Saga Severing the Past (PG, RotS and Inter) - OCs - Jedi Temple escape - Updated 1/13/08

Gina - Thanks so much for commenting! Yes, a very emotional chapter indeed... and the characters are in the same boat as you are, not knowing who to trust .

 

Aaaah! This is so freaking good! You should send this to Lucasbooks and have them publish it as a novel or something!

Most of the time, if the Force ever manifested itself in someone like that, it would be in the form of a Jedi Mind Trick. Simple things. A young woman somehow persuades her father to buy that new necklace she wants; a young man convinces a merchant to part with speeder components for far less than they're worth. It came in spurts, and the wielder likely hadn't a clue that it was anything other than pure luck, or innate charm.

That's an interesting thought!

I didn't mention it before, but I think the part about him keeping his Padawan braid is sweet. It's a great way of reminding him of his past and showing how much the Jedi Temple was considered a home to so many Jedi.

 

A/N: Sorry this is late - a mixture of vacation and the new Harry Potter book put me behind a bit, particularly considering I posted Chapter 4 early. Please let me know if you see any issues in this chapter, as my beta is also on vacation . Any and all comments are appreciated! If you'd like to be on a PM update list, please let me know.

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Chapter 5
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[i]Tomorrow, we leave Coruscant.[/i]

The words resounded in his mind as he was pulled away from the door, to the back of the kitchen, up the stairs to the upper floor where the private rooms were. Doors were closed and locked behind him ? he heard the clicks, but only as background noise. In the foreground of his mind, he heard the sound of blasters, the sound of Ayliana's voice as she finally conceded the need to leave this planet. Memory becoming more real than reality.

But was it too late, now? Too late to leave?

He stumbled along drunkenly, still stunned. Rage and grief and a great hollowness grew in him, slow and strong. They had had one small hope: one. To save just one Jedi from the hell this planet had become? and that hope was gone, destroyed in the harsh glow of shrill blaster bolts.

"N'oenar? sit here? come on?"

The words sounded from far away, still just background noise to the memory that played and replayed. He listened and watched, saw Toryndo fall over and again. Courage. The voice of his Master sounded in his mind, the memory sharp and clear, reading from an ancient text. [i] Courage is rightly considered the foremost of the virtues, for upon it, all others depend.[/i]

Perhaps.

And then another voice came to his mind. [i]Hide. [b]Live.[/b][/i] He bowed his head.

A glass, cool and smooth, was pressed into his hand. A voice ordered him to drink. Mechanically, he obeyed, and then coughed as the harsh liquid burned his throat, searing hot flame down to his belly. He gasped and blinked tears back as he looked up into the kind, sorrowful eyes of Lysira.

"They're gone, I think. Kylia just went to check." She gestured for him to drink more, her dazzling gold and pink fingernails mesmerizing him as he wordlessly obeyed. The second sip wasn't quite as shocking as the first, though it still made him shudder slightly. The taste wasn't anything he'd encountered before ? the fermented drinks he'd normally indulged in were sweet, fruit-based? the kind his Master had preferred. Not this amber liquid that tasted of roots and wind and an unyielding sun.

But there was no doubt that it was effective. His mind was clear, the sounds of the present once again masking the sounds of the past in his mind. But he knew they were still there, waiting. He never forgot anything ? complete recall. It was a curse.

"Thanks."

Lysira nodded, then straightened and patted down her hair. "A shock, it was. To all of us. I was just coming through the other door-"

"He was so close." Ayliana's voice was strained, and he avoided looking at her.

The door swung open and they all tensed, N'oenar's hand going immediately to his saber until he saw who it was. Kylia's orange hair swung as she pushed the door closed behind her. "Gone, left the street even. I think they've moved on to the next block."

"That makes sense. If they follow the standard procedures?" Ayliana trailed off, and he wondered briefly if she'd ever been involved in a search like that one, but from the other side. But certainly it wouldn't end in murder ? an arrest, perhaps. Not a murder. He saw, once again, the glowing blue as it fell from lifeless fingers, and one thought overcame his awareness.

