Part III of The Ultra Stressed Jedi Students

I suggest we try a new thread, because the Repost takes so long to load, and also some of the posts are out of order. You can still see the Continuing Saga here:
Forum16/HTML/000638.html Forum16/HTML/000638.html

And the original Ultra Stressed Jedi Students here:
Forum16/HTML/000010.html Forum16/HTML/000010.html

Now on with the saga!

 

Hey, Jane, repost that latest one one you did that got re-posted out of order. It took me a while to find it, but when I did I really enjoyed it!

- Rani

 

After taking Kirstan up on her invitation and helping herself to two chocolate oranges, Jane went back to her apartment. Qui-Gon was kneeling on the floor of the sitting room, his eyes closed in meditation, and Jane moved towards the hall as quietly as she could, not wanting to disturb him.

"Feeling better, Jane?"he asked.

Jane jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, but replied,"Yes, master, a little bit. You look much better, too."

"Although it's been a while, I have remembered the technique for neutralising a hangover,"he reported."Kirstan's remedy did not harm me, either."

Jane smiled, and he offered teasingly,"There's some left over, if you want it."

"Um, I was just going for lunch in the cafeteria, master. If they're serving any, that is."

"Don't forget you have to scrub it later."

Jane had been hoping he wouldn't remember, and sighed in resignation."Yes, master. And light saber practise after supper, I know."

"Good,"he smiled, and Jane went to put the chocolate oranges away in her room for later. Looking at them reminded her of her first meeting with Ane, how nice he'd seemed then, and she felt a wave of sadness wash over her. Why had he gone and ruined everything? She'd only just started trusting him again, feeling easy in their relationship, and then suddenly he'd not only done something which had completely disgusted her, but he'd made it seem as though she was deficient in some way because she just didn't want to have sex. Not with him, not with anybody. She'd been prepared to kiss him, to show her affection for him in a way he so obviously wanted, and although she'd been surprised at how much she liked it--or rather, had liked it--she had felt no need for more.

She didn't want sex. She still had to get used to the idea that boys could be friends, not enemies, that they could give her compliments instead of insults. She wanted to savour this new experience, not rush through it to something she wasn't ready for. And if sex involved that awful tongue-kissing, she'd be more than happy to delay it as long as possible. Ugh. The thought of someone else's saliva in her mouth just made her gag, and no matter what Kirstan said, it probably always would. It was like an aversion to a certain kind of food, she supposed, the way that everybody else hated Master Yoda's gruel. Jane hoped faintly that one day she could find a boy who wouldn't insist on kissing her that way.

Not that she was looking. Not right now, anyway. It would be best to hold back a little, watch people, get to know some of the other boys a bit better, and not get too deeply involved with anyone just yet. She didn't have to make the same mistake twice.

Coming back to herself, Jane realised she'd been sitting on her bed staring at the chocolate oranges for several minutes. She put them away in her chocolate drawer and went back out.

"Why don't you join me for more meditation after you've eaten?"Qui-Gon asked as she tried to sneak by."We can work on releasing your feelings to the Force and on building mental shields. You would benefit from both exercises."

"Yes, master."She might as well. She was here to learn, after all. Boys were secondary.

The cafeteria was only half full, which was a relief to Jane. Taking her tray, she wandered to a corner far away from where she usually sat, and found a table occupied only by two girls, new Padawans to judge by their short braids. They scarcely stopped chatting long enough to notice when Jane seated herself at the other end.

Although she was hungry, she didn't have much appetite, and the meal went slowly.

"Do you mind if I sit here?"asked a vaguely familiar voice.

Jane glanced up to see Perrian, holding only a cup of coffee."Go ahead, Knight Thenceor."

"I told you to call me Perrian, didn't I?"he asked with a smile, sitting down opposite her.

"Yes, but that was at the dance where the rules were relaxed, and the dance is over now,"Jane replied.

Perrian sipped at his coffee, his eyes closed."I'll say it's over! I woke up in the quarters of a knight I'd hoped never to see a

 

Daya could feel the eyes of the initiate on her back as she made her way out as gracefully as possible. The minute she was out the door of the Room of a Thousand Waterfalls, however, she practically collapsed on the ground right outside as the pain shot up her leg again.

