SW4 (Please excuse Talon's table manners in this chapter; she REALLY doesn't know any better.)
Saba had been unable to find Talon in the Force, because Talon was nowhere near Corruscant. In fact, her consciousness was somewhere along the outer rim trailing a rogue comet as it sailed along on a collision course with the star that it had orbited for so long.
As it had on most occasions, the soft feminine voice that Talon had long been familiar with whispered to her; narrating the events that she was witnessing. Talon had no words to explain the emotions that she felt during these moments. All she knew; all she cared about, was that she was in a safe place where no one could hurt her, and no pain could reach, or touch her.
Although she couldn't have said what she was feeling, an engulfing sense of wonder gripped the girl's soul as she watched countless trillions of ice crystals sparkle and glow like rare and precious gemstones in the light of the sun that would soon destroy the source of those crystals. Neither Talon, nor the voice she was listening to, spoke a word as the comet began to fully break apart. Each piece glowing like a star itself until it too began to break into ever smaller pieces, leaving a seemingly endless path of brilliantly glowing gems of ice that were all that was left to testify that the comet had ever existed.
As her view of the scene pulled away, Talon couldn't help but wonder what would happen to that path of gemlike crystals. It was the first time she'd ever wanted to ask a question, and as if it heard her, the voice contained within the Force answered her.
"Eventually, the ice will evaporate or dry up into gas and be pushed by stellar winds to the far reaches of space where they will eventually reform into another comet or something else entirely, because nothing ever truly dies."
Leaving behind the nearly impossible beauty of the surrealistic scene, Talon found herself soaring past various worlds with a strange beauty of their own. Here, a gas giant surrounded by a vast ring of asteroids, reflecting the distant sunlight in thousands of different colors. There, a world with such a high axial tilt that it actually orbited the star on its side. Here, a planet with such a tight orbit that the sunward side was a boiling, churning hellish inferno, while the sunless side was an equally hellish frozen waste. Then the voice was telling her that she should return to her body, and it was with very great reluctance that Talon obeyed.
As her eyes regained focus, Talon saw four Jedi watching her intently. She had no idea how long they had been there, and it was with a start, that she realized she was no longer on the floor of the training room. In apprehension she sat up and started to look around when she felt someone grab her right hand. She turned her head to see Leia smile at her.
"Welcome back. You had us very worried you know." Leia told her.
"What does worried mean?" Talon asked uncertainly.
"It means that you scared us. We were afraid that you wouldn't be able to come back, and that you would die, or be lost forever in the Force." Leia answered frankly.
"But I was with the Force, where it's safe. It protects me, and teaches me." Talon whispered as she looked down at her lap.
"Really? What kinds of things does the Force teach you, Talon?" Luke asked her curiously as he leaned forward to hear her better.
"That... That nothing ever truly dies." Talon answered hesitantly.
Talon nearly jumped in fright when she saw Master Katarn face palm in a violent fashion. Saba was sissing loudly; Cilghal was shaking rapidly, while Luke sat there with a dumbstruck expression on his face. Turning to look at Leia, Talon gaped when the Jedi started laughing.
Although she knew that it wouldn't help and would only end up getting her in more trouble, Talon was ready to run and try to hide somewhere, when one of the Jedi finally spoke.
"Now there is a joke that this one understandz! Well done Little One! Very well done." Saba said approvingly.
"It'll be a long time before someone tops a prank like that even if it wasn't intentional." Kyle said laughing heartily.
"How can any of you think this is funny?" Luke demanded in annoyance.
"She comes back from what we swore was a near death experience and then casually tells you that nothing ever truly dies!" Leia said before she burst out laughing again.
"You have to admit, Luke that she got you with that one!" Kyle said as he started chuckling again. "I mean, how often is it that a student gets the chance to toss a vital core lesson back at no less than the former Grand Master, and founder of the New Order!" Kyle finished before he burst out laughing again.
"Okay, okay. I get it. Looks like the joke's on me. Not bad Talon! Better than most of mine actually." Luke replied as he finally started laughing a little himself.
"The best part is that it's only her first day." Leia added.
"This one is looking forward to teaching you, Little One." Saba said to Talon, who was glancing around nervously.
Talon just knew that she was about to get in serious trouble. Spouting a Master's lessons back at them for the purpose of humiliation? She'd once seen a younger Master do that to Darth Magus, and the fight had been short and vicious. The Sith Lord had left the younger Master to die slowly from shock after he'd severed each limb a little at a time. She moved to get out of the bed and run when Leia pulled her into another one of those things she had called a hug.
"You really need to learn to relax, and not be so afraid all the time. Haven't you seen by now, that we really aren't like the Sith? You see, Talon, we have a very important rule here, and it's one that we try to never break. Treat people the way you want them to treat you. This is why Jedi don't hurt others unless we have no choice, because we don't want them to try to hurt us, or anyone else." Leia told Talon after she had pulled the girl into a hug and looked into those glowing golden eyes.
Leia had recognized the nearly blank emotional state which had always heralded a wave of fear or terror from the girl and had acted quickly in an attempt to dispel that fear before it could affect anyone else.
"I know you don't really believe us yet, and maybe you never will, but do me a favor and look at your leg. Then ask yourself why we would heal your leg if we wanted to hurt you." Leia instructed.
Talon did as she was told and looked at the lower portion of her left leg. Much of it had been wrapped in plasticast, which had been applied with several small ports to allow for injections of either pain killers or bacta treatments as needed. The hard casing around her leg started just above her ankle and extended to just below her knee. There was a small strip that wrapped around the bottom of her foot to help support her ankle, yet still allow for normal movement. Strapped to her leg on the outside of the cast was a brace made from some type of alloy Talon had never seen before. She could tell that the strange looking brace would provide a kind of supporting cage around her leg, but still let her walk on it.
Confusion was evident in the girl's face as she studied what had been done to her injured leg. Many questions went through her mind as she tried in vain to figure out why these Jedi were helping her like this.
All of the Jedi present could sense the doubts and uncertainty flowing through Talon's mind as she tried to make sense of what was now happening in her life. Leia knew more about the girl than any of the others did, and ironically, she felt that she was quite possibly one of the few people who would be able to understand some of what Talon was now going through. Just as Talon had watched helplessly while everyone she had ever known was slaughtered by ravenous beasts straight out of a nightmare, Leia had been forced to watch helplessly as her entire world had been destroyed with a single command.
Unlike Talon however, Leia knew that life did go on and that it was what one did with that life that would make a difference. The only question that plagued her, was would she be able to impart the wisdom of her own experience to Talon?
Talon sat there with the Jedi's arms around her as she tried to figure out what these Jedi wanted from her. They had to want something; at least she thought that they did, but she couldn't imagine what that something might be.
