Understanding is respect for the truth that does not lie on the surface.
An ancient Jedi tradition: six Younglings are sent to the caves of the planet Ilum, where a gathering takes place — a ritual, according to the results of which everyone gets the crystal necessary to create their own lightsaber. During the trip, the guys overcome great difficulties, the most difficult is self-knowledge. After passing this test, they enter a huge new world for themselves. Including Santal.
The exciting moment didn't last long. Santal heard footsteps and ducked back into bed. Her fellow clansmen came.
— How are you feeling? Max asked.
— Much better. I collected the sword. And you?
— Us too! — the guys showed their blades.
Max and Trilla have blue, Landa has green, or rather, emerald, Dasha has pink, and Green has orange.
— You have turquoise! - Green was surprised. — Cool!
— Hurrah! We are full-fledged Jedi now! - Max shouted with joy.
"They're not full—fledged yet," Landa said. — We still have to learn and learn.
— Soon the others will also go for swords, — Dasha said. — I wonder what kind of swords others will get.
— We'll see.
The guys hugged. After chatting a little more about everything and telling all the news, the clan members left, promising to come back tomorrow.
And they came. Early in the morning. The full composition. So Santal was not bored. Although she had no books and was not allowed to leave the room, she was constantly thinking about something. And she never parted with her sword for a minute, like a child who received a new toy. She could look at the hilt for a long time. Delight and awe did not come off his face.
Soon Santal was discharged. And the girl happily hurried to class.
After the trip to Ilum, the lives of six guys from the Santal group changed. Much more attention was now paid to fencing in the classroom. Even more than before. For hours, the children practiced the racks, the techniques of Form 1. It wasn't easy. After all, it is much more difficult to fence with a real sword than with a training one. To hold such a weapon in your hands is both exciting, but at the same time scary. The realization that you can accidentally harm, and maybe even kill. In the future, when everyone learns more and more stands and techniques, and everyone will have real weapons, the first sparring with real swords will begin. But it won't be soon. In the meantime, sparring continued to take place only in training.
— It's too early for you with the real ones, — said their curator.
Otherwise, life flowed on the same course. Santal spent all her free time reading holobooks. She especially loved to study the book "The Way of the Jedi". For a huge amount of interesting information, presented clearly and accessible. Even the beloved librarian Jocasta Nu was surprised by such a desire for knowledge.
The girl did not forget the physical training, the love for which Dooku instilled in her. It's amazing: what she was afraid of has become almost her favorite. When the extra classes had just begun, Santal could not imagine that the old master would be able to interest her. But it happened. She even started reading educational literature on martial arts and was very surprised when she found out how many fighting styles there are. She wanted to learn everything!
And with a lightsaber, there was something in between. When they just started practicing stands and techniques on real swords, Santal involuntarily remembered her first fight with training swords. How everyone was worried then, including her. She was afraid that it would not work out again. However, to her surprise, fencing was a little easier for her than acrobatics. But not so much that it was just too easy.
That day, she took a green training sword. As an opponent, she got Max. Which she was happy about. The first match ended in two minutes. Max swung, Santal was scared. As a result, the sword was knocked out of his hand.
— Never lose your concentration. Sometimes one second can decide the outcome of a battle — you can't hide anything from Yoda's keen eye.
Another problem of sword fighting is that only the hilt has weight, which complicates the duel. But the remark of the Wisest Santal sobered her up and it became easier for her in the next duel with Dasha. Really, what is she doing? After all, even Master Dooku somehow gave her a hint even when he was teaching hand-to-hand:
— To win, you need to find the opponent's weakness and focus on it! Use his own power against him, until he gives up or gives up this case.
So why doesn't she use the advice? The girl gathered herself and won. But I had to sweat with Green. There was already a draw here. Then Santal began to notice that everyone fights in their own way. They all look like something or someone in battle. But she couldn't think of a suitable comparison yet. Even for myself.
In general, she had the ability to use a sword. And at the level of "good". Apparently, they got it from their ancestors. And as Vocara Che said, if there are abilities, you need to develop. When you plant a seed, you need to take care of it, and only then will a branching tree grow.
