Saga Before - Legends Saga - PT Saga - OT Before the Saga Tales From the Temple - (UDC X, AU)

Title: Tales from the Temple
Author: Kit'
Timeframe: Before-legends through to just past the end of the Original Trilogy
Characters: Kit'verse OCs, Minor Canon Characters, Obi-wan, Qui-Gon, Mace, Anakin Luke, Leia,
Genre: All of the genres

Summary: A collection of drabbles about the Temple and Jedi life written in response to Ultimate Drabble Challenge X

Notes: This is one of my first real times trying to make sure I focus on canon characters, although I'm sure Scoundrels are still going to appear fairly regularly.

I'm going to make an index of the weeks, story names and characters for those people chasing particular characters...

 

Week 1:

1. In the beginning (Prelude) - Jedi Master Nimt Shrof & Jedi Master Nira Huy (OCs)
2. Belly of the Beast (Bygone) - Padawan Kira Carsen & Jedi Master Bela Kiwiiks (SWTOR)
3. My Temple Home (Impend) - Padawan Obi-wan Kenobi & Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn
4. Into the darkness (Descend) - Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker
5. From the Ashes (Arise) - Luke & Leia Skywalker

Week 2:

1. Sometimes (Opponent) - Obi-wan Kenobi
2. Rise up (Knight) - Obi-wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
3. The element of surprise (Battlefield) - Obi-wan & Anakin Skywalker
4. Troops (General) - Obi-wan Kenobi & Cody CC-2224
5. Triumph (Ceasefire) - Obi-wan Kenobi & Darth Vader

Week 3:

1. Inlaid with good intentions (Inlay) - Jedi Master Allusair & Jedi Knight Nini Zahalin & Jedi Padawan Harpa (OCs)
2. Maintain the customs (Uphold) - Jedi Master Allusair & Jedi Knight Nini Zahalin & Jedi Padawan Harpa (OCs)
3. Escape Destiny (Outrun) - Jedi Knight Nini Zahalin & Jedi Padawan Harpa (OCs)
4. No one (Withdraw) - Jedi Knight Nini Zahalin & Jedi Padawan Harpa (OCs)
5. Find Family (Partake)- Jedi Knight Nini Zahalin & Jedi Padawan Harpa (OCs)

Week 4:

1. Unlost (Breeze) - Jedi Padawan Tara Tarindae & Jedi Master Davin Dor (OCs)
2. Maths Avoidant (Idyll) - Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker & Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi
3. Argumentless (Shade) - Jedi Padawan Heilan Coo & Jedi Healer Kirsh'of Aleski
4. Soulfix (Balm) - Jedi Padawan Kithera Rinani & Jedi Master Namia Zahalin
5. Sleeper (Linger) - Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano & Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker

Week 5:

1. On the very edge (Astray) - Jedi Padawan Xanatos Du Crion
2. The way of the Sith (Temerity) - Darth Sidious
   
3. Offer (Nuance) - Jedi Master Jerec & High Inquisitor Antinnis Treymayne
   
4. Long Lost (Duress) - Arden Lyn
   
5. She Did (Perception) - Unnamed Jedi Padawan

Week 6:

1. The Antareous Butterfly (Flutter) - Master Ferindi & Jedi Padawan Davin Dor
2. The Blurrg (Rumble) - Jedi Knight Davin Dor & Jedi Padawan Saelyra
3. The Charhound (Crackle) - Jedi Master Davin Dor & Jedi Padawan Tara Tarindae
4. The Frog (Splash) - Jedi Knight Tara Tarindae & Jedi Initiate Caelum Du Crion
5. The Feoboar Hound (Thump) - Jedi Knight Caelum Du Crion and Zallie Jinn

Week 7:

1. Scattered Feelings (Dissipate) - Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker, Senator Padme Amidala, Jedi Knight Obi-wan Kenobi
2. Responsibility (Obstruct) - Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi
3. Become One (Infuse) - Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker/Senator Padme Amidala
4. Possession (Obtain) - Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker/Senator Padme Amidala, Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi
5. Bury (Immerse) - Darth Vader

Week 8:

1. The Offer (Current) - Grand Inquisitor, Fourth Sister
2. The Reply (Tide) - Jedi Knight Zubain Ankonori
3. The Teacher (Surf) - Fourth Sister & Jedi Knight Zubain Ankonori
4. The Student (Squall) - Fourth Sister & Jedi Knight Zubain Ankonori
5. The Gift (Depth) - ?

Week 9:

1. By himself (Per Se) - Jedi Archivist Persé and Jedi Archivist Adhi
2. For This (Ad Hoc) - Jedi Archivist Persé and Jedi Archivist Adhi
3. And Others - the same (Et Cetera) - Jedi Archivist Persé and Jedi Archivist Adhi
4. The other way round (Vice Versa) - Jedi Archivist Persé and Jedi Archivist Adhi
5. In Reality (De Facto) - Jedi Archivist Persé and Jedi Archivist Adhi

Week 10:

1. Catalyst (Ornery) - Quin Deladame
2. Briefing (Prudent) - Quin Deladame & Former Jedi Knight Kithera "Kit" Rinani aka. Rin Deladame
3. Plan (Tetchy) - Quin Deladame & Former Jedi Knight Kithera "Kit" Rinani aka. Rin Deladame
4. Problem (Daring) - Quin Deladame & Former Jedi Knight Kithera "Kit" Rinani aka. Rin Deladame & Zallie Jinn/Deladame
5. Outcome (Jovial) - Quin Deladame & Former Jedi Knight Kithera "Kit" Rinani aka. Rin Deladame

Week 12:

1. Resolute (Boulder) - Jedi initiate Qui-Gon Jinn
2. Lesson (Gravel) - Jedi padawan Qui-Gon Jinn & Jedi Master Dooku
3. Shrapnel (Flint) - Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn & Fallen Padawan Xanatos DuCrion
4. Soul (Pebble) - Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn & Jedi Padawan Obi-wan Kenobi
5. Flower (Loam) -Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn & Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi

 

In the beginning (Prelude)

“We need a proper Temple.”

“We have a Temple,” Jedi Master Nira Huy said without looking up, her stylus moving slowly down the column of numbers. “In fact, we have several.”

Master Nimt Shorf paused on his own scribing. “We should have one large building though, something that symbolises peace with the new Republic. Something that people can look at as a shining pillar of light.”

