Before - Legends The Plan for Power - about 300 years before TPM

Yeah! A new reader. Hope you enjoy it.

K_O_S, the room of a thousand fountains is like an indoor park that is written about in the Jedi Apprentice books that is about a young Obi-Wan. Lots of waterfalls and pools.

 

Just to let everyone know, I'm expecting to post the next part this weekend, or shortly thereafter. Be patient. I've had to do some revisions on what I'd already written, and that takes time when I don't have the time to commit to it.

I'll PM everyone when the next section's posted.

 

Plan for Power part 5

Marna sat on a bench in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. She had often come to this bench situated not two meters from the water to be with friends, but now only one sat with her; her twin sister, Shara. It was odd to think them twins, as Marna had brown hair and hazel eyes and Shara blond over blue, but they did come from the same parents nearly eleven years before.

As twins, the girls had a special bond that they hoped would never go away. It was this bond that allowed Shara to warn Marna of Ian?s attack in the arena. The two hadn?t said a word to each other since coming to this bench, but Marna was enjoying her sister?s silent presence. They were sitting, hand in hand, when Jedi Knight Tahsh Hapay approached.

?Marna Veign?? Tahsh asked.

?Yes? I am Marna.?

?I?m glad to have found you, at last.? Tahsh turned her gaze to Shara. ?I would like to speak with Marna alone.? she requested.
Shara stood and bowed to Tahsh.

?I?ll see you later, Marna.? she said before leaving.
Tahsh waited until Shara was out of earshot before continuing.

?I am Tahsh Hapay. I saw you duel for Kane Elandin.?

Marna lowered her head, the fresh memory of the duel, and her friend turning on her, still too fresh in her mind. Whatever Tahsh was here about, Marna did not want to appear weak and Tahsh picked up on this.

?Marna, I know you feel bad about what happened to the boy.?

The wall Marna had put up to hide her feelings began to crumble and tears began to well in her eyes, but she fought to keep them back.

?Don?t fight it, Marna. A good cry can do wonders.?

The emotions rose in her and she could no longer keep the tears at bay. Tears rolled down her cheeks as Marna sobbed. After a couple of minutes of emotional release, Marna began to feel better. She slowly regained her composure.

?Feel better?? Tahsh asked and Marna nodded.

?At this rate, nobody will want to teach me.? the girl sadly said.

?That?s not true.? Tahsh told her. Marna looked Tahsh in the eyes.

?Who would want to teach a girl that can?t even control her emotions??

Tahsh sighed. There was so much this girl needed to learn.

?Marna, I want you to know something. Emotions are a tricky thing. No being can control what emotion comes up. I can?t control it, Jedi Kane wants others to believe that he can control it, but he can?t. Ian Crabis can?t control it. What we need to work at is what we do with the emotions once they come up. Do you ignore it? Do you let it consume you? Both of those choices lead to about the same conclusion. If you ignore the emotion and refuse to feel it, it will consume you and quite possibly ruin you. Another choice is this. Feel the emotion, as you have been taught. Once it has been felt, you can let it go. Understand??

Marna wasn?t sure she did. It was easier to say those things than to do it. But she nodded anyway.

?And as for nobody wanting you, I say it isn?t true because I would like you to be my Padawan Learner.?

This took Marna by surprise.

?What did you say?? she asked, not sure she heard things right.

?You heard me.? Tahsh confirmed. ?I would like you to be my Padawan Learner, Marna. Will you??

When Marna was silent, Tahsh spoke again, checking her chrono as she spoke.

?We have limited time, Marna. I must be at the landing platform in twenty minutes to leave on an official mission for the Jedi Council.?

?I would be honored to be your Padawan Learner.? Marna said at last.

?Let?s get your stuff. I?ll explain about our mission on the way.?


As Marna led Tahsh to her room to gather up her belongings she would need, Tahsh felt that they were being followed. It was the girl who had been with Marna on the bench. She ignored the follower and got on with business.

?Ever dream of saving the lives of a royal family on a far-away planet?? Tahsh asked.

?Not really.? Marna replied, a little unsure.

?No? Well, you?re going to have a chance to. We?re going to a planet called Neuterian. It?s about three days away from here. While there, we will be needed to

 

good continuation.

I liked this sentence:

It is his anger that ruined his chances to be selected, Marna. Not you beating him in the duel. Feel the sadness and whatever else you?re feeling, and let it go.

