The Journeys of Jon Snow
Book 1: Chapter 5
First Steps Into A Larger World: The Jedi
A splitting headache greeted Jon with all the subtlety of Greatjon Umber as he woke from his meditation. With a groan, he made to stand up from the chair, only to find he was no longer in a chair, or the Ebon Hawk's lounge for that matter.
Alarmed, Jon's eyes snapped fully open, thanking the Old Gods and the New that the lighting was dim enough to not make his headache even worse. He was lying in a bed, white sheets covering him and a series of controls by his arm. Next to him, a strange fixture held a bag of liquid that had lines running to his arm. Another series of wires ran from circles on his torso to a computer, with a bunch of information the Son of Winterfell could make neither heads nor tails of.
Along one wall was a series of cabinets which went from floor to ceiling, save for a built in desk in the middle. The other was bare, save for a metal basin and two chairs, which rested in the corner of the room.
The only way in or out of the room was a door directly across from where Jon lay.
Fear began to creep into his mind. How long had he been out of it? Where was he, where was Valin? What was all this stuff he was hooked up to?
With a growl, Jon pulled off the stuff attached to his chest, grimacing as they pulled off some of the little hair on his chest. Immediately, the screen the wires ran to flashed red, and a high pitch alarm began to blare from it.
Now, Jon began to panic. The tubes were inserted into his arm and he was unsure if he could get them out without possibly bleeding to death shortly afterward. With a groan, he heaved himself out of the bed, trying to support himself on the side of it.
The boy did not get very far before the door opened and what Jon could only describe as a 3-foot tall, wingless bat rushed into the room.
"Hi there…Jon is it? My name is Tekli, I've been treating you after Valin brought you in. How about we get you back in the bed and I'll take the IVs out of you, OK?"
If this Tekli was going to remove the tubes from his arm, it made sense to Jon to play along for right now until he learned more. If she was telling the truth, he could finish recovering, and if she was lying and Valin had not brought him here, he could put himself in a better position to break out and find him.
The young force user settled down back in the bed and Tekli gave him what he supposed was a smile, heading over to him and began removing the tubes. As she worked, Jon took the opportunity to observe her more closely. Her fur was reddish brown and when he felt her hands touch his arms to take out the IV, Jon noticed it was softer than he would have thought.
"Are you a Jedi?" he asked, seeing a lightsaber hang from Tekli's belt.
She answered without looking away from her work, her hands moving quickly and with great precision. "Oh yes, I am a Jedi Knight. I help my old teacher, Cilghal, run the medical wing here at the Academy."
This gave Jon a jolt. "We're at Ossus already? How long was I out?!"
Tekli patted his arm and tried to calm him down. "From what Valin said, you lost consciousness about three days ago while traveling here. Thankfully your ship had a medical bay so he could put an IV in you. Otherwise you would have become dehydrated."
'Three Days!' Jon thought to himself. How could he have been out for three days? He needed to get out of here, let Valin know he was alright. With Tekli having taken everything out of his arm, Jon moved to get out but Tekli pushed him back into the bed.
"Please stay put Jon. I would like to run a physical to make sure you are in good health," she said.
Jon felt a terrible foreboding feeling settle in his stomach.
An Hour Later
Rubbing his arm grumpily, Jon glared at Tekli's back as she cleared up following the latest in a gauntlet of examinations and immunizations.
"Come at me with another needle and I swear I'll…" he grumbled under his breath.
"Don't worry, we're pretty much done." Tekli replied, startling Jon. He hadn't meant to say that aloud.
"I'm sorry for my rudeness Tekli. That was unfair of me."
The Jedi waved him off, "Your apology is appreciated, but unnecessary Jon. Many younglings find these unpleasant."
He wasn't that young, Jon thought. But, he decided to stop digging himself a deeper hole and changed the subject.
"If you don't mind me asking Tekli, and I'm sorry I don't know how to say this better, but what are you?"
If Tekli was insulted by the question, she didn't show it, continuing to make notes in a datapad as she answered, "I am a Chadra-Fan, our homeworld is called Chad. As for how you asked the question, I don't mind it, but I've found most species prefer you ask where they are from instead."
That made sense, Jon thought. After all, he and Valin both were human, but came from very different places. "Thanks Tekli! What's Chad like?"
