The Book of Spiritual Revelations
Obi-Wan wrapped his cloak tight around his form before sliding to the strangely soft floor of the rounded mediation chamber. Pale blue eyes found the bright green of the small thirteen-year-old in mediation stance across from him. He gave the boy a weary smile.
Bali glanced around curiously, as he had never been in that chamber before. There was not much to see. Light bluish-gray covered every inch of the chamber making floor, ceiling and wall blend together as one. The floor was spongy beneath his knees and there was no seating.
The narrow door opened and Bali strained to see past his master's shoulder but saw only the dim light from the corridor before the door softly swooshed closed. He became immediately aware of Master Yoda's powerful presence.
"Curious, you are?" Yoda asked as he took his place among the two Jedi forming a triangle.
"Yes, Master," the apprentice said softly, afraid to speak too loud in the chamber.
"Whisper not, young one. Hear you no one can, except us and the Force." The little green master sank to the soft floor and slid his gimer stick to the side so it would be out of the way.
A gentle pulse through the training bond brought Bali's complete attention back to his master. He waited eagerly for an explanation of why they were there.
Obi-Wan shifted, giving a slight wince before completely focusing his attention on Bali. "You know I fought a Sith before." There was doubt in the master's voice.
"Yes, Master."
"Then I used the Force to heal my master, because he was injured," the words were spoken in a detached tone.
Yoda's pointy green ears twitched but the little master said nothing. He just continued to study the scene silently.
As Obi-Wan continued his tone grew flat as if reading a report. "I did not understand what I was doing when I attempted the healing and in the end–"
"Not made to burn so bright, are we," Yoda interrupted. He offered Obi-Wan a sympathetic gaze allowing the young master freedom from the explanation.
Bali watched, not understanding but feeling his master's pain. He reached across the short distance between he and Obi-Wan and gently placed a hand on his master's arm. "It is all right, Master. I have heard the stories. I understand."
"Do you?" Yoda asked.
The apprentice nodded. "Yes, Master. That is why he is always cold. He hurt himself channeling too much energy." Bali shifted slightly. "He did it because he did not want his master to die." There was a pause. "I would too in the same place."
"I do not want you to risk your life like that," Obi-Wan said firmly.
"Obey your master, you must," Yoda said. "Your protection is above all other duties."
Bali nodded sadly. "I had too, the monster, um Sith, was going to kill him."
"We are not here to chastise you," Obi-Wan said with a tired smile as he reached out and placed a calming touch to the boy's shoulder. "I was in a coma after healingmy master. When I woke there were many things to deal with. One was coping with the battle with the Sith."
The apprentice relaxed slightly, cautiously studying his master's worn expression.
Obi-Wan sighed. "I thought this would help you as well."
"Mediate on this you must, understand your confrontation," Yoda said, focusing his attention on the boy.
Bali nodded uncertainly. He did not want to revisit the battle. He had seen enough of it. It was hardly better than the nightmares he suffered and he seen enough of the darkness to last a lifetime. Through the storm of worry that was rising in him, Bali felt his master's presence reach out to him and wrap him in a warm embrace. He sensed his master's concern and knew it was only to help him. Worried green eyes flitted from Obi-Wan to the ancient master sitting across from him. Yoda nodded gently.
"Okay," Bali said slowly. Still worried.
Yoda spoke softly, "Begin with mediation, when you are ready, guide you, I will."
With a little help from his master, Bali easily fell into a meditative state. It was like he and his master had done hundreds of times. He could feel the warmth and safety of his master's presence as he opened himself up to the flow of Force. He felt the living universe surround him. Every object and being seemed to breathe and feel. He could brush against Obi-Wan's presence as the master guided him deeper into the mediation far beyond their daily sojourns into the mystic power.
Bali felt himself being pulled farther and farther from his physical form until it almost completely disappeared. He was not afraid because he could still feel his master's presence close boy, guiding him toward a conduit of pure light. The apprentice had the strangest urge to reach out and touch the light but discovered he did not have a hand. Nor did he possess a physical form. The beam of energy flowing around everything twisted and turned shortly pulling away from Bali's grasp. His master's calming influence brought the padawan back to the moment and as Bali calmed the conduit twisted again tearing through his ethereal form.