Master Nira Huy put her stylus down and arched an eyebrow at her fellow Master. “And you would propose to build this where?”

“In Coruscant,” Nimt Shrof said, his face solemn.

“Over a Sith Force nexus. Do you think that’s the best idea?” Nira Huy leaned back in her chair. “Don’t you think that will one day come back to bite us?”

Shorf smiled. “Never! It’s perfect! I’ve read all about it from my research; there is no other place in the galaxy so suited for peace.”

Nira huffed out a breath but allowed herself a small smile back. Her eyes moved along the page in front of calculating the figures in her head.

“You know what?” she said eventually. “The idea does seem sound. A great way to make peace with this fledgling Republic.”

Shrof’s smile could have lit the galaxy. “Excellent!”” He grinned and clapped his hands together. “I can see it now, a Jedi Temple that will last through the ages.”




Belly of the Beast (Bygone)

Her breath swirled, a thin white cloud of air that hung in the frigid stillness. The thick stone of the ancient Temple had given way to rough hewn stone. The underbelly of the Temple was a dangerous place after the Sith’s route of Coruscant. The only reason that Kira and her Master had been allowed to travel was to ensure that the Sith had not found the cache of Jedi artefacts buried deep in the Temple’s heart.

“Are you okay, padawan?” Her Master’s voice came from the darkness behind her.

“I’m fine Master Kiwiiks,” Kira said, wishing she’d brought something warmer to wear. She’d lived on many rough planets and squalid dives before being accepted into the Order, but the chill down here seemed to have leaked into her bones. “Have you ever been down here before?”

“Once,” Master Kiwiik said, pushing one head tail over her shoulder. “But it was a long time ago.”

A sharp gust of wind sent shivers coursing down Kira's spine. In the distance a light flickered and Kira heard her Master sigh with relief.

"It's just up ahead. We need to check if the door has not been breached, then we can return," Master Kiwiik said quickly.

As they drew closer, the light grew brighter, illuminating the walls which were covered with strange designs and patterns. It looked like some sort of language. She didn’t know much about the history of the Temple and yet the markings made it look almost alien.

"Ancient basic," Master Kiwiiks explained, ushering her padawan towards a door.

They approached the wall together slowly until Master Kiwiiks reached out and Kira felt the familiar stirrings of the Force. The wall lit up, casting their shadows on the ground as it slowly slid aside. Kira took in another gasp of cold air when she saw what lay beyond. They were inside an intricate design with intricate carvings that Kira could barely make sense of. There were more symbols than Kira could read and even if it wasn't a language, she understood its intent. Beside her Master Kiwiiks smiled.

"It is safe,” she sighed. “And thus the Temple will continue.”



My Temple Home (Impend)

The Temple lit up the skyline, each of its five towers casting and refracting the light into a thousand small rainbows. Obi-wan sighed as he felt his body relax. Occasionally the tabloids, particularly those with an axe to grind against the Republic, called the Temple cold and calculating and decried the way it dominated the Coruscant skyline. It was, apparently, a place where there was no laughter or merriment that churned out soulless, mirthless Jedi. Not to him though. The Temple was his solace. The one place in the Universe he knew he truly belonged. Its long, quiet halls, lush gardens and well-worn sparring mats. To him it shimmered with life and warmth and friends.

Beside him someone shifted and Obi-wan looked upwards to see the warm blue-eyes of his Master staring down at him.

“Padawan?” Qui-Gon asked solemnly although his eyes twinkled. “A credit for your thoughts?”

Obi-wan gave half a smile and turned back towards where the Temple gleamed in the afternoon light. “Nothing, Master,” he said solemnly. “I’m just glad to be home.”



Into the darkness (Descend)

The anger stoked him, drove him, honed his focus to a single point. He had been betrayed by all of them. Master Windu had betrayed him. Master Yoda had betrayed him. Even Obi-wan had betrayed him. His own brother had let him down. Lied to him. Kept secrets from him. Betrayed him. Anger burned bright in the Force.

His booted feet echoed along the cool tiled floor of the Temple. Behind him the clones trooped in silent rows. The Force burnt bright around him, flickering and sparking in ever brighter and higher flames. He could feel the life-force of the Temple; a thousand small candles.

The door hissed open in front of him. A little class of younglings. He could feel their life-forces; tiny bright sparks. They rushed out to greet him; so innocent, so young, so foolish to believe the lies of the Jedi.
“Master Skywalker-”

The lightsaber felt cold and comforting in his hand.



From the Ashes (Arise)

Luke glanced around the room that had once belonged to the Emperor. Linear black lines, grey tracing and red accents dominated the room, surrounding the thick, angular ‘throne’. It was dark and rather depressing, and he turned away from it to stare out of the magnificent windows that framed every wall. From these he could see the skyline of Coruscant, the pock-marked buildings ravaged by war, the silhouette of cranes and building rigs working tirelessly to create a new and better Republic.

There was the sound of soft-soled shoes scuffing on tiles and he turned to see his sister at the door. Leia paused at the entrance and smiled at him. Even at a distance he could see how tired she was. Leadership came naturally to his sister, but not without cost.

“The New Republic Government is happy to acquiesce to your request,” she said solemnly. “If you really want it, that is.”

Luke nodded, breathing a sigh of relief.

“I know you think this place is too tainted by him,” Luke said, quietly as Leia came to join him. She slipped her hand inside his and he held it, feeling the tiny bones of her fingers. “But the Force says that this is where the Temple belongs, where the Jedi belong.”

He could see the tension in her shoulders, the tilt of her head and the thin crease of her mouth. Luke wondered how much arguing Leia had done to return the Imperial Palace back to its rightful owners.

“I found some records that said this was the Council’s chambers,” Leia said after a long pause. “I can’t believe that this is where Jedi met for thousands of years. It looks so spiritless.”

“It wouldn’t have looked like this,” Luke said motioning to the austere black walls. “And soon it won’t look like it does now.”

“You are too optimistic brother,” Leia said with a sigh. “Half of the Temple has been stripped, the other half destroyed. Besides, it's far too big for one person.”

