The Trial of Courage

[Lilla Syrin]

“No, I don’t think it’s pretty here. With our luck, it’s inhabited solely by droid-eating monsters.”
– C-3P0

Lilla adjusted the restraints on the pilot’s chair and leaned forward, eager for her first glimpse of the fourth moon of Endor. The small shuttle glided smoothly out of hyperspace, and star lines compressed into brilliant points of light – a beautiful sight, but one that could have marked nearly any destination. Then the ship banked sharply to starboard, and a soft green haze bloomed against the darkness of space.

Mist clung to the deeply forested planet, and the slanting rays of the rising sun lent the humid atmosphere a luminous, verdant glow.

The moon held a famous place in history. One which, at the time seemed significant. But as was the case in these matters, subsequent events meant it provided a reprieve, not an end.

At the feathered edge of the galaxy, the moon sat. Its mother planet had long since died of unknown cataclysm and disappeared into unknown realms.

As Lilla looked down, she saw the trees. They stood a thousand feet tall. Their trunks, covered with shaggy, rust bark, rose straight as a pillar, some of them as big around as a house, some thin as a leg. Their foliage was spindly, but lush in colour, scattering the sunlight in delicate blue-green patterns over the forest floor.

Distributed thickly among these ancient giants was the usual array of forest flora – pines of several species, various deciduous forms, variously gnarled and leafy. The groundcover was primarily fern, but so dense in spots as to resemble a gentle green sea that rippled softly in the forest breeze.

This was the entire moon: verdant, primeval, silent. Light filtered through the sheltering branches like golden ichor, as if the very air were alive. It was warm, and it was cool. This was Endor.

And this was the site of Lilla’s first trial.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

The Jedi Trials, also known as the Trials of Knighthood, Jedi rituals, or Jedi ceremonies, were the challenges by which Jedi Padawans are given as pre-requisites for achieving Knighthood, and were sometimes retaken by Knights to earn the rank of Jedi Master. The trials were administered by the Council to any Padawan they deemed worthy of becoming a Jedi. The primary trials were a set of five, and comprised the Trial of Skill, the Trial of Courage, the Trial of the Flesh, the Trial of Spirit, and the Trial of Insight. In addition, the Council sometimes assigned substitute tests or used an exceptionally trying mission in place of the traditional tests.

The Jedi trials had been an integral tradition within the Jedi since its conception. At various times these had become highly informal, administered by a Padawan’s Master and known to be quite either easy, harsh or nigh on impossible.

But Lilla’s Master was of the old school and insisted on the Council’s formalised five tests. And he insisted they take place in the field and not in the sterile environment of the Academy.

The Trials were over once all tests were completed.

Exceptions were sometime made in the passing of the trials, but they were few and far between. In times of turmoil, the trials could be bypassed at the discretion of the Council if the Padawan had shown great skill, courage, or dedication to the Order. In such cases the apprentice was considered to have passed the trials through their various accomplishments, negating the need for formal testing.

But in a time of constant challenge, what constituted turmoil? So Mei, confident that Lilla was progressing in her development, initiated the first of the trials.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

The Trial of Courage.

Courage has always been seen as a vital quality in a Jedi. Because it was important to remain in the dark about what one would face during the test, Lilla had been sent on a mission with only the most basic information about what she was about to do. She had limited knowledge about what she was to find, who she might encounter and what the success criteria were.

In fact, all she had to go on was a set of coordinates. And all she knew for sure was that the mission had the potential to be deadly and extremely challenging.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla wondered briefly what the mission might become.

Endor was known for the vast amount of sentient species it supported, from baseline to exotic. This was largely due to the unusually large number of shipwrecks Endor experienced; it had been compared to a ‘desert island’ in space. She wondered if this might be part of her mission. But she quickly drove such thoughts from her mind. She knew better than to prejudge the situation.

But her mind did drift to the mini-Wookiees that were indigenous to the Forest Moon.

Ewoks.