What was she going to do?

Master Kendrie was almost certainly back at their apartment since classes were cancelled. Meditating or swinging from chandeliers or whatever she does in her spare time. The minute she saw Daya it would be off to Infirmary.

I won't get stuck in there Daya was determined.

She stretched her senses to probe her injury. The initiate's guess hadn't been too far from the truth. Her ankle was badly twisted. Daya knew she didn't have the medical experience to heal this in one session but at least she could mend it some and perhaps little by little she could heal it.

Daya gritted her teeth and tried to concentrate on urging her ankle to heal. It was going to be a slow process. The pain added to her current, irrepressible frustration was making this a major uphill battle.

Only the goal of possibly avoiding a trip to An-Paj and his band of smothering healers kept Daya sitting and fixing herself as the time crept by.

 

This post (and the next) were co-written by Rani and myself. Rani, if anything seems to out of whack, let me know and I'll edit.

-K'Tai
************
Once Master Dway dismissed her from lightsaber practice, T?lor reached out through the Force to find Rani. She was in her room. T?lor walked there as fast as she could. She hadn?t been able to shake the sense of dread she had during her vision that morning. The lift seemed to take forever, and T?lor was almost swearing about how one couldn?t get anywhere in the Temple in a decent amount of time as she reached Rani?s apartment.

T'lor calmed herself and pressed the buzzer for Rani's door. She felt Rani brush her
mind instantly, as though she'd been expecting someone, and then withdraw just as suddenly. //Rani?// There was no answer.

//Rani?// she projected again, this time more forcefully. Rani wasn?t shielding as completely as she had been earlier in the morning, and T?lor could see the inside of the apartment through her friend?s eyes if she tried hard enough. Rani was lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling. //That?s got to be one interesting ceiling?// she thought, trying to coax a response. Nothing. //Come on, I know you can hear me?you can hear me half-way across the galaxy! Rani?//

//Not now T?lor, please.//

//Rani, we have to talk. Come on, let me in.// T?lor reached for the buzzer again. If badgering her through their bond wouldn?t work, perhaps just annoying the heck out of her would. A Force hold stopped her hand millimeters above the buzzer.

//Take a hint. Go away!//

//Rani?you can't shut me out. Open the door.//

//I can't. I'm not allowed visitors.// Rani sent back matter-of-factly.

T'lor could hardly feel any feelings from her, it was like Rani was emotionally exhausted or heavily shielding, or both. She
sensed something was terribly wrong. It had to be more than just the thought of scrubbing floors for a week or two.

//I'll just have to talk to you this way, then.// In spite of sensing Rani's protest, T'lor sat down on the hallway floor and winced as she leaned her back against the door jamb, hugging her knees to her chest.
//And no, I'm not going anywhere, so you might as well talk to me.//

There was a long pause from Rani, and then T'lor sensed her moving off the couch, slowly making her way towards her. In her mind she saw Rani lowering herself onto the floor just inside, then dropping the canes and leaning against the door that separated them.

//You're so bloody stubborn sometimes.// Exasperation accompanied Rani's thoughts, but there was something else she was keeping back.

//Look who?s talking. What happened this morning? I was practicing and I saw you in the Council chambers. How much bantha poodoo are we in?//

//There is no ?we? about it. They don't know about you, so don't say anything to anybody.//

T?lor was stunned. //You didn?t?I mean they don?t?what about?// she sputtered.

//I mean it, T'lor. Not a soul.// She continued. //Kit talked her way out of it, of course, but I don't think they're very happy with her right now. She wasn't exactly what you'd call co-operative when they questioned her.// T'lor detected annoyance when Rani thought of Kit.

//Don't be too hard on her, Rani. Kit's always been like that.// T'lor tried to smooth over the rift she saw developing between her friends.

