The cloth was gray. Worn shreds of it dangled, frayed, on the inside. Varus had never seen a poorer robe. It smelled of a sour Keth spice that was alien to the refinement facilities. And, what was worse, the odor did not leave. It stung the air around the robe like a perpetual poison.
"Master, what is this?" Varus flinched, his brow raised in disdain.
Qei smirked lightly and raised his hand. "Your new attire, my young padawan." The stench was faint, just potent enough to earn a grimace or two. The sun had begun to rise, orange light wavering at the ornate windows, young and struggling against the clouds of dust beyond. The day was progressing as if nothing had happened.
"I will not wear this." Varus held the disgraceful robe at a distance, pinching it with his thumb and forefinger.
"Would you prefer to wear your nightclothes when we leave planet?" Qei asked, a faint light breaking from his eyes.
"Well, no, but..." Varus paused. He looked at Qei. "What did you say?"
Qei shrugged and repeated, "Would you prefer to wear your nightclothes when we leave planet?"
There it was. Varus raced in his mind, grasping for some hint of reality. Would I...No, no. That wasn't it. When...The padawan widened his eyes. When we leave planet!
"Master-"
"You'd better get dressed. Today will be a long day."
"But Master-"
"You heard me. Get dressed and meet me in the garden. I will explain there."
Varus could barely contain his excitement. When we leave planet! He now clutched the robe firmly and draped it about him in a flash. He walked briskly, straight to the garden.
Qei wasn't there. The place was filled with green plants and brilliant flowers, an oasis in the desert he knew, like some pocket of memory, wonderful things long gone. Master Qei had explained he'd brought them there from his homeworld in the core of the galaxy. They were the only plants Varus had seen his entire life. He treasured this place deeply and welcomed the chance to sit down a while on the cool grass, alone and beaming in awe at his luck. They were leaving. He was leaving. Finally.
For all of his life, Varus had only known Sarkuhn. Its sand, its winds, its storms. He had only known the pale sky and glaring sun. Now was the time he had waited for, when he could see another world, another sky, another sun. The universe would finally be open, its wonders waiting for him. And I'll be free to see them, he thought. Finally free.
"That's what I'm afraid of," sighed Qei, appearing, abrupt as usual, around the bend of a thick bush. His use of the Force for telepathy was unnerving. "Freedom has its disadvantages, my young padawan. When we make it out to exist at all." With a slight look around, Qei settled down against the trunk of a short ithic tree. He noticed Varus was watching him patiently, so he continued. "The galaxy is not all wonders, Varus. I wish it were. The truth is, it is a dangerous place." He narrowed his gaze beneath his brow. "Much like your bedroom."
"Master, I-"
"I know what happened, Varus. You encountered a cavern snake, so you incinerated it."
"It would've killed me! The situation was too dangerous."
"The real danger lies in ourselves, not in the unknown. When we encounter something unfamiliar, we react in a rash way."
"But it wasn't unknown. Those serpents are poisonous enough to kill prey many times their size! I had no choice, no other weapon."
"You think the Force is a weapon?"
"No-"
"For the number of options you gave that snake, it might as well have been alien to this galaxy. Your 'weapon' could have been replaced by an open hand. Soothe the snake's instincts. Use the Force to make it docile. Put it back to sleep. Did you consider these?"
Varus sighed. "No master, I did not."
"You used the Force to create lightning."
"It happened so fast-"
"The flow of time can be easily managed by a servant of the Force. But you acted as no servant. You sought to command the Force, and it must not be commanded. That is corruption. That is the dark side." Qei was silent for a moment. He observed his student, his adopted child. Already he could feel Varus losing patience. "Do you understand that, padawan? We've been over this again and again. But for once, I think I know how to pound it into your brain."
"Master?"
"We are going to hunt Sith, Varus. That is why we are leaving this world. I have orders from the Council to apprehend a Sith Lord who was spotted no more than a system away from us. He may be on the run, and we are to keep him from escaping to another secret hiding place. You'll see what 'freedom' from the Jedi code does to a person, my young padawan. You'll see first hand."