It would seem that everything is fine, but no. There are a couple of "buts".
Firstly, a few days after Ilum Santal had a nightmare. She fell through the ice. The ice floe turned over, and the girl was trapped. Panic seized her. She tried to get rid of the ice floe. Nothing worked. Oxygen was running out. Santal tried desperately to fight for her life, but she couldn't. It was starting to get dark in her eyes and then she woke up in a cold sweat in her bed. It feels like they've really been doused with ice water.
After Ilum, Santal became afraid of water and did not want to go into the water. It began to seem to her that she would start choking again.
The second "but" — Santal continued the tradition of approaching the bust of Master Dooku every evening and looking at it. Despite the fact that the girl became much better, she could not completely forget what had happened. And I didn't want to.
So several months passed. Quite routine, without any incidents. And then one fine morning Santal woke up and realized that today she turned 10 years old! The first anniversary! So, I want a serious gift. And of course, attention.
And Santal got it. Gift. But not from those from whom I expected.
According to the rules, Jedi should not celebrate a birthday. But despite this, the Santal clan congratulated each other and gave gifts to the best of their abilities. And in general, it should be a normal day for the Jedi. Except for the day a Jedi turns thirteen. This day was very important for every Jedi student. Then he officially becomes a padawan. By tradition, this day was not celebrated with a magnificent holiday, but was spent in silence, in meditation and meditation. And on this day, the teacher handed the student a gift with meaning.
Jedi masters usually think about a gift for weeks or even a month, often travel to distant planets to bring something wonderful to the student: for example, a healing crystal or a wonderful cloak from the planet Pasmin, where weavers make an amazing fabric — very warm and at the same time almost weightless.
Every padawan on his thirteenth birthday was obliged to take time to think in silence. Concentrate and bring to life all the memories — both good and bad.
When Santal read about this, she immediately wondered what gift her friend Obi-Wan had received. And what was her surprise that it was a river stone. An ordinary river stone. At first, the padawan was a little upset, but then it turned out that the stone is Force-sensitive. And one day a gift helped him out a lot. Unbelievable!
Although the story did not seem entirely plausible, Santal still believed it. Jedi never invent and lie only as a last resort. Unlike the Mandalorians.
Santal still couldn't forget Django, the way she was told that he allegedly killed six Jedi with his bare hands. She did not believe in this nonsense and will not believe it. In her opinion, the Mandalorian simply exaggerated and in fact there were two Jedi, or maybe there were no Jedi at all. Because the Jedi are invincible. Well, almost (Santal remembered about the Sith). But Django is not a Sith and is not Force-sensitive at all. Another argument in favor of the fact that the story is fake.
The more the girl thought about it, the more she wanted revenge. And no, she wasn't going to kill him. Especially since he wanted to become a father. That would be wrong. But he must answer for humiliating her in front of the teacher. Although thank you for bringing me and giving me hints. At the same time, he almost killed her would-be teacher! It's decided. She will take revenge. She will train. And when she grows up, she will defeat him in front of the crowd. That will be the case.
Daydreaming, Santal did not notice how she crashed into Anakin. He was walking towards her. It was clearly visible that he was holding something behind his back.
— Oh, I'm sorry!
— Nothing. By the way, happy birthday!
— How do you know?
— Your clansmen said. This is for you.
The boy pulled his hands out from behind his back, holding a small droid. A black domed hemisphere with a red photoreceptor. There were several limbs with different attachments.
— Do you like it? I made it myself. More precisely, I modified it, and before that I found it when he was walking around the Temple, and remade it, completely changing his memory and role. Now it's your personal multifunctional assistant.
Skywalker began to list the functions. Santal liked the built-in voice recorder for several days, the stun gun and the ability to monitor objects the most.
"Is it him or her?" the girl asked.
— She is. I thought it would be better this way.
Santal didn't know how to react. It's... just... She didn't expect to receive such a treasure. The girl just hugged the donor.
— And what model?
— ID-8SPU72. I came up with it myself.
Santal took the gift and went to her room.
— You and I will be friends.
