***
One day about a week later, Father approached me about sending me to the Jedi High Council to see if I could begin training, even though I was too old.
"Father! Could I really? All my life I've wanted to become a Jedi Knight, but I thought I'd never have the opportunity. Do you really think they'd take me in?"
"They would, if you were deemed Force-sensitive, which I personally believe you are. Tell you what, Ari. I'll contact the Council and see if you and I could be heard sometime soon. I'll do it tonight, and maybe you and I could be in the Jedi Temple before the week's end."
I was ecstatic. I sat impatiently at his side while he contacted the Council. They said that they could squeeze us in the following day. They asked Father some questions about me so they would know what to expect when I came in for my interview.
I couldn't sleep that night, even though I wanted to be well rested. I got a few hours of sleep after I forced myself to clear my mind of all the excitement, anxiety, and nervousness.
Father got me up early and told me to get ready. He had set out my nice light blue tunic and darker blue robes for me to wear. I dressed hurriedly and fixed my long, dark hair in a fancy, braided style. I was just about to wake Benjo up when Father told me not to. Benjo could not go because it was improper. I sulked a bit, but obeyed him. I left Benjo a note on his comlink for him to listen to when he woke up. I told him where I was and how long I'd be there. How Benjo could not know where I was going was beyond me, but I told him anyway.
Father and I got into our old airspeeder and headed up into the light early morning Coruscant traffic. The Temple was quite a ride from our home, but we got there on time. On arriving, Father parked the speeder, and we headed into one of the outer four spires. Father knew where he was going, so we got to the Council Chamber pretty easily.
When we got there, Father told me that we had to wait until we were let it. Once the Council was alerted to our presence, they sent for us. I took a couple of deep breaths to rid myself of my nerves as the large doors were opened for us.
Inside, I saw that the Chamber was circular and that the actual Council members sat around the perimeter. Most of the walls were large windows overlooking the other spires, including the main central one. At once, I recognized Master Yoda and the dark-skinned Master Mace Windu from Father's descriptions of them. I kept Father in my peripheral vision so I could emulate what he did. When we were in the middle of the circle, facing Master Yoda and Master Windu, I saw him begin to bow, so I quickly followed his lead. They all nodded their heads to us. Then Master Windu began to speak.
"So, Alec. How have you been? It's been a while."
"Yes, it has, Mace. I have been all right. I have a job working as a freighter pilot. I take Ari-Ana here" -- he gestured to me -- "on some of my flights."
Master Yoda addressed me. "Young Ari-Ana, wish to become a Jedi Knight, do you, hmm?"
"Yes, Master Yoda. Very much so. My father has told me many stories and I have always longed to be a part of this prestigious Order."
Master Windu then spoke to me. "Ari-Ana, you are aware, are you not, that most Jedi Knights begin training in their first year of life?"
"Yes, Master Windu, I am aware."
"There are not many exceptions to this practice. We will, however, give you a blood test to determine if you have a high midi-chlorian count and, therefore, have great Force potential. Also, I think you should be aware that to become a Jedi requires the deepest commitment and most serious mind. It is not a venture to be undertaken lightly. As such, Jedi instruction is rigidly structured and codified to enforce discipline and hinder transgression. A Jedi who fails in his training can be a very serious threat. The Dark Side of the Force beckons to the impatient, and students in the past have been lured to its call with devastating consequences; theses are known as The Lost Twenty. Also, all connections to previous family life are lost. Are you willing to make all these sacrifices to be taught in the ways of the Force?"
"Yes, Master Windu, I am willing. You will soon find that I am a very determined person when it comes to achieving what I set my goal as."
"Well then, I will have a blood test arranged for you." Master Windu then addressed a guard standing by the doors Father and I had come in through. "Bila, go to the lab and tell Master Gallia that I will soon be sending a new Jedi hopeful to him for a blood test." (This Master Gallia was a relative of Adi Gallia, another member of the Council.)
Bila bowed and went out the doors.
Master Windu then turned back to face my father. "Now, Alec, I should like to question Ari-Ana alone in my office. You may stay here, go to the library, or what have you. This should only take about fifteen minutes, however."
