro! Wait up!"
Aro-Ken turned to see who had called to him. It was one of his friends, Ada- Rin Remla.
Ada-Rin was a Human, like he was. She was a rebel, and often made small defiances of the Jedi Code. For example, she did not wish to keep her hair in the traditional Padawan style. Instead, it hung loosely down to her shoulders. She kept one lock of her dark blond hair on her face and slightly curved near her left eye. Her blue eyes always seemed to want to play.
"Yes, Ada-Rin?" he asked.
"Where you going?" she asked him.
"Well, Ada-Rin, it happens to be a custom of mine to eat breakfast after I wake up," he sarcastically replied. It was morning in the Jedi Temple. Aro- Ken had just woken up and had been on his way to the cafeteria for breakfast.
"You know, Del-Mon's ship should be landing soon. I just wanted to know if you wanted to watch with me," she said.
Aro-Ken instantly snapped to attention at the mention of the Jedi Master's name. "Of course I do! Let's go!" he cried.
The two instantly took off down the hall.
"Where are we going, Ada-Rin?" he asked.
"My room. I've got a perfect view of the landing pad," she answered.
They weaved in and out of other students, most of them heading in the opposite direction towards the cafeteria. They went down the twisting labyrinth of corridors the Temple boasted until they arrived at Ada-Rin's room.
She quickly keyed in the access code, and the door slid open. The two went to the far end of the room, and Ada-Rin opened the window.
Aro-Ken put his hands on the window ledge and leaned out, just in time to see a sleek Corvette coming down from the Coruscant sky. On the landing pad a few of the Jedi Masters waited, among them Masters Yoda, Mace Windu, Jax Dondora, and Ni'Bekk.
The landing ramp extended from the ship, and a tall figure in a brown robe walked down. Aro-Ken focused on him, knowing right away that it was Del-Mon Wesia.
He could easily hear the conversation below, even as the Corvette took off again.
"Master Wesia, good to see you again!" Jax Dondora's voice came.
"You too, Jax. It's been a while since the last time I was here," Del-Mon said.
"Looking for a Padawan will you be?" asked Master Yoda.
"I suppose so, Yoda. What's first?" he asked.
"There is an exercise that a few students will attempt for you, and then some lightsaber bouts. It's not much, but it should be enough for you to select a Padawan," Mace Windu said.
"Good, good. I'm ready, let's go," Del-Mon said.
The Masters began to leave the landing platform. As they did, still speaking to each other, Del-Mon's eyes strayed away from the group.
Somehow, Aro-Ken just knew that they fell on him. For a brief instant, he felt something in the back of his head, a quick sensation. It was as though a great warmth had entered his mind. The Force seemed to speed up its flow around him. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the feeling stopped.
"Aro… Aro-Ken!" he heard Ada-Rin's voice call.
He jumped. "Yeah?" he asked.
"Are you okay?" she asked him.
"Yeah, why?"
"You just went in to a trance or something," she said.
"I did?" Aro-Ken asked.
"Yeah. You were watching Del-Mon, and then you just stared at him. You weren't blinking and it didn't look like you were breathing or anything," Ada-Rin said.
"I was?" Aro-Ken uneasily asked her.
"Yeah," Ada-Rin answered, a concerned look on her face.
"Well I'm fine now. What are we scheduled to do this morning?" he asked his friend.
"An exercise in front of some of the Masters, remember? Rumor has it that it involves a large metal block. Just a few students are going," said Ada- Rin.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Aro-Ken asked. Instantly they took off again, racing down the hall like young children.
About half an hour later, Aro-Ken and Ada-Rin stood near each other in line. Between them was another one of their friends, Wolden Keld.
Wolden was a Dendayan, a skin changer. He could always surprise his friends by blending in with the color of the Temple walls and jumping out at them without warning. He was usually very serious. He was tall and lanky. His black hair was traditionally cut like Aro-Ken's, and his eyes were a dark silver to match it. Wolden still had a few months left before he turned thirteen.
"Pretty tense isn't it?" he muttered.
"You said it," agreed Ada-Rin.
"Yeah," Aro-Ken said, his eyes rigidly glued in front of himself. He resisted the temptation to look up at the booth the Masters were watching from, knowing that would tell them he was anxious.
There were just a few more students ahead of them. The task before them seemed impossible.
They were to try and pull apart a large metal cube that weighed nearly a ton. So far, the other ten students who had tried had failed miserably.