In response, the droid tweeted to her, and the girl realized that in addition to Tweelek with the language of Lekku and Hutt, she would also have to learn a binary language. And she also planned to study Duros, so that she could impress her uncle later. If ever their paths converge. If they get together at all.
Then life went back on track again. The guys trained, studied, had fun and just lived. There were often exercises with a training droid in the form of a ball. Deflection of a blaster charge using a training drone. Max liked this kind of training the most. He did not miss the opportunity to show the "lightning" invented by him.
"We must always rely on our feelings in everything," the Wisest often repeated.
There were speed exercises, where in a duel with an opponent you have to constantly accelerate attacks and movements until someone shouts "sola", which means "I give up". But Santal decided for herself that this word would never be shouted.
According to the rules, victory is achieved with one disarming blow — shiim. It leaves a superficial wound, forcing the opponent to drop the weapon or temporarily paralyzes the limb. Which is very Jedi.
— Almost perfect. There is literally a little thing missing," Yoda said when Santal demonstrated all the learned techniques of Form 1. Attack, parry.
The girl shuddered, exhaled and straightened a loose strand of hair.
— "Almost" does not suit me, — and with even more effort she began to activate the sword in different positions. Wanting to achieve perfection. So that it was right exactly.
The girl also continued to practice healing and was already able to cure cuts and other minor injuries. There have been difficulties with fractures so far. Once she wanted to master the treatment of poisons, but her Vocara stopped her and said that it would be mega difficult for her. This technique requires great concentration and so on. So I had to abandon the idea.
But Santal did not even suspect that she was in danger. And not only to her, but also to other younglings from her clan and not only to those who distinguished themselves in a good sense of the word. Who has mastered the entire youngling training program, theory and practice. And he just showed himself. And the name of this danger was "Trial".
Officially, it's called the Junior Jedi Trials. Without them, it is impossible to move to the next rank. Padawan rank. The test consists of three exams:
1) It is necessary to show knowledge and understanding of the Jedi Code.
2) It is necessary to demonstrate your own achievements in self—control - through meditation and lightsaber combat.
3) It is necessary to prove that the Force flows through you, and does not rest on the stone lying in its path.
When Santal first found out about this, she was scared, as she had never encountered this before. This is the first test in her life. And if she fails? Strength, the first exam. She was already shaking.
—Calm down,— Barriss told her as she sat down next to Santal at the library table. — It's not that difficult there.
— How do you know?
— I have already passed two stages, the last one remains.
— Wow, and how?
— In the first test, you need to recite the entire code by heart and show that you understand the meaning of the mantras. In the second I fought with Tutso Mara. As they explained to me, it's not the victory that matters, but how you fight. Without aggression and other negative emotions, not wishing the enemy harm, not trying to win at any cost. And here is the third... I think the Council will assign an individual easy task. But it is impossible to predict which one.
- thanks. You've helped me a lot.
— Please. If you want, we can study together.
— Come on.
— This will help you in your studies, girls, — Madame Jocasta put some cards for them.
After a while, Santal remembered what else she wanted to ask.
— By the way, have you already gone to Ilum?
Barriss smiled at the corners of her lips. — According to Mirialan traditions, my teacher will be a Mirialanka. And then we'll go to Ilum with her. It won't be soon yet.
— Wow, how you... everything is running.
When there was little time left, the girl was already restless. And in two days, on the night before the exam, I woke up ten times. I fell asleep once, and when I woke up, I saw that it was getting light. She was afraid that there was very little time left before the exam, and she was not prepared. But when one of the Jedi caught her and returned her to her place, it turned out that on the contrary, it was getting dark. The girl sat down at the table again, trying to understand the Code.
The night before the exam, she couldn't sleep for a long time. She kept tossing from side to side, lying on her back, looking at the ceiling. It seemed to her that she had forgotten everything. And then she didn't notice how she closed her eyes and fell asleep. And when I jumped up, there was half an hour left! However, Santal knew that there are emergencies when you need to jump up and get dressed quickly. There should not be a single unnecessary movement. So the girl trained.