"Master, with all due respect...I don't even have a lightsaber yet."
"You shouldn't need one. You will be acting as an observer on this journey. We will rendezvous with an old friend of mine near the second moon of Akeruhn."
"You mean we're not leaving the system?"
"We will. But only after we've docked with Master Wianna and her padawan. Wianna and I should be more than enough to handle a Sith Lord. Ava will be observing with you."
"We'll meet other Jedi?" Varus asked, a hint of anticipation glowing in his face.
"Ava is not yet a Jedi. But yes, you will meet her master. It will be an opportunity for you to learn many new things, things I could not teach you myself. I admit, though this planet may be safe, it is far too limiting." There was sincerity in his pale eyes, and he looked again to Varus after they closed a moment.
"When do we leave?" he heard the padawan ask.
A light smile returned to Qei's face. "Tomorrow," he said. Qei could sense Varus' reaction building to barely containable excitement, so he quickly added, "After you have delivered an in-depth report on the Jedi Code of Action and the Moralistic Values of the Great Republic."
Varus parted his lips in indignation. "Master, please. You have several copies of my notes on both of those scriptures. Can't you find me something different?"
"We will continue the same lesson until you get it right, my young padawan." Qei sighed wearily, annoyance stealing the softness from his eyes. "If the schedule were not so tight, I would gladly keep us here a bit longer so you can get that head of yours out of the sky. For a Jedi, there can be no pride. I have never seen a boy so young attuned to so much raw power. It greatly disturbs me, Varus. And to take you away from this safety, this isolation, so early in training..." Qei shook his head and looked up. "My padawan, it is one thing to brush against the dark side after seeing all the horrors in this galaxy. It is another thing to brush against the dark side after spending your entire life in quiet isolation. It sickens me to imagine what the rest of the stars in that void could do to you."
Varus became unconcerned and lifted his gaze to the sky with only partial apprehension. "I'll be fine, Master," he yawned. "There aren't any cavern snakes in space, are there?"
Qei didn't laugh. "No," he said, quietly. But there are other things.
"Master, what is this?" Varus flinched, his brow raised in disdain.
Qei smirked lightly and raised his hand. "Your new attire, my young padawan." The stench was faint, just potent enough to earn a grimace or two. The sun had begun to rise, orange light wavering at the ornate windows, young and struggling against the clouds of dust beyond. The day was progressing as if nothing had happened.
"I will not wear this." Varus held the disgraceful robe at a distance, pinching it with his thumb and forefinger.
"Would you prefer to wear your nightclothes when we leave planet?" Qei asked, a faint light breaking from his eyes.
"Well, no, but..." Varus paused. He looked at Qei. "What did you say?"
Qei shrugged and repeated, "Would you prefer to wear your nightclothes when we leave planet?"
There it was. Varus raced in his mind, grasping for some hint of reality. Would I...No, no. That wasn't it. When...The padawan widened his eyes. When we leave planet!
"Master-"
"You'd better get dressed. Today will be a long day."
"But Master-"
"You heard me. Get dressed and meet me in the garden. I will explain there."
Varus could barely contain his excitement. When we leave planet! He now clutched the robe firmly and draped it about him in a flash. He walked briskly, straight to the garden.
Qei wasn't there. The place was filled with green plants and brilliant flowers, an oasis in the desert he knew, like some pocket of memory, wonderful things long gone. Master Qei had explained he'd brought them there from his homeworld in the core of the galaxy. They were the only plants Varus had seen his entire life. He treasured this place deeply and welcomed the chance to sit down a while on the cool grass, alone and beaming in awe at his luck. They were leaving. He was leaving. Finally.
For all of his life, Varus had only known Sarkuhn. Its sand, its winds, its storms. He had only known the pale sky and glaring sun. Now was the time he had waited for, when he could see another world, another sky, another sun. The universe would finally be open, its wonders waiting for him. And I'll be free to see them, he thought. Finally free.
