Before - Legends The Blue Side of the Force: Book I- Complements (6/14 -An unknown planet and an ACTUAL NEW CHAPTER)

The Jedi, it seemed, were not only masters of the Force. They appeared to have cornered the market on enigma and general vagueness, as well. I loved this line too.

I'm glad someone else felt like they were going around in circles for hours before finding that blasted grove. Aidan's reasons for taking Canderous were amusing too.

 

You're so evil, just like a Sith, to left that chapter on a cliffhanger. Is Aiden going to let the Carthar lives on or kill her after he defeats her?

Good to know that you're enjoying Art History. I know another one who's taking Art History and she's having troubles with writing Art History papers.

My Art history class is just like the professor presentating and talking, while he show artworks, drawings or maps/notes on slides, while we just sit and write notes. We can't ask any questions during the presentation.

That, along with sitting and writing notes for so long and the class being in 10 AM is some good reasons why I tend to fall asleep in Art History sometime.

 

great update!
i love what your doing with carth and leiraya. it'll be interesting to see where THAT goes... especially since as far as i know kylan ISN'T dead..
also missions first line about aiden's leadership was great! you managed to capture what i liked about her character with her first line! nicely done!
so thank you for the pm and i look forward to see how aiden deals with juhani!

 

Striker: Thanks. The paper did, eventually get written, so I guess I'm not all that worse off for having procrastinated... 'cept for the lack of sleep...

padawanlissa: Thank you!

Lovely-in-Orange: It took me forever to find that stupid grove! "I've, uh, killed all the Kath hounds, am I done?" "NO! You have not cleansed the taint from the grove!"

But hey, I found it eventually.

Crazydan: I love a good cliffhanger as much as the next author.

obi_webb: Hey, all shall be revealed in due time. Can't be showing all my cards this early in the narrative, now, can I?

And now... I get to go to a meeting. And a class. And then collapse because the paper I wasn't writing while I was writing this kept me up 'til 6 AM. Kids, don't procrastinate. I'm a horrible example.

 

and VIOLA!!!
I've caught up!

There are so many thoughts swirling around the inside of my noggin' about this story that it's hard to articulate a review.

Let's just say, I'm in love with it.

Beautifully written and so very rich in characterization. WOW!!

Brilliant work. Absolutely brilliant.

PM me, throw rocks at me, give me a dirty look--do something so that I know when this is updated in the future.

 

This chapter has been brought to you by Procrastinators of Tomorrow, Inc.

Hahaha! Hey, I didn't know you were a member, too.

He knew they existed, but they were more of a theoretical entity than anything else.

Carth, you either need to open up to people more, or just talk to those not in the military. But then he did open up to Leiraya, which is a good step. Considering Aiden was the only other person he told, but then Aiden seems like the kind of guy you can confide in who won't try to respond with some deep philosophical theory.

Speaking of Aiden...I think he needs a little help right now. Come on, Canderous, time to put that blaster to use.

 

The Council hadn?t even been terribly specific in its directions. He?d done the runaround for them, he?d memorized the Jedi Code forwards, backwards, and upside down. He?d built his lightsaber with as close to a perfect set as could be asked for, and all they?d told him to do was ?cleanse the dark taint from the grove.?

I love the implicit commentary on the weakness of the training sequence in the game.

Enjoyable as always. I'm glad to see Oqi joining us; I thought she might like this one.

 

oqi: Hey! Good to see you've come to join us. You are definitely added to the PM list of d00m, and I'm glad you're enjoying my humble little (read: incredibly huge) story. It's gonna be a long ride, although I've been informed that I need to finish it before one of my friends graduates in the spring. We'll see how far Winter Term will carry this little bit of narrative fun...

Also, as a violist, I feel it is my duty to point out that it's spelled VOILA, not VIOLA. A viola is an instrument one fifth lower and approximately two inches longer than a violin. I always think of this, because when I first switched to the viola, one of my friends said, "Viola... isn't that what French people say when they find something?"
JadeSolo: Man, I'm a card-carrying member. Or, at least I would be, if they'd get off their posterior regions and make them...

