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Author Topic: Only Light Can Cast Shadow (A KotOR AU FanFiction) (Part I)  (Read 39709 times)
Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« on: September 24, 2018, 05:26:42 AM »

Hello! I'm currently working on a large-scale KotOR FanFiction that begins pre-entry to the Mandalorian Wars and continues through the plots of both games and after KotOR II to my own ending of what I think should have been done for a proper KotOR III (Not taking SWtOR into story line, sorry Tongue ). I've been posting the story on FF.net and AO3 as well, but figured I would also share here. Story is still a WIP, but I will post chapters as they are completed. Below in this post are author notes that I included with the original posting on AO3, and a general synopsis of part I. Please note that, since I am female and my first experience with both games was playing as female, I've chosen to make both Revan and the Exile female characters. The beauty of the original games was that there was no "Canon" except for what you made it to be. Your character and player experience was different based on your personal choices for gender and alignment. It is for this reason, that I'm choosing to ignore SWtOR. I hope you can forgive me.



I feel it necessary to explain the formula by which each part of this large-scale fanfiction is conceived:

The beginning of each "part" will contain a short Prologue. While the work as a while is told from a third person point of view, these prologues are in first person and are designed to give perspective of a character who will be the main focus of that particular part.

I have also deliberately chosen to only use the content of the original games themselves (Knights of the Old Republic & Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords) for canon material. The comic will be referenced in fragments, but mainly for the purposes of filling out events of the Mandalorian Wars. The events SWtoR will not be followed, and characters who are named outside of the games themselves may not bear the same name as in other works (specifically Malak and the Jedi Exile, but other minor characters as well). All names of main 3 Jedi Characters (Revan, Malak, and Exile) were created using the random character generator at the start of the first and second KotOR games.

While various romances will appear throughout the work, they are not the foremost subject, particularly in the first part. Several romances will play a more significant role in the story later on.

Part I begins before the events of the Mandalorian Wars.



There are no shadows without light to cast them. There is no inherent good, nor is there inherent evil. There is only the Force. Set in a time before the fall of The Republic, three young Jedi Knights must choose their paths and must understand that the fate of a single Jedi can change the face of the universe.

As a talented but troubled young Jedi Knight, Halin Chan struggles to find a place where she fits in among the Jedi Order. But when the Republic is on the brink of war, the young woman must make a choice that will not only change her own fate, but also those of the Jedi and of the Republic. Aided by her Jedi companions, Alex, and Opela, Halin determines that she will not remain unreached by the galaxy's cries for help.

Pre-KotOR AU Fem!Revan. Rated M for Violence
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Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2018, 05:31:35 AM »

PROLOGUE

   My name is Halin Chan, and I was born on Deralia, a small planet on the Outer Rim. My name and family ties are unimportant, or so I’ve been told. I remember having a mother, a father, an older brother… but the details are hazy. Occasionally I think I can see them in the odd dream, though truth be told, I’ve long forgotten what they look like. I was so young when I was brought here that I remember quite little of my life before coming to the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine for training.

   It was nearly eighteen years ago when Master Sana found me on my home planet and convinced my parents to give me to the Jedi Council for training. My story is not particularly unusual. After all, nearly every child brought to be trained in the ways of the Force can tell you quite a similar tale, though some were old enough to remember more details of their past than others. Contact with family is discouraged, as are the emotional bonds that can easily form from such. Since I was too young to read or write at the time, the contact ceased immediately.

I can only assume that this was for the better. After all, it is easier to liberate oneself from base passions if they never existed to begin with. Such is the code of the Jedi:

There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no death; there is the Force.

I’ve been taught, for as long as I can recall, to live and to breathe and to die by this code. My thirst for knowledge has been particularly noted by my Masters. I hardly find this aspect of myself to be unusual. After all, when one is surrounded by the wisdom of so many ages, how can one not become curious? This was an aspect of my character which had originally attracted Master Sana. While I do not personally recall the meeting first-hand, she has told me of it before. My curiosity combined with affinity and sensitivity to the Force allowed me to learn far more quickly than the average child of my age, and it was this that caused her originally to believe she could teach me.

You have a great destiny about you, child,” she tells me. “What you choose to make of it, when your time comes, will send ripples throughout the galaxy—ripples in the Force that will be felt for many years to come. However, you must beware not to take things at face value. After all, there is always more to our surroundings than what can initially be seen.

Whether great destiny or not, my life as a Jedi is to serve. I believe that our teachers tell us such things, particularly when we are young, and that we choose to believe them in order to see ours as a ‘noble’ cause. It makes our otherwise seemingly irrational way of life have a greater purpose and meaningfulness.

At the age of ten, I was granted the rank of Padawan, the lowest rank among those who had been fully accepted into the Jedi Order after their apprenticeship. Not every child taken into apprenticeship can get so far. In fact, if they cannot attain the rank of Padawan by thirteen, they are generally decided to be unfit for further training and are sent into public service elsewhere.

Such was the case of a girl named Rahala Santra, who was six years older than me, and unable to complete the Jedi Initiate trials. As was tradition, she was sent into public service on Telos as an alternative. We had been friends, and so we have kept occasional contact since then. The last I heard, she was engaged to be married—a life certainly different than she would have found in the Jedi order. That was several years ago though, and I’ve not heard from her since. Perhaps her own fate will be greater served in this way. The Force, after all, acts in mysterious ways.

When I was granted the rank of Padawan, Master Sana immediately requested to be assigned as my Master. Given her interest in me since a young age, it seemed only natural. And so, with the Council’s permission, I began to further train in the ways of the Force under the mentorship of Master Sana.

I feel that the two of us are quite a fit for one another. Where I am terribly eager to learn about the Force, Master Sana is equally as eager to teach. The basics of combat, diplomacy, meditation, and the like came quickly. They were short lessons at the beginning of my training. However, what made Master Sana unique compared to the other Masters was her willingness and even encouragement for me to seek knowledge from outside sources, and to seek self discovery.

The other Masters seemed to grow wary of her teachings for this reason, though why they would somewhat eludes me. In my own understanding of the Jedi code, I have come to accept that a Jedi should seek all knowledge. Without it, how are we to truly grow to fully understand the Force and all of its facets? I’ve heard some say such teachings can lead to the dark side… but is the Jedi code not the path to resisting the darkness that exists inside of us all?

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Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2018, 05:46:32 AM »

CHAPTER ONE: THE YOUNG KNIGHTS OF DANTOOINE

   Many Jedi lined the walls of the Council Chamber within the walls of the Jedi Enclave of Dantooine. The Council of Dantooine was in full assembly, and eager Padawans stood watching their comrades as they approached the Masters one by one. Apprentices who had not yet become Padawans looked on excitedly as they watched the ceremony take place. A young human woman with blond braids pinned neatly atop her head approached the Masters and kneeled before them.

   “By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force,” one Master spoke as he passed the green blade of his saber over each of her shoulders, “Opela Moraf, you may rise.”

   The young woman rose and stepped aside, taking her place apart from the others as another Padawan came forward. The process repeated, a different Master leading the knighting this time. “…you may rise.” The Padawan stepped aside as the next came forward, this time, a woman with wild raven hair pulled back out of her face and piercing eyes. She knelt before the Council and a Twi’lek Master came forward, passing his pale blue blade over each of her shoulders.

   “By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, Halin Chan, you may rise.”

   Halin rose and took her place among those recently knighted, next to Opela Moraf. Opela was Halin’s elder by three years. She was a polite woman and made friends quite easily, but she was also quite… complacent. Not that there was anything wrong with following orders from one’s superiors, but it seemed odd how she would often choose the path of the follower when many of the Masters saw opportunity in her natural abilities for a great leader. Opela, however, seemed to be content with this. Her greatest desire was to serve and inspire as a teacher, rather than in other affairs. In this way, her choice to follow the path of the Jedi Consular seemed rather fitting.
   “By the right of the Council, by the will of the force, Alex Khaar, you may rise.”

A towering man with a shaved head who had been kneeling before the Council rose and took his place among the others. Alex was the same age as Opela, but had become a Padawan with Halin. He had never been much of one for popularity among his peers, but what he lacked in social adeptness he made up for in his skill with a lightsaber. Alex was one of the most skilled among the Dantooine youth with the blade. His sheer size granted him a certain level of brute strength which gave him an advantage in that regard and made him an excellent Jedi Guardian.

He and Halin had grown to be great friends during their training. The two had the same insatiable thirst for knowledge and helped each other to make up for their flaws. Halin was the more clever of the two, and often assumed the role of the leader among the pair. She had chosen to follow the path of the Jedi Sentinel. She was significantly smaller than her companion though, and so Alex was generally the brawn to her brains.

Eight Padawans in total knelt before the Council on Dantooine that day. Each rising as a Padawan no more, but as having been granted the title of Jedi Knight. When the ceremony had ended, each Master went to congratulate their former Padawan. Master Sana approached Halin.

   “I congratulate you, Halin Chan, on attaining the rank of Jedi Knight. You have grown beyond your apprenticeship to me, but know that you may seek me at any moment you feel you have need for my wisdom or consultation. Remember what I have told you. Always seek the truth for yourself. There are those even within the Order whose intentions are not always what they might first seem. Be mindful of this, young one. For I feel it will lead you down the path to discover your own greatness.”

   “Thank you, Master Sana,” Halin said with a bow to her former Master. “I assure you that I will not forget your teachings.”

   “Good,” Master Sana replied. “You have been the most brilliant of my students. Your destiny lies ahead of you now that you have joined the ranks of the Jedi Knights. Now if you will excuse me, I have matters I must attend to.”

   “Of course, Master Sana,” Halin replied. And the Jedi Master departed from the room. It was then that Halin felt a hand ruffle her hair and looked up, trying to shield her head with her own hands. It was Alex. “Hey!” she protested, laughing a bit. “What was that about?”

   “Aren’t you going to congratulate your old friend? Or does being a Jedi Knight mean you’ve moved above talking to losers like me now?” He went to ruffle her hair again, but this time she caught his hand and punched him lightly in the chest.

   “Of course it doesn’t, you nerf-herder. Congratulations! You’ve earned it—we all have. Now about our bet…”

   “Our bet?” Alex said, seemingly confused. “What bet?”

   “About who would be knighted first.”

   “We were both knighted at the same time…. Doesn’t that make it a draw?”

   “Well, technically speaking, I was knighted exactly one person ahead of you, which makes me the winner.”

   “Wait… but that’s not fair! I let you go ahead of me in line!” Alex protested.

   “That’s your own fault,” she said with a smirk. “Next time you should think ahead. Now pay up.”

   Alex leered at Halin—an expression to which she replied by batting her eyelashes in an attempt to feign innocence as she held out her palm to claim her reward.

   “Are you crazy!?” he whispered, glancing around briefly. “Later. What would the Masters think?”

   She took her hand away and shrugged. “That you’re a fool? Don’t take things so seriously, Alex. Loosen up a little. We can settle this later if it would make you feel better.”

   “Thanks,” he said dryly.

   “Oh, stop being such a crybaby. We’re supposed to be celebrating right now! Now go congratulate Opela.”

   “Why should I do that?”

   “Because it’s good manners, and if you want people to more openly interact with you, then it’s a good place to start,” Halin explained, nudging him a little.

   Alex groaned.

   “Is there a problem here?” came a voice from behind.

   Halin and Alex spun around to see one of the Masters on the Council watching them with his arms folded, a rather disapproving expression set upon his facial features.

   “Of course not, Master Lamar,” Halin chirped. “Alex and I were just shooting the breeze, congratulating each other and what not. Nothing to get worked up about.”

   Master Lamar raised an eyebrow quizzically. “Miss Chan, do you mean to make a mockery me?”

   “Of course not! Why would I think of doing such a thing?”

   “Because you don’t seem to be taking me very seriously…”

   “I?” she gasped. “I would never dream of it! Now, uh… If you’ll excuse me, Master, I really must get going. I promised one of the locals I would take a look at their droid. Apparently it’s had some glitches since the last memory wipe.” And with this, she bowed out and headed swiftly to the exit.

   Alex made a move as if to follow her, but Master Lamar stopped him. “Be mindful of that one,” the Jedi Master told him. “She is too headstrong and proud of herself. Her Master was always too liberal with her teachings and only encouraged this behavior from her pupil. I fear miss Chan’s defiant nature may lead her down the path to the dark side. Do not allow her to have negative influence on you.”

   “I will keep your words in mind, Master Lamar.”

   “Good. I must continue in offering my congratulations, so I leave you to meditate on this.”

   Alex looked after where Halin had gone. He somehow doubted that she was really headed to help some farmer with their droid, but that was just who Halin was—always rushing off on some sort of new ‘adventure.’

   “Congratulations, Alex!” came a feminine voice from behind him. It was Opela. Alex froze for a moment.

   “Congratulations,” he murmured back, hesitating before turning around fully to look at her. Opela was a rather beautiful human female. She had hair as gold as the Tatooine sands and eyes that were the same pale blue of a Guardian’s blade. Though he had taken the oath of a Jedi, Alex was not blind to her beauty. Her image made him feel things that he knew were forbidden.

   There is no emotion; there is peace….

   “The same to you,” he finally managed to reply. Alex was generally the strong quiet type. He didn’t talk to many of the other Jedi, with the exception of Halin. She generally did the talking of the two and he would sort of follow her lead. Right now, however, he couldn’t rely on this status quo, and he couldn’t help but to wonder to himself if she had somehow planned this when she chose her timing to depart from the ceremony.

   ‘Damn you, Halin…’ he thought.

   “Where did Halin run off to?” asked Opela. “I wanted to wish her the same.”

   “Oh, uh… she said she had something she needed to do… Sorry about that.”

   “No, don’t apologize, it’s not your fault. I just figured that I would ask, since the two of you seem to hang around each other so often while here at the Enclave… Are you busy later?”

   A moment of terror passed over Alex’s features before he could answer her. “I…. I was planning on doing some sparring practice later on.”

   “Mind if I join you?”

   Alex was stunned. Was he really asking her this question? It was no secret that Opela was a bit weak in her skills with a lightsaber, and Alex was certain that his skills might overwhelm the poor young woman… And yet, there was something about her… something unspoken, which compelled him to say yes to her.

   “I don’t mind at all,” he said, before he could even know what he was doing.

   “Perfect!” she said, her face lighting up. “I truly admire your combat skills, and hope that I might take much away from this valuable opportunity to spar with you. I promise that I will not disappoint you.”

   Opela Moraf had always been known to make fast friends and allies with those around her, and Alex was beginning to see why that might be the case. It was something about her aura that put the minds of those she was interacting with at    peace and encouraged them to follow her desires almost blindly. Some Jedi Masters had been known to be quite gifted in the art of persuasion, and could use the force to easily influence the weak of mind. While Alex certainly did not consider himself to be weak in any sense of the word, he couldn’t help but to wonder if Opela was having a similar sort of influence on him.

   “I trust you won’t,” He replied. “I’ll see you later in the day?”

   “Certainly! I wouldn’t dream of missing it.”


><><><><><

   Alex paced the floor of the sparring room. Along one side sat several deactivated training droids designed to be used for sparring practice. One could spar with a droid, or with a fellow Jedi, though Alex more often than not chose the droids. Droids could be set to whatever level was suitable to the one practicing, and any injury could only occur upon that person, should they have overestimated their own skills and set the droid to too high of a level. People, however, were a different story. Injuries, or even deaths could occur if a miscalculation was made.

Such miscalculations were a thing that Alex feared greatly, and the reason why he generally avoided sparring with his peers. Occasionally, he would spar with Halin, but only because he knew that she was clever enough to read his forms and to respond appropriately. In fact, on more than one occasion, she had bested him with some unorthodox method she came up with that exploited a weak point in his form. Sparring with her always made him better at spotting his own flaws, though he was convinced sometimes that she must have cheated by secretly observing him outside of their sparring sessions.

Opela, however, was not at all like Halin. She was far too trusting and known to let her guard down at crucial moments when she could have easily taken the opportunity to strike her opponent. Opela was clearly more of the Mentor and Negotiator than Swordsman… So why did she ask to spar with him?

Alex was pondering this exact question when Opela entered the sparring room.

“Opela!” Alex said, “It is good to see you.”

“Likewise,” she replied. “I hope that I’ve not kept you waiting for long?”

“Not at all! Though I have to ask… Why did you wish to spar with me? I… I don’t mean to come across as rude but… well… I… er… you… I mean…”

“I’m not very good?” she said, completing his thoughts. “And you don’t usually choose to spar with your peers?”

Alex could feel his face reddening. “I didn’t mean it like that…”

“No, please. I know all of this already. No offense is taken. I have chosen the path of the Jedi Consular---it is, after all, what probably suits me best. We rely more on our connection with the Force than our skills with a lightsaber, and generally try to avoid direct combat wherever possible… Though even among the Consulars, my skills with a blade have always been my weak point…”

Alex wasn’t sure where Opela could be going with all of this. If she had known, then why would she even want to join him in the first place?

“…You may know of Master Kavar?” she continued. “He’s an excellent swordsman—one of the best in the order—and is a dear friend of mine. At one point, he wished me to become his Padawan, but it was clear to him that, given my nature, he would not be the most suitable of teachers for my case… Now that I have graduated from Padawan to Jedi Knight, I wish to show him that I have grown and that, despite my nature, I can learn to be skilled in lightsaber combat.”

“I empathize with your case—I really do, but…” Alex began in protest, “Would not a droid be most suitable in this case?”

Opela shook her head. “A droid is not living. A droid cannot become one with the Force. Since my strengths lie with my connection to the Force, I think that, maybe, if I learn to draw upon it more during combat, instead of relying the physical nature of lightsaber forms, I might have greater success.”

So there was a plan behind her seemingly mad request after all! Perhaps she was not so very different from Halin as Alex had initially thought her to be…

“I see… While I admire your reasoning, I must admit that I am hesitant to spar with you, despite my previous agreement to your request. I do not wish to harm you as a result of our training together.”

“I trust that you will not,” she said simply in reply. “Of that, I am confident. I sense much unrest within you. Perhaps this experience will be good for the both of us. Perhaps I will also be able to teach you to trust in your own self-refrain.”

Alex considered this. Perhaps she was right? Perhaps the problem was that he had difficulty trusting himself to know when to stop? Surely he was wise enough to know such now.. After all, the Council had granted him the rank of Jedi Knight. Control was something that he was expected to have learned much more of than he was while still a Padawan.

“Fine,” Alex said with resolve. “Let us begin then.”

He ignited the blue beam of his blade and assumed a ready stance, waiting for Opela to do the same. Bowing graciously in acceptance of his decision, she removed the hilt of her saber from its place hanging at her waist and pressed the trigger, causing a brilliant silvery-white blade to spring forward with a whirring sound. She assumed her ready stance. “Yes, let us begin.”


><><><><><


Halin Chan sat upright in her bunk, sorting through information in her datapad. What she had told Master Lamar had not been a complete lie. She had gone to take a look at a droid, but it wasn’t malfunctioning. It had been a security droid on the estate of one of the wealthier locals on Dantooine. The droids were meant to prevent trespassers and kath hounds from roaming the property, but Halin had found a hole in the security system and had created a sort of backdoor through which she could observe the droids’ systems at close proximity without sounding an alarm.

