187Merry Christmas
Here, have this.
Disclaimer: I don't own Disney.
"Wait so she was kidnapped and brought to the under levels, then some random bar owner saved her from the kidnapper and he took her in. Then you just left her there?!" Anakin was incredulous. He had a right to be. I told the truth.
"I got a good feeling from Zane. I plan on looking in on them in an unofficial capacity to be sure. Our mutual "friend" Bellicose will at least." I winked. Anakin seemed to be satisfied with that.
"You're still taking me to visit her right? I want to see her myself." A reasonable question.
"I will level with you." I said in a serious tone. "Now that her place of residence is in 1313, it will be harder to set up a visit. Though perhaps Zane could take her somewhere less dangerous for the meet." I said to myself. I did have a place in mind. I would have to purchase the location of course, I wonder if Demask's little speakeasy was now for sale. "I will have set that up. That will take time. I will keep you posted."
Anakin nodded. He thought to himself for a moment. He didn't seem all too happy about the situation. I wasn't all that happy either, but it could have been so much worse. Perhaps it was a hidden boon, Those who would want to find her and do her harm would have to go look down in the depths of one of most dangerous places in the galaxy.
"I should get back to class. We are learning how to deflect blaster bolts today. Well, I am learning. Many of the others already know how to." Anakin muttered.
I waved my hand dismissively. "You'll pick it up quick enough. From what I hear, you're a quick learner. Wait until they add multiple remotes." He gave me a look that said it wasn't as fun as I thought it was. Then again as a reincarnate, in my childhood, I found the most mundane things Jedi did to be awesome and still do. I really needed to get back training myself. Hadn't the proper time for it ever since Maul attacked me. "I will see you around the temple, I am sure. Now I just got to get the council on board. Have fun."
"I'll try." I heard him mutter as he departed for the training halls.
I felt Quinlan approach. He hadn't been too far away when I told Anakin the details.
"I am surprised you haven't taken him as a padawan already." I heard Quinlan say from his spot, little ways down the hall.
"Still a bit too young for that. Besides, I would like to have him make some friends in the temple. He already made one." I crossed my arms.
Quinlan shrugged before leaning against the wall. "I hope you aren't hoping the Council will grant that request. It steps on many tenets of the order." Quinlan rolled his eyes.
"They will."
"How are you so sure?" Quinlan raised an eyebrow.
"Because they know I will just go and do it anyway." I couldn't help but smirk.
Quinlan chuckled at that. "Careful not to push them too hard, Luminara. I heard rumors that they are concerned about you. Your association with the Dark Lord prior to you helping Plo defeat him has unsettled many."
I couldn't help but sigh, "I feared as much." Even in death, Plagueis seemed to be a shadow I will never quite shake. "It is understandable, but in this, I would risk the Citadel."
Quinlan raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure this is about Anakin and not you?" Okay, what was he getting at?
"What are you trying to say?" Quinlan shrugged.
"So soon after Komari died-"
"And you think I latched on to Anakin as a coping mechanism." I interrupted.
"Did you?" I rolled my eyes, but I thought about it. Perhaps I did. Thinking about Komari's death still hurts. I remembered the hollow feeling in my gut as her dead weight rested- I pushed the feeling away. Even after all that had happened, it was still hard.
"I should go meditate."
Quinlan gave me an understanding nod. "Just remember that you can't help him, if you do get sent to the Citadel."
I didn't reply. Did the whole temple know about me and Komari or was it just people who knew us well enough? It gave me something to mull over. Had I truly dealt with what happened to Komari or was I just pushing the emotions away? I gave Quinlan a wave before departing myself.