Father bowed and went to go sit in a chair by the doors, outside of the circle. Master Windu, meanwhile, stood up and motioned me to follow him to a door to my right. It opened when he arrived and closed after I was through.
The office was quite large, but not overly ornate. There was a shelf with a few ancient artifacts known as books on it, a smallish desk with a chair behind it and a couple in front of it, and a strange instrument in a corner. A humanoid droid was dusting the instrument.
"Please leave us, Seefour." The droid bowed slightly and went out the door.
Master Windu sat behind his desk and motioned me to sit in one of the chairs in front of him. I sat, and he folded his hands on top of the desk.
"Ari-Ana, tell me about yourself."
"What would you like to know about me, Master Windu."
"Well, do you have many friends? Are you out-going or quiet? Do you like adventure, or would you rather cuddle up with a nice data-reader? Just, how would you describe yourself?"
"Well, I haven't ever been the really out-going type, so I don't have many friends. One friend I do have is a nice young Ewok named Benjo. I spend most of my time with him, when I'm not helping my mother around the house. You see, she works long hours and Father is away a lot of the time. Before I found Benjo, I spent most of my time building gadgets. I also like to write . . ."
"Pardon my intrusion, but what kind of gadgets have you built?"
"Oh, I've built a translator, capable of translating about 10,000 languages into Basic. It also translates what I say into the language I indicate. I've also built several comlinks, a pair for my father and me and a pair for Benjo and me. The thing I'm most proud of is my lightsaber, though."
"A real lightsaber?"
"Oh, no. It's not functional. I have no way of acquiring an Adegan crystal. But other than that, if I had a crystal, I think it would work. But even if it did work, I wouldn't be able to handle it."
"Impressive. So, you're good with your hands."
"Yes, Master Windu, I am."
"Master Windu," came a male's voice from a little box on his desk.
He pushed a button and said, "Yes?"
"When would you like to have that blood test done?"
"Are you ready for it?"
"Yes, Master, I am."
"Well, I'll bring her right down then." He backed up from the box and turned to me. "Are you ready?"
I stood up and said, "Yes."
He stood up and went to the door. I followed him out of the Council Chamber, passing my father. He stayed seated, but smiled at me as I passed.
In the lab, there were all kinds of tubes running every which way with all different colors of liquids and gases passing through them. Several humanoid droids were attending to things on counters and in bottles. In the corner, I saw a dark-colored man hunched over a beaker. He was wearing a white coat over his modest Jedi robes and some goggles. When he saw us, he pulled the goggles up on top of his head and smiled, taking off his gloves.
"Hello there!" he addressed us.
"Master Gallia," said Master Windu, "this is Ari-Ana Venyatuima, Alec's daughter."
"Ah! Nice to meet you." He extended his hand, which I took. He had a firm grip.
"She would like to have a blood test to test her midi-chlorian count."
"All right. I have it all set up. Come this way, young one."
I followed the man through the labyrinth of counters and tubes and droids to a counter against the left wall, leaving Master Windu at the door. All that was on the counter was a sink, a little instrument with a sharp point, and a piece of cloth. He ran the instrument under some water and cleaned my left forearm.
"This will sting just a bit. . . ." he said as he stuck it into my arm. I flinched at the pain, but once the instrument was out, the pain was gone. He set the instrument on the counter on the piece of cloth.
"It won't take too long, probably about five minutes. You can go over there and sit down while I finish up what I was doing." He smiled and pointed to his left, at a little sitting area around a table. On the table were some droid catalogues. I didn't touch them, however. Sitting down with my back to the counter, I looked around the lab. The walls were a bright white, as was the floor, and the bubbling liquids and gases made sure that there was never silence. Looking to my right, I saw Master Windu standing and talking to Master Gallia at the door.
"Something to drink, miss?" came a mechanical voice from beside me. I recognized the droid as the same model as C4. He was holding a tray with glasses filled with different colored liquids. I took a glass with green liquid and nodded a "Thank you." He rolled away and through a door off to my left.
