Notes: Here's chappy 2… just like I promised ^^ Original Twinsabers readers will find not much new, but a lot of gramatical corrections J Oh, by the way, dun expect chapter 3 'till late this week or next weekend… I've got exams starting this Friday the 13th x.x
The morning sunlight reflected off of the silvery surfaces of Coruscant's skyscrapers, turning the dingy monuments of society's greed into ethereal temples, the homes of some ancient, long-forgotten deities. Even the skylanes, polluted with the exhaust of a million starships and full of trash barges and rusted cargo haulers, turned into things of beautiful brilliance in the dawn light. Aquel Faemir had been up since before the sun rose, meditating in silence outside of her room, partially to see this sight. Though it became an irritation to those who had to fly at dawn, hauling trash or commuting to jobs on the planet's other side, to Aquel it was a miracle that never ceased to amaze and thrill her. Somehow the brilliance and beauty focused her thoughts. She was in tune to every whisper of the Force, every ripple of movement, every thread of life-force that flowed between all things.
It was during a long-ago sunrise, when she was just 4, that she had first seen these 'Force strings', as she and Qui-Gon had called them as children. She had learned that these energy strands were the tools of a Jedi, and they controlled everything a Jedi did, from moving objects to reading minds to seeing the future. All one had to know was how to pull the strings in the right manner, and everything was possible. As younglings, Aquel and Qui-Gon had delighted in these new playthings, always testing their mental strength by tugging at the most difficult strings they could find. It had built great skill in the two children, and had brought smiles to the faces of older Jedi... until the two had pulled a carpet from underneath Master Yoda's feet, and then they had been taught the valuable lesson of which strings to pull and which to leave alone.
Now Aquel had complete control, and she felt the old thrill of excitement she received whenever she felt the Force strings attached to her own being. They tugged on her from hundreds of sources, thrumming with a strange power, filling her with strength and knowledge. For her, this was the pinnacle of meditation, when she could see and feel the tug of the Force at her very soul. Once she had identified each string, she began working on discovering where they were coming from. Like an ant on a wire her mind crawled its way slowly up the strands, now completely blind to outside sights and feelings. Her whole being was centered on crawling up this Force string, and when she reached its end to find a tiny Glow Worm in the temple wall, she allowed herself a smile of satisfaction. Even the smallest were bound with the living Force.
After centering herself again she chose another string and worked up along it, and repeated this until she had crawled up nearly fifty Force pathways. Some led to tiny creatures near her, some to the ships outside in the skylanes, or to the very Temple stones themselves; some even led to other planets and other galaxies! Some had been strange and difficult to find the end of; these were the strings attached to Force-sensitive beings. However, the string she had just chosen was one that was familiar and comforting to her. It had a familiar energy signature, and she knew before even touching it where it led. She deliberated for a moment whether she should indeed cross it; she didn't want to disturb its owner. Before she could reach a conclusion, however, Aquel felt the string vibrate, and like a spider in her web, she understood the message. The string's owner had found her, and was approaching her consciousness. Normally Aquel would have put up a barrier around the Force Strings to cut off any unwanted visitors, but she felt completely safe with this person.
Good Morning said a voice in her head, and she smiled broadly. It was nice to know that, even after all these years of separation, she and Qui-Gon could still communicate with thoughts alone.
Good morning to you, she replied, sending a smile thought along with the words. She and Qui-Gon met in the middle of the Force String, and she could almost see his smiling face. One of the benefits of Force communication was the transmission of feelings and thoughts as well as words.
How long have you been awake? He asked.
Since before sunrise, she replied, keeping any signs of weariness from her thoughts. I had hoped to find some hint of purpose in the Force Strings.
Ah, Qui-Gon said understandingly. We can only pull on the Force strings, not tell them where to take us.
They sat together for a while, comfortable in the mutual silence, enjoying the peace of the morning and the company of old friends, when another consciousness tugged on the Force string. Aquel sensed that this being was coming from Qui-Gon's end, and with practiced ease she identified the youthful speaker. Obi-Wan, she said, Welcome!
Good morning, he said courteously, may I come in?
Certainly, Qui-Gon replied. Obi-Wan's youthful, yet mature, consciousness moved along the Force string to join them, bringing with him the energy of the Coruscant morning.
So these are the infamous Force strings, he said cheerfully.
Yes, the infamous Force strings that connect best friends and their nosey Padawans, Aquel joked. I'm glad you made it through, my Ben.
Obi-Wan's mind smiled at the use of her pet name for him; she had called him 'Ben' since he was little. Thank you for inviting me, Master Faemir, he replied, using her formal name on purpose.
I need to break you of that habit, she muttered. Qui-Gon just laughed.
