Luineraugwen: This is one of my newer stories. Hopefully I can get the others finished soon rather than later or at least another chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.
Chapter I
Master Windu and Master Fisto, accompanied by Kit's first apprentice, walked quietly down the streets of Rattatak, their hoods pulled up over their faces. The humanoid natives paid them no attention as they went about their daily duties. The streets were packed with small stalls and with people hurrying to finish what they were doing. It was rumored that an electrical storm was on its way and these primitive people believed whatever they heard.
The three Jedi were on a mission to Rattatak. Master Yoda had received information that a dangerous mercenary and bounty hunter was hiding out on the planet. They were wanted for the deaths of several senators and political figures as well as a dangerous attempt on the life of a Jedi. It was also believed that this person wasn't working alone. Witnesses had seen two people, not just one. Fear was spreading like wild fire through the Senate and they Jedi had been requested to investigate the matter.
"Masters, it seems that the rumors about the electrical storm are true. I can feel it and its going to be quite savage. It might be best if we find shelter before it gets too close" Shekla, Kit's padawan, said looking off into the distance. Even though she was young, around thirteen, Shekla's body was very sensitive to changes in the atmosphere or weather conditions.
"How long before it hits?" Master Windu asked and the young padawan looked to the east for a few moments.
"An hour at most. It can't be seen yet but it's definitely coming. It'll hit fast and quick and it might last over two hours. I can't be sure" Shekla answered truthfully. Kit looked back at his apprentice. He was very lucky to be her master. Many of the other masters had wanted to take her on but she on purposely acted back the day they were choosing their padawans. Kit had seen her training independently while the other students were having free time. All the masters had agreed that she was a dedicated student and she learned thing very quickly.
The Nautolan Jedi had been watching her training one day and things just clicked. He had just passed the tests a few months ago but he couldn't find the right student to take on. Shekla favored Form I, the same as Kit, and she was also a strong swimmer. Kit knew she was what he'd been looking for. He stood and watched her for a few moments before she noticed him. She had stopped and bowed but he insisted that she continue. Kit had circled around Shekla, watching her. Her posture, stances, everything. He had to correct several things but he didn't mind standing along side her, lightsaber in hand and showing her what to do. It prepared him for what he'd have to do with his own padawan. Kit had approached Master Yoda the day after that to ask if he could take Shekla as his padawan and the elder master agreed, saying that it was a good match. They'd been together ever since, which was about three or four years.
"We'll start looking for accommodation now so we don't risk being caught. After that I'll contact the Jedi council" Mace said stopping and turning to the other two. Kit and Shekla partnered together while Master Windu went by himself. They had separated so they could find somewhere to stay. They were to contact the other group when they'd found a place. The master and padawan set off and headed towards the other side of the capital.
"How savage will this storm be, Shekla?" Kit asked.
"Very savage, Master. I can already feel the electricity in the air and the storm is a most a hundred miles away. It hasn't stormed here in a very long time. The one coming is a build up of all the other little storms that have raged in other cities" she replied and he nodded. They continued walking for some time and Shekla continued to become more and more restless. Kit knew it was because of the approaching storm. It was closer now, he could hear the thunder rolling in the distance. The Rattataki were already packing up their stall and retreating into their homes before locking up and securing all the openings. Kit hoped that they could find shelter soon. A beeping noise brought it out of his thoughts. It was his comlink.
"Master Fisto, I've found suitable accommodation on the other side of the city. It'll take time for you to reach here so I suggest that you hurry. The storm is closer than we think and the owner won't wait much longer" Mace said from the other end.
"Thank you for informing us, Master Windu" Kit replied before switching if off. Shekla had heard the message and he could sense that she was eager to start towards the other side of the city. Kit nodded at his padawan and they immediately began their journey. Shekla began to get even uneasier as they approached their destination. Kit knew that Shekla hated storms. He'd asked her why but she'd always said that she had been afraid of them. They reminded her of something, mainly feelings, about something bad that had happened. She tried her best to shove those feelings from her mind but Kit, being Nautolan, could sense them radiating off of her.
"What do you feel, Shekla? Anything different?" he asked making conversation. It often helped to talk with her when a storm was around. She was calmer and she had something else to think about. Shekla closed her eyes for a moment before answering.
"Nothing really Master. There is a faint sense of darkness and foreboding, but that had been haunting the edge of my consciousness since we arrived on Rattatak".
"And what does that make you think?" Kit prodded. She had informed the two Master of this upon arrival.
"It makes me think that this assignment won't be as easy as our previous ones. There is something dark on this planet. Something about it makes me think that part of it wants us not to find it but the other half does" Shekla explained. Kit had been feeling the same but it was dull. It just lingered in his thoughts but it didn't bother him. Whatever Shekla felt, she was more attuned to it than he was. So that meant that it was probably something he wasn't familiar with and that she was. He knew very little of her past, Shekla didn't like talking about it, so he couldn't say what it was.