Suddenly he was consumed with the need to know. A slight hope came to him as he dared to ask, "Is his saber still-"

"They took it." Kylia shook her head, her expression savage. "A trophy, I imagine."

N'oenar took another long sip of the drink, not even flinching as it burned its way down his throat. A trophy ? if those droids made flesh cared about such things. This was the ultimate treachery. Not even the saber of a fallen comrade. Not one. Dozens fell before th

 

MasterSareBabe - Thanks for commenting - I'm sorry I missed it before posting the new chapter last night!
I didn't mention it before, but I think the part about him keeping his Padawan braid is sweet. It's a great way of reminding him of his past and showing how much the Jedi Temple was considered a home to so many Jedi.

Thanks - the braid is definitely a reminder for him, and at times he really needs that. I won't say much more, though . Thanks again for reading and commenting!!

 

"She is, isn't she?" Ayliana looked up then, glancing at the door. "I wonder if she was closer to Toryndo than she let on?"

Interesting...

This is a nice, juicy entry! Good work!

 

This is a nice, juicy entry!
Thanks . I appreciate you commenting, and I had a feeling someone would really notice that quote that you picked out!

 

Note: Thank you to everyone that's reading this story, including lurkers *waves* . If anyone would like a PM for updates, please let me know. And I do so love comments and feedback of all kinds!

Chapter 6
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Lysira peeked out of the window in Kylia's room, shaking her head. "It won't be long now, before the daylight comes. You'd best come back then, after light."

"That makes sense," N'oenar said, adjusting his lightsaber. It was secreted in an inner pocket of his cloak and he hoped it would be quick enough to hand if it were needed. If all went well, it wouldn?t be. The memory of a blue glow falling from nerveless fingers overwhelmed him for a moment.

Reaching into a front pocket, he touched the braid that lay hidden within. He felt as if he was moving through a thick fog, his mind weighed down by the events from the day before and occupied by the dreams he'd woken from so recently. Trying to shake out of it, he moved to Lysira's side at the window, staying back a bit to shield himself from sight. The moon was still bright, though it now had a slight reddish cast that he hadn't noticed before. It seemed appropriate, somehow.

"Ayliana ought to be ready soon. If we go out on this side, we'll be hidden from the main paths?"

"That's right. Might be some beings in the alley, but they won't be speaking to a trooper about someone climbing up the walls, you can count on that." With a sigh, she turned to him, the shocking red of her hair glinting like blood in the moonlight. "Such a rush, no time to say a decent farewell-"

"Mother! They're headed this way from Zriko's side." They both turned at the sound of Kylia's voice. She stood in the open doorway, and though N'oenar had expected her to be frightened, instead she seemed excited. "Should be a few more minutes."

"Minutes? Well, then, it's a good thing we're ready now," Ayliana said, pushing past her into the room. Kerenne was right behind her, and N'oenar wondered if the two women had shared words of some sort while he'd gathered his things and waited with Lysira ? there were two spots of color high on Kerenne's cheeks, and it didn't appear to be face paints. He'd noticed Kerenne seemed to avoid wearing much makeup, which he decided was rather to his liking.

Frowning, Kerenne continued their conversation, evidently oblivious to the others in the room. "Climb out the window, and then what? We'll just drop into the alley? That's insa-"

Ayliana spoke over her shoulder to the other woman, not bothering to turn her head, and that was so uncharacteristic of her that N'oenar no longer wondered if the two women had shared words ? he was certain of it. "We'll climb up, not down, then slip into one of the already-searched buildings and head back here when it's safer-"

"After daybreak," N'oenar offered, glancing between his fellow Padawan and Kerenne. The situation was certainly tense enough without the two of them being snappy with one another. Well, not that Ayliana was snappy per se, but she was definitely sounding rather un-Ayliana-like.