Luke gave a mirthless laugh. “Even I don’t think this will be fixed by the next cycle.” He paused again and brought the back of her hand to his lips to give it a swift kiss. “Think of the Temple like your fledgling Republic. From a little we will grow. We’ll build and repaint, fix and repair. Grow our numbers and make new allies. Just as the Republic will grow stronger, so the Jedi shall grow with it.”

Leia nodded and he could see the hopeful longing in her face. They turned to watch the sunset over the city and Luke felt the flicker and heartbeat of the Force. The Jedi would rise again.

 

Exquisite as we see the Jedi temple's progression from Prelude onward. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, so wonderfully companionable and in character. Anakin: wow. His turbulent emotions were well captured. As for Leia and Luke, their mutual support and warm affection shines.

 

a great way to describe the history of the Jedi-temple

 

Thank you! I'm so happy I seemed to get all the canon characters correct as it feels so out of my league!

Good theft! Much appreciated

Thank you

 

Sometimes (Opponent)


Sometimes Obi-wan woke up screaming. It was always the same dream. The yellow eyes. The red and black skin. The teeth sharpened to dagger-like points. The hungry, ravenous anger that flowed through the Force.

Sometimes he woke before the thing killed his Master.

Sometimes he woke after watching its body tumble over and over down the shaft.

Sometimes he woke, tears still damp on his face, after his Master had died in arms.

Sometimes, and tonight was one of those times, he woke because, after his lightsaber had sliced into the creature's body, it had simply reformed around the blade. In this dream its body became nothing but black plated armour, its hand grasped the hilt of a red lightsaber, its face disappeared behind a visor.

Sometimes, on nights like tonight, Obi-wan woke still hearing the monster’s rasping breath as its lightsaber cut him down.



Rise up (Knight)


He shouldn’t have been surprised that Anakin was late. Nor should he have been surprised when Anakin snapped at him. He had spent hundreds of hours talking to Master Yoda about Anakin’s impetuousness and the undercurrent of bitter angriness that sometimes seemed to undercut his interactions. Even after three years, Anakin’s anger never quite fully subsided.

It made things more difficult for Obi-Wan. This was the most important day in his padawan's life. Today he would go from a padawan to a knight. Obi-wan hoped that Anakin's perpetual frustration would die with time but deep down knew it wouldn't happen. Instead he had to jostle with his own emotions, knowing that the hooded figures in the Council Chamber could feel it was well. All he could do was hope that it would not be enough for them to change their minds.



The element of surprise (Battlefield)

The air was hot and gritty with dust. Obi-wan’s stomach churned. In the distance was the sound blaster fire and the hum of lightsabers.

Anakin, beside him, was, for once, deadly silent. His face was blank, his eyes fixed on the group of mech droids carrying supplies under the supervision of a solitary trandoshan.

Anakin motioned for the troopers to fall in and Obi-wan heard the muffled sound of their boots as they settled into place.

"Remember Anakin," Obi-wan hissed. "This is supposed to be an ambush. That means stealth."

They'd come the long way around, sneaking through an unguarded entrance in the hopes that it would give them the element of surprise. A droid whistled in surprise and Obi-wan heard one of the troopers curse behind him. They had been spotted. Anakin's hand flicked out and Obi-wan felt the warm eddy of the Force. The droid skidded across the compound and smashed into the wall.

They ducked behind a stone pillar as . There was the clatter of droid feet on the walkway above them and Obi-wan sighed. "One day, Anakin, you are going to learn the proper meaning of surprise."




Troops (General)

“General, what are your orders?”

It didn’t matter how many times he heard that name, it still felt foreign. Anakin and Ahsoka had seemed to take on the title so easily, like a well-worn tunic but for him it sat uncomfortably, prickling his neck and weighing him down with the idea that he just wasn’t good enough. He’d watched Anakin, seen how his men would willingly follow him wherever he led, and Ahsoka whose own troopers would die for her. He held his men at arm's length with politeness and wry humour.

Part of him wanted what Ahsoka and Anakin had. He wanted their camaraderie, their closeness, their intimate understanding and trust. The other half, the half that always won, could do no more than hold them at arm's length. It wasn’t that he was indifferent. He cared for them; loved them even. It was just that he couldn’t let them get too close. Attachments were not the Jedi way after all.

“General?” Cody’s voice crackled through his speaker.

Obi-wan nodded, managing a half smile as he pulled himself from his reverie. “You stand guard, I’ll try and spook them out the back.”

Cody nodded curtly and turned to give his own orders. Obi-wan watched for a minute. He would do what he could for them. He would show his love by keeping them safe.



Triumph (Ceasefire)

How many years could you fight someone? Obi-wan felt the swell of the Force, warm and soft around him and almost smiled. This was how it was. This is how it would end. His battle with Anakin…

No, He corrected himself, Vader. Anakin had died a long time ago.

Vader though…His fight with that creature had driven him through dark depths of despair, to brief flourishes of hope to this his final act. The boy would be safe. He would triumph and bring balance to the Force.

Obi-wan drew his lightsaber, letting the familiar weight settle in his hands. He fought and he wondered as the blades struck if Vader realised that Obi-wan’s heart wasn’t in it. Through the flickers in the Force he could feel the boy’s relief at the escape path that had just opened up for him, then the spike of fear as he spotted Obi-wan fighting Vader. He glanced sideways to make sure that Luke was safe, dropped his arm and let Vader’s red blade do its job. For a second there was pain and then the Force surrounded him, washing him its heat and warmth. His robe dropped to the floor and he felt Vader’s own spurt of fear.

Obi-wan smiled.

He had won.

 

Whew, what a dream in Opponent!
wonderful characterization and insights in Knight.
For General, this is absolutely in character, the desire for comradeship and closeness in conflict with deliberate nonattachment.
Ceasefire -- wonderful interpretation as Obi-Wan feels he has succeeded/triumphed.

 

I like Obi-Wan in all these with the last one as a victory for him

 

@earlybird-obi-wan, @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha and @Mira_Jade - thank you guys so much! It's one of my first times writing canon characters and so I'm really, really pleased I got it right - particularly Obi-wan who is my fave

 

Uh, so this weeks are not drabbles. This did not go the way I expected and instead I got the entire story of two new OCs (because, you know, the Kit'verse needs MORE OCs). I also went way, way, way over the 500 words...like way over...

Apologies for the lack of edits too. I meant to have these done before Week 4 came out...

