"Special times and special places, special friends together; the moments pass so quickly, But the memories last forever." –Anonymous
Chapter 1: Emotions and Special Places
A few weeks later, Revan and Malak were sitting in one of the many grassy plains surrounding the Academy. It was normal to see the pair together, as they had been inseparable since they had become friends. They were lying on the ground watching the clouds when a shadow fell over them.
"You think you're so great, don't you Revan?"
Revan sat up, surprised. It was Denton, one of the older, though less competent apprentices. In a training session earlier in the day, she had beaten him in a dual with small, dull vibroblades. They were going to start lightsaber training soon.
Malak too, sat up and said, "She beat you fair and square!"
"No she didn't! She kicked me!"
Malak calmly responded, "It was a fair move. Master Sita said so."
The only success this comment had was making Denton even angrier. "Sure, so she can beat me with a sword? But, no girl could beat me with her fists!"
Revan jumped to her feet, fiery mad. "Oh yes, I could!"
Without hesitation Denton and Revan both put up their fists. Denton threw a punch, which Revan ducked under easily. But his next punch landed square on her jaw. She staggered backwards but kept her footing. Her punch gave him a bloody nose. They continued fighting, while Malak cheered for Revan from the sidelines.
Several hours later, Denton, Revan, and Malak stood in front of Masters Vrook, Dara, Sita, and Jomi, none of which seemed very happy. Denton had a broken nose, two black eyes, and a split lip. One eye was swollen so much, he could hardly keep it open, while Revan had only a bruised jaw. None of Denton's punches had gotten through after the first one.
Master Vrook looked stern. "Would one of you care to explain what happened?"
Denton lowered his head and looked away, while Malak shuffled his feet and looked uncomfortable. Revan was the one to look Master Vrook in the eye and speak.
"Denton said I could beat him with a vibroblade but not with my fists. He challenged me to a fight and I accepted."
"And Malak, what was your role in all of this?" inquired Master Sita's feminine soprano.
Malak seemed to have trouble finding his voice with every eye of the intimidating council on him. "Well, I-I-I uh..."
Revan quickly grew impatient with his stammering and responded for him, "He didn't do anything, and that's why he's here; he didn't stop us."
It was Master Jomi's turn to speak now. "Each one of you memorized the Jedi Code the first day you were here. Recite it for us now."
Each of them did as they were told:
"There is No Emotion: There is Peace.
There is No Ignorance: There is Knowledge.
There is No Passion: There is Serenity.
There is No Death: There is The Force."
"There is no emotion: There is peace," Master Jomi emphasized. "Proper Jedi do not goad others into fighting, nor do they allow themselves to enter into any senseless fights. It is not the way of The Order to fight."
"Now for punishment, Denton, you will help clean the kitchen for two weeks. Revan and Malak, there is a room in the South End of the Academy. I believe it is an extra dueling room. However, it has not been used in many years. You will both clean it during your recreation time. Report to Rikard when have finished and he will inspect the room to ensure you have done a satisfactory job. Now get to the Mess Hall for dinner. You will begin your punishments tomorrow."
After the three children had left, the four Council Members sat together to discuss the case they had just seen.
Master Sita spoke first. "I am curious as to why you assigned the two young ones together for their punishment."
Master Vrook looked at her. "While it is crucial for Jedi to rely on no one but themselves, I believe she needs him at this point in her life. He gives hers something steady to hang onto."
Master Jomi heaved a heavy sigh. "The girl's only been here three weeks and already she has gotten into a fight. How many more, I wonder, will she be involved in?"
Everyone looked up when Master Dara finally spoke for the first time. "Perhaps none, if she is not provoked. Who knows, after word of this gets around, no one will dare challenge her. After all, she fought a boy twice her size...and won, I might add. I find the injuries that this six year old can inflict to be remarkable."
Master Vrook stared at her disapprovingly. "Does it not trouble you that Revan did not express the slightest bit of remorse for her transgression?"
Master Dara shrugged. "I do not think she believes she was at fault. It was not entirely her fault, you know. Denton has been in fights before this, and he did challenge her. Malak certainly did nothing to help the situation either."
"Neither of them should have let their emotions take over like that. Perhaps I should have punished them more..."
"They're children!" Master Dara interjected. "I think the council sometimes forgets that emotional restraint is the result of long and hard training. No one is born with it. That includes Denton, Malak, and Revan. And, of course, you, Master Vrook. Do you not remember any emotional lapses in your childhood?"
Master Dara had clearly hit her target, for Master Vrook muttered some excuse about going to a meeting with a local landlord and walked out looking a little disgruntled.
"I believe that means this council is adjourned," said Master Dara, suppressing a smile.
The next day, Revan and Malak delved into the dueling room without much enthusiasm. It was a complete disaster. There was dust and dirt everywhere, not to mention spiders and other creatures they could not identify.
Revan took one of the brooms they had brought along and began to sweep. "The sooner we start, the sooner we finish, right?" Malak groaned, but he too took a broom and began to sweep.
A few hours later, when the duo had made considerable progress, Revan discovered a closet they had not noticed earlier.
Malak examined the door. "Probably used for old equipment." He began to yank on the handle.
"Be careful," Revan cautioned, "Who knows what could be living in there."
The door came open suddenly, causing Revan to shriek as Malak went sprawling across the floor. They both peeked in to find that the closet was empty except for a stool that looked like it had sat there for a very long time.
"Hey look!" Revan said, pointing to the ceiling. In the center of the ceiling was a square outline of light, unmistakably a trapdoor leading to the outside. Revan pushed the stool to the center of the closet floor and climbed on top.
"Hey, give me a boost, I can't reach." Malak, too, climbed up on top of the stool, which teetered dangerously. Malak steadied himself and cupped his hands like a stirrup for her get on. She did so and finally reached the ceiling. She gave a mighty shove and the trapdoor swung open surprisingly easily. She grabbed the edge of the opening and pulled herself up.
She was on the roof, gazing on a side of the Academy that was not traveled too often. She hooked her foot around a bump on the tiled roof and helped pull Malak up. She was stronger then she looked.
When they were both on the roof, they sat and enjoyed the view of the sun setting on the endless plains around them.
"Wow," they whispered in unison, awed at the sight. Somehow, in the light of the setting sun, the plains did not look as boring, and from this height, they could see the ancient ruins in the distance, standing out in stark contrast to the flatness around them.
After that, the roof became their special place; a place where they could go if they needed to talk or if they just wanted silence and companionship. It was their secret that no one ever knew about and that they swore never to tell of.
Darkest Ace: I plan too:)
This is the prequel to Destiny's Challenges. Don't be afraid to give any helpful criticism:-) Huge thanks to Miss Krux, my marvelous Beta reader for her editing! Characters, events, etc. are the property of Lucas Arts.