The student ahead of Ada-Rin finished, and the block was still in the exact same state it had started in. Ada-Rin gulped nervously, and stepped up to it.
"Good luck," Aro-Ken muttered.
Ada-Rin smiled weakly at him as she hit the button to start the timer. Looking at the block, she concentrated as hard as she could, focusing on each molecule and pulling them apart slowly. Small droplets of sweat broke out on her forehead.
Before long, a buzzer sounded, and her time was up. Ada-Rin had succeeded in making what looked like a jagged cut in the cube that spanned about halfway down the center.
She looked exhausted as she walked away to stand with the other students who had attempted the task all ready.
Wolden stepped up next. He decided to use the more aggressive approach. With the Force, he seized two ends of the cube and pulled as hard as he could, trying to force the molecules apart.
His jaw was clenched as he strained, and he squeezed his eyes shut. He allowed himself to shout as he pulled, and the cube began to split, little by little.
As Wolden shouted one more time, the buzzer went off, and he abruptly let go, staggering back a few paces, overwhelmed by the feat he had just attempted.
Swallowing nervously, Aro-Ken strode over to the cube. He took a few deep breaths, finding his calm center. Gulping again, he reached over and hit the button to start his timer.
He knew what he had to do. He just didn't know if he was strong enough to do it.
He closed his eyes, and reached out once more. But unlike all the other students, he had a much more practical approach.
With the Force, Aro-Ken grabbed millions of the molecules in the block. He began to make them move a short distance, but very rapidly.
The friction he caused immediately heated up the molecules of metal, making them glow so brightly that there was a visible bright orange line on the entire cube as the molecules slowly melted away.
Knowing he was short on time, he grabbed more, growing nervous as he did. He pushed himself, fighting to stay conscious as he used all his energy to stand up and continue the task he had been given.
The molecules melted rapidly, the center of the cube becoming thinner and thinner. Finally, it split right down the middle. Two separate halves fell away.
The spectators erupted into cheers.
Aro-Ken immediately released it, and would have fallen over if Wolden hadn't darted over and caught him.
"That was amazing," he said.
"Yeah… Thanks," Aro-Ken panted.
From the corner, Mya-Rau Tamia, who had been supervising the exercise, clapped her hands. "Wonderful, wonderful! Excellent job, Aro-Ken! I think you deserve to sit out for the next exercise!" she said.
"Tha… Thank you," Aro-Ken gasped.
Wolden helped him over to a bench, and he collapsed in it, leaning his head back against the wall, one thought in his head. "I did it, I did it, I did it…"
* * *
Del-Mon silently watched the students below him with interest. He sat between his old friend Ni'Bekk and Master Mace Windu.
He watched as the Dendayan boy called Wolden tried to pull the cube apart and failed, but made more progress than all the other students had.
Then came Aro-Ken Rumos. Del-Mon had seen him at the landing pad, and had felt a connection with him, although it had been a very brief one. He had only had a connection like that with his two former Padawans and his own Master.
The boy started the timer, and went deep into concentration. As he stood there, Del-Mon noticed that the metal before him was growing hotter and changing to a bright orange color.
"Smartest one yet," Del-Mon commented to himself.
The metal began to melt, and his eyebrows rose.
"I think the boy may do it!" cried Mace.
Del-Mon did not acknowledge him as he sat on the edge of his seat, watching with much interest.
Suddenly, as expected, the cube fell in half, the edges rounded and bumpy from the melted metal that had quickly hardened again.
Half of the Masters' eyes were wide as they watched. Aro-Ken nearly fell over, but his Dendayan friend grabbed him.
"My, my," Del-Mon said as he leaned back in his chair.
"Impressed?" asked Jax, getting over his shock quickly.
"I suppose so," Del-Mon said.
"Does he look promising to you?" asked Mace.
"I'm not sure. He is strong, I will tell you that much," was all Del-Mon said.
* * *
A Shadowraith was in the Temple.
He had been roaming its halls unseen and completely undetected for nearly a week. He had been watching everywhere, seeming to be everywhere at once. No one saw him, he made sure of that.
He quickly exited the training room, a firm image of the boy in his mind. He had been both strong and clever. The Shadowraith had watched him with intense interest.
He had sensed the Force gathering around him, could feel it flowing about.
The Shadowraith quickly exited the room. He had found his next target. Now he only had to wait.
