Seth woke up lying spread eagle in the cargo hold. He heard the wind, birds, and peace of Dantooine coming from the open loading ramp. What time is it? Seth scratched his head as he woke up. He and Visas had meditated until he collapsed over in sleep.
Seth looked around the cargo hold and got up and went to the food supplies. He pick out some vegetables and opened the bag they were in. He shoved them down his throat; he didn't realize his hunger before. Seth popped open a bottle of water and chugged the entire thing in less than thirty seconds. He discarded the wrappings and bottle in a plasteel cylinder and left the cargo hold.
Seth combed his hair with his fingers as he proceeded into the main hold. He found Mira leaning on her elbow with the most bored expression on her face. She was playing Pazaak with Atton. Atton was staring at the cards and glancing at his own. He's just wasting time, Seth thought as he passed them.
Atton and Mira didn't look up at him. "Have fun last night?" Atton asked; Mira sniggered. "Very funny," Seth said as he sat in one of the chairs. "Don't worry, your girlfriend's still here." Seth rolled his eyes. He avoided the bombardment of senseless insults from Atton by leaving the main hold right away and going to Kreia's dormitory.
He stood in the doorway as she meditated. "You have questions?" she asked, her eyes closed, her position still intact. "Yes," Seth said.
"The Miraluka is meditating," Kreia told him. She stood up. "You are spending too much time with her." Seth stared. "Training, meditation, what does it mean to you? You must focus. The Miraluka spreads a danger unthinkable."
"Uh…" Seth said, at a loss for words. She randomly speaks of Visas? He thought. This woman most defiantly has problems. Kreia began to speak again. "And do not mate with her—" she began to rant again.
"Hold on," Seth said. "What the hell did you just say? It's not like I'm going to go…" He paused. "Go charging up her loading ramp!" He said this bit too loud; for he heard laughter from the main hold.
"Why do you give a damn about what I do anyways?" Seth asked. "'Cause if you're interested, well, let's just say I'd rather fall into a volcano." Kreia gave him a harsh, black look. "Hey I'm just trying to lighten the mood…"
"Enough," Kreia said. "Return to your Padawans." She said it as if Atton, Mira, the Handmaiden, and Bao-Dur were filth.
Seth exited, avoided the main hold, and went outside the Ebon Hawk. One day to burn up, he thought. Normally he'd have some Juma with Atton in a cantina if there was time to waste, but Khoonda was too fresh to have a cantina up and running. All that Khoonda boasted was Master Vrook, and that in itself was nothing special. It, frankly, was nothing at all.
The grass was a bit taller and the wild had settled since the last time Seth was here. He walked up on a bluff and watched Khoonda in the sunlight, knowing that it had a future brighter than the Tatooine suns.
He began to think of everything that had happened to him so far. Seth involuntarily pulled out Vash's lightsaber and engaged the hilt so it glowed a bright yellow. She can live on. Even though she is dead, her lightsaber will still be in the hands of a Jedi. The words echoed inside Seth's mind. Those words from Visas were hard to forget.
Am I really a Jedi or is this just some kind of hoax? Seth wondered. Is this really getting towards the endgame, or has my story just begun? He stared out on the hills. What if I see Revan again? It's sure been awhile…
His thoughts wandered for about an hour, but it seemed geological ages. Seth just sat there, thinking. He never had thought like this during the entire journey, and he realized he needed it more than he needed Kreia's lectures, Atton's Pazaak, the Handmaiden's sparring lessons, Visas words of wisdom, Mira's training, Mandalore's stories…anything. Sometimes I'm better by myself, he thought. But… He stopped cold with the thoughts of a companion or companions. He thought of his Padawans, who he knew he'd have to leave behind for a new life of solitude with Revan, if he could find him.
"I have seen the way you influence him," the Handmaiden said. "It was you who inspired his outburst at the Onderon palace."
"I have no idea of what you speak of," Visas said. "Influencing him would be difficult. Even you have sensed his headstrong ways and will to follow the light." The Handmaiden gave no reply.
"You have inspired it somehow." She was firm in her blame. "Inspiration. Influence. They are subjects that nobody can explain. One is affected by influence if one desires to be like another," Visas said. "Let me ask you a simple question: Why would Seth want follow my path? What have I done to deserve recognition in anybody's, let alone his eyes?"
"I have you seen you and him," the Handmaiden said. "And I have seen what you do to him. I heard you two meditating late last night." The Handmaiden could feel a cold stare from Visas beneath her veil. "Do not cast blame as Atton does," she said. "Are you influenced by him?"
"I am not influenced by Atton," the Handmaiden said defensively. "You—you have been part of the enemy and I still cannot fathom how he trusts you."
"You speak the truth," Visas said calmly, but with a bit of shame. "My master used—" "Your master? The Sith master?" the Handmaiden interrupted. "So you still have a master, a Sith master. You tried to kill him!"
