Stranger in a Strange Land 06 - Year One - Update 12/09 - COMPLETE!!!

A day late, but here nonetheless.

Hello again to all of you. After taking some time to update some web pages and rebuild my sithly little PC after having it go 'boom,' I present to you 'Year One.'

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It's been six months since Dalan's fateful speech to the Republic Senate, withdrawing Naboo's application for membership in front of Borsk Fey'lya's face and formally welcoming the Jedi to move to Naboo as free citizens.

As the new Jedi Temple is being constructed somewhere between Theed and Otoh Gunga, the Jedi are doing their best, living in either tents, finished portions of the Temple, or the Imperial supplied bivouacs that serve as temporary shelters.

In keeping with his anti-Jedi sentiments, Borsk is deporting anyone suspected of being Force-sensitive to Naboo under threat of execution should they refuse. On the upside, the population of Naboo is rising rather sharply as a result.

Dalan is working side by side with the Jedi on their new home, having shelved his career as ambassador. He continues to train his daughter, Triel, in his ways, while the Jedi teach her about her newfound powers in the Force.

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Selona ? 3rd month of the standard Republic year
-
?Turning to local news,? said Ginar Lupi, the Sullistan news anchor for the Republic News Network (RNN), ?President Borsk Fey?lya has kicked off his next term in office in style, basically declaring open season on the Jedi Knights still located in New Republic space.?

The scene on the televiewer changed from the newsroom to live footage from the base of the Senate building on Coruscant as the commentary continued.

?The move comes on the heels of one of President Fey?lya?s campaign promises,? continued Lupi. ?Effective immediately, midichlorian testing centers will be set up on every world in the New Republic and every citizen will have to be tested for Jedi potential.?

The televiewer switched again to a shot of several people lined up and getting blood tests done.

?Should a person have a midichlorian count above the legal limit, they will be transferred to a holding center where they can choose what to do about their predicament.?

From the testing center, the viewer switched to a scene of people clad in grey prison uniforms being escorted into a waiting transport, which then lifted off.

?Critics of Fey?lya?s administration expressed concern that such blatant testing of individuals could incite violence on several worlds, including Coruscant.?

The scene cut to Bail Calantho, Senator from the world of Troiken.

?I believe that this testing goes against the Republic Constitution as we all understand it,? said Calantho before the camera. ?In the past, the Jedi were called upon only when a person started exhibiting Force-like abilities.?

?There is some widespread concern that President Fey?lya?s actions against the Jedi Order are solely based on his personal opinions of them and an alleged vendetta against them which dates back to the Katana Fleet crisis. President Fey?lya was, of course, unavailable for comment. Turning to Coruscant weather??

<Click>

?I never thought he?d take it this far,? said Luke softly, placing the remote down on the table in front of him. He looked to his side, taking in the sight of Mara and young Owen, the latter fast asleep and cuddled close to his mother. The look on Mara?s faced seemed to echo the pain Luke was feeling in his heart. It appeared that both of them were both shocked and horrified at Fey?lya?s latest voter support scam.

?Midichlorian testing centres,? breathed Mara, doing her best to stay calm in spite of her growing anger. ?What?s next? Ysalamiri DNA injections??

?I wouldn?t joke with that idea,? spat Luke, rising from his seat. ?He?s crazy enough that he just might try it.?

Mara followed the form of her husband until he was out of her sight. She looked back at the blank televiewer and then down at her sleeping 5-year-old. She felt fortunate that at least

 

I was sooooooo thrilled to see this Whiskey!!!

I've got a feeling that ol' Borsky is coming to a bad end! And I can't wait to see it!

Wonderful!! More please!

 

Borsk and Hitler. A connection I wouldn't have readily made, but one I can't deny either. And he does seem to be heading in the direction of a Jedi holocaust. I just hope his Final Solution is still a ways off, if you catch my drift.

Great posting! Hooray! Another 'Stranger' chapter has begun!