The wind picked up rapidly and Shekla was beginning to have trouble fighting against it. She was small for a human, petite yet dangerous, with silver white hair and purple eyes that changed color depending on her moods. Light when she was happily and dark when she was mad, which was rare. Shekla lived her life by the code of the Jedi order. It was really the only life she'd lived that was worth living. Even at an early age, Shekla had shown wisdom beyond her years. Kit remembered the day she'd first came to the Jedi temple. He and his master had been standing in with the Jedi Council when they questioned her.
Flashback
Master Eeth Koth stood behind Shekla as they stood before the council. They'd brought her back from their last assignment. She'd been a slave trained to fight as entertainment in one of the underground clubs. Even though she was young, around three or four, Eeth could see that the muscles on her arms and legs were bigger than a normal child of that age. Shekla was wearing only a loincloth, a small bra like top, leather boots and a pair of leather arm braces. Eeth had given her his cloak so she could both cover up and keep warm but the cooler air of Coruscant didn't seem to bother her. He could sense no fear or really, no emotions emanating from Shekla's small form.
"What is your name?" Master Adi Gallia asked kindly and Shekla turned to look at her.
"My name is Shekla, ma'am" she replied truthfully.
"And how old are you, Shekla?" Mace Windu asked and again she turned to look at him.
"Three and a half, sir" she answered.
"Do you know why you are here?" Mace asked.
"No sir"
"The Master Eeth Koth took a sample of your blood while you were on your way to Coruscant and it had a high count of midi-chlorians. Mid-chlorians live inside of you and a person who had a high count of them is usually Force sensitive. Do you know what that means?" Mace asked. He was testing her. She cam from a primitive planet thus she couldn't have a high education.
"Those people are able to become Jedi" Shekla answered straight away.
"Correct, you are" Master Yoda said smiling. "Going to test you, we are. Relax, use your feelings" he added as Master Windu held up a view screen and began to ask her questions about what she thought was on the screen. Eeth could sense what they were, he'd gone through the test himself, and he was relieved to see that Shekla was answering them as truthfully as possible. She could describe what they looked like up she couldn't name them.
"I'm sorry. My training facility was isolated and I had no contact with any of those things thus I cannot name them all" Shekla said shaking her head.
"That is not your fault, Shekla so don't feel guilty. Your owners were doing something against the law" Master Mundi said.
"You mentioned a 'training facility. What were you being trained for?" Adi asked.
"To fight as entertainment, ma'am" Shekla replied and the Jedi master gasped.
"And these fights, how did someone win?" Mace asked.
"The fights were to the death so the last person alive won"
"Did you ever participate in such fights?" Master Mundi asked.
"No, sir. The owners liked to watch us fight once we had come of age. That was usually about twelve. We would spend the years before that training everyday" Shekla replied.
"What kind of weapons were used?" Adi asked.
"The old ones. Swords, knives, things like that. But there was one newer one. It was called a lightwhip" the little girl answered and everyone in the room, except for her, tensed.
"Who among the people trained could use a lightwhip?" Master Windu asked.
"I was the only one allowed to train with one" a murmur of voices ran around the room and Shekla followed the voices. "Have I said something I shouldn't have?" she asked nervously.
"No, Shekla. Do you know anything about the history of the lightwhip?" Mundi asked but the girl shook her head. "Well the lightwhip used to be a weapon used by the Jedi but few could master its technique and many Jedi took to the lightsaber instead. Both weapons are powered by crystals and have long colored blades but because of the lightwhip's unpredictability, it wasn't a good weapon to train with and many Jedi were injured while learning how to use it" he explained and Shekla nodded in understanding.
"Perhaps we could use the different types of weapons to test Shekla?" Master Koth suggested and the council agreed. The images were changed to weapons instead of transport and Shekla said what they were without hesitating. Yoda and Mace shared a glance before dismissing the three so the council could decide about Shekla. The three waited outside the council chambers. The master was looking out of the window down at the streets of Coruscant while Shekla read the plaque above the doorway.
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
"That is the Jedi code. It may seem harsh but it's what we live by. You'll have to live by it too if you become a Jedi" Eeth said coming to stand next to her.
"Everything has rules and discipline. I'm sure there are reasons why it is so harsh. Personally, I don't think it is harsh" Shekla said walking over to the window and looking down on the city. She showed no surprise and wonder at her knew surroundings. The master's comlink opened and the council called them back.
The three once again stood where they had almost half and hour ago. Eeth could read noting off the faces of the council members around him but his gut told him that she'd been accepted.
"Despite your age, Shekla, we have decided to accept you" Master Windu said smiling.
"Understand that the life of a Jedi is not an easy path, Shekla" Master Yoda reminded her.
"Nothing that is worth doing is ever easy" she replied.
End Flashback
Ever since then Shekla had never ceased to amaze the council from then on. She quickly learnt the techniques and swiftly caught up to her fellow padawans. As the years progressed, Shekla became independent and started to study harder than ever. It was approaching the time when she could be chosen as a padawan and although she knew the masters thought highly of her, she still wanted to reach a bar that she had set for herself. Because of this she had few friends but Shekla had always been the silent, shy and solitary one.
A solid blast of wind caught Kit off guard and he immediately grabbed Shekla, who had almost been blown away by the wind.
