Arriving On Sullust

[Nia Siroc]

Six Months Ago....

Sitting in a small side room, Nia clutched her burlap cloth bag. Her eyes were wide as she watched the hustle and bustle of the hangar bay through the view port. It was easily as busy as Bartyn's Landing on a market day, but it had an organized quality the ramshackle settlement would never have. Indeed it was so totally different from what her life had been for the past sixteen years.

For one thing, the lights were artificial and there was a visible ceiling. It was certainly hundreds of meters high but Lamaredd's blue skies seemed to stretch into infinity. Nia swallowed a lump in her throat, forcing herself to stop thinking of the kilometers of soil and stone above her head. The Jedi who'd brought her here assured her that even a massive bombardment wouldn't cause a cave-in.

She turned her thoughts back to the journey here and the amazement she felt as she saw the stars for the first time. The vastness of space was like the oceans of her home planet except it didn't actually end, so far as the Jedi had told her. It felt so free, so far away from her cares, and she'd forgotten the terrible homesick feeling for those days. Loneliness crashed into her and she let out a long sigh as she rested her forehead on the rough cloth of her satchel.

The young woman's Mon Calamari friend, for she surely was as close to one as Nia had here, had brought them in for a landing within the underground hangar bay. At first, the sheer size of the domed Temple had made her eyes widen in wonder. Then on realizing they were going under, her wonder turned to fear. The female Jedi had felt her fear and turned her bulbous eyes on her young charge, giving her reassurance.

Of course, the purpose of the predominantly underground structures had been explained to her during the journey. But it really hadn't sunk in until they'd descended into the toxic gas clouds of the atmosphere. Understanding things hadn't made it any easier to accept, of course. They'd arrived and landed within a side hangar and quickly descended the boarding ramp down on to the durasteel deck below.

Then, unexpectedly, the Mon Calamari quickly explained that she'd had to go. Duties off-world pressed her to not stay for very long. With an appology and a reassuring hug, Nia was told someone would come for her. Then, confused and lonely, a military person had directed her to go to a side waiting room because she was in the way.

That was...thirty minutes ago? She looked up at the wall chrono and saw that it had been longer now. Nia sighed and wished she could be home.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Nia Siroc"]

"You know, I never really like being underground either," a soft baritone voice called from the doorway. Jedi Master Voidstalker was standing there, dressed in his full robes. Lines across his face were deeper than they had been when he rejoined the Order a few years ago; the streaks of grey in his hair had become more predominant.

As he stepped inside he nonchalantly waved one had to his side. "Sorry, it's all too easy to pick up background thoughts when they're so loud. I'm Master Voidstalker, or Jacen. We need to have a little talk, but if you'd like you can drop off your things and we can go back up to the gardens on the dome. The sun will be setting over the obsidian mountain ranges soon, always worth watching."

 

[Nia Siroc]

Nia's head snapped up when she heard a man's voice. She blinked with surprise and her mouth worked soundlessly before she realized that, as a Jedi, he could probably read her thoughts. From what she'd heard, they could do a lot more than that. Studying him for a moment, she felt the same kind of sensation coming from him as the Mon Calamari who had found her.

She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. "I only have this," she said as she held up the bag. Suddenly, Nia felt a little embarrassed, dressed in her threadbare sleeveless shirt and shorts. His robes looked distinguished and noble. She was just a poor fisherman's daughter from the back end of nowhere.

Standing up, she followed the older man. "What do we need to talk about?," she verbalized her thoughts after a few minutes of walking in silence.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Nia Siroc"]

“Anything you want,” Jacen replied quickly. “Any questions you might have about this place, the Order, your training,” he expanded. A group of trainees ahead of them split into two groups and flowed around them, each giving a deferential node towards the master.

The pair walked through the smooth tunnel that had been bored out of the rock. Jacen slowed as they approached a set of doors to one of the elevator shafts. Three sets of doors slid open before them. There was always a risk, however minor, that a shaft could be flooded with magma so the connections were sealed against a breach.

“Regardless, I’ll explain what the next few months might be like for you here,” he said as he pressed a button to take them all the way up through into the biome above the surface.