Realizing that now the moment has come, which can be called an emergency, having dressed in five minutes, the girl ran to the right place. In the end, I won five minutes. Green and Max were already standing by the door. The Jedi Council did not take the exam from a large number of beings at a time. Therefore, they appointed different days and different times. Busy people, what can I say.
Santal was afraid that she would be called first. However, Max was called first. He calmly entered.
— Are you nervous? Green asked.
Santal didn't deny the obvious.
— Wow. Are you scared? I do not believe. With your abilities...
— What are you starting?! Santal couldn't stand it. Not only that, she is already nervous, afraid to forget something and not pass. So also this one stuck.
— And what? Am I wrong? Everything is easy for you!
Santal was outraged to the limit.
- Yes? Have you forgotten how I couldn't do a somersault?
"Oh, I haven't forgotten that. You know what? I think you were pretending. Come on, admit it.
It seemed to the girl for a moment that she was on trial.
— Well, no! I don't want to admit what I didn't do!
— You're lying! You know I don't like liars! Yes, you were afraid, and then abruptly... you got scared!
— Quiet! a voice came from behind the door.
Green paused, but showed with a look, they say, then we will definitely finish.
Five minutes later, a satisfied Max came out, whose smile gave Santal confidence in a good outcome. The girl thought that now they would call her, she would confidently walk out the door and amaze everyone with her understanding of the Code.
However, as luck would have it, Green was called. Mikkianka came in, and Santal was left absolutely alone.
A long corridor, surrounded by silence, which always frightened the girl. Because there are no sounds around you. It's like you're in a vacuum. And it is unknown what will happen next. It's also creepy. Suddenly, now someone will jump out from around the corner, or just a feeling appears that you got into the wrong place, in the wrong place.
Santal began to reassure herself that she was in the right place. I began to remember what I had taught. The main thing that had to be learned was a five-line mantra, which consisted of the Jedi Code.
The girl memorized the first, second and fifth. The third and fourth were poorly remembered. Santal often forgot them, and tried to peek into the datapad when she was preparing. But then everything seemed to fit in my head. Nevertheless, the girl again forgot everything on the day of the exam, and being the last one left, she began to think, maybe it's better to run away? Power, she doesn't remember anything again. There are no emotions — there is peace. There is no ignorance — there is knowledge. No... And then what?!
No matter how Santal strained her brain, nothing came to mind, as if someone had hidden the knowledge, but she could not find it.
It seemed like an eternity before Green came out. The girl did not wait for her to be called, and went in herself. On wobbly legs with a cold inside. As if she had drunk a bottle of ice water before.
—Don't worry, young Jedi. The trials of youngling are an inevitable part of the path that everyone must and usually goes through.
Santal was not at all surprised that the Wisest realized that she was nervous. Then a blind man would understand. Everything is as obvious as possible.
The girl inhaled and exhaled through her mouth.
— So, yunling. Are you familiar with the Jedi Code? Master Windu asked sternly.
— Of course, — Santal decided that she needed to name five lines first. — There are no emotions — there is peace. There is no ignorance — there is knowledge...
The girl tried to speak slowly and calmly to make a positive impression and delay the inevitable. She thought she was going to stumble, but everything didn't go according to plan.
— We would like to know how you understand them.
Well, so be it.
—Well... the first... line says that a Jedi should always be calm. Emotions interfere with seeing the picture clearly and cloud judgment ... — as the story progressed, the girl slowly began to relax.
Santal recalled what the teachers said, generously diluting their opinions. She tried to tell as much as possible. That's probably why she was interrupted:
— good. And how do you understand "there is no passion — there is serenity"?
Precisely! Santal had an idea. There is no passion — there is serenity. There is no chaos — there is harmony. What she forgot.
— So... I think it means that a Jedi should have serenity in his head. It is necessary to remain calm in any situation. Do not rush to conclusions and do not let emotions lead you. We need to control them.
So Santal philosophized, as it seemed to her, for half an hour. In the end, she said that death is the natural order of things, although in her heart she strongly hoped that her parents were not in the Afterlife of Power, but simply lost somewhere in unknown regions.
