Before - Legends Schism--NaNo story--OCs. Belated final replies and THANKS! 7/1

Here's the next update in our series! Thanks very much for reading.

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The next few months passed with amazing speed. Hilaal?s Great Grandfather Jeb had been true to his word. The farm had voted in a surprising show of unity, allowing the Jedi to bring as many survivors as they wanted. There were well over a thousand Jedi still standing after the disaster on Coruscant. While most of them continued on with prescribed missions, hundreds returned to the shattered Temple to help look for survivors and retrieve the broken pieces of the Order. Others weren?t content to stay on Coruscant, though. Over the course of the first two weeks, dozens of Jedi arrived on Dantooine, including Irith, all the students from AgriCorps and of course Naan Chudo. The awkward tension between the young man and Pelt was palpable by Jedi and non-Jedi alike. Pelt chased Naan around the farm whenever Pelt wasn?t busy with Hilaal or doing the chores that the Elders had assigned to him. Every day, by refusing to speak with him, Naan managed to upset her Master a little more, but Pelt wouldn?t stop trying to talk to the boy.

Hilaal spent all the daylight hours?and some of the dark ones?under the demanding and watchful eyes of many Jedi, learning more lightsaber techniques and practicing the ones she had nearly mastered already. Initially she worked only with Antho and Master Grii, but as more Jedi arrived, some of them were more than proficient with their lightsabers. When someone had produced some training weapons, she got to practice against different fighting styles and different levels of ability.

It wasn?t until someone suggested she try wielding two lightsabers, one in each hand that she really became comfortable in combat. Once the second blade was ensconced in her hand, she began to understand deeper aspects of her latent talent, and her abilities began to truly please her. During the hundreds of hours she practiced, whether forms or sparring, she became more fluid in attacks and defense. Eventually, even the Jedi blademaster Grii couldn?t reliably penetrate her defenses and found himself overwhelmed by her swordsmanship. So he brought friends. At first they engaged her two-on-one, but the figures escalated to three and four. She didn?t always win against the stacked odds, and the more opponents she faced, the less likely her victory became. But she continued on anyway, pleased with her progress and delighting in the way she could temporarily forget about her ongoing confusion relating to the sudden appearance of her biological family.

Hilaal spent as little time as possible with her mother and father. They were exceptionally nice people, but there was an awkwardness to all of their conversations that made speaking with them almost painful. Her Great Grandfather Jeb was another story. Often he would come and listen to her spar with the Masters, shouting encouragement from the sidelines. Occasionally he offered suggestions, but Jeb was no warrior and most of his thoughts were naïvely rooted in inexperience. Hilaal still found his input heart-lifting, and his spoken support pleasantly welcome.

While some of the Jedi still worked in the Temple?s ruins, they also left a series of eyes and ears behind to secretly watch over the remains. The bodies of hundreds of Jedi were found, many of them the broken husks of respected Masters and loved companions.

Every day on Dantooine, the memorial by the cobbled-together communication array grew as the rubble from the Temple was lifted away, revealing more bodies and adding more names and more heartache. Among those Masters who were still unaccounted for were Masters Yoda, Pul, Hruuvokka, and the head of Jedi Archives, Master Davip. Those names were foremost on the list of hopes that one day they might step out of the shadows and come out of hiding. The deeper the recovery effort dug without finding the bodies of those four key Jedi was another day of growing optimism, in the Republic and throughout the Order.

Though the Je

 

She could well have spent hours practicing before Hilaal?s senses detected the human sentient sitting fifty meters away. Her blades fluidly stopped mid-form, and the tip of her blue lightsaber whipped upwards towards the intruder. So whoever the intruder is, they are either a friend or an enemy with a healthy sense of self-preservation. I think even a Sith might think twice about engaging Hilaal in the midst of advanced katas.

Great post as always, Peri. I like how you described the Jedi dealing with their emotions. Jedi they may be, but sentients with emotions they still all. Everyone has failings and weak points they must deal with. It makes you wonder whether or not it might have been better for the Jedi in the long run if they'd been a little less stringent about not showing their emotions to the outside world.

 

*quietly slips in late*

I really enjoyed meeting the various people in the enclave, probably a lot more than Hilaal did. Jeb seems like a kinda cool guy, and when he was talking about why he and some others left the Order, it was a great insight into the workings of the Jedi at that time and the sacrifices they had to make.