 

YAY! Another chapter! And it kicks off with a wonderful start! I cannot wait. Borsk may be a snake, but I tend to think of it this way: he's doing the right thing. BEFORE YOU YELL AT ME!!!!!

Sure, Borsk could use the Vong as scapegoats, sure, he could use the Empire, but they're not... personal

The Jedi have affected them all in some way, and it makes people easier to dislike them, because they know that the majority of the Jedi won't strike back. So they scapegoat with impunity.

Of course... they forgot a certain tiger in the tall grass, one whom might ravage any future they might believe in the Jedi...

 

Mouse: I've already written something about Borsk, but it's a ways off (i.e. not in this fic)

Rokangus: I always saw Palpy as a bit of a Hitler-esque person, and I think Borsk is following the old Shakespearean model of power and its effects on one's soul.

BTW, George said that he modelled Vader's costume after a Samurai suit. IMHO, that helmet's got some major Nazi overtones to it, don't you think?

Grand Admiral Jaxx: I caught your two PM's about plot bunnies. I kinda like them and I'll start working on them, I think.

BTW, FYI, I've updated Ravage's fic site finally. I found out that none of the links to the major stories were working on it (DOH!)

If you're interested, check out http://www.geocities.com/kchrish

WARNING! Not all the stories on that site are as 'clean' as the ones I've posted here.

Until Tuesday...

 

Whiskey, if you don't like the ideas, you don't have to use them. And just say so. it IS your story after all...

 

Ah, another chapter in an excellent saga!

I just loved Mara calling our favorite Bothan ol' Borsky. LOL!

 

Jaxx: Just FYI, the first bunny you PM'ed me a while ago just wrote chapter 8 of this whole series. I hadn't even thought of a plot like that until you got me thinking. I only hope I do the bunny proud when I'm finished with it. Thanks loads

Di-Lee: Mara's treatment of our little monkey here is gentle compared to what I'd write were this not a 'family' board.

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Telona ? 4th Month

?Landing control, this is Republic Shuttle Deliverance, requesting landing permission.?

?One moment, Deliverance?permission granted. Please follow your present course. Landing beacon 3-7 has been activated for you. Acknowledge and activate ILS at 1-5-0 kilometres.?

?Copy, control. We?re starting our approach and our ETA is 35 minutes?mark.?

?Acknowledged. Control out.?

* * *

The shuttle touched down on the tarmac 33½ minutes after the initial contact with Theed?s landing control. The moment the repulsorlifts whined down to silence, a quartet of police officers moved towards her, as per the request of the shuttle?s crew. However, their weapons remained holstered and they assumed a rather relaxed posture around the cockpit of the shuttle.

The gangplank began to lower slowly and, before it even touched the ground the passengers began to disembark. Surrounded by four members of Fey?lya?s Elite guards, five shackled individuals shuffled down the ramp as quickly as their chain-bound legs would move them. They were all clad in dull grey uniforms consistent with those of prisoners. Their feet were bare and over the hiss of steam from the shuttle one could hear the odd wince or whimper as they walked on the sunlit blacktop.

Sergeant Milos Hakon, the officer in charge of the Theed quartet, stepped forward and was met by the supposed head of the Republic guard. He wasn?t overly surprised to see that the guard was a Bothan. He thought about extending his hand in mock friendship, but the thought of soiling his gloves with the musk of that elongated primate turned his stomach.

?Got some more garbage for you,? sneered the guard, shaking his shaggy head towards the quintet of?by the gods, were those children?

?More Force-sensitives?? Hakon asked after suppressing the urge to belt this uppity Bothan with the butt of his gun.

The Bothan nodded. ?They all showed higher midichlorian counts than is the accepted norm??

?And chose exile over execution,? muttered Hakon under his breath. ?All right,? he said. ?We?ll take it from here. You?re relieved.?

The Bothan huffed curtly and made their ways back up the already-closing gangplank. The moment the last guard was halfway up the ramp the shuttle?s repulsorlifts fired and elevated the ship into the air, all under the watchful eye of the police officers. To them, this gesture of arrogance seemed?well?rather pathetic. What were they trying to prove? That they could drop off their cargo and be back in Republic space before they catch any Naboo cooties?

