Hello there! I've had this idea for a Clone Wars OC for quite a while, and I finally decided to write it. Hope it's semi-okay.
I'd love some feedback!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Clone Wars.
Also - as far as I know, I've come up with the idea of the planet/alien race. If I'm wrong, please let me know. If not, please don't steal them.
"Anakin!" The young man turned at the sound of his name. His former master and friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi, was walking up to him, looking slightly harried.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin said, a bit surprised. He smirked slightly, arching an eyebrow. "I seem to recall overhearing a summons for all the Jedi Masters on the council almost ten minutes ago." Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at the younger man's cheek.
"Yes, well, you aren't wrong," Obi-Wan said with a sigh. He looked around. "I was wondering if you would mind escorting Veers to the council chambers. She's in the medical bay." Obi-Wan was supposed to take her, but now that he was running late this seemed like a good solution. Anakin raised his eyebrows.
"Master Lunian's Padawan?"
"Yes." The two men locked eyes, and Anakin winced, suddenly understanding what the council meeting was about. He recalled the young girl stepping off the Republic Gunship, still shell-shocked from witnessing the death of her teacher, the Jedi Knight Rizak Lunian.
"Of course," Anakin said quietly. Obi-Wan murmured a thank-you before continuing hastily down the corridor towards the chambers. Anakin turned around, heading the opposite direction from where he'd originally been going to meet Padmé. She would understand his delay.
Anakin entered the med-bay, his eyes falling on the Motien girl sitting across the room. Her head was bowed, and she sat quietly as a medical droid continued mending a gash on the palm of her hand. Her sleeve was stained with magenta blood that matched her ira marks and eyes. The droid spotted Anakin, motioning for him to wait.
After a few short minutes, the droid stepped back, lowering the suturing tool it had been using and picking up a bandage. It wrapped the Veers's hand tightly and then stepped back to attend to another patient.
Anakin stepped forwards.
"Veers," the Jedi Knight greeted the Padawan. Her head shot up, and she got to her feet immediately, sliding off the bed.
"Master Skywalker," she replied, bowing her head in a show of respect.
"How are you?" he asked. He'd only spoken to the girl a handful of times before this moment, but he still felt concerned for her wellbeing – besides the general concern and respect every Jedi had for another in the order, he had known Rizak well and the girl was the same age as his own Padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano.
"I'm better now, thank you," Veers replied, recalling that he had been present when she'd gotten off the gunship, looking practically half-dead.
"I'm glad to hear it. I am sorry to hear of Master Lunian's death," Anakin said quietly. Veers lowered her head, nodding solemnly. "He was a good man."
"He was," Veers murmured. Anakin smiled softly, placing a hand on Veers's shoulder in a comforting manner. He turned to face the door, beckoning her to walk with him.
"Come," he told her, leading her out of the medical bay. She did so without protest or question, and Anakin continued, "You're being summoned by the council."
As Anakin escorted her down the corridor towards the council chambers, he couldn't help but to assess the elfin girl beside him. She looked somewhat better than she had when she'd disembarked from the ship – she'd cleaned up and had had her wounds tended too.
Still, the circles under her eyes suggested she hadn't slept at all, and her face was pale from shock, except for her magenta ira markings, which were pulsating brightly.
"You're stressed," he said as they walked towards the council chambers. "Relax."
"I can't," Veers responded. The Jedi Knight felt a stab of sympathy go through him. Facing the council was never easy, and especially given what the young Padawan had just gone through, he didn't blame her for being upset.
Besides, it was a well-known fact that Motiens were a hyper-emotional species, a trait that the alien race took pride in. But still, their emotions were the reason that, despite the fact that they were also highly-force sensitive, Motiens hardly ever became Jedi. In fact, Veers was only the third Motien Jedi since the order began, and she had only started training due extenuating circumstances.
Anakin stopped before the doors of the council, and Veers paused beside him. She took a deep breath, her shoulders hunching forward with her shaky exhale. Anakin placed a hand on her shoulder, and she turned towards him. Like all Motiens, her emotions were displayed physically by the throbbing brightness of her ira marks.
"You'll be fine," he reassured her. Veers' lips twitched slightly into a tiny smile. She bowed her head again.