"Very wet. Most of the planet is covered in oceans, and I've been told it is uncommonly warm and humid compared to many other worlds. We like to sleep in treehouses so we're above the water in case of storms. How about you, what is your home like?"
"Well, the planet has a wide variety, but I've never been far from home in the North so I can only attest to that," Jon said, somewhat embarrassed at his limited travel experience. "It's cold, we even get snows in the summer. Winterfell is built on hot springs though, and hot water is pumped through pipes in the walls to keep warm."
Despite only having left it a week ago, there was already a part of Jon that missed home. He missed training in the yard and the feasts in the Great Hall. He missed Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrick and even Mikken the Blacksmith, who had forged Jon's first training sword, now carefully tucked away on the Ebon Hawk next to his training lightsaber. He missed his siblings and Father.
'Knock it off,' Jon thought to himself, tamping down the emotions. 'I've acknowledged my feelings, now I need to let it go. There is no emotion, there is peace'
"My favorite place was the Godswood. It was filled with ancient trees, and in the center was the Heart Tree. It's a white weirwood with red leaves. On it is carved a face so our Gods can watch us through it," Jon explained.
"It sounds beautiful," Tekli said as she finished her work. "Alright. We're all done! I sent a note to the Horns that you were up so they should be.."
Before the doctor could finish, she was cut off as the door burst open and Jysella and Valin ran into the room. Jysella pulled Jon into a fierce hug, ignoring his indignant squack and Tekli's calls to be careful with her patient.
"I leave you for five minutes and you accidentally go into a meditation trance! What are we supposed to do with you Jon?"
"I'm sorry, I was just trying to ask The Force for help understanding the last part of the Code," Jon said sheepishly.
"You see Valin, I told you you were pushing him too fast!"
"Hey! Don't go after my teaching style. How was I to know that Jon was such a natural that he could go into advanced meditation trances on accident?"
The boy in question didn't know whether to be a little smug at the praise or sorry for the trouble Valin was getting because of him.
"How about we all calm down."
Phrased as a suggestion, but most certainly spoken as a command, the comment came from another person entering the room.
A shorter man, dark hair flecked with gray and a matching beard, stepped into the room. He wore olive green robes and walked with an even stride, and Jon could see him quickly sweep the room with his eyes as if he was studying it, before coming to focus on him intensely.
"Master Horn," he heard Tekli say, and Jon, now thankfully out of Jysella's grasp, bowed his head in greeting.
This must be Master Corran Horn, Valin and Jysella's father, Jon thought. He could recognize the man's children in his face.
"It is an honor to meet you Master Horn," he said respectfully. Valin and Jysella may be less than formal, but Jon definitely did not want to insult the first Jedi Master he met by being impertinent. Well the first living Jedi Master anyway.
"Jon Snow," The Master replied. "It is good to meet you young man. I've heard nothing but good things about you."
The elder Horn had shook Jon's hand as he greeted him. His presence in The Force was like a blast furnace, intensely powerful, but contained with perfect control.
"Thank you Master. I am incredibly grateful to Valin and Jysella for coming to help me, and for the guidance they've given me so far," Jon replied with another bow of his head.
Corran clapped a hand on his shoulder, "I'm glad to hear it. If there is one thing good about the current situation, they will have some time to continue your lessons before the Council decides on your next steps."
'Situation?' Jon wondered. Before he could ask the question however, Tekli beat him to the punch, "Is it true then Master? Master Skywalker has canceled all assignments?"
The smile on Master Horn's face disappeared as everyone in the room looked to him. "Yes. Luke has summoned all Jedi who are able to extract themselves from their current missions and return to Ossus for a meeting of the entire Order. What he plans to do at this Convocation, I have not been told."
"Between recalling everyone and doing so by sending a Galaxy-wide Force broadcast, whatever it is, it must be serious," Jysella said, arms crossed.
Master Horn didn't disagree, but apparently had decided to shut down the conversation, "Whatever it is, you should leave it to the Masters' Council to worry about. I trust that Master Skywalker has the best interests of the Order in mind."
"Yes Master," Jysella said, bowing her head slightly.
"Good. Now, perhaps we should let Tekli finish up with Jon so he can get out of the medical bay."