Carth is a piece of work, that's for sure. He and I have a love-hate relationship, and my favourite dialogue option in the game is where I get to call him a "lobotomized Gammorean."
Scroobius: I can't resist commentary on the gameplay. It's like, a necessary condition for my writing.

And now, since my class presentation doesn't really want to be done (I know, I know, I'll finish the reading as soon as I've posted)... more Blue Side happiness!

This chapter is dedicated to the OC Computer Science Major's Committe, since they awarded me a scholarship of $1.26 for Excellence and Valor in the Lab. It made my day, so they get a post.

Chapter Nine

Aiden was barely able to block the Cathar’s initial blow. Backpedaling to gain a bit more working space, he held his blue blade cautiously in front of him. The Cathar, however, was not interested in caution. She flew at him in a flurry of strokes, and it took all of Aiden’s concentration to block her attacks.

Concentration, however, did not seem to keep his mind in check. Let go, a voice seemed to whisper in his ear. You’re thinking too hard- you know better than this.

Did he? He wasn’t sure, but he did as the voice suggested. Suddenly, the battle came into much greater clarity- he could clearly see the Cathar woman’s plan of action, and he deftly spun out of the way as she hacked after him. Blow after blow he blocked, and he started to take on a more aggressive stance. Slowly, he started advancing forward. Everything Bastila had taught him about using the blade came as naturally as though he had been using it for years.

Caught up in the rhythm and humming of the sabers, however, he lost track of other elements of his environment. He was so focused on the blades and the patterns of attack that it took him completely by surprise when the Cathar violently shoved him back with a wall of Force energy, knocking him off his feet. He tried to turn his fall into a roll, and failed rather miserably at that task. His flailings did, however, catch the Cathar behind the knees, which sent her down. Before she had a chance to recover, he thrust his lightsaber centimeters away from her throat.

And there they remained, completely still, for several long moments.

Breathing heavily, the Cathar eventually let go of her saber. “You have defeated me,” she said with no small amount of reluctance. “Now, please just kill me quickly.”

Aiden pulled the loose saber into his hand with the Force, looked down into her piercing yellow eyes and saw that she was serious. Best to kill her now, the voice whispering in his ear advised. She’s too dangerous to be left alive.

He did not, however, kill her. After several moments of silence, he asked, “Who are you, and why are you out here?”

“I am Juhani,” she replied. “I was a Padawan at the Enclave. But I… I was always too impatient, too angry. I struck my Master down, giving into my hate. I could not go back, not after what I did.” She closed her eyes and turned her face away. “And now I see that I cannot even succeed in the darkness. I beg of you- just end me here.”

See, she killed her Master! You definitely can’t let her wander free. What happens when she runs into someone who doesn’t have a lightsaber? No, that wasn’t right. Was it?

“Have you even tried to go back to them?”

Juhani’s eyes blazed with something that bordered more on annoyance than anger. “Are you out of your mind? I have done the unforgivable. They would never take me back.”

Well, given the sunny disposition he’d observed from the Council members, he couldn’t exactly blame her for the attitude. “Maybe they’re more forgiving than you think.”

“I do not think so.” She sighed. “Now either kill me or leave me to my despair, since I do not wish to waste words on the impossible.”

Aiden held the blade over her throat a few seconds longer, then shut it off. Juhani looked up at him, eyebrows raised in surprise.

“I’m not going to kill you, Juhani.”

“And what am I to do now?”

“Well, you could come back to the Enclave with me.”

“So they could make me their prisoner? I do not think I like that plan.” She stood up and crossed her arms. “I would sooner rot out here in the plains.”

“Oh, don’t think like that,” Aiden tried to find a way to put a good face on the situation. “I mean, you didn’t kill me, did you?”

“That is because you won,” she pointed out sourly.

“Would you kill me now, if you had your saber?”

“I…” she trailed off, then shook her head. “I would not. You are honourable, and that has worth.”

“Then clearly, you aren’t as bad as you seem to think you are. I don’t know exactly what went on with your Master, but you aren’t a Sith.”