***

11. Inlaid with good intentions (Inlay)

“Again padawan.”

Nini nodded, ducking her head and picking up her lightsaber from where it lay on the floor. Her arm ached and sweat drenched her back. Master Allusair must have sensed her expression as she slid back into the familiar guard position

“These drills are important,” Master Allusair said quietly. “Every knight must be available to support the Temple in this war. Even those who have been injured.”

Nini grimaced, grinding her teeth together as she shifted through each stance; the right side of her body moving differently without her arm.

At least down here in the old training rooms of the Temple, no-one could see how badly she was failing.

Nini took a deep breath, trying to find her balance as she shifted into an attack, and frowned as something clanged on the edge of the Force, a wrong note in the music. Then again, all the notes seemed wrong these days; ever since the war had started. “I just wonder if this is worth it.”

“Do you wonder if the war is worth it, or if you are worth training?” Master Allusair asked. Nini almost dropped her lightsaber again, startled by the bluntness of her old Master’s words. She looked towards where Master Allusair was working through her own combat stances, but her face was implacable.

Nini could remember when Master Allusair had been nothing but smiles and laughter, but that had been before Nini had been knighted on the battlefield. That had been before this war with the Separatists. It was now as if every battle and every loss had sucked a little more joy out of her old Jedi Master. Now the old Miraluka seemed bitter and withdrawn.

“I have one arm, Master. Not many Jedi would find that useful on a battlefield.”

Nini made a show of fiddling with a button and glanced across at where Harpa, Allusair’s new padawan was battling a group of droids. Nini hadn’t been surprised that Allusair had taken on a padawan so quickly after her own knighting; her Master had always been a strong proponent of doing her bit. It was part of the Miraluka way, her Master explained, a strong Temple meant strong Jedi. Harpa must have noticed her staring because the young Togruta almost paused mid-stride, before a droid bolt zinged past her ear.

“Concentrate on the here and now, my apprentices,” Master Allusair said without looking across, seemingly ignoring Nini’s last statement. “Mindfulness of your surroundings is what will save you. We will be needed soon enough on the battlefield.”

Nini winced. It had been a distraction that had meant she’d missed her mark and mangled her arm beyond even the most skilled healer’s ability. It was something she still beat herself up over late at night, although Master Allusair seemed to take Nini’s screw-up as a personal affront. On her return to the Temple, Allusair had almost re-apprenticed her, filling her days with relentless drills as if trying to make up for some perceived failure.

There was a staccato of off-key notes and Nini frowned, pushing it away.

Master Allusair’s mouth twisted. “Do you mean, is it worth training a Jedi who only has one arm?”

Nini nodded, biting her lip.

“Others only Jedi only have one arm,” Harpa piped up, “Like Master Skywalker.”

“Master Skywalker has two arms,” Nini pointed out, frowning as she slid slowly into position two. “The second one is a prosthetic. Prosthetics and I are not friends.”

That was an understatement. Terminally allergic was the phrase that Healer An-Paj had used when trying to explain why they couldn’t fit one.

“Many would be happy to have you fight beside them,” Master Allusair said, softly.

Nini harrumphed, thinking of the many battles she had been in.

Master Allusair stopped, turning to face her; face stern and mouth set. Not for the first time Nini wished she could see her Master’s expression behind the strip of cloth the Miraluka wore. “Many Jedi. Myself-”

Master Allusair paused mid-sentence, frowning. There was another burst of staccato and the clash of cymbals.

Somewhere in the distance was the sound of blaster fire. All three Jedi swivelled and Nini could feel how the music of the Force tumbled in on itself, the notes clashing and reverberating in a way that made her flinch.

“Master?” Harpa asked, but Allusair was already striding forward. The Jedi Master put out a hand as if to shush them. “Stay here,” she said softly. “I’ll find out what is going on.”


12. Maintain the customs (Uphold)

The walls of the Temple seemed to be shaking. Nini tensed as there was another round of blaster fire in the distance. Nini rolled her lightsaber in her hand, watching the door carefully and trying to listen to ebb and flow of the music around her. There was a tug and on her robes and she almost yelped in surprise as she spun to find Harpa backing away.

“Sorry,” the Togruta muttered.

Nini shook her head, castigating herself for the fact she’d been so easily startled. Distracted.

“I’m sure Master Allusair will be back soon,” Nini said, sheathing her lightsaber and reaching out a hand towards Harpa. “Whatever this is, the Masters will be onto it. They’ll be fixing it right now. It’ll be fine.”

Nini smiled unconvincingly. In her head the Force wailed playing nothing but strings and brass as if sounding the end of the world.

There was a noise from outside the door and Nini pulled the lightsaber from its sheath, stepping in front of Harpa as she did so.

Master Allusair slipped quietly inside. Her face was pale and Nini’s noise wrinkled at the smell of smoke and blood that accompanied her.

“What’s going on?”

Master Allusair shook her head. “The troopers have turned on us.”

Nini took a step back, shaking her head. “You are mistaken. They have fought next to us for years. They would never-”
“They have.” Master Allusair’s voice was steel.

Nini swallowed hard. “What do we do? If we gather everyone left we can hold the centre tower.”

Allusair shook her head. “They are being led by Master Skywalker.”

Behind her Harpa let out a sob, but Nini just felt numb. She opened her mouth to protest again but Master Allusair took two steps forward and placed her hand on Nini’s shoulders.

“Listen to me Nini. You will take Harpa and you’ll run. Remember when you were a padawan and I showed you the Miraluka tunnels? Use those. Most Jedi do not know. That will get you out of the Temple. Then you run. Run and don’t look back.”

“Master?” Harpa’s voice was quavering. Allusair let go of Nini’s shoulders to drop down in front of her padawan.

“Go with Nini. She will be your Master now. She will guide you. You will follow her.”

“But-” Harpa tried, her voice quavering.

“No, Harpa. Listen to your feelings. You know this is the way.” Master Allusair said, her voice breaking on the last word.

“No.” Nini found her face wet with tears. “We fight together. The three of us. We will not leave you.”
“You will,” Allusair said, climbing back to her feet. “You will because I need to know the two people I am most proud of are safe. You will do it so that I have something to fight for.”
“But the Jedi-” Nini protested.