Pathetic.

Hakon turned his attention to the five children still on the tarmac. His heart sunk as he beheld their gazes and watched them shift from one foot to another on the hot blacktop. It was this action that snapped him out of his chained anger at the result of another of Fey?lya?s ?brilliant? campaigns.

?Pix?? One of the officers stepped forward. ?Get those manacles off of those kids yesterday!? With a dexterity born from months of experience, Pix deftly removed the arm and leg cuffs from the children in only a few heartbeats. ?Now, have the council extend each of them a 500 credit slip to get them some decent clothing. But take them to the palace kitchen first and get them something to eat.?

?With pleasure, sir,? said Pix, an upbeat tone in his voice. He turned to the children and gestured them to follow him towards the palace. Hakon could hear Pix talking to the children, no doubt giving them the usual ?our food isn?t the best, but it?s hot? speech...the same one given to every

 

Great post, Whiskey! Can't wait to see what Dalan and Triel and Tamus have been up to!

 

It was a depressing post (in a good way)

Naboo cooties, lol.

And, not to sound egotistical, but I pride myself on giving an author a much needed push, bunny wise.

So, if you're stuck, just PM me and I'll give anyone a hand!

 

And a bit more...

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?Name??

?Shon Ivasson.?

?Ok?let?s see here. Ah, here we go. You?re from Dathomir?the restoration colony.?

?That?s right.?

?Fair enough. According to you BFDT score, you have a midichlorian count of?hmm?5275.?

?Um?BFDT??

?Borsk Fey?lya?s Damned Test.?

?Ah.?

?Well, you?ve certainly got the potential to be a Jedi. But your BFODT scores show that you failed the Jedi aptitude tests.?

?BF?Oh, Borsk Fey?lya?s Other Damned Tests??

?You catch on quick, Mr. Ivasson. If you could just wait in that room over there, someone will be with you shortly.?

?Is there a problem??

?None at all?it?s just that your profile fits a somewhat different model than standard Jedi traits. It?s not a bad thing. Now, if you please??

* * *

Shon entered the anteroom as ordered. Ordered? More like asked politely. It was something new to him, being asked to do something rather than having someone bark the order like a rabid vorksnyr on the trail of a Jedi Knight. It was definitely something he could get used to in time.

Inside the room, he spotted a table at which two others were seated, as well as a table loaded with breakfast foods and a fresh pot of caf. Sardonically, he wondered if perhaps his fate was to be well fed and taken care of right up until his day of sacrifice by the Gungans. Well, if that was to be the case, there was no sense facing one?s fate on an empty stomach.

He quickly made his way over to the table and found an empty plate. It took only a few moments for him to load it up with pastries and slices of bread, as well as pour himself a cup of that wonderfully smelling caf. Amongst the dark aroma that was indicative of a fine blend, he swore he could smell a hint of cinnamon in his cup. For a planet whose proclamations of hospitality were modest, they sure knew how to tempt a new arrival to stick around for a while.

His plate and cup full, Shon headed for the table and was somewhat surprised to see that one of those seated there had been on the same shuttle as he only a day before. She was a Mon Calamari, no doubt from the world by the same name. Ever since the Fey?lya years in the Republic, that entire race had gone into relative seclusion on their homeworld. To have one show up here presented its own barrage of questions, which she didn?t look to crazy about answering.

?Not hungry?? he asked, not really expecting an answer from the girl. When he didn?t get one right away he eagerly bit into the pastry he was holding and the taste exploded in his mouth. ?Mmmm,? he swooned. ?Lemonberry Crème?my fav. Want some??

The Mon Cal shook her head as politely as she could. Shon knew enough about people that her posture gave away her rather strict upbringing to him. ?Well,? he said as nonchalantly as possible, ?the food?s not poisoned, so why not dig in? If they wanted us dead??