Leia sat there next to the bed with her left arm around the girl. Leia could feel the tension that seemed to be almost inherent in the child. Leia couldn't imagine living in such a constant state of fear for so long that it became an instinctive reaction to anything and everything. As the Jedi tried to figure out some way to start earning at least some type of trust from Talon, she heard the single chime that signaled the evening meal. Leia nearly grinned as an idea struck her.
"Kyle, would you do me a favor and have some trays sent in please?" Leia asked while glancing meaningfully at the girl she held.
Master Katarn blinked in surprise at the request that seemed to come out of nowhere, but then he realized that Talon had been off somewhere in the Force while lunch had been served and therefore had to be hungry.
"Now that sounds like an excellent idea!" Kyle said with a grin as he left the infirmary.
None of the four Jedi said anything, but instead were focusing their attention on Talon. Even while being held in Leia's arms the girl was as stiff as a permacrete slab. Leia could feel that every muscle in the girl's body was wound so tight that the Jedi was afraid she might snap at any sudden move or noise. Knowing that Talon was ready to either cower in fear or possibly even try to run, didn't help matters much.
Talon knew that the Jedi were watching her, studying her. They were using both their eyes and the Force, but none of them were trying to enter her mind. It was that last part that she didn't understand. She recalled Leia telling her that they would need her permission to enter her mind, but if that was what they wanted, how could she stop them?
Talon was still trying to figure this out when the door to the infirmary slid open and the smell of food assailed her senses. Instantly her stomach rumbled loudly in protest.
"Was that her?" Kyle demanded in disbelief as he entered with a hover cart loaded with six meal trays.
"Yeah! If I didn't know any better, I'd still swear she was part Wookie!" Luke piped up with a grin.
"Making light of a physical reaction brought about by a lifetime of constant hunger pains is not funny, Master Skywalker! Talon can't help her physical response to the smell of food." Cilghal rumbled disapprovingly.
"And you're right, that isn't funny, but you will have to admit, that for such a small girl, that is a really loud noise." Luke replied.
"Yes it is, but it's still nothing to joke about." Cilghal qualified.
Kyle brought the hover cart over to where everyone was gathered near Talon's bed and began passing out trays.
"Here you go Talon. Enjoy." Kyle grinned as he held out a tray to the girl.
Talon looked at the tray of food that the Jedi was offering to her, and then gaped at him in disbelief. She had no clue as to why he would give her food, but she did know that she was hungry and she did want the food that he was offering. Thinking that he might take it back from her, Talon reached out hesitantly to take the tray.
Master Katarn knew the girl was hungry, but the way she was hesitating made him wonder if she thought that he'd poisoned it or something.
"Hey, look. I said that I was sorry for what I did. I didn't mean for you to get hurt, and I shouldn't have done what I did. I'm sorry for over reacting, and I'm really sorry for hurting you like that. You didn't deserve either of those results." Kyle told her as he handed her the tray.
Talon looked up at the Jedi as she took the tray and he seemed to wait for something before he turned away and started handing trays to the other Jedi.
"Tell him thank you." Leia whispered in her ear.
Talon froze when Leia spoke to her, but she hesitated only a second before obeying the command that she'd been given.
"Thank you." Talon offered not having the slightest idea what the phrase meant.
Talon set the tray on her thighs and looked down at it. There were several kinds of food on it, none of which she'd ever seen before. All she really knew about any of it was that it smelled like it could be eaten, and there were those strange tools on the tray that these Jedi used for eating. There was a large brown lump on the plate that was drenched in a thick brown fluid. There were some green things and blue things off to the side of it. Then there was also two slabs of something tan colored with what looked like thousands of tiny holes of slightly different sizes. Those pieces of unknown food had a slightly darker edge around them. Lastly, there was a tall glass of thick blue fluid, and a small bowl of what looked like blue mush.
Once again grasping her fork in her fist like a lightsaber, Talon dug into the largest piece of food on her plate. It turned out to be that ultimate bane of academic existence everywhere. No matter which universe one traveled to, there would always be some version of meatloaf to be found. Commonly referred to as 'The mystery brick'; most of the students at the Jedi academy actively loathed the nerf loaf.
Talon had no predisposition to dislike the much hated culinary concoction, and therefore dug right in. Even though she tried to match the pace at which she had seen both Leia and her brother eat on board the ship, her table manners were nonexistent at best. Any of the gravy that spilled from her fork was immediately scooped up by nimble fingers that were as fast as any lightsaber strike she might have made.
Three Jedi stared in a strange mixture of disgust, revulsion, and awe at table manners that would have made a ravenous rancor seem neat by comparison. The napkin lay completely untouched and ignored in favor of fingers that repeatedly found bits of errant food and drops of gravy and brought them to the girl's mouth to be greedily and somewhat noisily slurped off of those same fingers.
Luke knew that his own table manners had been much better when he'd left Tatooine, but he still remembered the countless hours that his sister had spent helping him to improve those table manners. He was surprised that Leia didn't start correcting Talon right then.
Leia might have acted as if she didn't notice the atrocious eating habits on display; but with it occurring right next to her, it was something that was impossible not to notice.
"And people used to complain about my table manners." Kyle muttered to himself.
"I'm pretty sure that it's only the second time she's ever seen a fork, so give her a little break. At least this time she's not trying to shove half the plate in her mouth at once." Luke responded remembering the last meal he'd shared with the girl.
Kyle stared at the former Grand Master in disbelief while Saba was sissing in amusement.
"As hungry and eager as any youngling after the first hunt." Saba remarked jokingly.
"And just as neat too." Kyle added with a chuckle.
Talon was trying to copy the methods that the Jedi were using. She had just finished her nerfloaf when she saw Kyle tear a piece off of the tan colored thing and use it to scoop up some of the gravy off his plate. Out of pure curiosity Talon picked up the tan square and looked at it interestedly. Her curiosity piqued, she tried what she had just seen the Jedi do.
Kyle noticed her action, and while it wasn't a model of decorum, it was still far better than the girl had been doing. He'd been about to compliment her on the improvement when a string of gravy started to drip from the bread, and Talon caught it with her other hand and after shoving the chunk of bread in her mouth, began licking the gravy off her hand and fingers.
Leia cringed, and managed not to groan at the display, but it wasn't easy. One thing she did notice was Talon was at least chewing with her mouth closed; most likely in an effort to avoid losing any of the food that she managed to get into it. She decided that she would sit down with the girl at a later time and work with her on the various points of dinning etiquette.
"Wait a second. If she's never seen a fork before, what has she been eating that she didn't need one?" Kyle asked after he'd thought about Luke's comment.
"From the memories I saw, it seems that whoever was in charge of provisions bought whatever packets of emergency rations were available at the cheapest price." Leia supplied.
Kyle set his fork down and wiped his mouth before giving Leia a hard look.
"You said emergency rations, not field rations. Those things may have a shelf life of centuries, but they are the nastiest things ever to be called edible, and I am certainly not willing to give that stuff the title of food!" Kyle said vehemently.
