Before - Legends ?The One Below? Emerges - H/C, Yaddle, Yoda (2008 Winner Most Underrated!)

Title: "The One Below" Emerges
Author: Alasse_Earfalas
Timeframe: 300 BBY
Characters: Yaddle, Yoda, minor OCs
Genre: H/C
Keywords: Yaddle, Yoda, Koba, "The One Below"
Summary: Yoda helps Yaddle as she struggles to adjust after being trapped and isolated underground on Koba for 194 years.
Notes: This story does NOT follow the timeline that was given in "Yaddle's Tale: The One Below".

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Her green skin baked in the noonday sun. A torn and dirty brown sleeve wiped the sweat from her forehead, while a three digit hand pulled her matted brown hair back and out of her face. Her large ears picked up the near and distant sounds of Kobans working to rebuild their shattered homes and community buildings. The earthquake had devastated all of them, and the recent visit of Kalut hadn?t helped much (except for the fact that he?d been killed).

Her muscles flexed as she lifted a rock that would?ve normally taken five Kobans to even budge. She wished she could just use the Force to lift it, but she had learned soon after she had emerged from her underground prison that those long years of isolation had left her almost completely devoid of what little Force power she had. Fortunately her species had insane amounts of physical strength, and she was able to use that strength to help the Kobans rebuild their broken homes and lives.

She lifted the rectangular-cut rock up over her head, jumped onto the bottom layer of the unfinished wall, and set it down next to its predecessor. This was the start of what would eventually be the new town hall. She would?ve much rather helped with the construction of the individual homes, but this was where her help was needed most, so this was where she worked.

?Yaddle!?

She turned and smiled at the young girl trotting towards her. ?Yes, Mari??

The little blond smiled brightly at her. ?Mister Aaroc wants to see you. He wouldn?t tell me why, but he said it was urgent, and he was smiling, so it must be good.?

?Thank you,? she said kindly as she hopped down from the low stone wall.

?Can I come with you?? Her light blue eyes were big, bright, and shining with innocence.

She chuckled. ?No, Mari. Help your family, you should.?

Her countenance fell for an instant, then brightened as she gave a quick little nod. ?Okay!? She ran off towards her family?s home-in-progress.

Yaddle smiled after her. [i]I wonder what Aaroc wants,[/i] she thought as she walked on bare feet across the hot and barren earth.

She walked through the large door of the Governor?s temporary office. ?Sent for me, you did?? she said respectfully to the tan-skinned human that sat behind a desk that was as tall as she was.

He looked up (or down, rather) and smiled at her. ?I just got a call from the Jedi Council,? he said warmly. ?They have requested that you return to Coruscant. They?re sending a shuttle tomorrow to come pick you up.?

Yaddle sighed. She had been hoping that her escape would never reach the Council?s ears, or at least, not so soon. ?No.?

He gave her a puzzled look. ?No? What do you mean??

?Stay here, I will.? Her voice was quiet, yet resolute. ?Much work to be done here, there is. Abandon you and your people I will not. My help you need, so stay and help you, I will.?

There was silence for a moment. ?What about afterwards?? Aaroc asked. ?You?re going to return to Coruscant as soon as our town is up and running, right??

Her gaze shifted to the floor, her ears falling slightly. ?Probably not.?

He was shocked. ?Why not??

She sighed. ?Only fifteen I was when came here with Master Kut I did. Too little training, I have had. Too old am I to continue my training, and too inexperienced to be knighted.? Her ears dropped a little more. ?No longer is there a place for me in the Jedi Order.?

?But they [i]asked[/i] you to come back!? he insisted. ?Why would they ask you to return if they didn?t have a place for you to go??

?Think they probably do that ready to be knighted, I am,? she said, her voice still soft. ?But know I do that re

 

ohh interesting! More more!

 

Oh wow, that was quick!!!

Thanks!

 

hello,


first of all, do not get me wrong, i love this story

but it could've been written better. choice of words and stuff.
and (this is my objective feeling ) it feels like you need to develope your characters a bit more. i feel like you haven't thought yaddle out yet, but that's just my thought.

thx for the story. hoping to see a sequel

grtz

commander

 

Thanks!!

Don't worry, character development will come. I just wanted to get something out there to start with.

And I actually agree with you on the "it could've been written better" part. Like I said, this was just something quick to get the story started.