It was risky, sure, but there weren’t many combat model droids on Dantooine other than those used in combat training in the enclave, and those were difficult to observe the mechanics of without being reprimanded by the Jedi Masters. Security droids were the next closest thing. Halin thought that a droid could be a useful tool on either side of a conflict, and so she wanted to have a good understanding of them in order to make the best of any situations which arose in the future.

In her mind, she had toyed with the idea of building her own droid. She understood enough of basic mechanics that she could have done so easily if she chose… but Master Sana had never been particularly fond of droids, and so Halin had refrained as a sign of respect for her Master. However, this did not mean that she hadn’t created any of her own plans based on her findings.

Droids, despite not being directly connected to the Force, still radiated energy and vibrations which could be felt by those who were well attuned. Like sentients, Halin found that droids often had their own unique personalities that would develop over time, particularly without frequent memory wipes. They were capable of a large variety of tasks, but, like people, had their particular specialties.

Halin sighed and collapsed backward onto her bunk. She knew quite well that there would be nowhere to hide a droid, and anything beyond a protocol droid might be highly questioned. A simple protocol droid wouldn’t be any fun though…

She switched off her data pad. One day, though not now…. A protocol droid would be useful, yes, but the only particularly challenging programming would be a simple study of language and etiquette…

She shoved the datapad into a drawer beside her bunk and then rolled back onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. She supposed it might be best to rest right now. After all, she and Alex were supposed to travel to Coruscant in a couple of days to serve as extra security for a treaty between two insectoid races from a rim planet.

She closed her eyes and attempted to calm her mind. Eventually, she drifted into sleep, the sound of the creatures roaming the plains of Dantooine resonating in the far background.

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My Sabers: I'mma make a link eventually. list doesn't fit in sig any more Sad

Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2018, 05:58:25 AM »

CHAPTER TWO: THE JEDI ARCHIVES

   Despite the Jedi presence on both worlds, Coruscant and Dantooine could not be any more different from one another. Dantooine was a planet full of fields, and farmers, and all varieties of beasts roaming its plains. Everything seemed peaceful there. It was quiet—too quiet for Halin’s tastes. Outside of the odd scattered ruins or caves, there wasn’t much interesting about the planet. It was home to the Jedi Training Facility… and that was about it.

   Coruscant, however…. Coruscant was something else! The entire planet was one enormous city. Tall spires reached up endlessly toward the sky, and it was a complete mystery to most as to what the actual surface of the planet looked like underneath all of that gleaming polished metal of the seemingly infinite constructs that surrounded it. Hovercars, speeders, and other planetary transport ships bustled about busily in neat lines between the gaps in buildings. There was so much life here, so much noise, that it could almost be deafening if one’s senses were not prepared to take in the spectacle.

   Coruscant was also the location of the Jedi Temple where the High Council of the Jedi Order sat. To Halin, it made the Jedi Enclave and training Academy on Dantooine feel like a total sham. She was happy to escape to the Capitol Planet for a while.

   Halin and Alex sat at the bar in the Tipsy Mynock Cantina on Coruscant. On the other side of the Cantina, a Bith band played while two Twi’lek females danced. Neon lights flowed across the walls. Not far from the bar was the Pazaak den, where gamblers, both locals and travelers passing through, made wagers to pass the time.

   The bar-tending droid approached the two Knights.

   “Well, well… I can’t say that we get too many Jedi in our Cantina. What brings you?”

   “We’re off duty,” Halin replied. “Drejarrk Ood recommended this place.”

   Drejarrk Ood had been one of the assistants to the Thrakian diplomat that the two had accompanied on their recent assignment. While the outcome of assignment had been inconclusive at best (with the actual diplomats on both sides of the dispute failing to appear in person for the treaty), Ood had thanked the Jedi for their patience and recommended the Tipsy Mynock as a place where they might unwind before heading back to Dantooine.

   “Any friend of Drejarrk’s is more than welcome. What can I get for the two of you?”

   “I’ll have a Wookie-wango,” said Alex.

   “And for the lady?”

   “Pink Nebula, please.”

   “Coming right up!” the bar-tending droid replied as it hurried to prepare the drinks.

   “Did you bring them?” Halin asked Alex once the droid had left.

   Alex pulled out three crystals that had been hidden in an inner pocket of his robes. “They’re right here… but I still say you cheated me.”

   “Stop being such a sore loser,” Halin said with a dismissive gesture. “If you would have waited for me to come exploring that cave with you like we had originally planned, no bet would have been necessary.” And with this, she held her hand out to him to claim her prize. Reluctantly, Alex placed the crystals in her palm and she closed her hand around them before concealing them in her own robe. “Besides, you still have half of them. With your recklessness in the cave, the Masters have determined that it’s too dangerous to go back in for more.”

   “One Wookie-wango and a Pink Nebula,” the bar-tending droid said as it returned. “Enjoy!”

   Halin and Alex waited once more for the droid to leave before switching glasses.

   “Thanks,” Alex said, sheepishly.

   “You know, the galaxy won’t implode if a droid knows you like sissy cocktails….”

   “It’s not a sissy cocktail!” Alex protested.

   “It’s a sissy cocktail. Why else would you need me to order it for you? Is it going to hurt your man pride if you have to ask for a pink drink yourself?”

   Alex fell silent and instead took a sip of his drink.

   Halin smirked. “That’s what I thought.”

   The two finished their drinks without further conversation, the bustle of the cantina around them serving to fill the silence.

   “You ready to head back to the Enclave tomorrow?” Alex finally asked.

   Halin groaned. “No…. There’s still so much I want to do while we’re here. Maybe one of these days I could get a permeant transfer to Coruscant…”

   Alex chuckled.

   “I’m serious!” Halin began to protest. “I’m sick and tired of fields and kath hounds. Jedi are supposed to be heroes of justice. Dantooine is just too damned quiet! And there are too many injustices that still exist in this universe for us to just remain idly by….”

   “Relax, Halin! I didn’t mean to upset you. I mean… there are no wars right now. The galaxy is in a time of relative peace. Sure, there are still little things—there always will be—but nothing’s falling apart.”

   “You say that with such certainty…”

   “Because I believe it’s true. And you ought to as well”

   Halin shot him a side glance before standing and putting the credits for her drink down on the counter. “Like I said, there are some things I need to do while we’re still here…”


><><><><><


   It was quite late when Halin entered the Jedi Archives on Coruscant. She did not have the authority to view everything (since much of the material was restricted to only the eyes of the Jedi Masters), but she wished very much to see what more she could having gained Knighthood.

   On Dantooine, she had been able to see a bit more than what the Masters approved of Padawans being able to view. After all, Master Sana was one of the Jedi Historians, and had great faith in her Padawan’s capacity to understand much of what the archives contained. Being a historian, Master Sana was of the mind that without knowledge, there was ignorance, and that if one did not study and learn from the failures and successes of the past, then history was doomed to repeat itself.

   Halin, taking up the cause from her own Master, had decided long ago that she would do everything she could to learn the complete history of the Jedi and their teachings, in order to spot and prevent such repetitions before they could take place. She had determined that it was in this way she would make her own mark in the Jedi archives—by investigating the mysteries that the galaxy had to offer, seeking out injustice and harm and bringing it to light, just as the Jedi watchmen had during the times of Ulic Qel-Droma and Exar Kun…

   A brief smile of amusement flashed across Halin’s face at the thought. It was a bit ironic, really—that these two of the greatest of the Jedi Watchmen would also become two of the most feared of the Sith Lords… In her mind, it only further proved her Master’s theory.

   Halin walked through the empty halls of the archives, passing shelf after shelf of data records. The archives were quite quiet at this hour. What she wanted to know was why. Why had Qel-Droma and Exar Kun fallen from the path of the light during their service as Watchmen? Perhaps the records on Coruscant contained information other than what she had previously heard….

   The Great Sith War was still recent history. It had ended less than thirty years before, and many of the current Jedi Masters had fought in the War, or knew a Jedi who had fallen during the time. Perhaps this was why many were reluctant to speak of the events in great detail, simply telling the youth that it served as a warning against the dark side…

   However, Halin thought that if the reason was known and understood for their fall, then effective countermeasures could be taken, and the Era of the Jedi Watchmen could safely resume without the fear of being overwhelmed by temptation.

   Halin succeeded in location the information she sought, but, unfortunately, it was restricted. She figured she should have expected so much, and let out a sigh. It seemed she would have to wait to attain the rank of Master before she would find the answers she sought… Or would she? A thought had occurred: the archives were empty. And perhaps if the security systems controlling restrictions were not too complex…

   She pulled a security spike from her utility belt. She had some amount of skill in the field, and thought it would at least be worth a shot. Carefully, she sliced in and attempted to tamper with the system.

   “Looking for something?” came a voice from behind her.

   Halin quickly spun around, hiding the spike, her face flushing a little. Before her stood a grand-looking woman with white hair pinned neatly into a bun. She was all robed in white from head to toe, the absence of colors only serving to accentuate her piercing blue eyes.

   “Master Atris! You startled me.”

   Master Atris was a Jedi Historian, and keeper of the Archives.


><><><><><

   Alex watched Halin as she paced outside of the door of the Jedi Council Chambers on Coruscant. Master Atris had caught her in the process of trying to access restricted material in the archives. Alex knew first hand that his friend could be overly adventurous at times, but why she would have tried something to this extent right under the noses of the High Council was beyond him! She was really asking for trouble this time…

   The doors to the Council Chamber opened and a voice came from inside.

   “The Council summons Halin Chan to appear.”

   Halin stopped in her tracks and closer her eyes giving a wince before she turned to enter the Council Chambers. The Chamber was a high-vaulted circular shaped room with windows surrounding it. Outside, Coruscant buzzed with its normal activity, the planet’s sun having made it to just before noon point.

   Halin entered the chamber and made her way to the center of the circle, where she stopped to be addressed by the Council. All around her sat twelve of the wisest of the Jedi Order—the Masters who composed the High Council of the Jedi. They were of many different species… Some of the members Halin knew quite well, since they also served on the Council on Dantooine. Those Masters were among the ones who sat in their chairs only as holo recordings, since all could not attend in person.

   “Master Atris tells us of your attempts to access restricted materials last night in the archives… Do you deny these attempts?”

   “I do not,” Halin replied simply.

   “There are sections of the archives that are restricted for good reason, young one…”

   “May I ask the Council a question?” Halin said, nearly stepping on the words of the Master who addressed her. There was a pause of silence and slight shock from the Masters.

   “You may…” one finally said, hesitant of granting this permission.

   “I ask the Council to recite the Jedi code.”

   Master Atris scoffed. “We have no duty to fulfill such frivolous requests when there are more serious matters being discussed here…”

   “What could possibly be more serious than the code that we are taught to live by—the oath that we take as Jedi!?”

   There was another pause, which was eventually broken by Master Tokare. “There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge, There is no chaos, there is serenity. There is no death, there is The Force…”

   “Yes, Master,” Halin replied with an accepting nod. “but how are we supposed to live by these teachings when knowledge is deliberately withheld from us? Are we not choosing a path of ignorance in accepting such?”

   “To gain knowledge is one thing,” Master Lemar replied to her, “but to have the wisdom to fully understand all knowledge is something that only those who have been granted the rank of Master have. You are young and headstrong, and too full of emotions…”

   “Then is seeking the truth a crime?” Halin looked the holo of Master Lamar straight in the eye.

   “This mere girl speaks out of turn,” Master Atris said in a condescending tone. “She talks of upholding the code, and yet she cannot find peace within herself!”

   This time it was Halin who fell silent.

   “Halin Chan,” the first Master continued. “the Council understands your concern. However, there are certain things regarding the war with Exar Kun that remain under investigation, as we are still rebuilding. Your intentions are admirable, but the Council kindly requests that you respect our judgement on this matter and refrain from any further attempts of investigation yourself.”

   Halin closed her eyes and bit her lip, bowing her head in bitter acceptance. “I understand…”

   “You are dismissed from this chamber with no further punishments under the assumption that you will uphold this request. Should you fail to do so, the Council will be forced to take more serious action.”

   Halin opened her mouth and drew breath as if to protest, but restrained herself from doing so. She knew that the Council was being quite gracious in their judgement. Even she dared not to push it any further. Instead, she simply bowed in acceptance, turned, and left the Council Chamber in silence.
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Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2018, 06:09:10 AM »

CHAPTER THREE: THE PAST FORGOTTEN

   Alex was outside the doors of the Council Chamber still waiting for Halin when she finally emerged. He wanted to ask her what their judgement had been, but the look in her eyes told him that it was a subject better left for her to discuss in her own time. Instead, he took to her stride and continued with her side by side down the corridor.

   “I suppose we should start heading back then,” he said, attempting to defuse the situation.

Halin stopped walking, her mind raging with emotions. The Council had been right. Who was she to try to criticize their upholding of the code when she still battled controlling her emotions? She sighed, wiping away a tear before it could fall. She knew that she wouldn’t ever hear the end of it if Alex saw her crying…

He wanted to ask her if something was the matter, but she replied, shutting the conversation down before it could begin.

“I’m fine. I’m just… tired. It was a long night, after all…”

Alex nodded silently and the two continued walking.

There was a point at which there was an intersection which lead to several of the docking pads connected to the Jedi Temple. While the majority of those coming and going were members of the Jedi Order, there were also outsiders—people who had come from across the galaxy, seeking the aid of the Jedi. As Halin and Alex crossed the platform, they passed by a man who seemed to be trying to decide on a direction. He was clearly some visitor who was overwhelmed and couldn’t find the direction to go…

“Excuse me, Master Jedi?” the man said, addressing the two, “I was hoping one of you might be able to help me? I’m looking for the way to the Council Chambers. I would like to request a presence with them…”

Alex turned and pointed the way from which he and Halin had been walking. “Follow that corridor until you see the reception. Let them know your business and they will inform the Council of your wish to be seen.”

“Thank you kindly,” the man said, bowing in a polite gesture. “And may I ask your names in case someone questions me about who sent me in the direction?”

Halin regarded the man. There was a vague familiarity to his presence. She could feel it through the Force, though it was one she could not readily place.

“My name is Alex Khaar,” the Jedi replied. “My companion is Halin Chan. I regret to tell you though that we are not Masters—only Knights.”

The man’s eyes widened and he focused his gaze on Halin.

“Little Halin?” he said, his voice shaking in disbelief. “No, no, it couldn’t possibly…”

Halin raised an eyebrow at the man. “I’m sorry… do I know you?”

“Yes,” he said. “Yes, I think you might…. It’s me. Talon” He watched her, as if he expected the name to mean something, but for Halin it was not ringing any bells.

“I’m sorry,” she said, but you must have me confused with somebody else….”

“No, I don’t think so. I’m sure of it… Tell me, by any chance, do you come from a planet called Deralia?”

Halin blinked before giving a hesitant answer. “I do… How would you know that though?”

A smile came to the man’s face, tears of joy threatening to spring from his eyes. “I had a little sister, long ago, who showed talent in the force, and was taken from my family to be trained as a Jedi. Deralia is so far away though, and she was so young that my family was not able to make contact with her after she left. It’s discouraged for those recruited in the order to have contact with their families…” He placed his hands on Halin’s shoulders and looked her in the eye. “My name in Talon Chan, and my younger sister was Halin Chan.”

Halin’s eyes widened in disbelief and she staggered backward, away from the man’s touch. His presence… That was why it had seemed so familiar to her.

Talon could see her discomfort with the situation and immediately began to apologize. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to disturb you with this information… After all, I could be completely mistaken. I’m sure there must be another Halin Chan among the Order…”

“No,” she said, her face pale. “None that I am aware of… But how… Why are you here?”

“I came in hopes to request the aid of the Council…. You see, the political climate on the Outer Rim is quite different than here on the core worlds. I’m not sure if you are aware of the situation but, lately, There have been several Mandalorian attacks on other Rim worlds—those outside of the Republic. Deralia hasn’t been attacked, thankfully, and neither have any of our Republic neighbors, but… We fear the proximity of these attacks. We fear that, once they finish conquering these worlds, they will turn to ours next… I’ve come on behalf of the Deralian planetary government to request the aid of the Jedi in defending us against the possibility of attack.”

“The Mandalorians?... but weren’t they brought to a stop after the Mandalorian Crusades?” Alex asked.

Talon shook his head. “They’ve since chosen a new Mandalore and recently have begun conquests again. We pray that they will not grow so bold as to attack Republic sanctioned planets, but the Mandalorians can be unpredictable, and we would rather not risk the safety and security of Deralia.”

Halin felt something strange stir inside of her. Here was this person from a past she knew existed, but that she hadn’t been face-to-face with in so very long… She couldn’t help but to become curious about it. How were her parents? What was Deralia like? What kind of person was this brother whom she was now meeting? Did her family ever think of her? Had they made any efforts to contact her after she had been taken for training?... Her head reeled with thoughts. There was so much that she wanted to know….

“You should go to the Council,” Halin said. “After all, Deralia is counting on you.”

Talon smiled a little. “Perhaps we can meet afterward to catch up over lunch? I’d certainly like to hear how your training has been going since you left home… And you must have questions for me as well.”

Halin thought about it. She wanted to. She wanted very much to have answers to all of these questions which had arisen… But she was unsure, given her current situation, whether such a thing would be wise… After all, her current relations with the Jedi Council were strained after the incident in the Archives. Perhaps it would be best to leave the situation alone rather than risk being reprimanded for anything else. Contact with family was discouraged because of the emotional ties that often came with it. She had already gotten in trouble for her emotions only an hour before—she did not wish to provoke the Council to take further action.

“Perhaps I shouldn’t…” she murmured aloud.

Alex gave her a look. “Of course she will!”

“Alex!” Halin protested. She wasn’t sure yet what he was up to, but she didn’t like it.

“I have some business here I should really finish before we return to Dantooine. And I’m sure that the two of you have quite a bit of catching up to do…”

“What sort of business?” she asked, folding her arms in suspicion.

“Well…” Alex began, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck, "I need to… uh… Check for supplies for our journey back? There’s lots of stuff you can find in the shops on Coruscant that you can’t get on Dantooine…”

“So you’re going shopping…?”

“Yes,” he said, affirmatively. “I’m going shopping. And you’re waiting by the ship for your brother to finish his meeting with the Council.”

“And what if I just took the ship without you and went back myself? I don’t need you to co-pilot. The course is pre-programmed in the nava-computer.”

Alex faltered. He hadn’t thought through that far.

“You wouldn’t leave your old friend stranded… besides, I’ll see about picking you up some new droid schematics if you just wait…”

Halin’s expression softened a little. “I suppose I could wait for a couple of hours…”

“Excellent!” Talon Chan interrupted. “I look forward to seeing you soon. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an important meeting to attend.”

He gave a gracious nod of his head, dismissing himself, a gesture which Halin and Alex returned with a small bow, and then Talon Chan headed toward the Jedi Council Chambers.

“Why did you make me agree to that?” Halin asked Alex once Talon was out of earshot.

“I thought it would be good for you. You need to loosen up. You’re always too busy studying…”

Halin scoffed. “Oh please! Now you’re making me sound like Opela…”

“Yes, well, Opela doesn’t try to hack the security system in the Jedi archives to access restricted materials resulting in near detention from the High Council and doesn’t have issues controlling her passions…”

Halin took a deep breath, clearly trying to ignore Alex’s statement. “There is no emotion,” she muttered. “There is peace…”

Alex smirked. “I’ll be back soon.” And he turned and began to leave.