//Always the peacemaker, aren't you?// Rani thought with some amusement, but her annoyance with the Knight's behaviour had suddenly flashed into contempt. //Well, why shouldn't I be hard on her? For Force's sake, somebody around here should be! I know I can split hairs like an attorney, but I could never see myself being so sithly flippant to the Council and then patting myself on the back for it! I can't believe?//

T'lor smiled, knowing Rani well enough to know why she was hesitant to finish the thought. //?That you ever wanted to be just like her?// She waited for Rani to chew on that thought for awhile.

There was a long silence between them again, as one allowed the other to wrestle with the contr

 

It took T'lor only a moment to realize, then, //Master Davin? They wouldn't just?//

//They said I needed someone to take responsibility for me, that my actions last night were due to a lack of direct guidance. How could they replace him like that? They're acting like they think he's not coming back, but I know he isn't dead, I would feel it! He isn't dead, I know it. He is NOT DEAD!!// She kept thinking the phrase over and
over, her fear growing each time.

//RANI?!// T'lor was frightened for her. Rani wasn't trying to convince the Council that her master was alive, she was trying to convince herself.

T?lor thought back over the past four weeks. She and Master Dway had been on their way to the meetings with the Sepsna. T?lor had been meditating when she had felt her friend?s pain after her fall. She had reached out, trying to draw some of the pain away, telling Rani over and over that she was going to be O.K., help would be there soon. Only later did she hear that Master Davin hadn?t returned from his last mission as scheduled. She knew her friend would be heartbroken, but she wasn?t in the Temple, and there was little she could do except tell her to hold on.

T?lor knew Rani had spent most of her time since the accident in the Infirmary. The distraction of her injury combined with being taken out of her regular routine with her friends, meant no one could really notice what the waiting for any news of her Master was doing to her, not even Rani herself. The uncertainty had been slow torture, and now Rani was terrified of losing hope. If the Council had detected such fear, and how she had been shielding it all this time, it was little wonder that they had chosen this course of action.

T'lor let Rani feel her presence through the Force, holding her tightly in reassurance. //Shhh, I'm here.// she told her. She felt Rani squeezing her back in desperation. //They're not going to stop the search, Rani. No one's giving up on him, not the Council, not me, and especially not you, you got that? You're going to have to release your
fear and let it go, or it's going to turn into anger and eat you alive.//

T?lor could still feel Rani?s shoulders shuddering from her sobs, but they were becoming less intense. //Rani?//

//T?lor, what if he doesn?t come back?// The pain that accompanied that thought was overwhelming.

T?lor sighed. //Rani, as someone told me just this morning, don?t borrow trouble until it finds you. If you can?t let the future be, think about what Master Davin?s going to do when he finds out we?ve been in the Temple?at the same time?during a PARTY.// She projected a picture of his jaw hitting the floor, followed by a melodramatic hand to the head as he cried, ?The Disorderly Duo did WHAT? Not the two most well-behaved Padawans since Yoda.? T?lor heard a snicker through the door as Rani laughed.

T?lor was satisfied that Rani was not falling apart, at least for the moment. She leaned her head back against the door. //I know it is a change of subject, but I don?t suppose you could give me a back rub? Master Dway had me practicing ?dividing my attention in the Force? this morning.//

//Let me guess. He caught you daydreaming?// came the reply as the tension and knots in T?lor?s back started to ease. //about Trevor in only his leggings coming out of?//

//RANI!!! It wasn?t that kind of daydream, and even if it had been?it would have been Alex?// The two of them giggled as they shared thoughts of various young Knights and Masters in various tantalizing positions. Finally, T?lor got up. //I should go. Naomi Sunrider?s paper on the use of Jedi Battle Techniques in Special Ops awaits.//

//Sounds thrilling. T?lor?thanks.//

//No problem. Let me know if you need anything. And Rani? Thank you. You are the best.// T?lor walked back to her room. And I am going to make sure that you get treated that way.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Geneva,Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by K'Tai qel Letta-Tanku:
This post (and the next) were co-written by Rani and myself. Rani, if anything seems to out of whack, let me know and I'll edit.

-K'Tai

(Grinning proudly) No, K'Tai, the final version looks just great to me. Nicely done!

- Rani

 

Hoping for the next part of the story to be posted soon!

