Chapter One
A lone figure leaned against a tall blue marble pillar, looking at the rows of the statues and busts that decorated the library in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He sighed dreamily as his eyes moved along them all, not focusing on any in particular as he relaxed without a care in the world, something that wasn't all that common for a Jedi in these times. Still, there are times when peace is the only thing in the galaxy that is important and right now it was exactly what Evajo Blabe had.
Footsteps echoed through the large room, distracting Evajo from his non-thoughts. He made no effort to turn around as another figure entered the room. He felt a small hand touch his shoulder, which he took in his own and smiled.
"I thought I'd find you here," a young female voice whispered into his ear.
"You know me far too well, Se'line," Evajo said as he turned to look at the blue skinned Twilek with her head tails were wrapped over her shoulders who now occupied the library with him. She was no older than seventeen and a Padawan learner. Evajo let go of her hand and smiled at her. She didn't seem quite so amused.
"Everyone's been looking for you, you know," she said pointedly.
"Have they now?" Evajo was far too laid back to be a Jedi but that's exactly what he was, ever since his parents sent him away to join the Order at the age of three. That was twenty years ago now but even all that rigorous Jedi training hadn't curbed his innate nature. He was a thinker, a dreamer and there was no place he'd rather be than in the library, even on a day such as this.
"This is so like you," Se'line added in a slightly more annoyed tone. "Don't you realise how important this is?"
"It's just a ceremony, Sel," he replied, turning back to look at the statues.
"An important ceremony! One that you have to go to if you want your promotion to be official."
Evajo turned and smiled at her. "It is official. The Council told me yesterday. If I want to have my braid cut off I can do it myself."
"But this is traditional. Anyway, everyone's there."
The older Jedi nodded. They would be. Unless they were out on the battle field that is. Every Jedi on Coruscant would usually attend the braid cutting ceremony of a Jedi who had been promoted from a Padawan… all except for one who seemed to lock herself away from it all and that's exactly who Evajo was here. "I just wanted to ask Madame Jocasta to come," he said thoughtfully. "She never turns up. Always here in the library."
"Things change, Evajo," Se'line said. "She's in the Great Hall right now waiting for you."
"Really?" Evajo's interest was taken away from the holographic image of two Jedi in battle that he saw before him.
"You don't think she'd miss the ceremony for her favourite pupil do you? If you do then you must have forgotten how determined she can be."
Evajo nodded. She was right, of course. He should have known that the old woman would be there for him. Ever since she had caught him in there years before when he decided to skip a training session with Master Yoda, she took him under her wing and at one point he was willing to give up the Jedi life that he was preparing for to become her assistant. He loved the library that much.
The two Jedi began to walk out of the vast room when Evajo stopped. Se'line turned and glared at him. "What now?"
"I... I was just thinking."
"You can do that on the way."
"I'd rather do it here," he said as he moved his hand forward and stroked her cheek. "We were apprentices together for so long... this feels so weird. It's like the end of an era."
"Well maybe if Master Forchess decides he doesn't want me anymore maybe you can be my teacher," the Twilek girl smiled.
"Maybe... but you know the Master. Nothing you could do would make him give up on you. I should know - he trained me as well."
"Stubborn is the right word for him," Se'line grinned as she started to walk out, pulling Evajo behind her in case he lapsed back into not caring again. There was no way he was going to miss this ceremony. She'd take him there at saber-point if necessary. She didn't need to though. He'd got everything off his chest and was well on the way out of the room, walking ahead of her.
A lone figure leaned against a tall blue marble pillar, looking at the rows of the statues and busts that decorated the library in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He sighed dreamily as his eyes moved along them all, not focusing on any in particular as he relaxed without a care in the world, something that wasn't all that common for a Jedi in these times. Still, there are times when peace is the only thing in the galaxy that is important and right now it was exactly what Evajo Blabe had.
Footsteps echoed through the large room, distracting Evajo from his non-thoughts. He made no effort to turn around as another figure entered the room. He felt a small hand touch his shoulder, which he took in his own and smiled.
"I thought I'd find you here," a young female voice whispered into his ear.
"You know me far too well, Se'line," Evajo said as he turned to look at the blue skinned Twilek with her head tails were wrapped over her shoulders who now occupied the library with him. She was no older than seventeen and a Padawan learner. Evajo let go of her hand and smiled at her. She didn't seem quite so amused.
"Everyone's been looking for you, you know," she said pointedly.
"Have they now?" Evajo was far too laid back to be a Jedi but that's exactly what he was, ever since his parents sent him away to join the Order at the age of three. That was twenty years ago now but even all that rigorous Jedi training hadn't curbed his innate nature. He was a thinker, a dreamer and there was no place he'd rather be than in the library, even on a day such as this.
"This is so like you," Se'line added in a slightly more annoyed tone. "Don't you realise how important this is?"
"It's just a ceremony, Sel," he replied, turning back to look at the statues.
"An important ceremony! One that you have to go to if you want your promotion to be official."
Evajo turned and smiled at her. "It is official. The Council told me yesterday. If I want to have my braid cut off I can do it myself."
"But this is traditional. Anyway, everyone's there."
The older Jedi nodded. They would be. Unless they were out on the battle field that is. Every Jedi on Coruscant would usually attend the braid cutting ceremony of a Jedi who had been promoted from a Padawan… all except for one who seemed to lock herself away from it all and that's exactly who Evajo was here. "I just wanted to ask Madame Jocasta to come," he said thoughtfully. "She never turns up. Always here in the library."
"Things change, Evajo," Se'line said. "She's in the Great Hall right now waiting for you."
"Really?" Evajo's interest was taken away from the holographic image of two Jedi in battle that he saw before him.
"You don't think she'd miss the ceremony for her favourite pupil do you? If you do then you must have forgotten how determined she can be."
Evajo nodded. She was right, of course. He should have known that the old woman would be there for him. Ever since she had caught him in there years before when he decided to skip a training session with Master Yoda, she took him under her wing and at one point he was willing to give up the Jedi life that he was preparing for to become her assistant. He loved the library that much.
The two Jedi began to walk out of the vast room when Evajo stopped. Se'line turned and glared at him. "What now?"
"I... I was just thinking."
"You can do that on the way."
"I'd rather do it here," he said as he moved his hand forward and stroked her cheek. "We were apprentices together for so long... this feels so weird. It's like the end of an era."
"Well maybe if Master Forchess decides he doesn't want me anymore maybe you can be my teacher," the Twilek girl smiled.
"Maybe... but you know the Master. Nothing you could do would make him give up on you. I should know - he trained me as well."
"Stubborn is the right word for him," Se'line grinned as she started to walk out, pulling Evajo behind her in case he lapsed back into not caring again. There was no way he was going to miss this ceremony. She'd take him there at saber-point if necessary. She didn't need to though. He'd got everything off his chest and was well on the way out of the room, walking ahead of her.