"Thank you, Master," she said respectfully. He dipped his head politely back, stepping away as the doors to the council slid open. Veers turned, squaring her shoulders as she stepped into the room.
Swallowing hard, Veers walked towards the center of the council room. She was painfully aware that all eyes were on her. She stood on the floor in the middle of the circle, facing Masters Yoda and Windu, who were seated next to one another, as was custom given their rank.
"My Masters," Veers greeted the Jedi Council, bowing. She'd grown up a princess until age seven, but almost as many years had passed since she'd become a Jedi Padawan, and the gesture no longer felt foreign and awkward. Besides, her royal status was practically nil, now, given the current situation on her home planet.
"Young Veers," Master Windu said. "Have you recovered?"
"I am better, thank you, Master," Veers responded, not quite answering the question. Physically, she felt pretty good, considering. But she was mentally exhausted, and still shell-shocked and mourning the death of the man who was practically her father.
She knew that this was written all over her face – literally, as her ira marks reflected her emotions with the intensity of their glow. When she was perfectly at peace, the marks covering her body were a pale magenta, just discernable from the rest of her skin, with a nearly unnoticeable sheen. Now, they were a dark purply-red, glowing brightly in pulses timed with her heartbeat.
Veers couldn't see the marks on her face, of course, but she knew how she looked. She swallowed hard.
"Master Fisto has recounted what he saw," Master Windu told Veers. "If you could tell us what happened from your point of view?" Veers nodded.
"It was supposed to be a rescue mission," she said. "Most of Master Lunian's clone squadron had been captured by the Separatist forces. He called for backup, but they weren't getting there in time, and Master Lunian refused to wait or to leave them."
Veers and Rizak were crouched in the corner of a Separatist Carrier, avoiding the droids marching past. The Jedi Knight peeked around the corner, scanning the corridor to see if more were coming. Seeing nothing, he beckoned Veers forward after him.
The two Jedi ran through the corridor silently. It was the two of them against the entirety of the Separatist forces aboard the carrier until they freed their squadron. Reinforcements were on the way, but the Separatist forces weren't waiting, and neither was Rizak.
Rizak had been in a Separatist Carrier before, and all of the ships were laid out largely the same way. He was pretty sure he knew where his squadron was being held. He set out quickly, turning the corner at the next fork in the corridors. His Padawan followed closely behind, her pupil-less magenta eyes scanning the hallways cautiously.
The two Jedi rounded the corner, and Rizak halted suddenly, sweeping his hand out to pause his Padawan. Standing at the other end of the hallway was Count Dooku, the dangerous Sith Lord.
Across from them, Count Dooku unsheathed his red weapon, the hum of the lightsaber echoing around the corridor. Rizak followed suit, and Veers reached for her weapons.
The Motien unsheathed her lightsabers – she had learned to fight with two. The blue glow of her lightsabers contrasted to her teacher's single green-colored weapon. Rizak moved to the side slightly so that he was not blocking his Padawan – full range of movement was necessary in a lightsaber duel.
It was Dooku who made the first move. The Sith Lord charged at the two Jedi, brandishing his weapon above his head. Veers leapt to the side, somersaulting over the head of the Sith and swinging one of her weapons down.
Dooku whirled around, blocking Veers's blow with his own weapon. Veers grit her teeth, striking out with her other weapon, which Dooku blocked just as easily. The Padawan scowled, wondering why Rizak wasn't retaliating on the other side.
As she jumped away, holding her lightsabers carefully aloft, she realized why. Asajj Ventress, Dooku's assassin, had appeared as well, and she was busy engaging Rizak in their own lightsaber duel.
Dooku's lightsaber whistled through the air, and Veers raised her weapon instinctively, blocking the blow to her face. She knew that Rizak was much better matched for Dooku than she, and she imagined that Ventress wasn't as skilled as Dooku.
"Care to trade?" Veers grunted to her master, pressing Dooku's weapon back. Rizak didn't answer verbally, but he flipped backwards in a Force-jump, landing behind Dooku. As the Sith spun around to block the Jedi Knight's blow, Veers instinctively ducked the swinging blades of Ventress's sabers.