"If that is all she's familiar with, then that would explain why she was able to eat those Kel Dor rations you mentioned." Cilghal put in. "If she's never been exposed to anything else, then to her thinking, anything in a similar package would be safely edible."
"Hmm, that might also account for why she was able to tolerate the smell and taste." Leia suggested.
"Okay, can we please stop discussing emergency rations and Kel Dor rations? I am trying to eat here." Kyle asked. The Jedi master did not want to think about the oily, greasy, slimy, and smelly slab of cake that looked and smelled like wet rotting rancid mildew and he certainly didn't want to think about the high amount of sulpher contained in Kel Dor food supplies that gave them the impossibly strong smell of rotten eggs.
"This one agreez, at least until she finishes her meal." Saba replied.
"Well, if she's used to eating that stuff, then it's no wonder she seems to have taken a liking to nerfloaf, Kibla greens, Blue leaf shrub, and Haroun bread. I'm just waiting to see what happens when she hits that dessert." Luke added with a mischievous grin.
Kyle groaned in dismay when he thought about that part of the meal which appeared to be rapidly approaching.
Talon knew that were talking about food, and the way she was eating the food, but they weren't bothering her or trying to take it away from her; and to Talon, that was all that mattered. She'd already eaten the brown slab, the green things, and the blue things on her plate and used the tan things to get most of the brown fluid. As she looked around the tray she saw that bowl of blue mush and slid it closer to her.
When Talon bit down on the blue stuff from the bowl, she winced as the cold hit her teeth painfully. She swallowed quickly and stared down at the stuff. Deciding to try it again she scooped up a rather large bite and swallowed it whole. Three seconds after Talon swallowed the stuff she dropped her fork on her tray and grabbed both of her temples as her head started pounding.
Not one word was spoken as five Jedi stared in surprise. It was several seconds before anyone did speak.
"Sorry Talon. I guess someone should have told you how to eat Beebleberry ice cream. Try taking very small bites and swallow them whole. If you'll eat it slowly, you won't get any more headaches from brain freeze. But don't feel bad though, the same thing happened to me the first time I tried ice cream. Didn't have too many frozen treats on Tatooine." Luke suggested.
Talon winced again and shook her head. "I... I don't, don't want it." She whispered nervously.
"That's fine Talon. If you don't like the dessert, you don't have to eat it. We do prefer that students finish most of the main course before eating their dessert, but that doesn't seem like a problem in your case." Leia told her kindly.
Talon nodded her still aching head. Once the pain had passed, Talon reached down and grabbed the glass of blue fluid. She gave the glass a really dirty look when she felt how cold it was.
"Drink it slowly and you won't get another headache." Kyle suggested.
Talon nodded her head and tried the stuff. It was like nothing she had ever tasted before. It didn't have a strong smell or taste like the ration packets that she was used to, but instead, it was rich, sweet, and smooth. Talon's eyes shot wide open as the flavor of the stuff actually had time to hit her taste buds. Never having had anything with sugar or sweetener in it before, Talon could no more have described the taste than she could say what the stuff was. Talon quickly drained her glass and licked her lips in an effort to get the absolute last of it.
"What... What was that stuff?" Talon asked timidly as she turned to Leia.
"It's called Blue milk, or Bantha's milk. That's also what they use in making the ice cream that you didn't like." Leia answered.
Talon looked at the now empty glass, which was sitting on a tray that was now devoid of everything except that pain inducing ice cream, and she was not about to try eating it again unless she was told to. She remembered Luke telling her that she could have more food if she wanted it, but that had been on board the ship, and now this was a different place altogether.
"Can I have some more?" Talon asked in a nervous but hopeful whisper.
"Absolutely. I was about to ask if you felt like eating an extra portion. You certainly need both the calories and the vitamins for proper physical development. Especially at this stage in your life. So, what would you like more of?" Cilghal responded.
"The brown thing with the stuff on it, those tan things, and some more Bantha milk." Talon answered in a hopeful tone.
"Wow! Now that has got to be a first. A kid that won't touch ice cream if she doesn't have to, but actually likes nerfloaf." Kyle commented with an amused chuckle.
"M-26 I need two servings each of nerfloaf, Haroun bread, and Bantha's milk for the patient." Cilghal ordered one of the medical droids. "He'll be back with your food shortly Talon."
"Tell her thank you." Leia prompted.
"Thank you." Talon said as she once again obeyed the order.
Leia noticed the girl's brow furrow in concentration, and decided that an explanation might help.
"You say thank you to someone that does something for you, when they give you something, or when they say something nice to you." Leia informed the girl.
With nothing to do until the droid came back with her food, Talon did what she usually did upon finding herself with a spare moment or two. She let herself start to drift in the Force.
"Talon!" Saba blurted out dropping her fork in surprise as she looked over at the girl.
Kyle let out a relieved sigh when he saw Talon sitting up in the bed. "She ought to give us a warning before doing that, because that is really disturbing."
Cilghal began to study Talon intently. Now that the Mon Cal healer wasn't preoccupied with a rather serious injury, she would be able to observe this a lot more closely. Talon's body was still sitting up in a fairly relaxed position. Her eyes were open, but vacant and unfocused. While her hands were resting limply in her lap, there was a completely blank expression on the girl's face. The physician noted that Talon's breathing became deep and regular, as if the girl was asleep. There was no response to calling the girl's name, but as soon as the med bay doors slid open, Talon's eyes regained their focus and she seemed to become aware of herself once more.
Talon's consciousness had barely left her body when she encountered the soft whispering presence that she'd come to think of as that of the Force itself. Instead of roaming through the galaxy, visiting other star systems, and the worlds of those systems, Talon found herself contained within the Jedi complex. This was the first time that Talon had ever been near other people during her excursions within the Force, and it surprised her that she could actually hear them talking. Many of the students were telling others about the training accident that had occurred. Older students, who knew that accidents, could and often did happen during training, simply continued with their studies. She saw several students, and Masters too for that matter, browsing through the vast amount of information contained in the reconstructed archives. In another room, she saw a class of students close to her age learning how to maintain their lightsabers, while others were learning to maintain and repair various pieces of equipment, or parts from starship engines. The next room over she was amazed to see a group of students learning how to administer first aid to those who might be injured. In the lounge where she'd had a cup of caf with Leia, was a group gathered around a pair of students who were in the middle of a rather intense game of dejarik. Talon had never seen or even heard of the holographic strategy game before, and watched with intense curiosity. Talon was about to ask a question when she sensed something change close to her physical body. Knowing that hesitation in answering a Master could prove painful, Talon returned quickly.
Talon looked towards the door to see the droid rolling in, and hungrily accepted the food laden tray that the droid presented her with. Within seconds of receiving the second tray, Talon was happily tearing the Haroun bread into pieces to sop up the gravy, before popping those dripping pieces into her mouth.