In general, the Jedi were satisfied and released. She passed the first exam. And this made her feel so happy, as if she had already passed everything. Santal wanted to rush, jump like a gazelle.
Until I remembered about the next exam. You will need to demonstrate your experience in self-control in lightsaber combat. But who will be her opponent? Santal wished it was someone she knew.
Having found out the next date, Santal began to repeat all the stands, techniques, exercises, spending several hours a day fencing alone, with a droid or asking someone to spar with her.
But there were few consonants, which made it a hassle again. The girl really did not want to drop the bar set at the first stage of the tests. This evening, on the eve of the exam, she was engaged in activating her sword in different positions of Form 1. She practiced jumping in the air, double strikes, attack and parry techniques, honed almost to perfection. It seemed to her that a little more and the sword would break in two. She also trained previously hated acrobatics, especially what became her calling card — running along the wall and flipping behind the opponent's back.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Annoyed that her workout had been interrupted, Santal opened the door. Green was standing in the doorway. A sword hung from his belt. The girl was wary, fearing the worst. She was about to pull the lightsaber by Force and activate it.
— Ready? Mikkianka asked.
— To what? Santal asked, and she thought, "Well, that's it. We're going to fight now. Oh, and it will fly to us."
— By tomorrow's exam, of course. How stupid you are. And how you were admitted to the trials, you bastard.
Mikkianka pursed her lips, turned around and left. Santal continued to stand in the doorway, looking after her in confusion. My eyes stung, I wanted to cry. She couldn't figure out why. What did she do to her? Still calling names... As if she would have guessed what it was about. And this word "blatnitsa"... Green sincerely believes that she is like that. And it's a shame, because it turns out, in her opinion, Santal can't achieve anything on her own. And it's useless to explain, Green won't believe it, even if she tells the truth.
Santal wanted Green Pine to be her opponent tomorrow. They will come together in a duel and then she will prove to her that she is good in herself. She'll try.
However, the next day again, as luck would have it, the Council seemed to conspire and paired everyone with those they do not know. Santal got a twilek boy, whom she had never met. Probably, it was done so that the duel was unpredictable. And indeed, she didn't know what to expect from her opponent. Out of the corner of her eye, the girl noticed that Green was paired with a Wookiee, Max with some kind of Rodian.
The duel has begun. So far, everything has been going like clockwork. Santal mostly wielded her left hand, but sometimes she held a sword with two, so as not to drop it during a strong blow. The girl saw that a tweel with dark blue skin was studying her, trying to predict. And indeed, he doesn't know her either, which means you can use it.
Realizing that she had a slight advantage in her hands, Santal made a couple of deceptive tricks. As a result, she lightly touched the opponent's left hand. The boy screamed, but continued the fight. It is necessary to wound two more times so that you can be considered that you have won.
The girl turned around three hundred and sixty degrees, holding the sword in her right hand as far as possible so that the blade looked back. She made an arc with her left hand. The boy was scared for a second, and then he did this: he raised the sword over his head. Santal repeated the movement, but at the crucial moment he knelt down and brought the sword diagonally with the blade down. As a result, Santal's leg was slightly injured. One—one. The girl got excited.
The duel accelerated. Santal began to twirl her sword quickly, making half-turns, spinning and jumping. She tried to break the enemy's defenses, to deliver a more powerful blow. And it didn't always work out. The tweel boy was flexible and deftly dodged. The girl began to be pushed against the wall. Santal started to panic when she remembered that Master Dooku had talked about what was needed to win.
— To win, you need to find the opponent's weakness and make him suffer! Use his own power against him, until he gives up or gives up this case.
"But you can't forget your strengths and weaknesses," the girl happily recalled.
She can do her trick. Santal jumped, dodged and counterattacked. Feeling that she was close to the wall, she turned around abruptly, ran up to her. Now she clearly felt the Power and the wall that she, the little girl, was receiving. Running up the wall, the girl pushed off and jumped back. The boy reacted and stretched his right arm back, like Santal before. The green and blue blade created an even cross.