They were sentient humanoid mammals, averaging about one meter in height. This, apparently, gave them an advantage when trying to hide. Which seemed entirely logical.

Lilla’s mind was brought back to her mission by the Force. Her sensors told her she was close to the coordinates she was initially given, but her Jedi training was a better indicator that she was close to where she needed to be. But, as ever, the Force was enigmatic – at least to Lilla. It shared with her the feeling she needed to focus – but not what she had to concentrate on.

As Lilla identified a clearing ahead, she gazed at the trees in wonder. Having been raised on a desert planet, she had never seen so much green in one place and even holovids did not do the majesty of the trees justice. Up close and personal, their size was awe inspiring, almost over-awing for Lilla.


Once she landed, she quickly disembarked and stood in the clearing, her ship and her own tiny frame dwarfed by trees that seemed to reach to the very edge of space.

Lila had to catch her breath. The gargantuan size of everything made her feel like an insect. She was still gaping like a tourist when the Force tugged again.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla glanced around but saw nothing worthy of her attention. Other than the majesty of her setting.

The morning mist rose off dewy vegetation as the sun broke the horizon over Endor. The lush foliage of the forest's edge had a moist, green odour; in that dawning moment the world was silent, as if holding its breath.

Lilla closed her eyes and relaxed. Meditating, she allowed the Force to flow through her. The sensation relaxed her. Comforted her. It was a familiar sensation and one she had become accustomed to.

The next things to enter her consciousness were sounds. The rustle of leaves, an occasional bird chirp. Forest sounds.

Smells began to fill her nostrils next: humid mossy smells, leafy oxygen smells, the odour of rare flowers.

Next she allowed temperature to waft into her senses. Sun now warmed the fingers of her right hand, while her palm, in shadow, stayed cool. A breeze drafted at the back of her legs. Her left hand, pressed against her stomach, was warm.

She felt...alive.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Things were blurrier here at ground level. Hazy browns and greys in the foreground, becoming progressively brighter and greener in the distance. Slowly, things came into focus.

Slowly, she saw the Ewok.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

A strange, small, furry creature, he stood three feet away and no more than three feet tall. He had large, dark, curious, brownish eyes, and stubby little finger-paws. Completely covered, head to foot, with soft, grey fur, he looked like a child’s doll.

They watched each other, unmoving, for a long minute. The Ewok seemed puzzled by the Jedi; uncertain of what or who she was, or what she intended.

Lilla smiled as reassuringly as she could. The Ewok chose not to respond

Then she held out a hand in friendship. The movement apparently frightened the little fluffball; he rapidly stumbled backward, tripped, and fell.

“Eeeeep!” he squeaked.

The Ewok appraised the scene with his big, shiny eyes, nodded, shook his head, and squeaked vociferously for several more seconds.

Lilla looked all around her at the dense forest, then sat down, with a sigh, on a fallen log. She was now at eyelevel with the Ewok, and they regarded each other.

Lilla suspected they were both a little bewildered, a little unsure.

“Trouble is, I'm not sure why I’m here,” she confided. “Or what to do next.”

She put her head in her hands, partly to mull over the situation, partly to rub some of the stress that was forming in her temples. The Ewok sat down beside her and mimicked her posture exactly – head in paws, elbows on knees – then let out a little sympathetic Ewok sigh.

Lilla laughed appreciatively and scratched the small creature's furry head, between the ears. She didn’t know why she did it, but it felt instinctive. The Ewok purred like a kitten.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

“You wouldn't happen to have a plan? Or know why I’m here?” she asked. She expected no answer – but she hoped maybe talking out loud would give her an idea. The Ewok blinked a few times – but he only gave her a mystified look.

Lilla smiled. “No, perhaps not.”

Suddenly the Ewok froze; his ears twitched, and he sniffed the air. He tilted his head in an attitude of keen attention.

“What is it?” Lilla whispered. Something was obviously amiss. Yet the Force told her nothing was wrong.