As soon as he'd felt the girl's departure from her physical form, Luke Skywalker made a thorough search within the Force and quickly discovered her presence nearby. He sensed Talon roaming through the Jedi Temple, and noted that she was moving around the various class rooms. The former Grand Master almost smiled to himself, when he picked up on the child's near insatiable hunger for knowledge. It was almost as if after having been denied for so long, that now with the chance to truly learn in front of her, she wasn't willing to miss any of it.
Talon is going to make for a very interesting pupil. Luke thought to himself with an inward smile as he'd followed the child's wandering mind.
Currently, Talon was working her way through her second tray of food with the same messy mannerisms as she had the first. A loud slurping noise was made as Talon pulled her formerly gravy covered fingers out of her mouth. Talon froze just before putting another piece of gravy soaked bread in her mouth. She could easily sense the emotions of those around her, and she now sensed the approach of someone who was angry.
Talon looked over at the doors to the infirmary just as the Grand Master of the Jedi order walked in.
"I hope some here can tell me why there's an ancient Sith fighter parked out on the landing pad, especially since no one else seems to know anything about it!" Grand Master Hamner demanded angrily.
"I can answer that for you, Master Hamner." Leia spoke up calmly. "It's parked there because it belongs to one of our new prospective students who arrived earlier this morning."
"What is a possible student doing with something like that, and where did they get their hands on a Sith fighter?" Master Hamner demanded instantly.
"She got it from Korriban, and before you ask, yes, she is the legal owner." Leia answered with a slight smirk.
"And you didn't think to inform me, or one of the other council members about this?" Master Hamner promptly demanded.
At that point the former senator of Alderaan got angry. Playing politics among the politicians was one thing, but dragging that type of slugfest into the order was another.
"I did file a report on it; several hours ago. I've also informed the three council members that happen to be sitting right here, of a Sith presence. I certainly can't be to blame because you were too busy playing at politics to attend to your paperwork." Leia retorted barely managing to keep the venom out of her tone.
"This student is a Sith? That will be the day! I'll be damned if I let a Sith into this academy! We have enough trouble as it is, without the problems that having a Sith around would cause. I don't care who this student is, I want them gone as soon as possible. Understand?" Kenth Hamner ground out.
"Sorry to interrupt, but you don't have the authority to make a decision like that. Turning any student away from this, or any of the other academies is a decision for the council as a whole. And as a member of that council, and having at least learned something about the situation before making a snap judgment, I'm going to have to disagree with you." Master Katarn put in.
"We'll just have to see about that now won't we? I don't think you'll find too much support when the others find out it's a Sith we're talking about, and if I find out who it is, I'll make sure they leave myself!" Master Hamner exploded.
"Get out! You may have the final say in some council decisions, but I have final say in this infirmary, and I will not have you upsetting my patients, and Sith or not, I most certainly won't tolerate you issuing threats against one of my patients while in my presence! Now get out before I throw you out." Cilghal rumbled angrily as she saw the subject of the discussion cowering on the bed.
Too scared to even think straight, Talon knew that she was surrounded by Jedi. Waves of anger were rolling through her mind, and she knew that it wasn't hers. Glancing around the room, she could almost see the anger pouring off of everyone nearby. They were all so close that she knew there was no way that she could try to slip between them to run.
Sliding the half empty tray of food off her lap, Talon noticed an opening. She couldn't slip between any of the Jedi, they were far to close for that, but she could jump over them, and that was just what she did.
Hamner and Cilghal were standing face to face and glaring at one another when the Grand Master saw a blur of motion fly past his head. Out of pure reflex upon being startled like that, he'd grabbed and ignited his lightsaber even as he turned to face whatever it was that had flown over his head.
Talon hit the floor rolling. She didn't stop as soon as she'd landed, but instead propelled herself further forward until she was in a corner. Then she turned around to see what was happening. The angry Jedi with his lightsaber out was blocking the only door that Talon could see, and as far as she knew, she was trapped.
Luke looked over at the far corner where Talon had finally come to a stop. The girl was literally quaking in terror. There was no wave of fear this time, but instead, there was a solid impenetrable wall of panic and mortal terror. Knowing that this situation needed to be dealt with and fast, he acted.
With a burst of Force enhanced speed, Luke stood and shouldered his way past the two irate council members. Then he reached out with the Force and pulled one of Talon's single hilt lightsabers to his hand before turning his back to the girl and stood in front of her.
"I'm not sure exactly what you're planning to do Kenth, but exiled or not, I'm not about to let you continue to terrorize a child, especially one that also happens to have been severely injured. So before you think about using that weapon on her, you're going to have to get past me. And I warn you; I won't be holding back." Luke stated calmly.
Kenth Hamner glared at the man he'd replaced as Grand Master. He knew that there was a large amount of anti Jedi sentiment among both the galactic leaders as well as the general population these days, and he'd been doing everything he could think of to keep the New Order out of the line of fire. The fact that he hadn't been entirely successful weighed heavily on his mind. After Chief of State Daala had been proven to be falsely vilifying the New Order and pursuing a personal vendetta against them, things had improved to a small extent, but the Jedi still had to tread a very fine line. Then this pops up in his lap. Well, he'd be able to deal with this the same as he'd dealt with all the other problems that had cropped up lately.
"You have been exiled from the Order, Skywalker! You're not even supposed to be here. You aren't allowed to be involved in the order for any reason!" Hamner stated, conveniently changing the subject.
"You know, you really should stop jumping to conclusions. You'll notice that I'm not wearing Jedi robes, nor am I wearing my lightsaber. That's why I had to borrow one of hers." Luke replied with a nod towards the girl still cowering behind him. Luke didn't mention the fact that after having discovered why Jacen had been consumed by the Darkside that his exile was technically over.
"Well, if you're not here in an 'official' capacity, then what are you doing here?" Hamner demanded suspiciously.
"I'm here at my sister's request, to help the sole survivor of a terrible tragedy. A thirteen year old girl who had to watch as everyone she ever knew was killed right in front of her eyes. The fact that this survivor happens to have been trained by the Sith is irrelevant. She was being traumatized by those same Sith that raised and trained her, even before the tragedy occurred. She is here, now, in need of shelter and support. Now, will you grant her that shelter and support, or do you want to prove that the Jedi Order is as cruel and evil as her Sith Masters have taught her to believe? Either way, you need to shut that down, or try to get past me." Luke told Hamner calmly as he ignited the lightsaber he'd snatched from Talon.
Grand Master Hamner stared at the brilliant red blade that flashed into existence to add emphasis to Luke's words. Then he looked beyond the man who was currently the most skilled Jedi in the galaxy, at the girl who was cowering behind him, shaking in fear, while watching in wide eyed terror what was happening.
Suddenly the Grand Master shook his head, and blinked as if clearing away a mental fog. He had no idea how things had gotten this out of hand, nor how the situation had escalated so far that two Jedi Masters were now pulling lightsabers on each other. He was about to try to say something, anything to diffuse the tension in the room, when he found himself suddenly pinned against the wall by a strength that was far greater than his own.