 

Since obviously we don't have any people posting stories about the little Jedis running around (the ones Insei's gonna have to interact with in the meditation area), I have a question. Who's in charge of the meditation classes for the little runts (And if he's not human, what is he)?

 

Jane jumped back in surprise as the lift opened and Master Yuki came out with Ane behind him.

"Oh, hello, Jane,"said Master Yuki.

Needing a moment to recover and remember her manners, Jane finally said,"Hello, Master Yuki."

She settled for flicking her eyes in Ane's direction. Their gazes met briefly, and then they both glanced away.

"Yesterday, Ane and I were discussing having you over for supper one day,"Master Yuki went on,"and it looks like to-day would be a good day, with classes having been cancelled and everybody still recovering. Would you like to come?"

Jane stared at him in utter shock, wondering if he was trying to torment her even more. Even being this close to Ane was uncomfortable; eating dinner in his apartment would be sheer torture. Giving Ane a frosty look, she replied,"No, thank you, Master Yuki."

"Jane hasn't got time,"Ane put in.

"You obviously don't know what happened last night, Master Yuki,"Jane replied, feeling anger stirring in her,"but Ane is the last person in the galaxy I'd want to have supper with. In fact, I'd be happy if I never had to see him again. Now, if you'll excuse me, my master is waiting for me."

She moved around them, but the lift had already closed and moved to another level, and she had to press the button and wait. Behind her, she heard Master Yuki say,"Just what did happen last night, Ane?"

"She got drunk and started insulting me, master,"Ane replied."I didn't think it was worth mentioning."

Clenching her fists, Jane whirled around, too enraged to be embarrassed."You practically stuck your tongue down my throat and then you complained that I didn't want to have sex with you!"

"Padawan Oligi,"said Master Yuki in a very dangerous tone of voice."I think we need to have a little talk."

They moved away, but not before Ane had shot an angry, hate-filled look at Jane. She was relieved when the lift finally came and she was able to escape, but she was still shaking with anger and almost crying when she entered the apartment.

"Jane? What happened?"Qui-Gon stood up and came towards her with his arms outstretched. Falling into his embrace, Jane buried her face in his tunic and sobbed,"I never want to see Ane again!"

Qui-Gon held her close with one arm, and ran his other hand soothingly over her back.

"He was telling lies about me, right to his master's face!"Jane managed to explain."He made it seem like it was all my fault last night, and it wasn't. It was his!"

"Could you both have been at fault? Was he telling the truth from his point of view?"Qui-Gon suggested gently.

"He said I got drunk and started insulting him!"Jane cried."We'd both had that punch, yes, but he was the one who tried to--who tried to--he was angry with me because I didn't want to have sex with him, and then I insulted him! But he told his master it was all my fault!"

"After you've calmed down, I suggest we pay Master Yuki and Ane a visit,"Qui-Gon suggested,"and find out the truth of the matter."

Jane continued to cry, and her sobs were only just started to cease when the door buzzer sounded. Pulling away from Qui-Gon, she ran for her bedroom, not wanting to be seen in this condition, and was already out of sight by the time her master reached for the control panel.

She had dried her eyes and was reaching for one of the chocolate oranges when Qui-Gon knocked on her door."Jane, may I come in?"

"Yes, master."

He stood in the doorway."Master Yuki is here. He's asked me to be one of the witnesses when he thrashes Ane."

Jane raised her eyebrows."Witnesses?"

"Thrashing an apprentice is a very serious matter, Jane. There must always be two witnesses, to make sure that nothing untoward happens."

"Like what?"Jane asked.

Qui-Gon hesitated, then said,"For instance, to make sure that the punishment is not too severe and the apprentice is not beaten half to death."

"Oh."

"Master Yuki would like you to come as well, so that Ane can apologise to you."

"Do I have to?"

"Jane, I expect you to accept his apology. Nothing more, but also nothing less."

"Yes, master."Jane stood up and follo

 

"Master?" Cali called when she entered the apartment. "Hello?" There was no answer so she went further in, Obi-Wan at her heels. She found the apartment completely empty. "Looks like he's gone," Cali said, turning on all the lights in case her Master decided to sneak up on them.

"Hmm, I like that," Obi-Wan said, putting his arms around her and nuzzling her neck.