As she glanced around she became aware of a tugging at her cloak. The Ewok was on his feet and clearly wanted them to move. She smiled again and nodded, before standing and making it clear she was ready to follow him.

As they moved into the thick flora, the Ewok took the lead. Lilla was unsure at first, but he shrieked urgently at her and tugged her sleeve again. So she relinquished control to the creature and followed dutifully. She was a Jedi after all.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

She checked her senses again but the Force continued to be unforthcoming with information. As she did so, her feet carry her nimbly along among the gargantuan trees. She was struck, suddenly, not by the smallness of the Ewok who guided her, but by her own smallness next to these trees. They were ten thousand years old, some of them, and tall beyond sight. They were temples to the life-force she championed; and they reached out to the rest of the universe. She felt herself part of their greatness, but also dwarfed by it.

And lonely. She felt lonely here, in this forest of giants. The Force connected all things and suddenly, acutely, she felt a very small part of the galaxy. An infinitesimal speck.

Unlike these trees. They were like mighty exclamation points, announcing their own pre-eminence. They were here! They were older than time! They would be here long after Lilla was gone, after the Remnant, after what followed the Remnant.

And then she didn't feel lonely again, but felt a part again. At one and therefore part of these magnificent, poised beings. A part of them across time, and space, connected by the vibrant, vital force.

It was confusing.

A part, and apart. She couldn't grasp it. She felt large and small, brave and timid. She felt like a tiny, creative spark, dancing about in the fires of life...dancing behind a furtive, pudgy midget bear, who kept beckoning her deeper into the woods.

Which was when she almost stepped on him.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

The Ewok was pointing and Lilla had no idea what he was pointing at. He persisted and Lilla shook her head. Then the Ewok took a step to the side and Lilla followed him. Which is when she saw it. A cave.

The Ewok pointed again to the cave and Lilla knew what she must do.

She felt the little hand slip from hers and when she looked down, her guide was gone. Was her ever there, she wondered, or was he a manifestation of the Force?

The Jedi closed her eyes for a few moments and centred herself. She was at one with the Force and felt it flow through her. And once she felt calm and collected, she stepped forwards, towards the cave opening.

Had the Ewok not guided her, she would never have found the entrance. Or maybe she would have, just in a different way? Or maybe the Force would not have allowed her to overlook the Ewok as a guide? Such thoughts were irrelevant now, Lilla mused. For she was here and as her Master had taught her, she should be mindful of the present. The here and now.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

The area around the cave opening was dense. From any other angle it would have been invisible. The opening showed signs of being used. It was only wide enough for one human to walk through and where lichen grew on the stone outcropping the cave was carved into, its edges were smooth, denoting many people had brushed past it over time.

It was cut from solid stone, not a natural phenomenon and the tunnel beyond followed the curve of the wall. The sun behind Lilla sent rays of light down into the passageway.

The air thickened around Lilla’s shoulders as she stepped into the threshold, and she thought she heard a moaning sound, as if from a multitude in pain.

Hieroglyphics appeared on the walls as she progressed – and Lilla stopped to look at them as the light faded. As she did so, a light source caught her eye from somewhere deeper in the tunnel. It attracted her attention and she fought the urge to be curious.

Curiosity was typically the forerunner of folly. Her Master regularly told her that. Often a trap was hidden as an occurrence of interest. She had to be cautious now, even more so that this object had intrigued her.

What could it be? A piece of scrap? A strange bending of the light? An artefact? Indication of another entrance? An actual light source that indicated someone else was there?

Lilla progressed cautiously, using Force Sense and Sight to map out her progress. She was better than the average Padawan now with these abilities. By no means an expert, but her range was decent and she could see through relatively thin obstructions – but not cave walls.

Soon Lilla arrived at a widening of the tunnel. Wide enough to represent a chamber of sorts. She made her way to the area where the light had appeared, and toed a pile of debris. Metal clattered as she searched with her foot.

