CHAPTER 3
Noor paused at the entrance of the Council circular chamber. Master Windu lead the way as he had done when she had been introduced to the Elders as a brand new padawan to be trained and to learn the ways of the Force. She was barely eight then, a lifetime ago---
Although she knew that her master would stand by her side to face the Council, she could not prevent the sudden weight on her chest, the faint flutter in her stomach. She trailed her fingers along the monumental wooden door to convince herself that it was not another dream of her return to the Temple. Then, summoning her courage, she drew a quick breath and entered.
A stony silence greeted the young woman as she bowed in front of the twelve venerable masters of the Force. The Council had changed since her departure; she did not recognize a few faces. All of them were staring blankly at her. She had the most unpleasant sensation that she was sized up, judged and that her mind was dissected by those piercing eyes. It was not unfriendly or hostile, but their cool appraisal of her entire self made feel totally out of place and uncomfortable.
'So much for the heart warming welcome home' she thought sardonically.
Yoda broke the silence first, probably guessing her uneasy thoughts. "I trust, gathered some strength and mended you have young Noor?"
"Yes, thank you," she squeaked, cursing her voice for failing her when she needed to appear dignified. She was twenty-five now, an adult and not some bashful pre-teen for Pete's sake! She had faced quite a lot in her life and had doctorate. She could handle a whole class of students barely younger than her, going from the usual semi-comatose in the back, to the pervert little buggers in the front. Why was she blushing like a fool then?
However, her obvious dismay managed to bring a smile on the lips of certain members of the Council -- mostly those who had lips.
The little elfin master scrunched up his lined face pensively and nodded. "Good," he paused, "many questions are running in you mind, feel it I can. Haven't you detected something unusual lately in your behavior or your dreams? Some unexplained sentiments, ummm?"
Well, now that he was talking about it she recalled the strange impression of restlessness that had pervaded her thoughts, even in the middle of her sleep.
Casting a quick look round the room to his fellow Council members her former master intervened.
"The Jedi Order is confronted with an unprecedented crisis."
He proceeded to describe the overwhelming number of dissidents in the Republic Senate and the fact that the Jedi were too reduced to deal efficiently with the matter. "The order represents a certain elite, but as an elite it is limited in the number, consequently, the new Supreme Chancellor had the Senate voting credits to rise an army."
Noor frowned. The creation of an army was ominous. She was surprised that the Council seemed to approve of it, or at least, was not expressing any reluctance. The Jedi have been the guardians of the peace for immemorial times, the Force was to defend, not to aggress and an army slips easily out of control--
She had a very bad feeling about this---
"Was the war declared yet?" she asked.
The members of the Council nodded gravely.
"A battle was already fought and won. The victory should keep the dissidents at bay for a while, they need to recover some strength. Still, we must be prepared, the war is imminent and the Confederacy of Independent System, as they call themselves, is moving fast," said Master Billaba.
There was something Noor did not understand, what this crisis, as concerning it was, had to do with her? She cared greatly for the Order but, she had not taken the trials to become a knight and her life had changed. When her father and her brother died in an accident, her sister Maeve had claimed her back on Earth, refusing to let the young girl of almost sixteen years old become a warrior.
"Noor needs a normal life," Maeve had said firmly to the Twelve, emphasizing the word normal. "She will stick to the solar system, go to school to form her mind with rational subjects and forget about that absurd fairy tale about the Force. I will not let her risk her life on some of your idealistic quests."
The Council had protested and refused to let the young padawan go before her training was completed, but her sister had held her ground. It was finally Noor who had decided to leave to settle the problem and appease the tension.
The Jedi could do without her, she wasn't exceptional or a particularly promising apprentice. Certainly--but she had left a part of herself on Coruscant.
Yoda set his disproportioned eyes on her. Sometimes it was annoying to know that no one could hide anything from him, he sensed people's thoughts without having to probe their minds.
"A large army the Republic has now, trustworthy leaders it needs."
"Uh, yes, undoubtedly, my master, but I still don't get your --"
Her voice trailed off as she saw a smirk appear on Yoda's face, "Sure you are?"
Oh, no--
Noor wondered if she had heard correctly. "Me? A commander of the Republican troops?" A heavy silence fell and Noor suddenly gave in to a fit of a very ill-timed giggle.
Everybody in the room eyed her curiously.
The frosty stillness around her made her sober up quickly. "I am afraid to understand, master, you are not serious--"
"We need you to take your place back among the Jedi, Noor," master Ki-Adi- Mundi declared.
Noor's face fell, aghast.
Oh Lord, they *were* serious--
" But I'm an archeologist! How can a mousy scholar be of any help on a battlefield?" she pleaded frantically.
"A Jedi first you are, then a mousy scholar," Yoda corrected with a slight smile.