“The Jedi are its people. You are my people. Take her Nini and run.” Allusair leant forward until their foreheads were touching. “I am very proud of you Nini. That is why I ask this of you and you alone.”

Nini stood back and nodded. She took Harpa’s hand, ducked her head towards her Master and slipped through the open door. She paused and looked at her Master who was gripping her lightsaber like it was the last hope. “May the Force be with you Master.”

“And with you,” Master Allusair said with a half smile. “Always.”


13. Escape Destiny (Outrun)

Breathing was hard. The air was full of smoke and screams. Nini pushed Harpa ahead of her, trying to listen to the Force. It was hard when it was nothing but timpani drums turned up so loud she could barely hear her own heart beat, mistaking every thump for the clomp of the trooper’s booted feet on Temple floors.

She pushed Harpa into an alcove and the girl stood trembling and pale, pressing herself against the wall as if she could melt into it. Nini closed her eyes, cursing herself a coward as the music of the Force became nothing but sombre cellos, wailing strings and the ceaseless pounding of drums.

Her fingers searched along the wall, trying to find the little lever her Master had shown her when she’d been a padawan. Part of the Miraluka way of getting around the Temple unseen. Nini wondered how many other Miraluka were using the old pathways to spirit themselves, their family, and Jedi to safety.

The Force wailed and Nini knew that how ever many it was, it was not enough to save the Order.

Eventually her fingers found the catch and she pulled at, desperately. The screams were louder and closer now. Harpa clutched at her, pushing her just as the door slid silently aside. The two tumbled into the darkened passageway. For a few seconds she lay panting in the semi-darkness. Nini bit back a sneeze, as she pulled herself to her knees. Beneath her the dust was thick with age and her movements stirred clouds of it into the air. She could hear a rattle of fear from Harpa before the girl quickly quashed it.

“We’ll stay here until they pass, then we move. We have to get out of the Temple.” Nini whispered.

She didn’t wait for a response, crawling towards the still slightly open door to slide it gently closed. It was almost there when the first trooper walked past. Nini froze watching them march past in neat rows. In their middle strode a tall, imposing figure black cloak swirling through the air behind him.

He paused mid-step and Nini crouched in the dark, as the music screamed and bellowed with nothing but anger and hatred. For a few seconds she saw the face of Master Skywalker, with yellow eyes and an expression that held so much anger that it took Nini’s breath away.

Then he was gone. Nini closed the door gently and scrambled back to find Harpa. The two girls turned and made their way further into the dark and dust, weeping as the Temple burned and the music of the Force sung of nothing but death and destruction.


14. No one (Withdraw)

“Will we be safe?” Harpa asked, biting her nails. Nini sighed, resisting the urge to slap Harpa’s hand so she would stop. She knew it wouldn’t work. Harpa would pause only for a minute or two before going back to chewing on her finger-nails again. Nini couldn’t remember Harpa doing it before the Temple fell, but now it was almost constant.

“We will be safe,” Nini said reassuringly. She glanced around the run-down city and grimaced. The Force was quieter out here, the melody soft and gentle. Occasionally there was still the distant rumble of timpanis or the sharp and jagged violin that signalled a Jedi was dying, but those had lessened as the weeks went on.

Three weeks they’d made it. Three weeks of hiding and running, trying to get further and further away from the Temple. Three weeks of never letting her guard down, of never being distracted. Nini didn’t quite know where she was heading anymore. Every waking thought was full of questions - where would they get their next meal, would they be recognised, how could they get aboard the next ship, would they be recognised as Jedi?

That last question still threw her. The tunics and tabards had gone early; the tan and white replaced by what they’d managed to steal on the lower levels of Coruscant. That had been replaced again in the next world and then again in the next.

Sometimes Nini wondered what kind of Jedi she’d become if she lived on her wits and what she could steal - but then she remembered there were no such things as Jedi anymore. She didn’t know what she was now. Something that lived with the constant fear of getting caught, or killed, or letting down her old Master.

“I’m hungry,” Harpa said, and Nini glanced down at her trying to plaster a smile on her face she didn’t feel.

“I thought you’d be full after eating the tips of your fingers,” she said teasing. The Togruta’s face crumpled momentarily and Nini winced. Harpa cried herself to sleep most nights, as Nini stroked her head tails and whispered sweet nothings.

Nini only ever cried after Harpa fell asleep.

“Can you see the table?” Nini asked, trying to find something else to focus on. Ahead of them a rather rotund Aqualish was putting the final touches on a stall of fruit.

“Yes, Ma-Yes Nini,” Harper replied.

Nini winced at the almost mistake in Harpa’s speech. There were more troopers around in this world and Nini found herself freezing every time she spotted the shiny white of their uniforms. She wondered if she’d ever fought alongside any of them. It still hurt to think of her own company turning against the Jedi who had been leading them. Her little troop had saved her life on more than one occasion. It almost hurt to think about Dish or Gynks hunting down Jedi. Nini shook her head to pull herself out of the reverie. This was no time to get distracted.

“You go one side, I’ll distract him. Get at least two pieces of fruit and then make a run for it. Don’t get caught.”

Harpa frowned. “Wouldn’t that make us thieves?”

Nini sighed, wondering where Harpa thought their current mismatched clothing came from. The Force’s melody jangled suddenly, but Nini ignored it, there was no point listening to the Force when you were no longer a Jedi.

“No, it makes us less hungry.”

She saw Harpa about to ask something else and knew it would be something about it going against the code of being a Jedi. Nini shook her head to forestall her. “Just get the fruit. Think of it as practice rather than stealing.”

Harpa nodded and headed off down the street. Nini watched for a minute, wondering how long Harpa would cling to the Jedi ideals. They were no longer Jedi. It would only be when they were caught that they would become something, Nini mused, killed as either Jedi or thieves. Nini wondered which one it would be.


15. Find Family (Partake)

“I think they are watching us,” Harpa said, sinking down lower into her seat. The small diner was crowded with the lunch rush and they’d managed to get enough money together to get a hot lunch. Nini nodded at her charge, hating how nervous Harpa had become. Looking over their shoulders for the last four months had changed them both, but Harpa had almost become paranoid - constantly pointing out people who might be following them.

“Who?”

“The woman in the red coat. I saw her out on the street earlier. She had that big dog thing with her then too.”