The intense, farm-wide visions of Hilaal put an interesting spin on things...

I felt bad for Hilaal trying to cope with everything in meeting her family again. Glad to see Pelt was there for her.

Ah, Hilaal likes two-handed fighting, huh? That should make it easier for her to go up against multitudes of enemies.


Occasionally he offered suggestions, but Jeb was no warrior and most of his thoughts were naïvely rooted in inexperience.

But the suggestions would have to be more sound than the "Bite her!" comment from the Padawan Tournament, I hope? heh heh

That's a long time for Masters Yoda and Pul and the rest to be missing. I wonder where they are and if they're okay.

I agree, the reactions and emotions shown by the Jedi were very well written. It's going to be interesting to see how they act when they're face-to-face with the upcoming battle.

I've got a wild guess on who's there with Hilaal. Keep up the great work, Peri!

 

I wonder who the intruder is? Maybe Naan wanting to talk to her?
He's giving Pelt a hard time and I'd guess he's enjoying doing so.

Great update!

 

Wow. Nice 'time passes' sequence. You kept the emotion flowing well, enough to keep me empathising, but not so much to bog down the narrative.

And who's her mysterious watcher? Is it Grandpa Jeb?

 

Wow Hilaal can use two lightsabers, that's pretty impressive skill, even more than winning the tournament at such a young age. She seems to be handling things well, considering. I do imagine being with the parents would be extremely awkward.

As far as Naan, maybe he'll come around, but somehow, I don't think so.

And what a cliff that is...


Excellent update.

 

Excellent update! One of my favorites yet. I like how you skipped over such a long period of time, but descripted it from such a variety of perspectives and emotions that it actually felt like a long time, even though it all happened in a single chapter. I hope the other masters are okay. Well, except maybe Master Davip; I still sense something fishy about him.

It's scary how good Hilaal is with Jar'Kai. She might be just the person they need to put this new Sith threat back in their place. And it was cool how you worked in both lightsabers, since each represents a crucial personal victory in her life thus far.

"Intruder" is an interesting choice of words. It could be just an intruder into her private practice session, or an intruder into the enclave tiself. Hopefully it's just Naan or Jeb or somebody friendly... hopefully on their part, that is, because I pity the Sith that has to take on Hilaal single-handedly.

 

I wanted to thank you ALL for the fantastic comments you left me today. They were all wonderful and thoughtful. I wanted to reply to each individual one to show appreciation, however I slept very little last night for some stupid reason, so any attempt by me to sound intelligent would probably get garbled. Please accept my enthusiastic instead, and my thanks.

Now, on with the show! At least one of your questions'll get answered today...

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?What are you doing here?? she demanded, her voice flat from irritation at being interrupted.

?Nothing,? came the young man?s answer. ?I couldn?t sleep.?

?Naan?? Hilaal asked, discerning the young man?s identity. ?What are you doing here?? she repeated, unsure of what to say or do. Hilaal hadn?t spent any time at all with Pelt?s first choice of apprentice. While Naan Chudo hadn?t picked on her any more than her other crechemates, he definitely had given her a hard time when she needed it the least. That being understood, though, she felt sorry for him. To be rejected after being all but promised a position with the Jedi must have been heartbreaking, and Hilaal understood heartbreak all too well.

Naan?s civilian clothes rustled together as he shrugged. ?I wanted to watch you.?

?Watch me?? she asked as she closed down her weapons. With a practiced hand, she shifted away the spiky branches of a blba tree and leaned her back against it, watching the dark outline of Naan from ten meters away.

?And talk with you, I guess.?

?About what??

There was a hesitation, as though he had more than one topic on his mind and he didn?t know where to start first. ?Pelt,? Naan finally said, bitterly. ?He won?t leave me alone. Every time he sees me, he?s in my face telling me how sorry he is for not choosing me, how he let me down. And he did, you know. He couldn?t have surprised me any more if he had stabbed me.?

?I was just as surprised as you were. I expected to be the one in your position.?

Hilaal could see Naan drop his head to look at his fingers. ?Well, I guess he made the right decision. I?ve overheard some Jedi saying how you?re one of their brightest hopes for the future.?