"That's what I'm afraid of," sighed Qei, appearing, abrupt as usual, around the bend of a thick bush. His use of the Force for telepathy was unnerving. "Freedom has its disadvantages, my young padawan. When we make it out to exist at all." With a slight look around, Qei settled down against the trunk of a short ithic tree. He noticed Varus was watching him patiently, so he continued. "The galaxy is not all wonders, Varus. I wish it were. The truth is, it is a dangerous place." He narrowed his gaze beneath his brow. "Much like your bedroom."
"Master, I-"
"I know what happened, Varus. You encountered a cavern snake, so you incinerated it."
"It would've killed me! The situation was too dangerous."
"The real danger lies in ourselves, not in the unknown. When we encounter something unfamiliar, we react in a rash way."
"But it wasn't unknown. Those serpents are poisonous enough to kill prey many times their size! I had no choice, no other weapon."
"You think the Force is a weapon?"
"No-"
"For the number of options you gave that snake, it might as well have been alien to this galaxy. Your 'weapon' could have been replaced by an open hand. Soothe the snake's instincts. Use the Force to make it docile. Put it back to sleep. Did you consider these?"
Varus sighed. "No master, I did not."
"You used the Force to create lightning."
"It happened so fast-"
"The flow of time can be easily managed by a servant of the Force. But you acted as no servant. You sought to command the Force, and it must not be commanded. That is corruption. That is the dark side." Qei was silent for a moment. He observed his student, his adopted child. Already he could feel Varus losing patience. "Do you understand that, padawan? We've been over this again and again. But for once, I think I know how to pound it into your brain."
"Master?"
"We are going to hunt Sith, Varus. That is why we are leaving this world. I have orders from the Council to apprehend a Sith Lord who was spotted no more than a system away from us. He may be on the run, and we are to keep him from escaping to another secret hiding place. You'll see what 'freedom' from the Jedi code does to a person, my young padawan. You'll see first hand."
"Master, with all due respect...I don't even have a lightsaber yet."
"You shouldn't need one. You will be acting as an observer on this journey. We will rendezvous with an old friend of mine near the second moon of Akeruhn."
"You mean we're not leaving the system?"
"We will. But only after we've docked with Master Wianna and her padawan. Wianna and I should be more than enough to handle a Sith Lord. Ava will be observing with you."
"We'll meet other Jedi?" Varus asked, a hint of anticipation glowing in his face.
"Ava is not yet a Jedi. But yes, you will meet her master. It will be an opportunity for you to learn many new things, things I could not teach you myself. I admit, though this planet may be safe, it is far too limiting." There was sincerity in his pale eyes, and he looked again to Varus after they closed a moment.
"When do we leave?" he heard the padawan ask.
A light smile returned to Qei's face. "Tomorrow," he said. Qei could sense Varus' reaction building to barely containable excitement, so he quickly added, "After you have delivered an in-depth report on the Jedi Code of Action and the Moralistic Values of the Great Republic."
Varus parted his lips in indignation. "Master, please. You have several copies of my notes on both of those scriptures. Can't you find me something different?"
"We will continue the same lesson until you get it right, my young padawan." Qei sighed wearily, annoyance stealing the softness from his eyes. "If the schedule were not so tight, I would gladly keep us here a bit longer so you can get that head of yours out of the sky. For a Jedi, there can be no pride. I have never seen a boy so young attuned to so much raw power. It greatly disturbs me, Varus. And to take you away from this safety, this isolation, so early in training..." Qei shook his head and looked up. "My padawan, it is one thing to brush against the dark side after seeing all the horrors in this galaxy. It is another thing to brush against the dark side after spending your entire life in quiet isolation. It sickens me to imagine what the rest of the stars in that void could do to you."
Varus became unconcerned and lifted his gaze to the sky with only partial apprehension. "I'll be fine, Master," he yawned. "There aren't any cavern snakes in space, are there?"
Qei didn't laugh. "No," he said, quietly. But there are other things.