Before - Legends A Blue Island In The Black Sea

Title: A Blue Island In The Black Sea

Author: leiamoody

Timeframe: 480 years before ANH

Characters: OC?s [Aduman Nical (Jedi Master), Chevor Mikayzd (Jedi Padawan)]

Genre: Drama

Summary: Two Jedi go on a pilgrimage, and discover there is a life after life.

Notes: Thirteen responses written for the First Sentence Challenge.

Extra Note: The planet Vouroso is my own creation. It's part of my larger Alternate Universe.
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?After all, tomorrow is another day.? Aduman straightened his tunic and gave himself a quick glance over in the odd hexagonal slice of polished brass that served as the only mirror in this ditchwater hut. ?Not so bad after all, considering our rough crossing from Pannotia.? He inhaled deeply. It was good to be home. Though he had been taken as an infant away from this world, he still felt a strong pull to the ocean planet. It was as much a part of his blood as the midichlorians that graced him with Force sensitivity.

?Master, I...? Chevor?s statement was suddenly interrupted by a fit of coughing.

?What ails you?? Aduman turned quickly to look at his young apprentice. The boy?s complexion had a sallow tinge to it, and his eyes were rimmed with tears. He did not feel any sadness emanating from his padawan.

Chevor rushed over to the solitary open window of the hut by the front door. He leaned over the sill, and deposited his breakfast and previous night?s meal into the rainwater barrel outside.

Aduman shook his head, then chuckled. ?Seasick in Setrana. Now you?ve been truly blessed by Mother Ocean herself.?

From his perch at the window, Chevor grunted. ?Master, I?m not afflicted with naupathia. It must be a bad reaction I?m having to that blasted pudding from the spaceport.?

?Well, if you insist on blaming your illness on a bad meal, then that shall be what has caused your ailment.? There was anything to be done which could help the poor youngster at the moment. Only time could cure the effects of seasickness if one had not thought to take a preventative medication before hand. In his excitement to get away from the burdens of the Temple, Aduman had not thought to pack anything for the illness. Yet he should have considered Chevor?s possible situation on wide-open water. They had been together on several missions over the years to various worlds, but never once had they been to a planet with more sea than land, which meant that it made sense the youngster would be gripped by the age-old malady.

Chevor coughed again. ?Master, if you believe that this is somehow your fault, then that?s a wrong assumption. I?m old enough to do my own research. I should have spent more time in the library setting myself to the task of looking up general travel guidelines. I will bear the responsibility for being a puking padawan.?

Aduman laughed. ?That?s an interesting way of putting it.?

Chevor turned away from the window, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. ?Hopefully not the crowning achievement of my career.? He looked down at the spot where his lips had just touched the fabric. ?Well, it?s time to cast this aside now. There?s no sense in wearing a tunic with any traces of vomit on it.?

Aduman smiled. ?Then it?s time for you to go native. Toss away your Jedi attire and don Vourosi clothing. It?s far more comfortable given the climate, and the whole point of this trip is for you to expand your horizons. When I came upon the idea of partaking of the ancient Jedi pilgrimage tradition during my readings in the archives, I remembered the stories of Vouroso and its importance to the early Jedi; this was the first world to join the Order soon after its inception. So I thought how fantastic it would be to take up the Path once more.?

?I imagine the Council did not take so kindly to your application for this little journey,? Chevor said.

?Master Yoda certainly had some comments to say regarding my eccentricity.? Aduman nodded. ?But here we are. And so tomorrow we shall begin to go on this pilgrimage, starting at t

 

Very nice.

I can certainly appreciate Aduman's teaching methods. It certainly benefits a Jedi to experience various cultures and environments.

But poor Chevor! Seasick on his first Ocean adventure. I guess next time he'll do some studying before embarking on his next trip to a foreign planet.

Great job on this

 

Wonderful.

I loved the whole exchange, especially Chevor's excuse for his ailment. It's not like being prone to seasickness makes one less of a Jedi. But, if wants to believe it was the pudding. I'll go along with it.

The idea of a Jedi pilgrimage is awesome. Not familiar that much with this error I don't know if the Jedi were known to do it. But in their search for the Force and all, they would IMO.