Thanks, this exactly is the kind of feedback I'm looking for!!

 

Yaddle rested in the shade of a half-built wall. She tried to meditate, but could never seem to focus. She gave up after a few tries.

It was useless. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn?t use the Force like she used to. It seemed to have drained out of her, drop by drop as the decades went by, and now it was all but gone. The same thing had happened to her memories. Very few of them remained now. The vast majority of those that had remained involved one person, just one person that had managed to stay cemented in her mind.

That one person was Master Yoda.

Of all the people she had missed, of all the people she had cried for during those hard first years, Master Yoda was definitely at the top of the list. He wasn?t just another Jedi Master to her. He was her best friend, the one person she could go to with any problem, the one who seemed to understand her so much better than anyone else. He was her role model, her inspiration, her support, and her comfort. So long, it has been, she thought. Wonder I do if still remembers me, he does?

She broke the crusty ground with one of her claws, and began to play with the loose dust. Her knees had been pulled up to her chest, and her chin rested on them. She felt so alone. She didn?t belong on Koba. Neither did she belong in the Order anymore. She?d become far too weak in the Force to even have so much as a passing thought of being a Jedi. She didn?t want to travel all the way to Coruscant just to fail her test and be sent off to the Agricultural Corps.

She heard the sound of a shuttle landing not far away. Her arms wrapped around her legs, hugging them close to her body, her forehead resting on her knees. They?d sent the shuttle anyway. She had specifically said that she was not going back to Coruscant, and they still sent the shuttle to pick her up, as if the presence of that shuttle would somehow change her mind. Someone would come looking for her soon. She hoped they wouldn?t find her.

***

Yoda stepped off the shuttle, inhaling the air of a new world. It reminded him of the adventuring days of his youth. A tall, tan-skinned human approached him, an almost sad look on his face. ?Greetings,? he said with a respectful nod. ?I am Aaroc, the governor of this town.?

?An honor to meet you it is, Governor Aaroc,? Yoda replied with the same tone of respect. ?Master Yoda I am, of the Jedi Order. Yoda, you may call me.?

?The honor is mine, Yoda.? Aaroc?s countenance fell slightly. ?I assume you have come to take Yaddle back to Coruscant??

?Mmm, not yet,? he said, a smile on his face. ?Speak with her first, I must.? He stepped off the ramp.

?I wish I could tell you where she was,? he apologized, ?but none of us have seen her since yesterday.?

Yoda chuckled lightly. ?Apologize you need not, Governor. Expecting this, I was.? He looked up at him. ?Find her on my own, I will.?

?Very well,? he replied courteously. ?If you should need anything, please don?t hesitate to ask.?

?Thank you, Governor.? He started walking towards the town, his heart aching at the devastation he saw. Help, these people need, he thought sadly. But first, time for a long-awaited reunion, it is. He reached out with the Force, locating Yaddle?s presence. He strolled towards her location, the many memories he had of her surfacing in his mind.

He remembered how tiny she?d been when she first came to the Order, 209 years ago. He remembered how he had been the only one who could calm her when she cried, the only person she would let feed her. She had been like a daughter to him. He was the one who had taught her to walk and to speak (which was why she had inherited his ?backwards talk?, as he?d heard it put). He had even weaned and potty-trained her. Never had he been so involved in a youngling?s life as he had been in hers.

Countless times had she come to him for advice and comfort, even after Plovin Kut had taken her as his Padawan. He remembered how much she had pushed herself in her training. She was one of (if not the

 

hey,

the story is going the right direction i think
i loved when yoda saw her and they talked. very emotional.

about the english it's gotten better, but do try not to use the same words, it gets boring ( look at the memory part of yoda. always he remembered and stuff. no need for that. just write in the past sence and it's ok. or write " yoda blinked away a tear when he thought of yaddle laughing." this is bad written, but you get the picture )

you've worked out the characters too. i never had the feeling "that would yoda or yaddle never do " only look out with what you make yoda do. he already exists, so you need to play his game.

for the sequel, if it's in coruscant i'd make her regain her powers by confronting her past. why did she loose her powers, how can she regain it, ... all questions you need to ask yourself just a tip

really looking forward to a sequel.

thx for the story

grzt

commander

 

awwwwwwwwwwwwww

 

Wonderful new story.

