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Author	Topic: “The One Below” Emerges - H/C, Yaddle, Yoda (2008 Winner Most Underrated!)
Alasse_Earfalas Registered: Mar '08	Date Posted: 4/3 10:06pm Subject: “The One Below” Emerges - H/C, Yaddle, Yoda (2008 Winner Most Underrated!) - Date Edited: 8/4 6:17pm (8 edits total) Edited By: Alasse_Earfalas
	Title: "The One Below" Emerges Author: Alasse_Earfalas Timeframe: 300 BBY Characters: Yaddle, Yoda, minor OCs Genre: H/C Keywords: Yaddle, Yoda, Koba, "The One Below" Summary: Yoda helps Yaddle as she struggles to adjust after being trapped and isolated underground on Koba for 194 years. Notes: This story does NOT follow the timeline that was given in "Yaddle's Tale: The One Below". Her green skin baked in the noonday sun. A torn and dirty brown sleeve wiped the sweat from her forehead, while a three digit hand pulled her matted brown hair back and out of her face. Her large ears picked up the near and distant sounds of Kobans working to rebuild their shattered homes and community buildings. The earthquake had devastated all of them, and the recent visit of Kalut hadn’t helped much (except for the fact that he’d been killed). Her muscles flexed as she lifted a rock that would’ve normally taken five Kobans to even budge. She wished she could just use the Force to lift it, but she had learned soon after she had emerged from her underground prison that those long years of isolation had left her almost completely devoid of what little Force power she had. Fortunately her species had insane amounts of physical strength, and she was able to use that strength to help the Kobans rebuild their broken homes and lives. She lifted the rectangular-cut rock up over her head, jumped onto the bottom layer of the unfinished wall, and set it down next to its predecessor. This was the start of what would eventually be the new town hall. She would’ve much rather helped with the construction of the individual homes, but this was where her help was needed most, so this was where she worked. “Yaddle!” She turned and smiled at the young girl trotting towards her. “Yes, Mari?” The little blond smiled brightly at her. “Mister Aaroc wants to see you. He wouldn’t tell me why, but he said it was urgent, and he was smiling, so it must be good.” “Thank you,” she said kindly as she hopped down from the low stone wall. “Can I come with you?” Her light blue eyes were big, bright, and shining with innocence. She chuckled. “No, Mari. Help your family, you should.” Her countenance fell for an instant, then brightened as she gave a quick little nod. “Okay!” She ran off towards her family’s home-in-progress. Yaddle smiled after her. I wonder what Aaroc wants, she thought as she walked on bare feet across the hot and barren earth. She walked through the large door of the Governor’s temporary office. “Sent for me, you did?” she said respectfully to the tan-skinned human that sat behind a desk that was as tall as she was. He looked up (or down, rather) and smiled at her. “I just got a call from the Jedi Council,” he said warmly. “They have requested that you return to Coruscant. They’re sending a shuttle tomorrow to come pick you up.” Yaddle sighed. She had been hoping that her escape would never reach the Council’s ears, or at least, not so soon. “No.” He gave her a puzzled look. “No? What do you mean?” “Stay here, I will.” Her voice was quiet, yet resolute. “Much work to be done here, there is. Abandon you and your people I will not. My help you need, so stay and help you, I will.” There was silence for a moment. “What about afterwards?” Aaroc asked. “You’re going to return to Coruscant as soon as our town is up and running, right?” Her gaze shifted to the floor, her ears falling slightly. “Probably not.” He was shocked. “Why not?” She sighed. “Only fifteen I was when came here with Master Kut I did. Too little training, I have had. Too old am I to continue my training, and too inexperienced to be knighted.” Her ears dropped a little more. “No longer is there a place for me in the Jedi Order.” “But they asked you to come back!” he insisted. “Why would they ask you to return if they didn’t have a place for you to go?” “Think they probably do that ready to be knighted, I am,” she said, her voice still soft. “But know I do that ready, I am not.” She looked up at him. “My decision, this is. Return to Coruscant I will not. Of this decision, please let them know.” She turned to leave. “Yaddle,” he called, his voice now soft like hers. She turned to face him, her hand on the doorframe. “Don’t you still want to be a Jedi?” Her face was very sad. “Wanted to be a Jedi, I always have. My dream it has been, even though raised in the Order I was. But shattered now, that dream is. A different dream now, I must find.” With that she stepped out of the room, and went back to work. *** “Master Yoda.” Yoda turned at the electronic voice of a protocol droid. “Yes?” “A message has come in from Koba. It appears Yaddle does not intend to come to Coruscant.” His eyebrows furrowed. “What mean you?” “She intends to stay on Koba.” He almost rolled his eyes. “How long is she going to stay there?” he asked, making sure to clearly articulate his words. “Indefinitely.” He sighed, his ears drooping. Afraid of this, I was, he thought. “Shall I cancel the shuttle that was to be sent there?” Yoda thought for a moment, his hands resting behind his back. A sparkle appeared in his eye. “No,” he said finally. “Cancel the shuttle, do not. This, you must do.” He looked up at the expressionless metal face. “After, and only after departed the shuttle has, inform the Council that gone to Koba, I have. Clear, are those instructions?” The droid nodded mechanically. “Yes, Master Yoda.” He nodded back. “Then go.” He watched as the droid clinked down the hall, then shifted his gaze back out the widow. So long it has been, my young friend, he thought, as if he was speaking to her. Missed you deeply, I have. Going to let you quit this easily, I am not. True it may be that complete your training is not. True it may be that diminished your skills have with isolation. True it may be that alone you still feel, that overwhelmed you would be if you returned now to Coruscant. But fixed, all those problems can be. Help you fix them, I will. -----signature----- Padawan of TrulyGhent & LilyHobbitJedi I O.B. The Young Grasshopper http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=28829920 "The One Below" Emerges http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28281112
