A long way from home

[Rahvin3]

Ok, this is going to be part one of my attempt at a story. Please note that this will not really be for my character as I do not think that Kaminoans will be in the game, Haha.

Part One:

Alone. Frightened. Elaye sat quivering, wedged in a small gap between two durasteel containers. The docking bay on Corellia was loud and crowded and the apparent confusion intimidated the small, Kaminoan child.

The stormy world of Kamino was seclusive from the rest of galaxy and visits from the outside were rare. So when a freighter happened to come across the planet, the inquisitive three year old Elaye was captured by curiosity and managed to find her way on board. However, when investigating an open smuggling compartment, Elaye knocked the hatch closed, locking herself in. With her presence unknown on the freighter, the Captain soon left Kamino with Elaye stowed on board.

Upon reaching his destination at Corellia, the smuggler found the Kaminoan girl in the hold. Knowing that returning the child to Kamino would result in little profit, he carelessly threw her off the ship in the docking yard to fend for herself.

Now cold, hungry, and frightened Elaye hid, her long and slender limbs shaking and a pale red light reflecting off her bald head. She didn’t know where she was and longed for the familiar smooth perfection of her own home. Time passed and she soon cried herself to sleep.

Elaye woke suddenly as one of the containers providing her with shelter jerked, and then was taken away, leaving her exposed to the rest of the bay. She was soon spotted by some humans working close by. Because Kamino is so seclusive, her race was little known and she sparked much interest in the workers. She stood, pressing herself against the side of the container as they approached.

“Well, this is a pretty little figure we have here isn’t it?” exclaimed one of the men in a coarse voice, resulting in sniggers and laughs from the others.

“Once she grows up a bit she will make a nice little dancer with those legs,” replied another man, who grinned a toothless smile at Elaye. “We could get a very nice price for ‘er on the market.”

Elaye couldn’t understand much of what they were saying, but she knew enough to know that these were not nice men, so she ran to one side to try and get away. Her long legs, stiff from being cramped in the smugglers hold and then in between the containers, gave way after only a few steps. The men laughed and again walk towards her. She stumbled to her feet and again tried to run, this time a man with a heavily scarred face lunged forwards and grabbed her by her arms. She struggled but to no avail. Scared, she screamed “No!!” and tried to push him away. The man was thrown backwards, crashing into a beam behind them. Dazed and confused, Elaye stared at her hands knowing that she had somehow done this, yet also knowing that it should have been impossible. She had felt that push, that power, come from her, but not from her hands. The other men, also confused, now approached the girl cautiously, still greedy for the potential sales price. As they came closer, a cloaked figure landed gracefully on the ground between the dazed girl and the men.

“You will leave this child alone”, a man’s voice said while the figure waved a hand.

“We will the child alone”, each of the men replied, in response.

“You will return to your work” the voice continued.

“We will return to our work”, they answered, as if in a dream.

As the men turned around and walked back to where they were working the cloaked man turned to Elaye. While still afraid, she could ‘feel’ that this man was different, that he was not going to hurt her. As he approached her, Elaye could make out cold, calculating eyes beneath the hood of cloak, but there was no mean or ill will in those eyes, rather care and concern as he took her by the hand and said in a calm voice, “Come child, you are safe now”.

[Rahvin3]

Part Two:

Five years later…

Elaye watched as Kaylar stood at the desk in the centre of the courtyard. The rest of the class also gathered as the small human child concentrated on the stones set before him. One of the stones glowed a dull green as it began to quiver gently.

“Focus on the Force Youngling, fell the presence of the stone in your mind” droned Master Soh Vaugh from across the desk.

Master Vaugh was an old human, with aged skin that seemed like faded parchment. He always droned and many of the younglings considered him to be the most boring teacher at the temple.

The stone quivered more violently and then lifted shakily off the desk. Kaylar slowly moved the stone across and placed it on top of one of the others. The youngling moved onto the next stone, and then the next, gradually stacking them. A sixth stone was placed on the pile, this one glowing a faint orange. Just as Kaylar set it down, the stack collapsed, stones scattering. Kaylar looked down disappointedly, but Master Vaugh spoke,

“Well done child, that is your best attempt yet I think. You just need a little more precision in your balance, some more practice and you will soon stack all twenty.”