“Do you… do you think they will believe that?” Her eyes were still clouded with doubt, but she seemed to be coming around.

Aiden wished he could say that of course, they would, but he couldn’t honestly guarantee anything. Instead, he shrugged and said, “I will return with you, and speak on your behalf, if you’d like. Because I’m not going to kill you, and I don’t want to leave you sitting out here alone.”

Juhani considered this silently for several moments. He could feel faint echoes of her inner conflict through the Force, but he could also tell she was trying to keep it quiet. After nearly a minute, she sighed heavily and stated, “Very well. I will accompany you back to the Enclave. Perhaps they will understand.”

“Good,” Aiden said with no small amount of relief. “We can head back now… but would you mind letting my friends go, first?”

***

Pazaak. It was not a pursuit Leiraya had ever given much time to, but she knew the game. And Mission had come and asked if she’d like to play. She hadn’t spent a lot of time with the young Twi’lek, but Mission hadn’t been terribly social since Taris. Not that Leiraya could blame her. She knew what it was like to lose friends, and it wasn’t easy. Still, the fact that she’d come out of her cabin was a good sign.

Mission watched as the pazaak console dealt her a +2 card, then she slapped the ‘end turn’ node. “So, what’s it like on Corellia?”

Leiraya shrugged, and observed the +6 card the console gave her. Big cards usually made her nervous, but she decided to end the turn, anyway. “Oh, depends on what part of the world you’re in. I live in a relatively temperate region, though we don’t get as much snow as other areas during the winter months. I live near the ocean, so it’s really beautiful.”

“Wow,” Mission raised her eyebrows, impressed, and put ended her turn after a +5 card was added to her total. “I’ve never seen an ocean- Taris doesn’t have any, since the city covers everything. Well, at least it did, before…” she trailed off. “You know.”

“Yeah, I do.” +3. Not too bad, she thought, and poked at the console.

“I mean, it’s not like I ever liked it there or anything,” she shrugged, accepting the +4 card added to her deck. “But it was home, you know? And it’s just kinda hard to believe it’s all gone. All those people…”

Leiraya shook her head, sighing as she tapped the console. +5, and 6 points until she was done. “War… war is an awful thing. I’ve never seen one that made any sense.”

“You’ve seen a lot of wars?” Mission looked up, her curiosity piqued. “I mean, just in your system? That’s weird.”

“Not so much if you consider the geography- and check your cards, Mission.”

“Oh! Right.” She glanced down at the +6 card and ended the turn. “Sorry.”

“Just keeping you focused,” Leiraya grinned, then scrunched her nose in annoyance as she noted the +4 card the computer had given her. She had a –5 card, and a +/-3 card, so hopefully those would come in handy. “Anyway, the Corellian system has five main planets. We call them the Five Brothers. Corellia, Selonia, Drall, Talus, and Tralus. Talus and Tralus are the Double Worlds, and they spin around each other as well as around the sun.”

“Hey, that’s kinda neat.” Mission ended her turn after being dealt a +1 card. “I’ve never heard of anything like that before.”

A +1 card popped up on Leiraya’s side of the console, causing her to roll her eyes at the computer. Now it wanted to give her smaller cards. “That’s because as far as we know, it’s unique to the system. Scientists can’t even figure it out. Some of them even think the system was built.”

“Can you do that? You know, build a system?” Mission looked down at the console, then made a sour face when she noticed she’d been dealt a +3 card. “I’m done. No tricks up my sleeve this time.”

“Good game, though.” She gathered the cards and put them back into their case.

“So back to the system-building thing.” Mission leaned forward, looking as though she were expecting a good story.

“Well, there’s not much to tell- if it was built, it was done thousands of years ago, before even the Republic existed. Not even the Dralls, with their impeccable records have any idea if such a thing could have happened.” She shrugged. “All we have are a lot of unexplained variables. Like Centerpoint Station- it lies at the gravitic balance between Talus and Tralus. Nobody knows what it’s for. Nobody even really uses it. I heard talk of turning it into living space, but I doubt that will ever happen- who would want to live inside a space station when there’s lots of space on the planets proper?”

