Thank you for all of your encouragement.
Chapter Eight
On arriving at Moth's apartment Nyla, introduced her new Padawan. Juri, a tall girl for her age, with blonde hair, blue eyes and a chip on her shoulders. She was just shy of the cut off age and wasn't sure about being a healer but it was Nyla or the Agricorp. Neither Nyla nor Juri knew what to think about the smell of Yoda's strange stew. They were both glad there was bread and butter to go with it. 'At least I won't starve.' They both thought.
"What are you anyway?" Juri asked Yoda with a frown on her face.
"A Padawan like you." Yoda answered.
"How are you going to fight? Take out their knees!" Juri asked insultingly.
"Ataru, I am learning. Acrobatics, I will fly." Yoda said proudly.
"Show off." Juri accused.
"Brat." Yoda countered.
"All right you two!" Moth scolded.
"Play nice. We are guests remember the rules." Nyla counseled her new Padawan.
"Yes, you eat what you can of the meal served without complaining and eat to your fill later." Juri said to Moth's surprise.
"I seem to remember, you hated that rule." Moth said under his breath to Nyla, who just smiled.
"Your stew stinks." Juri told Yoda when the older ones weren't listening.
"Wait until tomorrow, clean out your body, it will." Yoda warned.
"Oh! Yuck! Only bread for me." Juri insisted.
"You must learn to eat different foods, your travels will take you all over the galaxy. Not everyone has the meat pastries you like and the cooks can get upset if you don't like their cooking." Nyla instructed.
"Nyla was the same way when she became a Padawan, I seem to remember it was spicy noodles that you insisted on eating." Moth added.
"Oh! Hush! I'm trying to start her out right." Nyla blushed.
oOo
Mid morning the next day Moth and Yoda met Master Loren in the assigned Sparing room. Master Loren had visited the younglings classrooms and borrowed some of the sparing tools set up for the children. Yoda beamed when he saw sparring tools his size. Loren showed him how to fall safely first instead of the typical spins and twirls. Like all students Yoda felt he knew how to fall, so was in a hurry to get on to the good stuff. "You must learn to fall safely before you can learn how to fly." Loren informed him.
'Fly, I will learn how.' Yoda thought.
Loren asked Moth to show Yoda how to do some of the basic moves. "This was an example of how not to do that move. This is the correct way." Then Loren deftly twirled and landed softly on the ground. Moth had learned his lesson so he backed off and refused to become a teaching tool, letting Loren do all the instructing while he watched from the background.
"He's doing good for a beginner but he always did." Nyla observed. "I just stopped by to tell you, Juri and I are going on a mission. A safe mission far from the war and drug area." Nyla said assuring her former Master. Just then Master Loren gave them a mean look for talking in his class. Moth motioned toward the door and they both walked out.
"Don't assume that just because Darth Menace is dead the problem has been solved. There could be another." Moth warned Nyla. "And the drug could still be out there."
"I'll be careful. We are just going on a common out break of the plague." Nyla smiled. "You taught me well, now let me fly."
oOo
"Master, question have?" Yoda inquired.
"Yes, Yoda what is your question?" Moth stopped meditating and looked at his Padawan.
"Noticed I did, other Padawans get lightsaber when become Padawan, Yoda not given lightsaber." Yoda carefully voiced his concerns. "Not confident in Yoda's ability not to cut off head?"
"No, Yoda. I should have talked to you about this earlier but I didn't know how to bring it up. The reason you haven't been given a lightsaber has nothing to do with your abilities. It's because I a… we haven't been able to figure out how to make one that would be…small… comfortable for you." Moth explained.
"Tried this have you?" Yoda said opening his robe and pulling out a small dagger-like saber and igniting a pencil like green blade.
Moth sat open mouthed in shock for a second, then asked. "Can I see that?" Yoda disengaged the light dagger and handed it to Moth, nervous to have his Master inspect his work. Moth engaged the small instrument and studied it. "This is good work, how did you manage this?" Moth asked.
"Got crystals when traveling with Tarbocca. Plans for building lightsabers, Yoda found in library. Old holocron plans for building a dagger, also in library." Yoda said proudly that he had found the information he needed to build it on his own.
"So this was what you were doing in the library all this time. Anything else you learned that I should know about?" Moth asked in passing.
'If answer, have to explain, was in section not allowed to be in, I will.' "Not that want to talk about yet." Yoda said nervously.
Moth disengaged the saber, handed it back to his Padawan and looked at him. "You know there are reasons for the limits placed on what Padawans may study, it's for your protection as well as others. Some Padawans have gotten in over their heads studying some of the information and fallen to the Darkside." Moth explained, concerned for his young friend.