"After daybreak, yes," Lysira said, studying the two women in turn. "Now, Kerenne, perhaps you should stay here-"

"Why? They'll need my help-"

"We can handle it, I think." Ayliana's voice was very calm, sounding very much the Jedi. "It's just a precaution, anyway. We've got the false identification that Lysira found for us-"

"And Kerenne, she helped-" Kylia interjected before a quick gesture from her mother silenced her. The smirk on her face hinted that she was quite enjoying the tension in the room.

Ayliana ignored the interruption and continued in that calm voice, "And unless you've learned to scale sheer walls in your years of illega-"

Lysira raised her voice sharply. "Right, that's enough I believe. Kerenne, you're supposed to be here with Kylia. Point of all this is to look natural ? they'll just be two other passengers, meeting you here in the morning."

Kerenne's lips tightened, but she nodded reluctantly. "That makes sense."

"Of course it does! I

 

This just gets better and better! Wonderful job! I can't wait for the next post.

 

I agree with VaderLVR64, this story does get better with each new post.

 

VaderLVR64 - Thanks! The next chapter should come sooner than this one did - I aim for weekly but missed the mark this time due to Dark Work . I really appreciate you commenting, and am flattered that you're enjoying it!

Powerfulforce - Thank you - I'm glad you're enjoying it and very glad that you commented . I hope to have the next chapter up before this weekend, if real life would just cooperate...

 

Well they made it off-planet, but I'm sure their troubles are only beginning.

Excellent posts!

 

I admire the length of your posts! They are detailed without being overly lengthy. The mystery continues...

EDIT: We must have been reading each other's updates at the same time! (I just had to point that out. )

 

Gina - Thank you!! And you're very right .

MasterSareBabe - LOL!! I thought about that right after commenting on your update! Thank you for the comment, I always seem to end up with longer posts than I intend, but the "action arc" just seems to take it that way with this story .

 

A/N: Thanks to all who are reading, commenters and lurkers alike! I'd love any comments you may have . As always, if you'd like a PM when I update, please let me know.

Chapter 7
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"Sit, my bantha. Sit, and learn."

N'oenar looked at the room, for once aware immediately that he was in a dream. He wondered briefly if it was experience, or necessity, that allowed him this knowledge.

Master Dannew stared at him from the floor, his patience ? as always ? endless. N'oenar bowed his head and moved to the thin pad in the middle of the floor. They were in the meditation chamber, a place he had spent many training sessions in over the past years. He had always had difficulty with letting go his control long enough to float, to become one with the Force. "Learn. Yes, Master."

"To save it, you must break it." Master Dannew knelt in front of him on the pad, their knees touching. "You will learn. It is what must be, though it pains me to think of it."

"What will I learn, Master?"

"Remember Vaapad. Learn. There are many examples through history; it can be done, my young Padawan. It can be done. Ice will give way before flame. Just take care to smolder."

It still made no sense as a whole, but N'oenar decided to simply delve deeper into those questions that seemed easiest to decipher. "But? how can I learn? The archives are far from here-"

"You will find a path." Master Dannew bowed his head and let out a sigh. "Ancient Roon will help you."

"Ancient rune? Which ancient rune?"

But his Master was gone, and N'oenar was no longer kneeling on the floor of the meditation chamber, but standing in a long hallway and facing a tall stone wall. He stepped closer to it, the flickering light from the wall sconces allowing him to see only a few loops and whorls of writing. Stepping forward again, his breath caught. The stone itself had been carved with?

? with the Jedi Code.

His hand trembled as he reached up to touch the letters, tracing them with a finger. As he did so, he felt someone approach, and the low voice of his Master recited the words carved into the wall.

There is no emotion; there is peace.

There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.

There is no passion; there is serenity.

There is no death; there is the Force.

N'oenar frowned; the first line was crumbling, fading?

"To save it, you must break it." Master Dannew's stare was like a physical weight and when he turned, he was shocked to see tears in his Master's eyes.

Shaking his head, he moved close to the older man. "Master, please-" He held out a hand, not certain if he was offering comfort or asking for it.