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JediKaren Registered: Apr '07	Date Posted: 4/3 10:16pm Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - Yaddle, Yoda, minor OCs
	ohh interesting! More more! -----signature----- Bring Light Into Darkness Reaching Through Darkness: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28415147/p1/?0 Healing Hearts: http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28282728/p1
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Alasse_Earfalas Registered: Mar '08	Date Posted: 4/3 10:23pm Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - Yaddle, Yoda, minor OCs
	Oh wow, that was quick!!! Thanks! -----signature----- Padawan of TrulyGhent & LilyHobbitJedi I O.B. The Young Grasshopper http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=28829920 "The One Below" Emerges http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28281112
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commander_of_501st Registered: Jun '06	Date Posted: 4/4 2:20am Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - Yaddle, Yoda, minor OCs
	hello, first of all, do not get me wrong, i love this story but it could've been written better. choice of words and stuff. and (this is my objective feeling ) it feels like you need to develope your characters a bit more. i feel like you haven't thought yaddle out yet, but that's just my thought. thx for the story. hoping to see a sequel grtz commander
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Alasse_Earfalas Registered: Mar '08	Date Posted: 4/4 2:50am Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - Yaddle, Yoda, minor OCs
	Thanks!! Don't worry, character development will come. I just wanted to get something out there to start with. And I actually agree with you on the "it could've been written better" part. Like I said, this was just something quick to get the story started. Thanks, this exactly is the kind of feedback I'm looking for!! -----signature----- Padawan of TrulyGhent & LilyHobbitJedi I O.B. The Young Grasshopper http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=28829920 "The One Below" Emerges http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28281112
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Alasse_Earfalas Registered: Mar '08	Date Posted: 4/4 8:40pm Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - Yaddle, Yoda, minor OCs - Date Edited: 4/24 7:44pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Alasse_Earfalas
	Yaddle rested in the shade of a half-built wall. She tried to meditate, but could never seem to focus. She gave up after a few tries. It was useless. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t use the Force like she used to. It seemed to have drained out of her, drop by drop as the decades went by, and now it was all but gone. The same thing had happened to her memories. Very few of them remained now. The vast majority of those that had remained involved one person, just one person that had managed to stay cemented in her mind. That one person was Master Yoda. Of all the people she had missed, of all the people she had cried for during those hard first years, Master Yoda was definitely at the top of the list. He wasn’t just another Jedi Master to her. He was her best friend, the one person she could go to with any problem, the one who seemed to understand her so much better than anyone else. He was her role model, her inspiration, her support, and her comfort. So long, it has been, she thought. Wonder I do if still remembers me, he does? She broke the crusty ground with one of her claws, and began to play with the loose dust. Her knees had been pulled up to her chest, and her chin rested on them. She felt so alone. She didn’t belong on Koba. Neither did she belong in the Order anymore. She’d become far too weak in the Force to even have so much as a passing thought of being a Jedi. She didn’t want to travel all the way to Coruscant just to fail her test and be sent off to the Agricultural Corps. She heard the sound of a shuttle landing not far away. Her arms wrapped around her legs, hugging them close to her body, her forehead resting on her knees. They’d sent the shuttle anyway. She had specifically said that she was not going back to Coruscant, and they still sent the shuttle to pick her up, as if the presence of that shuttle would somehow change her mind. Someone would come looking for her soon. She hoped they wouldn’t find her. *** Yoda stepped off the shuttle, inhaling the air of a new world. It reminded him of the adventuring days of his youth. A tall, tan-skinned human approached him, an almost sad look on his face. “Greetings,” he said with a respectful nod. “I am Aaroc, the governor of this town.” “An honor to meet you it is, Governor Aaroc,” Yoda replied with the same tone of respect. “Master Yoda I am, of the Jedi Order. Yoda, you may call me.” “The honor is mine, Yoda.” Aaroc’s countenance fell slightly. “I assume you have come to take Yaddle back to Coruscant?” “Mmm, not yet,” he said, a smile on his face. “Speak with her first, I must.” He stepped off the ramp. “I wish I could tell you where she was,” he apologized, “but none of us have seen her since yesterday.” Yoda chuckled lightly. “Apologize you need not, Governor. Expecting this, I was.” He looked up at him. “Find her on my own, I will.” “Very well,” he replied courteously. “If you should need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” “Thank you, Governor.” He started walking towards the town, his heart aching at the devastation he saw. Help, these people need, he thought sadly. But first, time for a long-awaited reunion, it is. He reached out with the Force, locating Yaddle’s presence. He strolled towards her location, the many memories he had of her surfacing in his mind. He remembered how tiny she’d been when she first came to the Order, 209 