?Then a Jedi, you will be.? He let his hands drop from her shoulders. ?Send me here the Council did not, Yaddle. Of my own accord, I came. Help you I will to recover the strength and skills that lost, you have. When ready you are, and when rebuilt this town has been, then to Coruscant we will return, and knighted, you will be.?

Yaddle could hardly believe her hears. She threw her arms around him, the tears starting all over again. ?Thank you, Master Yoda,? she said through grateful tears. ?Thank you so much.?

Poor Yaddle, feeling so lost and torn. It's good to see that Yoda will be there to help her every step of the way. Great story.

 

Yaddle stood shaking at the edge of her former prison. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She couldn?t believe what Master Yoda had just asked her to do. As she peered into the darkness, she could feel the fear surfacing again in her mind. She tried to shut it out, tried to hide it, knowing Yoda could see it.

?No.?

She gave him a puzzled look. ?What??

?Bury your emotions, do not.? His voice was calm and instructive. ?If hide them from me you do, hide them from yourself, you will. The way of a Jedi, this is not. Recognize and acknowledge their emotions, a Jedi does. But allow these emotions to control them, they do not. Instead, a Jedi lets go of their emotions. Bury them they do not. Hide them they do not. Let go of them, they do.? He paused for a moment, kindness filling his face. ?Much time and many steps it will take, for you to do this. Hard for you this will be, because of the trauma you have faced. But possible, it is.?

Yaddle turned her gaze back to the deep blackness of the pit in front of her. The long shadows that were cast by the setting sun made it seem all the more ominous. ?Many steps, you say it will take,? she said quietly, her voice lightly quivering. ?The first step, what is??

Yoda smiled. Flickers of the Yaddle he once knew were beginning to show. ?To feel.?

Yaddle suddenly realized why Yoda had given her this task. Returning to her prison, going back into that darkness that had claimed her for almost two hundred years, would force her to feel that despair and loneliness again. She realized now that in escaping that prison, she?d been running away from the emotions she?d felt there. She?d never let them go; she?d merely left them there.

Her entire body was trembling as she stepped closer to the edge. She didn?t want to go back. She was afraid, though she knew her fears were unfounded. Master Yoda would be with her this time. But somehow, it still felt the same. Her fear glued her feet to the ground. She couldn?t do it. She just couldn?t-

She suddenly felt herself being shoved into the pit. Her body tumbled down the steep pile of rocks that had lead to her escape, then crashed on the hard, cold ground. Memories flooded her mind. The mocking guards, the sound of the rocks as they were piled over the hole to keep her trapped, the cold chill of the still air. They were all so clear and vivid. Tears began to flow. The despairing heartbreak of being trapped and isolated choked her heart.

Yoda hopped into the hole behind her. The Force push he?d given her served two purposes. First, it actually got her into the pit. Second, it recreated what he assumed had happened the first time. He felt the chill of the air as his feet landed on the cold earth. He turned, using the Force to lift the stairway of rocks up and out of the hole, then carefully arranged them to cover the pit again. He had already informed Aaroc that he was going to do this, who had in turn informed the rest of the Kobans.

He turned towards Yaddle. She was on her hands and knees, crying. It hurt him to see her like this, but he knew from experience that this was the best way to help her get past her fears and pain.

He felt a chill. It wasn?t just the chill of the air, either. There was something strange about this place. It felt almost like there was a very faint vacuum of Force energy.

He stared off into the infinite blackness of the caves that sprouted from the pit. ?How much exploring, have you done?? he asked quietly.

Yaddle came to her knees. Hearing Yoda?s voice had somehow calmed her. The fear and pain of being trapped and alone were slowly thawing and dripping off of her frozen heart. ?Not much. If too far from this section I went, lose sight of the light and lost my way, I would have.?

She heard a sound that she hadn?t heard since Plovin Kut had been killed, almost two hundred years ago. It was the sharp sizzling, then light hum of an igniting lightsaber. She turned to see the bright green glow of Master Yoda?s lightsaber reflecting off his

 

Poor Yaddle for having such terrible memories resurface. At least Yoda's there to help her. Wonderful update!

 

This story is awesome!! I think you're doing a great job developing the characters, and you have an excellent plot. Keep up the good work

 

Special thanks to NYCitygurl for betaing!

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[i]?You are not allowed to take her as your Padawan.?

He stood there, almost glaring at the Council. ?Why not??