I heard someone come in through the door Master Windu and I had come in. Thinking it was my father, I turned around to my right and looked at the entrant. It was neither, but the young Padawan did perk my interest. He was fairly tallish, in a light tan tunic and a brown robe. He hair was dark brown and done in the typical Padawan style. Even from as far back as I was, I could see his piercing blue eyes. In an attempt to keep me from staring, I picked up one of the droid catalogues, sat up against the left side of the chair, peering over the top of the catalogue at him. He went over and said a couple words to Master Gallia, then he spied me. After another sentence or two, all the while stealing glimpses of me, he walked over. I quickly jerked my eyes back to the catalogue, seemingly enthralled by the large array of protocol droids available.
Once in front of me, he held out his hand and said, "Hello! I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you, Miss . . .?"
I straightened myself up in my chair, held up my hand, and said, "Ari-Ana."
He took my hand and kissed it like a gentleman. "Miss Ari-Ana. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Greigg Toma, Jedi Knight-in-training here at the Temple."
I nodded and looked past him at Master Gallia, who was heading over the the counter with my blood test results.
I stood up and said, smiling, "It seems that my midi-chlorian test is done. If you'll excuse me, Padawan Toma . . ." I proceeded to walk over to the counter where Master Gallia was looking at the little instrument. I could feel Greigg's eyes burning into my back, but I eventually heard a door open and close, and he was gone.
Master Gallia was holding the instrument up in the bright white light, making little noises. Then, he set it back down with an impressed little sound. "Well, young Ari-Ana, it seems like you have quite a large count of midi-chlorians. If I were on the Council, I would vote for getting you a great Master and training you to become a Jedi Knight."
I smiled and followed him back to Master Windu. He showed the instrument to Master Windu, who nodded and said, "I shall begin looking for a Master to train you."
I bowed slightly at the waist and said, "Thank you, Master Windu. I won't let you down."
About a week after seeing the Jedi Council, Master Windu contacted my father and told him that they had a Jedi Master who would train me. He also said that this Jedi had just gotten back from a two-week suspension. He couldn't say why, as that was classified information.
***
Father and I went back to the Temple a few days later so I could meet my new master. Back in the Council Chamber, I stood, once again, in the middle of the circle of Jedi elders. Father was standing in the back of the room, watching. "Young Ari-Ana," Master Windu started, "once again I am obligated to tell you that to become a Jedi requires the deepest commitment and most serious mind. It is not a venture to be undertaken lightly. As such, Jedi instruction is rigidly structured and codified to enforce discipline and hinder transgression. A Jedi who fails in his training can be a very serious threat. The Dark Side of the Force beckons to the impatient, and students in the past have been lured to its call with devastating consequences; these are known as The Lost Twenty. All connections to previous family life are lost. Are you ready to make these sacrifices, as part of your Jedi training?"
"Yes, Master Windu. I am willing."
"Very well. I shall now introduce you to your Master, who will train you in the ways of the Jedi and the Force. He will be your mentor, your teacher. You will, in time, learn to trust him completely, even up to the point of trusting him with your life without a second thought. He will become your best friend and like a father to you. Are you ready to meet him?"
"Yes, Master Windu. I am ready."
"Very well. Master Harress, please join us." I looked toward my left where there was movement.
A middle-aged man in a tan tunic, medium-brown robes and a mahogany cloak emerged into view. The cloak's hood was over his head, and he had his hands folded in front of him inside the wide sleeves. When he was next to me, he lifted his head and I could see his care-worn face. It was a kindly face, a very fatherly face, one a person would find easy to trust. However, despite the look of his face, I felt a tingle of a cold feeling run through me again.
"Master Schlui-Harress," Master Windu said, "this is Ari-Ana Zanne Venyatuima, your new Padawan."
He bowed deeply at the waist. I bowed back and the feeling went away. He reached out his hand, and I took it. His hands were rough and had callouses. It seemed as though he had had a tough life.
Master Yoda addressed me, "Young Ari-Ana, ready are you to leave your parents and train in the ways of the Force? Ready are you to train under this Jedi Knight? Ready are you to give your whole life to the Jedi Order?"
I looked at him and said, "Yes, Master Yoda. I am ready."
About a week after seeing the Jedi Council, Master Windu contacted my father and told him that they had a Jedi Master who would train me. He also said that this Jedi had just gotten back from a two-week suspension. He couldn't say why, as that was classified information.