“You had better come through with those schematics,” she called after him.

Alex stopped and glanced over his shoulder at her before turning back and shaking his head, laughing a little as he walked away. ‘Some people never change,’ he thought to himself. And with this, Alex left the platform.


><><><><><


   Halin sat amusing herself with the crystals she had won from Alex in their bet. She was looking forward to using them to modify her lightsaber once she had access to a workbench. Lightsaber crystals were rather difficult to come by. There was a cave on Dantooine where crystals grew, but it had been deemed to be too dangerous now for entry due to the incident with the kinraith infestation. When Alex had gone in by himself, he had been badly poisoned and barely escaped with his life.

Halin thought that he was a fool for this. After all, they had planned to go together and yet he had left without her… And, knowing full-well that kinraith were a risk before entering, he should have brought with him some medpacks, or antidote kits… He should have known better.

Each crystal she held had unique properties that made it useful when incorporated into focusing the lightsaber. The first was a variety called Bondar and was most typically found on asteroids in the Alderanian system. These cloudy white crystals were typically used in training lightsabers, since the beam that they produced was of a different type of energy that stunned rather than causing serious damage.

The second crystal was the near opposite of the first. The bright cyan colored formation was an Opila crystal. Unlike Bondar, Opila crystals were quite lethal. They intensified the focus of a lightsaber’s blade, causing it to slice through things more quickly. Halin was curious to see what the results might be should she combine the two for focusing her own lightsaber.

The third crystal was quite different from the other two. This one seemed mostly clear, but it had…changed since when she had received it from Alex. As she turned the crystal over in her hand, it seemed to faintly glow in her hand. At first glance, it seemed to her like a Kyber crystal, though the ones she had previously seen had been attuned to certain colors depending on what Force-sensitives they had previously been in contact with. This one (as far as she could tell) seemed to be still unattuned. When she turned it, it would faintly radiate a color… blue, yellow, red, green, orange… but the color never lasted for more than a fleeting second.

This intrigued Halin greatly. Within this tiny crystal lay millions of different possibilities. While a part of her wanted to use the crystal right away, another part of her told her not to. After all, once she equipped it into her own lightsaber, she would be required to attune herself with the crystal, thus permanently deciding its color, shaping its fate. The time would come when it would be right for her to do so… but not yet. Perhaps when she eventually attained the rank of Jedi Master… but for now, she was content with her own Veridian blade.

“What have you got there?” came a voice from behind. It was Talon.

“Nothing of concern,” Halin said, closing her grip around the crystal and replacing it in the inner pocket of her robe. “How did your meeting with the Council go?”

“Not as well as I had hoped,” Talon admitted. “They refuse fight the Mandalorians unless they attack Republic space, but they are sending a Master to investigate further though… Not on Deralia specifically, but, in general, the outer rim worlds in alignment with the Republic.”

“I suppose it could have gone worse then…”

“Certainly it could have. I am disappointed in the lack of direct action, but I suppose it’s better than nothing. I’ll have to inform planetary government to begin our own fortifications as a precaution…”

There was a moment of silence, neither really sure how to continue. It was Halin who, after some time, finally spoke up.

“…How are mother and father?”

Talon smiled a little at the question. He was glad to see his kid sister again after all of these years, even if it seemed she didn’t know much about who he was at all…

“They are well,” he said, “They’re both retired now and I’ve taken up father’s position in politics. They’ll be quite happy to know that you asked about them. Before you, there had never been a Jedi to come from Deralia, and so when the Jedi Master who visited sensed your unique affinity with the Force, mother and father were quite eager to send you to be trained. Whether you realize it or not, you are a beacon of hope for our people. Your presence among the order gives us hope that someday others might recognize the name of our planet, and that we might become more connected with the rest of the galaxy…”

Halin had mixed feelings about this information. On one hand, an entire planet apparently admired her… on the other, her parents had given her for the purpose of a pawn for political gain…

“So I’m only here to give a name for Deralia among the Order?...”

“No, it’s not like that at all!”

“What is it like then?”

“You were always a talented girl, Halin, even back on Deralia. But Deralia is quite small. There’s nothing particularly extraordinary about it, and most don’t even know of its existence. Your potential would have been wasted there… Mother especially wanted you to be able to have a better future—to choose to be more than what Deralia had to offer….”

“So she made the choice for me?”

Talon sighed. This conversation was far more frustrating than he had hoped it would be.

“Are you saying now that you would rather have not become a Jedi? Do you regret your training?”

“Oh course not!” Halin exclaimed. “It’s just that… sometimes I wonder if it’s really what’s best for me… How my life would have turned out differently had I followed another path…. I can’t help but to feel…. Different… Master Sana always told me that being different was what made me special, and what had attracted her to me when she first visited Deralia… But I’m not so sure… I don’t think the same way as most Jedi. And while Master Sana always encouraged this from me, it’s gotten me into trouble more times than I would care to admit…”

And with this, Halin let out a sigh. “Look… Don’t take this the wrong way, Talon, but it’s probably best if we end this conversation now before I end up saying something that I’ll regret. The Council is already at my throat right now and, as you know, Jedi are discouraged from contact with family members, since such ties can be strongly linked to emotions, making them more difficult to control… and as the Council seems to think I’m too prone to my emotions as it is, things are best left this way. Give mother and father my regards when you return to Deralia…”

Talon gave a sad smile. “I suppose you’re not going to give me any choice in this matter then?”

Halin shook her head. “I’m asserting my authority as a Jedi Knight on this matter.”

“At least say that you’ll let me contact you on the odd occasion. You’re currently stationed om Dantooine, are you not?”

“I am… I’ll tell you what: if there is a change in the situation of things on Deralia, contact me and I will help in any way that I am able… Consider it my public service to the Deralian people.”

“I promise you I will make contact if there is any change… And Halin?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for taking the time to speak to me. You probably can’t understand what it means to me, and to mother, and to father, and to all the people of Deralia to know that you are well along your path as a Jedi.”
He waited for Halin to give him some sort of response, but her eyes, along with her thoughts, had drifted elsewhere. Finally, with a sigh, he gave up.

“Goodbye, Halin. It was good to see you again.”

And as he turned to depart for his ship, Halin murmured back.

“It was good to see you too…”


Logged

My Sabers: I'mma make a link eventually. list doesn't fit in sig any more Sad

Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2018, 06:22:12 AM »

CHAPTER FOUR: CONNECTIONS IN THE FORCE

   The way back from Coruscant to Dantooine was full of much discussion between Halin and Alex. After all, with the events of the past day, there was much for them to talk about: The incident in the archives, the results of Alex’s trip, the newly learned information about the advancing Mandalorians and about Halin’s home world, Deralia…

   “So what did he tell you of the situation?” Alex asked as he reclined in the co-pilot’s seat.

   “Not much,” Halin said, flicking some of the controls. “We spoke mostly of Deralia itself. He mentioned that the Council was sending a Master to investigate, though he didn’t mention who. I’m sure we could check the records of the meeting though. I doubt that would be among restricted records…”

   There was a hint of bitterness in the tone of her last words and Alex could tell that she was still upset by the Council’s decision on banning her from detailed records of Exar Kun and of the Great Sith War.

   “Perhaps not,” Alex said, deciding to leave the topic for the time being. “I suppose in a worst-case scenario, you could always contact Talon and ask. Though it’s possible the Council didn’t tell him either… Not that it makes much difference, really. I’m sure that they’re sending someone perfectly capable and that Deralia is in good hands…”

   “That’s just it though. They’re not sending someone to aid with defense on Deralia specifically—the Master is to investigate the Mandalorians’ presence in the outer rim planets under the control of the Republic. Talon doesn’t seem confident that the Jedi Master will be of much help. He’s going to have the planetary defenses on alert and has said he would contact me directly should there be any change in the status of planetary security…”

   Alex blinked. “Contact you directly? All things considered, I’m surprised that you agreed to such a thing…”

   “What choice did I have, Alex? I may not remember him or my parents very well, but… these are my people. It wouldn’t be right to leave them without any hope of aid when they might be in need… Isn’t it the duty of a Jedi to protect the innocent?”

   Alex smiled. “So you plan on helping them if the time comes…”

   “Of course I do.”

   “Would you mind if an old friend tagged along for the ride?”

   Halin laughed a little. “Of course not, but… what, might I ask, inspired this?”

   “Well… after the Knighting ceremony on Dantooine, Opela asked if she could spar with me…”

   Halin grinned at this. “And how did that go?”

   “I questioned her reasoning for wanting to spar with me, rather than with one of the training droids when it was obvious that her skills with a lightsaber were far below my own.… Her reasoning, she said, was because of her talent in forming connections in the Force. She thought that perhaps she could use these connections as a means for better reading her opponent, and since droids are not living creatures with the Force flowing through them, she had difficulty sensing them in the same way that she did organics… You know very well that I don’t like sparring with colleagues, in fear I may end up injuring them unless I use a training saber… But her confidence in herself and in me… it made me feel compelled to allow her to spar with me. At first, I thought she must be manipulating me somehow, but her own reasoning and faith in her abilities made me think… We all form bonds in the Force—between teacher and student, friend and friend… And these bonds make both stronger. Through them, we feed off of each other’s strength and connection with the Force… And I believe that we share some sort of a bond, Halin.”

   He looked at her very seriously. So much so that Halin could not help but to be taken a little aback. “And what sort of bond, pray tell, do you think that might be?”

   “I don’t know exactly… Only that… when I’m around you, I feel your strength, and that with it, I too feel stronger… Please, if the time comes, promise me that you’ll let me come with you…”

   “Don’t you go getting all mushy on me now, nerfhearder. You can come with me, but I think Opela must have made something snap in your brain…”

   Alex forced laughter. “Yeah, maybe… Thanks though.”

   He’d blown it. Maybe now wasn’t the best time to try to bring this up… His sparring session with Opela had made him realize many things about himself that he was still discovering even afterward. She had made him realize the existence of his own bonds—why he could be so open with Halin, despite his generally closed and reserved nature. He loved her! He was sure of it!

   When he was around Opela, she had intensified the connections he felt through all bonds, including his bond with Halin. It was this reason that he had felt strangely when he was previously in Opela’s presence. What was interesting though was that she—Opela—seemed to understand his feelings before he did himself. Perhaps this was why Master Tokare thought so highly of her abilities…

   Maybe when the time was right, he would better be able to explain this to Halin, but for now he was content with their friendship. Given the rules of the Order, he doubted it would ever be more than such, but he could at least hope for her understanding…

   Halin cleared her throat.

   “So… about those schematics…”

   “Oh yes… here,” Alex said, pulling out a chip, which Halin took and, giving a nod in thanks, tucked away in the same pocket as the crystals.

   “I’ll download them to my datapad once we’re docked. Is it an interesting model, at least?”

   “I thought so. It’s rejected prototype blueprints for a new type of protocol droid that the Czerka Corporation has been working on. Apparently they scrapped the idea though…”

   “Oh? I wonder for what reason…”

   “Beats me. I’m not much one for going over programming.”

   “I wonder if I could build a functioning model… A protocol droid shouldn’t cause any issues. It might help to pass the time, at least. It would also prove to be a great study piece…”

   Alex rolled his eyes. Sometimes he thought that Halin seemed more interested in droids than she was in the living. “Who knows,” he said. And he stood up, stretching. “I’m going to get some shuteye before we come out of hyperspace. Will you be alright with things here on your own for a couple hours?”

   “I can manage. Go rest.”

   Alex excused himself to the sleeping quarters of the Stalwart Nightingale. The ship was a rather small freighter, so they were nothing extravagant, but it was more comfortable than the cockpit. The young man disrobed and then flopped onto one of the bunks, letting out a sigh as he did so. He was scheduled to head to the Academy on Taris soon after they would arrive back on Dantooine, It was just a brief assignment—merely to scout some of the new talents among younglings there—but he was going to be on his own this time, and the thought startled him.

   Ever since being brought to the Academy, he had always been able to follow someone—his Master, Halin, the Council… This would be his first time taking up the position of a ‘leader’ of sorts.  Others of the new Knights had received similar assignments: Opela Moraf on Dantooine, another on Coruscant, one on H’ratth… The idea was that they would serve as inspiration to aspiring Padawans.

   Alex closed his eyes, allowing his mind to grow calm as the Stalwart Nightingale continued to barrel peacefully through hyperspace.


><><><><><

   “For how long will you be gone?” Opela asked as she followed Master Kavar through the corridors of the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine.

   “For as long as the investigation demands,” Kavar replied. “It could be a few months, it could be a couple of years… It honestly depends on what the Mandalorians are planning in the Outer Rim, and how they go about executing that plan. Don’t worry about me though. I’ll be sure to keep in contact from time to time. Besides, you have your own assignment to be worried about right now. I heard the Council has entrusted you with a special task here on Dantooine. To serve as the role model for the next generation of Jedi… it’s a great honor. I couldn’t think of any better choice for the task.”

   Opela blushed with modesty. “I fear I may not be ready. It is a big responsibility… And what if they should have questions to which I do not know the answers?”

   “Trust in the Force,” Kavar said, stopping and turning to his friend. “I’m sure you know more than you realize… and if you cannot find the answer within yourself, challenge them to find the answers to their questions by searching within themselves. The path to become a Jedi is one of self-discovery. They cannot expect to be spoon-fed all of the answers.”

   Opela smiled. Master Kavar always seemed to know the right things to say. While a Jedi Guardian, there was no doubt that he possessed the wisdom of a Master in fields beyond that of combat. “You are right, Master Kavar. I wish you luck on your journey. May the Force be with you.”

   “May the Force be with you,” the Jedi Master replied, and the two bowed to one another in respect before parting.

   Opela continued down her own path to the Enclave’s mess hall. It was a jovial place where Jedi of all ranks came to have a bite to eat while at the Enclave on Dantooine. She went along the self-service line, selected a couple pieces of exotic-looking fruit and some sort of unleavened bread, then looked for a place to sit and enjoy her light meal. She noticed a mostly empty table where sat Alex and Halin, the former gorging himself in a sort of stewed meat, and the latter sipping a cup of tea while reading something from her datapad. Opela approached them.

   “Mind if I sit here?” Opela asked them.

   Alex looked at her with his mouth full, unable to politely respond, and Halin gave a silent gesture without looking up from her datapad, to indicate that it was okay for Opela to sit. The blonde woman joined her companions at the table.

   “Aren’t either of you nervous for the upcoming assignment? I think I would be less nervous if I weren’t staying here on Dantooine, but… these children could see my actions at any time… Alex, you’re going to Taris, are you not?” Opela looked to the barrel-chested man for a reply.

   Alex swallowed down what he had been chewing. “I am,” He replied. “Can’t say I’m any less nervous than you though, even if I don’t look it.”

   “And what about you, Halin?” Opela asked, turning to the other.

   “Who, me? Oh, I’m not going?”

   “Not going? Why not?”

   Halin set down her tea and her datapad and looked Opela in the eye. “I’ve been deemed a ‘bad influence’,” she said, putting air quotes around the last part of her sentence. “I guess they don’t want my questioning authority to rub off on the younglings…” And with this, she went back to her tea and datapad.

   Opela looked at her quizzically. “Bad influence… I don’t understand… You’re one of the most gifted students to have come out of the Academy in recent years.”

   “Talent and personality are two different things, sweetheart. We can’t all be blessed with the best of both.” Her words were tinged with a sarcasm that Opela couldn’t understand.

   “I think what Halin means to say,” Alex said, interrupting the situation, “is that the Council would rather give her some time to reflect upon…. recent events before allowing her to consider taking a Padawan.”

   “Recent events?” Opela repeated, even more confused than before.

   Alex opened his mouth to explain, but Halin shot him a look that made him hold back his words. “It’s nothing, really,” he said instead. “Personal matters. They are of no concern…”

   “I see,” Opela said, not seeming so convinced, but deciding not to push further for the time being. Instead, she took a bite of the unleavened bread on her tray. “Well… If you’re still going to be on Dantooine during the time, you’re more than welcome to assist me in addressing the younglings here.”

   “Why would I do that?”

   “Well… I think it’s important for the youth to be able to see many different types of Jedi with different views and talents… I’m sure that they’ll have questions, and I cannot possibly answer them all. You’re one of the most brilliant women I know. I’m sure you could come up with something…”

   Halin sighed. “I don’t want to cause any trouble for you….”

   “It’s not trouble at all! This is my assignment, and if I feel you are up for the task, then that’s my choice.”

   Halin bit her lip, musing upon the idea. It wasn’t that she wanted to refuse really… Simply that she didn’t want to cause any more trouble than she already had recently. “I suppose if I’m not busy during the time I could at least drop by… Are you certain this is what you want though?”

   “I am certain.”

   Halin nodded, then went back to her tea.

   “Forgive me, I don’t mean to intrude, but… you seem… distracted. Is everything all right?”

   Halin sighed and set the datapad down, clutching her cup of tea in both hands. “I’m fine. It’s just that a lot has been going on lately…. Things that I couldn’t have even begun to anticipate myself…”

   “What sort of things?”

   Halin hesitated. “Well…. I met my brother while Alex and I were on Coruscant… It wasn’t planned, obviously, and certainly not expected either….”

   “What was he doing on Coruscant?”

   “He came to request audience with the Jedi High Council on behalf of Deralia… It’s…” Halin swallowed and lowered her voice, not wanting to attract the attention of any extraneous ears. “It’s the Mandalorians. They’ve been attacking planets on the Outer Rim. So far none of the attacks have been on the Republic, but…. the last time that the Mandalorians launched such a series of attacks, it resulted in a full-blown war, eventually leading to the Great Sith War… I fear that, if things get any worse, another war will come, and there won’t be any chance of stopping it…”

   “That must be why Master Kavar was headed to the Outer Rim…” Opela murmured.

   “I beg your pardon?”

   “Oh! Sorry… Master Kavar was telling me that the Council was sending him to investigate Mandalorian activities on the Outer Rim,” Opela replied. “My guess is that it has something to do with why your brother was contacting the Council…”

   “So they sent Master Kavar, huh…” Halin felt a little relieved by this bit of information. After all, Master Kavar was quite skilled and was one of the only remaining Masters who had participated directly in the Great Sith War. “That’s good news, at least. He more so than most would understand exactly what is at stake…” And with this, she stood. “I’m sorry, but I have a lot on my mind and I feel I need to meditate on this… Please let me know when you will be working with the younglings. Time permitting, I will come to see you.” Halin bowed graciously and left in solitude. While she hoped that a war would not come as a result of the recent occurrences, she knew better than to lie to herself by denying the possibility.

   Opela redirected her attention to Alex after Halin’s parting. “Did you speak to her?” she asked him.

   Alex shook his head. “I tried, but… it’s difficult for me to put into words…”

   Opela smiled a little. “Bonds are funny that way… they are easier to feel than to provide a tangible description of. I suppose the Force is a mysterious thing in that sense… The time will come though. Let me know if you need any help until then… I think she knows that you admire her. Perhaps if things were different, you would serve well as her pupil, always so ready to follow her… It’s beautiful, really.”

   Alex blushed a little. “Jedi are warned against forming emotional attachments…”

   “Perhaps, though the existence of emotions and of bonds is perfectly natural… It is how we control them, rather than letting them control us, which makes Jedi different from most…”


Logged

My Sabers: I'mma make a link eventually. list doesn't fit in sig any more Sad

Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2018, 06:34:20 AM »

CHAPTER FIVE: THE NEXT GENERATION

   Alex stood facing the sea of children in front of him. All of them were seated on the floor, staring up at the giant of a man. He stared down at them, ironically, he was almost intimidated by how tiny they were. He felt as though he might break them if he were to step incorrectly. He swallowed hard, a knot forming in his stomach. He didn’t like this situation one bit.