“I dunno, maybe they like space stations.”

“Maybe. However, I don’t think it’s going to get enough support to actually happen. As for me, I prefer the open sky to a ship’s interior, no question.”

Mission shrugged. “I spent most of my life in the Lower City, so I didn’t see the Upper City all that often. You get used to it.” She stood, stretching. “Oh, and thanks for talking with me. I’ve got Big Z all the time, but he’s not much for the talking, you know? He’s more of the strong, silent type.”

“I noticed,” Leiraya grinned. “Any time you’re up for a game of cards and need to vent, I’m here. I don’t know what I can exactly offer in the way of advice, but if you need a distraction, I can ramble for a very long time.”

“Super,” Mission returned the grin, and walked off. “See ya around.”

 

great update, as usual!
the fight with juhani was very well done, especially the "voice" aiden heard in his head..
and i loved the pazaak game! i like how you described the game in the middle of leiraya and missions's conversation. those 2 interacting with each other was something i enjoyed! they play off each other well. kinda a big sister/little sister relationship.
the system building talk was also quite interesting too!
again, great job, and thanks for the pm!

 

Well, given the sunny disposition he?d observed from the Council members, he couldn?t exactly blame her for the attitude.

Awww, looks like Aiden just made a new friend! And girl time between Leiraya and Mission - it's nice to know they can just sit around, relax, and gripe a little.

 

I love the conversation between Mission and Leiraya. So sweet

 

Nice update and great little interludes with Mission and Leiraya playing pazaak and the end to the duel. Great little bit with Corellia, too.

 

Nice update. It's realistic how Aiden doesn't quite know how to really fight with a lightsaber at the beginning of the fight. And I like how you describe his instincts and training taking over as the fight goes on. Interesting how you have the voice in his head too.

 

<<?Not so much if you consider the geography- and check your cards, Mission.?

?Oh! Right.? She glanced down at the +6 card and ended the turn. ?Sorry.?>>

Ah...how refreshing. Good, casual banter--now that hits the spot. Just like good coffee.

Mmmmm. You do that so well!

And I'm sorry I missed the last bit. That was my loss.

Love you bunches!

>>YoURs qUiTE sIncErELy<<
The Fluffish One

 

First off, on the typo. I promise I know the difference between voila and viola--French is my second language and I play bass... Nothing ever looks like it's spelled correctly in caps and in this case I guess it wasn't. Eek!

Great update. I worry about Aiden out there, though. It seemed all too easy. I bet she's up to something and that little voice in his head isn't helping things either.
Also, you did a superb job with the conversation over the card game. I loved how you wove the two together so smoothly. Bravo!

 

Excellent work with the fight. That little voice in his head has a very different meaning for those of us familiar with the game. And we know the rules of Pazaak (though I don't think that was in the first one).

Well, given the sunny disposition he?d observed from the Council members, he couldn?t exactly blame her for the attitude.

Heh.

It's nice to see a little more of Mission. I know I almost never used her character in the game post-Taris, but that wasn't due to any her defects in her character; she just didn't match my rampaging-barbarian playing style.

 

Hey, I came back and like, almost everybody replied! I'm so spoiled. You all support my procrastinating ways.

obi_webb: Thanks! I'm not actually sure how much of the system-building story arc will make its way into this story... but I have big plans for it elsewhere! Stay tuned for details.

JadeSolo: Oh man, never underestimate the value of girl time. I think I'm going to have to build more of it into the narrative.

padawanlissa: Glad you enjoyed!

Striker: I love Corellia. Just thought I'd mention. I have plans for that system. Evil, evil plans.

Lovely-in-Orange: Thank you. First real lightsaber fight for little Aiden, and now he's ready to graduate to bigger and badder Sithy people...

Fluffmeister: So good of you to drop by my humble abode. *bows politely* You know I'm here any time to service your bantering needs.

oqi: So long as the distinction is made, I'm happy. I just have to give people a rough time about it.

And why would anything suspicious be going on?