I found myself working on a new lightsaber. I preferred to use one, but it never hurt to have a secondary saber. The new crystal I used was from another set of those damn force cuffs. It saved me a trip to Illum. I had tried to track down the source of where they got the crystals over the years. It was no doubt some black market outlet. I had considered a place like Dantooine, but the Kinath tunnels were too dangerous and Korriban, sorry Moraband, as it was called these days, was heavily secured and monitored. I suspected it was a sneaky trick to keep folks from going there to loot it or something. No idea when the name change occurred. As far as I was concerned it was still Korriban. There were other places, but I suspected over the generations kyber crystals found their way around. Some Jedi went missing, others were assassinated. There was a private collector market for Lightsabers.
I did lament the loss of my original saber, but at least I lost it in a duel. Mostly because I was running my mouth, but still it wasn't like it fell out of a skycar or misplaced.
The new lightsaber came together well. Only one piece was absent. I looked at the electrum block floating in the air next to the new saber. It was sent to my chambers while I was out. I decided not to add the fancy gold coloring until after I mastered Juyo which wouldn't be too far off. I think… and another thing I think am mentally avoiding is the subject should have been meditating on.
I literally ran from her death and my guilt. Had I just paid attention. I was so cocksure and arrogant. Oh, the Yinchorri are resistant to force powers, but not the air and walls around them, ha ha. They were also hard to predict in their movements. Their actions didn't register very well to a force user's senses. Almost invisible. I paid that price with the life of a friend and lover who took a blade in the back for me. I felt tears sting my eyes. I cried for the first time since the accident. The denial being washed away in a tsunami of repressed guilt. I got Komari Vosa killed.
After some time, I managed to pull my emotions back into check after a few minutes. I couldn't allow myself to show a lack of control for now at least. She was gone, but she wouldn't want me to wallow in her death. I could have a cryfest when I got out of the temple away from the sphere of Jedi Influence.
In the meantime. I need something to do, so I decided to return Bastilacron. I dried my tears and went about looking for it. I set her on the shelf somewhere. I kept the holocron for too long. Considering there were yet to be any new Battle Meditation practitioners, there was never any real rush to return her. I was studying how to make my own too. It was an excuse to enter the Holocron vault. I activated the Holocron, but not before blowing the dust off.
Bastila appeared. Her form looked a bit older. Heavy robes and the aged look of a master weary from pulling the order back together.
"Ah, Student. I sense you are finally going to take me back to the vault. It is about time." she scowled.
"I made the rank of Master today. I won't say that I don't need you anymore. Your information and wisdom have been invaluable. I appreciate it and hope to add to the knowledge in my own way."
Bastilacron sighed, "Then go forth and use what you have learned for the betterment of the Jedi and the Republic." Her avatar blinked out and the holocron shut itself down.
I rolled my eyes, but left my quarters heading toward the library. I would have to move into the Jedi Master's quarters later.
Master Jocasta had an irritated look on her face when she saw me. Of course because I had pulled a fast one on her with Maul's blade. I doubt she would ever let me let that down. She took her job seriously.
"Ah, if it isn't Master Unduli." There was a hint of disapproval. I resisted the urge to bristle at the tone.
"Master Librarian, I have come to return a holocron to the vault." I held up the item in question.
The old jedi made an attempt to grab it. "I will take it from here."
"I wanted to see the vault myself, if you don't mind." She couldn't deny me entrance, but she wasn't happy about it.
"Did the Holocron help in your studies?" she asked while leading me to the vault.
"A bit abrasive at first, but once you get to know their quirks, you can learn something." I could have sworn that the holocron flickered in disapproval.
"Every holocron is different. I told Master Poof that perhaps this one wasn't a good fit, but he insisted. I think Master Vaas would have been better." I did not miss the implication. Master Vaas was Exar Kun's master after all. I suppose considering how I got my arm back this type of comparison and attitude was warranted. It worried me somewhat that was how I was seen.
The vault was bigger than I remembered it being. Of course it was. The place held not only Jedi secrets, but Sith holocrons and various artifacts. Speaking of Exar Kun, his lightsaber was on a pedestal to my left. It was wrapped in a special cloth to prevent it from messing with people's minds when handled. That also reminded me that the nerfhole's spirit was still prowling around Yavin 4. There was a whole mess of other osik that was piled up in front of me.