There was no panic as he felt the voices of all that had ever been and all that ever would be whispering to him. In a flash of pure white brilliance, Bali saw himself in a circular room with a great pit in the center. He felt phantom muscles straining from battle. He felt an ache in his heart that was not derived from physical trauma.
There was so much black and red washing through his senses, blinding him from the light.
The light!
Quickly, Bali grasped the conduit and basked in the purity washing off the vile smell of death and darkness that seemed to cling to him. In that moment of relief, he realized his master's presence had retreated slightly.
Master?
A bright stripe of pain pierced the conduit of light causing it to twist and weave violently through the Force. Bali struggled to hang onto the light.
Obi-Wan promisepromise me you will train the boy.
No, Master. Don't go. I can't let you die.
I am not ready.
Bali started to scream but the conduit lashed out striking his ethereal form again. The white light blinded him shortly before slowly retreating. He could feel his feet against a floor. Fear so powerful inside him he could not contain it at the sight of the living embodiment of his nightmares.
No. It was wrong.
A shadow, yes, but different from the one in his nightmares.
Cold blue light laced with pain made him cry out as he lost his grip on the conduit of light. Bali struggled but he kept falling. Then his feet were on a floor again and he was hurt and running. So focused on the task ahead that the creeping fear could not grasp hold of his spirit.
Not meant to burn so bright, are we.
Yet, the Force moved within him. Powered by the fear of seeing his master at the Sith's mercy. The Force whispered to him, guiding his hands forward as energy exploded from him.
Bali had wanted so terribly to see the monster dead but in that final, brief moment before releasing the energy he pulled back.
Vague images reflected in his mind's eye. A green blade cutting through the air. Slicing mercilessly into red and black.
He had been afraid.
Master?
The conduit of light moved through the darkness and Bali struggled to reach it. He was so afraid.
He had possessed the power to kill the monster and he did not.
How could he face his master after that?
How could he face the Jedi knowing he allowed an enemy to live?
What kind of Jedi was he really? He had the power and chose not to use it.
Powerful Jedi.
Bali sensed Yoda's ancient presence.
I failed.
Easy, it is, to grasp the dark side of the Force. Difficult, it is, not to use it. A trial by fire, you have passed where many would have failed.
Still clinging to the light, Bali cast out, searching for his master's presence. He could feel Obi-Wan, but the Jedi was far away. Too far for Bali to reach.
Passing into the conduit, Bali saw ghosts of the past. Blue shimmering figures of Jedi long dead. He saw generation after generation of masters and padawans in one glance. The entire history of the Order was laid out before him. He saw Jedi whose stories he had studied in his classes there among the light.
Bali had heard that in deep, guided mediations one could not only see, they could communicate with the spirits of their Jedi blood ancestors. He wondered if he was related to any of them.
As his ethereal form passed through the light conduit, he saw many more of the Order's greatest knights and masters. They watched in silence before fading into the brilliant white again. With them, the warmth of not being alone retreated and fear began to creep back into Bali. He struggled against it, but then allowed himself to be pulled farther along the conduit.
He could feel both his master and Yoda's auras growing farther away.
The beam of light was moving so fast that he was afraid to let go.
Then something grasped–his arm?
He was jarred loose from the journey along the conduit but not free of it.
You are lost, little one.
Bali twisted around to see a shimmering blue form standing in the light. The face reminded the apprentice of his master's but the clothes were of a Jedi generations long faded. Something else in the warm expression sparked a memory of one of his classes in Jedi history. This spirit was one of the greatest warriors the Jedi had known. He was a Sith killer.
Ben'al Houk.
The familiar face offered a familiar laugh. It reminded Bali so much of his master and he knew why. Master Cer'li had told the class of the Force's sense of irony. His master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, was a descendant of Ben'al Houk, both noted Sith killers. All though, his instructor pointed out his master had many more Sith to kill before he could come close to Ben'al's record.