"No, I'm going to learn something today," Cali chided, untangling herself from him. "And you can teach me. Also, rules are back in place, or have you forgotten?"

"I would like to forget," Obi-Wan muttered playfully.

Cali shoved him playfully, then motioned towards the living room. "Okay, so what's this great exercise you wanted to teach me? Or did you just want to get me into an empty apartment?"

Obi-Wan grinned almost giddily. "Maybe it was a bit of both."

"You better pray that Master Ruj isn't hiding around here somewhere," Cali warned.

"Okay, okay, I'm serious now," Obi-Wan said from behind her. "See?"

Cali turned and almost died laughing. The Padawan had struck a pose that she could have sworn she'd drawn on one of her cartoon drawings. Even the crossed eyes were exactly how they had been. "You saw my drawings, didn't you? You little snoop!"

"I like the one you did of my Master and his nose," Obi-Wan grinned.

Cali swatted him. "Hey, I was going to show you that when it was finished. And you weren't suppose to see the ones of you." She shook her head. "Enough of this. I want to learn something today."

Obi-Wan had her sit in the meditation stance and then sat across from her. He took each of her hands in his, then closed his eyes. "This is sort of an exercise Masters and Padawans use in meditation to strengthen their bonds. But I think it would work in our situation."

Cali closed her eyes and let the Force come to her. She was continually amazed by how each time she called for it, it came easier and swifter, but also more powerful. Once it was flowing through her, she sent it out to the bright light of Obi-Wan's presence, and found that he was doing the same to her. Usually she had just freely traveled through the Force, letting her mind travel where it let her. Here, she was concentrated on only the Force and the Padawan in front of her.

It was amazing how she could see inside him and read his thoughts so clearly. His mental shields were completely down and she began to see all of his fears, his secrets, his love for her, his past, everything all at once. It was a little overwhelming to know he was seeing all of her. Strangely enough, she wasn't embarrassed or frightened by it.

She dug a little deeper, coming across an old wound in his soul. She had been digging for quite some time and wondered if she should stop, but another part of her reached out a broke down that wall.

And then she almost wished she hadn't. The swirling mix of emotions, love, anger, infinite sadness, it almost knocked her out of her meditation. There was only thing that could cause such a whirlpool. Cerasi.

Cali drew back, feeling as if she had invaded something that she should never have knowledge of. She opened her eyes and blinked rapidly. Sweat dampened her tunic and her hair. Obi-Wan was coming out of his meditation and was giving her a curious look.

"How was that?" he asked, rubbing her hands with his thumbs.

"More than I expected," Cali said. She glanced around the apartment, searching for the chrono. They had been in meditation for three hours.

They stayed in the apartment a little longer, but then Obi-Wan said he should probably get back to Qui-Gon.

Cali wondered where her Master was.

 

*taps foot impatiently* I know there's another post out there!!

Oh, Jane, I didn't see your Ane post before I wrote my last post, but I think it'll be okay, but I might have to go back and edit (obi-wan was a little cheerful after just seeing his friend thrashed redface.gif )

 

Jedi Master Insei, go ahead and make up an instructor for the meditation class. By the way, Jane is in a class of 5-year-olds every day after lunch, to learn basic Force exercises, but I don't think I've specified who's in charge of that class, either.

Amidolee, funny how the two posts actually blend into each other. Edit it if you think it's necessary, though. Obi-Wan might simply have put the thrashing out of his mind in order to concentrate fully on Cali.

 

Hmmm... a name for a Jedi Master. Nope, can't use Bry-Lar, he's the flight controller Jun-Bytz. That's a cool name. Aren't I original? *smirk* And he's gonna be a Calamarian. We need a Calamarian.

[This message has been edited by Jedi_Master_Insei (edited 05-07-2000).]

 

The walk had never seemed longer. Pondering her chat with Jane and trying to decide if a bit of balancing the scales was in order, plus trying to figure out what exactly had gotten into her padawan were rather taxing. Add to that that exchange student and... Well, let's say meditation looked rather welcoming.