"Nothing to worry about, do you have. Yoda not go dark." Yoda said confidently.
Moth wasn't sure why but he knew it to be true. "I'll call the Council and tell them they no longer have to work on designing a small lightsaber."
oOo
"Master Freene, you are the best at form three of the lightsaber techniques, would I be able to persuade you to instruct Yoda in that form." Moth asked the lovely Twi'lek female Master.
"I am puzzled Master Moth, most Masters train their own Padawans in the different forms is there a reason you are requesting others to train yours?" Master Freene asked.
"As you have noticed Yoda has an unusual fighting disadvantage and he will need every advantage he can get. I chose to forgo the advance training in lightsaber techniques to counter the influences of my former Master. I do not want my teaching shortcomings to be a detriment to my student. Yoda will need the best training and you are the best in Soresu, form three." Master Moth requested.
"Master Loren said he was an eager student and Master Poof has personally requested that everyone do whatever is necessary to assist you. I was just concerned that you might harbor hard feeling at the other Masters for their part in the process. I would be delighted to assist Yoda even though he is a bit of a flirt." Master Freene remembered her first encounter with Yoda and the flower he had floated to her. "I will be in the second sparing room, mid morning, tomorrow have him meet me there."
"Thank you, Master Freene, he will be there on time." Master Moth assured her and left to tell Yoda about his next assignment.
For the next year Yoda and Moth spent a lot of time on Coruscant, Moth working in the Med-center and Yoda training under Master Loren and the other Masters who specialized in the different forms of fighting. Yoda always showed up to Master Freene's sessions with a flower, her favorite white roses. He never explained how he knew they were her favorite.
Over the years Moth was called down to the library occasionally to be counseled that Yoda was getting into sections of the library he didn't have clearance for but Yoda never got into to much trouble as long as Master Poof was alive. But like all life forms Poof eventually returned to the soil becoming one with the Force. Yoda took it hard for a Jedi but he would have to learn to deal with death since he lived longer than most of the species around him. The hardest would be Nyla and Moth… Ahead of the story, I am getting.
oOo
Moth went into the library to look for Yoda, they were called out for an assignment, the first major one in over a year. There was an industrial disaster on Rampa and they were needed to assist the local people. All available healers were being called in to help.
"Master, not into forbidden material, I was." Yoda protested when he saw his Master coming around the column of bookcases.
"No, you are not in trouble. We just have an assignment." Moth assured his Padawan. "I have called in a order to the gardening center for your bulbs and roots, they will be ready when we get there." Moth could see Yoda's mouth start to water. "I called and had the ship supplied with all necessary things including rebreathers and some of the new cold weather clothing. There is a possibility of climate changes on Rampa."
Yoda shuttered, he never liked cold weather, especially some of the weather he had run into 'off world'. 'Dagobah winters were nice compared to the ones he had experienced on Hoth with Tarbocca. 'Maybe this won't be that bad.'
They collected their belongings from the apartment including Yoda's Wookie blanket and the cushion for his bed. Nyla had also introduced his to pajamas he especially liked the ones with feet in them since it usually was to cold for his taste in the apartment. Moth had bought him a woolen blanket, he had hoped Yoda would replace the Wookie blanket with it but Yoda only piled it on top and snuggled under them both.
oOo
Even from space they could tell Rampa was in trouble. There was a dark cloud covering most of the planet and the water, which could be seen where there wasn't a cloud, looked brownish green and the temperature was starting to fall. They could see several ships already ferrying refugees to the clearer areas. One of the ships Moth and Yoda recognized as Nyla's, she had been on a mission nearby and had already been called in when the word went out that more help was needed. Moth called Nyla and asked. "Where are we needed?"
Nyla looked tired and strained from the task at hand. "Jump in anywhere there are plenty of refugees to go around."
"Has any one set up an infirmary anywhere?" Moth asked trying to get the since of the problem.
"No, we are just trying to get as many out of the poison cloud as possible. Many in the innermost areas are already beyond help. I hate having to write off people that are still alive but we couldn't help them if they were in the Med-center at Coruscant so…" Nyla informed Moth.
"If I may suggest let's exchange Padawan's. You and Juri can get some rest while Yoda and I fly back for the next group of refugees." Moth suggested.
"Sound good, Juri is in a stupor already and I'm not much better." Nyla confessed.
They landed near Nyla's ship as they were finishing dropping off the latest load of refugees. Moth came over and gave Nyla a hug, he had missed seeing her since she had gone out on her own and it was hard seeing her so tired. He placed his hands on the sides of her face and closed his eyes and concentrated. "Thanks, I needed that." She said as the tiredness eased out of her and she felt more refreshed.