Jysella and her father were the first to walk out, Valin following close behind them. But, before he left, the Jedi Knight left a bundle of clothes with Jon.
"I thought you could use some new clothes to start your time off at the Academy right. Make sure to check out the bracers, one of them has a built-in commlink," He said while patting Jon on the shoulder.
The gesture made Jon's heart feel like it was squeezed in a vise. "Valin. Thank you. I'm sorry I was a bother –"
His teacher did not allow him to continue, leaning down to look him in the eye and putting both hands on Jon's shoulders.
"You were not a bother Jon. You are now connected to the power that binds the galaxy together. There will always be things about the Force we don't know and circumstances we can't foresee when we use it. Learn from it, but don't let this rule you."
He steeled himself and gathered his resolve, nodding. Valin gave him a warm smile and clapped him on the shoulder, before leaving the room.
Once again, Jon was alone in the medical room, Tekli having walked out after handing Jon a datapad with his test results and some recommendations from her. She had left to let him change in privacy, but told him to use the button on his bed if he needed her.
Breathing deeply, Jon hopped off the bed and unraveled the bundle of clothes, smiling lightly when he saw inside the bundle Valin had stashed his training saber.
Quickly, he pulled on the gray tunic, followed by the black pants and vest. The belt was also black, with a number of pouches and points for him to attach items, including his saber. Next came the boots, better than any Jon had ever seen, black again, and with deep grooves in the bottom to grip the surface, and steel guards inside to protect his toes. Finally, there were his gray metal bracers, a series of buttons on both, and a commlink built into the right-hand one.
Ultimately, it was the perfect mix of form and function, Jon thought. He made a note that however long it took, he would find a way to repay the Horns for what they had done for him.
Once he was ready, Jon opened the door to the room and stepped out into a hall filled with equipment for purposes he had no clue about. Dotted along the walls were doors to what Jon assumed were more rooms like the one he had just exited.
Hearing Jysella call his name, Jon turned and rushed over to join her and Valin at the end of the hall.
"The clothes look good on you," Valin said, pressing a panel on the wall before a door hissed open. "Feel up for a tour?"
Jon's face lit up and he nodded eagerly, drawing smiles from the Jedi siblings. Together they made their way down a long hallway, Jon's eyes drawn to the myriad of shapes carved into the stone walls.
"The Jedi's history with Ossus goes back thousands of years," Jysella explained. "But the current Academy has only been operating since the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War when we had to replace the Praxeum on Yavin 4."
They stopped by a window overlooking gardens sprawling with more plants than Jon could have ever imagined. Flowers in shades of blue, red, yellow, and a hundred other colors carpeted the area, while vines and moss clung to the Temple walls. Scattered around the gardens were a number of trees, small crooked trees with limbs forking out from a short trunk, tall trees providing shaded areas where people relaxed under, and plenty more.
Near the far end of the garden was a pond with a small structure rising from the water's edge. An uneven, serpentine path of stones ran from the pavilion and through the garden.
Suddenly Jon felt a Force presence wash over him, as if something was causing massive waves and he was standing in the surf. The presence was calling all who could hear it to the Academy, impressing on them the importance of the need to meet.
Evidently, Valin and Jysella felt it as well. Valin joined him at the window and pointed to the pavilion. "That is Master Skywalker. He's been at it for days."
Jon just stood slack-jawed staring out the window. If Master Horn's presence had been like a blast furnace, then Luke Skywalker's was like a sun. As if sensing his attention a small wisp of the Master's presence became directed at Jon.
'We will speak soon, Jon Snow.'
Swallowing deeply, he asked Valin and Jysella if they could continue on their way, both nodding without taking their eyes off the pond.
Eventually, they reached a square where four hallways came together. Jedi and other Temple residents milled about, greeting Valin and Jysella and introducing themselves to Jon.
Well, not all of them. Jon could not help but notice there was a group of Jedi in the square that made an intentional point to not approach Valin and Jysella, a few even shooting glares at them and some of the others who chatted with them. At the center of their group was a man with shaggy dark hair, his robes worn and faded. When he saw their group, the man's smile dropped into a look of stony contemplation.
And he was staring right at Jon.
