Two figures approached the crumbling ruins, a large, ominous-looking black door before them. One of the figures was clad in black from head to toe: a long, loose robe swishing over the toes of a pair of black boots, a black hood pulled over the head, a black mask concealing the face and making it impossible to determine whether the figure was male or female. The other figure was a man dressed in black and red, with a shaved and tattooed scalp. The man in red walked slightly behind the figure in black and looked rather nervous, in contrast to the steady, confident strides of the black figure. Even though the man in red was considerably taller than the figure in black, it was obvious that the figure in black was the one in control.
Indeed, as the figure in black raised a hand and waved it almost languidly in front of the door, the man in red expressed nervous misgivings, voicing the opinion that whatever they were about to do would surely get them ejected from the Jedi Order. Once they started down this path, they would not be able to go back, he told the figure in black. Is the power we seek really worth the risk?
But the figure in black remained undaunted. The strides were ever purposeful and there was no hesitation or any reply to the nervous chatter of the man in red. Great power must have resided in this figure in black for the man in red continued to follow it in spite of the misapprehensions he expressed. The two made their way through the dank, dusty room and passed into another where a large three-pronged metal structure on the floor opened, unfolding like a flower in bloom. A black orb rose from its center, rotating swiftly before it began to emit small beams of light. The light grew until a large orb of blue and white lights surrounded the black orb. Their path had been chosen. It had begun…
Brinna sat up in bed with a loud gasp, pressing a hand to her forehead. For a moment, she was so disoriented that she had no idea where she was and, in a panic, she swung her head from side to side. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she could hear the throbbing in her ears, so loudly that it took Mission a full two minutes to attract her attention.
"Brinna! Brinna!" Mission was saying.
"Huh?" Brinna asked, the fog of her dream still clouding her mind. It had been so vivid, so real. She could have sworn she had smelled the musty odor of the old temple…
"Are you all right?" Mission asked, staring at her in concern.
"I-I'm fine," Brinna said, taking a shaky breath and pushing her hair out of her face with an unsteady hand. "I had…a nightmare."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Mission asked, her eyes wide.
"I'm fine," Brinna insisted. She swung her legs off her bunk and stood on trembling legs. "Where's Bastila?"
Mission's look of concern deepened. "I'm not sure. She woke up and ran off the ship before I could say anything to her. Her face was as white as her sheets."
"It was?" Brinna asked, stopping and looking fully at Mission.
"Yeah. What's going on?"
"I…nothing. Nothing. I just need to talk to Bastila."
Brinna turned away from the Twi'lek, grabbing her Echani fiber armor and pulling it on as quickly as she could. She jammed her feet into her boots and impatiently pulled her hair back as best she could with her shaking hands. When she was finished, she left the bunkroom and a wide-eyed Mission, striding directly to the loading bay.
As soon as she stepped off the ship, she saw Carth standing next to the ramp, as if he was getting ready to get back on the ship. He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of her, studying her with a concerned expression that was almost identical to the look Mission had given her just a moment ago.
"Are you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost," he said to her.
"I'm fine. Where's Bastila?"
"She went to see the Council. She went tearing off the ship with almost the same expression on her face that you have on yours. She told me to tell you to meet her in the Council chambers."
"Thanks," Brinna said, immediately setting off for the Council chambers.
"You want to tell me what's going on?" Carth asked, jogging to catch up with her.
"Not right now, Carth," Brinna said tightly.
"But…" he began.
"I said not right now," she responded sharply.
Her voice halted him for a moment but she did not stop. He soon caught up with her again, though, trying to catch her eye but she refused to meet his gaze. She had to talk to Bastila. She didn't want to talk to anyone else until she'd talked to Bastila.
They reached the Council chambers and Carth paused outside of the door. He gave Brinna one last pleading look but she responded with a tense shake of her head and continued past him into the room. Bastila was there, along with the four Jedi Masters who had spoken with Brinna the previous day. Carth was right; Bastila did look as if she'd seen a ghost.
The Council informed her that Bastila had come to them to tell them of a dream that she had, a dream that she appeared to have shared with Brinna. As they told Brinna of Bastila's explanation, she felt a chill come over her body. They had shared the same dream, down to the last detail. For some reason, she and Bastila had shared the same dream about Revan and Malak.
Suddenly, Brinna knew that she had not been mistaken about the strange connection she shared with Bastila. It had not been obvious to the Vulkars that Bastila was a Jedi as it had been to Brinna because she was the only one in tune with Bastila's thoughts. She truly had been sensing Bastila's thoughts and emotions. It hadn't been the fantasy that she'd tried to convince herself it was.