?You have become too attached to her. You must separate yourself from her if you are to sever that attachment.?

In all four hundred years of his life, he had never been so frustrated and angry. They didn?t understand. All of their species were common throughout the galaxy. His was rare. [b]Very[/b] rare. Yaddle was the only member of his race he?d seen since he was a small boy. In [b]four hundred years[/b].

They didn?t know what it was like. They didn?t understand how lonely it made one feel, to be the only one of their kind that they had seen in centuries.

Didn?t they remember how she had almost died when she was an infant? He was the only person in the entire Order who could properly care for her. The Council had placed her in his complete care because of it. It was true that they had bonded with each other. How could they not? Besides, what difference would it make? It was common knowledge that Masters formed strong bonds with their Padawans. How, [b]why[/b], was this so different?

?Understand your reasoning, I do not,? he said, struggling to suppress his frustration.

The Council was quiet for a moment. ?There is much anger in you,? one of them said flatly.

?More frustration, I would say.? He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, eyeing each member of the Council as he did so. ?How different is my bond with Yaddle than a Master?s bond with their Padawan? What harm would it do if paired with me, she was??

There was silence for a long moment. It was obvious that the Council was trying to come up with an answer that he would accept. Finally one of the senior members spoke. ?You feel like we?re taking her away from you, when she is not yours to take away,? he said wisely.

The bluntness of the statement caught Yoda off guard. His gaze shifted downward as he searched himself. He bit the inside of his lip. It was true.

?Yaddle belongs to the Order, Master Yoda. Not to you. These possessive feelings you have towards her are dangerous. Allowing you to take her as your Padawan would only feed those emotions. [b]That[/b] is why we have forbidden you from doing so.?

Yoda could feel himself trembling. Why was he so angry? ?Thank you,? he said quietly. ?Forgive my frustration and anger. Unnecessary, they were.?

?It is forgiven,? the same senior member said. ?You are dismissed.?[/i]

***

Yoda woke, still trembling from his flashback of a dream. He felt the piece of cloth that was tied around his wrist. Carefully, gently, he ran his free hand along it. His fingers touched the skin of the other wrist that it was tied to. A wave of peace washed over him. It was alright. She was there.

The anger that was inside him had all been swept away by that wave of peace. There was not so much as a speck of that dark emotion in him now. He found this rather interesting. Why had that single touch caused such a great calm in his soul? He smiled. That didn?t really matter right now.

What [i]really[/i] mattered was his growling stomach.

?Yaddle,? he cooed. ?Wake up, Yaddle. Time to start a new day, it is.?

Had it not been so dark, Yoda would?ve seen the peaceful smile that grew on her face. ?Master Yoda,? she whispered, ?A? A good dream, I had??

This made him smile. He wondered how long her sleep had been tormented by nightmares. ?What about?? he asked as he sat up.

?Your Padawan, I was,? she said as she sat up next to him. ?In a meadow we were, and throwing rocks at me with the Force, you were. A game it was. Had to throw the rocks back to you I did, but touch them, I could not. Whoever could clear their side of rocks first was the winner.?

[i]Hmm, interesting game,[/i] Yoda thought. ?Who won??

?I don?t know. Finished we were not when woke me, you did.? She went to pull the hair out of her face, but stopped when she noticed the cloth that was tied around her wrist. ?Why-?

?T

 

Yet another wonderful update!

 

This is great!
I especially like the terentatek reference and fleshing out of Yoda's past. This is also the first time I have ever seen any attention paid to Yaddle as a character, and it is very well done.

 

Hello! First of all, thanks so much to everyone for the FFA nominations! x1,000,000!!!

Because this story qualified in two categories (Most Underrated & Best Non-human), I decided that it was a good idea to continue it. I was experiencing some writer's block/discouragement, but the plotbunnies have returned & I am currently working on the next post.

Just wanted to let everyone know.

 

Yaddle walked along behind Yoda, carrying a good sized stash of meat in a sack that was made from the beast?s hide. The raw terentatek flesh was surprisingly tasty. She and Yoda were both still chewing on a piece of gristle an hour after they?d started off again, just for the taste.

Yaddle had spent the past hour trying to recreate that calm she had felt earlier. She wasn?t afraid anymore, but no matter what she tried, she couldn?t get it to come back. It was a very frustrating ordeal. Finally, she decided to ask for help. ?Master Yoda,? she whined.

