« Breath in... pause... and breath out. »
He did as she ask, concentrating on the light in front of his mind. Slowly, the bubble of light grew bigger, enveloping his sigh and when he think the light couldn't go farther, it exploded in a beautiful dance of white ribbons.
« Do you feel it ? »
« Yes it's... it's beautiful ! »
Master Hoebe smile in her meditation. After last night, she feared it would be too soon to form the master-padawan bond with the little zabrak.
« Now, concentrate on my voice, on my presence. You should recognize me. »
Koplan frowned, searching in this dancing chaos whatever he was suppose to find. After a minute, he saw it. A blue, shinning spot of color, mixed up with the ribbon, wavelike with grace. He started approaching it and the blue light quickly stood still. In a last breath, he touch it with his mind. Again, everything explode in a billion of little dots, following by waves of colors. It was like watching a galaxy to be born. His shoulder relaxed, a warn sensation spreading in his body. He watched quietly, running through the different dots. Each one was different, sometime he could hear voice, smell strange odor or see landscape he didn't know. It was breathtaking ! He didn't even felt his body at this time, he was like a spirit, flying between marvel. When he sense a knock against his mind, he opened his eyes, still agape from this experience.
« You found me. » she said, looking at Koplan with pride.
« What.. What was that ? » he ask curiously, leaning on his hand.
« That, my young Padawan, was my spirit through the Force. Each dots was a memory, my memory. Don't you feel something different ? »
She raised a eyebrow, a light smile on her lips. The little zabrak turn his look to the floor, focusing on what he just experience. Now that she said it... He was feeling different. Yes, it was like a whisper in the far back of his head. He couldn't understand it though but he knew this voice. His eyes widened when he realized that his Master was communicating with him through the Force.
Master Hoebe chuckles at the look on his face. It was so long ago that she built her first bond with a force-sensitive, it was now something totally natural for her ! Did she look like this on her first time ? A mixture of amazement, upheaval and a bit scared. Oh god, she hoped she didn't look this... her Master surely stopped himself from laughing if it was the case.
« You formed a bond with me. A bond which all Master and Apprentice have with each others. Through this bond in the Force, we can communicate on a basic level... We can feel the emotion of the other, sometime we can send simple word. The most important thing, especially when we're on mission, we can sense if the other is in danger. For now of course... We still barely know each other so, we can't do much. But with time, we'll be able to improve our bond and reinforce it. »
« Does it last forever ? »
« Well, it can, yes. However, the bond can break if... some strong event happen. It never happened to me personally but, i heard other Jedi talked about it. It's not a experience you would live through... » she said, her gaze lost in the void.
She remember one of her friend, Master Lido, whom his former Padawan was taken by an organization of bounty hunter. He could feel each hit, strike, hear every cries of pain and fear while the former Padawan was torture. He was in possession of important information, all he have to do was giving what they want and the pain would stop. He fought, resisted during days, weeks... Master Lido isolated himself in his quarter, never speaking to anyone. He was the shadow of himself. And one day... His former Padawan decided that his Master didn't deserved the pain he was experiencing. He cut all links, abandoning the Force, letting his Master even more damage by the void in his dead. He said that it was the most appalling thing he had never experience. He took him almost five years to recover... And even now, he still could sense the pure blackness hidden in his memory.
She was so lost in her thought that she didn't realized the tears that was threatening to fall. Koplan look at her without a word, worried. She was about to explain herself from her little absence when someone cut her word.
« Well, well, well... Isn't it Nura Hoebe and her new Padawan ? »
A Jedi walked in front of us, followed by Thio, who apparently became also a Padawan. The Jedi tilt his head and cross his hands behind his back.
« Oh, you seem to be on hedge, even a little sad. Did your Padawan already disappointed you ? I mean, I always knew it would happen with you but I didn't know it would happen to fast !»
She glare hard at him, rising to her feet.
« Go spill your venom somewhere else Thic. »
Koplan followed her stance as she walked out of the room.
« Awh com'on ! I was just teasing you ! Hey, what do you say of a little friendly fight eh ? My Padawan want to prove himself and what better opponent than the Zabrak who was in his class ? Mh ? »
Nura stop and looked at Koplan. Well, he wasn't expecting something like that to happen. He doesn't want to even think about Thio so fight him purposely ? Only in his dream ! But that wasn't Thio who brought the idea... It was his Master. After what he saw, he could only said that Master Hoebe and Master Thic didn't like each other. Would his refusal make her look bad or weak ? He swore to her that he never disappointed her, maybe it was the time to prove it. And what does he have to loose ? Thio already took his dignity with every fight he won. One more or less, it couldn't hurt. He nodded, determinate.
« Alright. A friendly fight. » she said firmly.
What a prick ! Why couldn't he just left her alone ?! And why, oh my god... Why did she have to acknowledge him every time he spoke to her ?! This man is every thing this despise, pretentious, stingy and competitor ! Why was he even a Jedi ? She sighed in frustration, rubbing her temple as the fight begun.