The Council members told her that it appeared that there was a bond between her and Bastila. At these words, Bastila's lips compressed into a tight line and her face appeared to pale even more. Brinna wanted to ask the Council a thousand questions. Why did she have this bond with Bastila, someone she hadn't even known prior to her assignment on the Endar Spire? Why had Bastila's party specifically requested her presence on the Endar Spire? What in the name of all that was good was going on?
Her surprise only grew when the Masters announced that they knew of the ruins that Revan and Malak had been searching in the dream. They were on Dantooine, not too far from the enclave and the Council had decided that she and Bastila needed to search those ruins, to try to understand what it was Revan and Malak had sought within them. They felt that if she and Bastila could uncover this information, they would be able to learn more about what had caused Revan and Malak's fall. The Sith were hunting the Jedi down, thinning their numbers almost to the point of extinction and if they were to save the Order, they would have to learn what was powering the Sith war effort.
Brinna felt herself nodding mechanically at their words. She was still too stunned by the dream, by its vividness, by the fact that Bastila had shared the same dream to really process what the Masters were saying to her. They probably could have told her to offer herself up as a sacrifice to the kath hounds and she would have nodded in agreement. But, finally, they said something that penetrated the confused thoughts racing through her head: they had decided that she was to be trained as a Jedi and Master Zhar was to see to her training.
The world around her took on a strange brightness and an overwhelming feeling of surrealness washed over Brinna. She was to become a Jedi? Bastila had been correct about her Force abilities? The Sith governor on Taris had sensed her aptitude with the Force as well? The young Jedi in the courtyard had made an understandable error in assuming Brinna was a Jedi because she had sensed the power of the Force within Brinna?
As if they sensed her confusion—which they probably did, come to that—the Masters stopped talking and allowed a short silence to fall over the room. Slowly, very slowly, Brinna felt her thoughts begin to focus, her clarity of mind returning. She was a Force Adept, after all. Though she had spent the last twenty-eight years of her life in blissful oblivion of the power that resided within her, fate had linked her with Bastila and she was now to be trained in the use of that power. The thought was strangely exhilarating but frightening at the same time.
"When is my training to begin?" she heard herself asking Master Zhar.
"Immediately," he told her.
She nodded once again, but this time she knew exactly what it was to which she was agreeing. "I accept the will of the Council in this and promise that I will strive to do my best," she said, solemnly.
The Masters acknowledged her words with solemn nods and Brinna turned to look at Bastila. She could sense the torrent of emotions within the other woman. Bastila stared openly at Brinna and there was a look on Bastila's face that reminded Brinna of fear… But that could not be possible. Why would the words of the Council have frightened Bastila? Brinna blinked and when she looked at Bastila again, all she saw in the Jedi's gaze was an appraising look.
"Normally the training would take years but we do not have the luxury of time in this case," Zhar told her. "Your training will have to be accelerated and though Jedi training is always intensive, yours will be particularly grueling. The task we have set before you is not an easy one but we feel confident that you will succeed."
"But do not allow yourself a sense of false pride," Master Vrook warned her. "You must always be on your guard against the dark side. Jedi far superior to you have succumbed to its lure."
Brinna nodded gravely. She felt the dislike, the disapproval of her that was rolling off Vrook and it surprised her. What had she done to provoke him? She had spoken no more than a few words to him and yet it seemed she had somehow deeply offended him.
"The dark side will always seek to tempt you," Master Vandar said. His tone much more gentle than that of Vrook but there was no mistaking the seriousness behind his words. "It is not easily resisted but you must steal yourself against it. You must not allow it to overcome you or all may be lost."
"Padawan Bastila will be here to aide you," Zhar told her. "The bond between you is strong. You may rely on her in times of trouble or uncertainty."
"You have a great deal to learn and I will help you however I may," Bastila said.
"Come with me. I will tell you more of how your training is to be structured and then we will begin," Zhar said. "Padawan Bastila will join us later."
Brinna cast one last glance at Bastila and the other three Masters before she followed Zhar out of the room. He led her through the enclave to the training area and several Jedi stopped and watched as they passed. Brinna self-consciously kept her eyes fixed resolutely ahead, not really certain she wanted to know why the other Jedi were staring at her as they were.
Zhar explained to her that she was to train every day of the week and that her training would last ten hours each day. She would meditate for the first hour every morning, allowing her mind to become attuned to the Force. This would be followed by two hours of training in identifying and learning to utilize her Force abilities. An hour and a half of study of Jedi texts was to follow, and then she would have an hour break for a midday meal. At the end of that hour, she would study the history of the Order for another hour and a half. Each day would conclude with three hours of combat training, where she would learn the skills and techniques that would enable her to wield a lightsaber. Bastila was to be her partner in these combat exercises.
Due to the time she had spent in the Council chambers, two hours of the day had already been lost and Zhar told her that they would skip the training of her Force abilities for the day, but she would begin her meditation. He had her sit on the floor with her eyes closed as he talked her through the art of meditation.