Yoda looked at Juri but she saw the look and said. "Don't even think about it 'Greenie'."
Moth smiled, "Come here, little one." In his most Grandfatherly voice and caught Juri's face as she squirmed, then relaxed.
"Hey! That wasn't bad!" She said noticeably refreshed. "I'm ready to go again."
"Be careful." Nyla told Moth as they exchanged Padawan's and Yoda set coarse for the next group. "How is your training coming Yoda." Nyla asked as they flew back in to the cloud.
"Good, in trouble, Yoda hardly ever gets. Found stack of holocrons, last time, I did. Was learning a lot when Librarian came in, got called before Council, I did. Master Moth also called before Council. Very mad, Master Poof was. Banned from library for a month, Yoda was."
Nyla laughed it had been to long since she had heard Yoda 'speech'. "Set down over there." She instructed him as they got near the throng of coughing people. "Now comes the hard part, choosing who you can help." Nyla lamented.
As the ramp dropped the crowd started pressing forward. People holding children trying to protect them from something they couldn't ward off, and older ones were getting pushed back. Yoda stepped out and closed his eyes and the crowd seemed to part and allowed them through. Nyla looked at him but didn't have time to ask. "Here, sit along the wall. More may sit here." Yoda instructed the influx of people until the ship was filled to capacity and beyond. Then came the hard part to close the ramp and leave the rest behind. "Soon, be back, I will."
Moth and Yoda flew back and forward until Nyla and Juri were rested. Then Moth suggested that Yoda and Juri set an infirmary near where the people were being dropped off. Juri wasn't sure about taking orders form Yoda but it soon became evident he knew more about setting up an infirmary than she did, his time on Naboo had been very educational. They soon had hot soup and clean water for the people. Soon more was needed so they enlisted the walking injured into helping.
The next morning a transport arrived dropping off blankets, food and water, then picking up refugees and taking them to the southern hemisphere where there was still cleaner air at least for now. Moth was surprised, when he got through with the airlift, at the organization that Yoda and Juri had set up and they were working together, peacefully.
"How did you work that out Yoda?" Moth asked as he watched Juri working industriously, uncomplaining.
"Jedi mind tricks learned in library, I did." Yoda said smiling proudly.
Moth turned to Yoda surprised at his answer. Jedi mind tricks usually didn't work on other Jedi, even Padawans, and only the strongest Masters could manage it do them. Yet here his Padawan was using them on another Padawan.
"What's wrong?" Nyla asked as she finished her last run and came over to see how things were going.
"I'll tell you later. Have you eaten lately." Moth asked Nyla.
"Yes, I grabbed some fruit about an hour ago. Wow! What got into Juri?" Nyla asked.
"I wasn't going to say until later but Yoda used Jedi mind tricks on her." Moth whispered.
"Hey! Go Yoda! Can he teach me to do mind tricks on Juri." Nyla giggled the way she did when she was tired.
Moth shook his head not the giggles again.
oOo
"It has became evident that the population is going to have to be moved to the Southern Hemisphere and those that remained in the north will have to build domes to live and work under. The Jedi will stay as long as we are needed to help with the injured." Moth said. "New regulations to cut down on the pollution will be needed and new safety rules will also need to be implemented." Moth added.
"But that will cut into profits." Complained the factory owner.
"It's that or leave a dead planet for your grandchildren." Nyla added.
"With what we are making we can buy a small planet for the grandchildren to live on." The owner reasoned.
"What of the workers that can't afford a planet for their grandchildren?" Moth asked.
"Well, they had better start saving for a ticket on a transport out of here." The factory owner scoffed.
"Are you aware of how many lives were lost in this industrial accident? If you don't make changes the next disaster could be more deadly than this one." Moth warned.
"Just because this happened in our factory doesn't mean we are responsible, people die in natural disasters every day and no one goes around blaming nature for their deaths so why should we be held responsible. This meeting is over. Thank you for your help in the recovery of our people now please leave our planet." The Factory owner announced. "Guards please escort the Jedi to the spaceport."
Moth and Nyla looked at each other in disbelief then allowed the guards to escort them out. All the other rescue workers had already left for other assignments but Moth and Nyla had stayed to try to prevent another catastrophe but it was evident their advice wasn't wanted. They arrived at their ships and found them under armed guard and were told they had one hour to get under way or their ships would be confiscated. They said a formal goodbye to each other since the guards were scowling at them. "Will I see you back at Coruscant?" Moth asked.
"No I am going back to Naboo. Delī is expecting her first child and I promised I would be there for the birth." Nyla said trying to be brief.
Moth started to say something but the guards were evidently getting impatient so they parted.
oOo
"Tell more later I will."