The Jedi Padawan straightened up again and swung her own blades out. Ventress also fought with two lightsabers, which was interesting. Though it wasn't uncommon, Veers had never dueled against anyone else who did so.
As Ventress and Veers fought, their duel forced them to travel away from Dooku and Rizak. It didn't take long for Veers to realize that she was still terribly unmatched in this duel. Though she had less finesse with her weapon skills, Ventress was physically stronger.
Veers opened her fingers slightly, careful to keep from dropping her weapon. She thrust her hand, using the Force to shove Ventress back. The assassin managed to land on her feet, thrusting her lightsabers into the ground to stop her slide backwards. The blades cut through the metal ground like it was butter.
Growling, Ventress stood up, stalking back towards Veers. The Padawan was breathing hard. She and Rizak had been on a mission for the past several days, and she hadn't had much time to sleep. She was exhausted.
When Ventress's lightsaber flashed out, Veers miscalculated her block by just a fraction. That fraction was enough, and the tip of Ventress's blade sliced through the hilt of Veers's weapon and onto the palm of her hand.
Veers dropped the destroyed lightsaber to the ground instinctively, crying out in pain. Ventress flicked her wrist, and Veers's back slammed against the wall, causing her to lose her grip on her other weapon, which rolled away. Veers grunted, looking at her injured hand. The grey sleeve of her shirt, which she wore over her palms and the back of her hand, was soaked through with magenta blood.
Grimacing, she stretched her uninjured hand out, trying to summon her remaining lightsaber towards her. The weapon twitched, responding to her tug. Ventress stalked towards the fallen girl, smirking.
The lightsaber flew into Veers's hand, and Ventress swung her weapons down. Veers winced instinctively.
There was a hiss, and Veers opened her eyes, realizing that she'd felt no pain. Ventress's blow had been blocked by a green lightsaber – not Rizak's, but Jedi Master Kit Fisto. Their reinforcements had arrived!
"Master Fisto!" Veers cried out in sheer relief. The Jedi Master nodded at Veers.
"I will handle this," he assured the Motien. "Go find Master Lunian – we must leave quickly." Master Fisto didn't wait for Veers's reply, but instead swung his lightsaber again, pressing Ventress back.
Veers sheathed her remaining weapon, racing out the door and down the hallway. She followed the signs of struggle to a large room in the center of the ship. When she reached the door, she saw Rizak and Dooku engaged in a duel towards the opposite edge of the room.
"Master!" she cried out instinctively as Dooku managed to gain the upper hand, knocking Rizak backwards. The human Jedi got to his feet, but even from across the room Veers could tell he was tired. She unsheathed her remaining lightsaber, racing across the room to get to them.
As she watched, Dooku held his hand out to the side. He then swung it forward, hitting Rizak in the chest with a bolt of force lightning. The Jedi Knight cried out in pain, falling to his knees as his lightsaber fell out of his hand. Dooku's lightsaber swished through the air.
"No!" Veers screamed, her ira marks rushing with color as Dooku's red saber sliced through Rizak's chest. She picked up speed, closing the space between her and as Dooku pulled his weapon out.
Crying out in rage, Veers swung her remaining weapon out and down, gripping the hilt with both hands and bringing it down towards Dooku. The Sith Lord raised his own weapon, blocking Veers's hit. She pressed down harder. Her ira marks throbbed with color, fueling her strength and she began to force Dooku's saber down.
Dooku growled, irritated that this child was suddenly now a match for him. Motiens were largely non-violent, so although it was known that Motiens' emotions fueled their physicality, he had never seen it before.
Across the long room, the doors rushed open, revealing Lunian's freed squadron of clone troopers led by Fisto. Lunian's reinforcements had arrived. Scowling, Dooku took one hand off his lightsaber hilt and flicked his wrist. The Motien Padawan went flying backwards from Dooku's channeling of the Force.
She flipped in midair, landing in a crouch. Before she could pursue Dooku, the Sith Lord was retreating, heading for an escape pod. She ran after him, her lightsaber held behind her. Dooku stepped into the escape pod, closing the door after him. Just as the protective glass slid shut, sealing him off from the rest of the ship, Veers caught up. The alien girl slashed her weapon across the glass uselessly, scowling at Dooku.