He seemed to disengage from the conversation his group had been having and they parted, allowing him to make his way over to Jon and the Horns. Even without the Force, where the stranger had a presence like a barely contained wildfire, Jon only knew one word that described the man's aura. Dangerous.
"Valin, Jysella," the man greeted. "I'm glad to see you two got back alright. Good work on the Lantilles situation."
"Master Durron," Valin greeted, bowing his head merely a fraction, Jysella didn't even bother, settling for glaring at the man. "Thank you, we were fortunate it went easier than expected."
"If only that could be the case more often," Master Durron chuckled. If the Horn's clear dislike for him bothered him at all, he did not show it. He then turned to Jon. "And you must be Jon Snow. It is nice to meet you young man."
He held his hand out to Jon, who cautiously shook it. The Jedi Master's smile seemed to have turned warm and genuine. "I was very surprised to find out about you Jon, but certainly it was a welcome one. Your mother was an apprentice of mine."
The statement shocked Jon and ignited a sense of excitement in him. "Really!?" he asked. "I didn't know anything except that she studied with Master Skywalker." This was amazing. Less than a day at the Academy, well while awake at least, and Jon already met someone who could tell him about his mother.
The smile remained on Kyp's face, though Jon could see pain hiding in his eyes, as the Master clapped Jon on the shoulder. "Like most of us, Satele got her start studying under Luke, but for a while she was one of my students." Durron's grip on Jon's shoulder got a little tighter. "I hope you don't mind me saying that I see similarities between the two of you, in your Force presences if not your looks. I'm sure she would be very proud of you."
Jon could feel his tightness in his chest and eyes as he desperately struggled not to have tears appear. "Thank you Master Durron," he said, noting with irritation that his voice broke slightly. "I will do my best to make sure she would be. I'm lucky that Valin and Jysella have been helping me get started on my training."
The Jedi Master nodded, "Indeed. I'm sure they'll do a great job working on the basics with you. Please remember to reach out to me as well, I'd be happy to make time to give you some pointers."
"I'm sure he'll take you up on that Master Durron, but we should really be on our way. There's still a lot left to do to get Jon settled in," Jysella cut in, her voice frosty, though Jon considered it a good sign that she was no longer looking at the Jedi Master like she wanted to tear him into a few dozen pieces.
This time Master Durron did frown, but he made no protest, "Of course," he said with a nod. "Good luck settling in Jon, and remember, my door is always open to you." With that, he turned and rejoined his group, who immediately entered into furious conversation.
As for Jon, the Horns quickly guided him down one of the other hallways. Once they were alone, Jon turned to Jysella, "What do you have against Master Durron?"
"He's a reckless ass who thinks he can do whatever the hell he thinks The Force is calling him to do," she ground out through clenched teeth, staring stormily ahead.
"Jysella," Valin admonished, though without much fire, Jon noted. "Master Durron and our father deeply disagree on the Jedi's role in the Galaxy. Dad believes we best serve The Force by working with the government of the Galactic Alliance, while Master Durron thinks we need to avoid affiliation with any entity and instead serve as The Force and our consciences direct us."
Jon weighed the question in his mind. As the son of a Great Lord, he respected the idea of obeying the authorities, after all, little happened in Winterfell and its surrounding environs without the blessing of Jon's father.
But certainly some things needed to transcend loyalty to the government. Lord Eddard, King Robert and others had chosen to rebel against the Targaryens even though Aerys had been their king. Some things were more important after all.
"How bad has it gotten?" Jon asked quietly. Valin sighed and Jysella's scowl somehow grew deeper.
"There was a recent incident where Master Durron wanted to lead an unsanctioned mission. Dad and his supporters stopped them and Kyp Force-pushed Dad about 20 feet," Jysella explained.
"To be fair, Dad had prevented him from taking off by slicing the hydraulics on his fighter," Valin interjected. "Don't worry about it though. It happened while Master Skywalker was stuck away on a mission, with him back and working it out, everything will be fine."
To Jon, it sounded like Valin was trying to convince himself as much Jon, but he let the subject drop.
The trio continued their journey throughout the Temple, stopping frequently so Valin or Jysella could point out something to Jon. They passed classrooms, training facilities, basically everything the Jedi needed to have Ossus be a base for their operations around the Galaxy, as well as its role as a center of learning and spiritual growth for the Order.