She had been worried that the training would prove too difficult for her, that she would fail at it. She was afraid that she would not be able to tap into the Force, despite everyone who insisted that the Force was strong with her. It was only moments before she learned that she need not have worried. Before Zhar even finished speaking, she had already achieved a meditative state and had already started to feel the power of the Force that resided within her.
Her mind slipped into a blank state. There were no thoughts; there was just the feeling of a presence, a living, breathing presence that was both within and all around her. As she breathed, the presence breathed. It was the most powerful sensation she had ever known and though it was a light, comforting presence, she could sense the blackness at its edges, the darkness that was already attempting to tug at her mind. Her breathing was so deep that it would have appeared to the untrained eye that she was asleep but she was very much awake. She had reached a state of consciousness much greater than any she had ever known.
The hour seemed to last no more than a minute and when she opened her eyes, Zhar was standing before her with a pleased but guarded expression on his face. "You have done well, Apprentice Brinna. The Force is indeed very strong with you."
"Yes, Master Zhar. I…I felt its power," she told him. "And I felt the power of the blackness at its edges."
"That power is present for all Jedi," he told her soberly. "Followers of the light are ever aware of it. Even those who follow the most righteous of paths cannot help but feel its dark pull. To be a Jedi is to struggle constantly with the will of that power, to devote mind and body to rejecting its demands."
"I begin to understand," Brinna said.
"Yes, I believe you do," he said, thoughtfully.
He led her from the meditation room to a library and gave her several datapads to study. She tried her best to concentrate but she could not prevent her mind from wandering a bit. Suddenly, she felt she understood Bastila much better than she had. The Padawan was not, in fact, perfect and Brinna now understood that it was Bastila's own battles with her emotions that caused her to be as cold and aloof as she sometimes seemed. This was not an excuse for Bastila's actions; rather, it was an explanation.
The next several hours passed by swiftly and then it was time for combat training. Bastila was using a vibroblade rather than her lightsaber as Brinna would not receive her own lightsaber until her apprentice training was complete and she had been given the title of Padawan. For now, their sparring would be restricted to vibroblades.
Brinna had seen Bastila in action and she knew that the Jedi was skilled but it was not until she began sparring with Bastila that she understood just how great that skill was. She had always been too busy battling to really have a chance to stop and study Bastila's technique and though Brinna was a rather good fighter who could hold her own against most any opponent, her skills paled in comparison to Bastila's.
The Jedi was swift, so swift that at times she landed blows on Brinna that Brinna had not even seen coming. Bastila seemed almost one with her weapon and her moves were intuitive, her concentration complete. She was able to parry, strike, and deflect blows using techniques Brinna had never seen and would never have imagined.
"The power of the Force helps guide my hand," Bastila told Brinna as they walked back to the Ebon Hawk.
Brinna was utterly exhausted and every muscle in her body ached but Bastila looked as if she'd done nothing that required more exertion than a leisurely stroll through the enclave.
"I never appreciated your skill before today," Brinna told Bastila, honestly.
"I know," Bastila said, with a curt nod of her head.
In spite of her new understanding of the Jedi, Brinna could not help but feel annoyed by this response. She was trying her best to get along with Bastila, to let the Jedi know how much she respected her yet Bastila continued to reject her, continued to hold herself aloof from Brinna.
Brinna sighed tiredly and fell silent. She didn't have the strength to be really angry with Bastila, nor did she have the will for it at the moment. She had been through a lot this particular day and the last thing she needed to do was pick a fight with Bastila.
"Does everyone know?" Brinna asked as they approached the ship's loading ramp.
Bastila nodded. "While you were studying, I explained the Council's decision to train you to them."
"Do they know why I'm being trained?"
"I told them that the Council has a mission for you but I did not go into detail about it. Really, there isn't much detail to be shared at this point."
"That's true," Brinna agreed. She hesitated a moment before asking her next question. "What was their reaction?"
Bastila turned and directly met Brinna's gaze. Once again, Brinna had the uncomfortable sensation of something tickling at the corners of her mind and she knew for sure this time that it was, indeed, Bastila attempting to probe her thoughts.
Brinna felt a flash of annoyance. She did not want Bastila in her head, bond or no bond. For one, it was a gross invasion of her privacy and she would not tolerate it. The Council could train her, could send her to examine the ruins, but they could not command her to let them be privy to every one of her thoughts. For another, Brinna knew that there were thoughts in her head of which Bastila would not approve.
In particular, she knew Bastila would not approve of her desire to break down Carth's walls. While Brinna cared about what Mission, Zaalbar, and even Canderous thought, when she had asked about the others' reactions to the news of her training, she had really wanted to know what Carth's reaction was.