"There is truth in your words," Visas said in the calm tone again. "But I have learned much from Seth. His presence here is for my growth in knowledge, and so I can find peace within myself and outside."
The Handmaiden stopped. She's pretty good at lying or just plain telling the truth, she thought, not knowing if these thoughts made any sense. Then there was a silence; a silence so awkward, both wanted to depart from the other's presence.
"Sister of the Echani," Visas said, which made the Handmaiden flinch slightly. "Please tell me…what does Seth look like?"
"Well," said the Handmaiden, "he has a beautifully toned body. His lightsaber movements appear flawless, and his reflexes are superb. But this is only in battle. His hair is dark, and somewhat wavy but always stays in the same place. His eyes are a deep brown, and have so much life to them. Eyes tell all emotions, or at least that's what I was told many times. And it is true for Seth's. He is always wearing green Jedi robes and has two lightsabers slung round his waist. His posture says he is of the light. He does not stand with anger or pride, but with humility and love for everything that lives. His hands command the Force so flawlessly, it's as if he was commanding the Force in infancy before he could speak.
"His nature towards others in conversation says he will have compassion. His body language and way of talking mimic the ones of my mistress. He does not have regrets about what he is doing now, and he hungers for more answers, as everyone does. Part of him is confused, but the other part wants to blaze onward. This part drives him to the depths of the ocean for someone, to the highest mountain, to the driest desert… He would do so much for a stranger, when I cannot do that much for my mistress."
After she finished, the Handmaiden seemed dejected just a bit. "Thank you," Visas said quietly. There was another silence.
"Do not worry, Sister of the Echani," Visas said. "If Seth is like your mistress like you have told me, she will forgive you."
Both looked about the main hold, hoping the other would say something. "I should return to my meditations," the Handmaiden said, even though she didn't meditate a lot. Visas nodded and agreed she should too. They departed company and Visas walked back to her dormitory.
After Visas left, Mira emerged from a hallway. "What were you two bitching about?" she asked bluntly. "You were listening!" The Handmaiden asked in surprise. "How dare you listen to a private…." "A private argument?" Mira said. "Look, it's okay. I don't tell anybody anything around here anyway, so it's not like you have to worry."
The Handmaiden was still a bit nervous at Mira overhearing the entire thing. "So what was the hot topic?" Mira asked again as she sat down in one of the chairs. The Handmaiden didn't reply. "Oh," Mira said. "I knew anyways." Mira began to bite her fingernails.
"If you want a man, just jab him with a Bothan stunner," she said. Mira then sat up as if she remembered something she had to do. "Then, slap some stun cuffs on him." Mira stood. "Then, after a few days of starvation, double check his bounty, and then see if he's open for suggestion." Mira began to walk away. "That sounds more like hunting," the Handmaiden said.
Mira turned back to her, almost out of the main hold, and said, "Call it what you want. But me, I love my targets." Mira turned on her heel and left the main hold before the Handmaiden could ask, "But don't you kill them?"
Seth stared out onto the Dantooine hills. Something must be at least accomplished today, he thought. Training, perhaps? He turned on his comlink.
Atton eventually answered. There was little static as Seth spoke. "Get up off your lazy ass, Rand, and gather the Jedi crew. We're meeting outside Khoonda"
Atton quizzically looked at Seth. "Uh," he said. "Okay, I'll do that."
"Right away, okay?" Seth said.
"Okay, okay," Atton said automatically and snapped off the comlink. It appeared he had been asleep.
Seth put his comlink away in the bag he always had round his waist and stood up from the hills. Stealing one last glance, at the peaceful landscape, he proceeded down the bluff he was sitting on and went to Khoonda to meet up with his Padawans.
Seth arrived late at the scene. All was silent except Atton who was yawning and Bao-Dur who was fiddling with his lightsaber crafting. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground with various pieces scattered by his feet. He held a precision tool for lightsaber crafting he had made himself, or gotten who-knows-where. The Handmaiden was leaning idly up against the outer walls of Khoonda and Visas stood at attention. Mira was looking at her fingernails and occasionally biting one.
Seth cleared his throat and the group looked up at him. "Let's get started," he said. "Just pair off and start sparring hand-to-hand. Then we'll move up to swords."
"Will we incorporate lightsabers eventually?" Atton asked.
The group eyed each other. Atton and Bao-Dur agreed to spar; Visas, the Handmaiden, and Mira looked at each other. Handmaiden over there is pretty good at this kind of thing. But then again Miraluka is pretty good at anything. Hell, I might as well fight a krayt. At least you can use blasters, Mira thought.
Silence was present for a few minutes before Seth said, "Okay, Mira and the Handmaiden can go together. So I guess that just leaves Visas and me."
The Handmaiden and Mira stepped in front of each other, as did Atton, Bao-Dur, Visas, and Seth. All got in a ready position and began.