?They still might.? Shon looked over at the other person seated at the table. He was fidgeting with a stylus in his hands, twirling it end over end and then clicking it on or off. To Shon, he looked like a sniff junkie coming down of one major trip down dreamtime lane. ?So the food?s not poisoned?maybe the caf is?or maybe the air we?re breathing is filled with something?maybe they?re all just watching to see how we react before they kill us.?

?You know,? said Shon seriously. ?You just might be right. Let?s see here.? He took as long a pull from the hot caf as his tastebuds would allow before complaining about the temperature. He swished the liquid around in his mouth a few times and then swallowed. ?Well,? he said. ?It seems all?ack?gghghkgh?pppht?arg?ack.?

Shon fell convulsing to the ground, much to the horror of the other two. They quickly got out of their seats and rushed towards him, only to find the cocky human laughing his guts out on the floor below them. So engrossed in his laughter was he that he didn?t realize he?d been picked

 

LOL! I loved the exchange between Shon and Anakin. "How's the food?" Probably be my first question.

Hmmm, it seems that a lot of people are suspicious of the Naboo refuge, which I guess makes sense. I like the characterization you put into Shon, the Mon Cal, and Speks. They were very vivid.

Can't wait to see what they have in store for training the Rogue Talents.

 

Very good. I really enjoyed what you've done so far, and chapter 6 is more of the same. Bravo.

 

Some postin' ta go wit da brisky mornin' munchin'

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?HEY! Time to get up!?

?Mmmmbllemmmmblllle??

?C?mon?you?re gonna make us both late!?

?Grummmmbllllemumlllenbllle??

?Don?t make me do this.?

?Mmmmbllemmmmblllle??

?Ok, you asked for it.?

HSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!

?GAAAAAAAAAAH!?

The icy cold water from the shower soaked through Dalan?s fur and yanked him almost painfully out of his slumber. So shocked was he by it that he nearly slipped on the floor of the shower. As it was, he grabbed the shower rod with his left hand and affixed his claws onto the porcelain tiles with his right in an effort to stay upright.

?WHISPERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR?!?

Triel giggled as she prepared breakfast for both herself and her ?Dad.? It was a simple one this time; what Dalan had referred to as a ?continental? breakfast once. Triel was still having trouble with some of the tiger?s strange colloquialisms, even though she?d been living with both he and Tamus for so many years.

The roar from the shower had been expected, and a bit satisfying to the Jedi initiate. Since the emergence of her powers a few months ago, Triel had become more accustomed to exercising them a little bit each day. Levitating her dad from his bed and into the ?fresher, though, had been a rather difficult challenge. After all, Dalan?s whiskers could detect almost any changes in his surroundings from a motion change to a presence. Keeping them stone still was a major credit to her practicing.

About 20 minutes after the second roar, Triel noticed a damp, towel-clad, and altogether ticked off tiger storm into the kitchen and directly towards her.

?Well?? she asked, pointing to the clock on the wall. ?Look at the time, Dad. You?re gonna be late for your first day of class.?

Dalan averted his gaze from Triel and glanced at the clock. His eyes opened widely as he realized that he indeed was going to be late if he didn?t haul ratchi and quick. He chupped at Triel, his own way of saying that this whole ice water wake up wasn?t over, before rushing back into his bedroom to throw on some clothes.

In a few minutes, Dalan emerged dressed in a black training gi?one of the few changes of clothes he?d brought from Bengalis on his last run to Earth. While mainly black in colour, the clothing also had accents of red and gold, the other two colours of Dalan?s Clan. On the front, two symbols had been embroidered in gold thread. On the left side was the insignia of his Clan: The Clan of the Tiger?s Paw. The patch itself was that of a feline paw, digits splayed and claws extended with some ancient text above and below it. On the right side was an image of a primal cat stalking through a forest, with two crossed swords overhead. This was the mark of the L?au Tari, the Man-Beasts.

Triel beamed with pride at the gi. She?d only seen him wear it once or twice in the past, but she could sense the feelings of nostalgia and pride her dad felt when wearing it. ?So,? she said, pouring Dalan a cup of tea. ?Nervous about today??