 

Hey, despite the somewhat care-free character Tahsh is, she has some real wisdom to share. Wisdom besides "If you don't know the rules, you can't break them properly." Glad you're enjoying it.

 

Good, keep it up!

 

What you've said here is exactly how I believe the Jedi (or anyone else, for that matter) should handle emotions. Don't waste energy trying to control them, and don't waste time letting them control you. Control your actions, your response to the emotions and the circumstances that caused them. Spot on!

And it's a nice coincidence (or the influence of the Force, which amounts to the same thing in Star Wars) that Marna has found a Master who has experienced the same thing she did. That point of connection has started the relationship that a Master and Padawan Learner have to have in order for the Master to teach and the Padawan to learn.

 

"If you don't know the rules, you can't break them properly."

That is the soundest wisdom any being could impart to another.

 

Cece! I'm glad you like that 'Jedi Wisdom'. Working on part 6, still. Bear with me.

 

Marna, you are doing a terrific job! I am loving every bit of this fic. Keep up the great work!

 

Plan for Power part 6

Blue clashed against green in the dim sparring room on board the Justice. Tahsh blocked a blow with admiration. The girl had learned much from her in the three days they had already been together. The Jedi Knight swung her saber at the girl?s legs, Marna jumping over the blue practice blade. The two battled on, eventually locking their blades, the combatants pressing on each other. Tahsh had the advantage of height and pressed her weight against the younger Marna. For a brief moment, Tahsh saw a smile spread on Marna?s face. Then, before she knew it, Marna had deactivated her blade and rolled to the ground. Tahsh fell to the floor, suddenly off balance. She hit the floor hard, and felt a light burn on the back of her neck, and laughed.

?You win this time, Marna.? she said, holding a hand out to the girl. ?Your skills are improving a lot in these last couple of days. Even with those remotes. You?ve gotten quite good at deflecting bolts. And following the Force.? Tahsh finished, rubbing the back of her neck.

?Thank you, Master.? Marna told Tahsh, helping the older woman to her feet. ?Will your neck be okay??

?It?s just a little burn. Heracious, thankfully, has his practice sabers at a lower power than the ones the Temple uses. The sting?s nearly gone already.?

The shipwide comm buzzed.

?Tahsh, Marna, we?re coming up on Neuterian. If you want to, you can come to the control room and get a good look at it as we come out of hyperspace.?

Tahsh looked at Marna, whose eyes sparkled. Without a word to each other, they took off running to the control room in a mad race across the ship.


In the control room, Heracious heard a loud thump come from the outside of the door. As the door opened and Tahsh and Marna entered, laughing. Heracious looked at the two, shaking his head at their childish behavior.

?You may be younger, Marna, but that doesn?t make you faster.? Tahsh was saying as they sat.

Heracious cleared his throat. ?We?re approaching, ladies. Strap in.?

Marna stared out the viewport in awe. They had already come out of hyperspace and Neuterian was growing larger before them. She watched as they broke through the atmosphere, gasping as she saw they were approaching a large valley. There was a city covering the valley as far as Marna could see. Having grown up on Coruscant, Marna was used to seeing nothing but the city, but she was surprised at how much green space she could see mixed in with the buildings. A large lake shimmered in the distance, and a river flowed into it from the mountains. As the ship flew lower, Marna saw a grand building on the mountainside that she decided must be the Palace.

The Justice had been directed to land a few kilometers away from the palace, about a kilometer from the mountains. As Marna was looking down at the landing area, she saw a speeder pull up just outside the landing zone.

?Just follow my lead, Marna. And keep your comlink on if we get separated.? Tahsh told Marna as they neared the ramp.

?Yes, Master. I will answer at the first beep.? Marna responded, wanting to be a good Apprentice.

Tahsh thanked Heracious Cahn for the ride, and they walked down the boarding ramp. A young man in his late twenties met them just off the landing pad. He wore a deep red uniform that had an insignia on each shoulder. A matching cap all but covered his light brown hair.

?I am Lieutenant Avin Smyth,? the man introduced himself, ?second in command of His Ma . . . Her Majesty?s Royal Guards.? he corrected sadly, ?I have been assigned to see that you get whatever you need.?

?I am Tahsh Hapay, and this is my Apprentice, Marna Veign. We will do whatever we can to help resolve this situation.? Tahsh told him.

?Come. A speeder is waiting to take you to the Palace.?


The Justice took off as the three climbed into the speeder. As Marna sat, she noticed that the seats in the speeder automatically adjusted to provide the best support and comfort for each passenger. Marna had never thought such comfort could exist.