"Hey, Aro! Wait up!"
Aro-Ken turned to see who had called to him. It was one of his friends, Ada- Rin Remla.
Ada-Rin was a Human, like he was. She was a rebel, and often made small defiances of the Jedi Code. For example, she did not wish to keep her hair in the traditional Padawan style. Instead, it hung loosely down to her shoulders. She kept one lock of her dark blond hair on her face and slightly curved near her left eye. Her blue eyes always seemed to want to play.
"Yes, Ada-Rin?" he asked.
"Where you going?" she asked him.
"Well, Ada-Rin, it happens to be a custom of mine to eat breakfast after I wake up," he sarcastically replied. It was morning in the Jedi Temple. Aro- Ken had just woken up and had been on his way to the cafeteria for breakfast.
"You know, Del-Mon's ship should be landing soon. I just wanted to know if you wanted to watch with me," she said.
Aro-Ken instantly snapped to attention at the mention of the Jedi Master's name. "Of course I do! Let's go!" he cried.
The two instantly took off down the hall.
"Where are we going, Ada-Rin?" he asked.
"My room. I've got a perfect view of the landing pad," she answered.
They weaved in and out of other students, most of them heading in the opposite direction towards the cafeteria. They went down the twisting labyrinth of corridors the Temple boasted until they arrived at Ada-Rin's room.
She quickly keyed in the access code, and the door slid open. The two went to the far end of the room, and Ada-Rin opened the window.
Aro-Ken put his hands on the window ledge and leaned out, just in time to see a sleek Corvette coming down from the Coruscant sky. On the landing pad a few of the Jedi Masters waited, among them Masters Yoda, Mace Windu, Jax Dondora, and Ni'Bekk.
The landing ramp extended from the ship, and a tall figure in a brown robe walked down. Aro-Ken focused on him, knowing right away that it was Del-Mon Wesia.
He could easily hear the conversation below, even as the Corvette took off again.
"Master Wesia, good to see you again!" Jax Dondora's voice came.
"You too, Jax. It's been a while since the last time I was here," Del-Mon said.
"Looking for a Padawan will you be?" asked Master Yoda.
"I suppose so, Yoda. What's first?" he asked.
"There is an exercise that a few students will attempt for you, and then some lightsaber bouts. It's not much, but it should be enough for you to select a Padawan," Mace Windu said.
"Good, good. I'm ready, let's go," Del-Mon said.
The Masters began to leave the landing platform. As they did, still speaking to each other, Del-Mon's eyes strayed away from the group.
Somehow, Aro-Ken just knew that they fell on him. For a brief instant, he felt something in the back of his head, a quick sensation. It was as though a great warmth had entered his mind. The Force seemed to speed up its flow around him. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the feeling stopped.
"Aro… Aro-Ken!" he heard Ada-Rin's voice call.
He jumped. "Yeah?" he asked.
"Are you okay?" she asked him.
"Yeah, why?"
"You just went in to a trance or something," she said.
"I did?" Aro-Ken asked.
"Yeah. You were watching Del-Mon, and then you just stared at him. You weren't blinking and it didn't look like you were breathing or anything," Ada-Rin said.
"I was?" Aro-Ken uneasily asked her.
"Yeah," Ada-Rin answered, a concerned look on her face.
"Well I'm fine now. What are we scheduled to do this morning?" he asked his friend.
"An exercise in front of some of the Masters, remember? Rumor has it that it involves a large metal block. Just a few students are going," said Ada- Rin.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Aro-Ken asked. Instantly they took off again, racing down the hall like young children.
About half an hour later, Aro-Ken and Ada-Rin stood near each other in line. Between them was another one of their friends, Wolden Keld.
Wolden was a Dendayan, a skin changer. He could always surprise his friends by blending in with the color of the Temple walls and jumping out at them without warning. He was usually very serious. He was tall and lanky. His black hair was traditionally cut like Aro-Ken's, and his eyes were a dark silver to match it. Wolden still had a few months left before he turned thirteen.
"Pretty tense isn't it?" he muttered.
"You said it," agreed Ada-Rin.
"Yeah," Aro-Ken said, his eyes rigidly glued in front of himself. He resisted the temptation to look up at the booth the Masters were watching from, knowing that would tell them he was anxious.
There were just a few more students ahead of them. The task before them seemed impossible.
They were to try and pull apart a large metal cube that weighed nearly a ton. So far, the other ten students who had tried had failed miserably.