For the first time, tvilek used Force and slightly pushed his opponent away. The girl flew a meter away, landing on her ass. She stood up, and then performed the main six smooth movements of Form 1 at high speed. The blade of Santal's sword was at a height of two centimeters from the opponent's shoulder. The boy jerked, as a result he received two small burns. Not serious, but moderately painful. Santal got scared and put the blade away.
— Maybe "sola"? The girl asked, ready to deactivate the sword at any moment.
— Sola, — the boy sighed.
The duel was over. The girl wiped her sweat wearily. She looked back at the Jedi who had seen all the duels. Her and others. There were almost no emotions, neither positive nor negative.
Suddenly Santal had an idea, she came closer to her opponent and raised her hand over his wound.
— What are you doing? tvilek was frightened.
"I just wanted to heal the wound.
— Do you really know how? — the boy was skeptical.
- of course. I studied with the main healer Vocara Che.
Tvilek wondered if he should trust a strange girl. I decided to try it. Santal was worried at first, but in the end she was able to heal a simple injury. It's not for nothing that I've been training for so long.
In the test, it was not important to win, but to show self-control. The girl thought that she had coped. After all, she fought without aggression, and even then she helped, which will also count for her. Then, just in case, she took tweelek to the sick bay, whose name, as it turned out, was Terry Maruno.
An additional stage of the second exam was meditation. That was the only thing Santal wasn't worried about. She loved meditation. The main thing is that there are no visions during it. Fortunately, everything finally went off without incident.
The girl was announced that the last test was left. Santal was glad that she would rest soon. In the evening, going to bed, she pressed a piece of the blanket to her chest with a wide smile on her face and fell asleep.
This time the dream was normal. Santal dreamed of a boy with brown eyes. She was playing ball with him.
The next day was free and the girl decided to rest and gain strength. She went for a walk around the Temple, to look into the Hall of a thousand Fountains, and then to sit near trees, a pond with fish, with which so many bittersweet memories were associated.
Santal lay down under a tree, folded her hands behind her head, and closed her eyes. It's an incredible feeling to do nothing but listen to the sounds of nature and feel the grass under you, as a light wind blows.
The girl did not notice how she dozed off. And when I woke up, I ran back to my room, deciding that I had stayed too long.
As she was running past the dojo, the door suddenly opened. Standing on the threshold was someone Santal didn't really want to see. It was Green. And she was quite belligerent.
— Oh, what a meeting. Let's go," Mikkianka beckoned her with her finger, inviting her to the dojo.
Santal, not being stupid, immediately realized what would happen, and decided that it was not worth retreating. Do not delay the inevitable. The girl pulled her sword into her hand and went inside.
— So what? "What is it?" she asked. — Shall we talk? Or will we start right away?
Green tilted her head slightly, standing apart from her. Then she turned around, showing her profile, abruptly activated the sword, uttering a cry, swung the weapon over her head. Santal reacted with lightning speed, standing in a stance: legs shoulder-width apart, blade straight up, arms extended to the right.
The first really serious duel in Santal's life has begun. Because the opponent fought as if he wanted to smear her on the wall.
It was obvious from the very beginning that Green was not like Terry. It is also flexible, but more like a battering ram. She's more brusque. But most importantly, unlike Terry, she knows Santal well. She has known Santal for a long time. About six years is enough to study habits, preferences. Santal was sure that Green, thanks to this advantage, would be a more formidable opponent. It will be much more difficult to defeat her. After all, this girl has known her since she was four years old. She can predict her actions, what techniques and positions she uses in close combat.
For half an hour Santal spun, did somersaults, made arcs with a sword, put the blade down, then up. Every second, the sound of swords crossing could be heard. The air was saturated with ozone.
Green was a good fighter, that's a fact. She managed to parry all the blows. She even kicked her opponent in the stomach a couple of times. The first time was successful, pushing off from the wall. Santal flew away, and then bent over. The next time the girl kicked the Mikkian's leg with a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn and knocked down the blow.
Another arc. More. Santal's sword blade caught Green's sword blade. The result is a synchronous arc.