?A bit,? admitted the tiger, accepting the cup and taking a sip. ?Now I know how Ms. Chiobi used to feel on the first day of school. Did Luke say anything about the size of the class??

Triel shook her head. ?Nope,? she said. ?Just that there were a handful?or was it they would be a handful? Come to think of it, I?m not really sure.?

?Brat,? grumbled Dalan. ?Is this what I?m to look forward to for the rest of my life: Your constant preying upon my fears??

Triel winked. ?You wouldn?t have it any other way, would you?? she asked. ?Oh, Master Tionne says that her history class will be out early today. Wanna come up to the pit for some seeker training or something??

?Sounds like fun,? said Dalan, accepting the challenge laid down by his daughter. Just then, the alarm on his wrist chrono went off. ?Well,? he said. ?Gotta run. I?ll see you later then.?

Triel rose and embraced Dalan tight

 

Hmmm, that does make you wonder who is more afraid on the first day of classes...the students or the teacher? ?

Great posting, Whiskey, I especially liked your description of Dalan's gi. Very cool with the insignia patch.

Plus I also thought Triel's dunking him in the shower was cute. Even if tigers are the only cats that enjoy water, it's never fun to be awakened by dunking.

 

I've done some tutoring classes in my day and I painfully remember my first day doing it. I was sick for an hour beforehand.

Anyway, here's a bit more.

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?Welcome to the Jedi Academy,? announced Anakin as the landspeeder powered down. The occupants of the vehicle cast their gazes upwards at the work in progress before them. While already immense in size, numerous scaffolds still covered most of the buildings, and several repulsor sleds and platforms hovered at varying altitudes, transferring supplies to and from the workers dangling from safety lines or A-G belts.

Shon let out a low whistle as he gazed up at the structure. For only having been invited here six months ago, the Jedi were certainly going to town on their new digs. As he disembarked the speeder and followed the others through the outer gate, he felt as though he were stepping into something straight out of a history pad from the Obra-Skai library.

They passed through the outer gate and entered what appeared to be an open-air courtyard of some sort. Here, workers milled about, moving around materials or taking a break at one of the many cook fires that littered this expanse of land. It was the type of place one would expect to find an open market of travelling merchants, selling exotic wares or strange delicacies. Perhaps that was their plan when it was all finished: A Jedi bazaar.

Shon, Speks, and the Mon Calamari, whose name turned out to be Nels Tafin, followed Anakin and Tahiri as they weaved in and around the workers, pausing only briefly to exchange greetings with fellow Jedi and worker alike. Everyone, though they were working like slaves, all seemed to be in good spirits about what they were doing. Human, Gungan, and a handful of other races all worked together fortifying the ever-growing walls and buildings of stone, duracrete and durasteel.

The courtyard now behind them, the group entered the Academy proper. In spite of its primitive exterior, the inside of the academy was a completely different story. Smooth walls of polished granite, accented with intricate Gungan carvings lined the walls of the many rooms through which they walked. The floor was also made of stone, though of a different composition. It was much darker, almost like an obsidian base, but containing some other mineral compound that gave the black rock a blue tint when in the right light. The contrast of the granite and obsidian made for a striking décor that smacked not of arrogance and wealth, but a true labour of love on the part of those working on it.

?This will soon be a commons area,? explained Anakin, his voice resonating off the high ceiling. ?It will be a place for people to gather and either talk amongst themselves or simply come and think on their own. We?re planning to put several plants in here, as well as some ponds or waterfalls in time.?

The group continued on, down one of the many passages that connected the commons area to the rest of the academy. Just before entering the wide corridor, Shon noticed a sign above this one, written in plain Basic and lacking the normal handwriting shortcuts so popular in that particular language. While the sign only had two words etched upon its wooden surface, they filled him with a greater sense of wonder than the whole of this academy:

The Shroud.

?This is where you?ll be quartered,? said Tahiri, her voice somewhat shaky now. Shon was ready to ask if she was all right, but the way Anakin moved towards her told him that such an act would be a bad idea. ?It?s not for reasons of segregating you from the rest of the students,? Tahiri continued. ?This was requested on the order of your new instructor.?