Smirking at his victory, the Sith hit the eject button. The pod fell from the carrier and into deep space. Veers hit the glass, frustrated.
Whipping around, the Padawan ran back to where Rizak had fallen. The Jedi was laying prone on the ground, his weapon by his side. His eyes were closed, but she could see the rise and fall of his chest as he continued to breath.
Veers fell to her knees by her teacher, her eyes filling with tears. She pressed her hand against his face. "Master," she said quietly. He didn't respond, and she swallowed hard. "Rizak," she begged, using his real name. "Please."
The Jedi Knight looked up at his Padawan. Breathing was difficult, and he felt terribly weak. He knew that he was dying.
"Veers," he gasped out. He wrapped his hand over hers, smiling gently. "Do not be upset." The Motien shook her head mournfully. Rizak brushed his hand against one of her ira marks. "You will do great things," he promised her quietly, his breath catching as he fought to speak. "I – I…" he swallowed hard, his eyes falling shut against his best efforts. Veers closed her eyes. Her hand was still pressed against Rizak's face, and suddenly his face disappeared.
She opened her eyes, surprised. Rizak's body was gone, leaving behind only his robes and lightsaber. Tears trickled down Veers's face, the translucent fluid a pale magenta like her ira marks. As she cried quietly over her master's robes, Kit Fisto caught up.
"Veers," he said quietly, his eyes falling on Rizak's robes. He knew what had happened. "Come," he told the Padawan, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We must go."
"That's what happened," Veers said quietly, having finished recounting her story. Her ira marks pulsed uncomfortably, and she shifted her weight. Her stress was clear to the entire Jedi Council.
"Stood before the council before, you have," Master Yoda said, speaking the minds of the other Jedi in the room. "Why so anxious now, young one?"
Instinctively, Veers's hand twitched towards the cuff on her left wrist, a thick silver band inlaid with roughly cut crystals – incidentally, the same crystals used in lightsabers. It was the mark of royalty on Motia, and the only thing she had that reminded her of her past life.
"I was a child last time," Veers replied. "I barely understood what was happening."
Veers stared over the ledge of her balcony in horror, her ira marks gleaming brightly with her terror. Even from the palace where the princess stood, she could hear the exploding of bombs and gunfire, and, even worse, the terrified screams of her people. The Separatist forces had grown tired of negotiating.
"My lady!" The panicked voice behind her belonged to Tinba, the head of security for her and her mother, Queen Atla of Motia. The elder Motien swept onto the balcony, scooping of Veers in her arms. "What are you thinking?" Tinba scolded the seven-year-old, pulling the doors to the balcony shut tightly. Tinba's sunflower-yellow ira marks were bright against her dark skin.
"What is happening?" Veers said plaintively. She had been blissfully unaware of the majority of the strained politics that had been happening for the past several moons. Motia was a relatively small planet, but rich in resources. Though Motia was a peaceful monarchy, Queen Atla was sympathetic to the Republic. Having caught wind of this, the Separatist forces had been planning an invasion.
The Republic had sent Jedi Knight Rizak Lunian to help with negotiations in an attempt to protect Motia's independence and sympathetic neutrality. Still, after many fortnights of negotiating, the Separatist forces had grown tired of discussion and moved instead to action.
"Come with me now," Tinba said, taking Veers's hand and pulling her out of her chambers. The princess followed, glancing back over her shoulder at the battle outside.
Tinba hustled Veers down the hallway to the queen's chambers. The two guards standing outside the doors stepped aside for Tinba immediately, and the two Motiens entered the room.
Queen Atla whirled around, sighing in relief when her eyes fell on her daughter. Her ira marks, which were sapphire blue, were pulsing violently in reflection of her horror, but the intensity slowed somewhat as she approached Veers.
"Tinba," Atla ordered the guard, sweeping her daughter into her arms. Veers pressed into her mother's embrace, terrified of the army ravaging her home. "Please send for Jedi Knight Rizak Lunian to come to my chambers."
"Yes, my lady," Tinba replied. It didn't take long for the Jedi Knight to arrive. The human man entered the chambers, his eyes falling on the queen and her daughter huddled together in the middle of the room. His shoulders relaxed slightly upon seeing their safety.