Gradually Santal began to feel that her strength was getting less and less. And she went to the trick. The girl sat down on one knee, bowed her head and turned off the sword. Green came closer in shock. And Santal just needed it. She jumped like a nexu, snatched the sword from her hands and deactivated it. And then she pushed him into the wall by force. Green hit her and slid to the floor. Shaking her head, she watched with wide eyes as Santal approached her, activated her own and someone else's swords and made a cross.
Green lowered her head and then stood up. There were tears in her eyes. Santal was afraid that she had inadvertently hurt her and tried to help. However, she was pushed away.
— Leave me alone! No favors needed! Green snapped.
Santal shuddered.
"I wanted to help," she whispered.
"What are you mumbling about?" You should be happy. You won.
"I cheated in the end,— Santal admitted.
A spark of anger flashed in Mikkianka's eyes for a second and then went out.
— And what? There are no fair fights. What a stupid bastard you are.
— That's enough! Now it was Santal's turn to shout. — Stop calling me that! What did I do to deserve such an attitude?
— I've explained it to you a hundred times!
—Oh, yes," the girl quipped. "You think I pretended I couldn't do acrobatic exercises. But let me tell you something. So, in confidence. On the ear. Santal leaned close to her ear and yelled. — I WASN'T PRETENDING! I was really afraid to do a lot of things! Because I was afraid of getting injured!
— And what? That's a problem for me, too. I was falling, but then I got up.
— And I didn't want to be hurt. And I also didn't believe in my strength!
- why? — Green was surprised and for the first time the anger completely disappeared from her face. — You're smart. This is a fact. You know the theory well.
— Yes, but not in terms of practice. I was absolutely sure that nothing would work out for me, looking at the others. It seemed to me that all these somersaults and jumps were impossible.
— It's very possible. It's just that you, it turns out, were too insecure about yourself.
— Master Dooku decided to help me, but in the end the training was ruined because I refused to do a somersault. We had a fight. I still remember what he said to me. That I'm bothering myself, that I'm letting fear control me. But it was easy for him to talk. And then I'll have a nightmare where you're all making fun of me. Including you.
Green was surprised again. Stronger this time.
— That's how... I didn't know.
— No one knew. I didn't tell anyone, and why. It's just a dream.
Mikkianka wanted to disagree, but kept silent.
— And then... What made you believe?
— This dream made me. I decided to prove out of spite that I'm not a coward. It was the first time I felt such a surge of strength. And I did what I was always afraid of.
— And then it went like clockwork.
- yes. I was taught, like everyone else, to trust the Force. I am one with the Force and the Force flows in me. It's not my fault that I was born so sensitive.
— How many midi-chlorians do you have?
"I was told fifteen thousand."
— And I thought more. I have fourteen thousand.
— Almost the same.
Green sighed and continued:
— You know... I've always envied you. I came to the Temple in my infancy. Come on, I'll show you something.
Green led Santal into a large hall where there were a bunch of babies of various races. They were all in cots floating above the floor. Absolutely identical, transparent with some turquoise circles and handles. A med droid was walking nearby.
"I used to lie here, too," Green said sadly. — I don't remember much about my past. Just the med droid who coddled me. And then I got into the clan when I was 3 years old. And then you showed up, they brought you. Do you understand? Brought. You weren't here originally. You were brought from your home planet, which means you remember life before the Temple! At least a little. And most importantly, Grand Master Yoda himself brought you!
"Not really. I lived with my aunt and uncle on my home planet of Ryloth. I didn't know my parents and didn't see them. I was told that they died, but I don't believe and one day I will find them! Santal exclaimed fervently. "But a Jedi didn't bring me from my planet. There was something else before that...
The girl told the version that she told the Council, that is, not the whole truth.
— Wow. I never imagined that you could have such skeletons in your closet. No, I knew you didn't know your parents, I remember you saying something like that, but still... It seems that not knowing is sometimes better than knowing. And yet... I'd really like to find out who my parents are. But you're lucky, at least you know they're Jedi. Although I've never heard of Sabura's last name. Oh well. There are many of us. More than ten thousand. And these are only knights! I'm sorry I set this up. Instead of talking... I just didn't like that you got everything easily. You were pushed, and as a result you got a guarantee. You had extra classes with Master Dooku, and now with healers. In fact, you have several paths. Several options for the future. You don't have to worry about your future, whether they take you or not. And even if they don't, you'll be a healer, for example. And people like me have to fight every second for the right to a place in the sun. That's why I freaked out. That everything is easy for you.