?Now this is comfort.?

 

I like it! This is some good action, combined with a growing storyline!

 

Hm. Not a very auspicious start to the mission. On the plus side, Master and Padawan are bonding well, which is extremely important.

 

good post.

Good action at the beginning, and nice description: large lake shimmered in the distance, and a river flowed into it from the mountains. As the ship flew lower, Marna saw a grand building on the mountainside that she decided must be the Palace.

 

I just sent part 7 to be beta'd today, so it is coming eventually. Because of some alterations I did to part 6, I had to alter part 7 a little and have been a bit busy to get to it...until today. Be patient with me. I have most of it written, but I'm altering as I post it.

 

Plan for Power part 7

The east servants? door to the Throne Room in the Royal Palace opened slightly, and a man wearing black peered into the room. Seeing nobody, he quickly ran to the back side of the stained glass window that glowed behind the thrones on the uppermost dias. The soft soles of his boots made no sound on the stone floor.

He gently placed the pack he carried onto the floor and pulled out a charge with the Miner?s Collection seal on the side. Knowing Queen Scathia would come soon, and remain in this room for a good portion of the day, he set it to blow in an hour. He attached it to the wall below the window where it would not leave a shadow from the illuminating lights and ran back toward the door he had come through.

From outside the Throne Room, he heard footsteps approaching the large main doors. He glanced over to the doors as they began to open, and painfully banged one hip against the servant?s door. He suppressed a curse and slipped through the door, not noticing the lightsaber that had fallen from the banged hip.

The main doors opened just as the servant?s door closed into its place. Queen Scathia entered with Chief Advisor Thamas, Vance Barloch, the queen?s personal bodyguard, and the captain of the Royal Guard, Captain Slader. Scathia took her place on the center throne, unaware of the deadly mining charge ready to blow behind her.


While Marna waited for Ebony?s men to be done with Avin?s leg, and for Tahsh to finish meditating, she decided to go back outside to the speeder. A chill went down her spine as she saw the skid marks that headed toward the cliff. They had come closer to death than she had thought. A badly damaged tree was all that had kept them from going over the edge. Marna went over to the tree and placed a hand on the trunk. She was surprised to feel the tree?s pain.

?Thank you for stopping the speeder.? Marna said quietly to the tree.

Marna saw vehicles marked ?Civilian Security? on the side arrive, and she decided to return to Ebony?s home to be at Tahsh?s side. She felt certain that her master would be alright, but she didn?t want to stray too far from her side so early in their relationship.


When Avin came out of a back room, he was using crutches to get around. His head was bandaged but he seemed to be doing well.

?Let?s get going.? he said to the Jedi, anxious to get to the Palace.

Ebony led the Jedi and Avin to her speeder and they continued to the Palace, arriving without incident. Ebony left her guests at the main gate of the Palace and drove away.

?What happened, sir?? a guard asked, concerned about Avin?s wounds.

?The speeder crashed. That?s why we were delayed. I think Miss Blackstar was trying to get a few more good points with me. She and her Naturalists came right to the rescue.? Avin explained. ?These are the Jedi that have been sent.?

?Pleased to meet you.? the guard told the Jedi. ?Well sir, I?m glad you?re still alive. Queen Scathia is waiting for you in the Throne Room.?

Avin led the Jedi through the Palace to the Throne Room. Marna marveled at the wealth displayed in the Palace. Tapestries woven through with precious gems and metals hung in the halls and thick rugs were spread on the shiny stone floor at regular intervals. Then, they came to large black wooden doors. There were two guards, one on each side. They simultaneously pushed the doors open and Marna gasped.

The room was about the size of the arena she and Ian had dueled in. Six large green marble pillars lined the walls, three on either side. A plush red carpet ran the length of the room, from the thrones to the doors. Precious gems and metals were imbedded directly in the stone walls, creating beautiful murals. There were three sets of steps leading up to the throne dias, where Queen Scathia sat. The three thrones were made of a beautiful golden wood, and gems were imbedded in each throne as well. The Royalty sat on comfortable red cushions like the ones that were in the speeder, and behind the thrones was a magnificent stained-glass window lit with a

 

Nice changes!! I love the new description of the stain glass window in the throne room.

Hi This Marna's husband. Although I know more than anyone else about this story, She keeps re-writing parts and supprising me with her writing ability.

 

I didn't really change the window with the latest alteration, though I probably did read it since the last time Jediloren read it.