She knew the object by touch: she knew it intimately by sight: A tool. A very specific tool. One used to repair moisture vaporators. Not something that should appear here of all places. It was identical to the item she’d kept from her days as a slave in the Jundland wastes. Once she’d had confiscated by the governess in the academy in Mos Espa. Where, as a slave of sorts, she’d been trained in the ways of a spy and an assassin.

Anyone could have dropped the device – but something, she wasn’t sure what, caused the Jedi to examine the object more closely. As she turned it toward the faint light that was coming in from behind her, she saw it. Or rather them. Two indentations. Precisely where she’d accidentally scored ‘her’ tool when repairing a particular challenging piece of machinery.

The Jedi felt an odd sensation. In her times as a slave, she’d felt helpless – in no way in control of her life or of her destiny. This was the uncomfortable sensation that had overshadowed her early life. One she’d been determined to leave behind. And yet here she was, the victim of fate once again. Something, or someone, had manipulated her to be in this very place at this very moment. Even if it was the Force, the sense of manipulation made her feel uncomfortable. Frustrated. Angry.

What did the Force want? Having come all this way, from Tatooine via the Jedi Academy? And now, perhaps lacking the ability to go farther?

Had she demonstrated a lack of will? An inability to demonstrate purpose and intent?

And oddly, perversely, part of this doubt strengthened Lilla’s resolve. The tool made a comfortable weight in Lilla’s pocket as she moved forward.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

As she progressed, her senses were heightened – and a thousand impressions flooded her mind. She had initially viewed the Force in the abstract, as something outside of herself. She was connected to it, but she saw all living things connected to it – and she was no more of less relevant than a tree root.

But not any longer.

Now Lilla felt at one with the Force. Not that it elevated her above that tree appendage, but she better understood her role in the galaxy, her place within the cosmos and her position with regards the Force.

It surged within her, as if only barely contained.

It trickled through the pores in her skin, filling each living cell, and displaced any pain or fatigue. She felt light, strong, powerful.

But was that good? Or something to be feared? Did that make her powerful or powerless? Was she a presence for good or just a tool for the Force to wield as it saw fit?

This thought process caused her to question her motives. For the first time in her life, she was unsure of herself. Even as a slave, she knew what to do. Her moral compass guided her and she never felt conflict. Not once. But right here and now she was wavering.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla continued through the tunnel that had been carved from the rock. It led down but every now and then a shaft of light permeated the darkness from above. It was impossible to tell if these were man made or not, but Lilla appreciated the light.

But the light was poor and Lilla’s focus was on the ground, as the footing was not even and once or twice she stumbled as she progressed.

She passed one or two small chambers but they were empty and showed no signs of being used. She was about to give it up as a fool’s errand when she came to a larger chamber. And ahead of her, just visible in the low light, was a lot of dust on the ground.

And in the dust were scuff marks.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

There was a thump as the someone jumped down from wherever they was perched and landed beside Lilla.

The Dark Jedi smiled. His teeth looked like tombstones.

“All things come to an end,” he said, as he activated a saber and waved it near Lilla’s face. She did not yet draw her own weapon and was temporarily mesmerised by the red blade that traced patterns in front of her

The words covered the Dark Jedi’s actions, and suddenly Lilla jumped backward as a second bar of energy blurred past her face. She had been sloppy and not paid sufficient attention to the Dark Jedi’s true intentions. Her Master always reminded her that duelling was nothing like sparring. Here there were no rules. Here there were no warnings.

Lilla was annoyed and a little afraid. The Dark Jedi sensed the emotions and moved forward.

“Perhaps you would like to learn something before you die. The use of two blades, one to support the other, can be traced back thousands of years. The invention of lightsabers has done nothing to lessen the effectiveness of this strategy – as you are about to learn.”

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Actually, thanks to Mei, and her Master’s considerable experience, Lilla was versed in fighting with two blades, which meant she knew how dangerous such a combination could be – and its drawbacks.

