Remembrances (Part III): There be Dragons Here
[Shady Sands Township, Tatooine, Tatoo System, Outer Rim, Present day]
The last of the desert storm had passed and only wisps of sands and some occasional light debris flew by. Vedra-Aayla sat cross legged on a chair just within the entrance to a small abandoned shack on the edge of town. She was oblivious to the sound of the wind or the roar of the shuttles landing in the city beyond. Her eyes stared at the purple crystal pendant around her neck. Her fingers lovingly caressed its smooth surfaces.
"Are you ready, Young One, Vedra?" came a voice.
The young Twi'lek was startled out of her thoughts. Before her stood a tall man in robes of the darkest brown. His face was lined with red tattoos, denoting his Iridonian origins.
"Yes I am Master Malakia," she bowed and replied, "it is good to see you."
The Jedi smiled, " it is good to see you too again, Young One."
He led her from the hut to the awaiting speeder outside and remarked, "I am glad to see you are attired properly." His respect seemed evident.
Vedra blushed and in her mind recalled the previous night. She had gone to much trouble to acquire what she hoped had a vague semblance of Jedi inductee robes she could find. Upon her late night arrival back on Tatooine she hurried to the residence of her old friend Sunila, a virtuoso tailor. Despite the lateness of the hour; the happy reunion ended any talk of inconveniences.
Sunila had been delighted at her friend's good fortune and pledged to help. They settled upon a design that pleased them equally. "Thank you so much Sunila. This is perfect! I owe you one!" she exclaimed. Sunila smiled and congratulated Vedra again. "Nonsense dear, the pleasure was mine." With a giggle, she added, "and best of all I didn't leave you with a beard." Vedra mentally chuckled, still trying to understand what must have been an obscure joke. Her friend was known for those.
"Vedra, listen carefully. Now we begin your training. We are headed to an Ancient Burial Ground first," stated Malakia, again interrupting her train of thought.
They hopped into a battered old AB-01 landspeeder that popped and belched back to life - prompting a sputter of coughs from them both.
Malakia intoned softly, "My apologies young one, it was the best I could do on short notice. This world is not friendly to technology."
The speeder flew out of town and over the dunes, deftly piloted by its skilled Jedi controller. Jedi and learner reminisced of their earlier adventures together. An hour later they reached a steep set of highland defiles prompting a more serious tone from Malakia.
"Jedi Padawans have come here to slay a mighty beast, to fulfill their training
and become Jedi Knights. It is, for some, the final rite of passage to knighthood."
"Is it a test of courage or skill master ?" asked the twi'lek novice.
The Jedi turned his head and firmly added, "it is a test of many things: skill, courage and wisdom. It is also test of character as much as a physical trial, young one. It is through this knowledge of oneself that one can overcome the beast and become a Jedi."
Vedra dipped her head deeply in recognition of the basic truth his words entailed, "I think I understand, master. A Jedi must use all of their skills, training and have faith in the Force. Yet why this particular beast, Master?"
Malakia stopped the speeder just short of the entrance into a deep defile, from which angry resonant bellows were emitted. "A Jedi must kill a Krayt Dragon and retrieve its 'pearl'; it is the stone derived from stones and the bone remains of the beast's victims. They have been polished smooth within its gizzard. They are very rare."
Vedra turned her head around and silently whispered, "I feel something strange here it draws me .. there into that valley."
"Yes, it is the Force you are sensing within yourself, a trait of the Jedi." intoned the Iridonian.
"It is our ability to connect and feel the flow of the Force; especially in places where it is strong. There go to that spot and sense what is within you." Malakia pointed directly into the centre of the valley.
"But master, it lies right alongside the belly of that sleeping Krayt.," Vedra replied, her eyes wide in surprise.
"Do not fear, young one, with the Force as your ally, you will succeed; it will guide your actions, obey your commands and calm the chaos around you," he reassured her. Comforted by the Jedi's words, she slowly approached the sleeping Krayt and mouthed a silent litany "I do not fear, but much danger I see. But I shall go, the Force is with me."
As she approached the spot that she sensed as the heart of the fire in the valley, the great dragon appeared to roar to life. His tail swished rapidly and swooped the young twi'lek and tossed her back toward the valley entrance. Her natural skill and athleticism softened her landing. Malakia made a few rounded arm gestures and the Krayt ran off taking great interest in a noise at the far side of the valley.
Vedra stood up and dusted off her white, but now off colour, robes "I am alright master. But I failed. I did not expect it to awaken."
"You did not fail young one, most who come here sustain some injury," her mentor replied as he beamed, "... you merely learned an important lesson."
"Never wake up a Krayt, master.", the twi'lek chirped sarcastically, " I think I moved to quickly."
Malakia chuckled, "Yes, the force is a subtle thing, it cannot be rushed. You must listen and it will never fail you, and in time you will harness the force to bring calm around you. Come. We must go. There are other places we must see before dusk."
They re-entered their speeder and with the usual liturgy of pops and sparks they set off in a new direction. Vedra became pensive and turned to her master, "Why can so few feel the Force, master?"