It's good to have people's opinions on my works.

 

Another well written post. Cool throne room.

 

Lovely, as is to be expected. I am sad that I wasn't able to beta the last two sections.... I like having the sneak peak.

This is shaping up to be absolutely amazing, Marna! *hugs*

 

Very good! I liked the use of the Force to defend the queen, in spite of the queen's inability to defend herself. It was very well done!

 

*bows* Thank you all. I've not been feeling well, so I'm not sure when the next part will be ready. I'll PM everyone when it's posted, as I have been.

 

Sorry it's been a while. Been a little sick all year so far, and I'm finally getting better. Here's the next section:


Plan for Power part 8

Completely exhausted, Marna failed to notice the elaborate details in the waiting lounge and vaguely noted the comfort of the chair she sat in. As she waited for the medics to check her and Tahsh, she pondered over the day?s events. She knew that missions could be dangerous, but she never thought she?d be nearly killed twice before her first mission really started. Using the Force to move Queen Scathia out of danger took a lot out of her. Finally, medics came. She was just alert enough to hear them tell her she would be sore for a little while. Then, they left.

When a girl, a couple of years older than Marna, arrived to show them to their adjoining rooms, Marna was nearly asleep. She got up and dutifully followed the girl to her room, Tahsh by her side. When they reached the rooms, Marna wandered to the bed and lay down. She was asleep by the time her head hit the pillow.

?Rest up, Padawan. I will be right through this door.? Tahsh told her, suggesting the door connecting the rooms.

The girl took Tahsh back out to the hallway and then next door to Tahsh?s room, opening the door for the Jedi Knight.

?I hope you enjoy this room, Madame Jedi.? the young girl told Tahsh.

?It should be sufficient. What?s your name, young one? You?re not dressed like a servant.? Tahsh pointed out.

?No. I?m not.? she said with a smile. ?I?m Chantell Thamas, daughter of Chief Advisor Darian Thamas. And I?m glad to help out.?

?Well, Chantell, thank you for showing us to these rooms. We got to Marna just in time.? Tahsh said with a smile.

?Yes. I thought Jedi would be a bit more like you, and less like her. More in control of themselves. She seems to be quite tired.? Chantell remarked to Tahsh.

?Marna is trying. It?s her first time away from Coruscant. And she?s still learning how to control the Force. I have had more practice at it. Truth be told, I am tired too. I just know how to use the Force to hide it better. We?ve been through a lot since landing.?

?I will leave you to rest then, Madame Jedi.? Chantell stated.

?Please, call me Tahsh. I don?t like being too formal if I don?t have to.?

?Very well, Tahsh. Until later.?

Chantell left and Tahsh walked across the room, taking off her cloak and setting it on a nearby chair. She placed her lightsaber on a small table next to the bed and took off her boots. Tahsh was exhausted. In the Throne Room, she had sent Marna to get the doorway clear mainly because she didn?t feel she could move. She had used a lot of energy keeping the pillar up, and she knew she had to sleep to recover that energy.

Lying on the bed, Tahsh drifted off to sleep.


When Marna woke up, she could tell the sun had set. Light from a full moon poured into the room through the large windows. She shifted in the large bed, her left side a bit sore due to the lightsaber she had been sleeping on. She also noticed her boots and cloak were still on. Groggily, she removed them and was about to take off her lightsaber when she heard voices outside her room. She stood and walked to the door, her bare feet sinking into the plush carpet.

?Here are the rooms the Jedi are in.? a masculine voice said.

?Are the preparations for their death ready? I do not want them to start their investigation and discover our plan.? a deeper voice replied.

?Yes. It is all planned. We do not have it in our custody yet, though.?

?Get it. I want it all done before . . .?

The voices trailed off as the men walked away from Marna?s room. Marna stood, shocked at what she heard. Someone was planning to kill them, and possibly soon, from the sounds of it. Marna knew she had to wake Tahsh. She opened the door connecting the two rooms. Peeking her head into Tahsh?s room, she called out gently.

?Tahsh??

When there was no answer, Marna walked to the bed where her master lay asleep. She gently shook Tahsh awake.

?Tahsh, I have to talk to you.?

?Hmm? Wh

 

This is good! Aside from a minor verb tense agreement issue in the first paragraph, everything is rock solid. I like the buildup of intrigue, too. This is becoming more and more interesting!

 

Nice addition! I don't remember reading that before in WordPerfect(Marna has shown a bit more than is posted here).