"Are you always going to stay that small, Shekla? That wind almost blew you away. By the Force, how would I find you?" Kit joked but he meant it in a kind way. She was always being teased about her size back at the temple and the master knew she hated it. Kit knew she was fast approaching her teen years and he knew from what he'd seen in his day, that girls were under almost constant pressure from the people around them. It would be easy for someone like Shekla to take the words of others to heart. She had self esteem problems and Kit tried to help her as much as possible but his knowledge of such things was limited. When he thought Shekla had a problem he'd try to talk to her about it but she wouldn't answer. He just passed it off as a girl thing but he wished that she'd confide in him, whatever the topic. Although given his gender, she could be embarrassed about talking with him.
"Well I am way overdue for a growth spurt, Master" she replied in good nature but he could sense the hurt. He thought about apologizing but another gust of wind interrupted and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"We had best hurry. The innkeeper will not wait much longer," Kit yelled over the rumbling thunder and they began to run to their destination, cloaks pulled tightly around them. They battled the elements constantly as they made their way to the inn. It had just started to rain when they rounded the corner to see Master Windu standing out in the weather looking for them.
"About time, the innkeeper was just about to close up. He refused to wait any longer" the elder master said when they'd reached him. He led them inside and they thanked the innkeeper before Mace led them to their room. There were three separate rooms that were all adjoined to bathrooms, a lounge room and a kitchen. The three Jedi sat at the table and discussed their plans.
"I'll contact the rest of the Jedi council and discuss this with them. I suggest you get some rest, both of you. Especially you Shekla, you haven't been looking your best since we arrived. Has the presence intensified?" Mace asked and the girl nodded.
"The closer the storm, the stronger the presence gets, Master Windu" she replied and the two masters exchanged glances.
"Come Shekla, meditate with me while Master Windu talks with the council. It might be able to help" Kit said quietly leading his padawan into one of the empty bedrooms. Shekla discarded her cloak on the bed and quietly sat cross-legged on the floor, her master doing the same. Shekla prepared her mind for meditation and slipped calmly into the void of peacefulness. Kit watched her silently. Her breathing slowed and he could tell her was relaxed. Kit was positive that she wouldn't talk while she was meditating so he too relaxed and began to meditate.
The same darkness still lingered on the edge of Kit's mind. Shekla had been right. With every clap of thunder and crack of lightning, the darkness seemed to become stronger. It seemed to feed off the fear of the native Rattataki thus becoming more powerful. If this storm was creating this much fear while it was still in it's early stages, what would it cause the people to feel when it was right on top of them.
Can you feel that, Master? Shekla asked through their mental link.
Yes Shekla. You were right, its getting stronger and its strength will continue to grow the whole time the storm is overhead Kit replied. A loud clap of thunder sounded through the silent city and the master heard his padawan whimper slightly in fear. Without breaking his concentration, Kit moved forward so their knees were touching slightly and he gently clasped his large green hands around her smaller ones. It was his way of trying to comfort the child and it often worked but this time the storm was much larger than what she was used to.
Indeed, the storm made Shekla more frightened than normal. She was shaking uncontrollably and she was having trouble keeping her concentration intact. Kit tried to calm her but it did little to help. His head sensors were going crazy. The only thing that he could feel radiating from her was pure terror. She was terrified but of what? The door slid open silently behind him and Mace was soon at Kit's side.
"What is wrong?" he asked urgently.
"Every time there is a storm around, Shekla seems to go into these… I don't know what to call them. She calls the, nightmares but Shekla is awake the whole time. I used to think that it was just Shekla's sensitivity combined with the incredible strength of the storm that sent her into these 'nightmares' but I don't believe it is any more" Kit explained.
"Why don't you believe it any more?" Mace asked.
"Even though a storm can be frightening, it shouldn't cause Shekla to act like this. Besides, she absolutely petrified at the moment. No, this is caused by something deeper" Kit replied. Master Windu understood and he wrapped a comforting arm and blanket around the girl's shoulders. The Nautolan Jedi released his hold of Shekla and gently placed his hands on either of her cheeks.
"Shekla…Shekla, look at me" he said kindly and she slowly lifted her head to look at him. It was a few more seconds before she opened her eyes to look at him. Both of the masters were stunned to see so much terror was inside the padawan's purple eyes. Two single tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes and Kit wiped them away with his thumbs.
"Its okay Shekla, nothing can hurt you. I won't allow it" he said soothingly and pulled the frightened girl against his chest. Kit locked eyes with Mace, who was gentle running his hand over Shekla's back. Kit was now positive that here was something different about this storm, something that possibly had something to do with their mission. Well Kit was sure of one this, only time would tell.
Luineraugwen: I hope someone liked that chapter. Also I'd like to bring this to the attention of whoever is reading this. I'm in no way poking fun at Kit Fisto but has anyone noticed that he resembles the weird squid baby born in the first Men in Black movie? I read that in some kind of forum and I only just thought about it in detail last night. Anyone agree with me? Keep in mind that I haven't seen that movie in a while. R and R.