Hi guys, just on the half way point through the story. Been/will be a bit tied up at work but will get into some Hide/Seek and Tarnished Knight when I can. Anway here is one I prepared earlier...a bit more contemplative...and the last major character to be introduced.
Also in the interim would love to hear any feedback re: who would you like to see more/less of, any themes or bits I've done well or could do better at, types of scenes that you'd like more or less of?
Thanks
Soryu
The living force was strong in the under levels of the temple. Most of the new Temples construction was only occurring on the outer shell, with re-enforcing works and access tunnels the only internal change this far down in the multilayered structure.
The Council at the time, some 50 years ago had locked off some of the structures beneath the new main temple very deliberately, Soryu couldn’t see why really, there way so much energy and life down here. He had taken both his Padawans down here often to feel the flow not just the energies of the temple, but of all Coruscant, the living force from every being on the planet seemed to flow through here in some way. And for that reason he had brought the aspirant Valens down here.
Valens was the most unusual and exciting student he had seen in 20 years as a master. He had spoken to Yoda at length about him before Yoda had departed on an assignment to Boz Pity. Physically he was more than capable, but it was his connection to the force that amazed Soryu. As he watched him leap through a Padawan training course, over beams, through small tunnels, red track markers beeping green as he passed them in time, he could feel how naturally the force flowed through him.
For most Jedi, even Soryu himself, he felt more like a funnel, channelling the living force by pressing it into the shape he desired, by for this Valens and very rare others, they were more like an ancient sailing ship, they used forces natural winds and tides without having to try and change them. To truly be in sync with the living force like that was what Soryu aspired to, not for power, but to live more fully as one with all life.
Valens raced down the final stretched, then did a small leapt before placing foot after foot on the thin pillars separated by half a metre and barely wide enough for one foot, off the last one he did a roll through the low red marker, it switched green with an affirmative ding.
Soryu checked his chrono - 3 minutes 12 seconds, it wasn’t a record, but it was in the top ten, for a first attempt it was exceptional. Valens walked over his breathing slowing, his presence in the force slowly retreating back. That was the other thing Soryu thought fascinating, how distant Valens felt in the force, making him near impossible to read. He couldn’t be sure if it was intentional or natural. There was so much about the force no one knew, so much this young man could teach.
“Well done”
“Thank you Soryu,”
“please sit, have a drink,” he offered a bottle of water, “So what do think of this place,”
Valens looked unsure, “The temple or the planet or….”
“Oh,” Soryu chucked, he forgot how new all this was to Valens, “This room below the temple,”
“Oh…its different down here, the aether feels freer, brighter,”
“how so?” Soryu questioned, noting his use of that word, Aether,
“Well above…its bright but mingled with the lights of the Jedi and other people, their thoughts…here…there are beams coming from…well everywhere, above, outside…and especially below…but none are as distinct, they meld into a single glow better…the further you are from two lights the more they combine…if that makes sense…” he replied in an uncertain manner
“It does it does, on Jedda it is similar, outside the cities, away from the temples the force that flows through them is less distinct, but combines in the background to be a more pure flow of the force,”
Valens nodded, “Yes on Aethas, we go to the mountains for the same reason…through distance you’re not, I guess separating yourself so much as seeing the aether as a whole better,”
“Ah truly, truly, I would very much like to visit your world…Yoda’s descriptions were fascinating,” Soryu checked himself, he needed to get back on to the examinations, much though he wanted to discuss these things in more depth.
“When the code says there is no emotion there is serenity, what does that mean,” he changed the subject abruptly
“I though it read there is no emotion there is peace, and there is no passion there is serenity, or do I have it wrong,”
Soryu was slightly knocked off course by that, Valens was right, the similarity of the two lines often went unnoticed by apprentices when probed,
“You are correct,” he repositioned, “What do you think the difference is,”
Valens brow furrowed, “hmm…well emotion is an intrinsic biological reality for most species, but it is different across species and for individual situations…but what unites these differences is peace, that is the backdrop upon which emotions are the difference…like…peace is a kind of lake, an emotion might ripple it like a rock thrown in,” He looked up and around the room, Soryu felt him open more to the force, “to recognise this, to acknowledge yes our biology leads to emotions, but peace underlies it, and can be returned to that is its teaching….it is not that you don’t feel emotions,, but you make the effort to revert to that peace,”
It was a slightly clumsy explanation…but it was accurate and better than either of his own Padawans had given, “and passion,” he pressed on
“Passion…is more of a choice, it is a desire, a drive for something I guess, but ultimately all of us die, all ends in the force…that is the serenity, to check your passions, do they ultimately all flow with the force to which all things truly move towards…perhaps it’s also about needs and wants, a passion reflects a want, but the need, for all life is the force that sustains it, and the force doesn’t have a passion to create life, it is the serenity that underlies life,”
Soryu nodded and couldn’t conceal his smile, the answer was again jumbled, but for someone who had only known about the Jedi even existing for about three months it was exceptional insight. What he lacked in eloquence he made up for in understanding.