The student ahead of Ada-Rin finished, and the block was still in the exact same state it had started in. Ada-Rin gulped nervously, and stepped up to it.
"Good luck," Aro-Ken muttered.
Ada-Rin smiled weakly at him as she hit the button to start the timer. Looking at the block, she concentrated as hard as she could, focusing on each molecule and pulling them apart slowly. Small droplets of sweat broke out on her forehead.
Before long, a buzzer sounded, and her time was up. Ada-Rin had succeeded in making what looked like a jagged cut in the cube that spanned about halfway down the center.
She looked exhausted as she walked away to stand with the other students who had attempted the task all ready.
Wolden stepped up next. He decided to use the more aggressive approach. With the Force, he seized two ends of the cube and pulled as hard as he could, trying to force the molecules apart.
His jaw was clenched as he strained, and he squeezed his eyes shut. He allowed himself to shout as he pulled, and the cube began to split, little by little.
As Wolden shouted one more time, the buzzer went off, and he abruptly let go, staggering back a few paces, overwhelmed by the feat he had just attempted.
Swallowing nervously, Aro-Ken strode over to the cube. He took a few deep breaths, finding his calm center. Gulping again, he reached over and hit the button to start his timer.
He knew what he had to do. He just didn't know if he was strong enough to do it.
He closed his eyes, and reached out once more. But unlike all the other students, he had a much more practical approach.
With the Force, Aro-Ken grabbed millions of the molecules in the block. He began to make them move a short distance, but very rapidly.
The friction he caused immediately heated up the molecules of metal, making them glow so brightly that there was a visible bright orange line on the entire cube as the molecules slowly melted away.
Knowing he was short on time, he grabbed more, growing nervous as he did. He pushed himself, fighting to stay conscious as he used all his energy to stand up and continue the task he had been given.
The molecules melted rapidly, the center of the cube becoming thinner and thinner. Finally, it split right down the middle. Two separate halves fell away.
The spectators erupted into cheers.
Aro-Ken immediately released it, and would have fallen over if Wolden hadn't darted over and caught him.
"That was amazing," he said.
"Yeah… Thanks," Aro-Ken panted.
From the corner, Mya-Rau Tamia, who had been supervising the exercise, clapped her hands. "Wonderful, wonderful! Excellent job, Aro-Ken! I think you deserve to sit out for the next exercise!" she said.
"Tha… Thank you," Aro-Ken gasped.
Wolden helped him over to a bench, and he collapsed in it, leaning his head back against the wall, one thought in his head. "I did it, I did it, I did it…"
* * *
Del-Mon silently watched the students below him with interest. He sat between his old friend Ni'Bekk and Master Mace Windu.
He watched as the Dendayan boy called Wolden tried to pull the cube apart and failed, but made more progress than all the other students had.
Then came Aro-Ken Rumos. Del-Mon had seen him at the landing pad, and had felt a connection with him, although it had been a very brief one. He had only had a connection like that with his two former Padawans and his own Master.
The boy started the timer, and went deep into concentration. As he stood there, Del-Mon noticed that the metal before him was growing hotter and changing to a bright orange color.
"Smartest one yet," Del-Mon commented to himself.
The metal began to melt, and his eyebrows rose.
"I think the boy may do it!" cried Mace.
Del-Mon did not acknowledge him as he sat on the edge of his seat, watching with much interest.
Suddenly, as expected, the cube fell in half, the edges rounded and bumpy from the melted metal that had quickly hardened again.
Half of the Masters' eyes were wide as they watched. Aro-Ken nearly fell over, but his Dendayan friend grabbed him.
"My, my," Del-Mon said as he leaned back in his chair.
"Impressed?" asked Jax, getting over his shock quickly.
"I suppose so," Del-Mon said.
"Does he look promising to you?" asked Mace.
"I'm not sure. He is strong, I will tell you that much," was all Del-Mon said.
* * *
A Shadowraith was in the Temple.
He had been roaming its halls unseen and completely undetected for nearly a week. He had been watching everywhere, seeming to be everywhere at once. No one saw him, he made sure of that.
He quickly exited the training room, a firm image of the boy in his mind. He had been both strong and clever. The Shadowraith had watched him with intense interest.
He had sensed the Force gathering around him, could feel it flowing about.
The Shadowraith quickly exited the room. He had found his next target. Now he only had to wait.