"Thank goodness you two are okay," Rizak said with a sigh. Atla was already standing as he rushed over, pulling the woman into a tight embrace. Atla sighed, relaxing into the arms of the Jedi.
Rizak closed his eyes briefly, savoring this moment with the woman he loved. He knew now that their dreams of his leaving the order to live out the rest of his life peacefully by her side were now just that – dreams. This magnitude of a violent attack from the Separatist forces had not been seen since the failed Invasion of Naboo three years ago, and the Motien military was no match for the Separatist droid army.
Rizak knew he had to return to Coruscant. He only hoped that he could convince Atla and Veers to come with him.
"You must take Veers," Atla said, breaking the Jedi from his train of thought. Rizak stared at the queen in shock. Atla nodded. "You must," she begged. "You have told me yourself you think she would be an accomplished Jedi. Take her to the Jedi Temple and train her. Please."
"Come with us," Rizak said hopelessly, already knowing what her answer would be.
"I will not abandon my people," Atla said sharply. Rizak didn't try to argue – he had known even entertaining the option was unthinkable to Atla. Her voice softened as she continued, "My family has ruled Motia without conflict for over a century." Her eyes fell on Veers, and Atla's ira marks pulsed gently as pride and sorrow rushed through her. "Veers will one day return and continue our family's legacy." Atla turned, locking eyes with Rizak. "Until that day, you must protect her."
Rizak knelt down, holding a hand out to the little girl. She didn't hesitate to take it – even in the short time that he'd been there, she'd grown to like and trust man, who reminded her of her few hazy memories of her father.
The Jedi Knight picked Veers up, setting her on his hip. Atla leaned forward, pressing her lips to Veers's cheek. Then, in a wordless act of Motien love, Atla gripped Veers's hands so that their ira marks aligned. For a brief moment, their ira marks pulsed together and glowed the same golden-white light. Veers stared at her mother, bewildered at what was happening. Atla pulled back, her eyes filling with tears.
The Jedi Knight stepped forward, gently cradling the queen's face. She placed her hand over his, staring into his eyes.
"Promise me," she whispered again. Rizak responded without hesitation.
"You have my word."
Rizak Lunian was an excellent pilot. After commandeering one of the smaller Motien spacecrafts, he managed to avoid the blasts of the Separatist forces enough to enter hyperspace. From there, it didn't take the two of them long to arrive at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
On the trip over, Rizak hadn't needed to explain what has happening to Veers. Motiens were also generally a highly-intelligent species, and their sensitivity combined with their intelligence made it easy for even children to pick up on subtleties.
Instead, Rizak had told Veers about the Temple. He had been careful to not mention that she might one day train as a Jedi, because truthfully, he had no idea if the council would allow it, and he didn't want her to get her hopes up. Instead, he told her about the library, which had one of the largest archives ever. Veers loved to read.
Rizak had sent a transmission requesting an immediate meeting with the Jedi Council, and was immediately escorted to the chambers. He was still holding Veers's hand, and the little girl looked around with wide-eyed curiosity.
"Are we going to the library?" Veers asked Rizak quietly. He shook his head.
"Later," he promised her. Veers nodded, following Rizak into the council chambers. The Jedi Council was already assembled, and Rizak stepped into the center of the circle.
"Master Lunian," Master Windu greeted the Jedi Knight. His eyes fell on the small Motien girl that Rizak gently pushed in front of him. Her ira marks were mostly calm. "And who is this?" Motien royalty did not enter the international sphere until their tenth year, so Master Windu's question was not an ignorant one.
"My Masters," Rizak began. "During my time on Motia, I…became close to the royal family – Queen Atla and her daughter." He could sense the surprise and disapproval at the implication of his words, and he quickly moved on. "This is Princess Veers of Motia." Rizak took a breath. "When the Separatist forces invaded Motia, Queen Atla begged me to take her daughter here, to have her be trained as a Jedi."
Rizak knew his request was a bold one. In fact, in his memory it had only been made a handful of times, as most future Jedi were chosen and monitored from when they were in their infancy.