Kaylar smiled weakly and turned away from the desk as Master Vaugh dismissed the class.

Elaye began to stand, but was halted as Master Vaugh addressed her,

“Elaye, could you stay behind a moment?”

It was more a command than a question, so Elaye nodded and approached the desk in front of the Master. She was already far taller than him and she felt the desire to sit down again. She spent a lot of her time seated, as her height made her feel uncomfortable. Most of her class did not even come up to her waist.

Master Vaugh gestured at the stones on the table, indicating that he wished for Elaye to try. She focused more fully on the Force, feeling its gentle flow around her. She could sense the tree behind her, felt one of its leaves float to the ground, was aware of thousands of presences of life; of ants making a trail from their nest near the tree to a crack in the wall across the courtyard, of numerous insects living in the ground, going about their lives. All awkwardness dissipated from her, this was her comfort zone. Elaye felt the stones with the Force, taking note of any imperfections in their surfaces. Cracks and chips would upset the balance as she stacked them. She caressed each stone, and they all began to glow in a multitude of colours. She lifted them into the air, and lined them up, one above the other. The stones seemed to be made not to stack, each with only one exact place where it would balance. Elaye held them still focusing on one stone at a time, gradually putting them all in place. Realizing that the slightest breeze would upset the balance and topple the stones, she used the Force to create a column that prevented the movement of air around the pillar. Elaye placed the final stone and smiled as the colours flashed brightly and then joined in one column of white light.

Vaugh merely nodded saying, “I have been asked to inform you that the Council requests your presence immediately after the mid-day meal, I suggest you not be late”, he waited for her to nod before continuing, “Now hurry along, or you will be late for your lesson with Master Garyth.”

Elaye bowed, then quickly left the courtyard. She felt anxious over what the Council wanted with her. Was this about her last prank? But that had been almost a month ago.

Elaye was brought out of her thoughts as she approached one of the temple’s sparring arenas. While she excelled in lessons regarding the Force, Elaye often felt embarrassed in lessons in lightsaber combat. She sighed and then strode through the wide doors. This arena was a large room consisting of several different sparring platforms. Pairs of students practiced on each of these, all under the watchful eye of Master Garyth. Garyth himself nodded at Elaye as she entered and she bowed her head respectably in return.

Elaye spotted Kaylar waiting for her on one of the higher platforms and went up to join him. Kaylar tossed her a training lightsaber and grinned as he ignited his own. Even though he was so young, he seemed to be a natural with the blade.

Elaye mentally reprimanded herself, she continually thought of the rest of the younglings as so much younger than her. She had thought it might have been her height, but she felt more akin to the adults in character than to the children. She had to keep reminding herself that she and Kaylar were both only eights years of age.

The green training lightsaber hummed as Elaye ignited it and faced Kaylar. Although Kaylar only came up to her waist, Elaye found it difficult to block his blue blade as he began attacking. He swung at her chest. She stepped back, only just managing to get her blade there in time. Kaylar immediately adapted to the block, attacking again, low at her knee. Elaye parried this attack easily, and made her own attack, swinging her blade up and then across at Kaylar’s neck. Her lightsaber merely met Kaylar’s with a flash. Kaylar then swung again, hitting Elaye on her left arm. She jumped back as the blade shocked her. Looking down she saw a red welt where the blade had hit, joining the many others she had over her body.

Elaye sighed as she spotted Master Garyth approaching the pair of them. Garyth was a tall Echani, with shoulder length white hair and piercing white eyes.

“Elaye, you still try to see your lessons with the Force and with the blade as separate” remarked Garyth. “You need to use what you learn about the Force, in your training with a lightsaber. You try to fight without using the Force, instead you must rely on the Force to guide your movements.”

Elaye looked down at her boots, not wanting to meet his eye.

“Now try again, this time don’t think with your body, feel with the Force.”

Elaye pretended she was back in a lesson with Master Vaugh. She let herself be surrounded by the eb and flow of the Force. She faced Kaylar as he began to attack again. He swung, and she felt the Force nudge her to block upwards. The two of them sparred back and forth, before Kaylar eventually got in a hit on her thigh. Another welt, but Elaye didn’t really notice. This was the first time she had had any amount of success.