"This one thinkz that you need to listen carefully. She doesn't pretend to know why you are doing this, but she does know that you are behaving far worse than the Sith whose presence you are objecting to. If you would but open your eyes and truly look at this particular Sith, you will see, not a powerful Sith Lord bent on destruction and domination, but a frightened youngling who is sure that you want to kill her! Is this what we are to become? Is this the future of the order, to embark on mighty hunts to kill helpless younglingz who've not had the chance to learn better? Such thingz are not what we represent. We are Jedi; beaconz of light to show otherz the proper way, and now we have one among us who truly needz such guidance. Will you now deny a youngling a chance to walk a path in the light?" Saba demanded after she'd gained the man's attention by pinning him to the wall.
The snap hiss of a deactivating lightsaber gave the Barabel Master part of her answer as Grand Master Hamner lowered his head.
"My apologies. I'm not sure what came over me just now, but I was wrong, and way out of line. I'd like some time to think this through so that it can be properly discussed in a council meeting. It seems this position is much more difficult than it appears, and the stress must be getting to me." Master Hamner said sincerely.
Upon hearing the Grand Master apologize for his actions, Saba released her hold on him, although she still kept a sharp pair of eyes on the man.
The sound of a second lightsaber deactivating drew everyone's attention as Luke turned, knelt down, and offered Talon's weapon back to her. The girl's hesitation and fear were obvious to those watching as she accepted the proffered weapon and placed it back on her belt.
Talon wasn't sure what was happening. She knew that there had just been a confrontation over what was to be done with her, but there hadn't been a fight, no one had been killed, nor had anyone been injured. With no winner being obvious to her, she didn't know if she was going to be sent off to survive on her own, killed, or allowed to stay. The answer to the unspoken question of her immediate fate was answered when Luke spoke to her.
"Come on Talon. Let's get you back on the bed so you can finish eating, and Cilghal can check to see if you've re-injured your leg." Luke offered as he held out his hand.
"How'd she get hurt?" Hamner asked when he spotted the plasticast and brace on the girl's left leg.
"A gross mistake on my part during a training session. If I'd asked a few more questions, it never would have happened. I Force pushed her into a wall, and while it wasn't very hard, it was hard enough. From what I've learned afterward, we're all lucky she wasn't killed." Kyle admitted.
"You threw a student. No scratch that. A possible student into a wall hard enough to cause injury?" Hamner demanded in disbelief.
"No, he didn't. She was injured because of a medical condition which has caused her to have very brittle bone structure. And now I'll need to re examine her to make sure she hasn't fractured anything else in that flight across the infirmary." Cilghal intoned as she walked over to where Talon was huddled in a corner.
Talon tensed in an instinctive reaction when she felt the Mon Cal healer conduct a quick exam of her body using the Force, but relaxed slightly when there was no attempt to enter her mind. She started to get to her feet when the healer continued coming towards her, but then stayed seated after being told not to move.
"If you'll take her right side, I'll get her left and we can carry her back to the bed. I really don't want her putting any weight on that leg until I get at least one more session of Force healing performed on it." Cilghal asked Luke as she got into position.
Once Talon was back on the bed, Cilghal picked up and handed the girl's tray of food back to her, which was readily accepted.
The first bite of food was halfway to her mouth when she paused and looked up at the healer.
"Thank you." Talon offered softly hoping that she'd done it right.
"You're welcome." Cilghal replied easily.
Master Hamner watched as Talon resumed eating her dinner, and couldn't help but notice the apprehensive glances that kept coming his way. He looked the girl over carefully, and didn't fail to notice the unusual number of lightsabers attached to the child's belt.
"Can someone at least tell me why she's got four lightsabers?" He asked finally.
"She carries different weapons for different forms. I'll be happy to elaborate on that in front of the council, tomorrow, if you'd like. Her saber skills are quite impressive, as are her telekinetic skills. I know it's not usual for a Knight to attend such meetings, but Talon's is an unusual case, and for right now, I'm the one who's most familiar with it. As Luke said earlier, she's been heavily traumatized by the Sith, and by the incident which prompted her hasty flight from Korriban." Leia answered.
"And just how hasty was this flight?" Hamner questioned dubiously.
"She fled wearing nothing more than a belt to hold her weapons, and the gore of the creatures she had to kill to survive. Again, if you'll read my report, you'll be able to learn more, and later tonight, I'll have time to review some additional information which might give me a few more answers. For right now, suffice to say that even with barely escaping Korriban alive while getting poisoned in the process, getting her leg broken and being sure that someone was going to kill her, today has probably been the best day of Talon's life so far, given the misery she'd have to compare it to." Leia replied candidly.
The Grand Master of the Jedi order gave Leia a hard look before turning to leave. "I'm going to assume that what you just said was a very poor attempt at a very bad joke; because I'm not sure I want to think about just how bad someone's life would have to be in order for a statement like that to be true." Master Hamner said as he left.
"I'm sorry about that Talon. I knew that bringing you here would be hard for many to accept. And to be honest, if I hadn't met you the way I did, it would have been hard for me to accept as well. I won't try to tell you that the next few days will be easy, because they may not be. But whatever happens, I'll be right there with you." Leia said as she placed her hand on Talon's shoulder, feeling that she owed the girl some kind of explanation after what had just happened.
Talon stopped eating and looked down at the tray with a worried expression on her face. More than a hundred questions raced through her mind at that moment, but there was one that was foremost in her thoughts. Talon swallowed hard and steeled herself to ask that question.
"Am... Am I going to be sent to the wilds?" She asked softly.
"I'm not sure what you mean by that Talon, can you explain it to me?" Leia responded.
"When someone breaks the rules, they sometimes get sent to the wilds. To live on their own with the shyrack, Lairgek, Tukata beasts, and Guardians." Talon answered in a whisper.
Of the five Jedi in the infirmary, only two were close enough to hear the girl's whispered answer, and only one fully understood the implications of that answer. Although Cilghal didn't understand the reference to the Guardians; the Jedi healer did know what shyrack and Tukata beasts were. Both Jedi felt the blood drain from their faces as they thought of sending someone so young out to face such a fate on their own.
Leia closed her eyes as she tried to regain her mental composure. It wasn't easy when someone constantly expected something from her that was so horrible, that Leia couldn't ever imagine herself doing any of it.
"No Talon. I can promise that you will never be sent to the wilds. I can't say that you'll be allowed to stay here, even though I'm going to do my best to see that you can. But I will say that if you do have to leave, then you can come stay with me. Is that fair enough?" Leia said earnestly.
Talon had no words for the emotions that were going through her mind at that moment, nor could she have described what she was feeling. She felt her chest tighten almost painfully, tears well up in her eyes, and without knowing why, she knew that if this Jedi asked her to, she would even face the Guardians all over again without hesitation. As the tears slowly began to slide down her cheeks, Talon felt Leia's hand move from her right shoulder over to her left.