The Dark Jedi glanced at Lilla’s belt. “One weapon only?” said a voice said within her head. The Dark Jedi! “What are you? Are you Jedi? Or something less?”

The Dark Jedi advanced. His lightsabers seemed to dance before him. They hummed with barely contained malice and wove intricate patterns in the air. The movements had a hypnotic quality – and for a few moments, Lilla struggled to resist it. Energy sizzled as blade met blade – Lilla had finally activated the saber her Master had loaned her for the mission.

Lilla retreated as the Dark Jedi launched a flurry of blows. The Dark Jedi grinned triumphantly, shuffled forward, and ‘felt’ an additional threat. He spun around.

Lila had Force Pulled some loose rocks as hard as she could – but to no avail. The missiles exploded as the sabers touched them and hurled red-hot bits of rock in every direction.

The rock attack hadn’t inflicted any damage, but it did buy some time. Lilla took advantage of the opportunity by connecting deeply with the Force, pulling at the Dark Jedi’s ankles. But her adversary simply jumped and her attack name to nothing.

Lilla knew that the weaknesses of the two-saber style did not lend themselves to her own strengths. She was not a powerful duellist – but she was practised in defence and had copious amounts of patience. Her tatctic would be the minimise her own energy expenditure and hope the Dark Jedi tired managing two sabers at once. It was not only more physically tiring but mentally demanding too.

Then the voice appeared in her mind once more. “Call on the dark side. Augment your power and strike me down. Use the frustration you feel to feed your anger. Use the fear you’re experiencing to feed your fury. And use this rage to draw on the dark side. With it, you can blast through my defences. You can end this.”

The taunting made no sense to Lilla. Why give her coaching in how to defeat him? What was the Dark Jedi doing? Was it a trap? The words…the words made sense. Total sense. She was a mere Padawan and stood no chance of defeating this Dark Jedi in combat. But with the dark side at her beck and call? She had a chance. More than a chance!

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla dismissed the thoughts. She was a Jedi.

The Dark Jedi was playing with her. Clearly he was worried – which is why he wanted her to change tactics. So she held firm, parrying his blows with the minimum of effort, keeping her blade moving in a textbook Soresu defence.

Yet Lilla could ‘feel’ the darkness gathering around her. It was akin to the time she mediated on Makeb. The Force, the light side of the Force, was being tainted and the power she could draw on was being choked.

Time was running out.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla remained positive and looked for any patterns in the Dark Jedi’s movements. Finally, her patience paid off.

After a particular combination, the dark sider always twirled the hilt he carried in his left hand. Waiting for the pattern to repeat, it did not take long for the Dark Jedi to go to one of his favoured moves.

At the moment he twirled the saber, Lilla Force Pulled it – into her own outstretched palm. She was familiar with the art of fighting with two weapons. Time would tell if the Dark Jedi was as accustomed to fighting with one. Especially against a foe wielding two.

Lilla saw the dark sider’s lips thin. She felt as though she wanted to grin, but resisted the temptation. This was not about winning, or revenge. This was about justice. She was, after all, a Jedi.

“Surrender and I promise you a fair trial.”

The Dark Jedi sneered. “Fair? What know you of fair? No doubt I shall spend my life behind durasteel. Or live my remaining years cut off from the Force. Fair? Unacceptable!”

The dark sider swung his one remaining blade as fast and as furiously as he could. Lilla was used to fighting with one blade and one shoto, but the two blades still felt comfortable in her hands.

She parried and countered, building up speed until the dark sider could only defend, such was the pace of her attacks.

An anguished cry filled the chamber with noise as the Dark Jedi’s remaining saber felt to the ground, his hand still attached to it. The dark sider stared at the cauterised stump that reflected a wrist that once sported the aforementioned hand.

With a roar, he pulled on the dark side. The ferocity almost overwhelmed Lilla and the Force she was drawing on felt oily, blackened. And no sooner had she felt the change than the roof above her came crashing down.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Lilla held the Force Barrier in place. She could hold the rubble at bay, but for how long? Would her air run out before she became too weak to draw on the Force?