"All living things throughout the galaxy contain midi-chlorians." came the reply. "They concentrate where the force is strongest and their presence allows its host to touch the force. The stronger the connection, the more midi-chlorians are present. The precise relationship is not clear. Yet, only those with a high midi-chlorian count are found to be Force sensitive. "
"Is that what is used to determine who will be trained? Did I have a high count?", she asked.
After a pause to turn the speeder into another set of valleys, Malakia continued, "In part, yes. It is a high count indicates that there is potential. But the Jedi Council ultimately decides based on character and other considerations.... Your case though was ... unusual... and now you've started on a very long path."
"The Jedi Council exists?? I thought it was destroyed. " the twi'lek wildly interjected.
Malakia urged his pupil to calmness and explained, "Yes, but it is in the shadows. A group of Jedi have emerged after the battle of Yavin. The Emperor still rules with an iron fist. We are not ready to face him, or his minions yet openly."
After minutes of reflection and a few deep breaths Vedra queried "I am unusual, Master?" She looked at Malakia and cocked her head a bit to right, swinging one of her lekku over her shoulder and awaited his reply.
Malakia shook his head, "I know nothing more than that, it is for the future. Now it is time for the present. We are almost there."
Their journey lasted another half hour, both spent the time in deep thought. Slowly a wave of emotion swept over Vedra. She drew a hand to her chest. "I feel a sharp sense in the Force. It is strong with emotion."
"Young One, what do you feel?" inquired the Jedi.
Vedra described the sensation , "I feel a great sadness, some pain .. but something else ... a great sense of hope. It feels like a strong beating heart in the wilderness master ."
A nod was her reply, "Indeed. Very good. There set us down over that ridge. See there, next to that little hut." "Yes, master," Vedra replied as she brought the craft to a landing. "What is this place; it almost feels familiar."
Malakia sighed and with deep emotional tone explained: "It is the home of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a great Jedi master, a general and a friend to my late master. His force legacy is strong here."
Vedra's eyes lit up, "I have heard that name master, my father spoke of it once."
With another affirmative nod, the Jedi continued "He was strong in the force and in his compassion. He was thought to have died on Utapau, but re-emerged to at our most needful time and gave his life so that the Jedi can re-emerge from the Darkness."
Vedra looked at his quizzingly, "I don't understand master. Was he with the Rebellion?"
"Yes, in a way he was. But his greatest gift to us is not in his life, but in that of another. Rest here a moment and feel the Force and..." From over the ridge merged great roar. As the Zabrak and Twi'lek turned towards the sound the huge horned head of a young krayt dragon emerged. Its head was covered in horns and scars and its fowl breath filled the air with a putrid scent. The Jedi motioned his student to flee, lit his lightsaber, and took a strong defensive stance.
Vedra did not feel fear and drew her combat staff from beneath her robes. She sensed the uneasiness within the beast. Its initial charge scattered them left and right. Vedra rolled away under the beast's clumsy swipe; but her timing was not true. Her head hit a small boulder. The impact rendered her dizzy and disoriented.
The young Krayt was more focused on the Jedi, whose precise strokes had carved sizable chunks of flesh from its body. It roared in pain and anger and charged. Malakia dodged and weaved with great effort and scored a few powerful blows, including a wide cleave in the beast's lower jaw. Crimson blood spewed from the wounded dragon; its attacks were no longer planned but rather moves of crazed desperation. Its voluminous tail swished erratically and hit a large metal crate. The crate flew in a small arc and smashed into the standing speeder nearby, triggering a shower of sparks and a small explosion.
The explosion helped Vedra to focus. She saw that in its angered fury the krayt had almost pinned Malakia to the a nearby stone outcrop. She felt a rush of panic and decided to act. Vedra surged forward, dodging the swirling tail and thrust her electric-imbued polearm into the great beast's ribcage. A shock of green lightning sparked from the wound, but it did little to stop the creature.
The beast turned and its mighty foreleg flung her out many meters; fortunately onto a sandy dune - leaving her in dazed and in obvious pain.
The lull in the krayt's assault seemed perfectly timed. The Jedi saw the beast's head turn and without hesitation thrust his lightsaber into its great horned ear. The beast quivered and let a muffled roar. The noise was a shadow of its former glory. The carcass crashed onto the ground, filling the air with dust.
Vedra loped over and stood next to the stinking remains, "I'm sorry master our speeder is gone and I have foolishly risked myself. "
"Young one it seemed foolish, but the force was with us. You have reached out with your feelings and acted rightly. The Krayt could have killed us and you have shown much courage. I am pleased, and I think you will be a great Jedi one day. Here let me give you some bacta for your leg .. you are hurt."
Vedra applied the bacta lotion to the cut beneath the tear on her trousers. Its sting bit and she grimaced and clenched her teeth. She could sense the healing begin, but she new a scar would remain.
Malakia reached into his tunic and brought out a com-link, "R7. . bring us a transport to the following co-ordinates and upload a map of nearby townships." He turned to the perplexed young twi'lek , "Let us rest at a nearby settlement while the speeder is repaired. On the morrow we shall continue. For we have just begun."
[End of Part III]