Your planet sounds wonderful. I'd like to make up a planet. I mean I did, but it doesn't sound as nice as this one. I'm looking forward to knowing more about this Well of Quill.

Hopefully Chevor won't have a bad reaction to the long walk there.

Oh, and if you get a pm list going, I'd like to be on. Thanks.

 

THis was wonderful, but that's no surprise. Your writing never fails to move me. Your characters were superb and I really cared about them. Lovely!

 

His initial response was another bout of vomiting from his afflicted padawan. Not the most appropriate answer to such a statement

Definitely not the best answer.

Chevor's face turned even more lighter in color. "A several hours' walk?"

Poor Chevor. he's gotten away with benig the laziest padawan in the Temple for too long. Payback's coming... on swift wings, young Chevor, lol!


I'm very interested in what this Wombfish is and what it will do. I also like the relationship between master and padawan; it's not perfect and perfectness is too boring.

Looking forward to more. If you're doing a pm list, then please add me.

 

Poor Clevor! Just a several hour walk on top of food poisoning.

They are both wondeful characters.

 

tossing your 'cookies' in the rain barrel Does he know what they use that water for? Yuck!!!

Another unorthodox master poor Yoda.

Good start

 

That was excellent!!! Very cute story I can identify with the puking--I get seasick, too

If you're starting a PM list, I'd like to be on it

 

Aduman straightned his tunic and gave himself a quick glance over in the odd hexagonal slice of polished brass that served as the only mirror in this ditchwater hut.

Ha! I love the way you present details.

?Seasick in Setrana. Now you?ve been truly blessed by Mother Ocean herself.?

I think a pilgrimage is a wonderful idea; especially for an Order so wrapped up in meditation and supposed spirituality (through the Force).



Can't wait for the chapter leiamoody.

 

Thanks to all of you for reading this first installment. I'll assemble the PM list, and send those out to those who wanted to be notified when I get the update posted.

 

Yeah, we want more, leiamoody and we're not gonna take it anymore! Um, anymore waiting, I mean.

 

Right then, here's the second installment. As you'll notice, this part is from Chevor's POV. Each installment goes back and forth between Aduman and Chevor, so they get equal time on the stage.
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The Holy Essence, and Blisters

?Most true is it that ?beauty is in the eye of the gazer?. For anyone who can look upon this spot and call it beautiful must surely have impaired judgement.?

Chevor wished he knew what his master was talking about. But at the moment, his feet were humming the song of the hurt, and his headache had decided to take up an offensive position against the pain medication he had taken before breakfast. Five hours past dawn, they had finally reached the Well of Ouill. The sun was still up in the sky, sitting there so high that it was taunting him. It was hot, and no matter how much water he drank, his blood still felt like it was burning away.

?I cannot imagine how the Force could have possessed Garahaldin here. Coming in touch with the most natural power in the universe right in the midst of sand and rocks...? Aduman shook his head ?...it makes no sense.?

Chevor dropped onto that hard and dusty ground. So Master Aduman thought it important to ramble on about the scenery. He didn?t know that appealing backgrounds were required for a pilgrimage site. He wondered if his teacher had suddenly lost all connection to the Great Power, since he was obsessed with the most trite and pointless details. What was going on his mind? Had he been driven mad by the heat? It was certainly possible. They started on their trek just after breakfast (which Chevor felt too exhausted from the previous day to consume. Aduman tucked a flask of aisama juice, one half of a rianberry pastry, and a jar of honey in his carrysack, telling him it might be needed later). Halfway along the road, hunger did indeed overtake him, so they stopped for a time. Chevor was almost done the pastry when a bit of filling shot out of the middle and landed on his only other pair of padawan trousers, creating a huge pinkish stain. He found the relative shelter of an abandoned grain shack to run behind and change into the pair of light gray and white striped catan pants Aduman had in his sack. So he was going native after all...

Something popped on the back of his left heel.

?Anyway, we are here, and so we must stay until you absorb the atmosphere.?