She daren’t risk sensing for the Dark Jedi, in case she weakened her Barrier but she had her usual senses and so listened for movement. There was a faint scratching that grew louder. Was the Dark Jedi coming for her? She knew she could do nothing about it and had to wait and see what was coming for her.

A few minutes later, she knew the answer. Small pieces of stone were moving adjacent to her Barrier and then she saw a glimmer of light. It was dim, given she was in a cavern, but it was unmistakeable. As was the sight of fur. Grey fur.

The Ewok continued to clear the debris away and once Lilla was sure she would not be crushed, she allowed the Force Barrier to ebb and stop. Then she crawled out of the space the Ewok had tunnelled for her.

“Thanks,” she said as she sat on the rubble that previously had her pinned down. She scratched the Ewok’s ear absent-mindedly and he purred in appreciation.

She allowed her senses to stretch out and the Force told her there was a body under the rubble near her. Using Force Sight she saw the corpse. The Dark Jedi was dead but still warm.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

“But what was he doing here? And why am I here? Not just to fight him, surely?”

As if her words sparked a thought in the Ewok, he stood up and tugged on Lilla’s sleeve once more. Standing, she realised just how tired and aching she was. On another day she would call on the Force to rejuvenate her. But she’d expended so much Force energy in the last few minutes that she was unable to do more than the most basic of tasks.

Wearily, Lilla put one foot in front of another. “Lead on,” she said as the Ewok headed further into the tunnel.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Approximately ten minutes later, Lilla knew why she was here. Why the dark sider was here. And why her guide was here.

Ahead of her were many, many cages. Perhaps a hundred in total. And each contained Ewoks, of varying ages. Most were cowering at her presence but a few seemed curious, no doubt intrigued to see what the grey furred Ewok was doing.

Lilla fumbled in her pocket and pulled out the tool she’d picked up earlier. Changing the settings on it, she went to work on the first lock. It opened instantly and the door swung open. Not that the Ewoks looked to escape.

“Can’t say I blame you, I wouldn’t trust me either, given where you are.”

Lilla moved to the next cage and beckoned her guide over. Slowly she showed him how to use the tool to open the lock. The Ewok made noises that Lilla took for understanding. Then she handed him the tool and walked away from the cages, sitting against the wall of this particular cavern – doing her best to look unthreatening.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

In an hour, all of the cages were opened and Lilla smiled. One by one the Ewoks emerged, reassured by the grey-furred guide that had freed them. He walked back over to her and hugged her arm, then put the tool back into her pocket.

“Thanks, I needed that,” she said, tickling his fur as he hugged her again. “I guess we’re looking at some form of slave trade. To where and why? I can’t say. But he won’t be coming back and I guess that means my mission here is done.”

One by one the Ewoks came over and hugged Lilla and she returned each and every cuddle. When she was alone with the grey-furred Ewok, Lilla held out a hand. The Ewok took it. “It was a pleasure to meet you, but I sense you want to join your friends.”

The Ewok made noises Lilla interpreted as thank and then her guide mimicked putting his hand in an imaginary pocket. Lilla smiled. He clearly wanted to have the tool as a memento.

“Of course,” she said and fished for it in the pocket of her cloak. Her hand found something but it felt different than before. Larger and an unfamiliar shape. She looked up and saw that the Ewok had gone.

She gazed back at her hand and a look of puzzlement was writ large across her face. She was holding a saber hilt. Not either of the ones the Dark Jedi had wielded. Nor was it the one her Master had loaned her.

It was oddly familiar to her. It was hardly pristine and she wondered how old it was. And how it had ended up in her pocket. Had the Ewok switched it for her tool? Was this the work of the Force?

As ever, Lilla had more questions than answers. And like the cube she once found, she knew she would get to the bottom of the latest mystery. So she put the hilt back in her pocket and headed back to her ship. She had a long journey ahead and that meant plenty of time to meditate.