The rest of the day passed without much event. Varus had the disappointment of watching the sunset from his window as he labored studiously to finish his reports. They were so useless, so trivial. It was the same every day. Every word of the texts resonated in his mind like a third lung filling and emptying, only pausing in rhythm when he gave it too much thought. As he glanced over the Moralistic Values of the Great Republic, he couldn't help but think of his own arguments on each subject. Justice, for instance, was often a great deal trickier than what he imagined it should be. Though the Jedi were the general peacekeepers of the galaxy, it seemed many systems liked to use a complicated system of trials and proceedings to make a big show of everything. That can't be necessary, Varus concluded. Every system should trust the Jedi to make the right decisions. Yet the majority still leave it to biased councils and hearings. He frowned and turned from the fragile window. Logic says we could make better decisions anyway. The Force says so.
When weariness finally took him, Varus left his unanswered challenges floating indifferently in his head. It could all wait until he was up there, among the stars and the worlds he had dreamed of. He descended into a deep sleep that night. Through the void of unconsciousness, almost undetectable, there came a faint stirring, as of a small spark turning to ember. It grew and gnawed at the back of his slumbering mind, until at last he could bare it no longer. He opened his eyes, and he heard a storm.
I have grown strong. There was thunder and rain. No being governs me. Lightning. I am free, as these winds are.
What? Where was he?
The dark lord is near...
There were cliffs. He could feel the winds, and they seemed heavy with some kind of spray, lighter than sand. It reminded him of...
I can sense him.
What? Who?
Would he make himself my master?
Qei was already his master.
I must learn, but I must never become an apprentice. Where is the line drawn?
More thunder. Then, The line...boundaries. Whatever happened to
He awoke. Sand was scraping hoarsely against the colored glass. Varus was within his bedroom once more, cold and somehow estranged from his blankets. There was the sound of some insect buzzing against the walls outside, pausing here and there to get its bearings. The night had nearly passed, for the stars in the sky were already beginning to disappear. The alarm would go off soon.
Was that a dream? he wondered. It made little difference. There was so little sense in it that Varus doubted it would stay in his memory very long anyway. But then again, it did seem very real, and...wait. Master Qei was wide awake. Varus could sense him through the Force. His mentor usually worked that early anyway, meditating and planning the day ahead. But this time there was some sense of urgency in his master's mind. Something had come up.
He quickly got dressed and shut off the alarm before it could startle him. He left his bed unmade and wandered into the halls. "Master?" There was no answer. The halls were still dim under the meager light of glowlamps. Several dark corridors passed by his side, the world beginning to blur more than it had in his dream. He was nearing the library. Surely Qei could hear him now. "Master?"
Still there was no answer. Varus calmed his mind and reached out with the Force. He could feel Qei's presence in the old study room, where the long table had hosted many of their philosophical debates. It made no sense why he'd be there alone. A bit uneasy, Varus came to the room. He entered slowly and looked around with caution. There.
Qei stood in the corner near the window, absolutely still. Every muscle in his body was tensed, like a spring coiled to its last degree. "Master, calm yourself," Varus whispered. He reached out with the Force to assess the situation, reading the patterns of life. There was himself, calm and a bit weary still from lack of sleep. Qei, he sensed, was not tired but tested, putting forth a great deal of effort to remain absolutely still. Could there be another cavern snake?
No, Varus could sense no such presence. He was too focused now to miss it again. There was the insect, still buzzing somewhere outside, but that couldn't possibly-
Wait. There it was. Another presence. How long had it been there? It felt like something humanoid, quiet resolve radiating from it as it kept some kind of vigil. It was outside, somewhere amongst the dunes, watching Qei as he struggled to remain still. The Jedi Master was doing a good job, but Varus could see the sweat beginning to drip from his brow.
"Master, what is it?" Varus hissed. "What is that thing?"
Qei didn't speak, but his padawan got the message. Don't move.
Varus nodded his head impatiently, glancing at the window. He was diagnal from it, so whatever was outside probably couldn't see him yet. He looked at Qei desperately. Master, what is it?
A Mandalorian.