Scroobius: Pazaak is actually in the first game... in fact, you can play practice games with Mission 'cause she's nice and won't cheat you out of all your hard-earned (or looted off corpses) credits.

I think we should award Vrook with a congeniality award. Maybe it would improve his disposition.

An update will be forthcoming after I do my computer architecture problem set. I actually managed to write a bunch of the next chapter, but as usual, school calls. And I'm getting to an interesting bit, so I'm really having to discipline myself to not write.

On the upside, my homework is helping me figure out how to start a war via data corruption. More on that later.

 

All right, I was gonna save this, but I'm probably not going to post much over Thanksgiving break (we're bringing home the roommate this year, w00!), so I thought I'd hand this one over to the readers before I get busy packing stuff up tomorrow.

First thing's first, however... Blue Side has not only hit the double digits in chapters, but it has now passed the 20,000 word mark. And I understand what a Tomasulo data structure is,* which is good because sometimes, doing both the homework and the writing don't happen so much. Victory all over.

*[author's insertion circa 2017: I know it's been a while but I literally had to go look up what a Tomasulo structure was, and it turns out at this point I no longer have any idea what one is, nor do I need to know for the kind of work I do. Moral of the story: apparently half of what I learned in college is useless to me now ]

And now I'm sure you're sick of me talking, so I'll shut up now and let the story speak for itself.
Chapter Ten

“Well done, young Star,” Vandar smiled kindly. “You have brought Juhani back to us.”

“Your actions are to be commended,” Zhar agreed. “It is the decision of this Council that, having successfully completed your trials, you are now fully one of the Order. It is my honour to present you with these robes, Padawan Star.”

Aiden accepted the simple brown garment and bowed. “Thank you, Masters. I will do my best to be a proper Jedi for you.”

“You’ll do well to remember your lessons,” Vrook stated with his usual air of sourness. “These are dark times, and a young Jedi such as yourself cannot be too careful.”

Dorak nodded in agreement. “Remember what you have learned, and you will do fine. Think on the story of Revan and Malak, and be wary of where they went wrong. Knowing the mistakes of those who have gone before you can help save you from a dark path.”

Aiden suppressed a shiver. The tale of Revan and Malak was one that the Masters had pounded into him. Their impatience, their lust for war, and their sheer pride had led them down a terrible road, and taken much of the Jedi Order with them. The fact that Malak was still at large was unsettling to them, but at least he’d taken his Master out of the picture.

He glanced briefly at Bastila. She had been there, the day they went to capture Revan. Malak had changed their plans, however, firing on Revan’s ship, almost killing everyone. The Jedi had escaped. The great Lord of the Sith, however, had not. And Malak was not as temperate as his Master.

“I will honour your teachings,” he said, bowing again.

“The Force will be with you, Padawan Star." Vandar nodded his head in acknowledgment.

“And with you, Masters.” He turned and walked out of the chambers. Finally, he would be able to do something useful. He wasn’t sure what, or when, but with the state of the galaxy as it was, he was sure it wouldn’t be long.

***

“The Dark Side is strong in this place. I can feel its power.” A young Jedi- Malak- walked reverently into a large room with stone walls. Another figure, shorter, less imposing, entered with him. The figure was masked. He had appeared in Aiden’s dreams before- it was Revan. Revan remained silent, but went to work at unsealing a set of heavy stone doors.
Malak continued speaking. “Is this wise? The ancient Jedi sealed this archway. Once we pass through this door we can never go back. The Order will surely banish us.”
Unaffected, Revan continued his work, and successfully made the doors lurch open with a grinding moan. He walked forward, into the dark. A strange device sat in the middle of the room. Aiden did not know what it was, but the mere sight of it made his stomach sink. All the while, Malak continued his monologue. “Are the secrets of the Star Forge so valuable? Can its power truly be worth the risk?”
Revan did not respond. He simply pushed something on the strange artifact and stepped back as it opened…

“Aiden, wake up! The Jedi Council wants to talk to you.”