As Kirstan turned towards the room of a Thousand Waterfalls, and promptly found herself flying through the air. Righting herself, she turned to see Daya sitting on the floor.

"Padawan?" Sheepishly, the girl gazed up at her.

"I'm sorry Master Lien. I really didn't think anyone would be falling over me."

"Hmmm. I do suppose I should have been paying a bit more attention. Now would you like to tell me exactly what's going on?"

"Nothing Master."

"Need I remind you the punishment for lying to a Jedi Master?"

"But, Master Lien, I thought you didn't like to pull rank?" Daya asked as she saw her chances for avoiding both the Healer's and this conversation slipping away.

"I will do what is necessary to safeguard another Jedi. Now why don't we start with the reason you're sitting in the hall."

"My ankle. I seem to have twisted it." Probing the injury with the Force, Kirstan nodded.

"It doesn't look as bad as it feels, I'm sure. And how did you do this?"

"I was praticing katas."

"And you made it all the way up here on that ankle?"

"Ah, no. I was pratising in the room of a Thousand Waterfalls."

Kirstan settled down next to the girl. "Then perhaps you can share your reasons for disregarding Temple rules while I heal you ankle."

Closing her eyes, Daya wondered if there was any way to get out of this. Coreanis.

 

The jedi are really strict, aren't they? Ane got beaten so much it'd qualify as abuse where i live!

 

A thousand excuses went through Daya's mind. Everyone of them seemed better than delving into the events of 5 months ago. But a glance at Master Lien probing her gently with her eyes told her it was already too late.

Oh, Force, she knows what's wrong.

"Would you like to talk about it, Daya?" Kirstan asked, softly as she began to mend Daya's ankle.

"No." It was a truthful answer but delivered, halfheartedly.

After a few seconds of silence,

"I assume you understand the reasoning behind why Jedi meditate when they are upset, Daya."

"Yes, Master. Meditation helps us to release our feelings into the Force" Daya replied, obediently.

"That's right. And why do we do it?"

"Why do we release our feelings into the Force? Because...because it helps us regain our center. If we continue to harbor our feelings then we remain off balance."

Master Lien nodded in agreement. "But there is another way method of dealing with our emotions. Much like releasing them into the Force."
Kirstan lifted Daya's face so that they were eye to eye. "It is talking to others about them. Believe me when I tell you that it helps just as much as meditation, if not more."

Daya looked at Master Lien, carefully. She could feel the familiar pain rising in her chest. The pain she couldn't get rid of or dampen no matter how many hours of meditation she had tried. It continued to rise until it was threatening to spill over and drown Daya unless.....

It wouldn't be like speaking to Master Kendrie about it. Master Lien hadn't been there. It wouldn't be like speaking to Master Nik-Ka, who with all the good intentions and skills in the world could make Daya feel comfortable.

It would be her speaking to a compassionate Jedi Master. One who would have no pre-judgements about her actions on Coreanis. One whom she could simply tell her feelings about Coreanis without having to explain herself at every step.

It would be so nice.....

Daya took a deep breath that threatened to hitch in her throat.

"Have...have you heard much about the mission to Coreanis, Master Lien?"

Master Lien nodded. "Wasn't there a series of unsolved murders that was happening there?"

"Yes. Master Kendrie and I were sent there to help with the investigations. Do you know what happened there?"

"I haven't heard much about it. Only members of the Council have read the report. I've only noticed the change that happened to you and Master Kendrie when you returned. More for you then her."

It was true. Both she had Master Kendrie had returned from Coreanis drawn and haunted. Their report to the Council had been difficult and unlike Daya, Master Kendrie had entered therapy with an open mind and urge to heal. Kendrie had spent many sessions with Nik-Ka while Daya had insisted that she could deal with it herself.

That had been a mistake.

"For several months, Coreanian children were being murdered. The local authorities couldn't get a lead no matter how hard they tried. That is why we were asked to help. I didn't....I mean, I knew it would be a difficult mission. It would be the first non-diplomatic one that Master Kendrie and I were sent on. But...but when we actually got there....and..and we saw....all the children that had been...." Daya could feel tears trailing her face again. "They were all so young and their faces....they had been so frightened when the murderer had...." She paused and tried to compose herself.