   He was there, at the Jedi Tower on Taris on an assignment to meet the next generation of Jedi—to share his experiences, inspire them, to answer questions… He wasn’t sure why he had been one of the ones they had chosen for the task. Surely there were others who would have been better suited…

   “My name is Alex Kharr, and I am a Jedi Knight,” he said, finally addressing the children. “The Council sent me here to answer some of your questions about what it is like to be a Jedi… though I must warn all of you in advance, I have not been a Jedi Knight for very long now…”

   A tiny Twi’lek girl in the front raised her hand. Alex was a bit surprised, since he hadn’t finished his introduction yet, but he called on her anyway. “Yes?” he said.

   “Why are you so tall?”

   Alex faltered, visibly staggering for a moment in his place, as if the question had been a physical blow that had stricken him by surprise. “Well, you see,” he began, scratching the back of his head, “I used to be small… and then I grew up. I ate my food, trained hard…. And got taller? ….Genetics, maybe?”

   Alex could tell that this wasn’t the answer the girl had been hoping for. Her purple-skinned face scrunched up and she tilted her head to one side, her headtails flopping along with the motion. Alex chuckled nervously. “Are there any other questions?” he asked. “Any questions about the Force, or about being a Jedi….?”

   Another raised their hand—a human boy this time: “When I become a Jedi, will I get to be as tall as you?”

   “Maybe?... How tall you are has nothing to do with being a Jedi though.”

   “But wouldn’t being tall and strong like you make you better at things like dueling with lightsabers?”

   Alex stopped for a moment. Sabers were always his talent, and he began to think that maybe the kid was onto something.

   “Well… yes, I suppose it does work to my advantage in that sense… but there are plenty of other Jedi far less tall than I who are still excellent swordsmen…. A friend of mine, she is a very petite woman—the exact opposite of me—and yet she’s bested me more than once while sparring. In her case, she thinks very quickly, and her small size makes her very agile… So in that case, being small can be an advantage too. You don’t have to be big like me to be a great Jedi.”

   “So even at our size, we can be great Jedi?” asked another.

   “Absolutely!” Alex said. “If you don’t let your size or age, or background serve as a limiting factor, then what is there to hold you back from gaining the results of the effort you put in?” Alex stopped and listened to himself. He was somewhat surprised that he actually sounded like he knew what he was talking about. He made a mental note that he would have to thank Halin when he returned to Dantooine.

   I wonder how she’s doing, Alex thought to himself. Halin hadn’t been one of the Knights selected to give a tutoring session, and he knew her well enough to know that she had taken offense to this decision. In light of the timing, however, she really should have suspected this would be the case…

   But now was not the time to dwell on such things. Right now, he had to devote himself to his own mission.


><><><><><

   Halin sat browsing through her collected droid data. The model that Alex had gotten schematics for was proving to be quite the interesting subject. It seemed that while the droid’s primary functions appeared to be etiquette and protocol, it had a secondary function with properties similar to the combat model security droids that she had studied previously. Halin had never heard of a protocol droid with combat capabilities before. She figured that this seemingly conflicting programs were why Czerka had decided to scrap the idea.

   It was this knowledge of the secondary functions, however, that made her question the idea of a working model in the Enclave. Halin sighed at the thought. As much as she wanted to build her own droid, she kept finding complications that made her doubt the idea. Perhaps one of these days she would get over this fear of the Council disapproving. After all, would they really expel her for building a droid? Surely there were worse things in the past that Jedi had done. Halin had heard of instances of secret marriages and secret families among members of the order, studies of forbidden holocrons found on remote planets during missions… Surely her own aspirations weren’t so terrible by comparison.

   One Day…

   Letting out another sigh, Halin switched off her datapad and put it away. She twisted a lock of dark hair around her finger while tapping the nails of her other hand on the desk. ‘Opela must be with the younglings by now… Maybe I should take her up on her offer. After all, it would be priceless to see the look on Master Lamar’s face if he sees me there…

   The thought caused a smirk to appear on Halin’s face. Master Vrook Lamar had always been more critical than any of the other Masters. While it sometimes did get her into trouble, the majority of them actually admired her eagerness to learn and thirst for knowledge. Halin was convinced that Master Lamar was just a grump because his wrinkles made his face so heavy that he was in a constant struggle to keep it from caving in on itself.

   She stretched and leaned back in her chair as far as she could without it toppling over. What did she have to lose if she accepted this request from Opela? Eventually she would be expected to take up a Padawan. It would be good to get an initial eye for prospects….

   That was it. She had decided. Rising to her feet, she donned a long black robe over her short sapphire one and pulled her hair up into a bun, her bangs falling on either side of her face. If she was going to make an impression, she needed to look the part. After applying a deep crimson to her lips, she decided that she was ready, and left her chamber to head for the meeting with the Younglings.


><><><><><


   Opela looked out over the sea of curious young faces sitting before her. While Jedi, by nature, were never expected to be mothers (after all, marriage and romantic relationships were prohibited, albeit not unheard of), she felt a sort of maternal instinct looking out over the crowd. They were all such beautiful young minds with bright futures ahead of them, whether in service to the Order directly, or in civil service should they not be taken as Padawan by the time they came of age. Perhaps among this group there was someone who she would one day take as her own Padawan… No… she was certain of it! She could feel it. Already, subtle connections—bonds—existed in the force. She had a personal talent for forming them and for discovering existing bonds. With some student in this room, a bond, however faint at the moment, was beginning to form.

   “Hello Younglings!” Opela cooed in a gentle voice.

   “Hello Miss Moraf,” came a collective answer strewn together by a myriad of children’s voices. The young Jedi Knight could not help but to chuckle at this.

   “Please, call me Opela,” she said. “The Council has asked me to speak to you today on behalf of the Order. I am here to answer whatever questions you may have about the Force, about life as a Jedi… I cannot tell you that I will have all of the answers that you seek—sometimes there are answers that one must discover for his or herself—but I will certainly try my best. It wasn’t all too long ago that I was sitting in the exact place that you are right now—aspiring to become a Padawan and to join the Jedi Order… And now I am here, speaking to you as a Jedi Knight. We are all connected through the Force and—like life itself—the Jedi exist in a sort of never-ending cycle… One day, one of you will be standing where I am right now, addressing yet another generation of Younglings who will become the future of the Jedi Order.”

   There were murmurs in awe of the idea throughout the crowd. This particular group of younglings was typically under the direction of Master Vrook Lamar, and so they were quite disciplined in their adherence to order. One student—a human boy around ten years of age with blond hair and blue eyes that brimmed with admiration and curiosity—timidly raised his hand.

   Master Vrook Lamar and Master Vandar Tokare looked out from the back of the room at Opela with the students. They were there in part to chaperone the younglings in case of emergency, but also to observe young Opela Moraf’s interactions with them. Master Vandar had trained Opela himself during much of her time as a Padawan, and he felt a sense of obligation and pride in tracking her progress. He knew that, one day, Opela Moraf would be a great leader. People were so ready to follow her if only she would work up the courage to learn to lead them.

   “Yes, young one? What is your name?” Opela asked, responding to the raised hand. “Stand, please.”

   The young boy carefully got up. “Mical,” he said shyly in response to her question.

   “You have a question, Mical. What is it that you wish to ask me?”

   “I’ve heard from the Masters about something called ‘bonds’ in the Force. I never quite understood the concept though from the explanations I’ve heard before… And Master Vandar says that you are quite gifted in this area—an expert!”

   Opela couldn’t help a sheepish grin of modesty appearing on her face. “I don’t know about an ‘expert,’ but I can certainly tell you what I know of such bonds… What they feel like….”

   It was around this point that Halin came in, lingering in the doorway so as not to disturb the ongoing session. She rested a gloved hand on the doorframe and observed from afar. She was quite curious to hear what Opela had to say on the matter. Perhaps it would shed some light on whatever Alex had been rambling on about during their return flight on the Stalwart Nightingale… She noticed Master Vrook Lamar glance in her direction, his face scrunching up a bit in subtle disapproval. Their eyes met for a moment, but Halin chose to ignore his attempts to intimidate her into leaving and continued to observe Opela’s response to the Youngling in question.

   Opela unlatched the hilt of her lightsaber from her belt and ignited its silvery blade. The light cast from the thing illuminated her own face and those of the children closer to the front. “The Force is a thing which connects all of us… Not just us in the room, but also the life all around us. The kath hounds on the plains, the trees, the grass, the insects burrowing in the soil beneath our feet… In some way, we share a bond with everything and everyone in the Universe… For a Jedi, however, these bonds are special. They affect us, and those around us in profound ways… For a moment, I would like all of you to close your eyes.”

   She looked out across the room, observing the children as they all did so. It was at this point that she visibly noticed the presence of Halin in the room, though she had felt her presence in the Force much sooner. Opela was glad that her colleague had come at her request, despite Master Vrook’s obvious disapproval of her being there.

   “Now I want all of you to listen,” Opela continued. “Listen beyond sound. Listen to the Force itself….” She remained silent for a moment, allowing all of them time to listen as she had said. “To me… there is a sound like music… like singing… harmonies interwoven between beings… Between some, these harmonies resonate more strongly than between others, almost as if the two are inseparable from one another… There are two basic bonds that every Jedi must form and must nurture during their early stages… The first being the bond between Student and Teacher, and the second being the bond between the Jedi and their lightsaber…. I could talk for some time about the intricacies and subtleties of both… but much is best left for a student to experience firsthand… Today, I think it best to discuss the bond between Jedi and lightsaber…. One day, when you become Padawans, you will all have to construct your own lightsaber. They say that the blade is an extension of the Jedi. It is because each crystal is chosen with a precision during construction… some say that it is the crystal itself that chooses the wielder, and not the opposite way around. A bond is formed between the two… Perhaps this is why there are so many variations in the color of a blade, just as there are so many variations among Jedi themselves. Each is different, with unique talents and abilities. In battle, it is this bond that allows a Jedi to keep the mind clear and focused. Listen to the hum of the lightsaber. Listen to the singing within the blade… within its every movement…”

   She made motions with her lightsaber, allowing the hum of its energy to pierce through the silence which hung about the room. “In combat, it is these sounds… these vibrations… this bond between saber and wielder which allows a subject for mental focus and clairvoyance.”

   She deactivated her lightsaber and, with the absence of its sound, the younglings all simultaneously opened their eyes, many trembling with awe. She could tell that they had begun to feel. That they had begun to understand

   “I hope that clears up some of your questions, at least?” she said, addressing the Mical boy once more.

   “Yes,” he said with a happy nod. “Thank you, Miss Opela.”

   “My pleasure, young one.”

   Glancing in the direction of Halin, she made a subtle gesture for her friend to come join her at the front of the room. Halin hesitated a moment, glancing in the direction of Master Vrook, who gave a disapproving scowl. It was this that sealed Halin’s decision on action, and she stepped forward to the front of the room to join Opela.

   Master Vrook grumbled and turned to Master Vandar. “She shouldn’t be here. I don’t understand what your former Padawan is thinking bringing that troublesome woman here…”

   “Trust in Opela’s judgement, we must, if learn to lead she is,” Master Vandar said in the almost riddle-sounding manner of speech for which his species was best known. “My former Padawan she is, and faith I have in her decision on the matter.”

   Master Vrook thought about further protesting, but surely the students would overhear if they discussed more, and he did not wish to cause a scene at this time.

   “I would like to introduce all of you to one of my fellow Jedi Knights,” Opela said to the class. “This is Halin Chan. She was in the same class as I was here on Dantooine before we were selected as Padawans for training. I’ve invited her here to help me to answer some of your questions, so please, feel free to direct your dialogues to both of us.”

   Halin looked out over the small crowd. None of them seemed particularly exceptional at a first glance, but, then again, she supposed that no one really did at their age. While the Force was strong with all of them, it was understood that a few would never be selected for further training. It was unfortunate, but it was the reality of the situation.

   They answered questions for some time more before one child asked a question which struck Halin in a way that she had not expected: “What was the greatest lesson you learned as a Padawan?”

   Opela was able to answer quite quickly. “For me, the greatest lesson was that no two Jedi share the same relationship with the Force. It flows through each of us differently, and each Jedi feels and wields the Force differently… Understanding this allows for one to understand their own weaknesses and approach how to strengthen them… Halin? What about you?”

   Halin pursed her lips for a moment before starting. “What makes an action good or evil?”

   There was a moment of murmurs across the audience. It was clear that the children were quite confused by this statement. Master Vrook couldn’t help but to roll his eyes at the matter. “There she goes, spouting one of Kreia’s Conundrums,” he muttered to Master Vandar.

   Master Kreia Sana was, in a way, famous for what had become known among the Masters as ‘Kreia’s Conundrums.’ They were seemingly illogical riddles which forced her apprentices to question what they thought that they already knew in order to discover solutions beyond the regular train of thought.

   “Obviously,” spouted a pig-tailed girl with a pinched-up face, “Good actions are done to serve the greater good, and evil actions are done to serve evil purposes.”

   “Ah, but are they? Is it really so simple?.... Let me ask you this: Is killing a man a good act, or is it an evil one?”

   “Evil, clearly.”

   “And is killing a man who is trying to kill another—billions of others, even—evil… or is it good?”

   “A Jedi should never resort to killing.”

   “But you are avoiding my question, young one….”

   It was at this point that Master Vrook felt it necessary to intervene the situation.

   “I think that’s enough questions for one day,” he said, stepping forward. “Thank you, Miss Moraf, for sharing your helpful insight with these aspiring youngsters.”

   Halin breathed, channeling the Force to remain calm so as not to reveal the innermost feelings of betrayal she had for such a reaction. He purposely stopped me… He was afraid of the answer. Afraid for things to not be black and white. Afraid of reality… Afraid of the truth!

   The Masters filed out the students and left the chamber, leaving the two women alone. Opela turned to Halin.

   “Thank you for accepting my invitation. I’m sorry that you did not have the opportunity to share everything that you had hoped… Your lesson was an important one—one that many of them may never decide an answer to themselves…. It is difficult for a Jedi to acknowledge when violence is necessity… We are taught so much that a Jedi is a pacifist, and that such actions lead to the Dark Side… And yet, the cold reality of it all is that even a Jedi must understand when death is necessity… I’m so sorry…”

   “No…” Halin murmured. “No, that is not the answer either. I used to think that it was…that I had finally figured it all out… but lately, I am not so certain. Darkness, Light… Can one even exist without the other? It’s a question I still ask myself… It was Master Sana’s greatest lesson, I believe. One which I’m not yet finished learning… Can I ask you something?”

   “Of course you can.”

   “What did you tell Alex when the two of you were sparring together?... Last week he started spouting all of this nonsense about bonds, except he didn’t seem to understand himself what he was talking about…”

   Opela shook he head a little, holding back a smile. “I merely pointed out what seemed quite obvious from my own point of view: There is a connection between the two of you in the Force—a bond, if you please. I merely pointed out that it seems… different than most bonds of friendship I have seen among Jedi at the Academy. Nothing more. Forgive me if I’ve caused any sort of problems between you and Alex…”

   “No… Not problems, just… well… I don’t really know what to call it, actually. It felt… strange to have such a conversation… I suppose that will pass with time. Then again, I suppose that most bonds are difficult to put properly into words.”

   “That is true.”

   “Thank you, Opela.”

   “For what are you thanking me?”

   “For an act that I perceive as good…. Thank you.”
Logged

My Sabers: I'mma make a link eventually. list doesn't fit in sig any more Sad

Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #7 on: September 24, 2018, 06:48:46 AM »

CHAPTER SIX: DEJARIK [[This chapter is divided into two posts because it exceeds the character limit for one]]


   Halin sat at a round table with a black and white circular checkered pattern. Twenty-five spaces spread across the half meter board that made up the top of the table. Within the confounds of these spaces, eight holographic figures were scattered about, each a miniature of some sort of beast: a Mantellian Savrip, Grimtaash the Molator, a Ghhhk, a Houjix, a Ng’ok, a Kintan Strider, a K’lor’slug, and a M’onnok. They were the pieces to a game known as Dejarik, which Halin had been playing for the last hour or so… Granted, the fact that she didn’t have a proper opponent had resulted in a seemingly endless game of her attempting to out strategize her own moves for lack of anything better to do.

   To Halin, the game was a rather useful strategy exercise. She would have preferred Shah-tezh, but that was far more difficult to come by—at least, on Dantooine. Dejarik, having originated as a variant of Shah-tezh, shared many of the same mechanics, but in a much simplified version of the game. Halin sighed and rested her chin on her fist, staring at the myriad of creatures that littered the board. She was growing tired of playing by herself. Normally she would have asked Alex to join her, though he’d never been very good at the more subtle aspects of the game. However, Alex had extended his time on Taris by another week. He was apparently staying to further study the Jedi Tower there in the city.

   Halin stared at the pieces as they too began to fidget in boredom. It was an amusing little quirk to the game: each of the miniatures so closely resembling their respective creatures, even in their habits and movements when attacking or when idle. The young woman wondered who might be willing to join her… Master Sana had already declined, as she was busy teaching her latest Padawan. Several of the other Masters were also skilled in the game, but each had their own matters to attend to, and Halin was beginning to think that she should just call it quits for the day…

   It was then that she felt a familiar presence moving in the outside hall. Light yet familiar footsteps came closer, but Halin waited until they were passing by the open doorway to call out.

   “Opela,” Halin called, causing the footsteps to stop and then backtrack a few steps. Opela Moraf poked her head into the doorway. “By any chance, do you play Dejarik?”

   “I’ve played before, though I’m afraid I would only be considered an amateur at the game…”

   “Doesn’t matter,” Halin said simply. “Would you be up to playing a game or two? I’m afraid that playing against myself is nothing but a losing effort…”

   “I wouldn’t mind, if just to pass the time…” Opela stepped into the room and sat opposite Halin at the table. “I’m a bit rusty though… would you mind running through the pieces for me? I’m sure I can manage from there.”

   While Halin had originally hoped for more of a challenge, even an amateur match was better than chasing herself in never-ending circles around the board… “Of course. I’ll reset after explaining…”

   Opela nodded in agreement to the plan, and observed quietly as Halin began to explain each of the pieces.

   Halin first indicated a small blue creature with yellow stripes that crawled on four legs and had a spiked tail and massive jaws. “This piece is the Houjix. It is quite agile, and can more a total of four spaces per turn. It has defensive rating of eight and offensive rating of four. Its attack range is one space.”

   She then moved onto the largest piece on the board. It was a hunch-backed semi-sentient reptilian creature that wore a sort of tattered red tunic. “This is the Mantellian Savrip. It can move only one space per turn, but has a defensive rating of nine and an offensive rating of eight, with an attack range of one space.”

   The next creature was an awkwardly proportioned semi-sentient creature of an orangish-whiteish color with long arms that wielded a stone club. “This is the Kintan Strider. It is known to be quite aggressive and has a special ability where it can heal itself by two points at the end of a turn if it has previously been injured. It can move two spaces per turn, has a defensive rating of eight, and an attack rating of four, with an attack range of one space.”