“I- what?” Aiden abruptly sat up and looked around, blinking in an attempt to bring the world into focus. His efforts utterly failed, and he collapsed back down on his pillow. “Can’t it wait ‘til later?”

“You’ve already slept late. Now come on, get up.” Voice. Whose voice? Sounded like Leiraya’s. Opening his eyes slowly, he managed to focus them enough to confirm his hypothesis.

Groaning, he sat up and threw his legs over the edge of the bunk. “How late?”

“A couple more hours and we’ll be eating lunch.” She peered at him more closely, then asked, “Are you all right? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost or something.”

Aiden grimaced. “It was a bit of a rough night.”

“Well, grab some caf before you see the Council, but I wouldn’t keep them waiting too long.” She rolled her eyes and grinned. “You know how they are about timeliness.”

Actually, he didn’t, but the Masters were tough taskmasters. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“All right. I’ll see you later.” Leiraya waved farewell and walked out the door. Where was everyone else? Probably out by this time. Sleeping in was not characteristic of him. Probably a result of the dream. Or vision. Or whatever it was. It was disturbingly like the visions he’d had of Bastila, from the mission to capture Revan that went terribly wrong. If this had actually happened, too…

He shook his head and threw on his robes. He didn’t really possess the desire to think about it too hard. He pulled on his boots, grabbed his lightsaber and a cup of caf, then ran down the Hawk’s landing ramp and towards the Council chambers.

Carth was waiting outside, and had to step aside to keep Aiden from completely bowling him over. “Whoa, slow down there, soldier. Let’s try not to kill anyone en route, okay?”

“Sorry,” Aiden straightened himself and took a sip of his caf. “Running a bit late, I’m afraid.”

“So I can see,” Carth observed. “Are you coming down with something? You look strange…”

Aiden made a sour face. “Is it really that bad? You’re the second person to tell me I look like bantha tripe this morning.”

“Well, you do look a little worse for wear.” Carth shrugged. “Come to think of it, so did Bastila when she walked by.”

If Bastila was looking as bad as he did, that was probably a good sign. Or a bad sign, depending on what way he wanted to look at it. “I’ll just have to hope the caf wakes me up enough in the next three minutes, I guess.”

“Good luck, then.” Carth clapped him on the shoulder and walked up the landing ramp. Aiden shook his head, took a big gulp of his beverage, and strode quickly towards the Council chambers.

As he entered, he noticed that Bastila was already there, and looking a little haggard.

“Padawan Star,” Vandar greeted him. “Do you know why you have been called here?”

“Well,” he started, still trying to collect all of his thoughts into a coherent order, “I’m not precisely sure.”

“It is because of the vision you shared with Bastila,” Vrook stated.

Aiden started to reply, then stopped as he processed what Vrook had just said. “Wait a minute, how did you know we both had the vision?”

“It is the nature of our bond,” Bastila explained. “Just as your earlier visions were shared with me, we assumed that this one would be the same. From your reaction, I see we were correct.”

“I, well… yes.” Aiden shifted uncomfortably. How many of his thoughts did she have access to, anyway? Shoving that thought aside, he decided to pursue a different line of conversation. “So what was so special about this vision?”

“The ruins Bastila described are identical to ones we found one week previously.” Vandar sighed sadly. “We sent a Jedi to investigate, but he has not returned.”

“The Force wanted us to see this for a reason,” Bastila continued. “We must go to the ruins and discover what Revan and Malak were doing there.”

“And that is to be your next task,” Vandar nodded. “Go to the ruins, see what you can discover.”

“Yes, Masters,” Aiden bowed, but forgot he was holding his cup and it spilled slightly on the floor. Dammit, that was slightly ungraceful.

The Masters, thankfully, seemed more amused than anything. “Perhaps you might consider drinking your caf before you meet with people,” Vrook suggested with what Aiden could have sworn was a hint of a smile.

“I… yes. I suppose I’ll be going, then.”

“Exercise caution, Padawan Star. Take Bastila with you, and do not be afraid to take others.” Vandar looked at him intently. “We do not wish to lose you on your first mission.”

“You won’t, Master Vandar. I’ll be careful.”