?Will he be responsible for all of our training?? asked Nels.

Tahiri looked back at the timid but proper Mon Calamari. ?No,? she explained. ?Jedi training involves a lot more than learning about the Force and how to work a lightsaber. You will also be taught the basics of education: Reading, writing, mathematics, histor

 

Whew! Tough crowd.

Oh well.

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Ryn quietly palmed open the door, his pulse racing. He had absolutely no idea what waited for him on the other side of this door or what he could do about it if it turned out badly. Maybe he could still make it back to the speeder before it returned to Theed and he could leave this place behind. What was he thinking, believing that he actually had a shot at becoming a Jedi? What a foolish thought!

As he stepped into the room, Ryn relaxed only slightly as he beheld the clean state in which the room was. His side, of course, was bereft of anything personal. Only the desk, the chair, the lamp, and the made bed greeted his eyes. The closet door was also open, but nothing was hanging inside that he could see.

?Good morning.? Ryn just about catapulted himself out of his own skin as the silence was broken. As it was, he convulsed violently as every sensory neuron in his body suddenly fired. He turned quickly and beheld a rather normal looking human seated at a desk. Well?normal if one called a blue skinned, red-eyed being with black/blue hair normal.

?W?who are you?? stuttered Ryn, adjusting his spectacles hastily.

?My name is Borjin,? replied the bluish human, rising and extending his hand. ?It appears that we?ll be bunkmates for the time being. I trust my?appearance will not present a problem to this arrangement??

?Uh?n?no, it won?t,? said Speks finally, nervously shaking Borjin?s hand. ?Are?are you a??

?A Chiss? Yes,? said Borjin with a smile on his lips. ?And no, I am not related to Thrawn or any other member of his power-hungry line. I believe the circumstances behind my own arrival here are very much similar to your own. Let me see: A higher midichlorian count than the ruling body of your world was comfortable with or bound by law to investigate, but unable to take advantage of this abnormally high count. Therefore, rather than facing execution or permanent boarding with an ysalamiri, you chose to come to Naboo in hopes of finding a better life as an exile. Am I correct so far??

Ryn could only nod his head dumbly as Borjin continued. ?Yes, our two stories are much the same, my friend. And, with so much in common, this adventure should be a walk in the park for us, wouldn?t you say??

?Uh, yeah?sure,? mumbled Ryn. He turned back to his side of the room and made his way over to the empty desk. ?Would execution have been so bad?? he wondered to himself.

* * *

Shon entered his dorm room with the same confident flare with which he entered any room. The moment the door slid open he waltzed on in, not really caring who or what he was offending as he did so. After all, if the person in here and he were going to be roommates, then they?d better get used to each other and in a hurry.

?Ever think of knocking?? Shon turned quickly and beheld the Rutian Twi?lek seated at his desk poring over what looked like several datapads. ?Well,? he said curtly, throwing down the pad he was examining. ?It appears I?ve lost my place thanks to you. No sense in doing much more before classes begin.?

?Sorry,? said Shon with as little sincerity as he could muster. He quickly leapt up into the air, landing on his back on the bed, bouncing once. ?Not a bad rack,? he commented. ?No Corellian posturpedic, but it?ll do.?

?I suppose now you?ll want to decorate your side of the room with some garish images of nearly naked females gyrating about or some other theme befitting your human desires.?

Shon merely rolled his eyes. ?What a killjoy,? he thought to himself. ?So,? he said, staring at the ceiling. ?You always this moody or are your lekkus bothering you today??

?If you must know,? sighed the Twi?lek, seemingly irritated by Shon?s question. ?Like you, I was found to be unworthy of continued living in the Republic. So I came here in hopes of bettering myself so that one day I could return to Ryloth and finally prove to all there my talents.?

Shon held back a chuckle. ?Boy, thi

 

Actually, I quite like it <hehe> ... makes a pleasant change of pace from the usual NJO death and destruction for death and destruction's sake.