Leia pulled the girl closer to her in a partial embrace. She liked to believe that she was a caring, compassionate person, but at the same time she knew that years of political maneuvers and seemingly endless wars had helped to harden whatever sympathies she might have had. Still, every time she looked at Talon, all she could think about was how she would feel if it was one of her children that had been raised and treated like this.
As a parent, Leia had wanted nothing but good things in life for her children, and that included a galaxy which was safe to live in, free from tyranny, and free from the horrors of war. To an extent, she knew her efforts had helped to overthrow the Empire, and even though that hadn't brought about the end of war, it had helped to make the galaxy a safer place. But now, right here beside her, in her very arms was living proof that she hadn't succeeded nearly as well as she and many others had thought.
The life that Talon had lived thus far, was every parents worst nightmare. Fear, terror, discomfort, cruelty, misery, pain, hunger, and torment; no parent wanted any of these things for their children, and it pained the Jedi to know that Talon had never known or experienced anything else. Leia knew that she couldn't erase what had been done to the girl in the past, but she could try to ensure a worthwhile future for Talon, and that was exactly what she resolved to do.
"Go ahead and finish eating Talon." Leia instructed.
Talon reached under her ocular filter to wipe the tears from her eyes before she started eating again.
Kyle was gathering the now empty trays and loading them on the hover cart to take them back to the cafeteria. Just before he left, Kyle looked over at the girl sitting on the bed eating her dinner. Then he looked down at the cast and brace covering the girl's lower left leg and shook his head regretfully.
"Do not worry about the Council meeting, Jedi Solo; this one will be there to support both you and the little one. This one has a good feeling that thingz will work out." The Barabel said before she too left the infirmary.
"Thank you Saba." Leia said gratefully. She'd been about to say more when she felt Talon go completely rigid beneath her arm which was still across the girl's shoulders.
Cilghal stopped what she'd been about to do and looked up at Talon while managing to look believably hurt.
"Now did I hurt you the last time I examined you?" The healer asked in a tone that matched her expression.
"No." Talon answered as she shook her head nervously.
"So why do you think I would do such a thing now?" Cilghal asked sounding dismayed.
Talon didn't know how to answer that question without making the Jedi angry, so she just hung her head and looked down at her lap without saying anything.
"You should try to relax Talon. Let go of your fears. It's not healthy for you to be so afraid all the time. I'm just going to use the Force to speed up the healing in your leg. You're welcome to watch and observe if you like." Cilghal said gently.
Talon nodded her head and opened herself to the Force as the healer had suggested, and Cilghal nearly gasped in surprise when she felt the Force rushing into the child. She knew that few Jedi could summon the Force to them as easily as this girl seemed to be able to do. With a quick shake of her head to clear her thoughts and mind, Cilghal began to focus herself.
Concentrating on the injured leg, Cilghal began pulling the Force to her and sending that energy into the point of injury that she was focusing on. She could sense her patient following her every move within the Force. Through the Force, Cilghal could literally see the cells of the broken bones multiplying to seal the breaks, and while she knew that the bones would not be fully healed after only two sessions like this, they would be much farther along than relying on bacta treatments alone.
Cilghal was concentrating on using the Force, and was suddenly very surprised to find her strength in the Force being augmented by the energy that Talon was literally pouring into her. The healer had heard that there were techniques that would allow one to lend their strength to someone else, but Cilghal was thoroughly surprised that one as young as Talon would know such an advanced technique.
After nearly twenty minutes of sending the Force through the girl's leg, Cilghal was exhausted. As she came out of the near trancelike state, she staggered backwards to all but fall into the chair across from the girl's bed and closed her eyes. She began to recover her strength by taking several deep breaths, and simply relaxing.
Talon stared at the Jedi in open mouthed shock. She could sense how tired Cilghal was after what the healer had done to fix her leg. Being as open as she was to the Force, Talon had easily been able to sense and follow what Cilghal had been doing. She just didn't know, or even begin to understand how it had been accomplished. She did sense that the Jedi had been trying to help her and that was why she had done one of the things she'd been trained to do and given her strength in the Force to the Healer. She knew that the Jedi had spent a tremendous effort to use a lot of Force energy on her leg, and seemed to deplete her own strength in the Force while doing so. She knew that the Jedi had done this to help her, but at the same time, she didn't understand why.
Talon was really confused now. She knew that one Jedi had wanted to kill her, or send her to the wilds, while another Jedi was protecting her; one Jedi had hurt her, and another had healed her. None of it made any sense to her. Not knowing what else to do, Talon finished what food was left on her tray.
When Talon started on the first of the two glasses of Bantha milk, she slowed down to examine the taste of it. This was the first time in her life that she'd ever noticed the flavor of something that she was eating or drinking, and something about this particular taste made her want to experience the flavor as long as possible.
After finishing off both glasses of Bantha's milk, Talon spotted the gravy still left in her plate. Picking it up, she began licking up all of the gravy she could get. When Talon finally finished everything, she wiped her hand across her mouth and noticed the gravy that she'd just removed from her face. Without any hesitation, she began licking that gravy off her hand. She'd just finished cleaning her hand with her mouth and tongue when she noticed Leia close her eyes, put her face in her hands, and shudder hard. She could clearly sense the Jedi's revulsion, and disgust, and those were feelings that Talon was all too familiar with.
Certain that she knew what was about to happen, Talon put her hands in her lap, closed her eyes, and waited for the mental invasion that had always followed those feelings.
While Leia knew very well that Talon had never been shown any kind of table manners; but she also knew that there was no way that she could sit through another meal like that one without wanting to scream. The girl's complete lack of anything even remotely approaching table manners was going to be corrected now, if she didn't manage to teach Talon anything else, she was going to learn at least some table manners.
"Talon, why don't we go back to the lounge and have a cup of caf and let Master Cilghal get some rest? She's pretty worn out after that last healing session." Leia suggested.
Surprised that the expected invasion of her mind never came, Talon opened her eyes and looked at the Jedi still sitting to her right. The expression on the Jedi's face told Talon that she was waiting for an answer. Talon nodded, and began to gingerly get out of the bed. The pain killing medications were still doing their job, so her leg didn't hurt when she set it on the floor and carefully put some weight on it. Talon picked up her cloak and put it on before turning to face Leia once again.
"I want you to come back here as soon as you start hurting again. Just because you're injured doesn't mean you have to be in pain." Cilghal rumbled firmly.
Talon turned to look at the Mon Cal healer in confusion. "But the Masters always said that pain is supposed to be used to fuel your strength."
"It is true that there have been Sith who can use pain, Talon; even extreme types of injuries to fuel their anger and their strength, but do you want to be in pain?" Luke asked with a slight frown.
"No." Talon answered simply.