 

[Nia Siroc]

With the man being a good 30 centimeters taller, she had to look up at him as he spoke. Most beings were bigger than her but rarely by that much. She shrugged, not knowing exactly how to express what she was thinking. The young woman felt a little foolish as she remembered all the stories of Jedi heroes in the past.

As the elevator began to shoot up the shaft, she decided to say what she was thinking. She'd probably end up looking stupid but she went with it. He'd asked for her questions after all. "How long," she started as she looked up "Before I can do what you do?," she gestured to his lightsaber hilt. A part of her did feel stupid but there was a small seed of hope and excitement too.

Maybe she could be a Jedi Knight too, going back home to help the people of her village. Sometimes she'd thought about that as they'd floated on the ocean while waiting for another shoal. Nia had let her mind wander into the stars during those private moments. She'd imagined what the worlds the Jedi heroes had been on were like. Now she was on one of those worlds and it both terrified and thrilled her.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Nia Siroc"]

"Hmm," Jacen considered that one. Blunt, but a question he himself had considered often. When he had been a student his mentors had given him increasingly cryptic answers. Frankly, he didn't feel he had the mystic air to reply in such a manner.

"It depends. The younger ones tend to be a little easier to train if I'm honest. Give a child a pair of skies and tell then to get down the mountain and they just got for it. Give them to an adult and they worry about staying on their feet and how they're going to complete the task. Then they fall over."

The lift slowly rapidly as it approached the surface. Jacen squinted against the light as the doors slid open. "Probably a month or so of good training before you can spar with a training saber. Longer before we let you use the real thing."

 

[Nia Siroc]

Nia nodded slowly as she digested the answer. It was true children picked things up quickly with their simpler view upon the world. They lacked understanding of the bigger picture just as she herself had once. But then, life as a fisherman on Lamaredd did make you grow up quickly in a world where every pair of hands that couldn't work to provide food were a liability.

An adult had responsibilities, understood consequences for their actions. One complication after another, a constant struggle to simply make it through another day. No, it really was better to be a child, happy in their not understanding fully. Her eyes had unfocused as she thought about it and she snapped back to reality.

"I see," she said quietly "And how long for the Force. Do you ever really understand it?"

Her Mon Calamari friend had spoken to her about it in a very general way during the journey. It felt immense, a mystery as old as the galaxy itself. It filled her with wonder and excitement as her friend had taken her through a few basic exercises. But it scared her too because it felt like a massive wave that could sweep her away on a whim.

Behind Voidstalker, she could see the noxious yellow clouds of the open skies above the underground now. Despite the immense dome being there it was much less stress on her mind. She let out a long breath that she'd been unaware of holding. Blinking, she looked to the older man.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Nia Siroc"]

Through those hazy yellow cloud, Jacen could still make out the obsidian peaks on the horizon. The biome was nestled in a large flat area that was fully encircled by mountains.

"Now that is a loaded question," Jacen replied. He met her gaze and smiled. "I doubt many Jedi have ever really claimed to fully understand the Force. It's not there to be understood. It connects all living beings, you can feel it ebb and flow. If you can silence your thoughts you can hear it guide you. But never think it's there to be controlled, or bent to your will. We serve the light, but it is never difficult to stray into the dark."

The temple had many who were not Jedi. Almost a city in its own right. Many walked the streets as evening crept upon them. Jacen picked a path to meander down towards the gardens.

"I do hope the next questions are easier," he said in a lighthearted tone.

 

[Nia Siroc]

The mountains all around them amazed Nia with their sheer size. On Lamaredd, there was nothing even close on the landmasses. Everything was so much bigger outside her home and that seemed to include the Force. There it was just something to help find the sea life that fed them and help predict the storms that would come. Here, it was an endless living thing that was both Light and Dark.

As she looked back over at the man, she realized that few of her questions would be simple. Nothing would be simple anymore with all of it's choices full of consequences she might not ever understand. It sounded like the ocean, did the Force, neither good or bad. It simply was and you rode on it. Life or death, it could feed you and it could drag you into it's depth forever.

"Why is the Dark Side wrong if the Force isn't good or bad?"

Though she had been a poor fisherman's daughter, she wasn't stupid. Some of the rich beings in Bartyn's Landing had thought so when they saw her worn clothing on market days. They'd sneered at her in their fine garments, all the executives and managers, self-important as they were. That had been her life, and on reflection, it made her angry even still.