BTW, I can't wait for Shon to meet up with our favorite feline.

 

LOL, Whiskey! As good as you write "total freaking carnage", I enjoy your stories & plot line much more.

Seems like quite a batch of students Dalan has. I think he'll be able handle their put-upon attitudes and turn most of them around to good, self-respecting kids. Of course, I'm expecting there'll be a problem student or two, or where would the fun be.

I'm curious about this Feslira. What species/culture is she?

 

LOL, you haven't scared us away yet. Not by a long shot.

And the change of pace is interesting. True, I've always enjoyed imagining Ravage wrecking havoc on his unfortunate enemies, but, like Di-Lee, the intrigue and plot development are equally as entertaining.

Can't wait for the next post!

 

Booster: Thanks. I promise that the next two chapters will have carnage a-plenty.

Di-Lee: Awwww shucks . As for Feslira, her identity will be revealed in due time...and I think you'll like what's in store.

Rokangus: Glad to see you're still around . When's Dark Spirits supposed to start? I'm getting anxious for it

I know that some lurkers out there know a lot about martial arts and the philosophies behind them. If this next post seems a little flaky, please let me know, 'cause I'm kinda winging it here.

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The classroom had been designed to hold twenty people. However, only six of the seats had been filled, much to those occupants? collective surprise. With all of the work Borsk had done to expel anyone even remotely able to have a connection to the Force, it was a shock that this class wasn?t bulging out with people.

Maybe rogue talents really were a rarity.

The group was seated mainly in the front and centre of the group of desks. Roommate sat beside roommate in three rows, Vas and Shon at the front, followed by Ryn and Borjin, and then Nels and Feslira. They all sat facing forwards, not really sure what to expect as the clock on the wall slowly ticked down the minutes remaining until class began.

Shon took a few minutes to gaze around the well-lit classroom. The desk at which he was seated was composed of the usual plastisteel with a laminated top and inset datapad?nothing out of the ordinary. The floor beneath him was composed of that bluish obsidian he?d seen in the commons area, and the walls were covered in what looked like large datapads or holo-projectors. All in all, it looked like a normal classroom, much like the one he?d been in on Dathomir.

However, as he gazed forwards again, he noticed something on the wall directly behind the lectern. It was a circular symbol of some sort, seemingly split in half by a contrast of black and white. On the side that was mostly black, a circle of white had been painted, and vice-versa on the white side. To Shon, it didn?t really have that much appeal in an artistic sense, but he wasn?t about to criticize it, either.

What really caught his eye, though, was the writing above the symbol?seven words separated into two lines and written in Basic. While the simplicity of the text made it easy to read, the meaning behind it eluded him and, no doubt, the others seated around him:

There is no suppression?
There is co-existence.

Just then, the hiss of a door opening caught Shon?s attention. The idle chatter amongst the sextet abruptly ceased as, with measured steps, a rather muscular felinoid entered the classroom. A fair judge of character, Shon knew automatically that this felinoid was as nervous about being here as everyone else?except for him, of course.

Even before hearing this ?teacher? speak, Shon already had an opinion about him: Big, bulky, and probably in possession of a skull so thick that not much of a brain could have evolved in such a small cavity. He glanced quickly over at the Chiss seated next to Speks and wondered about his rather surprised look. Of course, surprised for a Chiss merely meant that his right eyebrow was raised slightly higher than his left.

?Wonder what that?s about,? he thought.

?Good morning to you all,? said the felinoid stiffly in a tone so deep, Shon thought he heard Nels sigh. ?Welcome to alternative studies 1-0?ahhhhh, screw this.? The felinoid tossed the datapad from which he was reading aside and then proceeded to move the lectern away from the front of the classroom. He then took one of the unoccupied desks and placed it in the lectern?s place, perching himself atop it in a seated position.

?Let?s try this again,? he said in a more casual tone. ?My name is Dalan Kalamar and the reason you?re here is because you have an untapped gift. It?s my job to try and make that gift accessible to you through time, training, and focus.?