The banter and talk went on for a few more moments as Aquel and Qui-Gon caught up on old times and Obi-Wan listened. The two Jedi had more in common than most others he'd ever heard of, and yet their tight bond was mostly hidden from outsiders. Obi-Wan had always wondered why their thoughts seemed to guarded, even at times like this. Everyone knew Qui-Gon had trained Aquel for a few years before she was knighted, and that could explain the bond… so why hide it?
Hmm, I sense Mace Windu walking down the hallway, Aquel said. I'd better get up before he trips over me. It was good to speak with both of you. I wish you well on your next errand!
Remember, always follow the Force strings, Qui-Gon called after her as she turned to leave. She nodded, smiling, but before she could break the string and return to her own consciousness, a cold breeze blew across her. She sensed a great blackness hovering over Qui-Gon's mind…
And then she was centered, and could no longer see the Force strings or the minds of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
"Ah, a little bit of early morning meditation?" Mace Windu said cheerfully as he passed her in the corridor.
"I've missed the temple, Master Windu," she replied, bowing respectfully. That wasn't entirely true, but she could hide her small lies from Mace's probing senses.
"You should visit us more often. No doubt you could add much to this place." Mace was, of course, referring to the Jedi Council, which had been asking Aquel to join it since she had become a Jedi Knight. None of the other Masters had the gift in Seeing like she did, except for Yoda, but the aged alien Master always spoke in riddles. Aquel had always politely declined these requests, though; the Council was far too rigid for her, and she didn't fancy being stuck inside the temple for all time.
"I'm sure I could," she said politely, "but my work is outside of Coruscant."
Something in the steel of her voice told Mace not to press the issue. "I wish you the best of luck in your search for a Padawan. What is it Qui-Gon always tells you to do? Follow the Force strings?"
"Yes," Aquel said, forcing a smile. She didn't feel comfortable when other people used the phrase, because to her it had always been something unique shared only between herself and Qui-Gon. She summoned her dignity around her, bowed again to Mace Windu, and left.
'Follow the Force Strings', Aquel thought to herself as she wandered aimlessly down the secluded hallways of the Jedi Temple's basement level. She wanted to think alone, to seek the answers to her problems without interruption. Could she follow the Force Strings to a potential Padawan? Was that what Qui-Gon had meant? Without a clear pathway or signal, though, it would be impossible to find any one specific student. Aquel knew about the bonds between Master and Padawan, but were those bonds in place even before the two met? 'I might as well try,' Aquel thought to herself resignedly.
She took the lift to the Student floor again, now focused on seeing the Force strings in front of her, but not on following them. She waited for one to jump out at her, like a spider waiting for the fly. She had slipped into this world of energy strands with practiced ease, and she could maintain her view of the Force even while speaking to someone else or focusing on something other than the strings around her. She used this skill to seem calm, unconcerned, aware; but when a Force string finally jumped out at her, vibrating with an unfamiliar energy signature, calling out to her like a signal flare at night, a quick look of elation and success crossed her face.
Taking no chances, Aquel slipped into a half-meditative state in which she could clearly see the Force string and physically follow it to its owner. Mentally following the string would do no good; these students always had their mind shields up, from the moment they could create barriers - and besides, she wanted to see this one in person anyway. The strand took her through the student hallways, past young Jedi-in-training who looked at Aquel as if she were a goddess come to save them. Her feet finally took her to a Lightsaber training room, and she entered the viewing platform as silently as a hunting hawkbat. Through the dim gloom she saw three lightsaber beams, and briefly wondered if three students were fighting.
On the contrary, though, there were only two: a tall, lanky Gungan male and a sinewy avian creature. The avian held two lightsabers, one in each powerful, clawed paw-wingtip. Aquel knew from the moment she laid eyes on the young creature that this was the being whose mind had called to her so clearly, and began to make a few quick assessments. The being looked young - though Aquel couldn't actually judge her age in standard years - and was several heads shorter than the gungan. Even though she appeared young physically, she held herself with a grace and confidence that even some adult Jedi masters never learned.
The confidence was well placed, too. Aquel had never seen anyone fight like this wiry avian fought; she abandoned all rules of traditional fighting, treating the duel not as a dance but as a game. She whirled and ducked, dodged and leaped, struck and blocked as if the sabers were extensions of her own body. The gungan gave the fight everything he had, blocking and striking whenever he had the chance, but it was obvious who would take the victory. Salty sweat trickled down the gungan's long face, and his breath came in heavy grunting gasps. His movements slowed as exhaustion crept in, and several times the avian's sabers found their way through the gungan's defence.