Of course, when Bastila had given her a rather generic response to that question, it had not been possible for Brinna to ask her for specifics on Carth's reaction. She would be giving too much away if she did that. As it was, she couldn't be sure exactly how much Bastila already knew and that thought made her distinctly uncomfortable.
She was even more uncomfortable when she returned to the ship. After a much too short session in the ship's washing facilities, she had gone out into the common area where everyone was eating dinner. The room was unnaturally quiet and everyone kept casting strange glances at her. She felt like some sort of oddity on display and she gulped her food down as quickly as she could and hurried to her bunk to escape their furtive glances.
Brinna sighed deeply and rubbed her aching forehead before stepping out of her armor and her clothes and pulling on the loose pale blue pants and fitted sleeveless shirt that she wore when she slept. She had tied her hair back before going to eat and she let it loose now, sighing as it brushed over her shoulders. Pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she thought of what Carth had said about her looking different with her hair down and she blushed. She pushed the thought aside and climbed into her bunk, certain she would fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, so great was her exhaustion.
It was not to be, though. In spite of the weariness of her body, her mind was very much awake and it would not allow her any rest. Bastila and Mission entered the room a few hours later and Brinna feigned sleep as they changed and climbed into their own bunks. A short while later, the sound of their deep breathing told her that they were both asleep and she sat up, swinging her legs over the side of her bunk.
She thought that some time spent gazing at the stars might soothe her, just as it always had her whole life, just as her father had taught her it would. Her feet padded softly against the cool metal of the ship's floor. She heard no other sound as she trod the corridors on her way to the one room that had a view of the outside: the cockpit.
As soon as she stepped inside, she saw the dark head leaning back against the pilot's seat and her heart did a funny little leap. Her powers of self-deception failed and she admitted to herself that he was the real reason she had gone into the cockpit. She couldn't have cared less about the stars.
He must have heard the soft sound of her footfalls because he turned around in his seat and looked at her. She crossed her arms over her chest a little uncomfortably but when she saw his smile, she relaxed and entered the room, sinking gratefully into the co-pilot's seat.
"I thought you were long asleep by now," he said, his voice soft.
She wondered if he had any idea what effect the sound of it had on her and then scorned herself for her foolishness. How could he know? She had never told him, nor would she. From the moment she had first heard that voice, in a dumpy apartment on Taris, she had thought it was the sexiest sound ever to fill her ears.
"I wish I could sleep," she said, rather wistfully.
"Why can't you?"
"Probably for the same reason you can't. My mind won't stop working overtime."
"Yeah, I know what that's like," was the softly-spoken response.
Brinna pulled her feet up onto the seat, hugging her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them. She heard a slight noise coming from Carth's side of the room and she turned her head to see that he was shaking his.
"How do you sit like that? It doesn't look at all comfortable to me," he said to her.
"Maybe you ought to try it sometime," she told him, with a smile.
"Somehow, I don't think that would work for me," he said, smiling back.
"Neither do I," she said.
There was a short silence and then he asked her the question she had been anticipating. "How was your training?"
She winced. "Every muscle in my body aches and my brain feels like it's going to burst from all the information I tried to cram into it. Does that answer your question?"
"I'd say so," he said, casually.
She knew that tone of voice. It was the one he always used with her when his suspicions began creeping up on him. "I know what you're thinking," she said, flatly. She put her feet back on the floor so that she could turn in her chair to face him.
"Jedi mind-reader, are you?" he asked, lightly but she could see the tension in his face.
"First of all, I am not a Jedi yet. Secondly, I didn't ask for this."
"When did I say you did?"
"You don't need to say it, Carth. You know that. You're not one for hiding your suspicions."
"So are you telling me that none of this strikes you as the slightest bit strange?" he asked, dropping all pretense of casualness and facing her with a confrontational look.
"No, I'm not," she said, flatly. She couldn't help but feel a glimmer of satisfaction at the startled look on his face. "It's all very weird, especially because it's happening to me." She placed extra emphasis on the last word.
Her statement had the effect she had hoped for; Carth turned his eyes away from hers and blew out a breath, running a hand through his hair. "You're right," he said.
"Look, Carth, I'm going to tell you flat out that I want to be your friend. Now, I know how you feel about friends and I can't say that I really blame you, considering your past experience. But I think you should consider my offer of friendship because you can't do this on your own, in spite of what you may think."
"I've been getting by just fine on my own," he said, his voice tight.
"Oh really?" Brinna exploded, her temper getting the best of her. "You call this getting by just fine? Come on, Carth, you're not fooling anyone, least of all yourself. You're a wreck and you know it! What kind of life are you leading when all you care about is exacting revenge?"
"It's none of your business," he told her, his eyes blazing.