years ago. He remembered how he had been the only one who could calm her when she cried, the only person she would let feed her. She had been like a daughter to him. He was the one who had taught her to walk and to speak (which was why she had inherited his “backwards talk”, as he’d heard it put). He had even weaned and potty-trained her. Never had he been so involved in a youngling’s life as he had been in hers. Countless times had she come to him for advice and comfort, even after Plovin Kut had taken her as his Padawan. He remembered how much she had pushed herself in her training. She was one of (if not the) fastest learners in the class, yet she trained like she was slow and was trying to catch up with everyone else. This over diligence put her far ahead of the other students, enabling her to help those who were struggling. He remembered how she would always have a bright and infectious smile on her face. The Masters had given her the nickname “happy child” because of it. For a moment he wondered if she even remembered him. 194 years, it has been, he thought sadly. Hard to retain memories are, over such a long period of time. Soon he rounded the last corner. He stopped short when he saw her. A wave of pain shot through his heart. Yaddle, the girl who’s smile had brightened his day, the girl who had more drive and determination in her training than anyone he’d seen before or since, was now huddled in a corner, her face hidden, her ears drooping, and her spirit obviously broken. She looked as if she wanted to disappear, or at least shut out the rest of the world. Never in his wildest dreams had he even imagined seeing her like this. He took a few more steps towards her. Yaddle heard the person as they approached. She could tell that they were from the Order, as their presence in the Force was strong and bright. Tears welled up in her eyes. If only she could be a Jedi, like them! If only she could be as strong now as she used to be! How easy it had been for her to learn and progress as a child, to grow stronger in the Force each day. Now it felt as if the Force had abandoned her. She had tried to regain what power she had lost, but to no avail. She was nothing now. She had no home, no family, and as soon as Koba was rebuilt and back on its feet, no purpose. The tears fell from her eyes to the dry ground. She began to cry. A three-digit hand rested on her shoulder. Her eyes opened, her head lifted. The tears increased as her eyes met those of the person crouched in front of her. Master Yoda! she thought, sobbing so hard she couldn’t speak. She immediately fell into the open arms of her old friend, gratefully receiving his offered comfort. Yoda held her close as she wept. He could feel the loneliness and despair that was tormenting her heart. “Ssshhh,” he cooed. “Alone you are not, Yaddle. Here for you, I am.” The soft sincerity of his old voice coupled with his arms wrapped lovingly around her felt like the most comforting thing in the galaxy. It had been so long since she had had positive physical contact with someone. She hadn’t realized how wonderful it was just to be able to touch another person. It was one of so many things she had taken for granted before she was captured. He held her for a long time, patiently allowing her to let go of all the emotion that had been embedded in her heart. Words could not describe how much he had missed her. It brought him so much joy to just hold her in his arms again. The sobs softened to whimpers, then to sniffles, until finally they stopped all together. “Thank you,” Yaddle said hoarsely as she sat up, her hands wiping away the last few tears. “Missed you I have,” Yoda said softly. “Worried I was when refused to come to Coruscant, you did.” Yaddle shook her head, a few more tears escaping her eyes. “Ready to be a Jedi I am not, Master Yoda. More training I need, but too old to be trained, I am.” Her ears drooped. “Gone is my strength in the Force. Now, even the simple things… I cannot do.” Yoda placed both hands on her shoulders. “Look at me.” She lifted her head up, her eyes meeting his. “Want to be a Jedi, do you?” Her eyes were screaming the answer at him. She nodded stiffly. “Yes,” she whispered. “Then a Jedi, you will be.” He let his hands drop from her shoulders. “Send me here the Council did not, Yaddle. Of my own accord, I came. Help you I will to recover the strength and skills that lost, you have. When ready you are, and when rebuilt this town has been, then to Coruscant we will return, and knighted, you will be.” Yaddle could hardly believe her hears. She threw her arms around him, the tears starting all over again. “Thank you, Master Yoda,” she said through grateful tears. “Thank you so much.” -----signature----- Padawan of TrulyGhent & LilyHobbitJedi I O.B. The Young Grasshopper http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=28829920 "The One Below" Emerges http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28281112
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commander_of_501st Registered: Jun '06	Date Posted: 4/5 2:29am Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - H/C, Yaddle, Yoda, minor OCs
	hey, the story is going the right direction i think i loved when yoda saw her and they talked. very emotional. about the english it's gotten better, but do try not to use the same words, it gets boring ( look at the memory part of yoda. always he remembered and stuff. no need for that. just write in the past sence and it's ok. or write " yoda blinked away a tear when he thought of yaddle laughing." this is bad written, but you get the picture ) you've worked out the characters too. i never had the feeling "that would yoda or yaddle never do " only look out with what you make yoda do. he already exists, so you need to play his game. for the sequel, if it's in coruscant i'd make her regain her powers by confronting her past. why did she loose her powers, how can she regain it, ... all questions you need to ask yourself just a tip really looking forward to a sequel. thx for the story grzt commander
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JediKaren Registered: Apr '07	Date Posted: 4/5 9:35am Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - H/C, Yaddle, Yoda, minor OCs