   The next was a purple worm-like creature with a serpentine body. “The next piece is the K’lor’slug. While it can only move one space per turn, it has an attack range of up to four spaces. It has a defensive rating of four and an offensive rating of three.”

   They were half-way through the pieces by now, but Halin began to wonder how long the match would actually take. She hadn’t planned on the need to run through every single piece before starting, and thought that if this were to be the case, she could have very well asked anyone in the Enclave… Despite this, she continued, this time a small green weevil-like creature. “This is the Ghhhk. The creatures are often milked by the Bith because an oil in their skin can be used as a healing salve. It’s unique in that its primary ability is to heal other pieces. A Ghhhk can heal an adjacent creature by two points during its turn in place of attacking. It can move up to two spaces per turn, has a defensive rating of four and, should you choose to attack with it rather than heal, it has an offensive rating of two… shall we continue?”

   Halin hoped that perhaps Opela would have remembered the rest and asked her to stop there, but instead, Opela nodded. “Please do. Forgive me… It’s just that it’s been some time and I want to be sure I fully understand before we begin our game.”

   “Very well then, Halin said, continuing onto a semi-sentient desert creature wielding a long spear. “This is the M’onnok. It has a defensive rating of six and attack rating of six, and can move one space per turn. Its attack range, however, is a bit more complicated. Because of the length of its spear, it can attack two adjacent opponents at once, or it can attack one opponent who is two spaces away.”

   She pointed to the next piece, which was a sickly yellow colored creature with sharp claws and a lashing tail. “This is the Ng’ok. It has a defensive rating of 6, an offensive rating of 4, with an attack range of one and it can move two spaces per turn. What is special about the Ng’ok though is that, because of the creature’s aggressive nature, it is able to attack twice per turn—either two different adjacent opponents, or the same opponent two times.”

   There was only one piece left. It was a purple insect-like creature that seemed almost regal in its stance. “Last, but certainly not least, there is Grimtaash the Molator. In Alderaanian mythology, it is said to use magic to protect the royal family… In Dejarik, it can stun an opponent’s piece for two turns. However, Grimtaash’s offensive rating is only one and it’s defensive rating is four. The range of its stun is three spaces and it can move one space per turn.”

   Having explained all of the pieces, Halin then explained the general movement rules. “Pieces cannot move diagonally across the board but can change directions within the spaces allowed of their movement. The goal is to defeat all of the opponent’s pieces. Either we can each choose four pieces to start (in which case, we may have some of the same pieces, but no more than one of any piece each), or we can have the computer randomly assign them to us (in which case, each piece would be used only once). The computer then rolls dice in order to determine which one of us makes the first move.”

   Opela nodded to signify that she understood the rules that Halin had just laid before her. The mechanics of the game seemed to be simple enough. The true test of skill would be formulation and execution of strategies.

   “I suggest we choose our pieces for the first round,” said Halin, “as a means of easing into gameplay. What do you say?”

   “That seems fair enough,” replied Opela.

   “I’ll choose first,” Halin said. After all, it only seemed fair to give her opponent ample opportunity to develop a counterstrategy in the first playthrough.

   “Very well then,” Opela said, observing Halin’s choices.

   The pieces that Halin chose, were the Kintan Strider on her left defense, M’onnok at left-center, Ng’ok at right center, and the Mantellian Savrip on her right defense. She had chosen an all-out offensive approach to their first game. She was curious to see how Opela would attempt to counter.

   Opela looked at her possibilities. If Halin was going for brute force in their first match, perhaps the best option would be to counter with ranged attacks… Ranged attacks would need something to defend them though. Taking these things into consideration, Opela chose Grimtaash on her left, hoping to prevent the Mantellian Savrip’s movement. She then chose the Ng’ok for left center, the K’lor’slug at right center, and the Kintan Strider at her right defense.

   After they had both chosen their respective pieces, the computer’s randomized generator decided who would go first. This time, it would be Halin.

   Halin began by moving her M’onnok forward one space, toward the center of the board. If she were able to position herself correctly, then she could use the piece to take down more than one of Opela’s at the same time, particularly since Opela’s ranged pieces had a lower defensive rating.

   However, Opela must have noticed this strategy, because she followed it by having Grimtaash stun Halin’s M’onnok. Halin wasn’t terribly concerned about this. Opela had made an amateur mistake when positioning Grimtaash, for it was on the side and in the open, positioned very close to Halin’s Mantellian Savrip, and so Halin began a flank on that side, moving the Mantellian Savrip one space along the outer edge of the circular board. Her plan to flank was quite out in the open, but given that Grimtaash’s stun needed to recharge, there wasn’t any chance of it escaping.

   This, However, did not stop Opela from trying. After all, the Mantellian Savrip had the highest attack and defense of any creature in the game, and should it be able to flank her successfully, it could take out all of her pieces in one go… Opela launched an attack from her K’lor’slug at the Mantellian Savrip. The K’lorslug spit what appeared to be acid in the direction of the Mantellian Savrip, hitting its left arm and causing the creature to shriek in pain. It wouldn’t defeat the creature, but at least it would weaken it a little until she could reach it with a stronger melee attacker.

   As expected, Halin moved her Mantellian Savrip forward another space along the outer edge and, with one blow, clobbered Grimtaash. Having been defeated, the holo image of Grimtaash flickered before it disappeared off of the board. The first piece was down.

   Opela made no hesitation with her next move. Her Ng’ok moved to the space which had been previously occupied by Grimtaash and launched a twofold attack on Halin’s Mantellian Savrip. Since it had been previously weakened by the K’lor’slug, the gargantuan creature collapsed from the Ng’ok’s attack. Now the playing field seemed even again.

   Halin smirked. The two turns of the stun that had been affecting her M’onnok were up, and she was in a prime position now to carry out her original plan. She moved the M’onnok forward to the center space of the board. With the range of its spear, this meant that the M’onnok could reach any space on the board. At this point, Opela was completely at her mercy.

   Halin began by using the M’onnok to take out Opela’s Ng’ok, leaving her with only two pieces on the board. If she were smart about it, Opela would use her Mantellian Savrip to take out the M’onnok before it could do any further damage. Halin waited in anticipation to see what move her companion would play next.

   Sure enough, Opela was no fool. She moved her Mantellian Savrip one square forward, toward the center of the board, and attacked the M’onnok, causing it to give a shriek before it collapsed and the hologram flickered away. Opela thought that the game wasn’t going too badly. After all, they seemed to be pretty evenly matched…

   However, Halin knew that this wasn’t the case. As far as she was concerned, her opponent was already defeated. Confidently, she moved her Ng’ok to the center of the board and launched a double attack on the remaining Mantellian Savrip, weakening it greatly. She knew that Opela would counter by using the Mantellian Savrip to take down the Ng’ok, but she wasn’t concerned about this.
 
   Sure enough, Opela took the bait and fell directly into Halin’s trap. The Mantellian Savrip easily overpowered the Ng’ok. Opela was quite excited about this. After all, Halin had been slightly ahead of her in taking out pieces since the beginning of the game. Now, she thought that she had managed to turn the tides.

   Halin had one more trick up her sleeve for the round though. She moved her Kintan Strider forward to the center square and attacked the Mantellian Savrip. In its weakened state, the Mantellian Savrip could not resist the attack and fell before the holo image sputtered away. From this position, there was nowhere that the K’lor’slug could run to and hide.

   Hopeless as it was, Opela decided to attack anyway, causing minimal damage to the Kintan Strider with her only remaining K’lor’slug before the larger orangish animal hopped forward and beat the purple one over the head with its club, knocking the creature out. The match was over.

   “I have to say,” said Halin, “I admire you for not just forfeiting the game at that point, and for playing to the end.”

   “What fun would it have been if I quit?” Opela laughed, seemingly unupset by her loss. “Besides, it’s interesting to see the creatures launch their attacks on one another. They’re quite lifelike in their movements.”

   Halin couldn’t help but to laugh a little at her friend’s reaction. “I suppose they are… I would never have thought you the type to enjoy watching such animations though.”

   Opela simply shrugged. “Shall we play again?”

   “Sure! If you’re up for another game… Do you think you’re ready to play randomized, or would you prefer if we continued in picking. I promise you that I’ll pick different creatures this time if we do.”

   “No, that won’t be necessary. Let’s play randomized this time. After all, then I’ll get to see all of the types of pieces in motion…”

   Halin smiled and reset the board before selecting the randomizer to assign pieces to the two of them. The game placed four pieces on either side of the board. For Opela, her pieces were the K’lor’slug on her left, the Kintan Strider left center, Grimtaash right center, and the Ng’ok far right. She had ended up with most of the same pieces that she had used in the previous game, except that this time they were in different positions on the board.

   Halin’s smiled faltered a little when she saw the pieces that she had been given. On her far left, she had been given the Mantellian Savrip, the Houjix middle left, the M’onnok center right, and the Ghhhk on the far right. The Ghhhk, which was only a support piece, was out in the open, even if only on the side with the K’lorslug rather than a melee attacker. Halin hated when she ended up with the Ghhhk. While the piece could be useful under certain circumstances, it certainly put the player at a disadvantage if working purely offensively…

   The computer decided that this time Opela would have the first move. She began by having the K’lor’slug attack the Mantellian Savrip, and the larger creature groaned as a shot of acid from the smaller one hit it straight on. Halin didn’t want to have to wait on reaching the K’lor’slug, so she had the Houjix race forward and take out the K’lor-slug in one foul swoop, its toothy jaws clenching the spindly purple creature before it disappeared entirely.

   Opela was a bit disappointed by this. She had enjoyed using the K’lor’slug. It had served her well in the previous match, and she had hoped to use it for longer in this one… There was no changing what had already been done though. Instead, she sent her Ng’ok forward to continue the assault on the Mantellian Savrip, this time, knocking it out with a double attack.

   Halin countered by having the M’onnok move around the outside of the board. From this position it was just close enough to reach the Ng’ok with its spear, eliminating the creature from the playing field entirely. Perhaps if she were lucky, she wouldn’t have to use the Ghhhk at all.

   Opela moved Grimtaash one space closer to the center of the gameboard and used its attack to stun the M’onnok. If the M’onnok couldn’t move, then perhaps she could position the Kintan Strider to be able to take it out.

   However, this plan had failed to take into account the existence of the Houjix. Halin sent the electric blue creature to the center space and had it attack Grimtaash, causing Grimtaash’s defeat and simultaneously blocking the Kintan Strider’s path to the M’onnok. It was three-to-one now, and things certainly weren’t looking up for Opela Moraf.

   In a slight panic, Opela moved the Kintan Strider forward toward center and used it to attack the Houjix, bringing it down to half of its beginning health. There wasn’t much else left that she could do…

   The Houjix countered with an attack on the Kintan Strider, also bringing it down to half of its beginning health. “Are you sure you don’t just want to forfeit?” Halin asked her. After all, there was no hope in the given situation of the game… While Halin had known that Opela wasn’t the most skilled in physical combat, she had hoped that the young woman would have provided more of a challenge in strategizing…

   Opela chuckled nervously. She knew that the other was right. There wasn’t any chance of her defeating Halin unless the latter should make some sort of critical error in the movement of the M’onnok… and even then, Opela knew that if she did, it would simply be out of pity to give her a chance at recovery before defeat. “Nonsense!” she insisted. “We’ll play to the end. I’ll get you next time—just wait and see.” And with this, she had the Kintan Strider attack the Houjix, defeating it and simultaneously recovering some of its previously lost health.

   Halin just shook her head and sending the M’onnok forward one space toward the Kintan Strider. The M’onnok thrust out its sharp spear, piercing the Kintan Strider and causing it to collapse before disappearing. “And you’re sure then that you would like a rematch?” Halin asked her. At this point, Halin thought that it might be better to go back to playing against herself.

   “I’m positive,” Opela replied. “Let’s play random again. It was more fun that way, I think. After all, you never know what creature’s you’re going to get…”

   “If you say so…”
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Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #8 on: September 24, 2018, 06:50:16 AM »

CHAPTER SIX: DEJARIK [[This post is a continuation of the previous chapter, since it exceeded the post character limit]]

   Halin reset the board and selected the randomizer again. She had to agree in that the randomized version was more fun to play. It forced you to come up with a variety of strategies based upon what pieces you were given at the beginning. The pieces were placed again.

   “Are you kidding me!?” Halin couldn’t help her exclamation from coming out. There sat the Ghhhk again, in the same exact open side space on her team as it had been last time. Opela couldn’t help but to giggle at the other woman’s reaction.

   “I take it you’re not very fond of the Ghhhk?”

   “Not when it seems to be clinging to me like lice to bantha…”

   “Relax… you have other pieces… And besides, you’ve beaten me twice already. I’m sure you can come up with some sort of strategy to beat me again, even if you do have a Ghhhk. You had the Ghhhk last time too, after all…”

   “Which is precisely why I’m upset to have it again. It literally just sat there the whole game…”

   “Who knows? Maybe it will come in useful this one.”

   “You’re just so optimistic because it’s not on your side.”

   “Well…” Opela began, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

   Halin rolled her eyes. “The randomizer decided I’ll get to go first this time,” she said. She supposed that she would just have to manage again with the Ghhhk on her side. At least she got the M’onnok on her side again too…

   Halin’s creatures from left to right were the M’onnok, Grimtaash, the Ng’ok, and the Ghhhk. This time, Opela’s creatures were the Kintan Strider on her far left, followed by the K’lor’slug, then the Houjix, and the Mantellian Savrip rounding things out on her right. It was a pretty good setup for Opela’s pieces, but such was the difficulty with the randomizer. Much of how one needed to play the game was based on the luck of the draw at the very beginning.

   Halin began on the offensive, moving her M’onnok around the edge of the board and attacked the Mantellian Savrip from a distance. The M’onnok’s sharp spear stretched forward, stabbing the Savrip, casing the creature to let out a grunt. It wouldn’t be enough to defeat the thing, but at least it had done a significant amount of damage. Halin realized that, by making this move, she would be sacrificing the M’onnok early on. She thought, after having made the move, that perhaps it would have been better to stun the thing first with Grimtaash and then launch her attack. It was too late now though. Her mind was so distracted this game…

   Opela made the obvious move. The wounded Mantellian Savtrip sauntered forward and picked the M’onnok up briefly before slamming it down onto the gameboard, causing the creature to disappear. The first creature had been defeated—and it was only the end of the very first round…

   Halin could see that she was going to have to take things more seriously and avoid distractions if she were going to win this time around. This being said, she decided it was time finally to use Grimtaash to stun Opela’s Mantellian Savrip. Stunning did almost no damage, and Halin wasn’t certain yet if it was enough to be able to recover from her initial error in judgement, but if she didn’t stop the Savrip now, it could sweep her entire left flank.

   With her Mantellian Savrip having been halted, it seemed that Opela would need to come up with a different sort of attack plan. Having sacrificed the M’onnok, Halin only had one more offensive piece left on the board—the Ng’ok. With this in mind, Opela had her K’lor’slug attack the Ng’ok from a distance.

   Halin knew that she had to find some way of blocking the K’lor’slug’s attacks while she got close enough to make a move. Perhaps the Ghhhk is good for something after all, she thought. If she played her pieces right, she could maneuver around using the Ghhhk to heal and as a shield while she got in position to make her attack. It was a long shot, but it was at least worth a try. Halin moved the Ghhhk between the Ng’ok and the K’lor’slug and used its turn to heal the injured Ng’ok. If anything, the strategy would buy her time.

   Opela saw what Halin was trying to do in blocking her K’lor’slug’s attack and decided it would be best to counter with melee. She sent the Houjix forward to the Ng’ok’s right (where the Ghhhk had sat previously) and attacked, severely injuring the Ng’ok, but not so much so that the creature was gone entirely.

   “You schutta!” Halin exclaimed.

   Opela’s eyes widened. While she’d not heard that particular choice phrase before, she could tell from the context that it certainly wasn’t a compliment. “Halin! It’s just a game. No need to get so worked up about it…”

   Halin muttered something incoherent under her breath before ordering the Ng’ok to execute the Houjix. For a moment, Opela debated a snarky comeback about striking someone down in anger being the path to the dark side, but decided that it would be in poor taste to do so and instead refrained. While she didn’t understand why, she could tell that, for Halin, it seemed to be a bit more than just a game…

   With her Houjix now gone, and her Kintan Strider in no position to attack, Opela used to K’lor’slug to attack the Ghhhk, which Halin had been using as a sort of sacrificial shied for the Ng’ok. The Ghhhk didn’t have a very high defensive rating, and so it wouldn’t take too long to break through. After all, while it could heal other creatures, its ability did not extend to healing itself as far as she was aware.

   However, Opela had forgotten about Grimtaash and her Mantellian Savrip. Grimtaash’s stun had reset by now, and so Halin used it to stun the K’lorslug this time. Now, Opela would be forced to approach the Ng’ok directly if she wanted to be able to attack. Cautiously, Opela inched the Kintan Strider closer to the Ng’ok and to the Ghhhk. Halin chose to do the same, moving the Ng’ok closer, knowing full well that, in hand-to-hand combat, the Ng’ok had the advantage.

   The stunning of the K’lor’slug had reminded Opela that the Mantellian Savrip was now able to move and, hoping to flank Halin’s remaining pieces from both sides and surround them, she moved the Mantellian Savrip closer toward Grimtaash the Molator.

   This game seemed far more intense than the other two had. It had already gone on longer than the previous, and each player still had three of their pieces remaining.

   Halin was glad that Opela had chosen to leave the Kintan Strider stationary for the time being. It gave her time to move the Ghhhk shield to follow the Ng’ok, and once again, she used it to heal the creature, being very careful to keep the Ghhhk between the Ng’ok and K’lor’slug. If she could maneuver her pieces correctly, there might still be a chance of taking out the remaining creatures.

   This time, however, Opela was much more aware of the timing of when Grimtaash’s stun would wear off. She used her K’lor’slug to attack the Ghhhk, defeating the creature and removing it from play. Now, there was no more shield left for Halin’s Ng’ok.

   Dammit, Halin thought. She had been counting on Opela using either the Kintan Strider or the Mantellian Savrip. It seemed like hand-to-hand, like in real-life, was not Opela’s preferred style of combat. If only I had stunned the Savrip at the beginning so I could have kept the M’onnok…

   There was no changing the past now though. Instead, Halin used Grimtaash to stun the Mantellian Savrip again. Whether melee was Opela’s style or not, it didn’t change the fact that Halin didn’t stand a chance if the Mantellian Savrip were able to launch an attack. The Mantellian Savrip was extremely low in health now. At this rate, even another stun from Grimtaash could bring the thing down.

   The Kintan strider moved forward, attacking Grimtaash, and the blow brought down the violet guardian creature. Things weren’t looking good for Halin. She had to make a choice---forfeit, or play to the end. Halin wasn’t one to give up though. Such would be a sign of weakness. She had just complimented Opela for not giving up the game before. It would be hypocritical of her to do so now for herself…

   Swallowing a lump of her own pride, Halin backtracked the Ng’ok to attack the Kintan Strider. She wondered if this had been Opela’s plan from the beginning. The Kintan Strider Death Gambit… It was a risky tactical move in Dejarik, where one sacrificed the Kintan Strider in order to launch a deadlier attack. Being unable to reach the K’lor’slug because of the position of the Kintan Strider, Halin had been forced into the trap. This would be the end of things….