Instinctively she had understood her importance, but she ignored it, never paying any attention to her supposed destiny. To have it said aloud made her sound as arrogant as Pelt seemed, as far as she was concerned. ?I never asked to be chosen, or to have any responsibilities. I wonder if I would have been happier if I was the one in your position.?

Naan didn?t answer.

?Then again,? she continued. ?All the students at AgriCorps wouldn?t be alive, if their lives depended on me. My Force abilities aren?t as developed as yours are. I hear you?re the one who got the survivors out.?

He nodded, though she sensed no arrogance from him. ?I just knew they were coming.?

?See?? she said. ?Besides, even if I did sense them coming, I wouldn?t have had the courage to tell anyone.?

?You have that courage now,? he noted softly. ?You?ve grown into a worthy Jedi. I?m sorry I picked on you so much when we were younger.? The way Naan held his head, she could almost sense the wry grin of his expression. ?And no, I?m not just saying that now because you could beat me to a bloody pulp with your hands tied to your feet.?

That brought a smile to her face. ?Thanks.?

?So what should I do about Pelt??

It was her turn to shrug. ?Talk to him. I know how much you meant to him, and how much it hurt him to pick me over you. I don?t know if he?s told you or not, but he didn?t pick me by choice. The Masters forced him to.?

That got a reaction. ?They did??

She nodded, knowing he could barely see her.

?But why??

?Apparently I?ve got a destiny,? she muttered, unable to hide the bitterness from her voice. ?I guess the Masters couldn?t let someone with my abilities go. Especially not now. And who cares what I want.?

?You don?t want to help the Jedi??

?Well, I didn?t me

 

Ah ha! Master Davip! I shall keep an eye out for him. Of course, we know Master Yoda survived. Right? RIGHT? You wouldn't dare kill him. You're way too nice for that. Don't force me to reassess my opinion of you.

So Dantoinne still sets off alarms for Hilaal. Hmm... I wonder why? I'm sure you'll get to that in good time. One a side note, I wonder if the farming settlement is where the rebel forces will establish their base on Dantoinne in the future?

I look forward to Monday's post.

 

I liked that Naan finally showed up and that he found out that she wasn't Pelt's first choice. He must have felt terribly betrayed because of that. At least now he knows.

Good job.

 

I feel kind of sorry for Naan too. I'm sure he would've been lots of Jedi's first choice if they hadn't known he was the obvious choice for Pelt, who, through a cruel twist of fate, wasn't allow to chose him. But the Force usually knows what it's doing, and this looks like no exception. If Naan had been chosen, he wouldn't have been able to save everyone at the Agricorps. Hopefully now that he knows the truth of what happened, he won't be mad at Pelt anymore. Although now he might be mad at the council instead.

Anyway, another great post. Maybe everything'll have a happy ending after all, at least for Hilaal. But if I were Master Grii, I would certainly be more cautious about Davip's claim. Jedi Historians have a long history of falling to the dark side, and like they say, if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

 

Poor Naan. It wasn't his fault Pelt didn't pick him. And it wasn't Pelt's fault either. But there's all that resentment and anger and embarrassment that needs to escape somehow.

 

I'm thinking Master Davip had something to do with the attack and on some level, Hilaal knows this.
It makes me wonder why the Jedi trust one another so blindly. I know I'd always be skeptic.

Antho and Hilaal are so darn cute!

And I loved how Naan came to talk to her, to try and make things right.

I hope for Hilaal, that she'll make it back home again.

Wonderful update.

 

I might kill Yoda, I truly might. I've been learning what true evil is from Lord_Zeron. Don't worry, you'll get a definitive answer in a post or two. Thanks so much for reading!

Yeah, now he knows. I'm not sure if that would make me feel better or not. Thanks tons for taking time out of your busy schedule to read!

If Naan's gonna get mad at the Council, he's not going to have as many people to be angry with. There's nothing like large explosions for population control. Thanks muchly for reading!

Not to mention strong irritation that Pelt wouldn't leave him alone. Time wounds all heels, and heals all wounds too, we'll just have to see how things go!

Thanks very much! Glad you liked it. Hilaal's got an uphill battle, that's for sure. You'll just have to stay tuned to see how things turn out.

Sorry for the shorter-ish replies today, the wife's got the day off and we have big plans. It's another holiday out here (Canada has tons of holidays, it's like we get an extra day off at least every month!) But here's the next post...