"Enough, Kal'Take," the gungan cried, raising his hands in surrender. "I tell you, none of us will ever defeat you."
"In saber games, perhaps," Kal'Take replied, deactivating her lightsabers. "In other areas, it is easy enough to claim a victory over me. You just defeated me in a Force-moving exercise the other day, Yarro."
"You'll never need anything other than those two demons," Yarro panted, collapsing backwards onto the cool stone floor. "You can either outwit your enemies, or chop them to bits. Who needs to move boulders when you can just cut right to the heart of the problem?"
"Hah, cut to the heart of the problem," Kal'Take laughed, clacking her sharp beak together. "Your humor never ceases to amaze me, friend." She reached down to help Yarro stand. "Now, let's go down to the dining hall for a bite to eat. You look like you could use some liquid refreshment."
Aquel watched the two friends leave the training room, and was vaguely reminded of herself when she was younger. Smiling, she stood to leave the room, when a small noise stopped her. She turned and saw Master Yoda sitting on the bench in the corner, watching her.
"I didn't see you there, master," Aquel said, bowing low. She felt rather embarrassed for not noticing him.
"Want you to see me, I did not," Yoda replied, hopping down off the bench. "Wish to take the Kyri on, do you?"
"I believe she is the one I saw in my vision, Master."
Yoda nodded understandingly. "Come to us in many ways, our apprentices do. For your friend Qui-Gon, it was by chance. But always the same is the Padawan's reaction. Relieved, Kal'Take will be - of this I am certain."
"Relieved?" Aquel asked, raising an eyebrow. "After that display of talent and courtesy, I'm surprised she is still here at the Temple."
"Have our strengths, we do. Amazed, I was, with Kal'Take's talent. However, watch always for the weaknesses." The green-skinned Master fixed Aquel with his piercing gaze. "Yes, watch always for the weaknesses."
Aquel nodded mutely, not daring to inquire about the nature of the Kyri's 'weaknesses'. She was sure Yoda wouldn't tell her, anyway. "Do I have the Council's blessing in this decision, Master?"
"Agree with you, the council does," Yoda said benevolently. "Take this Padawan, you may. Once your affairs are in order concerning this matter, come to the Council chamber you will. Have a mission for you, we do."
"Many thanks, Master Yoda," Aquel said, bowing deeply. "I swear to train Kal'Take to the best of my abilities, and to keep her treading the path of good."
~-~-~-
The student mess hall seemed like a battleground compared to the serenity of the main mess hall. Nearly a hundred Force-sensitive youngsters were crowded into the square room, vying for spots in the food line or chatting with their friends at one of the large, circular dining tables. Kal'Take didn't mind the chaotic noise - she actually welcomed it after the tense silence of the dueling room.
"Well, shall I offer a duel in exchange for a spot in line?" Kal asked, quirking one feathered eyebrow. The students within hearing range grinned at those in line, and those in the food line shuffled their feet nervously. "Oh, I was only joking," she chuckled as a few began to back out of line. Kal'Take's skills with the saber were renown throughout the temple, especially with the other students.
"Water will do fine for us," Yarro said, grabbing a glass from a nearby drink tray. The gungan downed the liquid in a few seconds.
"You could dry a lake with little help, friend," Kal said. "Care to share?"
Yarro handed her another one of the glasses before drinking another two himself. "At home, we just take a swim if we're thirsty," he said cheekily.
The gungan and the Kyri sat down at one of the large tables with a black Wookiee and a human. "Well, Kal, did Yarro get the best of you?" the human asked with mock innocence.
"Oh, almost," Kal said dryly. "As much as I hate to brag, none of you makes a good match for me."
"Even Master Yoda wouldn't make a match for you," the Wookiee chuffed. He was one of the few of his species to master Basic.
"Oh, that has yet to be determined," Kal grinned. "I wouldn't dare challenge Master Yoda. For one, I enjoy having all my tailfeathers, and for another thing, if I did beat him, I'd probably get kicked out of the temple."
"Imagine that, being good enough at dueling to defeat your master," Yarro laughed.
"If I ever am chosen by a Master," Kal said morosely.
"Have no fear, feathers," the Wookiee growled comfortingly. "You'll be chosen, no doubts."
"I hope you're right, Ferlo," Kal sighed. "The life of a farmer isn't exactly what I envisioned when I was brought here. I want to see other star systems! I want to fly, I want to fight for good…" Kal shrugged helplessly at the limited vocabulary of basic. "We have a word for it in my language. It means all of those things, and more. Once a warrior achieves it, he also achieves true happiness…"
"Like I said, don't worry about it," Ferlo said. "You've got time. I'm absolutely positive someone will choose you. Farming just isn't in your stars."