Master Lien placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Like most padawans, Daya had been heavily shielded of many evils in the outside world. This mission was a shocking introduction to the kinds of monsterous things people were capable of. She waited patiently for Daya to continue.

"The killer was clever. No matter how quickly we responded to the attacks and worked to find clues, he just kept killing and killing. With every new victim, every parent who came in to identify their child, I knew we had failed. Even if we caught the killer, we couldn't bring that one child back. For that child's parents, it was already too late..."

Daya she was crying openly but she was past cari

 

Kirstan wrapped Daya in her arms and let her cry until the tears ran out. When the sobs slowed to quiet hiccups, she lifted Daya's gaze to meet her own.

"Padawan, do you know how one truly becomes a Jedi?"

Confused Daya answered, "By passing the trials."

"One becomes a true Jedi by facing their own darkness and overcoming it. We are Jedi Daya, but we are also mortal and fallible."

Slowly lowering her shields and drawing Daya into her mind, Kirstan brought forth images of a young man falling to blaster fire, his lightsaber rolling from his hands. An image of Master Jinn calling her name as she cut down their attackers. Men who were now unarmed and under arrest.

"The true test of oneself is admitting when you have failed and seeking forgiveness where ever it may be."

"But how do I..."

"I was almost taken from the order, not by order of the Council, but by my own determination not to let go of what I had done. You are an apprentice, Daya. You are to learn the way of the Jedi. One learns by making mistakes. What did you learned about being a Jedi on Coreanis, Daya?"

Offering a hand to the emotionally drained young woman, Kirstan helped her onto a bench in the nearby meditation gardens.

"Have you learned from this Daya?"

 

"Hey, Meri!" Cali greeted cheerfully as she spotted the Padawan in the waterfall room. "How're you?"

Meri turned and smiled at her. "Hey, Cali. where's Piggy?"

"Had to give him up for a few hours," Cali said happily. She remembered what her and Obi-Wan had discussed that morning, and she wondered if she should let Meri know that she knew. It was probably best if she did. "Hey, Meri, I won't tell."

"He told you or did you figure it out?" Meri grimaced, her voice low.

"I figured it out," Cali said. "I asked him if it was true and he said he was liable to give details. Don't worry, it's safe with me."

Meri smiled weakly at her. "Um, thanks, Cali," she said.

Cali knew the girl was uncomfortable with her knowing, so she decided she could let her on something that would even the score. "Can I talk to you about something, Meri? Since I know your secret? I'll let you in on mine," she grinned slightly. "And Pigtails."

Meri's eyes sparkled at the prospect at the opportunity to have some leverage over the other Padawan. "I guess it'd be a fair bargain."

"Well, you know how rules were relaxed last night," Cali whispered in Meri's ear. When she finished telling Meri, the Padawan's eyes had gone wide and a grin spread across her face, then a serious frown.

"That's against the Temple rules, Cali," she said quietly.

"The rules were relaxed," Cali said. "And they never said how much. We were just following Yaddle and Yoda's example." Meri blushed for a moment and Cali smiled. "Oh, yes, I found out that they did more than that strange kissing stuff at the dance. Why else were they both missing from the Council today? Not to mention on the way back from the waterfalls with Obi-Wan, I saw Yoda sneaking out of Yaddle's room!"

"You're joking!" Meri squealed.

"No, I'm not," Cali grinned. "And then she saw us and looked like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar! She started babbling something in some language and ran off!"

Meri was laughing now, clutching her stomach. "I *have* to tell Ale-MASTER about this!"

****

something for you to post and joke about with your love, JKOW!

 

I just got caught up! Amazing how things get piled up when you don't get on for a few days.

 

Thanks Amidolee, LOL though its not that I couldn't think of anything to post, it's that I haven't had the time.
I had to..bangs head on wall....study for...bang....tests.....bang.

It drove me NUTSEN!
Of course just wait till next fall. College.
That'll be fun. I'll probably have to stop writting period. Or only post every three weeks like JOWK.

