Dagobah Slip Stream
Part Nine
Corran was pleased that Cas allowed him to sit in on her group lectures. He stood in the corner. He was keeping an eye on Cas for Master Skywalker.
Luke had asked Corran to check in on the woman every so often, just to see what she was teaching future Knights. So far it was nothing he could disagree with.
Lots of it he wished Luke had taught them-his Trainees- instead of leaving them to figure it out for themselves.
The nine year old Rodian, Xyr, leaned against Kir. Kir, the head of Cas's Guard sat in the middle of the group, between the Rodian and Syn with the baby Nickto, Wan, on his lap. Syn held the six-year-old human male named Tex. Nii was beside her with the seven-year-old human female, Jen, in his lap. The Bothan, Zat, sat between Nyc and Syc, the Twi'lek twins, in front of the others. Quwil- Cas's Wookie brother-in-fur and apprentice- stood along the back wall.
Four of Cas's guard's were in the room. Two were positioned so they were on either side of her and a little behind her, like her audience would attack her. Considering Corran, Kir, Cas and her three oldest Padawans were they only armed ones (that weren't guards), that probably wasn't something to worry about.
Two more guards were in the back corners of the room and the last two were outside the door. All were in full battle armor.
"For over a thousand generations, Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice. But the path to peace was often unclear, and justice depended on your point of view. More often than not, a Jedi's duty meant putting away her Lightsaber and opening her mind."
"The Force was not only for defense, but for knowledge. And in the Jedi Council, the greatest Jedi were at the center of it, like a sun holding her planets around her as she moves."
"In their Chambers ideas were explored, conflicts resolved, differences praised and information shared. For years the only force needed to maintain Galactic Peace was that of the Jedi. But in the waning years of the Republic things changed."
"The Jedi population was down to a few hundred, much like it is now. The Dark Side, an almost forgotten nightmare, was clouding the Force. Making it so even great Jedi, like Master Yoda, were limited. Their visions cloudy."
"More often than not a Jedi had to rely on her own personal wisdom and not that of the Force. The people, though they feared the Jedi for their amazing Sabers of Light, didn't respect them. Not in its honest definition."
"Because of the Emperor's armies the Jedi lost their usefulness. And because of the Emperor's Propaganda they lost their respectability in the eyes on the people."
"Jedi were the target of any bounty hunter, of any one with a weapon and a dream of collecting a great prize. Anything from trained assassins to those with a death wish."
"They were overwhelmed and many died because there is only so much a single Jedi could do. Because they choose to work alone, when they should have banded together to defend each other. They became independent, proud and some, angry."
"But you have look to see, and understand, what was happening…One of their own. A man lauded because, according to an ancient prophecy, he would bring balance back to the Force. Which would make the Jedi even more amazing, opening their vision and their power, cleaning away all the smudges of the Dark Side floating in the air."
"And -on a side note- Anakin did." Cas's eyes got distant. "He even saved me, he warned me. He understood what it was to cry yourself to sleep at night because the only warmth that would get was that generated be the heat of your anger."
She shook her head, coming back to herself. "But there was one, the great Master Yoda. His vision was not completely clouded. In one of his more clear moments Yoda saw the destruction of the Jedi. He saw the possibilities and decided to take action."
"He did his work in secret. He chose strong and loyal Masters and their Padawans -many that had been reported 'dead' in the Clone Wars. He took them to a hidden place where they were to continue training."
"To continue the generations of the Jedi the best way they knew how. To train and train and train, more and more lesions of Knights, Masters, and Padawans to be called upon when they were needed."
"But the Master found another, he and Obi-Wan Kenobi trained Luke Skywalker. He was their answer, their savior. Yoda died without even telling him about us."
"So we kept to ourselves. We kept practicing. Training. Mating. Dying. Planning and waiting."
"Waiting to show ourselves. But to keep our own safety we can not reveal ourselves all at once."