?Blisters, master.? Chevor?s head was spinning, and his thoughts were starting to coalesce into mud. He could feel the painful prickles caused by the rough interaction between boots, heels, and too much walking.

Aduman stared at him. ?Have you gone mad??

Chevor swallowed. His throat felt dry, and rather scratchy. He should have consumed more of the water in his canteen and less of the juice in the flask during his breakfast stop. But the juice was sweet, and at the time tasted far better than the plain and colorless liquid. He had followed his taste buds, rather than logic. That was obviously a very stupid thing to do.

?Let me get you something from the well,? Aduman said.

Chevor leaned forward and pulled off his boots. The temporary relief of releasing his feet from their twin leather prisons was quickly negated by the searing pain of air hitting the blisters. And not just on his left foot, but also on his right. He winced.

Aduman returned, and knelt down on the ground beside his student. ?Here, drink this. It?s Force blessed.? A small gunmetal gray cup appeared underneath his chin.

Chevor took the offered elixir. ?Force blessed? What is that supposed to mean??

?Our first Jedi came to this odd place, and for some reason knelt down upon the earth. He touched his forehead to the dirt, and water bubbled up from a hidden spring. Hence, it is mixed with the holy essence of the Force, because it came in contact with his flesh.?

?Wouldn?t the water already have the Force contained within its molecules?? Chevor took another drink from the cup. If this substance wa

 

"Most true is it that 'beauty is in the eye of the gazer'. For anyone who can look upon this spot and call it beautiful must surely have impaired judgement."




"I cannot imagine how the Force could have possessed Garahaldin here. Coming in touch with the most natural power in the universe right in the midst of sand and rocks..."

It's called aceticism, my dear Chevor. Some people think by taking their bodies to the very limits of endurance they will have a spiritual awakening. I just think they'd have halucinations.


If this substance was blessed, then it should have tasted better.




"I'm sorry. I don't want to give the impression that I haven't been paying attention."

"I can tell when you are lying. Do remember that, young one."

They should have given him lying lessons at the Temple.


If he could not focus on small things like tending to walking wounds or listening to a history lesson (no matter how boring it might be), then would he be able to concentrate in a larger circumstance, such as a battle?

Um... I think a battle is much easier to pay attention to, since there's much more at stake than a simple history lesson.


This update was well worth the wait, leiamoody. Chevor is a neat little character, nice and sarcastic.

 

Hmm. I find myself suspecting the Master is going to learn something along the way, too. Even if he's having less trouble with sea, sun, dryness, and exertion, his comments on the location somehow bring Luke's "slimy mudhole" complaints irresistibly to mind.

 

I keep feeling more sorry for this poor Padawan than anything else. We got to the blisters and I had to admit that I was paying more attention to my discomfort at the kid's plight than the lessons... what was the lesson again?

Good job leiamoody!

 

An update. Yay!

Poor Chevor. Blisters? *puts not-so surprised face on after pudding episode*

Did they hold far too much faith in the Unifying Force, rather than the Living Force?

Boy, even back then the Jedi were struggling with this. Will there ever be an answer?

That's a great story about the well and the holy men. And tomorrow they'll go to Garahaldin's hut. I do hope Chevor listens up and learns something here, besides wearing better shoes and drinking water instead of juice.

Chevor nodded. ?That sounds fine. My feet and the rest of me appreciate that. Thank you.?

Again, poor Chevor. Hope tomorrow's journey is easier on him.

Great story leaimoody. I'm looking forward to more of this pilgrimage.

 

Chevor was almost done the pastry when a bit of filling shot out of the middle and landed on his only other pair of padawan trousers, creating a huge pinkish stain.

Poor Chevor!!!

Nice read! I loved it! Very funny

 

Ouch, those blisters sound painful!! The story about the Jedi blessing the water was interesting

 

Sorry to those of you who have read this fic and to those of you who happen to be on the PM list for updates. Maybe you've been waiting with semi-bated breath for another installment, or maybe not.