"Then why hurt, and be in pain when Cilghal has medications and healing techniques in the Force that can keep you from feeling the pain?" Luke asked rhetorically with a slight grin.
Talon didn't know how to answer that question so she merely hung her head in response. Luke could see the confusion written on the girl's face and realized that she thought he expected an answer.
"You don't have to answer that Talon, but just think about it." Luke told her.
Talon nodded her head and looked up at Leia as the Jedi came around the bed.
"I can join you for a cup of caf before I need to leave. Hamner doesn't want to place the Order in jeopardy, and I can't really blame him, even if I disagree with his methods." Luke told his sister amiably.
"There's quite a few that aren't happy with those decisions, but this isn't the time or place to discuss that now. Besides, I don't think Talon's ready for a lesson in politics just yet." Leia replied with a light chuckle.
As the two Jedi led her out of the infirmary, Talon saw many students gathered in small groups to pass the time talking, playing a few games, and some who were just generally cutting up, and telling jokes. This was very surprising to her, because any time a student was awake at the Sith academy, they had to be training or studying. If they weren't, they were given severe punishment, but then there really wasn't any other kind of punishment that she knew of.
Talon wanted to ask about this, but she didn't want those students to get punished if they were doing something wrong.
Once inside the lounge, Leia led them to the same table they had used earlier. Before she sat down, Talon was once again drawn to the view of Coruscant's gleaming spires, and bustling airways. Countless minds beyond number were out there to be sensed. Countless minds, whose thoughts had been constantly impinging on her own since she had arrived on this world. In one way, Talon was lucky that there were so many, since it meant that the thoughts or emotions from any one mind were drowned out by a multitude of others. But in another way, all of those minds together were threatening to overwhelm her own thoughts.
Everything she could see was bright, clean, new, and shiny; a far cry from the dull weathered stone corridors of the academy on Korriban, where everything had been old, if not ancient and well used.
Softly glowing golden irises flickered back and forth as Talon watched hundreds, even thousands of speeder cars, and air speeders carry their passengers to their myriad destinations. She could see people on far away landing pads that looked as small as the rock mites or blood flies that would sometimes plague the students of the Sith academy in their sleep.
Just thinking of the small parasitical insects that were always biting was enough to make her want to start scratching. Talon idly wondered if they had those kinds of bugs here at the Jedi academy.
Talon picked up a sense of amusement behind her and focused on the source. Because it was much closer than any of the other feelings she was sensing, she was able to determine both direction and proximity. Turning to look at the source, she saw Leia smiling lightly at her.
"A lot different from Korriban, isn't it?" She asked gesturing towards a chair.
Talon nodded her head and hesitantly pulled out the chair to sit down. She could still look out the window if she wanted, but she sensed that the Jedi had something in mind, and wanted her attention.
Leia had put some thought into exactly how she would phrase this, and there was really no easy or polite way to say it, so she'd decided to come right out with it.
"Talon, we're here so that I can teach you the proper way to eat, without making a mess, and without making others around you sick to their stomach." Leia told her.
"How did I do it wrong? I used the tools like you told me to." Talon asked worriedly, certain that some form of punishment was coming.
"Well, you did use the knife and fork, but you didn't even touch the napkin, and you were dripping gravy everywhere and eating off the plate and even your fingers and hands." Leia replied shuddering once more at the thought.
"I went ahead and let you finish eating, because I wanted you to be able to concentrate on what I'm going to teach you, and at the same time, I don't want you to go hungry while you're learning." Leia said as she motioned a server droid over to the table.
Talon didn't say anything as she waited to find out what was going to happen in the next few minutes.
"Bring us two complete place settings. Each with one serving of nerfloaf from the cafeteria, extra gravy, and three slices of Haroun bread. Two glasses of Bantha's milk, and three cups of caf, with cream and sweetener on the side." Leia ordered when the server droid made its silent appearance.
As the droid trundled off to fill her order, Leia noticed Talon staring at the table with an air of expectant doom hovering over her. It was only her experience as a mother who'd raised three children that gave her the patience not to scream at the girl that no one was going to hurt her. Even so, that patience was being sorely pressed into strained service.
"Talon." Leia began firmly. "I need you to listen to me very carefully." She continued when the girl looked up. "I'm not going to punish you for eating wrong. Instead, I'm going to teach you to eat properly. Understand?"
Talon nodded her head to acknowledge that she understood, but the forlorn expression never left her face.
Four hours and five cups of caf later, Leia was finally satisfied that Talon could eat at a table with others without causing everyone around her to lose their appetite. It had been a very trying experience for the Jedi, because Talon just couldn't understand why she shouldn't eat with her fingers, nor could she understand why she had to waste any food that she didn't get into her mouth.
Luke had left after the first half hour, leaving Leia to do this on her own. It hadn't been easy, and although she had managed to get Talon to learn the basics, such as cutting up her food and properly using the napkin; the girl still ate somewhat faster than would be considered polite and still gripped her fork like a lightsaber. Leia had decided not to attempt everything in a single session after noticing that Talon had been paying rapt attention and trying desperately to learn everything as if her life depended on it. The Jedi Knight sighed heavily as she realized that Talon probably thought that this was the case.
Leia had the server droid bring them one last cup of caf while the table was being cleared of the dishes. She knew that it was late and that the rest of the students were in their quarters, if not already in bed. While they sat there, Leia studied the girl. She knew that reaching out with the Force would send the child into a near panic, so instead Leia decided to try a page from Talon's book.
Opening herself to the Force in the way she'd seen Talon do on several occasions wasn't anywhere near as easy as the girl made it seem. It took a concentrated effort to disregard an entire lifetime of guarding her thoughts and emotions. It took still more effort to drop the defenses that had been ingrained into her through countless hours of training and discipline.
On her first attempt to duplicate what she'd seen Talon accomplish, Leia knew that she'd never be able to fully open her mind to the extent that Talon could. There were simply far too many barriers, and too many hours of training in the way. None the less, Leia was still pleasantly surprised at the level of connection that she was able to achieve.
The Force was flowing into her with a strength she'd never felt before, and she knew instantly why Talon would do this at every given opportunity. Leia was easily able to sense the girl's presence at the table, more; she was able to sense the apprehension in the girl, the fear that went so deep that it filled the girl's entire mind. Leia knew that she hadn't detected anywhere near this much stress and fear in Talon when she'd entered the girl's mind on board the Alderaan. She had to think about that for a minute before she figured out that when she had entered Talon's mind, she had raised her own defenses to block out things that she didn't want to experience. Sadly, the Jedi realized that she would never be able to develop the type of trust necessary to fully open herself the way that Talon could.
