Aviendha frowned at datapad resting in her lap. She was in the Jedi Temple's grand library, researching the gateway phenomenon that led her and Rand to Alderaan. The cavernous library housed within the Jedi Temple was among the largest collections of knowledge in the known galaxy, containing countless works by Jedi past and present. If information regarding the mysterious gateways could be located anywhere, it would most likely be found here. Master Roona had insisted that Aviendha spend her spare hours researching gateways. After all, she had managed to open one before.
Wetlanders and their books, Aviendha thought grudgingly. Why not pass knowledge down through spoken words as Aiel do? Light! She pressed a square red button on the datapad's left side, powering it down. She stood up and strolled over to a nearby shelf, returning the pad to its respective place. She was wearing the standard light tunic, pants, and boots often worn by Padawans. While awkward at first, the Wise One apprentice had quickly adapted to her new garments. In a sense, they reminded her of wearing a cadin'sor.
Extending her index finger, Aviendha browsed through the datapads stacked on the shelves, scanning the name of every author and subject printed on their side. She had just replaced a pad by "Murgok" about the greater mysteries of the Force. His writings had turned out being no more than idle speculation, useless even by wetlander standards. Before that was a datapad by a Master Jin discussing the use of the Force in unarmed combat. She took that pad off the shelf and slid it into her pocket. While not what she was looking for, such knowledge could prove useful later. Master Roona would certainly approve, as would any Wise One.
Her eyes settled on one particular datapad, furthest to the right on the self, partially separated from the others: Passages from Nowhere, by Master Brunil Hanika. Curious, Aviendha removed the datapad from the shelf and returned to the cushions where she had been seated. Aviendha had not yet grown used to sitting in a chair. Among the Aiel, chairs were used exclusively by Clan Chiefs, and then only under specific circumstances. The Jedi Padawan sat cross-legged on the cushions and powered on the screen, scrolling through the table of contents until one particular heading - Openings - caught her eyes. Immediately she selected that chapter, and began reading.
The Force is a curious power. It can allow us to shoot lightning from our fingertips, or launch a boulder into the air. But could it also allow us to travel instantly across great distances? During my last visit visit to the planet Ossus, I was venturing through a mountain valley when a mysterious silver line appeared, hovering about two meters off the ground. After a moment, the line extended into a mirror reflection not of the landscape around me, but of the forest floor of Kashyyyk's great forest, the Shadowlands. A big-eyed tach stared back at me before bounding away. Curious, I reached out and touched the reflection. My hand passed straight through it. In one of my less brilliant maneuvers, I stepped through the reflection and into the Shadowlands. A katarn pounced at me from behind a mossy rock after I did so. Before igniting my lightsaber I jumped back through the reflection. The katarn tried to follow, but as the beast's head passed through, the reflection contracted and vanished, leaving a severed head at my feet. It then occurred to me that this reflection was a passage of sorts. A gateway, if you will. Since then, I have studied a researched this phenomena, with the hopes of one day opening one myself. My findings have been recorded in my personal holocron.
The chapter ended with no further explanation, but a smile flashed across Aviendha's youthful face. She had found what she was looking for. Master Roona will want to see this, she thought as she stood up and exited the library, the datapad still clutched in her hand.
Aviendha found Master Lindrin Roona meditating on the bed in her private quarters, a short distance from the Council Chamber. "Master!" she exclaimed excitedly, "I have found what you sent me to find."
Her concentration broken, Master Roona uncrossed her legs and stood up from her bed, adjusting her robes as she did so. "Yes Padawan?" she asked in a motherly voice. "What have you brought?" Aviendha opened the old datapad to the chapter about gateways and then handed it to Roona. Taking it in her hands, the Mirialan Jedi studied the chapter, nodding as she read. "Yes," she murmured after a short while. Roona handed the datapad back to Aviendha. "This is indeed what we have been looking for. Master Hanika's holocron is still among our archives. Come with me, Aviendha. We shall see for ourselves what Master Hanika learned." The Jedi Master turned and left the room, with Aviendha following close at heals. Out of pure habit, Aviendha walked as if poised to attack, though Roona encouraged her to walk in a less threatening manner.
Master Roona led Aviendha back through the temple's broad corridors. They passed statues and bust of ancient Jedi Masters, tapestries depicting numerous events in galactic history, and personnel. Most were ordinary staff maintaining the building, while others were security guards, and the rest were Jedi. One security guard - a female human with pale skin and short black hair - gave Aviendha a prying glance before continuing on her way. Aviendha looked suspiciously at the woman over her shoulder. What had she wanted? The Aiel maiden made a note to keep watch for that particular guard. Roona and her Padawan passed a meditation chamber, inside of which sat several Jedi Padawans accompanied by their Masters. Aviendha spotted a mess of red hair, and recognized Rand, seated cross-legged on a cushion, with Master Din beside him. Hurrying after her own Master, Aviendha decided that she would return to this chamber later, once her task with Master Roona was finished.
Aviendha followed the Mirialan into the library. Instead of walking towards the shelves, however, Lindrin turned and walked in the direction of a locked door. After Lindrin punched in a code on an adjacent keypad, the door slid open. The two Jedi entered, which was filled with square stone shelves, on which were neatly stacked palm-sized, crystalline polyhedrons. Each had a name and a year printed below it.
"These are holocrons, Padawan," Master Roona said, gesturing towards the shelves. "Each one was created by a Jedi to house his or her accumulated knowledge. As such, we can learn what the holocron's maker learned long after they have become one with the Force." After a moment, she reached for the holocron with Master Hanika's name printed below it. As the two Jedi watched, the holocron powered on, and the blue holoimage of a male Rodian Jedi appeared over it.
"I am Brunil Hanika, Jedi Master," the holoimage said in Basic. "One solar year ago, I encountered a mysterious portal that led me from Ossus to Kashyyyk in the span of heartbeat. Lightyears' worth of distance covered in a single stride. I decided to called these portals 'gateways' due to their function. In my studies, I have determined that gateways are indeed connected to the Force. Any wielder of the Force can utilize them." Hanika went on to demonstrate the Force technique needed to open a gateway. Sure enough, a line appeared in the air beside Hanika, and widened into a gateway. "To open a gateway, one must know the destination, otherwise you end up somewhere else entirely. It is possible to affect the gateway's size as well. Most alarmingly, gateways can also be used as weapons. If one has a gateway open and close rapidly, then propel it forward, it will cleanly slice through anything in front of it. Take heed, my fellow Jedi. Use this knowledge wisely." The holoimage flickered and vanished as the holocron powered down.
"Can you replicate that technique, Aviendha?" Master Roona asked.
"I can, Master," Aviendha replied as she embraced the Force. Carefully she mimicked Hanika's technique. A silver line the length of her shoulders appeared before her, then opened into a gateway the size of her torso. The red rocks and dunes of the Three-Fold Land were visible beyond.
"Remarkable," Roona said in awe.
"Yes," Aviendha agreed. "It is remarkable. Shall we go through it?"