Nini nodded and twisted slightly to see the young woman drinking at the far table. Her long, mahogany hair was twisted up on top of her head in a loose bun and her she was alternately eating and feeding the huge dog that sat obediently at her feet, staring at her in adoration.

“Did you see her? I saw her in the marketplace this morning and she was following us yesterday too.”

Nini managed to plaster a smile on her face even as heart sank. Harpa was staring at her with the fixed expression of someone who wasn’t going to let something go.

“I did,” Nini said quietly. “Finish your meal and we’ll find somewhere to lay low for a while.”

Harpa nodded, shovelling food into her mouth. Nini watched her closely, noticing how gaunt the Togruta had become. She thought about her promise to Allusair and bit the inside of her lip. She was failing.

The moment they were finished Nini stood up, leaving a pile of credits on the table. She noticed the young woman didn’t move as she left, seemingly intent on the dog at her feet.

“See?” she whispered to Harpa as they left the diner, “it was nothing. Here and now, little one.”

Harpa shook her head, glanced over shoulder and frowned. “She’s not following us, but they are.”

Nini twisted far enough to see two blonde-haired young men, also dressed in red walking someway behind them. They were laughing and joking.

“People can live their lives, not everyone is hunting us.” Nini whispered. Harpa frowned, her mouth twisting into a grimace.

“They've been following us for weeks," Harpa protested loudly. "You'd know too if you listened to the Fo-” Nini grabbed the girl’s arm with her one good hand to silence her. She’d stopped listening to the Force weeks ago. Its jangling cymbals and the silence where the music of other Jedi had once been was almost maddening by itself. She didn’t need that along with desperation that came with perpetual hunger and lack of sleep.

“This way” Nini said, letting Harpa go momentarily as she turned abruptly into a narrow alleyway. Nini was so focused on getting Harpa to follow her, that she didn’t notice the Troopers until she’d barreled right into the first one.

She caught herself and tried to push past him, knocking his rifle aside, but he grabbed her by the collar of her jacket. She pulled back with all of her strength, but it was no use; the Trooper had her tight in a grip of steel, pushing her against the wall with a knee in her stomach. Nini struggled furiously, trying to free herself, with her one good arm but the Trooper held her tight.

"Show me some identification," he demanded.

"You don't need to see it," Nini said desperately, trying to tap back into the Force that she'd so long ignored. It jangled through her head, a confused symphony of sound.

"Ha," the trooper snorted. He shook her hard. "There have been reports about pickpockets in the area and you fit the description."

"Let go of her," Harpa yelled, her voice high and strained and Nini turned her head to see the Togruta digging into the bag in which they'd stashed their lightsabers. A horrible image of what would happen if the troopers decided to search those bags flashed before her eyes. Nini’s heart sank. Her distraction had cost her once again.

"Harpa run," Nini shouted. The girl took two steps before looking back at her. "Please," Nini added, hoping that somehow the word would mean more than any threat she could give. Harpa's eyes widened and then she turned, dropping the bag. She'd only taken two steps when the twin boys appeared blocking the end of the alleyway. Nini wanted to scream. They must have followed them. She felt dizzy from the loss of air and panic gripped her chest.

They were going to die. She had broken her promise to keep Harpa safe.

"Hey! Get away from my sister!" The taller boy yelled, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Nini looked at him blankly, feeling numb. Her mind was racing.

"Doesn't look like your sister," the Trooper sneered.

The boy grinned at them. "Not yet, but my Family is good at taking care of its own."

Nini blinked rapidly in confusion.

“Leave it boy.” The Trooper’s voice was a snarl.

“Nope, we promised our mum we’d bring them home.”

Nini flinched as the sound of blasters filled her ears. She closed her eyes, waiting for death to take her. But nothing happened.

Instead she heard footsteps and felt a hand on her shoulder. When she opened her eyes one of the young men was grinning at her, his chip-toothed smile one of delight. At her feet lay the body of the Trooper.

"We've gotta get out of here," the boy said. At the end of the alley Nini could see the other boy. Beside him stood the young lady and her dog. She seemed to be talking to Harpa, who was smiling at her in a way that Nini hadn’t seen for weeks.

"Who are you?" Nini asked, her head aching. The Force rattled and hummed around her again, filled with the solid and comforting sounds of cellos and flutes. It’s soothing lullaby told her to trust and she was finally safe.

"I'm Kei, that's my brother Taro and my sister Zallie. We're family," the boy said. "And our mum is really, really keen to meet you."

 

Excellent action and rescue

 

Great to see them escaping and getting a new family

 

Thank you A bit of fun to write even though it kind of destroyed the whole concept of 100 words each!

Thanks I went back and edited it to show exactly which Family that Nini and Harpa have found themselves a part of!

 

This week's ones are all about people's favourite places within the Temple.

*****

16. Unlost (Breeze)


Tara blew the dust off one of the old tomes at the back of the archive and studied the spine again. Written in faded, gold script was the unimaginative title: “Edible Vegetation of Tatooine”. She sat back on her haunches and grinned in contentment. The smell of the ancient manuscripts, the way the sunlight streamed through the slow-moving pillars of dust and the idea that beneath her fingertips lay the knowledge of the universe made this her favourite place.

“That is your choice?” The amusement in Master Dor’s voice was almost palpable.

Tara looked up at him and grinned. “We are going to Tatooine, so I figure that it’s appropriate. You never know when you’ll get us lost again.”

Master Dor made a face. “When do I get lost?”

“On the last three missions,” Tara said standing up. She gathered the rest of the books and holos she’d discovered.

“Are they all on Tatooine?” Master Dor asked looking at the pile. “Do you expect us to get lost again?”

“Of course, Master.” Tara said, frowning slightly. “These are so that after you get us lost, you can get us unlost too.”


17. Maths Avoidant (Idyll)

This was his favourite place. The grey dura-steel walls, the concrete floor with its oil spills and paint droplets, the hum of the engines and the clunk of tools settled him in a way that nothing else could.

“Back so soon Skywalker? Does your Master know you come down here?”

The voice rang out across the mechanic bay. Several other mechanics looked up, wiping their hands on their overalls.

Anakin grinned, smoothing his still growing padawan braid. “I want to check how the convertor went after that last run.”

“Well if you worked on it,” Dalt, the mechanic bay’s head mechanic, said as walked over. “Although, I’d like to know which class you’re missing to do this.”