He stopped and turned, a humored look on his face. ?Why Yaddle,? he chuckled, ?heard that tone from you I have not, since a youngling, you were.? His voice softened a bit. ?What is it??

She sighed. ?This morning, a strange calm, I felt. Lost it, I did, when the terentatek, we heard. Returned since, it has not.? She lifted her gaze to meet his, a desperate, pleading look on her face. ?How get it to come back, can I??

His ears and eyebrows raised. ?A strange calm, you say??

Yaddle nodded. ?Familiar, it felt, but tell what it was, I could not.?

A grin and a sparkle came onto the Master?s face. ?The Force, you were feeling.? He cut an arrow into the wall.

Yaddle was almost too shocked to speak. ?Certain, are you?? she asked quietly.

Yoda shot an almost offended look at her. ?A Jedi Master for many centuries, I have been. My job to know these things, it is.? He took the piece of gristle out of his mouth and tucked it into an empty pocket on his lightsaber belt, then held another empty pocket open for Yaddle to do the same. ?Sit,? he instructed as he set down his sack of meat and sat cross-legged on the cold earth.

Yaddle followed his instructions. He held out his hands, and she placed hers in his. She watched as he closed his eyes, then took his hint and did the same.

The calm returned almost instantly. Once again she could feel that light tingling in her skin. She realized that Yoda had brought her into a meditative state. She felt as if her soul was barely scraping the surface of a vast ocean. Flashbacks of her childhood came, scenes of her meditating, her soul diving deeper and deeper into the Force. She remembered what it felt like, and oh, how she wanted that feeling to return!

Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled from the trance. She opened her eyes to find Yoda smiling at her. ?Learn to swim in the shallows, you must,? he said wisely, ?before take on deeper waters, you can.?

Yaddle sighed, contemplating his metaphor. ?How know, will I, when ready for the deeper waters, I am??

Yoda chuckled. ?Know, you probably will not. What I am here for, that is.? He stood up, a small grunt escaping from his throat. ?Stay there,? he said as he scanned the area, using his lightsaber as a light source.

Yaddle did as she was told. As she watched Yoda search, she slowly became curious as to what he was looking for. Presently he returned and placed a small stone where he had been sitting. ?That rock,? he said as he sat down under the arrow, ?lift, from where sitting, you are. Your arms and legs, you may not use.?

Yaddle understood perfectly what he meant. She had to use the Force to lift the rock. ?How far?? she asked calmly.

Yoda smiled. ?Until ?stop?, I say.?

Yaddle nodded, her gaze not leaving the rock that lay in front of her. She closed her eyes, returning to that meditative state. She visualized the rock in her mind, then opened her eyes, and focused on it.

For the first time in nearly two hundred years, she felt the Force moving through her. She began channeling it with her mind, her eyes fused to the small grey mass. Soon the rock began to tremble. An amazing calm swept over her. She had moved it. If move it, I can, she thought as an almost stubborn determination seeped into her, lift it, I can.

?Stop.?

Yaddle blinked, then looked at Yoda. ?What??

Yoda opened his eyes. ?Enough for today, that is.?

?But even lift it, I did not!?

?Know you do, that lift it, yo

 

Very nice, Alasse! Such a touching story. Thanks for the PM!

 

Go Yaddle!! Glad she can touch the Force again Nice chapter!

 

Another great post!
Yoda and Yaddle would think raw terentatek tastes good.

 

I love seeing how Yoda is helping Yaddle, fantastic update!

 

Is raw terentatek healthy?
Yoda is total awesomeness.
Hey! Why didn't anybody warn me about his humor!?
I could have not giggled until my buddies looked at me like 'what the heck'.
Really touching.

 

Grateful, am I, to this award, received. To win, I did not expect!

The following people, thank, I must:
LilyHobbitJedi, for cheering me on & being a wonderful fanfic master!
TrulyGhent, also for cheering me on & being an AWESOME general master!!
NYCitygurl, for betaing & reading my stuff!!
All my readers, for reading!!!
All those who nommed & voted for me, for nomming & voting!!
And last, least not, to George Lucas, for ever inventing Star Wars in the first place!!

Promised myself, cry, I would not...

 

You totally deserved it!

 

Nice story. I feel that you have a very good grip on explaning Yoda. Huzzzza to you Alasse_Earfalas.