Eventually, they made their way through a door that led straight into a mountain, before taking an elevator up into the rock. A short hallway later and they were overlooking the Academy's main hangar facility, built into a cliff face.
Transports and fighters of all kinds were landing here as Jedi returned to the Academy, heeding Master Skywalker's call. The two siblings indulged Jon for a while as he stood at the railing and gawked at all the craft, pointing out specific ships and giving him info about them and their owners.
"Come on, let's head down to the Ebon Hawk and grab your stuff," Valin said after a while. Reluctantly, Jon went with them, determined to come back soon.
Heading downstairs to and over to the Ebon Hawk, nestled in the corner of a bay next to another freighter. The craft was a circular dish with two triangular prongs sticking out of the front on either side. Unlike the Ebon Hawk, with it's cockpit in the middle of the ship, this freighter's controls sat in a tube that jutted out of its right side. Its mottled gray hull, pockmarked and sooty in places gave it a sorry look in Jon's opinion.
"Now here is a real treat Jon," Valin said gesturing at the bucket of rust with reverence Jon imagined some might use when discussing the Iron Throne, "The Millenium Falcon!"
Jon shot a skeptical, unimpressed look at Valin. "It looks like it spent a millennium getting pecked at by a falcon."
"Watch it kid!" an angry voice came from a man on top of the Falcon. From the goggles over his eyes and the tools in his hands, he appeared to be making an effort to work on the craft. "This ship made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs, it survived both Death Stars, and it's saved the Galaxy more times than you have years, so put some respect on the Falcon's name!"
That had to be a bunch of exaggerations, Jon thought, the kind of claim that was told by a thousand captains in a thousand taverns. But, when he glanced at Valin and Jysella, they just stared him down and nodded with a knowing smile.
Now Jon cringed as the Falcon's captain climbed down from the ship and began advancing on them, accentuating his points on how Jon did not know a thing he was talking about by gesturing wildly with his tool.
If ever there was a time for contrition and deference, it was now, Jon decided.
"I'm sorry sir. I did not know your ship," he said quietly, bowing his head.
"Go easy on the kid, Solo. Before last week he's been living somewhere even your reputation hasn't reached," Valin called with a laugh. Solo's glare turned from Jon to his mentor, before shaking his head.
"Just show some respect next time, kid. What's your name anyway?" Solo asked.
"Jon Snow, sir. I'll make sure to read up on it as soon as possible," Jon replied. The Captain of the Millenium Falcon nodded, before turning back to the Horns.
"What are you three doing here? Last I saw those shuttles and StealthX's you love so much are three bays down," Solo asked.
"We're grabbing Jon's stuff from the Ebon Hawk," Jysella said, gesturing over to the other freighter in the section. Solo's head whipped back to Jon and regarded him suspiciously.
"And just how did you end up with that freighter, kid?" He asked.
"It was my mother's. She left it for me before she died in the Yuuzhan Vong War," Jon said nervously.
Recognition and a bit of incredulousness flashed across the Captain's face, "Your mother was Satele Shan?"
"Yes Captain Solo," Jon replied dully. "Did you want proof?"
Solo winced at the reply, and Jon felt regret for his response. The older man's face softened and he clapped Jon on the shoulder. "No kid, I don't think there's much of a chance you would have gotten that ship if you were full of bantha fodder. It's just surprising. Your mom never said anything about you."
"It seems Satele wanted to hold that card close to her chest," Valin interjected. "And from what we've been able to piece together, Jon would have been only a few months old when…."
He trailed off, clearly uncomfortable, but Solo finished for him. "When her and Anakin died."
Part of Jon wanted to ask who Anakin was, but sensing that it was a sore topic, he decided to hold off. For a moment, the four of them stood in awkward silence before Solo moved to head back to the Falcon, citing that a lot of work still needed to be done. Before he left however, he turned to Jon and flashed a roguish smile.
"Good luck with everything Kid. And make sure you give The Falcon her deserved respect the next time I see you."
"I will Captain Solo. Have a good day," Jon called with a slight bow. Valin and Jysella just waved at the man as they entered the Hawk.
After they checked in on M8, who trilled happily when he saw Jon, and HK, who responded with his usual sarcastic comments, it took the trio all of half-an-hour and a couple duffle bags to store everything Jon would be taking with him to live in the dorms with other initiates.