She paused to give them a chance to grasp her statements.
"So, my Younglings, be careful in your dealings and tell no one of your exact origins. My Children, the truth is a powerful weapon, use it with discretion."
She gave them a small twist-of-lips smile like her Master Kyl used to give after sharing important information.
"It is debated in many circles. Whether Yoda's vision was not completely blocked or he if could see through the Dark Side. Which would probably mean he knew exactly who Palpatine was and what he was planning- but that's a different lecture."
"I want you to think, form opinions, and share them, with me, with Kir, with the Guards."
"But for now go eat, before you waste away and I have to get all new trainees." She smiled at their childish cheers and giggles as they all rose and headed out to the Mess Hall.
Cas pulled three off her Younglings aside and waited until she hear that Kir and the other students were some distance down the hall, on their way to feed. She didn't even object that Corran was there, with her, for what she was about to do.
Zat, Nyc and Syc looked up at their Master curiously. She smiled sadly. "There may be a day when Kir and my guards may be called to the front line. A day I will have to face opponents in my realm, the way only I know how. A day may come, sometime soon, when I can not defend you all," she took a deep breathe. "That is why I am giving you these."
She pulled three Lightsabers out from the folds of her robe.
"I was a lot younger than you when I received my Saber, but I was a special circumstance." The three of them laughed politely like the politicians in training they were.
She shook her head. "You deserve this, and I expect you to take it seriously." She gave each of them one.
"Now, to prove I didn't spend the last three months making you personalized blades for nothing. I expect you to show up in the hangar at oh-seven-hundred tomorrow to work with Xyr, Quwil and I. No complaints, Alright?"
They all nodded, somberly or with small strangely- political smiles.
There was a polite knock at the door. It opened and one of the guards that had been standing there was looking in. "The other Masters of the Balance are here, Mistress."
"Does Kir know?"
The man shook his head. "They said to let you eat while they made camp out side the Republic's perimeter."
"They know the Yuuzhan Vong are still out there, correct?"
"They have been told and feel they have sufficient guards to stay safe. They invite you to join them out there."
She gave a cool, almost predatory smile. "Thank you, no. I have my Younglings to consider. Half of them don't have Lightsabers. And all but two, maybe one, of those that do aren't sufficiently trained to use them."
The guard nodded. And spoke a moment later, after speaking on the comm in his helm. "They want to know why you didn't send your Padawans home once you started to become more active in this…war."
"If we all drop our responsibilities, to fight a war, there will be no one to secure our future, the very thing we are fighting for. Besides dumping them on the Academy's Training Masters would cause nothing but consternation for all parties involved. And they learn better with experience, especially when there is a sensible voice to help the realize what they have learned."
She walked out into the hallway. Syc and Nyc stood on either side of and behind the woman. Zat was between them. Her Guards fell in step behind the three Padawans, with Quwil. Corran walked beside her.
They came to an intersection and stopped. "Knight Horn, You know this base and its personnel better than I. I extend to you and any of your personnel that wish it, an invitation to our Council meeting. I only ask you to arrange a place and time, and contact me with them."
Corran nodded, he could do that. And Wedge and the other Knights have been wondering about these…other Jedi.
She turned to her guard on the Right. "Lio She'wer, escort my three newest Padawans to the Mess hall where the others are eating. And then bring my notes from the ship and my fellow Master on the topics they wish to over see. I must prepare."
She left with her last guard down the Right hall. Lio and the Padawans went down the left hall. Corran went forward. He would need to speak with the Knights on base, Wedge and Tycho.
*Author's Note: Just in case you are curious about the pronunciation of Jedi words:
'CH's are said like a soft hiss along the top of your pallet
'W's are like soft 'V's
'A's toward the rear of words are said very open-mouthed, very proper. (Kon instead of can)
and ' in the middle of a name is a pause, blend type symbol (Shik'rican = Shik-rican)
I'll tell you more as I write I write them..BYE!