	awwwwwwwwwwwwww -----signature----- Bring Light Into Darkness Reaching Through Darkness: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28415147/p1/?0 Healing Hearts: http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28282728/p1
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LilyHobbitJedi Title: Apples to Apples hostess Teh Mole Winner Registered: Aug '05	Date Posted: 4/5 10:00am Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - H/C, Yaddle, Yoda, minor OCs
	Wonderful new story. “Then a Jedi, you will be.” He let his hands drop from her shoulders. “Send me here the Council did not, Yaddle. Of my own accord, I came. Help you I will to recover the strength and skills that lost, you have. When ready you are, and when rebuilt this town has been, then to Coruscant we will return, and knighted, you will be.” Yaddle could hardly believe her hears. She threw her arms around him, the tears starting all over again. “Thank you, Master Yoda,” she said through grateful tears. “Thank you so much.” Poor Yaddle, feeling so lost and torn. It's good to see that Yoda will be there to help her every step of the way. Great story. -----signature----- Proud Master to eboneya & Alassë Eärfalas! Everybody Lies- House/SW Crossover! http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28032689/r28039379/ A Light In The Darkness http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b1047
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Alasse_Earfalas Registered: Mar '08	Date Posted: 5/1 1:23pm Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - H/C, Yaddle, Yoda, minor OCs
	Yaddle stood shaking at the edge of her former prison. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She couldn’t believe what Master Yoda had just asked her to do. As she peered into the darkness, she could feel the fear surfacing again in her mind. She tried to shut it out, tried to hide it, knowing Yoda could see it. “No.” She gave him a puzzled look. “What?” “Bury your emotions, do not.” His voice was calm and instructive. “If hide them from me you do, hide them from yourself, you will. The way of a Jedi, this is not. Recognize and acknowledge their emotions, a Jedi does. But allow these emotions to control them, they do not. Instead, a Jedi lets go of their emotions. Bury them they do not. Hide them they do not. Let go of them, they do.” He paused for a moment, kindness filling his face. “Much time and many steps it will take, for you to do this. Hard for you this will be, because of the trauma you have faced. But possible, it is.” Yaddle turned her gaze back to the deep blackness of the pit in front of her. The long shadows that were cast by the setting sun made it seem all the more ominous. “Many steps, you say it will take,” she said quietly, her voice lightly quivering. “The first step, what is?” Yoda smiled. Flickers of the Yaddle he once knew were beginning to show. “To feel.” Yaddle suddenly realized why Yoda had given her this task. Returning to her prison, going back into that darkness that had claimed her for almost two hundred years, would force her to feel that despair and loneliness again. She realized now that in escaping that prison, she’d been running away from the emotions she’d felt there. She’d never let them go; she’d merely left them there. Her entire body was trembling as she stepped closer to the edge. She didn’t want to go back. She was afraid, though she knew her fears were unfounded. Master Yoda would be with her this time. But somehow, it still felt the same. Her fear glued her feet to the ground. She couldn’t do it. She just couldn’t- She suddenly felt herself being shoved into the pit. Her body tumbled down the steep pile of rocks that had lead to her escape, then crashed on the hard, cold ground. Memories flooded her mind. The mocking guards, the sound of the rocks as they were piled over the hole to keep her trapped, the cold chill of the still air. They were all so clear and vivid. Tears began to flow. The despairing heartbreak of being trapped and isolated choked her heart. Yoda hopped into the hole behind her. The Force push he’d given her served two purposes. First, it actually got her into the pit. Second, it recreated what he assumed had happened the first time. He felt the chill of the air as his feet landed on the cold earth. He turned, using the Force to lift the stairway of rocks up and out of the hole, then carefully arranged them to cover the pit again. He had already informed Aaroc that he was going to do this, who had in turn informed the rest of the Kobans. He turned towards Yaddle. She was on her hands and knees, crying. It hurt him to see her like this, but he knew from experience that this was the best way to help her get past her fears and pain. He felt a chill. It wasn’t just the chill of the air, either. There was something strange about this place. It felt almost like there was a very faint vacuum of Force energy. He stared off into the infinite blackness of the caves that sprouted from the pit. “How much exploring, have you done?” he asked quietly. Yaddle came to her knees. Hearing Yoda’s voice had somehow calmed her. The fear and pain of being trapped and alone were slowly thawing and dripping off of her frozen heart. “Not much. If too far from this section I went, lose sight of the light and lost my way, I would have.” She heard a sound that she hadn’t heard since Plovin Kut had been killed, almost two hundred years ago. It was the sharp sizzling, then light hum of an igniting lightsaber. She turned to see the bright green glow of Master Yoda’s lightsaber reflecting off his smiling face. “Lose your way now, you will not. Come.” She slowly rose to her feet and followed him. Every so often, she noticed, he would make a mark in the wall with his lightsaber, which was always in the shape of an arrow pointing in the direction they had come from. Wow, she thought. Really thinks things through, he does. Cautious he is. Perhaps this is why afraid, he is not? “Part of the reason, that is.” Yaddle stopped from surprise. “Heard my thoughts, you did?” Yoda laughed. “Of course. Think too loudly, you do.” He turned and winked at her, to