   The Kintan Strider collapsed and flickered away before Opela launched one final attack from the K’lor’slug, stopping the Ng’ok in its tracks and defeating the last of Halin’s creatures. The game was over.

   “….That was a good game,” Halin admitted, her voice unusually frail. She hadn’t expected to lose, particularly with Opela’s set of skills. But perhaps there was a lesson for Halin in all of this….

   Halin stood. “I apologize… I’m tired and feel I need to meditate. Congratulations.”

   “Stopping so soon?” Opela said, a bit confused by the reaction. “I was sure you wanted to play longer…”

   “I really must,” replied Halin. “Thank you for your time.”

   And with this, Halin Chan retired to her chambers. What had happened in that game had shown her that there was much still to be learned—not about Dejarik, but about being a Jedi. There was much training still before her, much skill to be learned, much discovery to be made… It was only after this that she would be able to become a truly great Jedi---the one that Master Kreia had always seen within.
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Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #9 on: September 24, 2018, 06:56:13 AM »

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE MESSAGE FROM TALON CHAN


   A year had passed since the game of Dejarik between Halin and Opela—the day when Halin had decided to begin anew, conditioning her mind, her body, her skills… Since that day she had determined that this would be her destiny. There was no longer any doubt in her mind about the path of the Jedi. She was Halin Chan of Deralia, Jedi Knight of the Galactic Republic. And one day, she would sit on the Council as one of the Masters.

   Her match with Opela Moraf had made her realize that she did not yet had much still to learn in the ways of a Jedi. Even after all of Master Kreia’s lessons, there were holes in her education that needed to be filled. There were weaknesses that needed to be strengthened. There were questions that needed to be answered. There was so much about technique, and about the Force that she did not yet understand. How else could she have been defeated in such a way by a person who considered herself (and had proven herself) to be an amateur?

   She had apprenticed herself to more than one Master during time. The first were Master Zhar Lestin and Master Dorak on Dantooine. Both greatly admired the young woman’s eagerness to learn, and were consequently eager to teach. It was during this period of study that Halin gained further mastery of lightsaber forms from the former, and of meditation techniques from the latter.

   Her companion, Alex, insisted upon the same. Halin found this to be quite funny at times. After all, he was almost like a little child, always wanting to be included in whatever activities were going on. Halin rather enjoyed the company though, so she didn’t mind. After all, Alex had spent part of his time as a Padawan under Master Zhar, and so his insight proved helpful in grasping several of the concepts.

   In the second half of the year, Halin was able to transfer to Coruscant. On Coruscant, Halin rediscovered her insatiable lust for knowledge. She spent much of her time in the Archives, though she was quite careful to stick to unrestricted materials, given her past.

   It was during this time on Coruscant that Halin apprenticed herself to Master Arren Kae. Master Kae had some Echani training, was quite skilled in unarmed combat, and was also skilled in a variety of Force techniques, such as using the Force for stealth camouflage, and to revitalize one’s allies. Halin had admired Master Kae’s abilities from afar for some time.

   It was from Master Kae that Halin first heard about a technique called the Battle Meditation. While Master Kae was not a practitioner herself (as the inherent ability to do so was quite rare, even among the most exceptional of the Jedi Masters) it was a technique Halin was quite curious about, and researched what she could, but it did not seem that she would ever be able to use. The idea behind the technique was that the meditation influenced both one’s allies and one’s opponents, strengthening the resolve and the morale of one’s allies, while instilling doubt and uncertainty among one’s enemies. It was a purely psychological technique that could often influence the outcome of a battle. Currently, there were no practitioners among the order, which Halin thought was a true pity.

   During this period of her study, many of the Masters began to see Halin Chan in a new light. The cocky and overconfident girl had been replaced with a blossoming wise woman who embodied the practices of the Jedi with every fiber of her being. She was finally growing up.

   Halin sat meditating in her chamber in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Her mind remained calm and placid, like a glassy lake—completely still, and yet the stillness was such a delicate thing that any disturbance could easily cast ripples and eventually waves across its entire surface. It was all so very fragile… For beneath the cool and placid façade of the surface, deep and powerful currents of emotions remained suppressed below. The wrong trigger and they could come gushing forth like a geyser. It all required great focus to keep the calm. And even then, perhaps all of it were merely an illusion.

   Halin felt electrical vibrations approaching from outside of the chamber. Her eyes flew open and a few nearby books that had been suspended in the air fell to the ground with a thud. Halin stood, collecting herself, and went to the door of the chamber, opening it in time to see the silvery body of a protocol droid poised to knock.

   “Oh!” the droid exclaimed in surprise. “Mistress Halin, there is a transmission request for you from a Lieutenant Talon Chan.”

   “Talon?” Halin repeated. It had been some time since she’d heard the name. They hadn’t communicated since their accidental encounter on Coruscant a year prior. A knot began to form in Halin’s stomach. If he were contacting her now, then that must mean….

   “Did he happen to say what the request was about?” She asked.

   “No,” the droid replied, “all he said was that it was urgent he speak to Halin Chan immediately.”

   Her mind, which had been so calm only moments prior, began to race with thoughts of what things could mean. The placidity of the lake was shattered. “Send the transmission through. I would prefer to take it in private, thank you.”

   “As you wish, Mistress Halin,” the droid said, and it turned, hurrying back down the hall. Halin closed the door and paced around the small chamber before the communicator on the wall lit up and a transmission came through. Talon’s face flashed on the screen. The man looked utterly exhausted. His eyes were dim and void of life, and his face was lined with concern. He would have almost been unrecognizable had the droid not informed her first as to who was calling. Despite all of this, his expression softened somewhat when Halin’s face appeared.

   Halin’s heart raced. She had heard that the situation with the Mandalorians had intensified, and that many suspected the Republic to be on the verge of full-on war. Talon’s call now could only mean the worst.

   “I was beginning to worry,” Talon admitted. “When you weren’t still on Dantooine, I thought it might prove impossible to contact you in time. However, someone there was kind enough to inform me of your transfer. Normally I would have said that congratulations are in order, but given the current state of things, it hardly seems like time for such…”

   Halin swallowed. “How bad are things? I’ve heard rumors, but nothing more…”

   “Deralia was lucky,” said Talon, forcing a sort of bittersweet and almost morbid smile. “The Mandalorians must have not thought such a planet worth their bother. The small force that attacked us seemed to simply be a unit that broke off from the main, and was acting on their own. We were able to repel them, but not without casualties… While most of the casualties were military, there were civilian attacks that resulted in civilian casualties as well… Halin… Mother and father are among those who were not so lucky as to survive the attack… Their apartment in the Capitol was close to one of the bombings. Not many were able to be pulled from the rubble…”

   Halin went pale. While the news she had been expecting certainly wasn’t good news, this was not the bad news that she had expected. She wasn’t sure how she felt… how she should feel…. While they were her parents, they were also complete strangers. Why should their death strike her any differently than the millions of others who had died as a result of the Mandalorian attacks? She swallowed, her eyes meeting Talon’s again after having been distant for some time. “And what has happened in regard to the Mandalorians’ position since?”

   “They seem to be heading along the Gordian Reach, deeper into Republic space—away from Deralia, but toward plenty of other systems. With their current attack patterns, I anticipate that they will engage the Republic directly very soon…”

   The face of the galaxy as they knew it was beginning to change, and if something was not done about it, then everything that they knew—everything thing that the Republic stood for—would be lost.

   “Halin,” Talon continued very seriously, “something must be done about this. If the Mandalorians are not stopped—”

   “I know, Talon. I know… I promised you I would come, and I intend to keep that promise… but I need to discuss this with the Jedi Council first. If the Republic should fall to the Mandalorians, countless lives will be lost beyond what occurred on Deralia… Please offer mother and father my respects. I only regret that I cannot do so in person.”

   Talon nodded silently. “….When should I expect you?”

   “I’m not certain yet… I’ll contact you once I can offer any further information.”

   “Understood.”

   There was another moment of silence. Both were unsure of what to say to the other. It was a strange circumstance that they were in—a brother and a sister, separated by peace and only brought together by war. Neither knew how to express their own feelings on the situation. There was only a silent and solemn understanding of grief which passed between them.

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Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #10 on: September 24, 2018, 07:05:53 AM »

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE AID OF THE COUNCIL

   The message had been broadcast on all of the holo-news feeds within Republic space—the Republic was officially at war with the Mandalorians. A seemingly unprovoked attack lead by Mandalore the Ultimate against the scientific research station in orbit of the planet Flashpoint had been the final nail in the coffin. Since it was a scientific research station, there hadn’t been military defenses in place, and so it fell quite easily. The problem that this presented, however, was the station’s proximity to other densely populated Republic worlds, particularly the planetary metropolis known as Taris. With so many lives at stake, the Republic could not afford to ignore the threat any longer.

   Saul Karath, a Captain of the Republic Military’s naval forces, had been forced to take action in protecting Taris by the formation of a blockade, stretching from Jebble to Vanquo to Tarnith to form a protective barrier between Flashpoint Station and Taris. Tensions were quite high. Until now, there had been little to no opposition to the Mandalorians, and they had already succeeded in conquering much of non-Republic space along the space-Eastern side of the Outer Rim.

   The sudden shift in current events had resulted in many questions being raised. What actions would be taken by the Republic in order to counter the Mandalorians? Was there any hope in defeating them, or was the Republic doomed to fall to this warrior race? And what action would the Jedi Council—sworn defenders of peace and of democracy—take against this Mandalorian threat?

   Master Kavar had been previously sent by the Jedi Council in order to investigate the Mandalorians’ presence and actions on the Outer Rim in the past year. He had witnessed firsthand (albeit deliberately without any direct involvement) the destruction that the Mandalorian race was bringing upon the galaxy. As was his assignment, he reported back an unbiased witness account of what had occurred over the year and, while the damage had been severe, he could find no evidence of it being linked in any way to the Force, or to a resurgence of the Sith.

   Since the time of the Great Sith War, the Jedi had been quite careful to avoid conflict. They did not wish to enter in any further unnecessary bloodshed. As far as could be seen from the actions thus far, this one seemed to be an ordinary war without any involvement of wielders of the Force. This was the Republic’s War.


><><><><><


   Halin Chan stood outside of the doors to the Council Chamber in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Her heart raced and her mind spun as she thought about what needed to be done. The war had started. There was no denying its existence any longer. She knew in her heart what needed to be done… what action needed to be made… she only hoped that the Council’s striving for peace would not be so foolish as to overshadow the necessity to protect the infrastructure of the Republic.

   The doors to the Council Chamber opened before her. This was the moment which she had been waiting for. This was the thing which needed to be done before she would be able to fulfill her promise to Talon. She needed the permission of the Council in order to enlist in the Jedi’s own force against the Mandalorians. Her own parents had died as a result of the Mandalorians’ attacks, and while Deralia had emerged from the conflict relatively unscathed (particularly when compared to countless other planets which had been attacked), more would suffer the same fate or worse if something was not done in order to stop their advance on Republic space. She needed to make sure that this would not happen.

   Halin stepped forward entering the chamber, her robes fluttering behind her briefly in the initial difference of air pressure between the room and the hall outside. She had rehearsed the situation several times in her head. If all went correctly, there was no doubt in her mind that she would be able to convince the Council to send her. Her training had more than proven her capable of the task. Surely they would be able to see that.

   “Troubled your mind seems, young Halin,” Master Tokare said when the young woman stopped center room. “A question for the Council you have, no doubt.”

   Halin knelt before them, bowing her head in a sign of reverence. “It is not so much a question that I come bearing as it is a request: the Mandalorians’ will stop at nothing in their quest for conquering the Galaxy. Action must be taken if the Republic is to maintain stability…”

   “We assure you, Halin Chan, that action is already being taken. As we speak, the Republic is mounting a defensive blockade in order to protect the planet of Taris which is currently threatened by the location of the conflict.,” spoke another Master.

   Halin simply shook her head, keeping it bowed. “The Council misunderstands my request. I ask that I am allowed to accompany the Jedi task force which will be aiding the Republic in their efforts against the Mandalorians.”

   The Masters looked at one another. They had not expected such a request to come, particularly so quickly after war had been declared. The silence was so thick that it could have been sliced with a knife. Halin remained kneeling, her head bowed. Finally, she received her answer.

    “The Council does not intend to take action against the Mandalorian threat,” Master Vrook Lamar finally replied.

   Halin raised her head abruptly, slowly looking around at the members of the Council in disbelief as she rose to her feet. “Surely this cannot be the Council’s final decision on the matter…”

   “The duty of the Jedi is to protect the Republic against the threat of the Sith. The Mandalorians are not our concern.”

   “Protecting the lives of billions of innocent people who have fallen victim to their lust for war and who will continue to die if we do nothing… Of course that is our business! I was under the impression that Jedi were to protect the defenseless and the innocent. Are you telling me now that I was mistaken?”

   “Mind your emotions, young one,” Master Atris commented. “There is wisdom in the Council’s decision. We have only just finished our own war. We need not carelessly enter another when the Republic is capable of fighting their own battles. We are not soldiers…”

   “And if the Republic should fall, what then?”

   “The Council will debate this topic no longer, Halin Chan. The Republic will have to fight their war without the Jedi. This is our final decision.”

   Halin stood, dumbfounded. She could not believe what she was hearing. Here was the time when the Republic needed the aid of the Jedi the most… and yet the Jedi High Council had decided that the Order would do nothing!? She could feel the formerly placid lake of emotions begin to stir and to gurgle. This was not right. She could feel it. Something must be done…

   Without a word, Halin bowed out and exited the High Council Chamber. How would she be able to keep her promise to Talon and to her people if the Jedi Council had decreed that no action was to be taken at all? The decision had arisen questions within her—questions to which she needed guidance and counsel to answer…


><><><><><


   Halin packed up any necessary items and boarded the next shuttle from Coruscant to Dantooine. Despite her fondness for the city life, she now understood why so many Jedi chose to remain in the Enclave on Dantooine. Dantooine was removed from the politics of Coruscant. One could choose to ignore them if they wished without the constant barrage of information. While the code taught that there was no ignorance, only knowledge, Halin could see how partial ignorance could be bliss. To be blissfully unaware of the magnitude of a problem seemed far better at times than knowing so much but being able to do nothing. At that point, one only began to feel helpless.

   The trip was a bit of a long one. After all, there were no direct hyperspace routes between the two planets, so the journey ended up either requiring shifts between three routes, or an alternative calculation not on the regular maps. Halin wanted to use the time to check the progress of the Republic against the Mandalorians’ advance, but a part of her told her to wait. After all, it was difficult enough as is to ignore the situation. The apathy made her feel as though she were rotting away at her core. It was disturbing to her senses, and no matter how much she tried, she could not find the mental peace required to enter into a state of meditation.

   When she finally landed on Dantooine and entered the Enclave, the place felt different to her. The quietness was like a welcome solitude after her restless flight from Coruscant. It was good for her to be here not only for the peace of mind it gave, but also because Master Kreia was on Dantooine. If anyone were able to answer her questions, it would be Master Kreia. Beyond being a historian and one of the keepers of the Jedi archives, Kreia was a very wise woman. Even after graduating from being her apprentice during her time as a Padawan, Halin still held a great respect for the woman, and valued her opinions on the Force, and on life and morality.

   Master Kreia Sana was in one of the many meditation chambers in the Enclave when Halin found her. The Master could feel the presence of her former apprentice even before Halin had entered the room. “Your mind is troubled, my former Padawan,” the old woman said, seemingly without breaking her trance. “You come seeking answers.”

   “Yes, Master Kreia. I am… disturbed by the recent actions of the Jedi Council… Or rather, by the recent inaction of…”

   “Their actions disturb you, you say… yet I sense that there is more that you seek than a mere peace of mind. You disagree with the Council’s decision.”

   “Yes, Master… I feel that the Republic is doomed to collapse without the aid of the Jedi… The Mandalorians have already shown to the galaxy that they are a far greater threat than just small raids in a few planets among the Outer Rim… If the Republic should fail to repel them, it could mean greater consequences for the Order as well. It seems that the Council has not bothered to take such into consideration… that they underestimate the power of Mandalore the Ultimate…”

   “And why is it that you seek me in this matter? From your words, from your emotions… I can tell that you have already made up your mind on this matter. You are determined not to remain indifferent toward the Republic’s cause.”

   Halin hesitated a moment in fear. “I… I know that to defy the Council’s wishes in such a way could be seen as an act of treason against the Jedi Order… That they would be likely to cast me out, and that I could remain a Jedi no longer…”

   “You understand all of this, and yet you wish to do so, regardless of the consequences?”

   “Yes, Master Kreia. I… I cannot stand idly by while billions die as a result of this war… If I can help, even if only a little bit, then I must… You used to tell me that I was destined for great things… Perhaps this is my fate. Perhaps it is my destiny to aid the Republic in this time of need… even if it should cost me my identity… even if it should cost me my life…”

   A small smile appeared on Master Kreia’s lips. “One’s identity is not determined by what titles they hold, Halin Chan. It is not determined by their name, or by where they come from… One’s identity is determined by the choices they make and by the imprint they leave within the Force.”

   “I suppose then that my question is not what to do… but rather how to do it? What if, by leaving the Order, by entering war, I should be seduced by and consumed by the dark side of the Force? Just as so many were during the Great Sith War?”

   “Do you really believe to fall is so simple?” Master Kreia posed question to Halin. “There are plenty who have left the Order for various reasons and yet were not consumed as you say… To leave and to fall… they are two different things entirely. It is quite simple really, to leave without falling…”

   “And how, pray tell, is one to do that?”

   “The same way that you always have, Halin. I posed this question to you once before, and I pose it to you again now: What makes an action good or evil?”

   Halin thought about this. It was the same one of Kreia’s questions that she had posed to the Younglings before… “I… I do not know the answer to that…”

   “Ah, but you do… There is more wisdom within you than you credit yourself for, Halin Chan… Trust in your feelings. Trust in the Force… It is this answer which is also the answer to your own question… I cannot stop you from leaving the Order, nor do I wish to. This is a choice that you must make of your own free will. Likewise, I cannot tell you how not to fall. I can only guide you so far… Know this though: either way, you will no longer be the Jedi you were before. For better or for worse, you will not be the same Halin Chan. Already you are changed. Is this something that you are ready to accept?”

   Halin sighed. Her mind and her emotions were torn in every direction. All she had known her entire lifetime was the Jedi Order. She had held their values as her own for so long… and now, it seemed as though those values were a lie. The Jedi High Council’s decisions now conflicted with her own values, despite her belief that the two were one and the same. The choice now had to be made, whether to uphold the values of the Council, or uphold the values in her heart.
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Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #11 on: September 24, 2018, 07:16:05 AM »

CHAPTER NINE: WHAT IS IN A NAME?


   Halin Chan roamed the corridors of the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, the hood of her cloak pulled over her head in order to hide her face and the silent tears that rolled down her cheeks. She wanted to take one last walk through these halls before such a time as she knew she would be welcome there no longer. Her childhood, her memories, her past life… everything she had known until that moment echoed residual energy that could be felt through the Force. For one last time, she would drink it all in. After her decision had been made, there would be no turning back.

   “Halin?”

   Halin froze at the sound of her name, but dared not look up. She knew Alex’s voice all too well. She had almost hoped not to run into him while she was here. After all, how could she possibly hope to explain to her closest friend that she intended to abandon all that either of them had known their whole lives through?