“Very well, then. May the Force be with you.”

***

“So where exactly are we going again?”


“Ruins, I think.”


Leiraya stretched and checked to make sure the lightsaber she’d built was still hanging from her belt. Hers had been lost when she fled Taris, and even though she didn’t approve of using it against lifeforms, it made her feel better to have one again. “Something about an artifact or somesuch.”

“They should be nearby,” Bastila added. “Now, we’ve gone over our strategy, correct? If something attacks, I’ll go in first-“

“And you’d better believe I’m not going to be far behind you,” Aiden interjected. “This is my assignment, remember?”

“I know,” she replied evenly. “But you have this habit of letting certain elements of combat get the best of you, and you’ll do better if there’s two of us there.”

“We’ll go in together.”

“Fine,” she shrugged nonchalantly. “Now that we’ve sorted that out, Carth- you’re on ranged weaponry, so you should stay back and shoot from where they can’t get you.”

“You got it,” Carth patted his blaster.

“And that leaves Leiraya, who is…”

“Surveillance,” Leiraya supplied. “I’ve got your backs covered.”

“I see,” Bastila sighed inwardly. It had not been her idea to bring the Corellian along, however, Aiden was right when he said that they needed as many Jedi along as possible. She at least managed to talk him into bringing Carth along. He would at least make himself useful.

The ruins were not far from the Enclave. Three rows of columns defined a path that lead to a heavy stone door set low in the ground. Both Bastila and Aiden could feel the shock of recognition hitting the other- it was exactly as they had seen it in the vision. Slowly, they walked up to the door. Aiden pressed on the centre square and the door opened with a grinding lurch.

And so the small band stood for several moments, staring into the dark hole they were to enter.

“So the Jedi already sent someone?” Aiden asked Bastila over his shoulder, eyes never leaving the entryway.

“That would be correct,” she replied, also staring at the doorway.

“And he didn’t come back.”

“No.”

“We’re going in there?”

“That is the general idea, yes.”

“Whose brilliant idea was this, anyway?”

“Are you going to go in or not?”

Aiden straightened and ignited his saber. “Yes, I’m going in.”

He started moving forward, saber held in front of him. The room was made entirely of stone, and pillars were covered in strange markings. Half-crumbled statutes stood in corners, and he could barely see tiny insects skittering away from the light. The room, in normal light, would be strange enough. In a semi-lit blue glow, it was downright spooky. There was another door on the far end, and he walked towards it.

“What is this place?” Leiraya gingerly stepped forward, the stone floor feeling almost uncomfortably cold on her bare feet.

“That’s what we’re here to find out.” Aiden opened the second door, revealing a very large, multi-armed ‘droid that started speaking in some sort of alien language.

“What’s it saying?” Carth asked, looking at the ‘droid curiously.

“I don’t know… it’s not a language I’ve ever heard.” Aiden took a step closer, and it started talking in what sounded like a different language.

“I thought you knew some ridiculous number of languages.”

“I do,” he replied, scratching his head helplessly. “Just not these ones.”

“[Greetings, sentients.]”

“Hey, I caught that.” Aiden looked back at everyone else. “It says hello.”

“Sounds like some form of ancient Selkath,” Bastila mused.

“Well,” Carth prompted, “what else is it saying?”

“Something about the Builders, and their Infinite Empire. And a Star Forge.”

Bastila’s eyes snapped towards him. “Star Forge- like in the vision?”

“I guess so. It says it is the Guardian of the Star Map, and if I wish to retrieve it, it can’t stop me.”

“Well, that’s good, right?”

Aiden paused and listened a little longer. “Not exactly. It says the power of this place is enough to destroy me. It’s already destroyed one person who came earlier.”

“Oh.”

“If we wish to reach the Star Map, first we must prove ourselves worthy.” He paused. “There are proving grounds to the east and to the west, and only after we have shown that we are worthy may we continue to the Star Map.”