It was enough to drive me mad. More so than I was already. I shook my head and followed Jocosta to the slot in which Bastilacron was supposed to sit. After slotting it in, I turned to look around the place. My gaze settled on a row of Sith Holocrons.
"Will you be checking out anything while you are here?" Jocasta said. There was a small bit of apprehension in her voice.
I thought about it, "No." I left the vault without a word. I didn't think I was in the best mental state. The damn Sith holocrons looked too inviting and that set me on edge. What I needed was to find a training hall and practice my forms. It didn't take long to find an empty training room.
I took my time stretching and warming up. I started with Form 1 and worked my way through all of the basics and moved on through the forms in numerical order. As the blades sang through the air, it felt like my core being was leveling out a bit more. While I enjoyed static meditation, this was how I best connected with the Force.
I had finished working through Form V when I sensed a presence. I turned, my blades deactivating. It turned out to be the Master of the Order.
Windu stalked in. His expression was neutral per usual, but I sensed his usual disapproval, but there was something else.
"Your form is impeccable," he said.
"Thanks?" There was confusion in my voice. Was that a compliment?
"Whatever our differences, I can respect your dedication to mastering your bladework and even honing your other abilities despite reaching the rank of Knight so early. Your promotion was not without some merit." There was a "but" coming. "However, I still am against your early promotion to the Rank of Master. Despite the aptitude you showed in combating the hidden Sith threat, your attitude is unfitting of such a rank. It also evokes the specter of the Jedi Order's militant past." There was an undertone in his voice. It was hard to decipher. It was obvious, he didn't trust me. I didn't want to play this game right now.
"You want to spar?" I wasn't sure what else to say. Windu was considered a moment before he nodded. I set my new saber aside, letting it float in the air of reach.
"You are below my usual skill level, but you could no doubt learn something." Oh it was on now. I knew I was probably in over my head, but damn was I not going to make it easy for him.
I raised my lightsaber in a salute. The intensity was already turned down. Accidents happen even among the highly skilled.
Windu returned in kind. We circled for sometime, before I made the first move. It was a simple jab to get the ball rolling and roll it did. Mace was fast. Really fast. Not dissimilar to Plagueis, or Maul, He didn't use Vaapad. Didn't really need to and he might have feared I would learn the movements.
I was mostly on the defensive at first, falling back on Soresu. It was hard to keep up, but I didn't spend years training for nothing and managed to deflect just enough to perform a few slashes of Makashi, briefly putting Windu on the Defensive.
He dropped into Juyo, so I decided to switch it up and apply Djem So. I found that I was having fun. I will admit I was at the edge of my current skill level, and Mace was not above switching forms either. After a few more minutes, it was becoming clear Mace was going to come out on top. My competitive side was getting the best of me and I had an idea so I forced a blade lock,
With my right organic hand, I used tutaminis to grab my own blade and half-sworded, extending the two-phase blade out and using the blade as a makeshift quarterstaff. Mace was not expecting this. As I managed to turn my blade around his blade on the fulcrum and managed to lightly score his robes as he skillfully dodged the blow. He was not amused and with a whirl, I found myself on the defense for good this time. I did my best, but Mace managed to turn my blade aside and point his Violet blade over my heart. I thought about swiping it away, but I doubt I would have changed the result and only ended up in this position again.
"I yield," I said and deactivated my blade.
Mace deactivated his after I mine. I clipped it to my belt and called my new saber to my side, clipping that one as well.
"That was fun."
Mace looked down at his scorched arm.
"As always, you brush up to the line." He turned and left the room. Before the door shut, he said, "Take care not to trip over it."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I needed to visit Ganorn about the Speakeasy purchase anyway. I left the training hall and noted the sun was setting. It would have to wait until tomorrow.