Naturally, I don't own any direct phrases or concepts that George Lucas and Lucasfilm would prefer I did not own. I suppose I own "Spark Vallen" since she is me ;) and Jana Vnukova is my friend for whom I am crafting this tale.
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Twins: Chapter Two
The common area, more affectionately known as "The Lounge" was quiet but hardly empty even at the late hour. It was a galactic neighborhood and Jedi and staff from all parts of the galaxy were up at strange hours in order to connect on a personal and professional level, matching other systems' time zones.
Tucked into a corner of the room on a non-reclining chair was Spark, with her right leg tucked underneath herself. Her brow was creased in a frown while her gaze remained unfixed.
Jana stuck her head through the sliding door of The Lounge and peered around almost cautiously. Anyone watching her would have thought she expected to be attacked right there in the social area by her movements. Maybe I am more right about that than they would think, Jana thought to herself.
She stepped in and scanned the faces of the late-night crowd. Off in one corner with a steel blade stood Xaverri, his posture a mask of concentration. Hunched over a datapad and tea sat Adi Klem. He looked up and smiled at Jana. She nodded toward him and continued to study the room.
There she is! But do I go over and speak with her?
Jana steeled her nerves and forced herself to approach Spark Vallen. They'd only spoken a handful of times but those occassions were in the context of lecture study.
"Master... er... I... Jedi... Vallen?" she stammered.
Way to go, Jana! She's going to think you're an idiot! Can't even approach her with an appropriate title... but I don't know what her title is, really! Stupid! Jana was surprised to see that Spark just smiled patiently - with a hint of amusement in her eyes - and said, "Don't worry, Jana. Even I don't know what I'm supposed to be called around here these days. You're up late, aren't you?"
She stood with her hands pressed against the sides of her thighs. "I... yes, I am." Jana risked a grin. "But then, so are you."
"Yeah. I'll pay for this at 0800 when I have to be at the Archives doing research, but oh well. Why don't you have a seat with me for awhile?" Spark suggested.
Jana sat down across from her in a similar chair.
"What's keeping you up tonight?" Spark asked.
"I am... having trouble with... some emotions," she managed to admit. "I couldn't sleep."
"You too?"
You too? But Master... er, Vallen seems so calm and collected!
"I, yes, Mas--"
"Just call me Spark. That'd be easier." She grinned tiredly.
Jana let her guard down a centimeter. "These emotions I feel consume me. Haunt me."
"I assume Master Faulkner's taught you proper shielding techniques?"
"Of course. Many I knew before I came to study here," she said matter-of-factly. "But they do not keep the troubles out."
"And you've tried 'going with the flow' too," Spark said, nodding.
A statement. Not a question, Jana noticed. "Yes."
"I wish I had an answer or good suggestion for you, Jana." Spark help up her hands helplessly. "But I don't. I tend to think that mastering those emotions comes only from inner tutoring."
Jana sighed and glanced out the window at the night. The moon cast eerie shadows across the landscape. "Why are you up so late?" she finally asked.
"Similar story," she replied with a shrug. "Couldn't sleep and got tired of trying to see the ceiling in the pitch black."
"Pitch black room for you too?" Jana smiled.
"Nothing but! So I came down here to at least change positions while I sit and think."
"Are... are emotions bothering you too?"
"In that I feel somewhat confused, yeah."
Jana cocked her head to the side and watched Spark intently. "Confused about what?"
"I don't know. I just feel confused."
"And clearing your chakras hasn't helped?"
Spark smiled. "You know my routine?"
"We must have the same one."
"Anyway, no, it didn't help. And neither did pure and simple meditation. There's something going on, I almost think."
"Yes! That is what I thought too!" she exclaimed.
"Some of the Masters here might say we are reading too much into our own problems by thinking there is something going on," Spark was quick to add.
"I know."
Spark yawned. "How sure are you that it is something else other than our own emotions?"
"I can't say how sure I am, Spark. I am but an apprenti--"
She waved a hand to silence Jana. "No. Don't go the rank route with this. Please. Just tell me what you feel."
Jana frowned. She almost hated it when the teachers called her on a behavior like that. But I am an apprentice! I don't know everything a full Jedi Knight knows! So how should I know if it is something else or my own stupid emotions?! Jana took a deep breath, held it for a four-count then slowly exhaled.
"I feel that there is something... wrong. Somewhere. I don't know where. But it's big."
Spark nodded with a slight smile at the corner of her mouth. "Okay, that is how I feel too. So what are we going to do about it?"
Jana's eyes bugged out. "You and me? What do you--?"
"With the Council's permission, of course," she said easily. "I've learned the hard way--" she paused to laugh, "--not to just run off in the middle of the night on a self-endorsed mission."
"So I've heard," Jana blurted. She gasped when she realized she'd spoken aloud.
Spark only laughed harder. Fighting to get back in control, she said, "I guess my reputation precedes me! Okay. Yeah. We'll talk with the Council and share what intuitions we have. Then, we'll request permisssion to study this further and investigate if need be."
"Are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Jana gave her a wary stare and said nothing.
"Okay, bad question to ask, considering," Spark said, grinning. "And yes, I am serious."
"Okay, Spark. I'll trust you on this--"
"Trust me?" she interrupted. "Oh no, never do something because you trust me."
