Before - Legends FIC: Patience Is a Virtue (Snapshot, OC, AU) FINISHED! (9/2)

Mwahahaha! I have returned!

But just briefly, no need to hide your young.

SO.

It seems during my absence Healer Apprentice Lina , my former roommate and still best buddy has been crafting some pretty cool stories involving my original characters. My hats and socks off to her!

Although I do have to shake my finger at her for creating an Alternate Universe where Damaeo survives his ordeal on Goliathan. Shame on you, Lina! How dare you create a scenario so tempting that it makes me want to write about these characters again! Shame, shame!

But, yes, here is a little tale. And to get back at HAL, I?m stuffing in a little hint for a side plot, which I?m hoping is going to fuel her to write some more. Heh, payback is wicked.

It feels rather nice to be back for a quickie visit!

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Title: Patience Is a Virtue
Author: Jedi Joon
Rating: PG-13
Timeline: Starts at when Damaeo is 18 and goes into the AU universe where he?s 27.
Disclaimer: The Star Wars Genre belongs to George Lucas. All original characters (old and one new!) are mine with the exception of Alex Arieh, who belongs to JediKnight Obi-Wan

Summary: Damaeo wasn?t always patient when it came to matters concerning his best friend.

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Patience Is a Virtue

PROLOGUE

Even as he did it, Damaeo knew it was wrong. He heard his inner voice shouting at him to turn around and do as he was told, but something else, something stronger prevented him.

?Damaeo.?

He clenched his hands into fists, keeping them tucked into the sleeves of his robe. The increasing pain in the joints of his contracting fingers helped him focus a little and silence his inner voice.

?Damaeo!?

The tone was angrier now. Damaeo realized almost casually that normally he would cringe to hear the stern voice of his Master Searcher. Whenever his master was upset with him, Damaeo?s body always reacted with an inward wince. But at this moment, it was all Damaeo could do to keep from shouting at his master. Better to keep walking.

//Padawan, you will turn around// came the order.

With a biting sullenness, the redheaded padawan clamped off the bond he shared with his master. But before he could continue further, a strong hand landed firmly on his shoulder, holding him back from continuing his march away. Suddenly, Damaeo whipped around, his pale blue eyes flashing in undisguised anger. With a rough jerk, he freed himself from Master Searcher?s hold and glared into the controlled expression of the older Jedi.

?Padawan,? began Searcher.

?Leave me alone,? demanded Damaeo.

?You will apologize to Healer Tolm,? Searcher ordered. And while his tone suggested no argument on this, sympathy and perhaps understanding underlined his words. A subtly that was lost on Damaeo in his current state.

Choking with rage at the command, the normally diplomatic padawan shouted, ?I will do no such thing! I meant what I said!?

Damaeo?s actions were such that normally would have fetched him a sharp slap to his head. But instead, Searcher only stared at his enraged student. ?Whether or not you meant it is not the issue, Damaeo. Your behavior is understandable, but not excusable. You will take control of your emotions and apologize to Healer Tolm for your words,? said the older Jedi, quietly. Damaeo might have felt a small pulse of gentleness coming from his master had he not shielded himself against such communication. But again, the redhead blocked it off.

?I won?t ever apologize to him,? said Damaeo, his voice now low with barely contained fury. ?Never. He deserves it and I hope for the sake of any initiate that he never take on another apprentice. He has no right to be anyone?s master ever again!?

If there was a reply to come from his master, Damaeo did not wait for it and stalked off. This time no hand came to stop him.

 

She's alive [face_shocked]

I am glad to see you back and playing with your wonderful characters

 

Is this a sequel to something?

 

Hurrah Joon! You have begun!

Put up the full snapshot soon, please. And I'll answer the above question for you: this is not a sequel, but more Joon spending some time w/her old OC's.

 

woohoo!!!! //tackle hug//

 

Bonjour meine Lieblings. Yeah, french and german...

Thank you for the warm welcome backs! Hugs to all and two hugs for juwannajedi who deserves the Best Reader Award for the entire JC boards.