"Like many Motiens, Veers is force-sensitive – in fact, more-so than the majority of Motiens," Rizak continued. He chose his next words carefully. He didn't want to offend Veers, but he also knew that issue that the Jedi Council was likely most concerned about. "Motiens have become Jedi before," he reminded the council. "Their heightened emotions are not necessarily a betrayal to the Jedi Code.
"She can study at the Temple with the rest of the younglings for a few years," Rizak continued. "When she is of age, I will train her." The Jedi Masters on the council exchanged looks with one another.
Rizak Lunien was a well-respected Jedi Knight, on the cusp of being anointed the title of Jedi Master. Though he had a mischievous streak, it was unlike him to truly rebel or disobey direct orders from the council.
But now, his chin was tilted in a decisive way that indicated his stubborn stance on the situation.
He was not taking no for an answer.
It had been seven years since then, and Veers still had not returned to Motia, which was still under Separatist control. She didn't even know if her mother was still alive. At this thought, her ira marks fluctuated slightly. Time had made the pain lessen, and Veers enjoyed her training as a Padawan, but there were times when Veers still missed her mother and her planet dearly.
Veers pressed her lips together, wondering if it would be impudent to ask what was truly weighing on her mind. Obi-Wan noticed this.
"Speak your mind, young one," he reassured her. Veers choose her next words very carefully. She knew very well that her becoming a Jedi Padawan had been highly circumstantial, as Motiens were generally deemed too emotional to honor the Jedi Code: "There is no emotion, there is peace."
Veers privately preferred and lived by the alternate version to the code: "Emotion, yet peace."
"My Masters," Veers said. "It has not been a secret to me that my training was a…controversial decision, and that Master Lunian had much to do with convincing the council to let me join the order and train to become a Jedi Knight." Veers looked up, silently hoping that one of the elder Jedi would cut her off. When no one did, she continued. "I was wondering if I will be allowed to stay, now that he is…dead."
Her voice wavered involuntarily on the last word and she cursed herself as she bowed her head to hide her expression, a mixture of sorrow and self-irritation. She caught sight of the tips of her ira markings on her fingers that her long sleeves didn't cover. At the suggestion of the Jedi Council, Veers had strategically chosen a uniform to cover the majority of the ira marks besides the ones on her face.
Truthfully, Veers knew that the council would have been pleased if she had made an attempt to cover the ones on her face as well, but in her own private way of rebelling, she didn't offer.
The ira marks on her fingers were pulsating brightly, and she had no doubt the ones on her face were doing the same. She pressed her lips together, chagrined at the blatancy of her feelings.
But she wasn't ashamed. No matter what the Jedi Order thought of emotion, she would never be ashamed of it.
"A Jedi Padawan, you are," Master Yoda said decisively, breaking the silence. "Leave the order, you will not." Veers visibly relaxed, the tightness in her shoulders loosening. The glow of her ira marks gentled in reflection of her new serenity.
"You will be assigned a new teacher," Master Windu told the Padawan. "Until that decision has been made, there is plenty of help needed around the Temple. Understood?" Veers raised her head, nodding eagerly.
"Yes, Master Windu. Thank you."
As the council meeting ended, Obi-Wan Kenobi rose to his feet. Most of the other Jedi on the council departed the room separately, but Obi-Wan walked over to Master Yoda and Master Windu, his hands clasped behind his back. Master Yoda chuckled, already anticipating what Obi-Wan was thinking.
"Master Yoda, Master Windu," Obi-Wan said as the three Jedi walked together, heading towards the chamber where Master Lunian's funeral was being held. "I would like to train young Veers." Master Windu frowned, turning towards the other human.
"Are you certain?" Master Windu asked the younger Jedi. Obi-Wan nodded. Master Windu frowned as he mulled this over.
Privately, the Jedi Master had always been somewhat against the training of Veers. She had so far exceeded his expectations, but he had been wary of Rizak Lunian's ability to train the daughter of the woman he'd loved and lost well.
Now, Veers had lost her planet, her mother, and her teacher. There was no telling how, or when, she would recover. Master Windu shook his head slightly. The three Jedi Masters stopped outside the chamber where Master Lunian's funeral was taking place. Anakin spotted the three and walked up to join them.
"Kenobi," Master Windu said, his voice slightly grave. "I believe it best if she takes time before returning to her training. I sense a difficult path to Knighthood for young Veers."