   Alex Kharr could feel a strange disturbance in his friend’s thoughts, but her own mental blocks prevented him from seeing the cause of her torment. This worried Alex. It was not like Halin to be so evasive, particularly toward him. Something must have happened to her…

   “Halin, please speak to me. Something is bothering you—I can tell… Please, whatever it is, you know that you can trust me…”

   He waited for a reply from her, but all that came was a sigh. Unable to endure her silence any further, Alex reached out, placing one hand on Halin’s shoulder and turning her toward him while removing the hood of her cloak with the other. It was then that he saw her tear-filled eyes which were so full of uncertainty. A piece of him shattered inside at seeing his dear friend in such a state. Trembling and without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace.

   Halin nearly choked in her attempt to hold back a sob. She tried gently at first to push him away, but he held her fast. “Halin, please tell me…”

   “I’m not Halin,” she said in a trembling voice. “Not any more…” And she pushed him away more forcefully this time, escaping his arms and stepping backwards in order to put space between them.

   Alex looked at her, confused. “I don’t understand…” He stepped forward, reaching out to her again, but she raised a hand and called upon the Force in order to create a stasis field, freezing him in his tracks. He could still see her, still hear her… but he would not be able to approach her.

   “You are a good friend, Alex… but I cannot explain to you here… If you truly wish to know, meet me in the grove at sundown. This may be the last time that we see one another…”

   With these words, she pulled the hood of her cloak back over her head and stepped backward further, seemingly fading into nothingness as she used the Force to camouflage herself in stealth. It was a technique she had learned under Master Arren Kae that had mostly fallen out of use with the disappearance of the Jedi Watchmen.

   The stasis field lasted no longer than a minute, but by that time, Halin Chan was long gone. Alex was having difficulty understanding what she had told him. How could she not be Halin? How could she not be the woman he had grown to admire and to love?

   He determined to meet her in the grove as she had told him. There were answers he needed from her. He needed to know what this change in her was, and why it had happened.


><><><><><

   The woman formerly known as Halin Chan sat under a tree near a set of crumbling white stone pillars in the grove, turning something over and over in her hand. It was the Kyber crystal that she had won from Alex a year before, when they had both been fully accepted into the Order as Jedi Knights. Recently, the thing had undergone a drastic change. Whether intentional or not, it seemed that she had been slowly becoming attuned with the crystal. Its formerly clear and resplendent myriad of facets that had previously reflected so many colors and possibilities had changed to a smoky amethyst color.

It was an unusual color that only occurred among those who walked a fine line between Jedi and Sith. It was this thought that startled her perhaps more than the war itself. It was part of why she felt so strongly about speaking to Master Kreia about the matter. However, even this conversation had left her with a sense of uncertainty. She knew and understood that, for the Jedi, the risk of corruption was a very real thing… to be consumed by lust for power to a point where it overshadowed all else… To walk the thin line between the two was no easy feat. By leaving the Order and going to war against the Mandalorians, it was her burden from this point on.

Master Kreia had seemed alarmingly unconcerned about her taking up such a task. A part of her had wished that the old woman would have tried to talk her down from such a rash decision… And yet, it had seemed as if the Jedi Master always knew this would be the case…

Footsteps approached, and the young woman instinctively drew her lightsaber, it’s Veridian blade illuminating the darkness of the newly fallen cloak of night. However, when she saw who approached, she withdrew the blade and returned the hilt of her saber to her belt. It was Alex.

“So you came after all…”

“Of course I did! How could I not come after seeing you in such a state?”

“The state I was in may yet be overshadowed by the state in which I may become…”

Alex was even more confused than before. “Halin, what are you talking about? It’s not like you to speak in riddles and to be so evasive. Please, tell me what is going on…”

“I told you before, I am not Halin Chan… Not any more, at least… I must ask you… what would you do if you found out that everything you believed in wasn’t what you thought it to be?”

Alex didn’t like the sound of where this was going. “Where are you going with this?...”

“I’ve decided to leave the Jedi Order, Alex,” she said with as much authority as she could muster. “I refuse to sit idly by in wake of the Council’s decision to not aid the Republic in their war against the Mandalorians. I refuse to believe that any true Jedi would be able to do so… My people have suffered because of this war, Alex. So many other peoples have suffered, and are suffering still, and will continue to suffer if no action is taken!”

Alex was surprised by such news. War had been declared so very recently that he had not expected the Council to have made any sort of final decision on the matter yet. “And you are certain that this was their final decision on the matter?”

The woman nodded. “That is what I was told by the Masters themselves…. And that is why I can no longer be Halin Chan. Halin Chan is a Knight of the Order. She is respected by her colleagues and by her mentors, and will always have a place among them… But I am not Halin. Not any more… In the ancient Deralian tongue, there is word that that is difficult to translate into Basic. It means something along the lines of ‘an act of presumed evil done for the sake of justice being served to the innocent’… In Basic it’s quite a mouthful, but in old Derlaian, it is one word… From this point forward, I am not Halin Chan. I am the Revanchist.”

Revanchist

The word seemed to echo through the emptiness of the night, and it sent chills down Alex’s spine. His friend was choosing a very dangerous path if she meant to defy the Council. The fact that she had gone so far as to change her name meant that she was serious about the matter.

“Is the Revanchist capable of fulfilling promises that were made by Halin Chan?” Alex asked her.

Halin hesitated. She wasn’t certain what promise he was referring to… but perhaps it would be for the better. After all, everything would change after this point. “The Revanchist is always true to her promises, whether those promises were made by herself or by Halin Chan… What is it that you wish of me?”

“You promised me that you would let me come if you ran off one day to help those affected by this war.”

“Did I?”

“Yes, back when you met Talon for the first time since being sent to Dantooine… I’m coming along with you.”

“I can’t ask that of you, Alex. Your life is here. Don’t throw it away by following my poor example… I don’t want my decision to leave the Order to harm you or anyone else…”

“I’m doing this because I want to. Do you think that I agree with the Council’s decision any more than you do? Perhaps there is a reason for it, but even so, does the Republic deserve to suffer because of it? And beyond that, you can’t do this alone Halin—Revanchist! So many other Jedi, if they knew what was happening, would also disagree with the Council’s decision. I’m making this choice not because of you, but for myself. Let me follow you! Let anyone who is willing to take up the cause of the Revanchist follow you!”

With these words, Alex knelt before her, bowing his head and beating his fist on his chest as if to make a solemn oath. “I, Alex Kharr, ask that you accept me as your honorary apprentice, Revanchist.”

The Revanchist was a bit taken aback by this gesture, but deep down, she knew that he was right. The war was so large that the more Jedi support there was for the Republic, the better their chances of defeating the Mandalorians.
“Do you swear to do all within your power to protect the innocent and to bring an end to this war?” she asked him in a firm voice.

“I swear.”

She pulled her lightsaber from her belt and ignited it, carefully passing the blade over each of the man’s shoulders before holding it aside. “Then arise, my apprentice. I accept your pledge. From henceforth, you shall be called ‘Malak’ of the Revanchists.”

Malak, as he was now known, arose and bowed fervently to his Master. There was no turning back now for either of them. What was done was done.

“What task would you have me to do, my Master,” Malak asked.

“You are right in that there may be others amongst the Order who would be sympathetic toward our cause. My task for you is to search the Enclave and recruit any of these such Jedi. When you have finished your assignment, you are to meet me on Coruscant. I am going ahead to ask the High Council one last time if they will support our cause. When their decision has been made, we shall proceed accordingly.”

“Understood, my Master.”

“And Malak?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for your support. Because of you and others like you, we shall ensure that the Republic does not fail.”


><><><><><


   The halls of the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine were completely empty at this hour. The Revanchist slipped silently through the shadows, making her way past the Council chambers to the initiate training room. There was one more thing that she needed to do before heading to Coruscant.

   This particular training room was a little different from the others within the enclave. It was designed as the place where students would undergo the final trials before becoming a full member of the Order and attaining the rank of Padawan. It contained a small portion of the archives, intended for learning about the Jedi Code and a brief history of the Jedi Order, it contained a computer for simulations and for research on different classes amongst the Jedi, and it contained a workbench, where the new initiates were to craft their first lightsaber. It was for this purpose that the Revanchist had come.

   The Revanchist pulled the amethyst Kyber crystal from her inner robe. The thing emitted a faint, yet pleasant hum as she held it in her hand. It had bonded to her, and its energy was reacting positively with her own connection to the Force. It was time. It was time for her to set the crystal and to construct a new lightsaber.

   She began by crafting the basic pieces of the lightsaber: the focusing lens, the emitter matrix, the energy cell, and the skeleton of the hilt. The first thing was the hilt, since this would encase all of the other pieces. It was the part of the lightsaber that the Jedi held in their hand, so a comfortable grip for the wielder was crucial in its design. Some Jedi would choose to create a curved hilt, or one with extra handle, or a long staff-like hilt, depending on their own individual preferences.

   The design that the Revanchist chose was relatively simple, yet elegant. It was of medium length, to account for grip with either one or both hands, and had three long, slightly curved pieces spaced evenly through the length of the body. On the end where the lens would be placed, they protruded slightly, creating a sort of claw-like encasement for the future blade. These three curved pieces would aid in maintaining her grip on the weapon in battle. The body was primarily silvery-gray in color, with accents of black along the edges. The back vent was very simple, round with no particularly interesting patterns.

The only thing particularly unusual about her design was her choice of placement for what would become the trigger when she inserted the energy cell and emitter matrix. She had opted for a faux trigger in the traditional red on the outside of the hilt. The true trigger would be located inside of the hilt. While seemingly bizarre at first, there was good reasoning for her choice. After all, the Mandalorians were skilled warriors, and, in the event she lost her weapon in battle, she did not wish for a Mandalorian to be able to wield the thing against her or against her allies. The only way that one would be able to ignite the saber would be through the Force.

She created a basic Diatium power cell with the materials available to her at the workbench, and a basic emitter matrix in order to power and stabilize the blade, and placed these inside of the hilt accordingly, being quite careful not to inverse anything, as the lightsaber could explode if improperly assembled in such a manner.

When it came time for the lens, she chose a somewhat unorthodox material. Adegan crystals were a relatively abundant crystal that was often used as a focusing crystal rather than material for a focusing lens. When used for the focusing lens instead, the crystal greatly intensified the power of and amount of damage the lightsaber could deal in combat. This new saber, while she honestly wished otherwise, would need to be capable of taking a life quickly should the necessity arise. Mandalorians were known to possess a special sort of iron ore that was incredibly durable and found only on the planet Mandalore. Such a material was capable of resisting even a lightsaber’s blade. Given the likelihood of it being used in Mandalorian armor, the Revanchist did not wish to risk her weapon yielding to the stuff.

Her new weapon was nearly complete in its construction. All that remained were the focusing crystals. The woman still had with her the three crystals which she had won on the day that she had become a Jedi Knight: the Bondar crystal, the Opila crystal, and the now colored Kyber crystal.

The first crystal she set was the Bondar. It was the least lethal of the crystals, and provided a unique sort of energy within the blade that was best suited for stun. It was a crystal typically used in the training sabers of young Padawans. To the Revanchist, however, the crystal held a greater significance. It represented her origins and her training, but also, it represented mercy, and the way of the Jedi which she had grown to believe in before their seeming betrayal to the cause. The crystal reflected the past.

The second crystal she set was the Opila crystal. Unlike the Bondar, Opila was highly lethal. It made for an intensely focused beam that cut quickly with little able to inhibit its power. In this war, she would need whatever strength she could muster in order to defeat the enemy at hand. This crystal represented the aggression of war. This crystal reflected the present.

And the last of all of these things was the amethyst crystal which continued to resonate with its faint humming. It would be the main focusing crystal of her new lightsaber, and would determine the color of the blade. The color of the blade of the saber itself often reflected the identity of its individual wielder. The color purple was one which stood entirely on its own. It was removed from the Jedi, removed from the Sith… It was a color of great conflict... Of light and of dark… Of illumination and of shadows… Of good and of evil… Of Harmony and of Chaos… Of tranquility and of passion… Of blue and of red… It was the color of the Revanchist. It was the crystal of her future.

When the focusing crystals were all set in place, the Revanchist closed the hilt with the Adegan focusing lens. Her work was finished. The time had come for her to appear again before the High Council of the Jedi Order. The time of the Revanchists was now.

Logged

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Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #12 on: September 24, 2018, 07:32:55 AM »

CHAPTER TEN: THE JEDI RAPTURE

   Over the past few days, Malak had been fulfilling his new Master’s wishes by recruiting who he could toward their cause in aiding the Republic against the onslaught of the Mandalorians. While many did not wish to defy the decisions of the High Council, there were members on both sides of the situation who had surprised Malak on the matter.

Opela Moraf, whom he had not expected to join them due to her relationship with the Council, was one of those who proclaimed herself willing to join their cause. She was, after all, a former pupil of Master Vandar Tokare and of Master Vima Sunrider—daughter of the famed Nomi Sunrider, who had sat as Grand Master of the High Jedi Council and was one of the last known practitioners of the Jedi Battle Meditation. Moraf was also a close friend of Master Atris, Mistress of the Jedi Archives, who sat on the Council, and had apprenticed informally for a brief time under Master Kavar, who also sat on the Council.

There were others, however, who he had expected to take up the cause, but had declined for one reason or another. To his dismay, there were very few who were both sympathetic and also brave enough to take action. Malak was surprised and somewhat disturbed at the faith some of the younger Padawans whom he had approached had in the Council’s decision on the matter.

In total, Malak had succeeded in recruiting five Jedi to their cause. Besides Opela, there were, Cariaga Sin, Talvon Esan, Xaset Terep, and Nisotsa.

They were all human, but from varying backgrounds and experience, some Knights and some still Padawans. The thing that they shared in common, however, was the need to make a difference in the Galaxy, which drew them toward the call to war.

While the assembled Jedi forming what was the ‘Revanchists’ were not very many in number, there was no doubt in Malak’s mind that they would be able to recruit more to their noble cause on Coruscant and on other planets where the Jedi assembled, such as the metropolis Taris, which was so very close in proximity to the front lines of the war. Beyond even these places, there were many Jedi who had taken up hermitage scattered across the galaxy. Perhaps they were not the first to feel this calling.

The Revanchist had already gone ahead to Coruscant to address the Council one last time before the official entry of the Revanchists into the war. She seemed to genuinely hope that the Council would change their minds about the situation. As determined as she had seemed about the action that must be taken, Malak still sensed that there was a part of his Master that did not wish to have to risk being cast out of the Jedi Order.

Malak gathered the Revanchists aboard the Stalwart Nightingale. They would be headed to Coruscant next, in order to meet with their leader and to discover the results of her meeting with the High Council, every one of them knowing full well the risks involved in becoming a part of this crusade.


><><><><><


   The Revanchist entered the Circular chamber in which the Jedi High Council met at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, the sapphire and ebony colors of her robes contrasting sharply with the polished white marble and chrome surroundings. The hilt of her newly crafted saber was grasped firmly in her right hand. She moved with a purpose and with a brisk confidence that hadn’t manifested itself so strongly in her before. She was there with a mission in mind. Either she would succeed in convincing the Council of the cause of the Revanchists, or she would openly defy their judgement and declare her own faction of the Jedi.

   “I come before you again,” she said boldly, not waiting to be acknowledged by the Council members, “in order to ask you to reconsider your decision on the inaction of the Jedi during this war.”

   Many of the Council members were stunned at the rashness of her words. They had assumed that the fiery and rebellious nature of the youth had calmed during the self-imposed extension of her training. Only weeks before, she had stood before them as the very model of the Jedi. Yet now, she dared to question their wisdom?

   “As the Council has previously stated,” spoke Master Lonna Vash, “the topic will be discussed no further.”

   “We do understand your concern in wanting to aid the Republic,” Master Kavar continued. “However, after having witnessed the early stages of the war first hand, I do not sense there is anything that requires our immediate involvement in the matter. There appears to be no involvement from the Sith…”

   “Is that all that the lot of you care about—the Sith!?” The Revanchist said, the irritation quite evident in the tone of her voice. “Here you sit all safe and mighty in your Temple while the people outside are suffering and dying because of a very real threat that you refuse to acknowledge!”

   “Halin Chan, that is quite enough,” spoke Master Dorak, hoping the calm the young Jedi knight.

   “I am not Halin! You—all of you—have killed Halin Chan! The woman standing before you today is not Halin, but the Revanchist!” And with this, she raised her lightsaber over her head and ignited the trigger. The saber’s intense purple blade illuminated the room, reflecting off of the many polished surfaces.

Many of the Council Members could not help an audible gasp from escaping at the sight of the woman’s new lightsaber. The colors had become so traditional amongst the Order that any variances were highly unusual, but this variance in particular… The fact that the crystal had bonded in this color could prove to be problematic. Purple and violet colors often indicated that the Force-sensitive with which the crystal had bonded held strong qualities of both the Jedi and the Sith, and, more often than not, called upon both the Light and Dark Sides of the Force.

“In the presence of the entire Council, I hereby declare that The Revanchist and all who follow the Revanchist will enter war alongside the Galactic Republic, effective immediately! When more members of the Order learn of your selfish deeds, they will flock to our cause, and there will be nothing within your power that you will be able to do in order to stop them from doing what they know is the right thing!”

The Members of the High Council stood in a ready position, as if to strike the Revanchist should she turn violent and any moment. There mere connotation of such crushed the young woman inside. It seemed to her that they already felt she was gone from the Light. She swallowed, concentrating very hard on not betraying her further emotions of betrayal at this. “I do not wish to fight any of you,” she continued, more calmly this time, “but I will if I must. All I ask is that, in your course of inaction you do not attempt to dissuade or prevent us from our cause.”

With no further words, The Revanchist turned and promptly existed the Grand Council Chamber. The deed was officially finished. There was no taking back of her words possible at this point. She anticipated that the Council would not welcome her back by the end of this war, unless by some sort of unforeseen miracle.

Malak should be arriving soon in the Nightingale,’ she thought. It would be time for her to meet her future comrades in battle. It was time for her to see the Revanchists with her own eyes.


><><><><><


   The Revanchist was already at the platform to meet her apprentice when the Stalwart Nightingale landed. She was, however, not alone. Several Jedi Knights and Padawans at the temple had heard of the noble quest of the Revanchist, and some had decided to follow her into battle. Among them were a young Knight by the name of Ferroh, a woman named Fiolli Baill, and Hazar Kasra, who was the Padwan of Master Zez-Kai Ell, one of the Masters who sat on the High Council. It must have been a blow to the selfish pride of them to see more flocking to the cause that they had dismissed so.

Ferroh was of a species known as the Cathar, a cat-like warrior race from a planet of the same name in the Outer Rim. His planet had been one of the first to be ravaged by the Mandalorians at the beginning of their crusade. Since the planet was outside of Republic space, not much was known of the incident, other than what he had heard from members who were displaced by the event.

The other two who had chosen to follow the Revanchist from Coruscant were merely Padawans, but their resolve had convinced her that they would be capable of aiding the cause.

   The freighter landed, its hatch door opening and letting out the docking ramp. From the Nightingale, Malak emerged, followed by the five others who had joined. The Revanchist was somewhat surprised to see Opela Moraf among their ranks. Given Moraf’s ties to the High Council, it was unlikely that they would take their cause so lightly for long. This would be good for the Revanchists.