Mace Windu took a step toward her," You will not have to manage a whole unit on your own, Noor."
Oh, thanks! That was comforting!
" You will assist one of the generals, a fellow Jedi. You did not finish your training, but your gift for strategy, planning, foreseeing and your skills with maps were noticed. Those qualities appoint you to a post of commandment. Before you join the Army, your formation will be completed."
The entrance door opened, everyone turned to see a vaguely familiar looking Jedi stride purposefully toward the center of the room, nearby Noor. She could not make out his features distinctly with the hood of his cloak up, she moved to face the Council again, having more important matters at hand.
"Master Kenobi", greeted Yoda.
Kenobi ? 'Master' Kenobi ? She mused as she recalled the standoffish padawan she once knew. The masters had formed great hopes about him for he was indeed among the most brilliant elements of the Temple back then, and a little too aware of it for her taste. The fact that most of her female fellows seemed to moon over a way to silently die for him did not help much. They had never really befriended as he had never let anybody get too close anyway.
Master Windu resumed pointedly: " You are free to remain here and take the place you never ceased to have among us or to leave. No matter what you choose, no one will judge you. Your will won't be overlooked."
As truly grateful as she was she shook her head." Sir, I left this place so long ago, my strategy classes are far behind me, my maps only help me to dig up buried wells, cities or tombs and foreseeing is a mere Jedi trait. As master Billaba said we're running out of time and I don't even know the odds of this battle and pardon me, I still highly doubt that a specialist of the Middle East antiquity can be of any use in times of war," she enumerated in almost one nervous breath.
"Are they only of any use in times of peace?" a brashly cultured voice inquired flippantly near her. The aim was perfect and the quip hit her square in the middle of her uneasiness.
Fortunately some things were meant to remain perpetual in this odd world where innocent scholars were drugged and kidnapped by their own people to serve in the Galactic Army: high mountains and their everlasting snows, Saint Patrick's Day and its cortege of drunk compatriots howling obscene songs in the street, Obi-Wan Kenobi and his cockiness--- Noor bit back a sharp reply and smiled mildly, her eyes still focused in front of her.
"I didn't know that your mastership included such a fine sense of untimely comments, sir," she said, her voice an artful dosing of sarcasm to be downright offending without being too obvious in front of the Council.
This, however, wasn't graced with an answer for Master Yoda firmly raised a three-fingered paw to cut short the exchange of courtesies and turned towards the young woman: "Join us will you? Up to you to see where you duty lies it is."
"What says your heart Noor?" asked Mace Windu.
Noor tilted her head, "To stay of course--"
"Then what do *you* say?"
She closed her eyes for a minute, this was going a little too fast for her, what was she supposed to do? She had forced herself to bury what she had learnt at the Temple deep within her, she had renounced to become a knight. She still remembered that terrible day once back in Dublin where she had to undo her padawan braid locked up in her room.
After years of quiet study in libraries, the idea of fighting had grown very abstracted, the only wars she knew of happened centuries ago. All her life had revolved around the past and now she was confronted to the present. She bit her lip, knowing that she had to take her decision quickly. Then, she did something she had not done in years. She opened herself to the Force, letting it flow through her, immense, ageless, soothing. She wondered as the peace settled in her how she had managed to live so long without embracing it everyday.
A slow smile graced her features as everything cleared in her mind, "That I will follow its advice."
The tension seemed to ease a little in the chamber.
"I'm glad to hear that," he said approvingly. " Now we have to discuss your training. I won't be able to supervise it entirely, another master will complete your formation."
"Who?" The second she asked it she got the horrible feeling that--
"We suggest that Master Kenobi takes this in charge."
Bingo!! Noor moaned inwardly. She could have sworn she saw Yoda stifle a sly grin.
There was a pause.
By Kenobi's side the silence grew from stunned, to heavy, to openly displeased. " Take her in charge? Masters, as you are well aware of Anakin is far from being ready to take the trials and I cannot take two padawans at the same time. Beside the fact that she is far too old to be trained, I would have to start from the beginning with her and we have very little time indeed."
'Always a gentleman. a gentleman who is more than five years older,' Noor thought, resenting the "far too old" bit.
"Obi-Wan," Master Yoda interrupted quietly. "In the past, a chance you were given too."
A shadow passed on Kenobi's face and he lowered his head in shame.
"Your apprentice has been, um-'detached' on Naboo for a month which is the exact time you have to finish the formation of Padawan Alrahan. We are confident that you will do well, Master Kenobi, for that's all the time we can spare," said the impressive master Tiin, fixing his reddish gaze on them from under the hood that half hid his unsettling fiendish looking face.
Kenobi and Noor did not bother to counter, there was an unmistakable edge of command in the encouraging statement so both retreated in a frustrated silence.
The young woman sighed, her return to the Jedi would be far rockier than she had ever dreamt of.