“Maths.”

Anakin winced as Master Kenobi pushed himself off one of the other ships. He should have figured that his Master would eventually cotton on to where he was going.

“Maths,” Obi-wan repeated, “for the fourth time this week. Master Delfig is starting to think you don’t like his class.”

“I figure this is better than text-book maths,” Anakin said as he ran his fingers over the side of the ship. It seemed to hum in response. “More practical.”

“The boy is good,” Dalt said, putting his hand on the ship’s nose cone. Anakin wondered if the gnarled mechanic could feel the way the ship hummed louder under his touch. “And I can make sure he catches up on his maths. It might not be the way that Master Delfig teaches it, but he’ll be good when exam time comes around.”

Obi-wan frowned. “Fine,” he said after a moment and Anakin got the sense that Dalt and his Master had already talked. “But should Master Delfig come to me asking where you are, you two better hide. The one thing he hates more than padawans skipping is their masters lying for them and I do not want to go through what Qui-Gon did."



18. Argumentless (Shade)

“I think this is my favourite place in the Temple, Master.”

“Is that because there are so many plants here, Heilan?”

“I mean, it’s the Room of Waterfalls Master, so plants and water are its thing. Although they’ve recently gotten a new Alderaan Crystal Bells, Master, and I was thinking-”

“Our own quarters does not need more plants, padawan.”

“It’s only one more. I mean we’ve got space.”

“I beg to differ. I would like somewhere to put things down that is not covered in foliage.”

“It’s very small. You would hardly notice.”

“You’ve already gotten it, haven’t you?”

“Yes Master. I potted it this morning.”



19. SoulFix (Balm)

The Force sang.

Kithera twirled, planting her feet as she stopped and brought her blade up to block Master Zahalin’s strike.

This.

This was her favourite place.

The sparring mats were one of the few places in the Temple where she excelled. Around her the Force filled the air with melody. The breathy woodwind of her own, combining with the brass and udu of her Master’s.

The tempo increased and she dodged to avoid a strike to her collarbone. The music hummed, guiding her hands, telling her where to step, how to parry, and when to dodge. Kithera smiled, ignoring the way that sweat was beginning to bead on her body and the sting where a few of Master Zahalin’s blows had landed.

This was bliss.

There was a trill of piccolo and she vaulted, watching the green lightsaber sweep through where her legs had been. She landed, twisting her lightsaber effortlessly through the air to hover just next to Master Zahalin’s neck. Her Master smiled and bobbed her head, an acknowledgement of victory.

“Again?”



20. Sleeper (Linger)

“Up padawan, we’re expected on the training floor on the hour and you know how Master Kenobi hates us to be late.”

Ahsoka Tano rolled over, jamming the pillow over her head. She didn’t want to get up and face the world when the bed, her favourite place, called her name in such sweet, dulcet tones - promising sleep and dreams and not being forced into endless kata drills that Master Kenobi had once described as ‘a robust start to a good day’.

The blanket was tugged down and she grabbed at it hastily, trying to pull it back up and over her. “Five more minutes, please Master?”

“Up Padawan, or I’ll do something terrible,” Anakin said more sternly, but she knew he didn’t mean it. There was a long pause and then her Master sighed. “You have fifteen minutes to be out and dressed or I really will dump cold water on you to get you out of bed.”

Ahsoka mumbled something that sounded like agreement and then lay still until she heard the bedroom door snick closed.

Fifteen minutes meant ten minutes of sleep; twelve if she dressed fast. She grinned and wriggled down into the bed’s embrace.

 

Fun use of the prompts. at the crowded quarters, just busting with greenery

 

All showing the life of the padawans and their different quirks. Loved them

 

Thank you! Definitely inspired by my own house and occasional conversations with my partner.

Thanks Lots of fun to play around with the perspectives of the padawans.

 

This week's drabbles are all about the Dark Side...


21. On the every edge (Astray)

The crowd roared and Governor Crion smiled at his son. “You see Xanatos, all the power that I wield? You do not need to wield a lightsaber to hold power.”

Xanatos nodded and gave a thin lipped smile. His father was right. A Jedi’s power was illusionary, provided by time, tradition and held with the blade of a lightsaber.

He glanced across the happy, smiling masses and something twisted deep inside.

This was real power.

He had been denied it when his father had given him to the Temple, but soon he would reclaim it and make it his own.


22. The way of the Sith (Temerity)


Some may have called it audacious or impudent to strike down the one who had taught you all you knew.

Those people were not Sith.

Sidious had watched his Master gloat over the bodies of his enemies. Watched the red lightsaber cleave the air and slice down into the bodies of those that had stood before them. He’d watched and felt the power of the Dark Side ripple around him, enticing him, whispering to him, promising him the Galaxy if only he stood fast and waited.

He did what it had said and held his ground until the day his Master had let their guard down. Then Sidious’ own blade rippled through the air and struck down his Master just as his Master had done to those that had taught him. Such was the way of the Sith.


23. Offer (Nuance)

“How long have you read about the Sith? How long have you sought out their artefacts? Their ways of knowing and seeing the Force? How long has the Dark Side called you? Taunted you with not just reading about the knowledge but seeing how it worked, how it can make you more powerful than ever before?” High Inquisitor Antinnis Tremayne’s voice was like silk covered steel.

Jedi Master Jerec, straightened himself in his bonds. He could not see the Inquistor, but he could feel the waves of power rolling off the being who stood before him. “The Jedi are gone,” Tremayne said softly. “And so your choices are now limited. Join us and we will allow you to continue seeking knowledge and continue your path towards true understanding of the Force.”

Jerec shuddered, but not with fear or pain. He could feel enough of that eddying off the terrified Jedi who stood around him. One of them was actually sobbing.

//Fools// he thought viciously. //They think I will protect them when before me lies a far greater path than anything the Temple could have offered.”

He made the most graceful bow his bonds would allow and smiled in the direction of the High Inquisitor. “I see,” he said, smiling for the first time since he’d heard of the Temple’s collapse, “that we have much to talk about.”


24. Long lost (Duress)


Angry tears ran down her face.

Sidious was never going to bring her beloved back to her.

Arden Lyn gritted her teeth, feeling the way that the Force gathered like boiling tar beneath her fingertips and stretched senses out. She knew that Xendor was still out there somewhere. Thousands of years might have passed, but her lover was still somewhere in the nether of the Force. Sidious had promised but that had been months ago.