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Soryu found it hard to meditate in his chamber on the upper level…he wished there were a mountain like Valens had described…but he knew he had to meditate in all environments, the force was the force, he had to adapt to its variations, his preference wasn’t what mattered.
The particular issue this time was the lingering emotions of the room next to his, Yoda’s.
Yoda had not been happy as he left, he had wished to continue his operations against the Hutt slavers, but following a meeting between a group of Senators and the Council they had put a stop to those operations. Kimar had then reassigned Yoda in front of the council rather than just catching up with him in the halls.
There was no love lost between those two, they had two very different approaches to what it meant to be a Jedi, for Kimar it meant adherence to the code and obedience to the Republic, for Yoda it meant compassion and following the force even when it diverged from what was politically expedient or in keeping with the letter of the code. and Soryu suspected Kimar reluctance to even consider Valens for Jedi training was more due to his antipathy toward Yoda than anything else…though the argument that he was so much older and inducted in another tradition was strong.
There was also the issue of membership of the council, for most Yoda was an obvious choice, but Kimar and his supporters kept putting off the vote to increase the council from 10 to twelve which would allow Yoda and another to join. Soryu had been on the council five years now and didn’t like the factionalism that he had seen growing.
There is no passion there is serenity…these things didn’t matter, the life of the force flowed still even here.
He turned his thoughts to the examinations of Valens…there was such a natural flow of the force around him, such sincerity to learn and follow the living force, so much to be learnt on both sides…and focused on his memory of Valens reciting the code earlier that day…the rhythm of the words as they passed his lips whilst he floated various weights with the force, his eyes closed, a smirk on his face…
What…a smirk, that hadn’t been there had it, he couldn’t recall it, surely he would’ve noticed it at the time…he focused on the image in his mind again, it was gone…strange…perhaps he was simply confusing some other thoughts.
He shook his head…too unfocused, even a Jedi master found it hard to meditate sometimes.
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Soryu rubbed his chin, the small stubble there the only hair on his head anymore!
Valens and a Togruta padawans sparred in front of him as part of a training competition, eleven padawans and Valens faced offed against each other, each in turn in two rounds, first to three points, each hit was one point, two for the torso, three if knocked of their feet.
So far Valens had lost all his matches…and he was losing this one too…Soryu shouldn’t have been surprised, but still it seemed odd to him, from what Yoda said he had been trained as a warrior…but given the situation Yoda had gleaned about his home world, Aethas, there weren’t many people to train with.
Valens made clumsy upper slash with his training blade, the Togruta pivoted in a low spin and knocked his feet from under him, a full three points, he was out.
As Valens dusted off he went up to him,
“Ah don’t worry Valens, remember they’ve been doing this for years, want to sit out the next rounds?” he didn’t want him to become too dispirited
“That’s OK Soryu, I’ll keep going,” Soryu clapped him on the back appreciating his tenacity, another good Jedi trait.
The next round began, Valens facing a Duro who had pierced him twice in the torso before. The beep sounded and the six matches began. The Duro came in hard aiming the tip of his blade right at Valens like he had before, Valens looked uneven on his feet, the Duro stabber forward, Valens clumsily batted it aside and then…suddenly spun into a crouch sweeping the Duros feet from under him…full three points.
Soryu might have put it down as fluke, except Valens won every single match from then on winning the round 11-0.
After it was finished and happy handshakes exchanged Soryu went up to him,
“Quite an improvement,” he said,
“In battle,” Valens said suddenly very serious, “You don’t often get an opportunity to study your opponent thoroughly, this time I did,”
Soryu clicked, “The first round you were just studying them….just your opponent or,”
“No all of them at once of course…I only have two eyes and two ears, but within the aether…there are no limits,”
Soryu stared at him…the realisation dawned on him, it had been growing in the back of his mind without him even noticing it, now it broke through…Valens didn’t need the Jedi, the Jedi needed him.