I apologize for the lack of an update in the last few months. But to be honest, I've lost the motivation to keep updating this fic. It's still a viable idea, and I would like to continue it. But I can't tell you when the next update will be. I have one installment half-written, and the first page of the installment after that partially composed. So I guess there will be updates one of these days. But I'm also caught up writing two other things at the moment which happen to occupy my attention perhaps a bit too much. And in my personal life, there are things going on which make it hard to write even those things many times.

I just wanted to let anyone who was interested know why there have not been any updates for this pilgrimage. But I don't want to discontinue it. Aduman and Chevor still have some learning to do, and I don't want to put that journey into carbonite.

 

Well I for one am anxious to read more, but I will leave it in your capable hands as to when that will be.

 

I agree. I hope to be able to read it soon

 

I was pulled in by the title and just read the first two chapters and I must say that I like this story very much. Great characters, good descriptions and an interesting premise. I hope you get to writing on this soon leiamoody, because I quite enjoy it.

So if you update, could you send me a PM? Thanks!

 

The Great Oneness, and An Invisible Guest

"The man is sleeping, " Aduman said, waving away the persistent sand fly which refused to leave him alone. "The man has been dead for centuries. The soul of Garahaldin is off-limits to us. So I can't gather up the deceased masters in the Council chamber, no matter how entertaining that might be."

"So it isn't possible to contact the dead?" Chevor kneeled down next to the remains of a storage shed. The crumbling walls of yellow grainstone sat along with two other structures in the midst of a brown grassy field. Once, this spot was occupied by a man who followed the persistent calling of an unseen voice away from the continents and civilization, with its comforts and travails, to this odd spot down the hill from an endless stretch of dusty earth and a mysterious spring coming forth from the ground. While this location still wasn't his idea of spiritual nourishment, Aduman had to concede the place where Garahaldin chose to make his home was at least sufficient enough to gather one's thoughts and meditate.

And it was close enough to the ocean. One couldn't actually see the water, but it was only a short walk down the sand dunes to the beach, which meant it could at least be heard. Unlike the bleakness of the area surrounding the well, there was grass here. Most of it was green, some brown, and a few patches were nonexistent (perhaps it was ghost grass). To be honest, he would have moved to another one of the uninhabited islets in this part of the Out Islands. At least those had perfect views of the great blue expanse, with lush blankets of grass. If one wanted to be in touch with the Force, then it helped to be surrounded by a wonderful vista.

"Master, are you all right?"

Aduman blinked. Why was his mind wandering?

"I apologize. Perhaps it's something in the air." Aduman threw his hand up, preventing the fly from making a temporary perch on his forehead. "To answer your question, it is not possible to contact the dead. Not according to established doctrine." The air wavered in front of his eyes. It was hot on this day, more so than normal on Vouroso. Standing here in the dusty remains of the sanctuary now struck him as absurd. It made sense for the long gone man to make this spot his home when he first heard the Force voices call to him. A quiet existence was always the unspoken wish of the most revered Masters. But to be so far away from the pulse of civilization, surrounded by very little one could call alive did not make sense.

"Why isn't it possible for a Jedi to speak with the dead?" Chevor's voice intervened once more. The youngster was doing a better job of keeping on track with the reason for standing in here in this desolate spot. Aduman did not know how to explain death to the young man, or why it was impossible to contact those no longer of the flesh. Though he tried many, many times, despite the harsh sanctions he knew would be thrown upon him if it were found out he was engaging in forbidden practices. But never once had he been able to connect with those departed he still missed. His former dueling teacher. Old friends from the crèche who had fallen in the line of service. His parents. Xania...

"It is not possible to contact the dead because they are part of The Great Oneness."

"Which means they are one with the Force."

"Not precisely. The Force itself is an energy field, for the living. Therefore, it isn't technically possible for one to be absorbed into it. Instead, we are all gathered into a great harmony at the center of the universe. It is made of pure light energy taken from those Jedi who served The Good during their lives. At the hour of passing, you and I shall hopefully become part of that field."

"But is it really true?"

Aduman turned his head, and saw Chevor staring off into space. "It's been known since the earliest days of our Order there is only one destination for our souls. There is nothing else."

"How can you know that for certain? Has anyone ever truly examined past the barriers to see what exists on