Ben'al laughed again. You should not put too much credence in instructor's who consider students who act out Sith spawn.
Bali giggled.
Come, little one, before you drift too far.
For a time, Bali walked through the whiteness alongside the Jedi spirit. Occasionally he would glance up at the shimmering blue form and note in wonder how much the calm features reminded him of his own master.
After a time, Ben'al Houk came to a stop and faced the thirteen-year-old. You did what you had to do. Never doubt that.
Yes, Master. Bali automatically responded.
Remember, a Sith is not just flesh and bone, their machinations are as much a part of them as anything. To destroy a Sith, you must destroy their intricate plots first. Even dead, their plans can still tear the Republic asunder. Do you understand?
Bali nodded. Yes, Master.
Promise me one thing, Bali Tiro, when you face your nightmare, remember that you are a Jedi and nothing will ever change that.
I promise, Master.
The warm, familiar pull of his master's presence caught Bali's attention and he felt a great relief flow through him.
The shimmering visage of Ben'al Houk began to fade. Take care of your master, the spirit whispered, we are not yet ready for him to join our ranks.
For a moment, Bali just hovered there in the Force considering his strange visitation, then quickly latched onto his master's Force signature. Very quickly, he spirit grew heavy as he was again moored in flesh and bone.
Bright green eyes opened to face Obi-Wan's worried expression. "Master!" the boy called out as he leapt from his mediative stance and eagerly moved about the gray room. He stopped and ran back to where Obi-Wan and Yoda were sitting.
Obi-Wan looked up at the thirteen-year-old curiously. "Are you all right, Padawan? You drifted so far away in the meditation."
Bali grinned and said excitedly, "I saw you fighting the Sith on Naboo, I felt myself fighting the monster at the Senator Amidala's apartment." He knelt next to Obi-Wan carefully studying his master's face. "I got lost too."
"Yes, Padawan, you–"
"I saw thousands of Jedi spirits in the Force."
Yoda's ears perked up. "Deep into meditation you slipped. Worried, we were."
"I saw all the lines of apprenticeship. It was so different than looking at charts and histories. I got lost," he repeated as he wiggled with pent up energy.
Obi-Wan just stared at the happy apprentice.
"Found your way back," Yoda replied. "Help did you find?"
"Yes, Master." Bali turned back to study Obi-Wan again. He grinned. "You look just like Ben'al Houk. Did you know that, Master?"
"I have been told there was a resemblance," Obi-Wan replied softly. He shifted as concern clouded his pale blue eyes. "You saw Ben'al Houk?"
"Yes, Master." The boy withdrew slightly at his master's still concerned look. "I didn't kill the Sith when I had a chance. I thought I was wrong but Master Houk said I did what I had to do. He said to destroy a Sith we must destroy its plans first."
Yoda's wrinkled green skin betrayed no emotion to the boy's revelation. He betrayed nothing when Obi-Wan stared at the ancient master in silent question.
"Master Houk also said that I am to take care of you, Master."
"He did?" Obi-Wan asked softly.
"He does not want you joining the ranks. I don't know what that means."
"I don't think it is something you are going to have to worry about anytime soon, Padawan."
"Good. I think." The energy from the excitement quickly wore off and feeling desperately lethargic, Bali slumped against his master's chest. "It was strange," Bali said softly, "talking to a Jedi who died long before the Sith Wars."
"I am sure it was," Obi-Wan answered, gently wrapping an arm around the tired child.
The weight of his adventure had exhausted Bali and he could feel sleep creeping up on him. He struggled to stay awake. "I always wanted to know if I was related to any Jedi. Do you think I will ever find out?" he half mumbled.
"I think you already did," Obi-Wan answered softly allowing the boy a protective embrace to fall asleep in. He turned to the little green master.
Yoda's ears twitched slightly but he said nothing, watching the young master and his worn out apprentice.