******
Noor paused at the entrance of the Council circular chamber. Master Windu lead the way as he had done when she had been introduced to the Elders as a brand new padawan to be trained and to learn the ways of the Force. She was barely eight then, a lifetime ago---
Although she knew that her master would stand by her side to face the Council, she could not prevent the sudden weight on her chest, the faint flutter in her stomach. She trailed her fingers along the monumental wooden door to convince herself that it was not another dream of her return to the Temple. Then, summoning her courage, she drew a quick breath and entered.
A stony silence greeted the young woman as she bowed in front of the twelve venerable masters of the Force. The Council had changed since her departure; she did not recognize a few faces. All of them were staring blankly at her. She had the most unpleasant sensation that she was sized up, judged and that her mind was dissected by those piercing eyes. It was not unfriendly or hostile, but their cool appraisal of her entire self made feel totally out of place and uncomfortable.
'So much for the heart warming welcome home' she thought sardonically.
Yoda broke the silence first, probably guessing her uneasy thoughts. "I trust, gathered some strength and mended you have young Noor?"
"Yes, thank you," she squeaked, cursing her voice for failing her when she needed to appear dignified. She was twenty-five now, an adult and not some bashful pre-teen for Pete's sake! She had faced quite a lot in her life and had doctorate. She could handle a whole class of students barely younger than her, going from the usual semi-comatose in the back, to the pervert little buggers in the front. Why was she blushing like a fool then?
However, her obvious dismay managed to bring a smile on the lips of certain members of the Council -- mostly those who had lips.
The little elfin master scrunched up his lined face pensively and nodded. "Good," he paused, "many questions are running in you mind, feel it I can. Haven't you detected something unusual lately in your behavior or your dreams? Some unexplained sentiments, ummm?"
Well, now that he was talking about it she recalled the strange impression of restlessness that had pervaded her thoughts, even in the middle of her sleep.
Casting a quick look round the room to his fellow Council members her former master intervened.
"The Jedi Order is confronted with an unprecedented crisis."
He proceeded to describe the overwhelming number of dissidents in the Republic Senate and the fact that the Jedi were too reduced to deal efficiently with the matter. "The order represents a certain elite, but as an elite it is limited in the number, consequently, the new Supreme Chancellor had the Senate voting credits to rise an army."
Noor frowned. The creation of an army was ominous. She was surprised that the Council seemed to approve of it, or at least, was not expressing any reluctance. The Jedi have been the guardians of the peace for immemorial times, the Force was to defend, not to aggress and an army slips easily out of control--
She had a very bad feeling about this---
"Was the war declared yet?" she asked.
The members of the Council nodded gravely.
"A battle was already fought and won. The victory should keep the dissidents at bay for a while, they need to recover some strength. Still, we must be prepared, the war is imminent and the Confederacy of Independent System, as they call themselves, is moving fast," said Master Billaba.
There was something Noor did not understand, what this crisis, as concerning it was, had to do with her? She cared greatly for the Order but, she had not taken the trials to become a knight and her life had changed. When her father and her brother died in an accident, her sister Maeve had claimed her back on Earth, refusing to let the young girl of almost sixteen years old become a warrior.
"Noor needs a normal life," Maeve had said firmly to the Twelve, emphasizing the word normal. "She will stick to the solar system, go to school to form her mind with rational subjects and forget about that absurd fairy tale about the Force. I will not let her risk her life on some of your idealistic quests."
The Council had protested and refused to let the young padawan go before her training was completed, but her sister had held her ground. It was finally Noor who had decided to leave to settle the problem and appease the tension.
The Jedi could do without her, she wasn't exceptional or a particularly promising apprentice. Certainly--but she had left a part of herself on Coruscant.
Yoda set his disproportioned eyes on her. Sometimes it was annoying to know that no one could hide anything from him, he sensed people's thoughts without having to probe their minds.
"A large army the Republic has now, trustworthy leaders it needs."
"Uh, yes, undoubtedly, my master, but I still don't get your --"
Her voice trailed off as she saw a smirk appear on Yoda's face, "Sure you are?"
Oh, no--
Noor wondered if she had heard correctly. "Me? A commander of the Republican troops?" A heavy silence fell and Noor suddenly gave in to a fit of a very ill-timed giggle.
Everybody in the room eyed her curiously.
The frosty stillness around her made her sober up quickly. "I am afraid to understand, master, you are not serious--"
"We need you to take your place back among the Jedi, Noor," master Ki-Adi- Mundi declared.
Noor's face fell, aghast.
Oh Lord, they *were* serious--
" But I'm an archeologist! How can a mousy scholar be of any help on a battlefield?" she pleaded frantically.
"A Jedi first you are, then a mousy scholar," Yoda corrected with a slight smile.
Mace Windu took a step toward her," You will not have to manage a whole unit on your own, Noor."