"What?"
"Really. Trust yourself. My visions take me to strange places that few understand. In the game of Jedihood, you have to trust yourself."
The common area, more affectionately known as "The Lounge" was quiet but hardly empty even at the late hour. It was a galactic neighborhood and Jedi and staff from all parts of the galaxy were up at strange hours in order to connect on a personal and professional level, matching other systems' time zones.
Tucked into a corner of the room on a non-reclining chair was Spark, with her right leg tucked underneath herself. Her brow was creased in a frown while her gaze remained unfixed.
Jana stuck her head through the sliding door of The Lounge and peered around almost cautiously. Anyone watching her would have thought she expected to be attacked right there in the social area by her movements. Maybe I am more right about that than they would think, Jana thought to herself.
She stepped in and scanned the faces of the late-night crowd. Off in one corner with a steel blade stood Xaverri, his posture a mask of concentration. Hunched over a datapad and tea sat Adi Klem. He looked up and smiled at Jana. She nodded toward him and continued to study the room.
There she is! But do I go over and speak with her?
Jana steeled her nerves and forced herself to approach Spark Vallen. They'd only spoken a handful of times but those occassions were in the context of lecture study.
"Master... er... I... Jedi... Vallen?" she stammered.
Way to go, Jana! She's going to think you're an idiot! Can't even approach her with an appropriate title... but I don't know what her title is, really! Stupid! Jana was surprised to see that Spark just smiled patiently - with a hint of amusement in her eyes - and said, "Don't worry, Jana. Even I don't know what I'm supposed to be called around here these days. You're up late, aren't you?"
She stood with her hands pressed against the sides of her thighs. "I... yes, I am." Jana risked a grin. "But then, so are you."
"Yeah. I'll pay for this at 0800 when I have to be at the Archives doing research, but oh well. Why don't you have a seat with me for awhile?" Spark suggested.
Jana sat down across from her in a similar chair.
"What's keeping you up tonight?" Spark asked.
"I am... having trouble with... some emotions," she managed to admit. "I couldn't sleep."
"You too?"
You too? But Master... er, Vallen seems so calm and collected!
"I, yes, Mas--"
"Just call me Spark. That'd be easier." She grinned tiredly.
Jana let her guard down a centimeter. "These emotions I feel consume me. Haunt me."
"I assume Master Faulkner's taught you proper shielding techniques?"
"Of course. Many I knew before I came to study here," she said matter-of-factly. "But they do not keep the troubles out."
"And you've tried 'going with the flow' too," Spark said, nodding.
A statement. Not a question, Jana noticed. "Yes."
"I wish I had an answer or good suggestion for you, Jana." Spark help up her hands helplessly. "But I don't. I tend to think that mastering those emotions comes only from inner tutoring."
Jana sighed and glanced out the window at the night. The moon cast eerie shadows across the landscape. "Why are you up so late?" she finally asked.
"Similar story," she replied with a shrug. "Couldn't sleep and got tired of trying to see the ceiling in the pitch black."
"Pitch black room for you too?" Jana smiled.
"Nothing but! So I came down here to at least change positions while I sit and think."
"Are... are emotions bothering you too?"
"In that I feel somewhat confused, yeah."
Jana cocked her head to the side and watched Spark intently. "Confused about what?"
"I don't know. I just feel confused."
"And clearing your chakras hasn't helped?"
Spark smiled. "You know my routine?"
"We must have the same one."
"Anyway, no, it didn't help. And neither did pure and simple meditation. There's something going on, I almost think."
"Yes! That is what I thought too!" she exclaimed.
"Some of the Masters here might say we are reading too much into our own problems by thinking there is something going on," Spark was quick to add.
"I know."
Spark yawned. "How sure are you that it is something else other than our own emotions?"
"I can't say how sure I am, Spark. I am but an apprenti--"
She waved a hand to silence Jana. "No. Don't go the rank route with this. Please. Just tell me what you feel."
Jana frowned. She almost hated it when the teachers called her on a behavior like that. But I am an apprentice! I don't know everything a full Jedi Knight knows! So how should I know if it is something else or my own stupid emotions?! Jana took a deep breath, held it for a four-count then slowly exhaled.
"I feel that there is something... wrong. Somewhere. I don't know where. But it's big."
Spark nodded with a slight smile at the corner of her mouth. "Okay, that is how I feel too. So what are we going to do about it?"
Jana's eyes bugged out. "You and me? What do you--?"
"With the Council's permission, of course," she said easily. "I've learned the hard way--" she paused to laugh, "--not to just run off in the middle of the night on a self-endorsed mission."
"So I've heard," Jana blurted. She gasped when she realized she'd spoken aloud.
Spark only laughed harder. Fighting to get back in control, she said, "I guess my reputation precedes me! Okay. Yeah. We'll talk with the Council and share what intuitions we have. Then, we'll request permisssion to study this further and investigate if need be."
"Are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Jana gave her a wary stare and said nothing.
"Okay, bad question to ask, considering," Spark said, grinning. "And yes, I am serious."
"Okay, Spark. I'll trust you on this--"
"Trust me?" she interrupted. "Oh no, never do something because you trust me."
"What?"
"Really. Trust yourself. My visions take me to strange places that few understand. In the game of Jedihood, you have to trust yourself."