Father and I went back to the Temple a few days later so I could meet my new master. Back in the Council Chamber, I stood, once again, in the middle of the circle of Jedi elders. Father was standing in the back of the room, watching. "Young Ari-Ana," Master Windu started, "once again I am obligated to tell you that to become a Jedi requires the deepest commitment and most serious mind. It is not a venture to be undertaken lightly. As such, Jedi instruction is rigidly structured and codified to enforce discipline and hinder transgression. A Jedi who fails in his training can be a very serious threat. The Dark Side of the Force beckons to the impatient, and students in the past have been lured to its call with devastating consequences; these are known as The Lost Twenty. All connections to previous family life is lost. Are you ready to make these sacrifices, as part of your Jedi training?"
"Yes, Master Windu. I am willing."
"Very well. I shall now introduce you to your Master, who will train you in the ways of the Jedi and the Force. He will be your mentor, your teacher. You will, in time, learn to trust him completely, even up to the point of trusting him with your life without a second thought. He will become your best friend and like a father to you. Are you ready to meet him?"
"Yes, Master Windu. I am ready."
"Very well. Master Harress, please join us." I looked toward my left where there was movement.
A middle-aged man in a tan tunic, medium-brown robes and a mahogany cloak emerged into view. The cloak's hood was over his head, and he had his hands folded in front of him inside the wide sleeves. When he was next to me, he lifted his head and I could see his care-worn face. It was a kindly face, a very fatherly face, one a person would find easy to trust. However, despite the look of his face, I felt a tingle of a cold feeling run through me again.
"Master Schlui-Harress," Master Windu said, "this is Ari-Ana Zanne Venyatuima, your new Padawan."
He bowed deeply at the waist. I bowed back and the feeling went away. He reached out his hand, and I took it. His hands were rough and had callouses. It seemed as though he had had a tough life.
Master Yoda addressed me, "Young Ari-Ana, ready are you to leave your parents and train in the ways of the Force? Ready are you to train under this Jedi Knight? Ready are you to give your whole life to the Jedi Order?"
I looked at him and said, "Yes, Master Yoda. I am ready."
***
I rode back home with Father, and Master Harress borrowed an airspeeder from the Temple.
At home, I gathered my things, trying desperately to keep strong for Mother, who was sobbing uncontrollably.
"Oh, my baby is leaving me!" she cried. "My grown-up daughter!"
But finally, when everything had been packed, and I turned to her, seeing her tears evoked my own. I threw myself into her arms, and we cried.
I'm never going to see her again, I thought. My mother . . .
Master Harress nervously cleared his throat. "I'm truly sorry, but we really must go."
Mother sniffed loudly and pulled back, holding me at arm's length. "Of course. Forgive me, Master Jedi." Looking back to me with her shining green eyes, she kissed me on both cheeks.
"Be strong, Ari. Be strong for the Jedi."
"I will, Mother." After one final hug, I turned to Father.
Tears were evident in his eyes also, but he used his Jedi training to hold most of them in. I gave him a bone-shattering hug and whispered, "Thank you, Father. Thank you for making my dreams come true."
"Oh, Ari, it was not me. You made your own dreams come true." He pulled back, keeping his hands on my shoulders. "Now, you go out there and make your old father proud. Vanquish the evil from this galaxy. Serve the Jedi Order faithfully. And never forget that your mother and I love you."
"I won't, Father. I will make you proud."
I turned and picked up my bags, following Master Harress, ready for whatever might cross my path.
Or so I thought. . . .
Once back at the Temple, Master Harress helped take my bags to my room. I unpacked everything and got settled. Since I was quite tired from the busy day, I laid down on my bed for a short nap before I was scheduled to go before the Council. Just when I had gotten comfortable, I heard a knock at my door. Grumbling under my breath, I got up and answered it. Standing with his back to me was Greigg. When I opened the door, he turned around, with his hands behind his back, and smiled.
"Miss Ari-Ana! Hello. I heard you were accepted into the Jedi Order, and I've come with a room-warming gift." He paused and didn't move.
After a few moments, I asked, "Well, what is it?"
His smile widened and he said, "My presence, of course!"
I rolled my eyes and started to close the door.
