It has been twenty years since the battle on Endor and the destruction of the Empire. Luke Skywalker has spent this time rebuilding the Jedi Order. Handfuls of Jedi have reappeared and have assisted him in this monumental task.
One of the Jedi who re-emerges is the Jedi Master Arnav Lakosh who initiates a planetary search for children with high midi-chlorian count. This search pays of well enough to allow Luke Skywalker to begin two more Academies.
It is a golden time for Jedi, at least it appears that way…Beginnings -
A sudden clattering brought the Jedi Master Arnav Lakosh out of his meditation. Immediately his eyes flicked to his ten year old apprentice. The young girl instantly looked embarrassed with her outburst and hurried over to the wall to pick up the metal orb she had been practicing with.
Arnav decided against chastising her on her temper tantrum this time and instead focused on her disability to control the force.
Arnav had found the girl by accident. Galena-Cara, as he had named her (Cara for short) had been placed in an orphanage when she was three and a yearly blood test of all the children had found a sizeable number of midi-chlorian in her blood. Unfortunately most of the midi-chlorian in Cara's blood appeared to be dormant allowing her only to use the Force on a very low level. Despite this set back Arnav had convinced the Jedi Council to allow the girl to be taken on as his Padawan Learner. Although her ability to control the force had increased, Cara still struggled with tricks that some of the younger students had mastered. Despite this severe count against her Cara had proven herself to be particularly talented with a Lightsaber. She was already a fair distance ahead of other children her age and a few years older.
"Why can't I do it master?" Cara's small voice interrupted Arnav's thoughts.
"Patience Cara, you will be able to when you're ready." Arnav placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"But I am ready…" Cara muttered even quieter. Arnav pretended not to hear her.
"Try one more time, then you can practice with your saber." Arnav told her. Cara immediately brightened at the suggestion and placed the metal orb back on its stand and focused on it.
Arnav silently wished he could awaken the midi-chlorian in her blood. He hated seeing her so upset.
Again his thoughts turned to his Padawan's mysterious heritage. Like him she was human, at least most of the Order assumed she was human, the only thing that set Cara aside from other humans where her eyes.
At that thought Arnav glanced over to his pupil where she sat focusing on lifting the orb off its stand and onto another one. Her dark golden eyes focused intently onto the metal orb slowly convincing it to move.
Arnav was beginning to think they would never find out about her past.
"Master Arnav." A young Jedi spoke from the door.
"Yes?" Arnav looked towards him. Cara placed the orb on a stand and curiously looked over.
"There is someone here to see you." The Jedi said.
Arnav looked at the Jedi curiously, he seemed uneasy.
"Very well." He said as he rose from where he was seated.
"Don't go!" Cara quickly said jumping to her feet with an urgent look on her face.
"I'll be back when I'm finished Cara, until then why don't you clean you Lightsaber?" Arnav said reassuringly. He looked at her stricken face and wondered if maybe the force was awakening inside her, had she foreseen something? Unfortunately the Jedi was still waiting at the door and Arnav didn't want to waste any time.
"I'll be back soon Galena-Cara." Arnav said again to reassure her. He ruffled her hair before walking out the door.
Cara knew she was lucky to have Arnav as a master. She often thought some of the other Jedi Masters couldn't see why a Jedi held in such high esteem would train a Padawan with very low Force ability.
Cara also knew that her Force abilities were low. But as she watched her master walk out of the room she couldn't erase the feeling of cold dread that was running through her body.
However, Cara thought of herself as an obedient Padawan and did as she had been instructed to do, she sat by one of the large windows and started to clean her Saber and check that it was functioning properly. Cara was the first to admit that she was overly fond of her Lightsaber. Although it shared many similarities with Arvan's it had a definite touch of her own personal design. Some of the other Padawan had more elaborate Sabers Cara had mimicked her master's more simple design. It could also be used one-handed or two-handed with comfort and the emitted blade was stronger then the usual ones allowed to Padawan of her age and level. The blade was also green like her master's.
As Cara listened to the gentle hum of the blade as she swung it gracefully through the air she was hit again by the feeling of cold dread. This was immediately followed by one of pure fear and panic.
Cara started to run, desperately she tried to reach out to Arnav and when that failed she tried to sense his presence. For once her Force abilities reacted almost instantly and she was able to pick up on his presence in one of the further away training grounds. Briefly she wondered what had led him to that spot.
She was quickly thankful that she wasn't training at the Temple on Coruscant or she would never have been allowed outside on her own. Cara untethered a Tan-toonie, a two legged and hairy creature that could put on fair amounts of speed, and mounted quickly riding towards her master's presence. The Tan-toonie was eager to respond. Cara briefly thanked Arnav for quickly teaching her about using her limited ability to control or convince animals to respond to her directions. It would make this rush a lot easier.
Although the Tan-toonie got her to the training grounds in less than ten minutes it felt to Cara like hours. Barely stopping to tether the beast she ran through the gate and toward her master.
The sight that greeted her was something out of a nightmare.
Arnav quickly regained his footing and using the Force pulled his Lightsaber into his hand. The Sith he was fighting quickly moved in to take advantage of his short moment of weakness. Arnav used a moment to wonder why he hadn't asked for help when he had realised who his visitor was. A cry from the entrance distracted both him and the Sith.
A moan of despair welled up inside him as he saw his young Padawan at the gate. Cara would be defenceless against his advisari.
Using the distraction the attacking Sith lunged for Arnav.
Arnav reacted but not fast enough to fully deflect the blow. He dropped his light Saber as the Sith's light Saber plunged into his arm. Arnav pulled back as quickly as he could and called his Lightsaber to his other hand. It was not enough.
Arnav cried out in pain as the Sith plunged his Lightsaber into his chest. He heard Cara scream for the gate followed by the hum of her Lightsaber as it was activated. He reached out to her mind with his own…
"…Galena-Cara" Arnav's mind spoke to Cara's before he died. Cara didn't even try to fight her rage as she rushed forward to attack the Sith.
The Sith looked briefly shocked at her attack but quickly counted her lunge and blocked her every move before he tired of the game and used the Force to throw her against a stonewall.
Darkness consumed Cara.
Luke Skywalker, head of the Jedi Council, called the main Council of the Coruscant Temple together. He quickly informed them that the Jedi Master Arnav had been slain by the Sith. There were cries of despair from around the room. Arnav had truly been a respected Jedi. Luke then told them the other part of the news. Arnav's young apprentice Galena-Cara was missing, presumed taken by the Sith. Her Lightsaber had been found near Arnav's body.
A hush fell over the room. Arnav had been the first Jedi slain in a long time, but Galena-Cara was the third Padawan to have been taken.