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It took a full hour of traipsing around the farm before she found Pelt. Hilaal was about to call out to him, but she noticed he was deeply concentrating and in hushed conversation with Naan Chudo. She quickly turned to leave, but Naan saw her and stood, beckoning her over.

?Hilaal, wait.?

?Sorry,? she replied, slowly coming to stand with the two men. ?I didn?t mean to interrupt.?

?It?s all right,? Pelt answered, breaking into a warm smile. ?We were just discussing something that concerned you too, so it?s good you?re here.?

Hilaal nodded dumbly. ?What is it??

?I?ve asked Naan if he?d like to be my unofficial apprentice, at least until you?re promoted.? He saw

 

That had to be the quickest apprenticeship in the history of the Jedi Order. Ready or not, I wouldn't blame Hilaal a bit if she felt shunted. Pelt reminds me of another certain master who tried to hurry up and promote his apprentice so he could take on another. Actually, I don't understand how Pelt could think she was ready. Being great with weapons doesn't mean she's ready for anything the Force can throw at her. What about maturity, developing those areas were her skills are lacking, etc? I'm sorry, but if I was Hilaal, I'd feel pushed aside and hurt by Pelt's actions.

 

Wow. A Jedi Knight at 13?

Still, I'd be kind of annoyed if I were Hilaal. Sharing my Master with Naan?
But she has so much more to learn! She might be ready as a fighter and warrior but she's still so shy and she's basically still just a kid.

I hope Pelt knows what he's doing.

I did laugh at the blackmail part, though.

Great update!

 

What an interesting series of developments. Hilaal can certainly fight with the best of them, though I can't wait to see how she deals with all the other expectations and pressures of her knighthood. Hopefully she's ready emotionally as well, or Pelt may have just made a big mistake. Even though she's not technically his apprentice anymore, I have the feeling Pelt may have a little bit more to teach her. I can totally understand Hilaal's reluctance to share her master, though I do think it's probably for the best. Like Pelt said, they need all the trained Jedi they can get in these pressing times. And it's been done before, with Master Arca for example. Well, Ulic Qel-Droma did have that brief stint with the dark side, but two out of three's not bad. And I like how Grii saw right through their act. That's the Jedi for you.

Anyway, great update! Keep 'em coming!

 

Wow. A Knight already. I think I would have found the lack of any sort of ceremony a bit of a let-down, myself. Of course, there's the whole destruction of the Temple, and the scattered Jedi to consider, but I would think that knightings and other such ceremonies would be more important in those circumstances, if only to remind the others of who they are, and to boost morale.

I'm very glad that Naan and Pelt get to be together after all, though.

 

When I read the first part, I felt so bad for Naan getting abandoned like that. I'm glad he's finally become a Padawan.

 

The discussion between Naan and Hilaal was great! Nice to see them getting some things out in the open and clearing the air a little bit. I also liked her trying to sort out her thoughts for Antho, and it's sweet that she carries the sand panther with her everywhere.

Interesting development with Hilaal's promotion to Knight! It almost seemed like a "battlefield promotion" to me, a reflection of Grii's thinking of how hard the Jedi got hit, both between the casualties they took in the attack on the Temple and from the Jedi who would be staying behind on Dantooine. With all of that, maybe Grii sees the need to build their ranks back up quickly.

I also liked Pelt's blackmail threat, LOL.

I'm glad for Naan, and I'm also curious to see how this quick promotion affects Hilaal and her self-confidence. She's going to have a lot to deal with pretty soon from what it sounds like.

Great posts, Peri! Looking forward to more!

 

I totally see your point. However, while she won't have the full attention of Pelt anymore, she'll have lots of other Jedi around if she feels she needs support. Plus, over the last few months, she's been spending most of her time with the other Jedi anyway. <shrug> Really appreciate your input, if I had to do it over again, perhaps I'd change things up a bit. Thanks for reading!

Yeah, I hope Pelt knows what he's doing too. I think he's a little overwhelmed by the opportunity to teach Naan. We'll just hope things go well! Thanks much for reading!

We'll just have to see how their decisions play out. I know Pelt was chomping at the bit for a chance to teach Naan, like it was supposed to be months ago. I can't blame him for wanting to take advantage of the opportunity. On the other hand, it may turn out to be a bad decision...who knows. Thanks lots for reading!