They'd also thought she was a young boy but that didn't bother her. She'd had no interest in being a mother or a housewife, playing with dolls and wearing skirts and dresses. Nia had resented that life too, fearing that it would be forced on her no matter her skill or how hard she worked. Though she missed her family and friends, part of her was glad she'd left that all behind. It was a guilty thought for one who'd always been taught to put the family ahead of the person.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Nia Siroc"]

"You know I wasn't being sarcastic when I asked for an easier question?" Jacen asked rhetorically. Silence reigned as he turned aside down a street. The buildings became more sparse as eventually they reached the wide, open gardens. Many padawans were sat alone in the short grass in contemplation.

"Try and bend the Force to your will for personal gain, fuel your power with your emotions and you will start to feel the call of the dark side. Power comes easily to those who take that path but at a cost. Many don't even realise until it's too late.

"Is it the person who has fallen on their own, or does their lack of willpower leave them open to the call of the Dark? I don't know. It is a constant risk.

"Put aside all emotion when you call on the Force as your ally and use it only to help those in need. That's the best advice I can give you."

 

[Nia Siroc]

Nodding dubiously, Nia examined the plants as Voidstalker led them around the gardens under the dome. She wasn't specifically sure what was wrong with the Dark side, but she'd just arrived. No doubt they'd explain it in more detail to her later. For now, the various trees and other flora were proving interesting. Lamaredd lacked the sheer variety on display even here.

If he wanted simpler questions, she had those too. There was the whole thing of when she would be getting started. Also, what kind of things would they teach her and would she have any choices. She asked him that.

"So, when do I get started learning?," she asked in her simple and direct way, for the young woman had never been one for flowery language. "Also, what kind of things will I be taught. Besides that."

She gestured back to the Jedi's signature weapon. It was something exciting because there was nothing more closely associated with the Jedi Knights. If she didn't really show any of the excitement she felt it was mainly because her head was still spinning. Plus the homesick feeling and the pangs of guilt.

Nia had thought about having one in her daydreams, her private moments of respite away from the drudgery of another day. She'd also thought about travelling out among the stars as she lay on the ground, staring up at the night skies. At that time, even a sixteen year old Nia had known those things weren't going to happen. But she could dream.

But then the dreams came to life only days ago and part of her was certain she'd be waking up before the dawn to begin another day of work. Maybe she would wake up and maybe this was really happening.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Nia Siroc"]

If Nia was used to staring up at the sky on her home world, she might be pleasantly surprised, or perhaps homesick, to see how different the night sky was in a different part of the Galaxy.

Jacen came to a halt and gestured towards a patch of turf, before dropping to his knees. He then rocked back and sat cross-legged with his hands on his knees.

"I think we've already started your learning, in a way. Now is a good a time as any," he replied. "First lesson is almost always about the perils of the dark side. Start to use the Force for personal gain and it's a spiral until nothing matters to you but your own goals. Not friends, not family. So, the usual warnings done, let's see...

"We tend to start with trying to help you perceive the Force. Not an easy task at all. Gradually we work with you, either one to one sessions or more frequently in groups with other padawans at a similar level to teach you how to affect the world through the Force.

"We will, of course, move onto how to use the lightsaber. Self control comes first however. So unless you had any particular plans, we could start now?"

 

[Nia Siroc]

Nia followed Voidstalker's example, carefully kneeling and sitting back on her heels. She was surprised at how quickly he'd been willing to teach her. Excited too and, for the moment, that excitement overshadowed all the other feelings. The perils of the Dark side, of something that would consume you until you couldn't even recognize yourself anymore.

Eagerness flashed in her eyes and she nodded. "I don't have anywhere else to go," she said simply. It didn't matter to her exactly what they learned. Touching the Force might be a hard thing but she was ready to give her best effort.

Like many apprentices, Nia was especially interested in the lightsaber. It seemed that it all came back to the Force however, and so, they would begin there. Even the poor fisherman's daughter with no understanding of this mystic energy could see how important it was. It gave a Jedi their superhuman abilities from the stories she'd heard. Stories about Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jaina Solo and Kyle Katarn.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Nia Siroc"]

"Good," Jacen replied quietly. His eyelids hung low as he took a slow diaphragmatic breath and started to relax his mind. As his awareness of the physical world dulled, the connections between himself and other living creatures bloomed.