Oh, thanks! That was comforting!
" You will assist one of the generals, a fellow Jedi. You did not finish your training, but your gift for strategy, planning, foreseeing and your skills with maps were noticed. Those qualities appoint you to a post of commandment. Before you join the Army, your formation will be completed."
The entrance door opened, everyone turned to see a vaguely familiar looking Jedi stride purposefully toward the center of the room, nearby Noor. She could not make out his features distinctly with the hood of his cloak up, she moved to face the Council again, having more important matters at hand.
"Master Kenobi", greeted Yoda.
Kenobi ? 'Master' Kenobi ? She mused as she recalled the standoffish padawan she once knew. The masters had formed great hopes about him for he was indeed among the most brilliant elements of the Temple back then, and a little too aware of it for her taste. The fact that most of her female fellows seemed to moon over a way to silently die for him did not help much. They had never really befriended as he had never let anybody get too close anyway.
Master Windu resumed pointedly: " You are free to remain here and take the place you never ceased to have among us or to leave. No matter what you choose, no one will judge you. Your will won't be overlooked."
As truly grateful as she was she shook her head." Sir, I left this place so long ago, my strategy classes are far behind me, my maps only help me to dig up buried wells, cities or tombs and foreseeing is a mere Jedi trait. As master Billaba said we're running out of time and I don't even know the odds of this battle and pardon me, I still highly doubt that a specialist of the Middle East antiquity can be of any use in times of war," she enumerated in almost one nervous breath.
"Are they only of any use in times of peace?" a brashly cultured voice inquired flippantly near her. The aim was perfect and the quip hit her square in the middle of her uneasiness.
Fortunately some things were meant to remain perpetual in this odd world where innocent scholars were drugged and kidnapped by their own people to serve in the Galactic Army: high mountains and their everlasting snows, Saint Patrick's Day and its cortege of drunk compatriots howling obscene songs in the street, Obi-Wan Kenobi and his cockiness--- Noor bit back a sharp reply and smiled mildly, her eyes still focused in front of her.
"I didn't know that your mastership included such a fine sense of untimely comments, sir," she said, her voice an artful dosing of sarcasm to be downright offending without being too obvious in front of the Council.
This, however, wasn't graced with an answer for Master Yoda firmly raised a three-fingered paw to cut short the exchange of courtesies and turned towards the young woman: "Join us will you? Up to you to see where you duty lies it is."
"What says your heart Noor?" asked Mace Windu.
Noor tilted her head, "To stay of course--"
"Then what do *you* say?"
She closed her eyes for a minute, this was going a little too fast for her, what was she supposed to do? She had forced herself to bury what she had learnt at the Temple deep within her, she had renounced to become a knight. She still remembered that terrible day once back in Dublin where she had to undo her padawan braid locked up in her room.
After years of quiet study in libraries, the idea of fighting had grown very abstracted, the only wars she knew of happened centuries ago. All her life had revolved around the past and now she was confronted to the present. She bit her lip, knowing that she had to take her decision quickly. Then, she did something she had not done in years. She opened herself to the Force, letting it flow through her, immense, ageless, soothing. She wondered as the peace settled in her how she had managed to live so long without embracing it everyday.
A slow smile graced her features as everything cleared in her mind, "That I will follow its advice."
The tension seemed to ease a little in the chamber.
"I'm glad to hear that," he said approvingly. " Now we have to discuss your training. I won't be able to supervise it entirely, another master will complete your formation."
"Who?" The second she asked it she got the horrible feeling that--
"We suggest that Master Kenobi takes this in charge."
Bingo!! Noor moaned inwardly. She could have sworn she saw Yoda stifle a sly grin.
There was a pause.
By Kenobi's side the silence grew from stunned, to heavy, to openly displeased. " Take her in charge? Masters, as you are well aware of Anakin is far from being ready to take the trials and I cannot take two padawans at the same time. Beside the fact that she is far too old to be trained, I would have to start from the beginning with her and we have very little time indeed."
'Always a gentleman. a gentleman who is more than five years older,' Noor thought, resenting the "far too old" bit.
"Obi-Wan," Master Yoda interrupted quietly. "In the past, a chance you were given too."
A shadow passed on Kenobi's face and he lowered his head in shame.
"Your apprentice has been, um-'detached' on Naboo for a month which is the exact time you have to finish the formation of Padawan Alrahan. We are confident that you will do well, Master Kenobi, for that's all the time we can spare," said the impressive master Tiin, fixing his reddish gaze on them from under the hood that half hid his unsettling fiendish looking face.
Kenobi and Noor did not bother to counter, there was an unmistakable edge of command in the encouraging statement so both retreated in a frustrated silence.
The young woman sighed, her return to the Jedi would be far rockier than she had ever dreamt of.
******