She gritted her teeth. For now she would play the Dark Lord’s game, until he had led her to Xendor or he outlived his usefulness. Either way, she would find him with or without Sidious’ help.


25. She Did (Perception)


Sometimes she wished they would just stop screaming. The sound echoed in her ears, hammered through her skull and echoed in the disjointed music so loudly she could no longer think.

And so she didn’t.

When she closed her eyes she could see their faces, bloody and torn, their bones cracked, their eyes accusing her, hating her, loathing what she had become. They waited until she slept to torment her.

And so she didn’t.

The guilt ate her, clawing at her throat, turning her into nothing but a ball of anger ready to lash out and everyone.

And so she did.

The anger filled every part of her, every waking moment, every action she took. She would let no-one help her. Let no-one see her. Let no-one know what she had become. She would drive them away with her anger. She would make them see her for the monster that she was.

And they did.

 

Jerec, one of the infamous darksiders. And Xanatos, Sidious and Arden Lyn dark thoughts and motivations

 

Thanks for reading @earlybird-obi-wan - definitely was fun looking at the different darksiders!

 

This week's drabble+ are about the animals of the Star Wars Universe...with a surprise at the end

Title: Lineage

26. The Antareous Butterfly (Flutter)


“Master, look!” Davin was staring upwards, watching the hordes of pretty insects fly twisting and spinning through the air. Master Ferindi’s hand landed on his shoulder and he started.

“They are very pretty, padawan, but also very poisonous. Be careful they don’t touch you.”

Master Ferindi turned and walked away. Davin followed after him, the questions tumbling out of his mouth.

“Why do the bugs fly around in the middle of a drought? Do the bugs need water to survive too? Is there something wrong with them? And I don’t see any trees, but that means the bugs are flying over the land. Where are all the people? Why aren’t there trees, or even bushes or grass?”

Master Ferindi turned, a bemused smile on his face. The sunlight reflected off his white hair, making his silver eyes gleam.

“You ask a lot of questions, my Padawan. Perhaps being an archivist will serve you well.”


27. The Blurrg (Rumble)

Somewhere off in the distance there was a deep rumble. Saelyra frowned as she flicked the scanner on. Her fingers rested on the buttons as they flickered and pulsed the information.

“We should get moving, Master,” Saelyra said quietly. She heard Master Dor stop digging.

“I’m five minutes off finding the holocron, Sae. Can’t it wait?”

Saelyra touched the floor of the abandoned temple with her fingertips, feeling the distant tremor.

“I don’t think so Master, something big is coming this way.”

“I’m sure they’ll by-pass us,” he grunted and Saelyra heard something shift in the ground where the Jedi Master had been digging. “Almost go it.”

Saelyra sighed. The rumble was getting louder now, a sound even human ears like Master Dor’s could not ignore. Although, she thought wryly, sometimes her Master’s single-minded focus on ‘retrieving’, as he put it, a valuable lost item came at the price of common sense or physical safety.

“Not sure they will,” Saelyra said just as her Master gave an exclamation of excitement as his prize came free.

The thundering noise filled the cavern and Saelyra wrapped her hand into her Master’s cloak and used the Force to pull both of them hard against the wall.

She smelt the sharp tang of animal sweat mixed in with the dust of the outside plains. The noise and smell filled her senses until she could almost visualise the animals by the stamp of their feet and the way their hides clicked as they moved.

“A herd of Blurrgs,” Master Dor breathed once they animals had passed. “At their speed and size, we were in quite a bit of danger! Why didn’t you say something?”


28. The Charhound (Crackle)

“Don’t pick up the Charhound.”

At the sound of her Master’s voice, Tara’s head snapped up in alarm. Master Dor barely looked up from his book, as he sat leaning back on a comfy chair.

Tara stared at her Master, who paused between pages, his finger marking the place, his feet propped up on the back of a sleeping hound.

She glanced down at the pup in her hands, who stared back at her with curious eyes. Tara gently placed it carefully back on the ground, and scratched between its ears before making sure to put distance between them both. “Why Master?”

The pup sniffed the fading carpet. Its nose wrinkled and it sneezed, blowing a bright jet of flame out of its mouth. Tara skipped back a couple of steps and stared at it in alarm.

From the armchair there was a brief chuckle. “You don’t pick up the charhounds, padawan mine, because it’s a very good way of losing your eyebrows.”


29.The Frog (Splash)

“Monty!” Caelum’s strained whisper crept through the archives. Somewhere amongst the shelves his frog was hiding. He crawled along the floor, peering between books and datapads. “We’ll get into trouble! You know you’re not allowed down here!”

“Initiate DuCrion,” a stern voice made Caelum stagger to his feet. He stood up straight, brushing the black hair from his eyes. At the end of the stacks, was Master Tarindae. Tarindae was regarding him coolly, although it also seemed that her gaze was focused somewhere above his head. Caelum tried to hide his nerves with his brightest smile, even though he knew that Master Tarindae couldn’t see it.

“I believe,” the archivist said, holding out her hand. On it sat a squat blue frog, its orange eyes blinking in the gloom. “That this belongs to you.”



30. The Feoboar Hound (Thump)

Zallie opened her eyes and frowned. The sound of sharp claws clacking on the timber floors were making it impossible for her to concentrate.

“Don’t keep teasing Taz,” she said. “I can’t be held responsible if he gets excited and bites you. He’s still a pup. He should be napping.”

“You should be meditating. A Jedi should not be so easily distracted.” She couldn’t see her Master, but the weave rippled with Taz’s excitement and the overwhelming idea of food.

“A Jedi Master shouldn’t be taunting his apprentice’s feoboar hunter. Not unless he wants to lose fingers,” Zallie shot back.

“Concentrate, oh erstwhile padawan of mine.”

Zallie took a deep breath and closed her eyes again, trying to block out the sound of Taz’s excited yipping or the occasional thump as he landed a jump. She’d almost managed it when there was a crash and the sound of someone swearing.

Zallie bit back an ‘I told you so’ and opened her eyes.

“Perhaps now Master DuCrion, you’ll know just to let sleeping hunters lie.”

 

Loved the blend of curiosity and snark between the Master/Padawans