make sure she knew he was kidding. Yaddle smiled. “So… why afraid, are you not?” “Why afraid, are you?” He cut another arrow into the wall. “Because been here, I have. Know the dangers of this place, I do.” “But with me you are. Too dangerous for me, are these caves?” She sighed. “No. But… memories, I have.” Ah, getting somewhere we are, Yoda thought. “What memories, do you have?” “Frightening ones. Ones that like to remember, I do not.” “Such as?” There was a pause. “Being swallowed alive.” Yoda stopped. Slowly, he turned to face her. The green light reflected off her very serious face and created highlights in her sad, frightened eyes. “By what?” A gurgling roar sounded in the distance. Yaddle’s eyes darted in the direction it had originated from, then flicked back to Yoda’s. “One of those.” Yoda gazed at her. “Afraid you are,” he whispered softly. She nodded. “Then talk more about this, we should.” He cut another arrow into the wall, then sat directly beneath it, motioning for her to do the same. Her eyes never left the glowing blade as she sat. She seemed mesmerized by it. For a moment he saw the child that was still inside her, the child that had been preserved through time by isolation. “Tell me what happened when swallowed, you were.” “Asleep, I was,” she said softly, her eyes still fixed on Yoda’s lightsaber. “Felt something sharp I did, so I woke. Saw I did that in a large carnivore’s mouth, I was. Tried to free myself, I did…” Her eyes turned to gaze at the floor. Her voice was all but a whisper now. “Too late, I was.” She closed her eyes. Her skin could almost feel the slimy mucus that lined the beast’s throat as she slid down it. She could feel the fear swirling inside her. Never had she thought that one event could cause such set in fear. For a moment she was tempted to bury it again, to forget about it and let it sink back into the depths of her soul, where she wouldn’t have to feel it anymore. But she knew that doing so would only make matters worse. “To feel, the first step is,” she said quietly. “Feeling I am. What now?” Yoda smiled. “Tell me what you feel,” he coaxed. “Fear.” “Why?” Yaddle paused for a moment, searching herself for the answer. “Thought I did, that going to die, I was.” Her voice was weak and a little shaky. Yoda let the air hang silent for a moment. “So death it was, that feared you did.” She nodded. “Yes.” “How escape, did you?” Her eyes opened. “A few hours, it was. Attacked by another carnivore, the one that had eaten me was. Ripped open the stomach was during the battle.” She was quiet for a moment. “Ran I did. Know I did not where I was. See anything I could not. For a few days, lost, I was. Weak I became, from lack of food. Almost died, I did.” There was a long period of silence. Yaddle’s story had caused many of Yoda’s own memories to jump to the front of his mind. Fear. Death. Lost. He knew all of those feelings. He sighed, leaning his head up against the wall, and shifting his gaze to the green glow of his lightsaber. “Getting tired, my hand is,” he thought aloud. “Hold this for awhile, would you?” Yaddle hesitated. A Jedi’s lightsaber was the symbol of their status, a weapon that designated them as members of the Jedi Order. It had been so long since she’d touched one. Slowly she reached out and took it from his hand. Shivers traveled through her body. Yoda’s hand wasn’t really tired, but he had to come up with some casual excuse to get her to hold his lightsaber. He could see the longing desire in her eyes. He knew that this taste of being a Jedi would help to increase her resolve and determination. “Hard it is to not fear death,” Yoda said quietly. “Especially the first time one is faced with it.” There was a long pause. “How get rid of this fear, can I?” Yaddle asked. “Get rid of?” Yoda gave her a “you should know better” look. Yaddle quickly realized her mistake. “How let go of this fear, can I?” she corrected herself. He smiled, then closed his eyes. “Later, I will tell you. But now, sleep we must.” He reached out to take his lightsaber back. Yaddle reluctantly handed it back. “Going to leave it on, are you?” she asked with a pleading glance. Yoda’s brow furrowed. “And accidently roll onto it in my sleep?” he asked in a corrective tone. “Think me that careless, do you?” He turned it off. The blackness of the caves surrounded them. Yaddle began to tremble with fear. She couldn’t stand the darkness. It didn’t matter that Yoda was sitting next to her. She couldn’t see. What if she woke up and found that Yoda was gone? What if this was all a dream and she was still trapped underground? She felt Yoda’s hand rest on her shoulder. A ripple went through her soul that moved it in a way she had never felt before. She began to sob, though she wasn’t sure why. A swirling horde of emotions surfaced in her mind. They seemed to be condensing in her eyes and dripping out as tears. She let them come. Though she couldn’t tell exactly what they were, she could tell that they were all negative and that she needed to be rid of them. Yoda let her cry for as long as she needed. The ripple hadn’t been intentional, but he had felt it, and was glad that it had happened. He could feel so many dark and dangerous feelings welled up inside her. It was obvious to him that she didn’t like having these feelings. That was a good thing. As long as she was repulsed by these emotions instead of enticed by them, she would be much less likely to fall to the dark side, and would be well on her way to a complete recovery. He felt her body drooping after a long while. Crying herself to sleep, she is, he thought compassionately. He carefully laid her down. See anything in this darkness, I cannot, he thought. Separated from her, I cannot be. Too easily could that lead to both our ends. He tore a strip from the hem of his outer robe, then used it to tie her hand to his, being extra careful to not wake her. Goodnight, Yaddle, he thought as he lay down to sleep. A great Jedi, you will be. -----signature----- Padawan of TrulyGhent & LilyHobbitJedi I O.B. The Young Grasshopper http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=28829920 "The One Below" Emerges http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28281112