"As do I," Obi-Wan responded. Both Jedi Masters looked at him, surprised that he wouldn't mind a difficult time. Anakin stopped beside the three Masters. He had caught the end of their conversation, enough to understand what was happening.
"Masters," Anakin said, greeting his superiors respectively. "If I may interject?" Obi-Wan nodded, curious to see what Anakin was going to say. "I believe that Master Kenobi has proven himself exceptional at handling the training of Padawans with difficult paths to Knighthood." Anakin smiled at the slightly self-deprecating comment. "I believe that he could handle the training of Veers well."
Master Windu and Master Yoda exchanged a glance, and the small alien nodded decisively.
"Train her, you will," Master Yoda declared. Obi-Wan dipped his head in gratitude. The two elder Jedi Masters departed, entering the chamber where the service was taking place.
"Thank you," Obi-Wan said to Anakin. His former Padawan smiled, clapping Obi-Wan on the shoulder.
"You always had a soft-spot for us problem kids," he teased with a gentle smile.
The two Jedi entered the funeral chamber. Veers was already standing in front of the pyre. Like all the Jedi, she'd donned her cloak and pulled the hood up. Obi-Wan and Anakin pulled their hoods up as well, taking their places in the crowd around the pyre. Since Rizak's body had disappeared at his death when he became one with the Force, his robes were set on the funeral pyre instead.
Veers stared at the pile of clothing on the pyre, and a tear trickled down her cheek.
Master Windu stepped up to the pyre, picking up Rizak's lightsaber. He walked over to Veers and offered her the weapon. Veers looked up, startled. When Master Windu nodded at her, she took the lightsaber from him. Clutching the weapon to her chest, Veers looked up at the pyre again.
She watched as the robes were sent aflame, her fingers wrapped around the lightsaber. She was holding the weapon with her injured hand, and the cut stung as she gripped the metal hilt.
Veers closed her eyes. She found it unbearable to watch all that was left of her teacher and father figure literally go up in flames. Despite the fact that she knew it was a traditional Jedi funeral, and a sign of utmost respect, she was still deeply saddened.
Motiens mourned differently than humans did – despite being largely led by their emotions, the alien species were quite emotionally stable as well. Still, Rizak's death had shaken her more than she cared to admit.
Obi-Wan chose to not tell Veers his offer right after the funeral. It seemed disrespectful, given that they were all still mourning the death of Master Lunian.
After a few days, he found her in the Temple. She was standing at one of the ceiling-to-floor windows, looking over Coruscant's skyline. Her ira marks were much paler than they had been at the council hearing. The gentle magenta glow cast a pale sheen over the glass. The color pulsed slowly, in time with her heartbeat.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, Veers turned. She blinked in surprise. Like all Motiens, her eyelids slid shut from the corners of her eyes instead of the tops.
"Master Kenobi, hello," Veers said in surprise.
"Veers," Obi-Wan responded with a smile. He paused beside her, looking out over Coruscant as well. Veers turned as well, waiting for the Jedi Master to speak.
"I've spoken to the council," Obi-Wan told Veers. Her magenta eyes stretched wide, realizing why he was speaking to her. Excitement coursed through her, making her ira marks flicker. She had expected a long wait before being assigned a new master. "If you feel ready to return to your training so soon," Obi-Wan said diplomatically. "I would be more than happy to instruct you." Veers smiled widely, her slightly pointed white teeth gleaming in the lights of the temple.
"I am ready," she promised Obi-Wan sincerely. "I won't let you down." Veers touched the hilt of Rizak's lightsaber, and then the center crystal on the armband. She thought of her mother. She thought of Rizak.
I won't let any of you down.
yupppp.
okay quick "glossary" for pronunciation! (just cuz i know i always get annoyed when i read something and pronounce it one way in my head only to realize it's supposed to be something completely different. disregard if you don't care).
Rizak Lunian = riz-ack loo-nye-on
Motia = moh - tye - uh
Motien = moh - tye - in
ira = ear-rah
Veers like the word she "veers" right
i would really love some feedback about my character and this story! i've never written a clone wars fanfiction before, so i would love to hear some thoughts.
please leave a review and let me know what you think!
thanks!