The sound of bruises and blocked picks and punches sounded throughout the Khoonda plains. A few of the militia watched, but then grew tired.
Atton and Bao-Dur were the first done, who called a draw after Atton hit Bao-Dur in the eye and Bao-Dur gave Atton a kick in the stomach. Both sat on the grass and watched, not very eager to beat each other up.
Seth and Visas were out next. Despite both had gone for a long time and had the stamina to, they just didn't want to whittle away their energy doing hand-to-hand.
Mira and the Handmaiden kept going about a half an hour after everyone else had finished. Mira, determined not to be beaten by a crazy shut-in who was a personal kath hound to Force-knows-who, and the Handmaiden, pushed by the reputation of the best hand-to-hand fighter of the entire crew, were both growing weary.
Mira was delivering a flurry of punches, hoping to hit the Handmaiden's eye. The Handmaiden saw the opportunity and gave Mira swift kick on the back of her knees. Mira felt her knees buckle, and fell to the ground. "Okay," she said. "You win…you win…"
Seth got up from his seat with the others as he watched the Handmaiden and Mira fight. "Again," he said.
Mira gaped at him. "Again?" she said in disbelief. "I'm sitting this one out."
Seth sighed. "Okay, Atton and Bao-Dur keep going—you work well. So, I guess it's Visas versus the Handmaiden."
"What about you?" the Handmaiden asked.
"I've got to sit this one out," Seth said. "What's the point in training the trained?"
The Handmaiden shrugged as she looked at where Visas's eyes are beneath her crimson veil. She stared into the crimson with fire in her eyes.
"I'll throw in some swords about halfway through so be alert," Seth said. And the sparring began again.
Bao-Dur and Atton were the same as before—pretty casual fighting that could be considered a brawl from a cantina and too much Juma. They got the occasional beat, but most of it was swift blocking. Atton threw off the cloak from his Jedi robe next to where Seth was seated and took on Bao-Dur like a real opponent.
The fire in the Handmaiden's eye was still lit. Even though their argument had seemed to end on a pretty good note, an unrest was still within her. I will not let a Sith defeat the light, she thought. The Handmaiden made swift movements, and used advanced moves from the highest of the tiers.
Visas parried her blows and dodged with a speed. The Handmaiden guessed she was using the Force to make herself move faster. The Handmaiden quickened her pace, and hit Visas on the arm.
The sparring continued, and Atton was ready to give up after a number of bruises appearing beneath his robes, and Bao-Dur was getting anxious to get back to his machines. The Handmaiden and Visas continued in a fierce fight, for some reason. Then the swords came.
Visas grasped hers tightly in her gloved hands. She struck at the Handmaiden with expertise form, and the Handmaiden barely parried all of Visas's strikes and flurries of attacks. Atton and Bao-Dur were doing the typical sparring with swords—basic formations and attacks with parried attacks all the time.
"Keep up the good work," Seth said, looking at the Handmaiden and Visas. He's looking at her! The Handmaiden thought, becoming fierce with jealousy. Visas kept plowing her down with attacks.
"Must you try and beat me, but do it and make me look like a child with a vibroblade?" the Handmaiden whispered fiercely. "I simply try," Visas said as she unleashed another attack that the Handmaiden blocked successfully. "It is all he asks." "Then so will I," the Handmaiden said. She retreated a few steps backward and began her offence that Visas blocked. If only I had two swords, the Handmaiden wished as she blocked a strike from Visas. The Handmaiden struck, Visas blocked it. This process went on for awhile.
Atton and Bao-Dur, bruised and banged up, stopped and returned to the Ebon Hawk after watching the two spar for what seemed hours. Mira went with them to sleep.
Don't they tire? Seth wondered. He looked at the setting sun and knew he'd need sleep. "Okay, that's good," he said. "Good to know you've both got endurance."
Visas lowered her sword, and the Handmaiden felt the irresistible temptation to cut her down right then and there. But she refrained from throwing her emotions everywhere, and handed her vibroblade to Seth.
He nodded his head toward the Ebon Hawk. "Go back and get some rest," he said.
The Handmaiden and Visas started to walk back, but Seth hung back a little just by leaning on the building of Khoonda. "Why aren't you coming?" the Handmaiden asked. Seth shrugged and stood up. "You know…going on a walk…" he said. Both girls turned around and headed back towards: Visas was lagging behind and the Handmaiden was walking quickly.
Seth watched them disappear into the landing pad. He then turned around walked towards the plains. It was getting dark outside, and the sun was setting beautifully. He climbed a hill and sat underneath a tree where there was a wreckage of a swoop bike.
The sun was a beautiful red, and the clouds above it yellow, pink, purple, orange, and red. The brilliance soon faded into a blackened sky illuminated by hundreds of tiny stars. Seth stared up at them.
You'll be traveling there tomorrow, he thought, knowing what he had to do tomorrow. The Jedi enclave beckoned him.