?By gift, you mean our Force potential,? concluded Vas.

?

 

Well, I don't know a lot about martial arts either, but I say that was still a very good interpretation. As the Boy Scouts say: physically strong, mentally aware, and morally straight.

Great post. Interesting twist with the Ysalamiri in the walls, but a good idea. Makes sense for Jedi to act 'responsibly rather than dependently'. Can't wait for your next installment!

As for Dark Spirits; the release date has still been set for Sept. 24th. A reminder Pm will be sent out to all, of course. For more info check out Era of Tribulation Planning Thread

 

Question: Is Feslira a Ho'Din? She seems... planty.

Anyway, the posts, awesome. It's interesting to see Dalan Kalamar, Ravage, slayer of Yuuzhan Vong, slayer of Rogue Imps, Liberator of Naboo, Guardian of Theed, Friend to the Jedi, and any other pompous and garrish name you can think of... is nervous about speaking to a dozen people.

Sorta like real life, I guess...

 

To quote Tamus: 'Holymoley!' Howcum mesa no knowin' 'bout dese two posts?

Rok: I'll be checking my PM's for that message, and I'll check out that link of yours.

Jaxx: Feslira's definitely a nature-lover. I just hope I can do her character justice as the story unfolds.

Just a shortie here 'till tomorrow. Darth Writer's Block and I are currently having a go.

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Where is she?

Dalan?s eyes cut through the darkness of the arena?s sparse lighting. He walked as silently as he could, his footfalls making almost no sound on the floor as he stepped out into the combat circle. From the folds of his gi, he drew forth the hilt of his laser sword and scanned the room once again, searching for Triel. To his surprise, though, he couldn?t see her anywhere.

For a moment the tiger grew concerned. In the six months that they?d been in the academy, Triel had never missed a chance to spar with Dalan. Outside of seeing each other for breakfast and supper, it was the only time they really spent together these days. Triel?s training as a Jedi had basically filled her life up to the point that she could spare little, if any, time to relax and spend time with her own ?Dad.?

This came as little surprise to the tiger, though. Very few people had any familial ties amongst the order, save Luke and Leia. His research from pre-Empire records showed that the Jedi of the Old Republic discouraged parental involvement with their students, fearing that they would be too much of a distraction and would diminish their students? capabilities. It sounded barbaric to Dalan at first, but he could understand the Jedi point of view. Still, it was a hard sacrifice, he thought, for a mother and father to give up their child, only to never truly see them again.

Dalan moved throughout the combat circle, still looking for his beloved Whisper. While he?d taken the entire afternoon off, he knew that she only had a couple of hours before her own swordsmanship class got underway. Then, after that was meditation, mathematics, protocol, and finally dismissal for supper and evening studies. By the time Triel usually emerged from her room at night, she was too exhausted even to say more than ?good night, Dad? to Dalan before disappearing once more and falling asleep. He understood her wish to become a Jedi, but when it was all over, he wondered just what would be left of that lovable little Whisper who?d come into his life so suddenly all those years ago.

Footsteps rotated the tiger?s ears towards the eastern entrance. In the darkness of the arena, the opened door cast a beam of light like a sunbeam announcing a new dawn. Through it, Dalan could make out three figures approaching him, their silhouettes cutting through the light and making it flicker. They all walked with the familiar measured gait indicative of Jedi: Calm, cool, and serene.

Dalan easily made them out the moment his eyes adjusted to the light. His ears perked up in interest as he saw Triel walking in, followed closely by Luke Skywalker and Jacen Solo, his Padawan. Instantly, a million things rushed through the tiger?s head. Had Triel gotten into trouble? Had that one bully, Marik Kelsen, finally pushed her too far and if so, how long would he be off solid food for? Or had it been something even worse? After all, why else would the very founder of the academy be here?

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Just letting you know that I'm still reading Whiskey! And I love it!

Everything from the new students to Dalan's class to him wondering if Triel is in trouble! Wonderful!!!

And I hope I never have to go that long without the JC again! Withdrawls are painful!!!