Yes, yes, the snapshot is coming soon. I know it's taking awhile, but can I make up for it by saying it's a LONG snapshot? Really it should be split into two, but that's always a dangerous gamble. It'll be here as soon as possible.

On a related note, I rather like writing a very angered, somewhat obnoxious Damaeo. Makes for a nice insight into the other facet of his teen personality.

 

Yes, I caved and made it two parts. I?m still a little shy about writing a SW fic after so long so I guess I need to get a sense of what readers are thinking regarding the first part, so here it is. More to come soon!
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One month earlier?.

?Do you mind pointing that thing someplace else?? asked Lewix, nervously.

Damaeo looked up from the training sphere in his hands to the 15 year old and smiled innocently. ?It?s perfectly safe,? he assured.

?Yeah, that is until you hit the wrong wire and end up firing a blast at me at full power,? Lewix pointed out, dryly. Tying off the final wire in a sphere he held in his own hands, the younger student switched it on and observed it hum to life. ?Finished. Great, only 100 more to go,? he groused, staring at the mountain of broken spheres ahead of them.

?Have you noticed that ever since we flooded the East Wing, they refuse to give us a punishment detail that involves us getting near water?? asked Damaeo, continuing his examination of the burnt out sphere.

?I think after the flooding?and that whole accident in the Room of a Thousand Waterfalls they?re nervous about tempting history to repeat itself,? Lewix replied, picking up a half-cleaved training ball from the large pile. ?Force, look at this thing,? he said, disgusted. ?Do they really want us to try and fix this? It?s completely ruined.?

?I thought you liked a challenge,? said Damaeo, absently. He tentatively tied off two wires and nearly dropped the sphere in his hands when it fired off a particularly powerful bolt.

?Sith!? yelped Lewix. The faint smell of something burning filled the air. ?That thing singed my hair!? retorted the younger padawan.

?Oh, don?t be such a wimp,? said Damaeo. ?It?s only hair.?

With a scowl, Lewix grabbed the sphere out of redhead?s hands. ?I?ll do this. I don?t want to die at the hands of an overzealous training sphere. It?ll be way too humiliating,? he said before Damaeo could protest.

?What?s the matter with you?? asked the redhead, looking at the sour expression on his friend?s face. ?You look more irate than the usual.?

?I?ve been up all night helping with the anti-biotics for tomorrow,? replied Lewix, untying the wires Damaeo had crossed..

?Is it ready?? asked Damaeo.

?We?re doing the final run later today, but it should be fine.?

?Lucky you,? Damaeo sighed. ?I?ll still be stuck here fixing these and you?ll be off to Kanoe.?

?Yeah, Kanoe. Wonderful. The most backwards planet this universe has to offer,? grimaced Lewix. He tweaked a small bolt and was rewarded with a weak sputtering from the broken sphere.

?You?d rather stay here and fix these all day?? asked Damaeo, gesturing to the impressive pile.

Lewix watched the half-repaired sphere float up from his hands, fly a few inches before falling down with an asthmatic drone. ?Good point,? conceded the healer apprentice.

Three days later

Two weeks earlier the Jedi Council had received a distress message coming from a small group of inhabitants on Kanoe. The miniscule community that dwelled several hundred miles from the main capital had a population of 500, if even that. And they were dying.

The Vilra was a disease that hit the population of Kanoe ever few decades. Those infected with the fatal illness were sent out far from the population to eventually die. From what the Jedi healers could gather, the actual death was relatively painless, though the approach to death was long and difficult. The Council?s first idea had been to contact the capital of Kanoe to explain that the healers could research a cure.

But then their contact had stopped them.

?They?ll stop you from coming if you do. The Vilra is considered a sacred tradition by the Kanoe. It?s a cleansing sent by the Gods. You can?t let them know you?re trying to bring a cure.?

So Healer Tolm and his apprentice, Lewix Winchard had gone secretly to Kanoe, keeping clear of the main capital. But Tolm had returned alone.

?An agent of the capital found discovered what w

 

Man, Damaeo certainly has a mean streak when he wants one.

