Private Another Step Into The Light

[Salazar Niminen]

The Last Trial​

A dark room. A naturally dim lit circle. He has been told that it is the Final Trial. He went & stood in the circle. Ready, for whatever may come; but at peace. Just as his master taught him. Relaxed fists. Slow breathes.

Just then, 3 lightsabers ignited in unison around him. Behind him, to his right, Jairdain Ismet, The Grandmaster Of Diplomacy; to his left, Josh Dragovalor, The Grandmaster Of The Saber & in front of him, Errik Nimdok, The Grandmaster Of Knowledge, His Master. The person who guided him in his journey & patiently showed him to rise up from his shortcomings. He could read no emotions in them. As if he was in the most peaceful room in the galaxy. No one spoke a word, when the professor broke the silence.​

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

“Padawan, step forward. Kneel.”

Nimdok kept his expression neutral, though internally he was filled with pride. While he had had many students and proteges as a professor, Salazar was his first apprentice as a Jedi.

Once the Cathar Padawan took the knee, the three Jedi Masters ignited their lightsabers. Jairdain and Josh lowered their blades so that the tips pointed downwards, whereas Nimdok held his over Salazar, hovering it in an arc over his apprentice’s shoulders without touching them. As he made these motions, he spoke again, reciting the ancient words.

“By the right of the Triumvirate, by the will of the Force, Salazar Niminen, I dub thee Jedi Knight of the Silver Order.”

Traditionally, the Master would then shear off the Padawan’s braid with the lightsaber, signifying his promotion. If Salazar had such a braid, Nimdok would remove it just so with a careful flick of his wrist. The braid would fall to the floor, the burned end smoking.

“Rise, Knight Salazar.”

Salazar Niminen

 

[Salazar Niminen]

Nostalgia​

After years of training himself in the ways of the Jedi, for a moment, he finally took some time off for himself. He convinced himself that he had earned it. So he found the highest branch in a nearby Wroshyr Tree & just laid there quietly. Just taking in the chirping of the birds & other melodies from the wildlife around him for a few hours before he could get back to his duty. Afterall, he has already been given his next assignment & he needs to head to the library to prepare for it.

His eyes closed, one leg hanging from the branch while the other tucked underneath the hanging leg & his head resting on his hands folded under it. Just the way he loved to let all his stress go out of his body back on his homeplanet, Cathar. Oh, what a good time he had spent there! The life of the jungle, the hunt, the brotherhood, the morals, his mother. He started to miss his mother. He’s worried of how she is. Afterall, Cathar is now under Imperial control & he doesn’t know the condition of his people under their rule. As a silent tear rolls down from his left eye when he heard a familiar voice clearing his throat behind him. He got startled and after quickly wiping his tears, he sat upright to see his master, Grandmaster Nimdok! “Master. What is it? Are there any new orders?"​

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

After the knighting ceremony, Nimdok couldn’t simply leave Salazar on his own so abruptly. Certainly, it was time to leave the nest, so to speak, but the least he could offer were some parting words.

He spotted the new Knight lounging in a tree outside the Silver Rest compound. Pausing, he tried to rehearse what he would say, but found it difficult to find the right words. No doubt Salazar was expecting some wisdom he had not yet heard before. But lately, Nimdok hadn’t felt all that wise. He’d made mistakes.

At last, he started to approach the tree, clearing his throat to draw Salazar’s attention.

“You don’t have to call me Master anymore,” he replied with a smile. “Salazar, you have been a good apprentice. Even when you were reckless, I knew it was only the eager student in you, full of enthusiasm and vigor. I think—I know that you will go far so long as you keep that attitude and push forward.”

All that he said was true, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted to impart something more than the usual cliche words of sagely wisdom to his first student.

“The best advice I can offer you is to do what you feel is right. Trust in the Force. Even if all your friends and allies and fellow Jedi seem to stumble away from the right path, you stay on it. Keep fighting the good fight, no matter what. Even to the bitter end.”

Salazar Niminen