Well, as she thought it will begun. That was until Koplan heard someone yelling and then a punch from across the training ground. It was like everything from his surrounding has disappear. He didn't say a word and just went to the group of people over there.
« That's not true ! »
« Fuck off you freak ! »
'POOM'
There were two boys, maybe two or three years younger than him staring at each other. He didn't know the first boy, he was lying on the floor, his finger pressing his nose which seems to bleed. The other... The same boy he saw with Master Kenobi the other day. He was standing still, his fist clench at his side, boiling with anger.
« Hey, hey ! What's going on here ? » the zabrak asked.
While Koplan didn't saw himself as a great negotiator, he couldn't support conflict. The boy on the floor answer almost immediately, giving no choice for the other to replied.
« Ask this to the weirdo ! » he shout.
Turning on his heels, Kenobi's padawan storm out by the door, whispering unknown word to himself as he does. He needed to talk to him... He needed to know the all story. That was not his business, he knew and to be fair, he half expected to be rejected because of his curiosity and his over-will to help. He began to followed him when a hand on his shoulder stop him.
« Padawan ! What do you think you're doing ?! Do I need to remind you that you have a fight to attend to ? » said Master Hoebe with a sigh.
« Master, please... I need to go talk to him. It has something to do with what I told you last morning, I'm sure of it ! Do you remember Master ?» he said with pleading eyes.
She raised an eyebrow. How could she forgot what he told her last morning. After this restless night, she woke up next to him. He was still trembling when she ask him to told her his nightmare. Their bond wasn't build yet but she could have felt his fear through the Force.
« I saw him... but he was far more older. »
« Him ? »
« The boy, Master Kenobi's Padawan I think. He was staring at me with blue eyes... He was smiling at first but I could sense... deep, profound darkness emanate from him. I suddenly f-felt pain through my eyes... obliging me to close them with tears. It was li-like burning... the pain riding up to my head. It last what felt h-hours... »
Koplan close his eyes, his body reacting to the memory of what he felt. Master Hoebe pose her hand on his back, encouraging him to continue.
« I was crying but... that wasn't my voice, that was him. I heard him shout something about ... being lost ... and lies ... I felt so much... hatred. I started apologizing, I didn't know why but I needed to apologize. He was so broken and while I couldn't see him, I knew he was still smiling despite his feelings. A creepy smile... I was sure I was about to pass out from the pain when I woke up. I though I would had never be able to see again. »
She meditate about it, trying to understand what he has seen. Jedi doesn't dream... and when it happened nevertheless, dreams where called visions and nothing good came from them. Koplan needed to talk with Master Yoda, he was the one to talk to whith vision and prediction of the future. She shook her head and glance at Thic and his Padawan, still standing in the middle of the training ground with oblivious annoyance for this sudden interruption. Letting him go would show disrespect to them and she will surely be reprimand later. And she needed to built trust between her and the zabrak, without trust, Padawan and Master bond wouldn't survive a day in a difficult situation. Plus, she didn't like Master Thic, so their opinion on her or her Padawan didn't matter to her. She will find some fake excuse.
« Alright, you can go. But promise me something... »
« Anything ! » he respond, already walking backward towards the door.
« You'll tell me everything. Every feeling, every dream, every doubts... And I'll make you the same promise. »
« Okay I promise ! »
He ran in the corridor, searching for the boy, hoping he didn't go already too far for him to reach.
He found him, cross-legged in front of a large bay window. It was raining on Coruscant. The different lights from speeders, neon signs were reflecting on a blur of colors. Looking around him, he saw that there was no one and so no sound except from the rain drop. His breathing was calming after this half-run to find the boy. The warm coming from his muscles effort slowly disappear and for the first time in ten minutes standing here, he felt the cold air piercing his skin. Now that he paid more attention... he saw the boy shaking with cold. He didn't move though, like what his body was feeling didn't bother him. He approached him and sat next to him, his knees against his chest. He stayed quiet, looking the water drop on the glass.
« What d'you want ? » he said abruptly.
« Who said I want something ? »
« Everyone want something... You would had never sat here on your own if you didn't. »
« Why's that ? » he ask, turning his head to the boy.
« Just ask me what you want or leave me alone. I'm not in the mood. » he said, never returning a look to the zabrak.
« Yeah I saw that... The kid was transfers to the infirmary. »
Again, the silence settle down but it was a more relaxing silence.
« Your name. » Koplan whispered after a minute.
« What ? »
« You ask me what I want... Well I want your name. » he replied with a small smile.
For the first time since he got here, the boy turn his head, posing his blue eyes on his. He didn't respond though, he was visibly surprise but also reluctant to speak. So Koplan offered his hand, beginning by his.
« I'm Koplan Jath. » He said warmly.
The boy hesitated but took his hand.
« Anakin. » he replied, shaking his hand loosely, his facial feature relaxing. "Anakin Skywalker."
So I had a hard time trying to find a last name for Koplan. I heard that their last name was the name of their clan so, with little research, I found "Jath" was one of them so, sorry if the accuracy of the universe is not totally correct, I'm trying my best :x
Please review ! :D Let me know what you think so far