But his loyalty to his friend is touching. I can almost forgive him for calling Healer Tolm a killer. Can't wait to see how this works out, Joon!

 

I think you did a wonderful job showing a teen who was furious at the world (including himself) for something he couldn't prevent

 

wow! good job!

 

Here?s the long part. Thanks for all the great feedback everyone! Only a short epilogue after this. Sorry for deceiving everyone. This really wasn?t a single snapshot. It was more a short story that I just couldn?t cut down no matter how hard I tried!
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Present

Walking as quickly as he could away from the glaring presence of his master, Damaeo automatically began to make his way toward the Meditation Gardens. It was getting late, however. In about an hour?s time it would be curfew. But what would happen if he was caught breaking it? He?d get in trouble? That hardly seemed very important or difficult at this moment. In fact, just about anything seemed bearable now that he had seen just how much he could bear without going insane or giving in completely to his rage.

The Gardens were empty. The stillness of the cool air around and the complete silence, save for his own footsteps helped calm Damaeo a little. But as always when his anger cooled, he felt hollowed out and achingly empty. He sat down heavily on a stone bench, fastening his hands around the edge of the cold seat.

?When I?m knighted, I?d want to take on a padawan as soon as I can.?

?Why would you want to do that??

?Because I want to teach a student.?

?You can just be a teacher then.?

?It wouldn?t be the same, Lew.?

?Padawans are like small, chatty anchors. They tie you down.?

?They do not. They?re part of a rewarding experience. You just don?t get it.?

?Well, if you really want to be an old man so quickly??

?Prat.?

?Oh, nice example for your future padawan.?

Damaeo blinked against the painful pressure behind his eyes. Lewix would now never get to meet the person he would take on as an apprentice. Lewix would now never even get knighted. He wouldn?t even get to reach his next birthday. Damaeo had thought there would years, years ahead of them that they would share. It had been a given in his mind that Lewix would be there when he got knighted and he would be there when his friend cut off his braid as well. It had been such a clear, assumed vision in his mind. The loss of it was incomparable.

Hours might have gone by in the Gardens. Damaeo wasn?t sure. His silent grieving went on as the curfew hour came and all obedient students were now in their apartments with their masters. All except me?and Lewix.

The grass behind him shuddered slightly. Someone was approaching. Hastily, Damaeo ran a sleeve across his eyes, his face burning slightly as the tears were rubbed violently across his skin. The newcomer did not speak, but merely sat down next to him. Damaeo?s fingers clenched around the lip of the cold bench a little more when he saw who it was.

As before, Tolm looked tired. But there was an air of urgency and tension in his body that contrasted sharply with Damaeo?s limp, hopeless stance. Despite the fact that the redhead wanted to be alone, he couldn?t summon the energy to get up and leave. Or even say something to drive the healer away. So he just sat and concentrated on ignoring the older Jedi. But he wasn?t given much of a chance.

?Damaeo, I want you to listen to me very carefully,? said Tolm, quietly. He continued to stare in front of him rather than look at the student. ?I know you have no wish to have anything to do with me right now. But I need your help in something.?

The request was so unexpected, Damaeo forgot his conviction to ignore the healer and looked at the older man with a surprised frown. ?What??

Tolm continued to look away from the student, a heavy conflict in his light eyes. ?What I am about to ask you to do could potentially have serious consequences for you. I would not ask it from you, but?.I feel I am out of options.?

Damaeo?s confusion only deepened. But even in the midst of his puzzlement, he felt his anger finally begin to spike again. ?What makes you think I?ll help you?? he demanded.

?Because by doing so you?ll be helping me rescue Lewix.?

The air left Damaeo?s lungs and for a moment, he couldn?t speak. What ha

 

They saved Lewix

 

Awww. Thank Goodness they saved Lewix!

It's so good to see you back Joon I hope this spurs you on to write more, especially in that AU universe!