“The starting point is to learn to relax. I can sense how eager you are right now. Just sit for a while, take a breath and close your eyes. See how much you can convince your thoughts to be quiet…and I’ll shut up so you can concentrate.”

 

[Nia Siroc]

With a nod, Nia closed her eyes and tried to emulate the Jedi's deep breathing. It was more difficult than it looked with errant thoughts continuing to intrude. The harder the young woman pushed them away, the more they seemed to flood in. With a growl of frustration, Nia's eyes opened and she had to give her head a shake.

Voidstalker remained in calm repose with his steady breathing never faltering. Blowing out her breath, she drew in another before she closed her warm brown eyes once again. In the end, it took a good while for anything to happen. Even then it was only successful for a few minutes at a time before she had to reset her mind.

Apparently becoming a Jedi Knight was much farther down the road than Nia had assumed. The stories never mentioned trying and failing to even meditate. It was embarrassing and it was a good thing that there was only Jacen Voidstalker here. Somehow it wasn't as bad because he seemed to truly understand.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Nia Siroc"]

Jacen opened one eye. He cast it over the newcomer before it darted to take in their surroundings. The sun had dipped behind the mountains now and the sky grew dark. On the eastern horizon the clouds reflected a dull orange glow from some volcanic activity in the distance.

Breaking his vow of silence he spoke to the girl softly: "Do not focus so hard. You're thinking about stopping thinking. Instead just stop thinking altogether. If you can't do that draw up a memory. Something benign, an item you're familiar with that holds no emotional attachment. Try and map out every detail you can recall in your mind. I'll talk you through the rest if you want to go down that path."

 

[Nia Siroc]

It came as no surprise when Voidstalker's advice turned out to work. She brought to mind the memories of many days spent on a small wooden boat, rocking back and forth. The sound of the waves lapping up against the gunwales, the tang of the salt in the air. Warm on her back were the rays of the tropical sun.

There was peace in her mind, real stillness in calm in that memory. It was in those times when she seemed to drift, feeling and not thinking, that she somehow knew where the largest shoals of fish were. On those days where the weather would turn for the worse she could feel that looming somewhere off on the horizon too. It seemed to pulse inside of her in a way she couldn't understand.

Nia began to feel the resonance in such a way. It was there and she didn't really understand why. The feeling was the same though less so here as compared to her home. The young apprentice didn't know it as the Living Force but that's what the mystics that predated even the Jedi Order had named it.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Nia Siroc"]

As detached as she now was from the world of the physical, it was unlikely she would see the smile emerge on his face. She felt different as she let her mind relax. Previously she had felt agitated, the Force reacting to her struggle. Now the flow resumed its regular pattern. Though perhaps not quite, he realised. She was 'listening'. Could she perhaps be coaxed into exploring this world now? It would be a good sign for the future.

"Now stretch out Nia, tell me what you can feel."

 

[Nia Siroc]

Without a word, she stretched her senses at the awareness grew to include not just the plants, but Voidstalker and those others around them. If the plants were a candle then Voidstalker and other others were a bonfire. "I can feel your energy, Master Voidstalker, and the others here," her voice had a disembodied quality as she focused.

"You're much...brighter...than the trees and plants," she continued. Indeed every living thing glowed to some extent in her mind's eyes, the sentient beings of the Jedi most of all. She could pick them apart much more easily than the occasional non-Jedi. It seemed like those who weren't Jedi almost faded into the background.

Nia wondered if it would be the same below or if each being would stand out against the metal. Did the metal itself have any energy within the Force? Did the various bits of technology including the droids?

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Nia Siroc"]

Jacen's train of thought was similar to the eager young padawan's. "It's impressive enough in its own right that you can reach out and actually distinguish individual life forms. Can you sense the rock in the grass? It's a few metres to our left," he spoke quietly. It was likely a bit of a push. She was taking her very first steps in this world and had already shown a great aptitude. Still, it would be good to find where her current limitations were.