"Are you sure you'll be OK here guys?" Jon asked the droids as him and the Horns were preparing to leave.
"Assurance: Yes Master, we will be fine and will refrain from causing mayhem. Sadly," HK-47 said. M8 just whistled a short agreement.
With a promise that he would visit as much as he could, Jon exited the Ebon Hawk, trailing after Valin and Jysella. He found them standing by the Millenium Falcon and talking with Solo, a man who appeared to be a little older than the other two Jedi; who, based on the hair, could only be a relative of the Captain's, and a red-headed boy about Jon's age.
When he saw Jon, the boy rushed over to introduce himself.
"Hi, my name's Ben, it's nice to meet you Jon!" the kid held out his hand and Jon happily shook it, his good mood infectious. "Nice to meet you Ben."
"Is that your ship?" Ben asked, looking the Ebon Hawk over with a critical eye that was almost comical on a 9-year-old.
"Yeah, the Ebon Hawk," Jon said, unable to keep all the pride out of his voice.
"Astral! It looks great. Have you done much flying in it?" Ben asked excitedly.
"Not really, Valin did most of the flying when him and Jysella picked me up, I just helped a bit," Jon said sheepishly, figuring he was probably leagues behind people like Ben. The red-head instead just gave him a sympathetic look.
"I know how it is. My parents never let me take flight control even for a bit. Still, you've got your own ship! And a freighter too. It's like your own personal base!" Ben exclaimed.
"I know right!" Jon said nodding, that was one of the best parts of the Ebon Hawk. "I've got to get moved in to the dorms, but if you want I can give you a tour at some point, there's so much stuff in there."
"That'd be great!" Ben agreed.
"So what dorm are you in, maybe we'll be bunking together?" Jon asked hopefully. It would be nice to have a friend right off the bat.
A sheepish look came over Ben and he shifted nervously. "I'm not really an Academy student. My parents are Jedi and I've just started training with my cousin Jacen," He gestured to the man talking with the Horns and Captain Solo.
And he was staring right at Jon, observing him like he was one of the word problems Maester Luwin would sometimes assign to Jon and Robb back in Winterfell's classroom. When he saw Jon noticed him he smiled and disengaged from the adults' conversation making his way to the two.
"Making a new friend, Ben?" He asked lightly. Ben nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, this is Jon. He's a new Academy student, and he's got his own freighter, Jacen."
"I can see that Ben," the Jedi turned to Jon. "And there are few freighters as good as the Ebon Hawk. It's very nice to meet you Jon, my name is Jacen Solo."
"Thank you sir," Jon replied, shaking his hand. "How do you know the Ebon Hawk?"
Jacen got a wistful look in his eye, as though he was remembering better times. "I was a friend of your mother's. We went on more than a few missions on this old bird. I'm sure you're hearing this quite a bit, but your mother was a great Jedi, it is a welcome surprise to find out about you."
While Jon could sense Jacen's sentiments were genuine, he still could not shake off the uneasy feeling he gave him. Tamping it down as it was probably nothing, he replied, "That means a lot to me, thank you. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, would you have some time in the future that I could talk with you about her? I never knew her, and she didn't leave as much in the way of journals as some of my other relatives."
"Of course," Jacen said, staring at Jon warmly. "It would be an honor to share what I knew of Satele with you. When everything settles down, I'm sure my sister, Jaina, would also be happy to share plenty of stories."
That was all they said of the matter, which suited Jon fine as he tried to keep his emotions in check from having found another connection to the mother he never knew. Instead, they discussed things like ship mechanics, Ben was a child prodigy apparently, and Jon's training so far with Valin. His trick with the lightsaber katas drew an "impressive" from Jacen and awe from Ben, who lamented he hadn't begun much in the way of saber training yet.
Finally, as the sun started to set, casting an orange glow around the hangar, Valin and Jysella drug Jon one way while Jacen guided Ben the other, or else they would have continued talking until the moon rose.
And for the first time, Jon had his own friend, not lordlings who were there to "build good relationships with Future Lord Robb" and where Jon was part of the package deal.
As far as Jon was concerned, Robb could keep all of them. He had a feeling that there could be few friends better than Ben.