Master Dannew nodded slowly. "My Padawan, you remain. Remember." With that, he took something and placed it across N'oenar's palm ? something hot and heavier than it should have been, judging by its size. Frowning, N'oenar brought his hand closer to see what the burning object was?

It was his Padawan braid.

He woke suddenly, and then sat up, staring blankly at the bedcovers. A dream? he'd been having so many now. Lifting his hand ? the one that Master Dannew had placed his braid in ? he stared at it. The burning wasn't gone, and a throbbing ache had now joined the heat he had felt in his dream. Even in the dim light, he could see the darkened skin beside the wound.

He groaned. In the excitement of leaving Coruscant, he'd never properly attended the cut on his palm. It was odd, how his dream and his reality had meshed together in that way and, as he threw off the bedclothes and stood, he wondered how much of his dreams were just dream, and how much could be something else. He no longer doubted that at least a portion of them were something else, but how much? And what could he trust?

He walked quietly to the small refresher and washed his hand again, then rummaged through the cabinet to try to find a bandage. There may be some bacta on board, but he didn't want to disturb-

"Searching for something?" Kerenne's voice startled him and he jumped, banging his head on the sink.

 

I had to repair the previous entry, so here's an up... I promise not to do it again!! I'd posted an older version of the chapter, though, and have fixed.

Thanks to all my readers, lurkers and commenters alike .

 

Great update! I think I am beginning to understand some of the mystery in this, though I may be totally off. I look forward to more!

 

MasterSareBabe -
Great update! I think I am beginning to understand some of the mystery in this, though I may be totally off. I look forward to more!
Thanks - I'm so glad you liked it... and the mystery is slowly being uncovered. Thanks for commenting!! The next chapter ought to be up late tonight or tomorrow night, depending on Darth RL

 

Eek! I didn't realize you had updated.

Those visions are intriguing and quite eerie, but I know he will unravel them. They're on a dangerous mission. Hope he's right that the clones probably are not aware of its existence.

 

A/N: Thanks to everyone who commented, and to everyone who's reading . As always, if you'd like a PM when I update, just let me know. I hope everyone enjoys the chapter!

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Chapter 8
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N'oenar woke with a cry, breath coming fast and hard, the sensation of [i]falling[/i] still lingering from his dream.
"He's awake! How did you-" [i]Kerenne? What was she-[/i]
"I didn't do anything."
N'oenar blinked, looking up. Kerenne and Ayliana stood beside the bed, Kerenne's eyes wide as she stared at him. "What-"
"We couldn't wake you," Ayliana said in a low voice. "Kerenne heard you and came to get me-"

"I tried to wake you, but you didn't?" Kerenne's voice was low. Uneasy.

"It's not the first time, Kerenne." Ayliana sat down on the edge of his bed. "He did this when I tried to wake him at Lysira's, when the troopers were searching-" She didn't even blink when Kerenne interrupted her again.

"Does he do this often?"

Now fully awake, he found that being talked about in the third person rather irritated him. "I'm [i]right here[/i]."

Ayliana glanced at him, amusement flickering across her face before she turned back to Kerenne. "No, not often. Well, I don't [i]think[/i] he does it often-"

"Still. Here." He struggled to sit up, but was pinned down by the tight tuck of the bedcovers on one side, and Ayliana's weight holding them down on the other side. Irritably, he yanked the blanket out from under Ayliana - earning him a low chuckle - and sat up. "Did I say something? What was I saying?"

"Nothing," Ayliana said quickly, shooting him a meaningful look that he was unable to decipher. "It was a little hard to understand. Just mumbling."

"Except for that yell-"

"Yeah, except for that."

"Yell?" N'oenar ran a hand through his hair, and he shifted uneasily when he noticed Kerenne's eyes on him. "When did-"

"When you woke, just now."

Kerenne nodded. "I was passing by to tell Zehrid it's his shift, and heard you mumbling and? well, it sounded like you ought to wake up. But you couldn't - it was strange."