The padawan's breath ceased. He fell as motionless as Qei, though it was involuntary on his part. He was completely off guard now. That wasn't possible. A Mandalorian? Here? The most he knew of them was that they grappled with the Republic from time to time, and their armor was somewhat notorious for its flexibility and intimidation. They did live somewhere in the Unknown Regions, but here? Sarkuhn was a port world. It had no indigenous species of note. Every family had come from offworld. So why had the Mandalorian come? Was it hunting Qei?
Don't move, the thought came again. It's hunting you.
When weariness finally took him, Varus left his unanswered challenges floating indifferently in his head. It could all wait until he was up there, among the stars and the worlds he had dreamed of. He descended into a deep sleep that night. Through the void of unconsciousness, almost undetectable, there came a faint stirring, as of a small spark turning to ember. It grew and gnawed at the back of his slumbering mind, until at last he could bare it no longer. He opened his eyes, and he heard a storm.
I have grown strong. There was thunder and rain. No being governs me. Lightning. I am free, as these winds are.
What? Where was he?
The dark lord is near...
There were cliffs. He could feel the winds, and they seemed heavy with some kind of spray, lighter than sand. It reminded him of...
I can sense him.
What? Who?
Would he make himself my master?
Qei was already his master.
I must learn, but I must never become an apprentice. Where is the line drawn?
More thunder. Then, The line...boundaries. Whatever happened to
He awoke. Sand was scraping hoarsely against the colored glass. Varus was within his bedroom once more, cold and somehow estranged from his blankets. There was the sound of some insect buzzing against the walls outside, pausing here and there to get its bearings. The night had nearly passed, for the stars in the sky were already beginning to disappear. The alarm would go off soon.
Was that a dream? he wondered. It made little difference. There was so little sense in it that Varus doubted it would stay in his memory very long anyway. But then again, it did seem very real, and...wait. Master Qei was wide awake. Varus could sense him through the Force. His mentor usually worked that early anyway, meditating and planning the day ahead. But this time there was some sense of urgency in his master's mind. Something had come up.
He quickly got dressed and shut off the alarm before it could startle him. He left his bed unmade and wandered into the halls. "Master?" There was no answer. The halls were still dim under the meager light of glowlamps. Several dark corridors passed by his side, the world beginning to blur more than it had in his dream. He was nearing the library. Surely Qei could hear him now. "Master?"
Still there was no answer. Varus calmed his mind and reached out with the Force. He could feel Qei's presence in the old study room, where the long table had hosted many of their philosophical debates. It made no sense why he'd be there alone. A bit uneasy, Varus came to the room. He entered slowly and looked around with caution. There.
Qei stood in the corner near the window, absolutely still. Every muscle in his body was tensed, like a spring coiled to its last degree. "Master, calm yourself," Varus whispered. He reached out with the Force to assess the situation, reading the patterns of life. There was himself, calm and a bit weary still from lack of sleep. Qei, he sensed, was not tired but tested, putting forth a great deal of effort to remain absolutely still. Could there be another cavern snake?
No, Varus could sense no such presence. He was too focused now to miss it again. There was the insect, still buzzing somewhere outside, but that couldn't possibly-
Wait. There it was. Another presence. How long had it been there? It felt like something humanoid, quiet resolve radiating from it as it kept some kind of vigil. It was outside, somewhere amongst the dunes, watching Qei as he struggled to remain still. The Jedi Master was doing a good job, but Varus could see the sweat beginning to drip from his brow.
"Master, what is it?" Varus hissed. "What is that thing?"
Qei didn't speak, but his padawan got the message. Don't move.
Varus nodded his head impatiently, glancing at the window. He was diagnal from it, so whatever was outside probably couldn't see him yet. He looked at Qei desperately. Master, what is it?
A Mandalorian.
The padawan's breath ceased. He fell as motionless as Qei, though it was involuntary on his part. He was completely off guard now. That wasn't possible. A Mandalorian? Here? The most he knew of them was that they grappled with the Republic from time to time, and their armor was somewhat notorious for its flexibility and intimidation. They did live somewhere in the Unknown Regions, but here? Sarkuhn was a port world. It had no indigenous species of note. Every family had come from offworld. So why had the Mandalorian come? Was it hunting Qei?
Don't move, the thought came again. It's hunting you.