I never liked the idea of a Knighting ceremony, really. I know it's the one time they can get a little attention to themselves, but I think doing that once risks becoming addicted to all that attention. OH well, what the heck do I know. I know I appreciate your loyal readership. Thanks!

Hiya! Nice to see you here. Thanks for reading that monstrosity, and thanks for your comment! I think most folks are glad to see Naan being trained.

 

I've got a longer than average post for you all today. Hope you enjoy it!

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The small host of Jedi transports simultaneously blinked out of hyperspace over Coruscant space and began heading for the landing pad near the Temple. As an indication of their support, the Republic sent a handful of antiquated fighters to meet them at their hyperspace egress point, escorting them the entire way into the spaceport that had been cleared for Jedi use only.

Newly promoted to Jedi Knight, Hilaal walked confidently on Pelt?s left side, just behind Master Grii. Rameera and Antho were closely spaced on Pelt?s right. Waiting just beyond the exit of the spaceport was a wildly cheering crowd, welcoming the hundred or so Jedi home with holo-banners and gleeful chanting. From his place in front of the crowd, Master Davip sat awkwardly in a hover-chair.

He looked a little the worse for wear. According to his report, he had been trapped between the recessed Archives structure and the rubble above, left with only a few square meters of living space for months. Having called on the Force to support him, he was able to withstand the time alone with only a tiny air hole, which he had somehow made himself. He was forced to rely on beetles and other insects that found their way into his prison for nourishment, and an incredibly deep suspension trance to keep his body alive.

Despite his starvation, he didn?t look as badly as Hilaal expected him to. There was definitely something different about him, something she couldn?t quite put her finger on. But was there any wonder why, after all he?d been through? The man?s face was still as wrinkled as ever, looking like it could melt off his skull on a warm day. Bright eyes twinkled in barely disguised glee in the yellow sun.

Davip stood and reached his hand out to the approaching host of Jedi. All his limbs seemed perfectly steady, a sign of the man?s inner strength. ?Master Grii, welcome home.?

Grii bypassed the hand and went straight in for a back-pounding hug that flipped the old Master?s much longer-than-it-used-to-be white hair about. ?Good to be back,? he said, thumping firmly. ?Congratulations to you for surviving your ordeal. I doubt I?d look as good as you do, if it were me in there. Actually, I probably wouldn?t have survived.?

?Where there?s a will, there?s a way,? Davip replied, a slight smile on his lips. ?I?ve had a few dozen good meals since my rescue, enough to put more padding on my waistline again.?

Many people began chuckling, but the laughter was brittle. Hilaal couldn?t convince herself to join in.

?Come! See how the craftsmen have done in clearing away the rubble and rebuilding our Temple!? With that, the ancient Master sat back down, turned his hovering chair around and started threading his way through the streets of cheering civilians. The Jedi all but ignored them as they solemnly marched towards their former home.

The loud celebration continued as they walked, preventing any real conversations. That was all right with Hilaal, for she had a lot of turmoil rolling around in her guts. It didn?t make a lot of sense, either. They were back on Coruscant, they were home. Why should her danger sense be having a full-blown panic attack?

Her eyes flickered back and forth across the crowd searching for anything that could threaten the Jedi again, before she realized it they had rounded a corner and now stood in full view of the damaged Temple.

Mountains of crumbled permacrete and debris left over from metal framing were piled hundreds of meters into the air where the statues of Jedi had once stood on normal approach up the stairway. Each stack was huge, perhaps slightly above the limits of safety. As they passed, the debris shifted slightly, causing a soft echoing cascade of smaller rocks inside the debris mountain. The welcoming red carpet that once lead to the grand entrance had been replaced, though it was littered with little fragments of stonework and crushed white powder. The air was f

 

*grin* I've actually been reading along for a while, off and on, but I could never get to the end before you updated again.

Ohnoes the Jedi! Two dozen of the most powerful, too, and they're being cut down ...

 

So this is what Hilaal was destined for and why Davipp wanted her out of the way so badly. Now, what will this era's "chosen one" do to save the Jedi... and where is Pelt, Naan, and the others. Will they be able to reach them in time.

Very tense happenings, Peri. I can't wait for your Monday post! *nibbles on fingernails* Any chance of posting sooner?

 

An ambush, right in the ruins of the Temple! How utterly evil! I love it.

How many will escape, and will they stop Davip and whatever his plans are?