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LilyHobbitJedi Title: Apples to Apples hostess Teh Mole Winner Registered: Aug '05	Date Posted: 5/3 12:48pm Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - H/C, Yaddle, Yoda, minor OCs (updated 5/1)
	Poor Yaddle for having such terrible memories resurface. At least Yoda's there to help her. Wonderful update! -----signature----- Proud Master to eboneya & Alassë Eärfalas! Everybody Lies- House/SW Crossover! http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28032689/r28039379/ A Light In The Darkness http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b1047
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NYCitygurl Title: Manager of SFFBC, C&G, and NSWFF Registered: Jul '02	Date Posted: 5/9 6:00pm Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - H/C, Yaddle, Yoda (updated 5/1)
	This story is awesome!! I think you're doing a great job developing the characters, and you have an excellent plot. Keep up the good work -----signature----- Master of padawanlost, Ultima_1, Jedimaster_JainaSolo, and Vaders_Angel
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Alasse_Earfalas Registered: Mar '08	Date Posted: 5/19 1:32pm Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - H/C, Yaddle, Yoda (updated 5/1)
	Special thanks to NYCitygurl for betaing! “You are not allowed to take her as your Padawan.” He stood there, almost glaring at the Council. “Why not?” “You have become too attached to her. You must separate yourself from her if you are to sever that attachment.” In all four hundred years of his life, he had never been so frustrated and angry. They didn’t understand. All of their species were common throughout the galaxy. His was rare. Very rare. Yaddle was the only member of his race he’d seen since he was a small boy. In four hundred years. They didn’t know what it was like. They didn’t understand how lonely it made one feel, to be the only one of their kind that they had seen in centuries. Didn’t they remember how she had almost died when she was an infant? He was the only person in the entire Order who could properly care for her. The Council had placed her in his complete care because of it. It was true that they had bonded with each other. How could they not? Besides, what difference would it make? It was common knowledge that Masters formed strong bonds with their Padawans. How, why, was this so different? “Understand your reasoning, I do not,” he said, struggling to suppress his frustration. The Council was quiet for a moment. “There is much anger in you,” one of them said flatly. “More frustration, I would say.” He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, eyeing each member of the Council as he did so. “How different is my bond with Yaddle than a Master’s bond with their Padawan? What harm would it do if paired with me, she was?” There was silence for a long moment. It was obvious that the Council was trying to come up with an answer that he would accept. Finally one of the senior members spoke. “You feel like we’re taking her away from you, when she is not yours to take away,” he said wisely. The bluntness of the statement caught Yoda off guard. His gaze shifted downward as he searched himself. He bit the inside of his lip. It was true. “Yaddle belongs to the Order, Master Yoda. Not to you. These possessive feelings you have towards her are dangerous. Allowing you to take her as your Padawan would only feed those emotions. That is why we have forbidden you from doing so.” Yoda could feel himself trembling. Why was he so angry? “Thank you,” he said quietly. “Forgive my frustration and anger. Unnecessary, they were.” “It is forgiven,” the same senior member said. “You are dismissed.” *** Yoda woke, still trembling from his flashback of a dream. He felt the piece of cloth that was tied around his wrist. Carefully, gently, he ran his free hand along it. His fingers touched the skin of the other wrist that it was tied to. A wave of peace washed over him. It was alright. She was there. The anger that was inside him had all been swept away by that wave of peace. There was not so much as a speck of that dark emotion in him now. He found this rather interesting. Why had that single touch caused such a great calm in his soul? He smiled. That didn’t really matter right now. What really mattered was his growling stomach. “Yaddle,” he cooed. “Wake up, Yaddle. Time to start a new day, it is.” Had it not been so dark, Yoda would’ve seen the peaceful smile that grew on her face. “Master Yoda,” she whispered, “A… A good dream, I had…” This made him smile. He wondered how long her sleep had been tormented by nightmares. “What about?” he asked as he sat up. “Your Padawan, I was,” she said as she sat up next to him. “In a meadow we were, and throwing rocks at me with the Force, you were. A game it was. Had to throw the rocks back to you I did, but touch them, I could not. Whoever could clear their side of rocks first was the winner.” Hmm, interesting game, Yoda thought. “Who won?” “I don’t know. Finished we were not when woke me, you did.” She went to pull the hair out of her face, but stopped when she noticed the cloth that was tied around her wrist. “Why-” “Tied our wrists together I did,” Yoda explained, “so that separated in our sleep, we would not be.” He unclipped his lightsaber and turned it on for light, then went to work untying the knot. Yaddle watched his hand as it worked. There was something about his touch that had always calmed and comforted her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a good dream. A part of her was certain that being with Master Yoda had somehow caused a calming peace in her soul, and that it was that peace that had allowed her to have that dream. “A sad thing, it is,” Yoda said humorously as he put the cloth in a small pocket, “when a dream where throwing rocks at you I am, a good dream, you call.” Yaddle laughed. “The reason why a good dream it was, that is not,” she said through her chuckles. Yoda stood up, being extra careful to keep Yaddle in the light of his lightsaber. “Oh?” he said as he reached out his hand and pulled her up. “Then why a good dream, was it?” Yaddle thought