"Then she got me. That was just a minute or two ago." Ayliana studied him closely, and he found himself fidgeting under her tight regard. And yet, her eyes were so steady, so wise, that suddenly he had the urge to ask her about the dreams. Most of them, at least.

"Well, I'm awake now. It was? it was just a nightmare." He certainly wasn't going to speak about it more specifically in front of Kerenne.

Kerenne, looking a bit troubled, glanced at Ayliana. There seemed to be some silent communication that passed between the two, and then Kerenne cleared her throat. "Well, I'm glad everything's all right. I'll, ah, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Right. Thanks, Kerenne." He smiled. "I appreciate you checking on me, even if it wasn't anything serious."

She nodded, glanced at Ayliana again, and then left the room. Ayliana stared after her for a moment before turning back to him.

"If you're sure you're-" she began, when he cut her off. He needed to ask the question, even if he didn't want to hear the answer.

"Ayliana?"

"Yes?"

"When you? when you asked me about prophetic dreams, at Lysira's, did you? did you hear something? Something more than mumbling?"

Ayliana sat slowly. "Something. Yes."

"What?"

"It- well, it sounded like you were repeating that old woman, the one on the street. And then you said Master? I don't know, N'oenar. I can't remember. It just seemed to be something more than a normal dream." She shot him a piercing look. "Like the one tonight."

"You really couldn't wake me?"

She shook her head.

"Do you think-" He swallowed, not entirely certain what answer he wanted to hear. "Do you think they are? Prophetic, I mean. Force dreams."

"I'd know better, if you'd tell me more."

He rose, and walked to the small mirror on one side of the cabin. Propping himself against the wall with one arm, he studied his reflection in the dim light. There was a hollowed look around his eyes that hadn't been there before, and he wondered if Force dreams co

 

Gina -
Eek! I didn't realize you had updated.
LOL! I try to update each week, sometime between Sunday and Tuesday. Let me know if you'd like a PM

Those visions are intriguing and quite eerie, but I know he will unravel them. They're on a dangerous mission. Hope he's right that the clones probably are not aware of its existence.
Thank you!! The dreams are definitely playing a pivotal role, so I'm glad they're standing out a bit .

Thanks for the comment - I'm glad you're still enjoying it!

 

Bwahahahaha. Too too sad..all those memories!

This is wonderfully written! It always brightens my day when I am at work and I see that you have updated.

 

MasterSareBabe -
Too too sad..all those memories!

This is wonderfully written! It always brightens my day when I am at work and I see that you have updated.
Thank you so much!! That really means a lot . I'm glad you're still enjoying it!

 

I just started reading (Up to chapter 3 and I just wanted to say that I think you are doing a great job. I like the dialogue so far and I look forward to catching up.

I also have started a story similar to this where a padawan survives the assualt on the temple, but he follows a totally different path.

Again keep up the good work.

 

Oh, how can he stand these dreams? They are so dark and cryptic. They have to be taking a toll on him.

He's had only a cursory introduction to Force dreaming, it being a subject his Master insisted was better viewed with a mature mind and greater wisdom, because the future was so easily misinterpreted.

"A path to the dark side, it can become.

How true! Love how you included this here.

Excellent update!

 

Zane-Marit -
I like the dialogue so far and I look forward to catching up.
Thank you!! I really appreciate the comments, and I'm glad you're enjoying it .

I also have started a story similar to this where a padawan survives the assualt on the temple, but he follows a totally different path.
Oh, I'd love to read it - do you have a link? I normally try to avoid reading similar plotlines as I write for fear of unconscious "bleed-over", but you mention it's a totally different path and I already have this one completely outlined . Thanks again!!

Gina -
Oh, how can he stand these dreams? They are so dark and cryptic. They have to be taking a toll on him.
You're very right - it's definitely not something that's easy to deal with.

And thank you! I love to include themes from canon wherever I can . Gives me warm fuzzies when it works out, so I'm very glad you noted that section!