 

Thanks to all those who were kind enough to read and reply! Here?s the last epilogue. And I guess this is farewell again to the JC boards. It was a fun visit, guys! Oh, and Healer Apprentice Lina , you best take up where I left off. There?s a whole story out there to be told regarding the mysterious contact, Siften Fray. You better get hopping on it! *evil laughter*
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Reflexively, Damaeo straightened his robes before he pressed the standard doorbell. After a few minutes, the door slid open to reveal Knight Parril Irra. His light blue eyes shined with serene friendliness as he regarded the redheaded padawan at his door.

?Hello,? he greeted.

?Knight Irra?? asked Damaeo, fingering the folded papers in his sleeve.

?Yes, that?s me,? said Parril, looking slightly perplexed. ?How can I help you??

Wordlessly, Damaeo pulled the letter from his sleeve and held it out to the knight. With a curious expression, Parril took the set of papers and pressed his thumb to the tag that was still attached to the front. At his touch, the black square slid off. ?Who gave these to you?? inquired Parril as he scanned the barcode on Damaeo?s arm with the tag.

?Gamiad Tolm,? answered Damaeo. He paused before raising his eyes from his scanned arm to look at the knight. ?He wanted me to tell you he?s sorry.?

?Sorry?? The look of confusion on Parril?s face deepened as he folded the letter open. He scanned the first line before the friendliness in his eyes fled. It seemed to Damaeo that for a moment, the knight looked nearly panicked as he scanned the first few lines. But quickly a mask of hardened control took over Parril?s features. ?Gamiad Tolm gave these to you?? he asked, his voice now cold.

?Yes,? said Damaeo. It wasn?t really a lie. Tolm had given him the letter.....after he had taken it from Damaeo for a few moments on the shuttle ride back from Kanoe. The redhead had been confused as to why Tolm had told him to give his apologies to Knight Irra, but it had been a peripheral curiosity. The student had been too wrapped with worry at the time about what would befall the healer once the Council passed their judgment.

A grim expression settled on Parril Irra?s face as he scanned the first page of the multi-sheet letter. ?Thank you for the delivery,? said Parril, shortly. Without waiting for a response, the knight firmly shut the door in Damaeo?s face. The redhead hadn?t been expecting such an angered response from the knight and lingered a moment by the closed door before leaving. He did not hear Parril Irra tear the letter, its last pages still unread, into small squares and dispose of it.

On Kanoe, the black square that lay in the pockets of Siften Fray?s coat flared a bright red, letting him know his letter had been delivered. And despite his best efforts against it, he began to feel a small thread of hope that he would get a reply.

++++++++++++++++++

Dragging in his knapsack behind him, Damaeo nodded a hello to a blond healer apprentice on duty at the infirmary. Without having to be asked, the apprentice said, ?He?s awake. Healer Tolm?s with him.?

?Thank you,? said Damaeo. ?I?ll just wait outside.?

He walked up to the window that looked into Lewix?s room. The dark-haired padawan was sitting up in bed, conversing quietly with Healer Tolm. Damaeo felt a large sense of relief at the twin smiles on both Lewix and Tolm. In the last week, Damaeo had been visiting Lewix regularly. Thanks to Tolm, who had most likely called in his last favor, Damaeo had been given unlimited visitation rights. Despite the fact it was obvious that Lewix was alive with no lasting damage, the redhead still felt a lingering relief every time he saw his friend.

It had been a relief that doubled once the Council had passed their ruling on Healer Tolm. Despite the healer?s actions without the permission of the Council, no one could say there had been any lasting repercussions. As far as the Kanoens were concerned, Lewix Winchard had been successfully sacrificed. The only punishment that Tolm would face

 

No- you can't leave us without telling that final story about Siften


Come baacckk

 

Firstly, Joon, thanks for the fabulous story. It's good to see you stretching your writing wings again.

Secondly, you are EVIL! How dare you put in that plot idea back in my head! Evil! EVIL, I say!!

 

Oh most excellent!!!!

 

Thanks Kitara, HAL and jj!

And yes, Lina, I am deadly serious about you continuing the Siften Fray story. Darn it all, you KNOW you want to! I know you're backed up w/Tomorrow's Rage, but finish it up already so you can start on the other tale!

Come on...you know you want to. *evil laughter*