for a moment. “Happy, I was,” she said peacefully. “And why happy, were you?” The instant the words escaped his lips, Yoda wished he hadn’t said them. His insides suddenly became knotted. His heart ached. He knew what she was going to say. It took her a few agonizing seconds to answer, and when she did, her voice was nearly a whisper. “Because your Padawan, I was.” Words could not possibly describe the guilt he felt at her answer. He knew how badly she had wanted to be his Padawan. The look she had on her face when Plovin Kut took her as his Padawan flashed in his mind. It was a look of confusion, fear, and pain. She didn’t understand. Why hadn’t she been chosen by Master Yoda? Why was she being paired with a Master she didn’t even know? Her heart had been torn. On the one hand she wanted to be a good Jedi, but on the other… “Master Yoda?” It was hard for him to make eye contact with her. He knew what she was going to ask, and he felt ashamed at the answer he’d have to give her. “Yes?” “Why-” Her question was interrupted by the smooth blip of Yoda’s comlink. He unclipped it from his belt and, seeing who it was from, answered. A holographic image of Governor Aaroc flickered onto the small circular pad. “Greetings, Governor,” Yoda said politely. Aaroc nodded in acknowledgement of the greeting. “I just got a call from the Jedi High Council. They have requested information on your whereabouts, and they don’t sound very happy. What should I tell them?” Yoda wished he hadn’t received this call in front of Yaddle. He thought for a moment. “Tell them that preparing Yaddle for her return to Coruscant, I am, and that awhile it might be before ready to come back, she is. Worry about either of us, they need not.” Aaroc sighed. “I’m not sure if that will be enough, but I will tell them.” “Thank you, Governor,” Yoda said respectfully. “If call again they do, only repeat to them that information. Do not tell them anything more. If any questions you have, contact me first.” “Very well. Take care down there,” he said as he reached to end the call. “May the Force be with you.” Yoda’s comlink went black. He clipped it back onto his belt. “Evading the Council, you are.” Yaddle’s voice was soft. She gazed into his eyes, utter confusion on her face. “Why?” Yoda’s stomach growled. He needed to eat, but he didn’t want Yaddle to think that he was avoiding the question. Actually, they both needed to eat. “Yaddle,” he sighed, “something there is, that tell you I should. But eat first we must. As soon as food we have, tell you, I will.” He turned and began walking towards the closest life form he could sense. Yaddle followed. She watched as he went through the same ritual of slicing arrows into the cave wall. She was surprised to notice that the calm she had felt when she first woke hadn’t left her. There was something… familiar… about this feeling, something that she couldn’t quite grasp. It was as if she was feeling a part of her that had been lost – or buried – for a very long time. Her skin began to tingle a bit. She could gradually tell a difference in the air she inhaled. It wasn’t that the air itself was different, but rather, she could somehow feel more of the things that were already in the air. She couldn’t quite tell what it was that she was picking up, but she knew that there was definitely something there. Yoda suddenly stopped. His ears were pricked and focused. Yaddle’s ears instinctively did the same. She instantly recognized the faint sound. Breathing. A wave of icy fear froze her body. That wasn’t just any creature breathing. That was the breath of the carnivorous beast who had swallowed her. Yoda could easily sense Yaddle’s fear. He suddenly realized that her fear wasn’t as unfounded as either of them had thought. She wasn’t the only one who recognized that sound. Yoda had heard it before, many centuries ago. “Wait here,” he whispered. “Do not move, under any circumstances, until call you, I do. If attacked you are, protect you, I will.” Yaddle nodded, then slowly sat and crossed her legs. She knew this was the best way to keep herself from running. Yoda slowly moved forward. His senses were on full alert for any signs of a charge from the creature. Normally he would’ve been reaching out to the Force, preparing himself to use it in whatever way he would need. But he knew that the Force could not help him against this beast. He was surprised at how close the carnivore allowed him to get. Perhaps it was just waiting to be sure that its prey would be as delicious as it expected before it attacked. The light from Yoda’s lightsaber reflected off the beast’s eyes and hide. It towered over him, more than three meters tall, its teeth bared, and it eyes shining with an evil, wild light. It lunged. Yoda dodged sideways, then jump-kicked off of the wall, sending his body up and behind the beast. He flipped, landed on the small of its back, dug the claws on his toes and free hand as far into its flesh as he could, then sliced his lightsaber across the one spot of the creature’s body that wasn’t lightsaber resistant – the back of its neck. The beast crashed to the ground with no more then a faint grunt, its spinal column having been severed by Yoda’s blade. Yoda clung to its body until it collapsed, then hopped off and finished removing the beast’s head from its body to ensure that it was dead. Black blood pored out of its neck (or what looked like black blood in the green glow of Yoda’s lightsaber). He cut a basin in the ground for the blood to flow into. “Yaddle,” he called, holding up his lightsaber to increase his field of vision. “Safe now, it is. Come and eat.” Yaddle slowly lifted her head at Yoda’s call. She stood and walked towards the green pillar of light. The peace and calm she had felt earlier were all gone now. Now, all she felt was the icy cold of fear. She stepped around the basin of blood and into the green glow of Yoda’s lightsaber. Her eyes quickly glanced at the beast’s corpse. This was the first time she had seen what that creature looked like. It was even more fearsome than she had imagined. Yoda saw the fear in her body language. “The creature that swallowed you, this is?” She nodded. “Know what this is, do you?” She