“That was much better,” said Garyth and Elaye beamed.

“It is still not as good as it could be,” stated a hooded Jedi from beside Garyth.

Elaye recognized that soft, calm voice, the cold eyes beneath the hood. “Jared Tokere!” she exclaimed, “It has been a long time since I have seen you. What brings you back to Coruscant?”

“I had some personal matters to attend to,” he replied. “You are progressing well, as I recall the last time I saw you practice you tripped and singed your robes with your own blade.” Jared chuckled seeing Elaye give an embarrassed smile.

Master Garyth laughed, “Maybe you should let her return to her practice then.”

“Wait,” interjected Tokere, “The handle seems to small in your hands…..try this.” Tokere tossed her another training lightsaber.

Without having to worry about trying to hold the handle in both hands, Elaye immediately felt more comfortable. She turned back to face Kaylar again, who was grinning sheepishly. It seemed he remembered the story.

Elaye ignited both blades and drew on the Force. She spun towards Kaylar, lightsabers whirling. Kaylar blocked her again and again. But this felt right. The dual blades felt natural in her hands. For once she was on the offence, and Kaylar was struggling to parry her. He ducked one of her blades, but she swung in with the other and caught him on the side of the neck. Elaye stepped back, smiling at the bright red welt appearing, happy that she had been victorious for once.

Garyth looked at her in surprise. “Why didn’t I think of that?” he muttered. “I think that is enough for today,” He continued, “You two go down for the midday meal, Jared, I would like to see you.”

Elaye and Kaylar bowed as the Master and Knight turned away talking softly. Elaye was still smiling as she and Kaylar left the arena. For the first time she wasn’t embarrassed at how she did.

As they arrived at the dining hall Kaylar ran off to join some of his friends and Elaye was left to get her food. She chose a simple squid salad and sat in the corner. Left to herself she was reminded of the meeting she had with the Council. She began feeling anxious again, worrying over what it could be about. As such, she only finished half the salad before leaving. She headed towards the centre of the Temple, then took the elevator to the top of the centre spire.

Stepping out as the elevator doors opened, the hall outside the Council chambers appeared formal and foreboding. Elaye walked forwards nervously, her foot steps seeming loud in the silence. She approached a set of large doors. She stood before them wondering if she should knock. Just as she raised her hand, the doors swung open, silent on smooth hinges. Elaye hastily lowered her hand and stepped forwards nervously. The Council chamber made her feel small. The room was circular, and in the centre was the symbol of the Jedi order gilded into the floor. Around this, the Jedi Council sat in a semi-circle. Behind them were large windows looking out onto the city below.

Master Zym spoke as Elaye entered, “Ahh Elaye, right on time. We have some matters to discuss.”
Elaye bowed her head, waiting for the Kel Dor Master to continue.

“We have been watching your progress closely. While you have impressive control over the Force, your lessons in lightsaber continue to be…. disappointing. If it was not for that we would have had this meeting far earlier. Nonetheless, the Council has decided to agree to Jared Tokere’s request to take you on as a Padawan Learner.”

Elaye was shocked, she had not expected this. She was too young. Only older students were able to be chosen. She stared at Zym, “But... I…I am too young, Master” she stammered, “I am not ready.”

Zym smiled, “During our observations of your training, we have noted that you appear to mature more rapidly than most other species. We know almost nothing of your people or your home world, but we guess that you will reach maturity at the age of eleven or twelve. It is probably due to this that you have mastered your lessons so well. The report from Master Garyth on today’s dueling lesson convinced us that we made the right choice.”

“Thank you Master” replied Elaye. She didn’t know what to say, she was trying to think about it all. What the Master had said did explain a lot of how she felt older than the other students.

“Soon we shall let you go and so that you may meditate on the Force in the Rotunda Chapel. There you shall commune with the Force, contemplate your future, and seek guidance” stated Master Zym solemnly. “But first we have to discuss a prank you pulled on Jedi Beryn. Something about replacing the macaroni in his Mandalorian Mac and Cheese with jalipi maggots.”