Being careful not to actually probe or invade Talon's mind in any way, Leia simply accepted the feelings and sensations that the Force brought to her. She could now understand just how deep Talon's fear ran. Fear of being punished, fear of being killed, fear of being exiled, fear of having her mind invaded, fear of pain, fear of being tormented, fear of her Masters, fear of her fellow students, fear of starvation, fear of the unknown, and now, fear of the Jedi. A lifetime of almost constant torment had ensured that Talon's every waking moment would be filled with fear and uncertainty. Because of what she was sensing through the Force, Leia now understood just how frightened Talon truly was. Leia could sense each and every one of these fears, and she knew that Talon had been given more than enough reason to have them. The question that kept coming to mind; was how to dispel those fears, so that Talon could be properly trained as a Jedi.
That was the question that was still turning over in the Jedi's mind, when she felt Talon join her in the Force. To Leia, it almost felt as if Talon's mind had expanded to engulf the entirety of the Force. It was an ample demonstration of just how strong a connection the girl had. Leia felt the girl's consciousness hover nearby for a very brief moment, before the girl's mind began to travel elsewhere within the Force. This time, Leia was in a perfect position to try to follow her.
Leia could feel the girl's mind swirling, spiraling outward as if looking for something in particular, but then without warning the girl would change directions and go to some place that was completely random. The Jedi could easily tell that there was no control, or even any attempt to choose a specific direction as she followed Talon's mind through the vast energy of the Force. For a split instant Leia was almost certain that there was a second presence with Talon, but couldn't be sure.
The Jedi quickly found that being ready to follow Talon in the Force, and being able to follow Talon in the Force were two drastically different things. Like an escape pod being tossed in a cosmic storm, Talon's mind roamed from one side of the galaxy to the other, rarely stopping in one place for longer than a moment or two. Of all the places that were visited as she followed the girl, two stood out the most. Leia's heart ached with sorrow as she recognized the slowly spreading field of asteroids which were all that remained of her home world of Alderaan; then she followed Talon on a wild and breathtaking high speed flight through the towering tree tops of Endor, before returning to Corruscant to roam once more through the academy as she returned to her body. Through all of it, Leia could easily sense the curiosity burning in Talon's mind like an insatiable hunger.
Finding herself once more in the lounge, Leia couldn't believe what she'd just done. It had been irresponsible, reckless, and exceedingly dangerous; she knew that something like that should never be attempted by anyone who didn't have experience in it. She also knew without any doubt that the only reason she hadn't become lost in the Force, was because she'd followed Talon. The Jedi shuddered as a rush of fear at the possible consequences swept through her. Leia let out a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes and looked over at the girl sitting there calmly taking a sip of caf as if she'd done nothing out of the ordinary.
"Is it always like that when you. . . . do that?" Leia asked hesitantly.
Talon nodded her head as she looked up at the Jedi. "The Force shows me places I've never seen, places I might go to some day, and sometimes it shows me places that aren't there anymore." She spoke softly in a tone that told the Jedi of the girl's sense of awe at what she saw on those trips through the Force.
"Talon, I need you to promise me something." Leia said heavily as she looked at the girl.
Talon was silent for a moment. "What's promise mean?" She asked softly.
"A promise is something that you don't ever break. If you promise to do something, then you do it, even if you don't want to, and if you promise not to do something; then you don't ever do it. And right now, I need you to promise me that you won't ever show that to the other students. They won't know how to find their way back, and could become lost in the Force forever." Leia explained solemnly.
Confusion was evident in those gold glowing eyes as Talon tried to understand how someone could get lost in the Force. To her; the Force had always been a haven, a safe place where nothing could touch her or hurt her, but this Jedi was acting as if the Force could be dangerous. Talon didn't understand how that could be possible, but she did understand what the Jedi wanted from her, so she nodded her head.
"I won't show them." She said quietly.
"Thank you Talon. You can use that technique all you want in your quarters, or when you're alone, just not around the other students, okay?" Leia said compromisingly.
Talon nodded just before she drained her cup of the last bit of caf, and Leia noted that the girl didn't seem to care that it had gotten cold. The Jedi knew that some circles enjoyed iced caf, and that the beverage was even served in some of the more exclusive tap cafs, but no one she'd ever heard of enjoyed luke warm caf. It was almost too disgusting to contemplate, but then Leia considered what the girl had been raised on, and decided not to say anything.
"It's been a long and tiring day, Talon." Leia sighed as she stood up. "Come on; I'll show you back to your quarters so you can get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow so I can try to find out what other skills you might have so we can get a better idea of where to start on your training."
Talon nodded as she got up to follow the Jedi. On the way back to the girl's room, Leia noticed that most of the students were already asleep, but knew that it would be another few hours at least before she herself could even think about getting to bed. With the list of things she still needed to do running through her mind, Leia led Talon into the girl's room.
"Don't worry about any specific time to get up. There will be a set of morning bells for those that are scheduled for day time classes. If I'm not there when you do wake up; head to the cafeteria and ask one of the droids for breakfast and they'll fix something for you. Once you've eaten, I want you to wait for me in the lounge. I'll meet you there as soon as I leave the council meeting; okay." Leia instructed.
Once again, the Jedi noted that Talon wouldn't actually speak unless the answer required it, as the girl only nodded her head. Leia shook her head as she realized that this particular habit wasn't going to change any time soon.
Leis showed Talon how to remove the walking brace so she could get cleaned up in the refresher, before pointing out the door controls which would allow her to seal the room for privacy.
"You haven't been assigned a room mate, and with your environmental needs, it's not likely that anyone will be able to share these quarters with you. So, all you have to do is pick a four digit code, and enter it twice to set it."
"What numbers do I use?" Talon asked after she'd thought about it for a minute.
"I'm not sure Talon." Leia began.
Leia had started to ask if Talon had a lucky number, or date that had some meaning for her, but then realized the Talon most likely wouldn't have a clue as to what she was talking about, since the Sith Masters hadn't bothered with dates, and Talon had never played any games to have developed an affinity for any certain number.
"Most people just use a set of numbers that they can remember easily; one that they're familiar with. Do you have anything like that?" Leia asked.
"Could... Can I use the weight of my training weapons?" Talon asked hesitantly.
Leia brightened in a smile. She hadn't wanted to suggest a code number, because she was almost certain that Talon would have considered it an order.
"Sure, you can use that, if you want. But don't tell anyone else what your code is. As long as you are the only one that knows it, then no one else can get in without your permission." The Jedi instructed.
Leia avoided mentioning that she knew what Talon's weapons weighed and therefore knew the code that Talon would be using. She also knew that the council members and each of the Jedi Masters had a master override in case of emergencies. That override could also be accessed by a Knight if needed.
"Well, Talon. I know that this hasn't been a good day to start off your training as a Jedi, but I'm hoping that tomorrow will be better." Leia said kindly. It certainly can't be much worse. She thought.
Leia pointed diagonally across the hall. "I'll be in that room right there if you need anything, okay? I'll probably be up most of the night, so no matter what it is, if you need something just come get me. In the meantime, you have a good night, and sleep peacefully Talon." Leia said as she left and went to her own quarters.