turned to face him. “No,” she said quietly. “A terentatek, this is. Sithspawn, they are. Immune to all Force-based attacks; capable of battling many Jedi at once. Feed off of Force-adepts, particularly Jedi, they do.” “Like us.” The fear that she felt was overwhelming. She knew she couldn’t hide it, nor did she want to, but she couldn’t bring herself to let go of it, either. Yoda’s comment had only added validity to her fears. She was perplexed at how calm and fearless he seemed. He was very cautious, yes, but she could neither see nor sense even the slightest degree of fear in him. “How afraid, can you not be?” she asked, her voice trembling with fear and confusion. As Yoda looked into her desperate face and pleading eyes, an incident from her childhood flashed through his mind. She was very little, only two or three, and was still in his care. She had woken him in the middle of the night, the same frightened look on her face. “What is it?” he had asked, not exactly in a kind voice. “S-scared, I am.” Her soft, childish voice had melted his heart. “Why?” he’d asked as he sat up. “Safe here, you are.” Her little green eyes gazed up at him, making it quite obvious that his comment hadn’t comforted her. He smiled warmly, then picked her up and set her on his lap. A lullaby he knew suddenly came to the forefront of his mind. Where or when he had learned this lullaby, he didn’t know. But he sang it to Yaddle that night, somehow knowing that it would comfort her. Five minutes later, she was sleeping peacefully in his arms. As he stood in that dark cave, he could see that same childish fear in her eyes. He knew that no matter how much he tried to logically explain to her that she didn’t have to be afraid, it wouldn’t help. There was only one thing now that could quiet her fears. He placed his free hand on her shoulder. “Close your eyes,” he whispered warmly. She did so. Her body tensed as she heard Yoda turn off his lightsaber, then softened a bit as she felt her body being pulled into a warm embrace. Yoda began to sing. Yaddle didn’t know whether to laugh or cry; she ended up doing both at the same time. It had been two hundred years since she’d last heard that lullaby. Still, she remembered the words perfectly. She had even sung it to herself when she was first captured, knowing that it would help her get through the hard times. It was strange and wonderful, she thought. Every time she heard that lullaby, no matter who was singing it, it always comforted her in a way that nothing else could. By the time the lullaby was finished, the fear that had gripped Yaddle’s heart had all been swept away. “Thank you,” she whispered as she pulled back from the embrace and wiped her tears. She looked into his eyes, grateful for the comfort, yet still confused about his avoiding the Council. “Food we have now. What is it that tell me, you should?” Yoda couldn’t hold her gaze. “Wanted to take you as my Padawan, I did. Let me, the Council would not.” “Why?” He sighed. “Too attached to you, they said I was.” Now she was even more confused. “But raised me, you did,” she argued. Her face suddenly softened, as did her voice. “Like a father to me, you are. Wrong, is that?” Yoda turned his gaze to meet hers. Her question was asked in complete sincerity, and her confession caused his countenance to brighten. “Know the answer, I wish I did. Like a daughter to me, you have always been. Knew I did, that if told the Council about coming here to train you I did, forbid me from doing so, they would. Insist they would have that better, it would be, if continued your training on Coruscant, you did. But know you, they do not.” He smiled. “Not like I do.” Yaddle smiled back. Her stomach growled. She turned to look at the dead terentatek, no longer afraid, and much more determined. “Eat, we should.” Yoda smiled. “Yes. Let’s eat.” -----signature----- Padawan of TrulyGhent & LilyHobbitJedi I O.B. The Young Grasshopper http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=28829920 "The One Below" Emerges http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28281112
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LilyHobbitJedi Title: Apples to Apples hostess Teh Mole Winner Registered: Aug '05	Date Posted: 5/20 5:28pm Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - H/C, Yaddle, Yoda (updated 5/19)
	Yet another wonderful update! -----signature----- Proud Master to eboneya & Alassë Eärfalas! Everybody Lies- House/SW Crossover! http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28032689/r28039379/ A Light In The Darkness http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b1047
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tjace Registered: Feb '08	Date Posted: 5/21 2:17pm Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - H/C, Yaddle, Yoda (updated 5/19)
	This is great! I especially like the terentatek reference and fleshing out of Yoda's past. This is also the first time I have ever seen any attention paid to Yaddle as a character, and it is very well done. -----signature----- Famous Last Words: "Lord Malak was most displeased when he heard you had escaped Taris alive. He has promised a great reward to whoever destroys you." Aure entuluva! Padawan of TrulyGhent, furrylittlebantha, and Juken_Rukhan Leader of the EUC DFC <\/>
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Alasse_Earfalas Registered: Mar '08	Date Posted: 7/21 1:48pm Subject: RE: “The One Below” Emerges - H/C, Yaddle, Yoda (qualified for Most Underrated & Best Non-human FFA)
	Hello! First of all, thanks so much to everyone for the FFA nominations! x1,000,000!!! Because this story qualified in two categories (Most Underrated & Best Non-human), I decided that it was a good idea to continue it. I was experiencing some writer's block/discouragement, but the plotbunnies have returned & I am currently working on the next post. Just wanted to let everyone know. -----signature----- Padawan of TrulyGhent & LilyHobbitJedi I O.B. The Young Grasshopper http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=28829920 "The One Below" Emerges http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28281112
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