   Malak looked at his Master expectantly, waiting for a report as to how the meeting with the High Council had gone. The fact that there were others with her had given him hope for good news. However, the Revanchist simply shook her head. “The High Council will not approve of our Crusade, but I believe that I’ve convinced them to at least not interfere with our cause,” she told her apprentice. “These three have decided to join among our ranks and defend the Republic against the Mandalorian threat. Let us all gather aboard the Stalwart Nightingale and I will explain to all of you our plans.”

   The small group of Jedi boarded the freighter, all looking to the Revanchist for further clarification of their mission. In the ships brig, she addressed them. “I am the Revanchist, and this,” she said, indicating her companion, “is my apprentice, Malak. We have lived and trained among the Order, as all of you have, but we have also seen the truth! The High Council of the Jedi Order has made the decision to ignore the cries of the Republic and its people. Now, the Mandalorians have engaged the Republic in full-on war and we have decided that we will not sit by idly while billions die at their hands! The Revanchists will not stand for such injustice—we will fight! If you are here among us, it is because you too have heard the calling to stand up for what is right. However, I must warn all of you that what we are doing is without the support of the Council. I cannot guarantee any of you that you will be welcomed back to the Order after the war. Nor can I guarantee you that you or any of us will come back alive by the end of this. Know that you will be forever changed. If there is any doubt in your mind about being here, then I ask you to leave now, before it is too late.”

   She paused, looking out among them for any who were not bold enough to continue on their journey. To her happiness, none of those there among them made a move to leave. This was good. She did not need the timid among their ranks. The Revanchists must be bold and fearless if they were to go face-to-face against the Mandalorians.

   “I welcome each of you into the Revanchists. Together, we will bring an end to this war and restore peace to the Galaxy,” with these words, she ignited her lightsaber and held it out before her as a sign of solidarity, waiting for the others to do the same. Malak was the next of them to make such a gesture, holding his blue blade against the violet one of the Revanchist. More and more followed, the greens, yellows, blues, and silver illuminating the space around them. For a moment, this reminded the Revanchist of the Kyber crystal in her own saber before it had taken its color. Together, they created a force of countless possibilities. Just as her actions and choices had molded the crystal, the actions of the Revanchists would shape the future of this war.

   “For the Republic!” the Revanchist declared, inviting the others to join her. And from the lips of all present, the words poured out in chorus:

   “For the Republic!


><><><><><


   The Stalwart Nightingale travelled through hyperspace along the route that the nava-computer had pre-determined. It was decided that the Revanchists would begin their involvement in the war through a series of scouting missions, designed to assess the current threat posed and determine where they would need to concentrate their efforts. There were many planets that had already been ravaged by the Mandalorian Crusaders. They would need to divide their forces and visit several of these areas, as well as places where it was likely for the Mandalorians to strike next.

   Malak would lead the first group of them (those who specialized more in combat—mostly Jedi Guardians) to scout near the front lines of the battle in the Galactic Eastern front, in places that were recently attacked by the Mandalorians and where the Republic was likely to have military forces stationed. The Revanchist would lead the other half of them (those who specialized more in covert and reconnaissance) to investigate territories further out along the Rim which had less involvement with the Republic, along the Galactic Southern front. While in the Southern front, she would also be able to see Talon and to assess the war’s effects on Deralia. Being a member of the Royal military on the planet, Talon would also be able to give her more information on the Mandalorians themselves and on their style of combat.

   Since there was only one ship available to them for the time being, the initial plan was to drop off those closer to the front lines with the Stalwart Nightingale, where it would be likely they could rendezvous with the Republic’s forces. The rest would move to the further reaches aboard the Nightingale. They would keep in contact via holo-communicator in order to relay any important information between the two groups. The plan was to regroup in one month’s time and plan further course of action based upon the combined findings of the two.

   The Revanchist did not wholly know what they would find in their scouting missions. They needed to be prepared for anything. After all, there was likely to still be Mandalorian presence on many of these planets. It was important that they not reveal their identity as Jedi or their purpose for their presence to the wrong people. The scouting must remain covert if it was to be successful.

   Currently, the Republic forces were engaged in combat with the Mandalorians in the Suurja System, which was located along the Jebble-Vanquo-Tarnith line that Captain Saul Karath of the Republic Navy had put up as a defense between Taris and the recently captured Flashpoint Research Station. The conflict had resulted in many battles up to that point, yet there was still no decisive edge that seemed to be gained on either side. The Revanchists hoped that, with the aid of the Jedi, they would be able to change this, turning the tides of war in the Republic’s favor.

   Before the scouting missions, the Revanchist had decided to stop on Taris, in order to address the Jedi at the Jedi Tower. Malak had spent time on Taris previously, and she hoped that his influence there might aid in convincing the Jedi in charge of the Tower to support their crusade. They needed as much help as they could manage to pull together. And so the Stalwart Nightingale moved onward toward Taris and toward the center of the conflict.

Logged

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Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #13 on: September 24, 2018, 07:49:44 AM »

CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE REPUBLIC AT WAR

[[Author's note: this chapter partially quotes Issue #0 of the "Knights of the Old Republic" comic series by Dark horse, though minimally and in different context. Disclaimer, I do not own this comic series]]


   Ships… Hundreds, even thousands of Mandalorian ships…. The gleaming and menacing blockade dropped out of hyperspace over the bluey glow of a planet below. For a moment, all was deathly still. It seemed as though everything were suspended in time, each second lasting for an eternity.

   Suddenly, the ships seemed to open up, thousands of Basilisk raining down upon the helpless planet below. There was no Republic fleet, no planetary defenses… nothing to stop them. Onward they came in a seemingly never-ending wave of destruction and terror.

   Suddenly, there was a sound, as if the entire planet, and the entire Galaxy were screaming all at once in a great pain. The sound grew and grew until it became deafening, the waves of Basilisk continuing to rain down from the sky. And then, seamlessly through the noise, slipped a voice:

There is no Peace…
There is no Knowledge…
There is no serenity…
There is only Death!


><><><><><


   The Revanchist shot upward in her bunk, breathing hard as a cold sweat poured over her temples. Every muscle in her body was simultaneously frozen stiff, yet shivering in fear. Her eyes were wide open with terror. It was a vision!

   While visions of the future were not unheard of for Jedi, it was seldom they came without great focus and deep meditation. There were seers among the Jedi Order who were quite gifted in receiving and interpreting these visions… but the Revanchist was no seer. Never before had she experienced something so vivid.
 
   She wasn’t sure what she should make of it. It had all felt so helpless. And that voice… It was a voice she did not know, yet a voice that seemed it had always been there, lurking in the shadows, just waiting to be heard….

   Clearly, the vision was some sort of warning. The Mandalorian threat must have been far greater than what anyone could have initially interpreted. When she was finally able to move, she pulled her robes over her body and began to make her way to the deck. She was glad that no one had been there to see her in that state. What the Jedi who had followed them needed was a fearless leader who would be able to see them through their efforts in this war. They did not need to see her so vulnerable…

   When on the deck, she located Malak and pulled him aside from the others. She needed to at least tell her apprentice of the vision, but without unnecessarily alarming the others aboard. She described to him the ships, the screams… but chose to omit the voice. She was least certain what to make of the voice…

   “The Mandalorians have more than enough force already to overrun the Republic,” she continued telling him. “When we do divide… Malak, promise me that you will do all you can to protect the company. I have a very bad feeling about all of this…”

   “You know that you can count on me, Master,” the man said. “When we stop on Taris, we’ll be able to gather more help. There is strength in numbers…”

   The Revanchist couldn’t help a bit of ironic laughter at her apprentice’s statement. “That, Malak, is precisely what I fear most…”


><><><><><


   Taris was a planet that had entered into the Republic relatively recently. With its importance in trade and in economic status… these things had likely been a determining factor in the choice by the Republic senate. While it was certainly not one of the major locations of the Jedi Order, they did have a presence here at the Jedi Tower. It was here that the Revanchist hoped they might be able to recruit more Jedi into the Revanchists movement.

   The Revanchist had felt it best if she spoke to the Masters of the Tower in private, rather than bringing along the whole group of Revanchists. After all, their actions were directly against the Council’s wishes, and it was still unknown what the reaction here would be. While somewhat removed from Coruscant and from Dantooine, the Jedi on Taris were still members of the Order and might try to halt the Revanchists’ activities, or convince them against their decision.

   “Please, we ask that you kindly observe our practices and stow your lightsaber before entering the temple floor,” one of the Masters spoke as the Revanchist entered the room. Reverently, she bowed in compliance, storing her saber in the indicated stand before continuing. She did not need to provoke any unnecessary hostilities if she hoped to gain any aid from them.

   “We have heard of your recent meeting with the High Council on Coruscant,” the Masters continued. “Curious that you would come to see us after such a brash display…”

   “My intention was never to defy the Council’s wishes,” spoke the Revanchist, “only to convince them to reconsider their choices in light of recent events…”

   “And yet, that is precisely what you did. Tell us, why have you now come to Taris after so openly defying the Council on Coruscant?”

   “I am certain that all of you are aware of the current locations in the war’s front lines and their proximity to Taris. There is no doubt that the Mandalorians will soon try to make a move on the planet itself unless they can be stopped first. It is the duty of the Jedi Order to protect the innocent, and this is no more strongly felt anywhere right now than it is on Taris. What I ask of you, Masters, is your aid in our cause. Any Jedi who are willing and can be spared would be most helpful in the progression of our mission.”

   With these words, all five of the Jedi Masters of the Temple began to laugh simultaneously. The Revanchist looked around the room in disbelief. She couldn’t believe that they of all people would not be willing to take the threat seriously.

   “Did I stutter?” she asked. “Is what I have spoken of seemingly funny to you?”

   “Forgive us,” one Master finally managed, “but there are so few of us here on Taris that to think we could spare even one is simply foolishness. We are, after all, the only Masters here, and all others are only Padawans and Younglings—there are no Knights. Even if what you were doing was with the Council’s support, you would find no help here on Taris.”

   “I see,” the Revanchist said with a tinge of bitterness. “I apologize then for wasting your time.” And with this, she bowed, retrieving her lightsaber from the holding and left the Temple.


><><><><><


   Malak roamed the streets of the Taris Upper City, near the Jedi Tower. Taris was a bit of a strange place. It was so advanced in its urbanism, yet so primitive in its idealism. Alien species outside of humans were generally frowned upon by the majority of the older natives. There was a sort of corrupt ideal that Taris—particularly the Upper City—should be for humans only. The extremists seemed to have calmed some since the beginning of the Jedi presence on Taris, but they still existed. They were only muffled for the time being.

   Seemingly out of nowhere, there was a crash in a nearby alleyway. Curious as to what had caused such a commotion, Malak went to investigate. In the alley, he found a human male—no more than a teenage boy, really—who had landed in a trash heap near a compactor entrance.

   “You really ought to be more careful where you step,” Malak said, going over and helping the boy to his feet. It was then that he noticed the lightsaber hilt which hung at the boy’s side. “You’re one of the Padawans from the Temple here, aren’t you?”

   The boy nodded, rubbing his backside. “You got me,” he admitted. “Zayne Carrick is the name.”

   “And what is it exactly that you’re doing out here, Zayne Carrick? It seems rather strange for Padawans to be falling from the sky into random alleyways and backend streets…”

   “Well,” Zayne began, “I was on an assignment from Master Lucien to capture a Snivvian by the name of Marn Heirogryph, but so far it’s not looking good. Not that the Masters expected me to succeed to begin with. Master Lucian says I’m a reminder that the Force has a sense of humor…”

   Malak could see that the kid seemed upset. From what he could tell, Zayne Carrick was known among his peers for such blunders as his current situation. “Don’t be so down about it,” Malak told him.
   “What are you doing here anyway?” Zayne asked him. “I didn’t realize that there were any Jedi scheduled here on Taris, other than those being trained at the Tower…”

   “My Master and I are just passing through,” Malak explained. “We’re headed to the front lines of the war against the Mandalorians… My Master hoped to stop on Taris to try to recruit any able-bodied Jedi to our cause. After all, we’re going to need all of the help we can get…”

   “Against the Mandalorians?” Zayne repeated, seemingly puzzled. “My Master says that the Mandalorians are no business of the Jedi…”

   “So does the Council, unfortunately.”

   “They always said that it was the duty of the Jedi to defend the Republic against the Sith…”

   “Except that the Sith threat ended about thirty years ago.,” Malak protested.” Right now, there are no Sith… but the Mandalorians… The Mandalorians pose a very real threat right now. It seems they could be raiding the Temple itself and the Masters wouldn’t bat an eyelash unless someone mentions the dark side…”

   It was at this point that Malak got a notification on his commlink. “Malak, this is Ferroh. The Revanchist has returned from her meeting with the Masters. We’re readying for takeoff—they will not help us.”

   “A shame, but we should have expected as much… I’ll make my way back now. Over and Out.” Malak turned his attention to Zayne. “Sorry kid, but it looks like it’s time for me to get going… I wish you could have been able to meet my Master… Listen…. If you ever decide that you want to join us, the Revanchists will always be open to you.”

   “Thanks,” Zayne said, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

   “May the Force be with you,” and with this, Malak left to regroup with the rest of the Revanchists.


><><><><><


   It was the fourth time that the Mandalorians and the Republic fleet had engaged in combat above the skies of the planet Suurja. The planet was in between the recently captured Flashpoint Station, and the recently formed Jebble-Vanquo-Tarnith line. The Mandalorians were attempting to advance forward, toward Taris and deeper into Republic Space. Combat had been going on for several weeks now, and still there was no clear victor, but Captain Saul Karath was determined not to allow the Mandalorians to advance any further. They could not be allowed to break through the barrier.

   There were Sixteen-Million Republic Colonists on the Planet’s Surface, and so Captain Karath had made an effort to keep as much of the fighting as possible away from the settlements on the planet’s surface. While fighting did occur planet-side, it was kept mainly in unpopulated areas.

   Still, as the battle continued to rage on, neither side seemed to gain any edge. It seemed as though the fighting would go on indefinitely were it to continue in such a way. Already the fourth formal battle was taking place. If this were any indication of how the rest of the war would be, then both sides were in for quite a ride.

   After so long fighting, both sides were ready to declare that enough was enough. After all, Suurja was primarily an agrarian planet. It was hardly going to make or break the war, whichever side wound up winning in the end…

   In the end, nothing was left but a wake of destruction on the behalf of both sides. No one was “safe” or “triumphant” … but all was finished. All was dead and still in the aftermath of war.


><><><><><


   It was planetary Sunset when the Stalwart Nightingale landed on Suurja. The Revanchists had decided to land away from any settlements both for the purpose of not disturbing the locals and for the purpose of trying to get a clearer firsthand view of what had occurred during the recent battles there.

   There was an eerie stillness about the planet’s surface. It was almost unnaturally calm in wake of the recent events which had taken place there. The group of combat specialists, led by Malak, stepped forth from the Stalwart Nightingale onto the planet’s surface. The Revanchist was with them.

   “I am hesitant to leave you,” the Revanchist admitted to her apprentice. “I fear that something terrible will happen here. The Force is uneasy in this place. There is much still at unrest…”

   “I promise I will let you know if we encounter any problems,” Malak assured her. “You just focus on the plan for the rest of the outer rim, dividing our scouts and gathering information from the previously war-torn planets.”

   The Revanchist nodded. She knew that her apprentice was right. There was so much ground for them to cover that it would be impossible for them not to split up…


><><><><><


   The lush plant of Onderon remained mostly untamed and full of jungle, with the exception of its capitol, the city of Iziz. Since the union of a beast-lord to Queen Oron Kira, much of the civil unrest on the planet had ceased to exist, and the two groups were now able to live in relative harmony with one another.

   All was so peacefull. All was so still. It was nighttime, and the planet’s moon, Dxun, was full overhead. Night insects chirped and the beasts all slept in their burrows…. But a voice came though all of it, so subtly that it was as if no one else could hear it…

Only Passion…
Only Chaos…
Only Victory…
Only Death….

   A sort of shadow began to descend from the sky, from the moon itself. Instead of light, Dxun was only reflecting darkness…


><><><><><


   “Master?..... Master!?”

   The sound was faint at first, as if heard from underwater while the source was above the surface. Gradually, it grew stronger and stronger, until finally….

   The Revanchists eyes fluttered open and she gasped for breath, as if she had been deprived of oxygen for some time. She had fainted into the arms of her apprentice, so it had seemed. The Revanchists around her regarded her with concern. Their ‘fearless leader’ had collapsed out of seemingly nowhere.

   One she realized the situation, the Revanchist quickly pulled herself together and stood on her own, as if nothing had happened. She could not cause them worry. Not now… That was not the leadership that they needed.

   “A vision,” she murmured. And then she looked her apprentice in the eye. “You remain here with the group as planned. I will take the others to their designated stations… but I need to go to Onderon….”

   “Onderon?” Malak repeated with some confusion. “But they’ve not been touched by the war… Not yet, at least. I thought you were going to check the situation of things on Deralia…”

   The Revanchist simply shook her head. “Talon will have to wait… I feel that this is important… More important than any of us might realize at the moment... I must go to Onderon. There is something there… I can feel it….”

   Malak worried about his Master’s words. There was something different about her since that night that they had met in the grove. She had seemed increasingly paranoid at every turn. He thought that the idea of this war must have been getting to her. The pressure of leading so many young Jedi into battle… and without the aid of the Council… it must have been quite taxing to her senses and to her emotions, even as one trained in the ways of the Force.

   “Are you certain that you will be all right on your own?” he asked her.

   “I’m fine, she said, trying to assure all of them. “I was merely unprepared for the vision to come when it did. I know to be more alert now…” and then she whispered to Malak alone “I feel that there are greater Forces at work here than the Mandalorians alone…

   She looked at him with a very serious expression, so much that Malak would not have thought of questioning her opinion on the matter. Whatever was to be found at Onderon would prove to be important for this war. The Revanchist and her apprentice nodded solemnly to one another and the Revanchist re-boarded the Stalwart Nightingale. It was time to determine if what she had seen of Onderon and of its moon, Dxun, was true or not… 

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Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
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Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #14 on: September 24, 2018, 11:39:05 PM »

Welcome Lady Revan and thanks for posting!

No worries about canon issues on this little fan fic page (we abuse it all the time!) all you’ll get is lots of supportive comments!.

Anyway read through the first three chapters and prologue and its great stuff!

I especially like how you've dealt with the engaging back story as Kreia noted in KOTOR II Revan might’ve been drawn ‘by the call of home’ which you’ve done really well in C3.

Also love what you’ve done with the characters, Opela’s subtle leadership, Alex slightly on the outer worried about making mistakes in training, Halin determined leading Alex round a bit and interest in old style Jedi watchmen challenging the council with their own logic was a really clever scene in particular.

Master Sana in particular I think you’ve written well, just off to the side chiming in with slightly ambivalent comments that seem Jedi like yet have an edge to them – in all cases I think you’ve done a great job of showing the antecedents of the characteristics that define these characters in the KOTOR games without overplaying them.

Look forward to reading the rest soon!

PS if you’re interested in checking out some of our stories here I would suggest starting with the Gray and Unchained: The Cost of Freedom (http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=37226.0) A really great easy to get into story about 2 young Gray Jedi knights in an an anti-slave rebellion in Hutt space by my talented co-writers Karmack and theDutchman.
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Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

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