He put his hand out to stop it and said, "Hey, wait! Don't be rude. I know I'm not allowed inside a female's room, but I was thinking that maybe I could give you a tour of the Temple."
"You are aware, Padawan Toma, that Jedi Padawans are forbidden to engage in any type of romantic relationship, are you not?"
He raised an eyebrow and said, "Wait, you thought that I . . . " -- he pointed to himself -- "and . . . you . . . " -- he pointed to me. He shook his head and laughed. "Oh no! I'm so sorry that you took it that way. I am simply trying to be friendly because I know how strange it can be, being the new person and all in a new place. I hope that this doesn't make things awkward."
"Well, thank you for your thoughtfulness. I appreciate it. And I'm sorry for my assumption. However, I'll have to take a raincheck on that tour, seeing as how I'm about to go before the Jedi Council shortly to be reviewed and receive my first assignment. I'll be seeing you around, I suppose."
"Just send a droid or something anytime you want someone to talk to." He told me where his room was and left.
About an hour later, Master Harress came back to take me to the Council Chamber so they could review me on the Force and the Jedi Order.
I rode back home with Father, and Master Harress borrowed an airspeeder from the Temple.
At home, I gathered my things, trying desperately to keep strong for Mother, who was sobbing uncontrollably.
"Oh, my baby is leaving me!" she cried. "My grown-up daughter!"
But finally, when everything had been packed, and I turned to her, seeing her tears evoked my own. I threw myself into her arms, and we cried.
I'm never going to see her again, I thought. My mother . . .
Master Harress nervously cleared his throat. "I'm truly sorry, but we really must go."
Mother sniffed loudly and pulled back, holding me at arm's length. "Of course. Forgive me, Master Jedi." Looking back to me with her shining green eyes, she kissed me on both cheeks.
"Be strong, Ari. Be strong for the Jedi."
"I will, Mother." After one final hug, I turned to Father.
Tears were evident in his eyes also, but he used his Jedi training to hold most of them in. I gave him a bone-shattering hug and whispered, "Thank you, Father. Thank you for making my dreams come true."
"Oh, Ari, it was not me. You made your own dreams come true." He pulled back, keeping his hands on my shoulders. "Now, you go out there and make your old father proud. Vanquish the evil from this galaxy. Serve the Jedi Order faithfully. And never forget that your mother and I love you."
"I won't, Father. I will make you proud."
I turned and picked up my bags, following Master Harress, ready for whatever might cross my path.
Or so I thought. . . .
Once back at the Temple, Master Harress helped take my bags to my room. I unpacked everything and got settled. Since I was quite tired from the busy day, I laid down on my bed for a short nap before I was scheduled to go before the Council. Just when I had gotten comfortable, I heard a knock at my door. Grumbling under my breath, I got up and answered it. Standing with his back to me was Greigg. When I opened the door, he turned around, with his hands behind his back, and smiled.
"Miss Ari-Ana! Hello. I heard you were accepted into the Jedi Order, and I've come with a room-warming gift." He paused and didn't move.
After a few moments, I asked, "Well, what is it?"
His smile widened and he said, "My presence, of course!"
I rolled my eyes and started to close the door.
He put his hand out to stop it and said, "Hey, wait! Don't be rude. I know I'm not allowed inside a female's room, but I was thinking that maybe I could give you a tour of the Temple."
"You are aware, Padawan Toma, that Jedi Padawans are forbidden to engage in any type of romantic relationship, are you not?"
He raised an eyebrow and said, "Wait, you thought that I . . . " -- he pointed to himself -- "and . . . you . . . " -- he pointed to me. He shook his head and laughed. "Oh no! I'm so sorry that you took it that way. I am simply trying to be friendly because I know how strange it can be, being the new person and all in a new place. I hope that this doesn't make things awkward."
"Well, thank you for your thoughtfulness. I appreciate it. And I'm sorry for my assumption. However, I'll have to take a raincheck on that tour, seeing as how I'm about to go before the Jedi Council shortly to be reviewed and receive my first assignment. I'll be seeing you around, I suppose."
"Just send a droid or something anytime you want someone to talk to." He told me where his room was and left.
About an hour later, Master Harress came back to take me to the Council Chamber so they could review me on the Force and the Jedi Order.