“Proving grounds?” Carth unconsciously gripped his blaster. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t exactly know,” Aiden replied tersely, looking around him. There were four doors- the door they’d just come through, a door on either side, and a door that he could only presume led to the elusive Star Map. In the corner to the west lay a body in a Jedi robe. Aiden recognized him as an elderly Jedi he had talked with once- a quirky old man by the name of Nemo. That’s who the Council had sent to investigate?

“Is everyone ready to defend themselves?” He looked around, and even Leiraya had her weapon at ready.

“Nonorganics,” she explained, seeing his confused look. “If you’re being shot at by a ‘droid- and I know it has to be since the only sentient lifeforms I can sense in here are you guys- you’d better believe I’m going to help you cut it to shreds.”

“Well, then.” He wasn’t sure he understood the logic, but he wasn’t going to complain. “Let’s find out what’s on the other side of those doors.”

 

cool, quick update!
great one too, as usual!
my favorite moment was when aiden bowed to the council and spilled his drink on the floor.... that was good! nice little touch that added a lot to the story.. made it seem a bit more real. if THAT makes any sense!
also bastila thinking about how the pacifist leiraya was pointless to bring along was good too..
also, i just noticed, aiden's last name is star? gando star was the name of my kotor oc when i first played the game! what is that saying about great minds commander?

 

?I see,? Bastila sighed inwardly. It had not been her idea to bring the Corellian along, however, Aiden was right when he said that they needed as many Jedi along as possible. She at least managed to talk him into bringing Carth along. He would at least make himself useful.

What a brat.

Great update. I've been watching a lot of Firefly lately and everytime I read Leiraya I end up hearing Kalee's voice. It's stuck in my head.

Great update and congrats on the 20K mark.

 

Well, I find the line about the "drinking caff before you meet people" and the spilling caff on the ground when bowing to the masters were funny.

Also, I wonders what will happen when Leiraya and the others meet the "enemy" droids.

 

?Yes, Masters,? Aiden bowed, but forgot he was holding his cup and its contents made a small splashing noise as they spilled on the floor. Dammit, that was slightly ungraceful.

I love Aiden, he's such a goof. And it's not just that the masters witnessed his lack of grace - it's that he spilled his caf at all! Caf is precious, you know.

Things are getting very exciting. Dead Jedi body, scary vision, and a test of worth. Yay.

 

The Masters, thankfully, seemed more amused than anything. ?Perhaps you might consider drinking your caf before you meet with people,? Vrook suggested with what Aiden could have sworn was a hint of a smile. That's rough though, having to meet with the Jedi Council before he finished his caf!

Poor combat droids though, even pacifist Jedi are happy to tear them apart! Not that I can blame her. Congrats on making it to 20K!

 

obi_webb: Enjoy the quick updates while they last, I'm gonna get pounded with work real fast once I mosey back on campus, so many happy adventures there. Maybe I'll actually start waking up somewhat early-ish to write since my morning shifts don't exist anymore...

Glad you enjoyed, though.

oqi: Thanks. And I completely approve of the watching of Firefly, though I don't think Kaylee and Leiraya are similar characters. But I guess her voice is allowed to be there, because I do love Kaylee. *starts humming Firefly theme*

Crazydan: I aim to be funny. Thanks for reading.

JadeSolo: Aiden is a character and a half. He's fun to write. He reminds me, in a lot of ways, of a friend of mine who's had ten years of dance class, but has this nasty habit of running into things and nearly chopping her thumbs off. Only graceful sometimes.

Lovely-in-Orange: Man, going to meetings while semi-awake stinks. It was my trademark in high school to show up to my first class with a bottle of Mountain Dew every day, and I've continued the tradition. Moral of the chapter? Don't attempt being coherent until you've got caffeine in your system.

Next chapter... sometime when I'm back at school, and don't have a paper breathing down my neck. It's about Revenge of the Sith and I kinda want to title it "NOOOOOOOO0000000ooooo...." Not sure what my prof'll think about that one, though...

 

I agree there, if i don't get my shot of caffeine in the morning, i know i'll be a zombie all day long

Good stuff Commander, i always found the Guardian droid to be annoying in the game, but you make me appreciate him a little more.