— But there are a lot of people like me.
— Maybe.
— Not "maybe", but it is. Believe me, I understand you. I know what it means to be jealous. Everything was going great until Skywalker came into my life. And from that moment a dark streak began. Troubles poured in one after another. Everything went awry. My friend's teacher died, the Sith appeared for the first time in many years, but most importantly, the one who promised to take me as a student after the tests left the Order!
Santal didn't quite understand why she was telling everything, but she felt that Green wasn't a liar. Moreover, she is from her clan and loves honesty. Maybe she's not using the information she's received against her. And why?
— In general, this guy not only knows how to pilot starships, drive racing cars, but also a mechanic. He even made a droid! And he was only ten years old then! Also, when he got here, he immediately became a padawan.
— Yes, I've heard about it.
— That's it. He wasn't a Youngling, unlike us. He already has a teacher. He doesn't have to worry about being taken or not.
— And he will never have his own clan.
— It's just not fair. A lot of attention is paid to him now. And you say... I'm so-and-so.
"Looks like I jumped to conclusions.
— The world?
— The world.
Of course, after that, Green and Santal did not become great friends, but at least the dislike disappeared.
At the last exam, it was necessary to demonstrate the abilities of the Force by immersing yourself in it. Santal was asked to lift a large stone to a certain height. Nothing special. She was hoping for a more difficult task. Oh well. She liked it. When you trust the Force, the sensations are unforgettable and unique. The deeper you dive, the stronger the feeling. It's like you're underwater, but you can breathe. Your mind is clearer than ever. It's like you're connected to a holonet, a kind of unbreakable connection. You just have to let her guide you, concentrate and feel her, trust her. Trust is almost the most important thing in a Jedi's life.
But now she's free. Finally, she can breathe a sigh of relief. And not only because she passed the tests. A huge weight was lifted from her soul. Santal has been worried about the tension with Green for so long. But now they have settled everything. It's all over now.
The quarrel with mikkianka made Santal think about the relationship with other comrades. Are they all right? Is there harmony in them? It seems there is. She just doesn't talk to everyone often. Maybe catch up? For example, to help Svanta become bolder. Or listen to Justin, who loves tinkering. And also Landa with a difficult fate. She doesn't talk to many people anyway. And they have just established a relationship. It would probably be better if they spent more time together. Then funny Nick with his jokes. Fayon with his plans to change the world's opinion about the Zygerrians. Anna, who is often dissatisfied with a lot of things. Strength, each of them is unique in its own way.
Then other friends not from the clan. Barriss, who loves to read, with whom it is pleasant to discuss texts or just hear a voice. And her eyes... Such a beautiful shade, heavenly blue. Senior Comrade Obi-Wan... I wonder how he copes as a teacher? He's never taught anyone before. Skywalker is his first experience. I'll have to ask you sometime.
But the main thing is to try to escape again for a walk on Coruscant. For example, to the bar where she met Django. Who brought her to Dooku. Not to Master Dooku anymore...
Memories of the last meeting spoiled the good mood instantly. The girl became sad. It was almost the most terrible day. She saw and heard so much there. Torture, insults, attempted murder. By the way, how's the guy she was trying to save? Did he get out? I'll have to ask this Fett if they ever meet again. And his warning not to mess with... whatever his name is. No matter.
Over time, she will grow up and she will have nothing to fear. And now she will be more attentive to herself and others, watch what she says, and will study more. But he won't get too close to anyone. She will communicate more often with those whom she has known for a long time and in whom she is sure. And then suddenly she will relax and someone else will betray her for some reason or just leave for one reason or another. That's why you can't get attached. So that it wouldn't hurt later. But Santal Sabura will not allow her to be hurt again.