 

As T?lor approached the quarters she shared with her Master, she came to the realization that it was going to be much harder to ask him to take in Rani than she thought. If he asked her to explain why the Council felt this to be a necessary step, she?d have to tell him about Rani?s involvement in spiking the punch. And it wouldn?t take more than a second for him to put two and two together and figure out she was also involved. But she couldn?t lie to him. She paused outside of the door. Perhaps if she just told him that the Council wants to do it without telling him why Rani was in front of the Council in the first place?Taking a deep breath, she keyed in the code for the door and walked into the apartment.

?Master??

?In here, Padawan.?

T?lor walked into the living room of their temporary quarters. Master Dway was sitting in a chair, reading. She took a seat on the couch and tried to figure out how to begin. Just be blunt.

?Master, I need to talk to you about Rani.?

At the sound of his ?second? Padawan?s name, Gi?den looked up. T?lor had a serious expression. Something was wrong.

?What is it, T?lor?? he asked. ?Is there a problem??

O.K. here it goes. ?In a manner of speaking. The Council wants to put her with a temporary Master until Master Davin returns.? T?lor searched Gi?den?s face for a reaction, but he was the model of Jedi calm. ?Ummm?I was thinking?perhaps you could volunteer to take her?? Still no reaction. Maybe the Council had already talked to him. He would be a logical choice. Maybe he already knew about the punch?maybe?She rushed on. ?I mean, I face my Trials in a week, so there would only be a little period of time when you would have both of us, and you know her so well, and??

Gi?den waved his hand to cut her off. The fact the Council wanted a temporary Master for Rani did not shock him. He knew they were still looking for Davin, but it was turning into a much longer prospect than anyone originally thought or hoped. A temporary Master made sense. And he was the logical choice for Rani. He knew her very well, as she and T?lor had a bond in the Force that rivaled that of some Master-Padawan pairings. He and Davin had often trained the girls together. If the situation were reversed, he would want Davin to step in for T?lor.

?I think that is a good idea.? He watched as T?lor visibly relaxed. ?I will approach the Council about it. But,? and he held up a hand as T?lor started to rise, making her stop, ?I can?t make any promises. It would be best if you didn?t mention it to Rani.? Although T?lor relaxed, he could feel that there was something still bothering her. ?Padawan, are you alright??

T?lor began to panic. He must sense I?m hiding something. ?Yes, Master. Just a little stressed about the Trials.? Which was the honest truth and not something she liked to talk about with Gi?den.

?Will having Rani here interfere with your preparations? I will not do this if it is going to upset you. You are my Padawan, not Rani, and your needs must come first right now.?

If he only knew how untrue that was. ?No, Master. Having Rani upset because she is with someone else would be very distracting, however.? There. That ought to settle it.

?Very well. I will do what I can. But remember, if this starts to disrupt your preparations, we will have to revisit the issue.?

T?lor looked at her Master. She bowed her head. ?Yes, Master.? She looked back up at him. ?Thank you.?

?You?re welcome. Now, I seem to remember a paper??

?I?m going Master,? T?lor replied and headed to her room. She shut the door and then did a little victory dance. It didn?t make up for what Rani had done for her completely, but it was a start.

 

After checking out the rabid responsed to my thread, I was thinking that in the tradition of "The Ultra Stressed Jedi Students Play Truth or Dare", we should start an USJS Slave Auction.

If I start the thread, would anyone be willing to join in?

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Geneva,Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jedi_Daphne:
I was thinking that in the tradition of "The Ultra Stressed Jedi Students Play Truth or Dare", we should start an USJS Slave Auction.
If I start the thread, would anyone be willing to join in?

I *love* the idea Daphne, and you can count me in to write, but...

I do have have a hard time writing for TWO USJS threads already. Could we just work the idea into this thread sometime in the future, like we did with the dance? That way we can keep the interest perpetually going here

I had a similar idea for an old-fashioned girl's slumber party (with the obligatory interferance/pranks played on them by the guys), but I was saving it for when things got dull or anticlimatic on USJS. Fortunately for our characters, though, things never get that dull in the temple!

- Rani

 

Erk. I'm confused. Has the temple let out for the day? Cuz my char can't meet up with her Master until it does, and I really don't have any idea.